Plotlogs
Metsu No Hana Sr Ritsuka 250213
In the mystical ambiance of Kyoto, a tale unfolds involving Edith, a knowledgeable but out-of-her-element vampire, and Takeshi, a demon-born youth with a casual attitude towards ancient spirits and the promise of becoming a hero. Assigned by Ritsuka, a figure capable of bending the paths between realms, their mission is to secure a seed from a Camellia tree spirit, crucial for a ritual back in Haven.
Their journey begins humorously with Edith, clad not in her typical attire but in a more approachable outfit, and Takeshi, insistent on the canon of a cat onesie, adding a lighter note to their grave task. Their interaction with the mystical world is marked by their personalities—Edith, with her vast occult knowledge yet unfamiliarity with Japanese customs, and Takeshi, with his eagerness but lack of depth in understanding the weight of their quest.
The negotiation with a shrine maiden, an emissary of Inari, highlights their need to exchange a favor for information—a common practice in supernatural circles. Takeshi, with his brash confidence, opts for tangible offerings over abstract promises, showing his practical approach amidst the supernatural dealings.
Their meeting with the dryad, a guardian of the ancient Camellia tree, turns into a reflective moment. The dryad's poetic questioning forces Takeshi to confront the nature of his actions—whether they aim to heal or harm. Edith, acting the part of a guide, subtly directs Takeshi towards acknowledging the responsibility that comes with wielding such power. Their interaction reveals the deep connection between spirits and nature, and how actions, symbolic or literal, resonate within the ancient and mystical framework governing their world.
The conclusion of their quest, the acceptance of the seed, signifies more than just the completion of a task. It embodies the commitment to a path that intertwines the fates of all involved—Takeshi, Edith, and Ritsuka, under the shadow of supernatural entities and ancient spirits. Edith's role, though seemingly passive, is pivotal as she bridges realms, understanding, and beings towards a singular goal. Takeshi's journey is more personal, a coming-of-age wrapped in the guise of a hero's quest, littered with challenges that test his resolve, understanding, and the very essence of his beliefs.
As they return to Haven, the dawn of their new beginning is marked with promises of further sacrifices, hinting at the continuous cycle of actions and consequences in their attempt to alter realities both human and beyond.
(Metsu no Hana(SRRitsuka):SRRitsuka)
[Wed Feb 12 2025]
On Foothold in Kyoto
Tucked away in the winding backstreets of Kyoto, behind an unassuming wooden gate marked only by a single, weathered camellia crest, lies a foothold in Japan. The air is thick with the scent of incense and the cold outside, the silence broken only by the distant chime of temple bells or the occasional murmur of unseen watchers.
Beyond the entrance, the locations fits into the surroundings, traditional sliding doors conceal fortified chambers, and a garden disguises hidden pathways beneath its moss-covered stones. Paper lanterns cast flickering shadows against lacquered wood, their crimson glow reflecting in the eyes of those who may take a moment to watch.
Power flows like an unseen current beneath Kyoto's ancient streets. Only those who walk the path of along the Yokai may ever uncover this current.
It is about 45F(7C) degrees.
Edith is, for the terms of plot, not in fact wearing a cat onesie. It is day wear to help with not getting crunked by sunlight. At night, in Japan, the outfit is far more reasonable.
Takeshi insists that the cat onesie is canon, as this makes things funnier
Edith supposes the cat onesie is now cannon
As far as it is needed, it is Ritsuka that will help path everyone over as is necessary, for those that do not have the means to path themselves. It only takes a couple of minutes... and a short trip through a misty forest, and urgent caution from her to not stray away from her and the path, and then, only a short walk later, the group re-appears somewhere in a room. It is definitely Japanese in tradition; probably far too stereotypical for someone like Edith and for someone like Takeshi it might be far too boring. Tokyo was still far more modern than Kyoto is.
In the room itself, there is a handful of other people, all appropriate for the ethnicity here.
It is when the group arrives here that Ritsuka shuffles around for a map and then begins to explain, pointing to a place on the eastern side in Kyoto, inside the Higashiyama Ward. "We are around here, Takeshi-san, Edith-san. In the best way I can say it, I would like for you both to find a seed. I found a contact among those tending to Inari's Shrine that will know where you two might find it, she will visit very soon. She... might want something for the information, she was a little vague..." She raises her hands along a shrug, but points out that the Fushimi Inari Taisha is some distance south of here. "If... I am understanding and following Kin'Yoko's traces right, it should lead you to a Furutsubaki no rei, somewhere in the nature east of Kyoto."
For someone with such extensive knowledge about the occult, Edith might immediately get the clue, despite being in a different circle in the world entirely, it is some sort of tree spirit. Something alike dryads, but more local to Japanese flora. The kind that springs to live from trees.
"I..." Ritsuka continues "Suspect that the Dynasty is looking for an opportunity to work against us. I can be called, but I will travel elsewhere, and hope they will keep their eyes on me and not either of you. But Takeshi is technically banished from Japan and you-" She gestures to Edith "Are a foreigner. So this should work out fine. If you go eastwards, do not follow the lights and if you find the path, don't divert from it. Kyoto is... ancient. And some Yokai keep their homes within and around."
As the pathing places him into the new room, Takeshi looks around with a frown. He looked vaguely uncomfortable about the idea of being here, and was opting to hold his oversized Nodachi blade in his hand as apposed to at his waist or on his back, even though the sheath would remain on the blade, and it was held by the sheath, by the handle. He lifts up the impractically sized 5ft blade, almost as long as he was tall, and rests is on his shoulder as he does his best to put on a stoic expression. "Eh? It doctor girl" Takeshi remarks to Edith as he spots she was the mysterious second person that would be coming on this adventure with them. He greets her with a raise of his knuckles for her to touch before he turns to Ritsuka, looking all business
"Go in, make contact cooperate, get out, then?" He asks, looking down at the map Ritsuka had placed in front of them, following the line she'd traced with her finger. He cracks a smirk "Heh, they better cooperate, or they face wrath of Meifu no Kenja" He says, bringing his fingertips to his forehead and closing his eyes as he hits a cocky looking pose.
Looking to the map, Edith nods to Ritsuka. "With Takeshi being familiar with the landscape, I shall allow him to take lead on our part of this." the blond is, of course, assuming a lot, in the way of not just westerners, but also those completely generationally devoid of modernity and its influences. She officially introduces herself to Ritsuka before nodding to Takeshi. "The fact the place is ancient is exceptional." she notes to the two. "I am able to see, hear and interact with spirits with ease. I can also of course trace if we have anything I can use. I likewise assume from the context given by Miss Shimomi that we are to locate what sounds very much to be that of a nature spirit of some kind."
"I think the best way to cal it, might be, by western standard, a dryad spirit of a Tsubaki tree." Ritsuka quietly shares with Edith and Takeshi, though it is the later in which her augmented eyes linger on "And please, Takeshi-san. Violence should be the last option. We must honor the spirits." She glances to Edith "We probably have a few moments before the contact gets to us. Do you both have any questions that I might be able to answer? I- hope Takeshi will translate for you as is needed. If he does not I can try and teach you Japanese someday, if you want." Of course, there is spirits. One is passing just by through one of the walls and looks at the group, and then to Edith, but this is more likely just one passing by, their interest seems absent.
Takeshi gives Edith a confused look "Eh? I never go Kyoto before ..." He tells Edith in his horribly broken english before reaching over to pick the map up off of the table "I can read map, though?" He offers in a tone indicating he would give it an earnest try. Whether or not leaving this particular teenager in charge of the map though was still up in the air. He doesn't seem to follow much at all of what Edith is saying, giving her another blank look "So .... Place very old? And there kami there?" He asks, trying his best to follow "And you talk to kami?" He asks before frowning, and looking over to Ritsuka "Obachan, are these kami the type I can cut with sword?" He decides would be best to check
Takeshi seems disappointed by the instruction of respecting the spirits, giving Ritsuka an annoyed "ehhhhh?" Before looking away with a 'tsk' seeming to never the less accept the instruction "Fine. I be nice." He says, even though Takeshi 's capability of such a thing was highly questionable. He shakes his head as she asks him if he has any questions "We speak Dryad. Dryad have seed. We get seed from Dryad. Try to do nicely, only kill Dryad if no other option" He summarizes the important parts of the task at hand as quickly as possible.
"I don't believe I have questions." Edith nods to Ritsuka.
With Takeshi giving his word and Edith's words, Ritsuka makes to bow to the two of them, her posture and demeanor does fall strongly and very firmly into what would be considered normal here. There is a few words she exchanges with the less than other handful of people here, and then is on her way out when the door opens and a young looking woman steps inside. She has more pronounced cheekbones and a cute nose, and there is a barely visible glow to her eyes that not familiar with Yokai would miss. She holds a little fan, garbed in a kimono and gently sways it at herself and the miscellaneous people here do guide her to Edith and Takeshi. She raises the fan up, hiding her expression below the eyes, with a sparkle of something tender that glimmers in the glow of her brown eyes.
"I am understanding right that I am to talk to you about what the puppets of the family wants?" The voice is sweet, almost seductive and her eyes do settle and linger for a moment too long on each Edith and Takeshi.
Edith does not detect her to be either of what she would immediately recognize, but there is the smell of incense on the woman. Her clothes definitely identify her to be some sort of shrine maiden, and if Edith is concluding correctly, with the extensive occult knowledge that she possesses, this woman might well be one of Inari's own truly, a feyborn for sure.
"I can... help you. But it must be favor for favor?" She continues, the words drawing out and spoken a little more slowly paced until then falling to silence.
Takeshi gives Ritsuka a wave as she heads out to deal with other matters before looking over as the kimono clad woman enters into the room. A soft 'ohhhhhhhh' comes from under his breath as she sees the grandiosity with which she was presenting herself. He is, quite overtly and not very subtly staring at her, seeming too distracted by her to actually speak up and say anything yet. He wrinkles his nose after a moment, waking back up as he realizes he's supposed to be translating for Edith. "She's saying she understands she's here to talk to us about something we want, and is saying it needs to be a favor for a favor" He communicates to Edith.
Takeshi seems to get the feeling that the incredibly aristocratic looking woman he was with was more suited to the subtle arts of negotiation than he himself was, so for now would act as translator mostly, whilst making sure he took plenty of time to stare at the representative sent to speak to them, a grin on his face and an obviously predatory look in his eye.
Nodding to Takeshi, Edith nods to Ritsuka as they go their seperate ways. As Takeshi translates, Edith nods. "Very common in supernatural circles." the vampiress considers, looking over the shrine maiden, taking in her appearance, lips thinning. "I do not make deals on behalf of your organization. I am here as arcane support." the blond notes to Takeshi. "So find out what the tranaction is to be for us, and we shall negotiate."
Takeshi double takes back to Edith, having seemingly not caught the first half of what she said, being too busy staring at the fey lady that they were talking to. He clears his throat, trying his best to 'lock in' a little better before he does as prompted. He kneels before the table, doing a respectful dogeza, putting his hands on the ground in front of him and bringing his forehead to just above the ground, touching it for just a moment. It looked practiced, as if the no good punk teen might actually have some kind of background in etiquette. "Thank you for coming. I'm here on behalf of the Tsubaki no Tetsu to arrange a mutually pleasing agreement where the requested seed is handed off to us." He tells her, speaking in Japanese, putting on a softer, and more formal tone than he had when talking in English "How can this be arranged?" He asks, leaning back up out of his bow.
Not understanding-- And not having intention to learn japanese, which the vampire from the early 1900s likely assumes to be chinese anyway-- Every oriental language is Indian or Chinese to her, Edith is entirely non-plussed as Takeshi speaks, though still, Ritsuka gave Takeshi the task, and Takeshi is an oriental and all orientals are respectful, at least to their own, and so she simply waits, staring at the shrine maide as only a corpse can. Though in this case, an animate one.
The maiden looks between Edith and someone. A predating, vicious smile curves over her lips behind the fan, unseen by both Edith and Takeshi and what of it carries to her eyes only appears as a regular form of some sort of joy in the edges of her eyes. She does change into English, though her Japanese accent is heavy enough to make some words difficult. "Our lady has visited us in dreams. And I ask for you to choose of two. A favor named later." Truly, that is ever the most dangerous. "An oath of silence. A name given freely. A Camellia from the Iron Garden. A story never told before. A Fragment of yours. A lie that must become a truth. A lantern for the lost. A blade turned away." And of course it just had to be cryptic, and there is so much bemusement that fills as a sparkle in the maiden's brown eyes now. And there is something to this that feels binding, something that will come true, regardless of what is tried. Bound by pact.
Outside, the city has fallen to silence, though the stars are not so visible. Light pollution keeps the nightsky starless but much of the outside world has, at this hour, fallen to darkness. The lantern inside the room still burns, and though an open window, from somewhere within the foothold itself, a single leaf of green blows its way through, and gently sways down to the ground in the middle between everyone.
The maiden looks between Edith and Takeshi. A predating, vicious smile curves over her lips behind the fan, unseen by both Edith and Takeshi and what of it carries to her eyes only appears as a regular form of some sort of joy in the edges of her eyes. She does change into English, though her Japanese accent is heavy enough to make some words difficult. "Our lady has visited us in dreams. And I ask for you to choose of two. A favor named later." Truly, that is ever the most dangerous. "An oath of silence. A name given freely. A Camellia from the Iron Garden. A story never told before. A Fragment of yours. A lie that must become a truth. A lantern for the lost. A blade turned away." And of course it just had to be cryptic, and there is so much bemusement that fills as a sparkle in the maiden's brown eyes now. And there is something to this that feels binding, something that will come true, regardless of what is tried. Bound by pact.
Outside, the city has fallen to silence, though the stars are not so visible. Light pollution keeps the nightsky starless but much of the outside world has, at this hour, fallen to darkness. The lantern inside the room still burns, and though an open window, from somewhere within the foothold itself, a single leaf of green blows its way through, and gently sways down to the ground in the middle between everyone.
Takeshi looks entirely confused at what the woman was saying, blinking in confusion as he tries to figure out what exactly it was the smug looking shrine maiden was trying to say to him. He shoots a look over at Edith as if to say 'is she trying to cast some kind of wizardy on us?'. He shifts a little close to her before leaning over towards Edith to whisper at her ear "Does she own my soul if I agree to this?" He asks her, in a somewhat concerned voice before also adding "Also what the fuck is she saying?"
Takeshi looks entirely confused at what the woman was saying, blinking in confusion as he tries to figure out what exactly it was the smug looking shrine maiden was trying to say to him. He shoots a look over at Edith as if to say 'is she trying to cast some kind of wizardy on us?'. He shifts a little close to her before leaning over towards Edith to whisper at her ear "Does she own my soul if I agree to this?" He asks her, in a somewhat concerned voice before also adding "Also what the fuck is she saying?" (Fixed)
Continuing to stare unblinkingly, Edith parses that riddleing cryptic. Her hands, having clasped demurely before her during the shrine maiden's speach appear relaxed, though her lips impossibly thin that little more. There's a slight twitch of the lip-- Something tested and amusing. There's no word, no action save from Edith's gaze flicking to Takeshi, though after a pause, where breath would stand still (if Edith had breath), she speaks, advising Takeshi as only the truly ancient can. To it, giving a suggestion without substance, putting this entirely on Takeshi, and leaving her free of all responsibility. "This is quite the cryptic. Yet, your mistress," (meaning Ritsuka "Has given you this task. A good chance for you to prove yourself for your society, no?"
Takeshi narrows his eyes, clearly unsatisfied with the answer "Ehhhhh?" He complains, not seeming to realize how bickering with his ally in front of their guest might make them look "You brought here as arcane expert, I thought. I asking for arcane advice" He insists, refusing to be left to sink or swim on his own here!
Standing where she does, the maiden waits, her brown eyes briefly glancing between Takeshi and Edith. But the hesitation in Takeshi make her eyes linger for a moment longer on him before they draw to Edith to see what she has to answer to him.
"Firstly," Edith points out, still unmoving, "Not wizardry, but an oath that will be binding. Not as strong as Venice, but as strong as your own eidolon. At this point right now, this young lady is possessed by a spirit. Likely that of your nine taled fox." That small smile perpetuates, the vampire giving arcane advice. "You will find that this is something only you can do." Edith tells Takeshi. "The bond is for a favor owed. If you trust your eidolon, you can depend upon its spiritual energy to mitigate any negatives, though there is of course no way to completely avoid it." Gaze shifting to watch that leaf, the blond 'hmmm's. "You need this dryad however, so to deal with this young lady is your best chance."
Takeshi listens to Edith, nodding his head slowly "Ahhh ... I see ..." He says, it was as he feared, he would not simply be able to lie to the woman and forget all about her the moment he got the seed he was looking for. He grumbles as he sits down as he tries to think through the different options, shifting from kneeling to cross legged as he strokes his chin. "A favor named later ... That like handing over blank check, I not do that ... An oath of silence ... How long for? Forever? I can't do that, I like talking too much ... A name given freely? Can it be any name? I can think of name to give ... A camelia from iron garden? I don't know where that is, I doubt it easy place to get to if she bring it up in this context ... A story never told? I can come up with one of those easy, that can be one ... A fragment of yours? Could mean anything, she might try and cut out pound of flesh and keep it ... A lie that must become a truth, I need to know what lie she mean first, could be hard to make it truth ... A lantern for the lost? Technically that just any lantern, but I don't know if she see it that way ... A blade turned away ... Could be anything, but she might ask me for Kagetsurugi and I not give her that ..."
He grumbles a while longer before he looks up towards the maiden, seeming to have made up his mind. "A story never told, and a lantern for the lost." He gives his decision, giving her a respectful bow.
Edith gives Takeshi the slightest nod. Barely even a manifest thing, it is as fleeting as a spectre, either approving or accepting, though that slight smile persists as the vampire awaits the shrine maiden's next words.
Listening on to Takeshi's decision, a delightful smile sparkles in the shrine maiden's eyes, and she shuts the fan and reveals her face. She holds up a finger, her attention now all and entirely onto Takeshi "I wish for a story that is deep, personal and true. The more secretive, the happier I will be!" And then she holds up a second finger and gestures with the other to one of the paper lanterns that are alight here. "You must light a paper lantern and set it adrift on the Kamo River. So the lost may be able to follow it." Her hand withdraws again and she opens the fan once more. The flame of a nearby lantern flickers off, with a sudden breeze that blows through the area, the noise from the outside begins to sound far more muffled suddenly, and Takeshi must feel like all attention now resides onto him and him alone. Even Edith might feel a little bit of it, a gentle nudge, a slight push to suggest to hear and listen, though it is not forceful at all.
The shadows dance along a singular lantern that is left alight in the room, and Takeshi will find them follow along what story he is about to tell, like an illustration that demonstrates it, colorless, noiseless, barely visible, but there.
"A fair transaction." Edith allows, nodding to Takeshi. "You should likely tell your story. Seeing as I don't care, you can be assured that I shall not share it if it were to be embarrissing."
Takeshi blinks his eyes "Eh? You never say it have to be true!" He says with a frown as she asks for the story, but as the entire air of the room seems to shift around him, somehow he starts to feel a massive peer pressure on his back to just tell a story anyway, as if thousands of people were staring at him and not just one.
He thinks for what must have been a full minute before he finds a story he's happy to tell "Okay, so I walking through street on dark and snowy night, and I feel strange feeling." He tells the shrine maiden as he folds his arms over his chest, clearly trying his hardest to remember the details without getting anything wrong "I start feel that someone nearby suffering, one of the houses in nearby apartment. I not know what going on but I hero, so I go and investigate" He calls himself a hero so casually he might even think it's true "I slice open door, and inside there blood and gut everywhere, painted on walls, painted on floors, painted on circle in ground. Some kind of magic in air and I feel in next room over something bad happening, so I go to investigate." A proud look comes over his face as he remembers the tale "In room ... Cultists! In black robe, and everything! They sacrificing themself one after other to strange saphire gem in middle of room" He grins as he dramatically draws his sword, pointing it up at the ceiling as he brandishes the thing! "I run in and save day! I slice, and kick, and fight like hero and everyone go down!" He announces, looking around to soak in the reaction before slowly bringing the sword back to it's sheath "Ritual is stopped, day is saved, summoning not happen that day."
Edith blinks, just the once at that. There are no words, though now, the vampire shifts, head canting to one side in thought.
Shadows play vaguely along that scene, a single shadowy figure on the ground from the flicker of the flame seems to rise, feel and walk and then sprint and then fight other shadows in the middle of some ceremony. They are vague, but if someone were to look, it might definitely be the most likely interpretation. The maiden laughs and notes "The emotions of a child, ever wishing to be a grand hero." Oh, but she does not continue there, and then gestures to the single lantern that is still alight. There is a glance she gives to Edith before those brown eyes sway to Takeshi. "Take the lantern, and then we go to the Kamo river." Ah no, she does not linger, already moves the same way out that Ritsuka had taken a while ago to leave and exit. There is Tsubaki operatives there, two of them, and they are the ones that open the door out. Both of them are women and the look in their eyes that draws to Takeshi when they see the ring he wears and the subtle sign societies bear, is one of suspicion.
Should Edith and Takeshi choose follow the maiden, it is a walk towards the river, westbound. Around fifteen to thirty minutes.
Takeshi looked very proud of his story right up until the maiden described him as having the emotions of a child, from which was born an annoyed 'tsk'. He gets up to his feet however though, more than happy to follow after the woman and place her lantern into the lake as he picks the thing up, looking over his shoulder at Edith and gesturing for her to follow him as he follows behind.
He does however catch the look of the Tsubaki operatives, squinting his eyes in return to them as if he didn't trust them either!
Staring unblinkingly as the story is told, Edith waits only as long as Takeshi does before following, the vampire's inhuman grace smooth and serpentine as she appears to flow across the ground. Though the walk is long enough that someone might note fatigue, Edith's chest neither rises or falls, her steps never falter, her pace never slows, for the dead are inevitable, and there is no worry for exaustion to one who has no autonomic responces to depend on.
Placing the lantern onto the river is very simple, and it does start to travel off, gliding along the riverbed down down down... But the one whom comes to witness here the most, is not Takeshi. He, only can see the lantern make its way past. The maiden all the same smiles, seen from the side as she still keeps the fan to hide the lower half of her face. The one who sees it all and the most, is Edith. There is souls, mainly of old people, that come to stand at the sides of the river bank, watching, looking forlorn, lost. They are those who died, and as the lantern makes its way through, they step into the river. Their outline shines a little brighter, as if just treading through the water cleans them more. And it is not just them then, that begin to follow the lone lantern, as other silhouettes start to join them, festive, dancing. They tread along the river shore, allowing those who have passed, to walk between them, and just as there was now a rather large following over the horizon, the maiden is wrapped up into a shadow and disappears.
On the ground, in her place, lies now a singular paper talisman. Humanoid, almost, folded in, and it just jumps up and wakens, onto steady paper-thin feet. It wiggles its little arms out and up, as if asking to be grasped and taken, as if utterly begging for it.
Takeshi does not see the spirits so would be robbed of the sights that Edith sees, simply watching a lantern traveling up a lake. He does recognize that there is probably some kind of spiritual significance to it however, even if he does not literally sees the spirits, so bows his head and offers up a quiet prayer to Amaterasu.
Having not seen everything that happened, it would be up to Edith to notice and pick up the little paper guy!
Gesturing to Takeshi, Edith motions for him to take the paper figurine. "It will likely not eat your soul." the vampire points out. Her attention is on the unliving dead as they travel. For a moment it seems as though she may reach to where she hides her ceremonial blade, fingers twitching as though she truly hungered to take at least some of them. Yet, this is not for the necromancer to work with, so instead, in a tone barely above a whisper, Edith explains what she sees to Takeshi. "You have done a good act." she allows to the demonborn. "I see many lost spirits following your lantern. It is something grand and beautiful, and they revel in their freedom from loss."
sniffs at Takeshi. Prayer is something she cares little for, so indeed, as Takeshi is occupied, Edith reaches out for the little figure, offering it a palm to stand on.
Takeshi doesn't seem so moved. "Eh?" He says, glancing over at the river she was referring to as if knowing the spirits were there would help him see them (it did not). "Oh ... That's cool ..." He says. It didn't seem as if he didn't believe Edith, seeming to take her fully at face value that what she is saying is true. It just didn't seem to effect him much. "That make me hero, right?" He asks Edith with a grin, seeming to care much more about what these events might imply about him and his virtue than the actual virtue of the actions themselves.
The little paper-man seems too happy to jump onto Edith's hand, and as the first immediate reaction is not to open it, it points towards a direction, somewhere to the east. And then repeats the gesture, raising its paper-arm up, and then swinging it around towards the east, southeast. Somewhere between those directions.
"It of course makes you a hero." Edith nods to Takeshi. She doesn't seem entirely convinced in the least though. Never the less, Edith gathers the little fellow close, observing where it points and beginning to walk that way, Takeshi in toe or not.
Takeshi is cheesing from ear to ear as he's called a hero, marching off in the direction the little paper man was directing them as he carries his Nodachi resting on his shoulder. "How did Obachan convince you to come along, anyway?" He asks Edith as they walk "Is she paying you?"
"By money." Edith notes to Takeshi, "And yes. This was a better prospect than remaining, deathless during a mid day in a nothing town in America. I should start pathing during the day to lightless lands. The orient may not be entirely bad." She then admits, still expressionless in the way of those who see little effort investing in such frivolity, "I am also offering outreach. As adept as I am, it was fortunate to gain an arcanist, and my superiors within Haven were taking an interest in yours."
It is a good distance this time. The fresh night air of Kyoto slides over Takeshi's skin, and might be felt on Edith's face, if she still is able to experience that kind of sensation. The trip ahead now does have the paper talisman fairly accurately point along of the streets, and not into buildings that then need to be circumvented, so the road ahead is fairly straight-up. It only just leads through Higashiyama Ward. Most would never notice it, being just mundane people passing by, but the city is full of Yokai. Again, it is mainly Edith who notices the little traces from days of old, the remains of long in the past of magic, the trees who had become more than just trees, though both Edith and Takeshi notice the people who pass by who are more than just mundane people, those who are Yokai. They see the little creatures that pass on by, stuttering across the rooftops, though their sight is relatively rare, the two still know what to look for, Takeshi as one who knows the culture, and Edith who's senses are very superior. A capital, that stood as the seat of Amaterasu's descendants for over a thousand years.
The path eventually leads on out into wooden terrain east of Tokyo, along a scarcely treaded path. The talisman is relentless in its repeating motion, though there is a point where the two come to a split into the road.
The talisman points to the right, but to the left, both Edith and Takeshi see what is, without a doubt a Camellia tree in full bloom, hidden away in a grove. A singular blue flame floats up in the air besides it. To Edith, it smells like something sweet.
Edith says "thoughtfully I also wished to see how you personally behaved on a diplomatic task that did not involve you enraging officials. You are welcome."
What Takeshi should be thankful for is answered moments later, as still following the gestures of the little paper figure, Edith adds, "I did not cause you a heart attack on the beach."
Takeshi listens to Edith as he taps the sheathed Nodachi on his shoulder, kicking his feet up in front of him as he walked. "Eh? Tsubaki no Tetsu has an arcanist?" Takeshi asks her in a confused voice, it was news to him! "Is it Obachan?" He asks before realizing the more important question here "What is an arcanist?" He grins as she brings up the beech incident, pointing his nose quite proudly up into the air "No magic can stop my heart. I built different." He assures Edith in a proudful voice so confident that it sounded like he might have even thought it was true!
Takeshi notably, does not react to the Yokai as they make their way past. It's unclear why, but he doesn't even give any of them, even the strangest looking or most obvious Yokai, a second glance. It's not until they're at the Camellia that he seems to even take note of his surroundings at all. "We need a seed from this tree, right?" He asks Edith are he makes his way over to it.
"An arcanist is someone who works with magic." Edith explains as she and Takeshi walk. "You have a few, though none of your ritualists are as adept as I am. Hence out-sourcing for me, just in case." As arrogant about his own ability as Takeshi is, Edith likewise is that confident about her own skill with magic. As the group arrive towards the tree though, step by step, Edith nods to Takeshi. "Quite so. You need a seed of nature. Likely from a dryad, so you will be once more negotiating with the spirit to allow you one so that you can, assumedly plant it in the Tsubaki district." As they reach the forking path, Edith notes the little paper figure for a moment. The vampire looks to the tree consideringly before telling Takeshi, "I think perhapse you may not wish to trust your eyes with that tree. I suspect it to be an illusion. This little fellow wishes us to trek this way." And at that, Edith gestures, with the paper effigy towards the right.
Takeshi stops in his tracks and then looks over to Edith. He doesn't think too much about it "Oh, sure ..." He says, following her
Takeshi says "Ehhh? That's cool. Obachan uses magic, right? I've seen her summoning up fire. She always uses her sword when we fight, though."
Takeshi says "Can you summon up fire?"
Once Takeshi has fallen into step once more, Edith slows to allow the paper figure to direct easier. "I do not know." the vampire admits. "I know of your mistress through supernatural rumors and brief corrispondants. I am yet to see her in combat. As for what I do, no. I do not summon fire. I control both the living and the dead like puppets. I summon spirits to fight."
Takeshi nods his head slowly "Ehhhh ..." He says under his breath before grinning "When get home, I want you summon your dead." He tells her, a violent grin coming over his face, his teeth seeming a little more jagged than normal for a moment "I'll slice em all up!" He announces, grandly!
"I don't believe that will happen." Edith responds with as much care or attention to the suggestion as one might give an insect. "Though I should be only too pleased to spar with you during the night."
Takeshi nods his head twice, seemingly pleased with the agreement "It date." He informs her as he turns back to face the direction they were going. The boy certainly had a strange idea of what a good date activity was.
Disaster averted, because the moment the two start to trek the other way, just as they pass another tree or two, if any was to glance back, there indeed was no such grove or tree. There is some shuffling in the underbrush, but it moves away from Takeshi and Edith and it disappears all too quickly. If Edith caught a glimpse, it was some sort of four legged animal.
The rest of the path is a quiet one. An occasional breeze shuffles the trees along, and it is notably warmer here than it is in Haven right now. Not freezing cold, not the kind of temperature where there would be snow, but still cold enough to put on a jacket and to dress warmly if one did not wish to rely on heating indoors. And that is right now at night, during the day it might just manage to barely be warm enough.
The talisman gestures for the way on, and there is this point where the two reach up to a high-grown under-brush that the little figure is pointing to. Brushing and bending it away, the two arrive to a large grove. Fireflies float around through the air, and among a line of trees, at its center, grows the wished for Camellia tree.
Peering forth from behind it, is a female woman, entirely visible to Edith, and somewhat so to Takeshi, she is in the nude. After a few brief moments she steps forth from behind it, places a finger on her chin, and with first looking at Edith, whom does not seem to be interesting at all to her, she looks to Takeshi. "Kin'Yokos breath is on you, thick as incense. Her hunger is vast, but the roots of the world are older still. Will you plant salvation, or will you plant a wound?" The words are sweet, but unfortunately for Edith, this time, they are entirely in Japanese.
With Edith's experience as an arcanist, there is no doubt that this place is magical, and very old. Ancient as a word would be right on the dot, and the woman is most definitely the dryad, she has the same smell and bearing as the tree does, though that would be difficult to see if not for the extensive knowledge and experience that Edith possesses. The Camellia are all in bloom, bright and full of life. The cold seems to only nurture these roses of winter.
Takeshi leans over to whisper to Edith "She say Kin'Yoko breath on me, thick like incense. That Kin'Yoko hunger is vast, but root of world are older. She want to know if we 'plant salvation' or 'plant wound' " He quickly translates for her
Eyes narrowing; The slightest tightening that could normally go unseen, Edith nods to the dryad, then listens to Takeshi. "This is your adventure, young man." the blond tells the demonborn. "Do you think we plant wounds? Is your aim to come here and harm, or to plant, what could be considered salvation?"
The dryad watches as the two interact. Her nude form wanders around her tree, places a hand on the ancient bark and then circles around it only to appear from the other side again. Of course she does, it's a thicc tree, but it is still a tree! There is no sign to whether or not she understands the spoken language, or if she even cares for it. Once more, the decision is laid onto Takeshi's shoulders, though Edith's eyes can perceive that the dryad's touch on the tree in itself is a pull of something arcane. Very innate, the tree's roots respond to her call, though no roots plop up yet, but it might point to it that the environment around will lash back should any violence be attempted.
"Salvation or wound?" Takeshi asks, bringing his Nodachi back up his shoulder, as he looks over the tree. He takes a few steps over to the dryad, giving her a grin. There was also an undertone of violence to that one, his teeth looking jagged once more. "Maybe both?" He asks as he reaches up to the tree, plucking off one of it's flowers and admiring it in his hand, holding it up to the setting sun to get a look in it in what light he could as he takes a few moments to put together some words, looking back to the dryad as he finds them.
"Flames consume the past,"
"ashes dance on winds of hope,"
"dawn is born anew."
He recites to her, taking the flower and carefully putting it into his pocket, planning on taking it home with him.
No matter how much Takeshi tries to pluck a single flower, it does not come loose. No matter how much he is trying, it just... WON'T... come... loose! To Edith, it looks far more ridiculous, like Takeshi is standing two meters away from the tree - he has not earned the right to take a flower and she very much can tell that the ancient tree spirit is relying on some form of magic to keep him away. She comes to a still, and looks to Edith, though her words remain in Japanese. "Flames are hungry things, reckless in their hunger. Hope is fickle, shifting as the wind. And dawn... dawn belongs not to the one who burns, but to the one who survives. Do you stand as fire, or as the root that endures it? One does not ask for the seed of the end without offering the blood of the beginning."
"Stop playing with flowers and translate for me if you please." Edith asks Takeshi, attention on the dryad. "You wont get a flower that way. Dryads control their domains entirely, and you must be worthy of their flowers-- We shall take you to the Other one day and you can see how dryads usually act. This one is rather affable."
Glancing up at the sky where the sun begins to rise, Edith adds, "I can perpetuate for three hours before the sun grows too much, so whilst some of us are young."
Edith of course means Takeshi, as she is one hundred and thirty nine.
Takeshi is not happy that his incredibly smoothly delivered haiku, and vague, gesturing, non answer to the Dryad's question had not been well accepted. It seemed he would not be bullshitting his way through this one. "I told her I both Wound and Salvation" He translates himself for her "I alikened myself to flame which consume and destroy before bringing back new life. She tell me flame is hungry and reckless, and that hope is fickle. She asks me if I'm the flame or the root that endure the flame." He fills her in before looking back to the dryad.
"I won't know until the fires had died down. I'll either be there when it's gone, or I won't be. Just like everything else." He tells her in a voice stoic "Ask me again when I'm older. If I'm still alive by then, I'll have an answer for you by then." Takeshi says to her
Takeshi says "I tell I not know."
Edith considers, "You are the root that weathers all storms and all flame. You are the foundation from which springs life a new." the blond offers to Takeshi. "This is a dryad. She is a creature of verdant vitality. All she is and all she knows is life, and to protect her tree, and how it survives is the metric by which all things revolve around."
Takeshi nods his head slowly, seeming to like what she said "Oh ... Is that what they like?" He asks Edith before looking back to the dryad. He'd wait for the dryad to actually have a chance to respond to though before he started throwing more words at the poor thing
"A seed does not ask if it will reach the sun. It simply grows, or it does not. You, too, will learn this truth." The dryad answers Takeshi, after a moment of silence. The wind whispers through the branches of her trees, but it is where her interest grows lost in Takeshi, and she changes to English, seems she could understand that much at least. Though Japan is very isolated, there once was perhaps a wanderer she observed and learned from, but it's a question no one can answer. For those that know, Japanese even today are not very proficient in English.
Her gaze settles onto Edith, and now it is she that is asked a question. "A seed is nothing without soil. A promise is nothing without the will to uphold it. Speak, then-what soil have you prepared?"
Takeshi frowns "We were supposed to prepare soil?" He asks Edith in the same tone of voice of someone being informed they had homework they had been supposed to, but hadn't done it. He quickly pulls out his phone and starts sending off some texts
Takeshi would text Ritsuka asking if they had soil for the seed, assuming he can get connection. He was taking this question very literally.
A hand held up to Takeshi in a 'wait' gesture, Edith considers the dryad's words for a period before voicing her answer. Here, Edith is out of her depth. She is a creature of the night and the spiritual, not of the druidic and natural. "The earth tilled is that of cultivation; The potential for growth. Those I am here for prepare land in the forests outside of the town of Haven. It is the field ready to place the seeds that will one day grow to be a harvestt. The Iron Camellia. Though the eidolon this man serves requires the seed that he may deliver to his mistress that such growth may be fostered."
Takeshi nods his head twice in agreement with Edith, even though he had only understood half of what it was she had said. "Yeah, she right. Soil in Haven very good, seed be very happy there." He says, grinning in an attempt to convince the dryad to let them take care of one of it's seeds (It's child?) "It going to be taken care of by Obachan. Obachan very caring lady. She take good care of it." He adds, himself.
Ignoring Takeshi almost entirely by now, her gaze retains on Edith. Her expression is unreadable, the hush of her grove feels like it deepens under the shadow of the soon to dawn sun that has started to turn the sky into dark blue. "The kami seeks. The Mistress waits. And you you are their hands. But hands alone do not make a tree stand through storm and fire. If you are merely a courier, then this seed will wither in your grasp." She steps towards the tree, bare feet pressing into the loamy earth. One of her slender hands reaches up, her fingers brush against the one of her camellia blossoms that hang heavy from a branch. There is a long, lingering pause - and then a single seed falls into her palm. She turns to Edith here, and holds it out to her. "Then take it. But know this - what is sown will be reaped. And what grows will one day be tested by wind, by flame, by time itself. If your field is barren of will, the roots will turn to dust."
In the single attempt that Takeshi had made to text Ritsuka, he finds the message send - but not arrive. It seems the one who is not in reach is Ritsuka while Takeshi has the fortune of having his provider's connection.
Takeshi watches the dryad hand the seed to Edith, grinning as he sees it. There was also some stuff about just being a courier and reaping what was sowed, it all sounded very high browed, but to Takeshi it looked, and sounded, like a job well done and he couldn't wait to smugly inform Ritsuka that the seed had been secured. He frowns as he can't seem to reach her, however ...
As the dryad offers the seed, Edith extends a hand, palm out in a warding gesture. "Though I thank you for the honor of baring the seed, as you say, I am but the one who would carry it. It would wither in my hands. I ask that you give him the honor of keeping it safe." Nodding to Takeshi, the blond thanks the dryad with a bow that she likely saw in an exceptionally racist movie from the late eighties. Still, the attempt is genuine, even if the bow is unprofessional.
"You," Edith explains to Takeshi, "Carry the seed. Your eidolon can ride inside you as you travel, keeping it strengthened until planted. Then, when ready, you and Miss Shimomi will grow your cult and the seed will flourish."
Takeshi nods his head, making his way on over to give a slightly more proper bow before he holds his hands out in front of him for the dryad's seed. "Ah, Dryad-chan ..." He greets her, saying something in Japanese, a slightly dumb looking grin on his face as he looks up at the dryad "Can I bring one of your flowers home with me? I want to give it as a gift to someone important to me." He tells the dryad, his voice sounding as if he was asking something he thought a bit silly, or embarrassing
It is the point at which the dryad does not really seem to care all too much anymore, and so, she turns around to hold it out to Takeshi. And yes, there is the sudden ripple of gold that comes to surround Takeshi, and he can feel... something wring its way into him. It is familiar, it just takes control over him, but does not yet move to control Takeshi. It feels warm, powerful, possessive. The Dryad sees it, of course, as it just happens as the question is asked, and she plucks a singular one of her flowers and places the seed within it, before placing it down onto Takeshi's palm, which he suddenly feels to have raised without his control to accept it.
The paper man in Edith's hand, now, finally falls into her palm, the magic is expended, the goal, clearly accomplished, as the sun threatens to rise with a new dawn in Japan.
Takeshi grins as he's given the flower, bowing his head again "Thank you Dryad-chan" He thanks her before looking over as the origami man commits honorable suduko in Edith's palm.
"Alright, let's get this home." He says to Edith, looking down at himself before shuddering. The golden light in his body felt strange. He wasn't sure if it was a good strange of a bad strange yet, but he wasn't going to fight it for now, it seemed like he needed it in order to get this seed Ritsuak wanted back to her. He pauses for a moment, frowning "... Do you remember the path we took to get here?" Takeshi asks Edith
"I do." Edith nods to Takeshi. There's another bow to the dryad; Formality rather than actual care, and then she leads the man back from wence they came. "I could path us back, though Miss Shimomi will be waiting."
With the seed in hand, the Dryad turns away, and disappears behind her tree once more. Both Takeshi and Edith feel like their tracks have been... well, removed, as far as one could be concerned as the two begin to make their way back. Sunlight does start to fray just barely more and more, though the sky retains its dark blue when the two reach and arrive back inside the Tsubaki foothhold in Kyoto. Ritsuka is already there, though her clothing looks bloodied, does not help that her pants are white, but she does not look wounded. More like, more of the usual kind of situation and when she sees the flower in Takeshi's hand, she does afford him a sweeter smile, and then makes a light bow to Edith "I am glad that you both could get it. Would you mind handing the flower to me, Takeshi-san?" She asks, though Takeshi can feel the presence within him, if he hands it over, this presence will move on over, too. "I can path the three of us back to Haven-city, and offer you a place to stay at until the darkness takes Haven, Eidith-san? Or drive you to where you need to go?"
"That is well with me." Edith nods to Ritsuka.
Takeshi looks Ritsuka up and down as he notices her covered in blood, a violent, approving grin coming over his face as if he was thinking to himself 'hardcore'. He looks down as she asks him for the flower, taking a step forwards and placing it not into her hand, but instead pushing it into her hair by her ear. "We got the seed, Obachan." He tells her proudly, as if expecting praise.
The moment that the flower ends up in Ritsuka's hand, she is strung up like a doll again. Her posture changes, draws to be more alluring, chest pushed out, and more sway to her hip, and her other hand palms the flower. There is a stiff nod that comes from her then, and she nods. "We return to Haven and place this at my altar. I will keep it, but be prepared that many more sacrifices will need to be made in the future." The tone is not hers, it is more sultry, more... something. But the possessed girl turns away, and then mentions "I will path us back." And so she does...
Back through the misty forest, where empty branches reach up to the sky. Where everything is foggy and ridden with endless mist, where people get forever lost if they ever treaded off the path, and the end location is in the middle of her home. In the kitchen that is familiar to Ritsuka and Takeshi, but not to Edith. The first step... lies completed. More await, as more plans are made. For the future.
Their journey begins humorously with Edith, clad not in her typical attire but in a more approachable outfit, and Takeshi, insistent on the canon of a cat onesie, adding a lighter note to their grave task. Their interaction with the mystical world is marked by their personalities—Edith, with her vast occult knowledge yet unfamiliarity with Japanese customs, and Takeshi, with his eagerness but lack of depth in understanding the weight of their quest.
The negotiation with a shrine maiden, an emissary of Inari, highlights their need to exchange a favor for information—a common practice in supernatural circles. Takeshi, with his brash confidence, opts for tangible offerings over abstract promises, showing his practical approach amidst the supernatural dealings.
Their meeting with the dryad, a guardian of the ancient Camellia tree, turns into a reflective moment. The dryad's poetic questioning forces Takeshi to confront the nature of his actions—whether they aim to heal or harm. Edith, acting the part of a guide, subtly directs Takeshi towards acknowledging the responsibility that comes with wielding such power. Their interaction reveals the deep connection between spirits and nature, and how actions, symbolic or literal, resonate within the ancient and mystical framework governing their world.
The conclusion of their quest, the acceptance of the seed, signifies more than just the completion of a task. It embodies the commitment to a path that intertwines the fates of all involved—Takeshi, Edith, and Ritsuka, under the shadow of supernatural entities and ancient spirits. Edith's role, though seemingly passive, is pivotal as she bridges realms, understanding, and beings towards a singular goal. Takeshi's journey is more personal, a coming-of-age wrapped in the guise of a hero's quest, littered with challenges that test his resolve, understanding, and the very essence of his beliefs.
As they return to Haven, the dawn of their new beginning is marked with promises of further sacrifices, hinting at the continuous cycle of actions and consequences in their attempt to alter realities both human and beyond.
(Metsu no Hana(SRRitsuka):SRRitsuka)
[Wed Feb 12 2025]
On Foothold in Kyoto
Tucked away in the winding backstreets of Kyoto, behind an unassuming wooden gate marked only by a single, weathered camellia crest, lies a foothold in Japan. The air is thick with the scent of incense and the cold outside, the silence broken only by the distant chime of temple bells or the occasional murmur of unseen watchers.
Beyond the entrance, the locations fits into the surroundings, traditional sliding doors conceal fortified chambers, and a garden disguises hidden pathways beneath its moss-covered stones. Paper lanterns cast flickering shadows against lacquered wood, their crimson glow reflecting in the eyes of those who may take a moment to watch.
Power flows like an unseen current beneath Kyoto's ancient streets. Only those who walk the path of along the Yokai may ever uncover this current.
It is about 45F(7C) degrees.
Edith is, for the terms of plot, not in fact wearing a cat onesie. It is day wear to help with not getting crunked by sunlight. At night, in Japan, the outfit is far more reasonable.
Takeshi insists that the cat onesie is canon, as this makes things funnier
Edith supposes the cat onesie is now cannon
As far as it is needed, it is Ritsuka that will help path everyone over as is necessary, for those that do not have the means to path themselves. It only takes a couple of minutes... and a short trip through a misty forest, and urgent caution from her to not stray away from her and the path, and then, only a short walk later, the group re-appears somewhere in a room. It is definitely Japanese in tradition; probably far too stereotypical for someone like Edith and for someone like Takeshi it might be far too boring. Tokyo was still far more modern than Kyoto is.
In the room itself, there is a handful of other people, all appropriate for the ethnicity here.
It is when the group arrives here that Ritsuka shuffles around for a map and then begins to explain, pointing to a place on the eastern side in Kyoto, inside the Higashiyama Ward. "We are around here, Takeshi-san, Edith-san. In the best way I can say it, I would like for you both to find a seed. I found a contact among those tending to Inari's Shrine that will know where you two might find it, she will visit very soon. She... might want something for the information, she was a little vague..." She raises her hands along a shrug, but points out that the Fushimi Inari Taisha is some distance south of here. "If... I am understanding and following Kin'Yoko's traces right, it should lead you to a Furutsubaki no rei, somewhere in the nature east of Kyoto."
For someone with such extensive knowledge about the occult, Edith might immediately get the clue, despite being in a different circle in the world entirely, it is some sort of tree spirit. Something alike dryads, but more local to Japanese flora. The kind that springs to live from trees.
"I..." Ritsuka continues "Suspect that the Dynasty is looking for an opportunity to work against us. I can be called, but I will travel elsewhere, and hope they will keep their eyes on me and not either of you. But Takeshi is technically banished from Japan and you-" She gestures to Edith "Are a foreigner. So this should work out fine. If you go eastwards, do not follow the lights and if you find the path, don't divert from it. Kyoto is... ancient. And some Yokai keep their homes within and around."
As the pathing places him into the new room, Takeshi looks around with a frown. He looked vaguely uncomfortable about the idea of being here, and was opting to hold his oversized Nodachi blade in his hand as apposed to at his waist or on his back, even though the sheath would remain on the blade, and it was held by the sheath, by the handle. He lifts up the impractically sized 5ft blade, almost as long as he was tall, and rests is on his shoulder as he does his best to put on a stoic expression. "Eh? It doctor girl" Takeshi remarks to Edith as he spots she was the mysterious second person that would be coming on this adventure with them. He greets her with a raise of his knuckles for her to touch before he turns to Ritsuka, looking all business
"Go in, make contact cooperate, get out, then?" He asks, looking down at the map Ritsuka had placed in front of them, following the line she'd traced with her finger. He cracks a smirk "Heh, they better cooperate, or they face wrath of Meifu no Kenja" He says, bringing his fingertips to his forehead and closing his eyes as he hits a cocky looking pose.
Looking to the map, Edith nods to Ritsuka. "With Takeshi being familiar with the landscape, I shall allow him to take lead on our part of this." the blond is, of course, assuming a lot, in the way of not just westerners, but also those completely generationally devoid of modernity and its influences. She officially introduces herself to Ritsuka before nodding to Takeshi. "The fact the place is ancient is exceptional." she notes to the two. "I am able to see, hear and interact with spirits with ease. I can also of course trace if we have anything I can use. I likewise assume from the context given by Miss Shimomi that we are to locate what sounds very much to be that of a nature spirit of some kind."
"I think the best way to cal it, might be, by western standard, a dryad spirit of a Tsubaki tree." Ritsuka quietly shares with Edith and Takeshi, though it is the later in which her augmented eyes linger on "And please, Takeshi-san. Violence should be the last option. We must honor the spirits." She glances to Edith "We probably have a few moments before the contact gets to us. Do you both have any questions that I might be able to answer? I- hope Takeshi will translate for you as is needed. If he does not I can try and teach you Japanese someday, if you want." Of course, there is spirits. One is passing just by through one of the walls and looks at the group, and then to Edith, but this is more likely just one passing by, their interest seems absent.
Takeshi gives Edith a confused look "Eh? I never go Kyoto before ..." He tells Edith in his horribly broken english before reaching over to pick the map up off of the table "I can read map, though?" He offers in a tone indicating he would give it an earnest try. Whether or not leaving this particular teenager in charge of the map though was still up in the air. He doesn't seem to follow much at all of what Edith is saying, giving her another blank look "So .... Place very old? And there kami there?" He asks, trying his best to follow "And you talk to kami?" He asks before frowning, and looking over to Ritsuka "Obachan, are these kami the type I can cut with sword?" He decides would be best to check
Takeshi seems disappointed by the instruction of respecting the spirits, giving Ritsuka an annoyed "ehhhhh?" Before looking away with a 'tsk' seeming to never the less accept the instruction "Fine. I be nice." He says, even though Takeshi 's capability of such a thing was highly questionable. He shakes his head as she asks him if he has any questions "We speak Dryad. Dryad have seed. We get seed from Dryad. Try to do nicely, only kill Dryad if no other option" He summarizes the important parts of the task at hand as quickly as possible.
"I don't believe I have questions." Edith nods to Ritsuka.
With Takeshi giving his word and Edith's words, Ritsuka makes to bow to the two of them, her posture and demeanor does fall strongly and very firmly into what would be considered normal here. There is a few words she exchanges with the less than other handful of people here, and then is on her way out when the door opens and a young looking woman steps inside. She has more pronounced cheekbones and a cute nose, and there is a barely visible glow to her eyes that not familiar with Yokai would miss. She holds a little fan, garbed in a kimono and gently sways it at herself and the miscellaneous people here do guide her to Edith and Takeshi. She raises the fan up, hiding her expression below the eyes, with a sparkle of something tender that glimmers in the glow of her brown eyes.
"I am understanding right that I am to talk to you about what the puppets of the family wants?" The voice is sweet, almost seductive and her eyes do settle and linger for a moment too long on each Edith and Takeshi.
Edith does not detect her to be either of what she would immediately recognize, but there is the smell of incense on the woman. Her clothes definitely identify her to be some sort of shrine maiden, and if Edith is concluding correctly, with the extensive occult knowledge that she possesses, this woman might well be one of Inari's own truly, a feyborn for sure.
"I can... help you. But it must be favor for favor?" She continues, the words drawing out and spoken a little more slowly paced until then falling to silence.
Takeshi gives Ritsuka a wave as she heads out to deal with other matters before looking over as the kimono clad woman enters into the room. A soft 'ohhhhhhhh' comes from under his breath as she sees the grandiosity with which she was presenting herself. He is, quite overtly and not very subtly staring at her, seeming too distracted by her to actually speak up and say anything yet. He wrinkles his nose after a moment, waking back up as he realizes he's supposed to be translating for Edith. "She's saying she understands she's here to talk to us about something we want, and is saying it needs to be a favor for a favor" He communicates to Edith.
Takeshi seems to get the feeling that the incredibly aristocratic looking woman he was with was more suited to the subtle arts of negotiation than he himself was, so for now would act as translator mostly, whilst making sure he took plenty of time to stare at the representative sent to speak to them, a grin on his face and an obviously predatory look in his eye.
Nodding to Takeshi, Edith nods to Ritsuka as they go their seperate ways. As Takeshi translates, Edith nods. "Very common in supernatural circles." the vampiress considers, looking over the shrine maiden, taking in her appearance, lips thinning. "I do not make deals on behalf of your organization. I am here as arcane support." the blond notes to Takeshi. "So find out what the tranaction is to be for us, and we shall negotiate."
Takeshi double takes back to Edith, having seemingly not caught the first half of what she said, being too busy staring at the fey lady that they were talking to. He clears his throat, trying his best to 'lock in' a little better before he does as prompted. He kneels before the table, doing a respectful dogeza, putting his hands on the ground in front of him and bringing his forehead to just above the ground, touching it for just a moment. It looked practiced, as if the no good punk teen might actually have some kind of background in etiquette. "Thank you for coming. I'm here on behalf of the Tsubaki no Tetsu to arrange a mutually pleasing agreement where the requested seed is handed off to us." He tells her, speaking in Japanese, putting on a softer, and more formal tone than he had when talking in English "How can this be arranged?" He asks, leaning back up out of his bow.
Not understanding-- And not having intention to learn japanese, which the vampire from the early 1900s likely assumes to be chinese anyway-- Every oriental language is Indian or Chinese to her, Edith is entirely non-plussed as Takeshi speaks, though still, Ritsuka gave Takeshi the task, and Takeshi is an oriental and all orientals are respectful, at least to their own, and so she simply waits, staring at the shrine maide as only a corpse can. Though in this case, an animate one.
The maiden looks between Edith and someone. A predating, vicious smile curves over her lips behind the fan, unseen by both Edith and Takeshi and what of it carries to her eyes only appears as a regular form of some sort of joy in the edges of her eyes. She does change into English, though her Japanese accent is heavy enough to make some words difficult. "Our lady has visited us in dreams. And I ask for you to choose of two. A favor named later." Truly, that is ever the most dangerous. "An oath of silence. A name given freely. A Camellia from the Iron Garden. A story never told before. A Fragment of yours. A lie that must become a truth. A lantern for the lost. A blade turned away." And of course it just had to be cryptic, and there is so much bemusement that fills as a sparkle in the maiden's brown eyes now. And there is something to this that feels binding, something that will come true, regardless of what is tried. Bound by pact.
Outside, the city has fallen to silence, though the stars are not so visible. Light pollution keeps the nightsky starless but much of the outside world has, at this hour, fallen to darkness. The lantern inside the room still burns, and though an open window, from somewhere within the foothold itself, a single leaf of green blows its way through, and gently sways down to the ground in the middle between everyone.
The maiden looks between Edith and Takeshi. A predating, vicious smile curves over her lips behind the fan, unseen by both Edith and Takeshi and what of it carries to her eyes only appears as a regular form of some sort of joy in the edges of her eyes. She does change into English, though her Japanese accent is heavy enough to make some words difficult. "Our lady has visited us in dreams. And I ask for you to choose of two. A favor named later." Truly, that is ever the most dangerous. "An oath of silence. A name given freely. A Camellia from the Iron Garden. A story never told before. A Fragment of yours. A lie that must become a truth. A lantern for the lost. A blade turned away." And of course it just had to be cryptic, and there is so much bemusement that fills as a sparkle in the maiden's brown eyes now. And there is something to this that feels binding, something that will come true, regardless of what is tried. Bound by pact.
Outside, the city has fallen to silence, though the stars are not so visible. Light pollution keeps the nightsky starless but much of the outside world has, at this hour, fallen to darkness. The lantern inside the room still burns, and though an open window, from somewhere within the foothold itself, a single leaf of green blows its way through, and gently sways down to the ground in the middle between everyone.
Takeshi looks entirely confused at what the woman was saying, blinking in confusion as he tries to figure out what exactly it was the smug looking shrine maiden was trying to say to him. He shoots a look over at Edith as if to say 'is she trying to cast some kind of wizardy on us?'. He shifts a little close to her before leaning over towards Edith to whisper at her ear "Does she own my soul if I agree to this?" He asks her, in a somewhat concerned voice before also adding "Also what the fuck is she saying?"
Takeshi looks entirely confused at what the woman was saying, blinking in confusion as he tries to figure out what exactly it was the smug looking shrine maiden was trying to say to him. He shoots a look over at Edith as if to say 'is she trying to cast some kind of wizardy on us?'. He shifts a little close to her before leaning over towards Edith to whisper at her ear "Does she own my soul if I agree to this?" He asks her, in a somewhat concerned voice before also adding "Also what the fuck is she saying?" (Fixed)
Continuing to stare unblinkingly, Edith parses that riddleing cryptic. Her hands, having clasped demurely before her during the shrine maiden's speach appear relaxed, though her lips impossibly thin that little more. There's a slight twitch of the lip-- Something tested and amusing. There's no word, no action save from Edith's gaze flicking to Takeshi, though after a pause, where breath would stand still (if Edith had breath), she speaks, advising Takeshi as only the truly ancient can. To it, giving a suggestion without substance, putting this entirely on Takeshi, and leaving her free of all responsibility. "This is quite the cryptic. Yet, your mistress," (meaning Ritsuka "Has given you this task. A good chance for you to prove yourself for your society, no?"
Takeshi narrows his eyes, clearly unsatisfied with the answer "Ehhhhh?" He complains, not seeming to realize how bickering with his ally in front of their guest might make them look "You brought here as arcane expert, I thought. I asking for arcane advice" He insists, refusing to be left to sink or swim on his own here!
Standing where she does, the maiden waits, her brown eyes briefly glancing between Takeshi and Edith. But the hesitation in Takeshi make her eyes linger for a moment longer on him before they draw to Edith to see what she has to answer to him.
"Firstly," Edith points out, still unmoving, "Not wizardry, but an oath that will be binding. Not as strong as Venice, but as strong as your own eidolon. At this point right now, this young lady is possessed by a spirit. Likely that of your nine taled fox." That small smile perpetuates, the vampire giving arcane advice. "You will find that this is something only you can do." Edith tells Takeshi. "The bond is for a favor owed. If you trust your eidolon, you can depend upon its spiritual energy to mitigate any negatives, though there is of course no way to completely avoid it." Gaze shifting to watch that leaf, the blond 'hmmm's. "You need this dryad however, so to deal with this young lady is your best chance."
Takeshi listens to Edith, nodding his head slowly "Ahhh ... I see ..." He says, it was as he feared, he would not simply be able to lie to the woman and forget all about her the moment he got the seed he was looking for. He grumbles as he sits down as he tries to think through the different options, shifting from kneeling to cross legged as he strokes his chin. "A favor named later ... That like handing over blank check, I not do that ... An oath of silence ... How long for? Forever? I can't do that, I like talking too much ... A name given freely? Can it be any name? I can think of name to give ... A camelia from iron garden? I don't know where that is, I doubt it easy place to get to if she bring it up in this context ... A story never told? I can come up with one of those easy, that can be one ... A fragment of yours? Could mean anything, she might try and cut out pound of flesh and keep it ... A lie that must become a truth, I need to know what lie she mean first, could be hard to make it truth ... A lantern for the lost? Technically that just any lantern, but I don't know if she see it that way ... A blade turned away ... Could be anything, but she might ask me for Kagetsurugi and I not give her that ..."
He grumbles a while longer before he looks up towards the maiden, seeming to have made up his mind. "A story never told, and a lantern for the lost." He gives his decision, giving her a respectful bow.
Edith gives Takeshi the slightest nod. Barely even a manifest thing, it is as fleeting as a spectre, either approving or accepting, though that slight smile persists as the vampire awaits the shrine maiden's next words.
Listening on to Takeshi's decision, a delightful smile sparkles in the shrine maiden's eyes, and she shuts the fan and reveals her face. She holds up a finger, her attention now all and entirely onto Takeshi "I wish for a story that is deep, personal and true. The more secretive, the happier I will be!" And then she holds up a second finger and gestures with the other to one of the paper lanterns that are alight here. "You must light a paper lantern and set it adrift on the Kamo River. So the lost may be able to follow it." Her hand withdraws again and she opens the fan once more. The flame of a nearby lantern flickers off, with a sudden breeze that blows through the area, the noise from the outside begins to sound far more muffled suddenly, and Takeshi must feel like all attention now resides onto him and him alone. Even Edith might feel a little bit of it, a gentle nudge, a slight push to suggest to hear and listen, though it is not forceful at all.
The shadows dance along a singular lantern that is left alight in the room, and Takeshi will find them follow along what story he is about to tell, like an illustration that demonstrates it, colorless, noiseless, barely visible, but there.
"A fair transaction." Edith allows, nodding to Takeshi. "You should likely tell your story. Seeing as I don't care, you can be assured that I shall not share it if it were to be embarrissing."
Takeshi blinks his eyes "Eh? You never say it have to be true!" He says with a frown as she asks for the story, but as the entire air of the room seems to shift around him, somehow he starts to feel a massive peer pressure on his back to just tell a story anyway, as if thousands of people were staring at him and not just one.
He thinks for what must have been a full minute before he finds a story he's happy to tell "Okay, so I walking through street on dark and snowy night, and I feel strange feeling." He tells the shrine maiden as he folds his arms over his chest, clearly trying his hardest to remember the details without getting anything wrong "I start feel that someone nearby suffering, one of the houses in nearby apartment. I not know what going on but I hero, so I go and investigate" He calls himself a hero so casually he might even think it's true "I slice open door, and inside there blood and gut everywhere, painted on walls, painted on floors, painted on circle in ground. Some kind of magic in air and I feel in next room over something bad happening, so I go to investigate." A proud look comes over his face as he remembers the tale "In room ... Cultists! In black robe, and everything! They sacrificing themself one after other to strange saphire gem in middle of room" He grins as he dramatically draws his sword, pointing it up at the ceiling as he brandishes the thing! "I run in and save day! I slice, and kick, and fight like hero and everyone go down!" He announces, looking around to soak in the reaction before slowly bringing the sword back to it's sheath "Ritual is stopped, day is saved, summoning not happen that day."
Edith blinks, just the once at that. There are no words, though now, the vampire shifts, head canting to one side in thought.
Shadows play vaguely along that scene, a single shadowy figure on the ground from the flicker of the flame seems to rise, feel and walk and then sprint and then fight other shadows in the middle of some ceremony. They are vague, but if someone were to look, it might definitely be the most likely interpretation. The maiden laughs and notes "The emotions of a child, ever wishing to be a grand hero." Oh, but she does not continue there, and then gestures to the single lantern that is still alight. There is a glance she gives to Edith before those brown eyes sway to Takeshi. "Take the lantern, and then we go to the Kamo river." Ah no, she does not linger, already moves the same way out that Ritsuka had taken a while ago to leave and exit. There is Tsubaki operatives there, two of them, and they are the ones that open the door out. Both of them are women and the look in their eyes that draws to Takeshi when they see the ring he wears and the subtle sign societies bear, is one of suspicion.
Should Edith and Takeshi choose follow the maiden, it is a walk towards the river, westbound. Around fifteen to thirty minutes.
Takeshi looked very proud of his story right up until the maiden described him as having the emotions of a child, from which was born an annoyed 'tsk'. He gets up to his feet however though, more than happy to follow after the woman and place her lantern into the lake as he picks the thing up, looking over his shoulder at Edith and gesturing for her to follow him as he follows behind.
He does however catch the look of the Tsubaki operatives, squinting his eyes in return to them as if he didn't trust them either!
Staring unblinkingly as the story is told, Edith waits only as long as Takeshi does before following, the vampire's inhuman grace smooth and serpentine as she appears to flow across the ground. Though the walk is long enough that someone might note fatigue, Edith's chest neither rises or falls, her steps never falter, her pace never slows, for the dead are inevitable, and there is no worry for exaustion to one who has no autonomic responces to depend on.
Placing the lantern onto the river is very simple, and it does start to travel off, gliding along the riverbed down down down... But the one whom comes to witness here the most, is not Takeshi. He, only can see the lantern make its way past. The maiden all the same smiles, seen from the side as she still keeps the fan to hide the lower half of her face. The one who sees it all and the most, is Edith. There is souls, mainly of old people, that come to stand at the sides of the river bank, watching, looking forlorn, lost. They are those who died, and as the lantern makes its way through, they step into the river. Their outline shines a little brighter, as if just treading through the water cleans them more. And it is not just them then, that begin to follow the lone lantern, as other silhouettes start to join them, festive, dancing. They tread along the river shore, allowing those who have passed, to walk between them, and just as there was now a rather large following over the horizon, the maiden is wrapped up into a shadow and disappears.
On the ground, in her place, lies now a singular paper talisman. Humanoid, almost, folded in, and it just jumps up and wakens, onto steady paper-thin feet. It wiggles its little arms out and up, as if asking to be grasped and taken, as if utterly begging for it.
Takeshi does not see the spirits so would be robbed of the sights that Edith sees, simply watching a lantern traveling up a lake. He does recognize that there is probably some kind of spiritual significance to it however, even if he does not literally sees the spirits, so bows his head and offers up a quiet prayer to Amaterasu.
Having not seen everything that happened, it would be up to Edith to notice and pick up the little paper guy!
Gesturing to Takeshi, Edith motions for him to take the paper figurine. "It will likely not eat your soul." the vampire points out. Her attention is on the unliving dead as they travel. For a moment it seems as though she may reach to where she hides her ceremonial blade, fingers twitching as though she truly hungered to take at least some of them. Yet, this is not for the necromancer to work with, so instead, in a tone barely above a whisper, Edith explains what she sees to Takeshi. "You have done a good act." she allows to the demonborn. "I see many lost spirits following your lantern. It is something grand and beautiful, and they revel in their freedom from loss."
sniffs at Takeshi. Prayer is something she cares little for, so indeed, as Takeshi is occupied, Edith reaches out for the little figure, offering it a palm to stand on.
Takeshi doesn't seem so moved. "Eh?" He says, glancing over at the river she was referring to as if knowing the spirits were there would help him see them (it did not). "Oh ... That's cool ..." He says. It didn't seem as if he didn't believe Edith, seeming to take her fully at face value that what she is saying is true. It just didn't seem to effect him much. "That make me hero, right?" He asks Edith with a grin, seeming to care much more about what these events might imply about him and his virtue than the actual virtue of the actions themselves.
The little paper-man seems too happy to jump onto Edith's hand, and as the first immediate reaction is not to open it, it points towards a direction, somewhere to the east. And then repeats the gesture, raising its paper-arm up, and then swinging it around towards the east, southeast. Somewhere between those directions.
"It of course makes you a hero." Edith nods to Takeshi. She doesn't seem entirely convinced in the least though. Never the less, Edith gathers the little fellow close, observing where it points and beginning to walk that way, Takeshi in toe or not.
Takeshi is cheesing from ear to ear as he's called a hero, marching off in the direction the little paper man was directing them as he carries his Nodachi resting on his shoulder. "How did Obachan convince you to come along, anyway?" He asks Edith as they walk "Is she paying you?"
"By money." Edith notes to Takeshi, "And yes. This was a better prospect than remaining, deathless during a mid day in a nothing town in America. I should start pathing during the day to lightless lands. The orient may not be entirely bad." She then admits, still expressionless in the way of those who see little effort investing in such frivolity, "I am also offering outreach. As adept as I am, it was fortunate to gain an arcanist, and my superiors within Haven were taking an interest in yours."
It is a good distance this time. The fresh night air of Kyoto slides over Takeshi's skin, and might be felt on Edith's face, if she still is able to experience that kind of sensation. The trip ahead now does have the paper talisman fairly accurately point along of the streets, and not into buildings that then need to be circumvented, so the road ahead is fairly straight-up. It only just leads through Higashiyama Ward. Most would never notice it, being just mundane people passing by, but the city is full of Yokai. Again, it is mainly Edith who notices the little traces from days of old, the remains of long in the past of magic, the trees who had become more than just trees, though both Edith and Takeshi notice the people who pass by who are more than just mundane people, those who are Yokai. They see the little creatures that pass on by, stuttering across the rooftops, though their sight is relatively rare, the two still know what to look for, Takeshi as one who knows the culture, and Edith who's senses are very superior. A capital, that stood as the seat of Amaterasu's descendants for over a thousand years.
The path eventually leads on out into wooden terrain east of Tokyo, along a scarcely treaded path. The talisman is relentless in its repeating motion, though there is a point where the two come to a split into the road.
The talisman points to the right, but to the left, both Edith and Takeshi see what is, without a doubt a Camellia tree in full bloom, hidden away in a grove. A singular blue flame floats up in the air besides it. To Edith, it smells like something sweet.
Edith says "thoughtfully I also wished to see how you personally behaved on a diplomatic task that did not involve you enraging officials. You are welcome."
What Takeshi should be thankful for is answered moments later, as still following the gestures of the little paper figure, Edith adds, "I did not cause you a heart attack on the beach."
Takeshi listens to Edith as he taps the sheathed Nodachi on his shoulder, kicking his feet up in front of him as he walked. "Eh? Tsubaki no Tetsu has an arcanist?" Takeshi asks her in a confused voice, it was news to him! "Is it Obachan?" He asks before realizing the more important question here "What is an arcanist?" He grins as she brings up the beech incident, pointing his nose quite proudly up into the air "No magic can stop my heart. I built different." He assures Edith in a proudful voice so confident that it sounded like he might have even thought it was true!
Takeshi notably, does not react to the Yokai as they make their way past. It's unclear why, but he doesn't even give any of them, even the strangest looking or most obvious Yokai, a second glance. It's not until they're at the Camellia that he seems to even take note of his surroundings at all. "We need a seed from this tree, right?" He asks Edith are he makes his way over to it.
"An arcanist is someone who works with magic." Edith explains as she and Takeshi walk. "You have a few, though none of your ritualists are as adept as I am. Hence out-sourcing for me, just in case." As arrogant about his own ability as Takeshi is, Edith likewise is that confident about her own skill with magic. As the group arrive towards the tree though, step by step, Edith nods to Takeshi. "Quite so. You need a seed of nature. Likely from a dryad, so you will be once more negotiating with the spirit to allow you one so that you can, assumedly plant it in the Tsubaki district." As they reach the forking path, Edith notes the little paper figure for a moment. The vampire looks to the tree consideringly before telling Takeshi, "I think perhapse you may not wish to trust your eyes with that tree. I suspect it to be an illusion. This little fellow wishes us to trek this way." And at that, Edith gestures, with the paper effigy towards the right.
Takeshi stops in his tracks and then looks over to Edith. He doesn't think too much about it "Oh, sure ..." He says, following her
Takeshi says "Ehhh? That's cool. Obachan uses magic, right? I've seen her summoning up fire. She always uses her sword when we fight, though."
Takeshi says "Can you summon up fire?"
Once Takeshi has fallen into step once more, Edith slows to allow the paper figure to direct easier. "I do not know." the vampire admits. "I know of your mistress through supernatural rumors and brief corrispondants. I am yet to see her in combat. As for what I do, no. I do not summon fire. I control both the living and the dead like puppets. I summon spirits to fight."
Takeshi nods his head slowly "Ehhhh ..." He says under his breath before grinning "When get home, I want you summon your dead." He tells her, a violent grin coming over his face, his teeth seeming a little more jagged than normal for a moment "I'll slice em all up!" He announces, grandly!
"I don't believe that will happen." Edith responds with as much care or attention to the suggestion as one might give an insect. "Though I should be only too pleased to spar with you during the night."
Takeshi nods his head twice, seemingly pleased with the agreement "It date." He informs her as he turns back to face the direction they were going. The boy certainly had a strange idea of what a good date activity was.
Disaster averted, because the moment the two start to trek the other way, just as they pass another tree or two, if any was to glance back, there indeed was no such grove or tree. There is some shuffling in the underbrush, but it moves away from Takeshi and Edith and it disappears all too quickly. If Edith caught a glimpse, it was some sort of four legged animal.
The rest of the path is a quiet one. An occasional breeze shuffles the trees along, and it is notably warmer here than it is in Haven right now. Not freezing cold, not the kind of temperature where there would be snow, but still cold enough to put on a jacket and to dress warmly if one did not wish to rely on heating indoors. And that is right now at night, during the day it might just manage to barely be warm enough.
The talisman gestures for the way on, and there is this point where the two reach up to a high-grown under-brush that the little figure is pointing to. Brushing and bending it away, the two arrive to a large grove. Fireflies float around through the air, and among a line of trees, at its center, grows the wished for Camellia tree.
Peering forth from behind it, is a female woman, entirely visible to Edith, and somewhat so to Takeshi, she is in the nude. After a few brief moments she steps forth from behind it, places a finger on her chin, and with first looking at Edith, whom does not seem to be interesting at all to her, she looks to Takeshi. "Kin'Yokos breath is on you, thick as incense. Her hunger is vast, but the roots of the world are older still. Will you plant salvation, or will you plant a wound?" The words are sweet, but unfortunately for Edith, this time, they are entirely in Japanese.
With Edith's experience as an arcanist, there is no doubt that this place is magical, and very old. Ancient as a word would be right on the dot, and the woman is most definitely the dryad, she has the same smell and bearing as the tree does, though that would be difficult to see if not for the extensive knowledge and experience that Edith possesses. The Camellia are all in bloom, bright and full of life. The cold seems to only nurture these roses of winter.
Takeshi leans over to whisper to Edith "She say Kin'Yoko breath on me, thick like incense. That Kin'Yoko hunger is vast, but root of world are older. She want to know if we 'plant salvation' or 'plant wound' " He quickly translates for her
Eyes narrowing; The slightest tightening that could normally go unseen, Edith nods to the dryad, then listens to Takeshi. "This is your adventure, young man." the blond tells the demonborn. "Do you think we plant wounds? Is your aim to come here and harm, or to plant, what could be considered salvation?"
The dryad watches as the two interact. Her nude form wanders around her tree, places a hand on the ancient bark and then circles around it only to appear from the other side again. Of course she does, it's a thicc tree, but it is still a tree! There is no sign to whether or not she understands the spoken language, or if she even cares for it. Once more, the decision is laid onto Takeshi's shoulders, though Edith's eyes can perceive that the dryad's touch on the tree in itself is a pull of something arcane. Very innate, the tree's roots respond to her call, though no roots plop up yet, but it might point to it that the environment around will lash back should any violence be attempted.
"Salvation or wound?" Takeshi asks, bringing his Nodachi back up his shoulder, as he looks over the tree. He takes a few steps over to the dryad, giving her a grin. There was also an undertone of violence to that one, his teeth looking jagged once more. "Maybe both?" He asks as he reaches up to the tree, plucking off one of it's flowers and admiring it in his hand, holding it up to the setting sun to get a look in it in what light he could as he takes a few moments to put together some words, looking back to the dryad as he finds them.
"Flames consume the past,"
"ashes dance on winds of hope,"
"dawn is born anew."
He recites to her, taking the flower and carefully putting it into his pocket, planning on taking it home with him.
No matter how much Takeshi tries to pluck a single flower, it does not come loose. No matter how much he is trying, it just... WON'T... come... loose! To Edith, it looks far more ridiculous, like Takeshi is standing two meters away from the tree - he has not earned the right to take a flower and she very much can tell that the ancient tree spirit is relying on some form of magic to keep him away. She comes to a still, and looks to Edith, though her words remain in Japanese. "Flames are hungry things, reckless in their hunger. Hope is fickle, shifting as the wind. And dawn... dawn belongs not to the one who burns, but to the one who survives. Do you stand as fire, or as the root that endures it? One does not ask for the seed of the end without offering the blood of the beginning."
"Stop playing with flowers and translate for me if you please." Edith asks Takeshi, attention on the dryad. "You wont get a flower that way. Dryads control their domains entirely, and you must be worthy of their flowers-- We shall take you to the Other one day and you can see how dryads usually act. This one is rather affable."
Glancing up at the sky where the sun begins to rise, Edith adds, "I can perpetuate for three hours before the sun grows too much, so whilst some of us are young."
Edith of course means Takeshi, as she is one hundred and thirty nine.
Takeshi is not happy that his incredibly smoothly delivered haiku, and vague, gesturing, non answer to the Dryad's question had not been well accepted. It seemed he would not be bullshitting his way through this one. "I told her I both Wound and Salvation" He translates himself for her "I alikened myself to flame which consume and destroy before bringing back new life. She tell me flame is hungry and reckless, and that hope is fickle. She asks me if I'm the flame or the root that endure the flame." He fills her in before looking back to the dryad.
"I won't know until the fires had died down. I'll either be there when it's gone, or I won't be. Just like everything else." He tells her in a voice stoic "Ask me again when I'm older. If I'm still alive by then, I'll have an answer for you by then." Takeshi says to her
Takeshi says "I tell I not know."
Edith considers, "You are the root that weathers all storms and all flame. You are the foundation from which springs life a new." the blond offers to Takeshi. "This is a dryad. She is a creature of verdant vitality. All she is and all she knows is life, and to protect her tree, and how it survives is the metric by which all things revolve around."
Takeshi nods his head slowly, seeming to like what she said "Oh ... Is that what they like?" He asks Edith before looking back to the dryad. He'd wait for the dryad to actually have a chance to respond to though before he started throwing more words at the poor thing
"A seed does not ask if it will reach the sun. It simply grows, or it does not. You, too, will learn this truth." The dryad answers Takeshi, after a moment of silence. The wind whispers through the branches of her trees, but it is where her interest grows lost in Takeshi, and she changes to English, seems she could understand that much at least. Though Japan is very isolated, there once was perhaps a wanderer she observed and learned from, but it's a question no one can answer. For those that know, Japanese even today are not very proficient in English.
Her gaze settles onto Edith, and now it is she that is asked a question. "A seed is nothing without soil. A promise is nothing without the will to uphold it. Speak, then-what soil have you prepared?"
Takeshi frowns "We were supposed to prepare soil?" He asks Edith in the same tone of voice of someone being informed they had homework they had been supposed to, but hadn't done it. He quickly pulls out his phone and starts sending off some texts
Takeshi would text Ritsuka asking if they had soil for the seed, assuming he can get connection. He was taking this question very literally.
A hand held up to Takeshi in a 'wait' gesture, Edith considers the dryad's words for a period before voicing her answer. Here, Edith is out of her depth. She is a creature of the night and the spiritual, not of the druidic and natural. "The earth tilled is that of cultivation; The potential for growth. Those I am here for prepare land in the forests outside of the town of Haven. It is the field ready to place the seeds that will one day grow to be a harvestt. The Iron Camellia. Though the eidolon this man serves requires the seed that he may deliver to his mistress that such growth may be fostered."
Takeshi nods his head twice in agreement with Edith, even though he had only understood half of what it was she had said. "Yeah, she right. Soil in Haven very good, seed be very happy there." He says, grinning in an attempt to convince the dryad to let them take care of one of it's seeds (It's child?) "It going to be taken care of by Obachan. Obachan very caring lady. She take good care of it." He adds, himself.
Ignoring Takeshi almost entirely by now, her gaze retains on Edith. Her expression is unreadable, the hush of her grove feels like it deepens under the shadow of the soon to dawn sun that has started to turn the sky into dark blue. "The kami seeks. The Mistress waits. And you you are their hands. But hands alone do not make a tree stand through storm and fire. If you are merely a courier, then this seed will wither in your grasp." She steps towards the tree, bare feet pressing into the loamy earth. One of her slender hands reaches up, her fingers brush against the one of her camellia blossoms that hang heavy from a branch. There is a long, lingering pause - and then a single seed falls into her palm. She turns to Edith here, and holds it out to her. "Then take it. But know this - what is sown will be reaped. And what grows will one day be tested by wind, by flame, by time itself. If your field is barren of will, the roots will turn to dust."
In the single attempt that Takeshi had made to text Ritsuka, he finds the message send - but not arrive. It seems the one who is not in reach is Ritsuka while Takeshi has the fortune of having his provider's connection.
Takeshi watches the dryad hand the seed to Edith, grinning as he sees it. There was also some stuff about just being a courier and reaping what was sowed, it all sounded very high browed, but to Takeshi it looked, and sounded, like a job well done and he couldn't wait to smugly inform Ritsuka that the seed had been secured. He frowns as he can't seem to reach her, however ...
As the dryad offers the seed, Edith extends a hand, palm out in a warding gesture. "Though I thank you for the honor of baring the seed, as you say, I am but the one who would carry it. It would wither in my hands. I ask that you give him the honor of keeping it safe." Nodding to Takeshi, the blond thanks the dryad with a bow that she likely saw in an exceptionally racist movie from the late eighties. Still, the attempt is genuine, even if the bow is unprofessional.
"You," Edith explains to Takeshi, "Carry the seed. Your eidolon can ride inside you as you travel, keeping it strengthened until planted. Then, when ready, you and Miss Shimomi will grow your cult and the seed will flourish."
Takeshi nods his head, making his way on over to give a slightly more proper bow before he holds his hands out in front of him for the dryad's seed. "Ah, Dryad-chan ..." He greets her, saying something in Japanese, a slightly dumb looking grin on his face as he looks up at the dryad "Can I bring one of your flowers home with me? I want to give it as a gift to someone important to me." He tells the dryad, his voice sounding as if he was asking something he thought a bit silly, or embarrassing
It is the point at which the dryad does not really seem to care all too much anymore, and so, she turns around to hold it out to Takeshi. And yes, there is the sudden ripple of gold that comes to surround Takeshi, and he can feel... something wring its way into him. It is familiar, it just takes control over him, but does not yet move to control Takeshi. It feels warm, powerful, possessive. The Dryad sees it, of course, as it just happens as the question is asked, and she plucks a singular one of her flowers and places the seed within it, before placing it down onto Takeshi's palm, which he suddenly feels to have raised without his control to accept it.
The paper man in Edith's hand, now, finally falls into her palm, the magic is expended, the goal, clearly accomplished, as the sun threatens to rise with a new dawn in Japan.
Takeshi grins as he's given the flower, bowing his head again "Thank you Dryad-chan" He thanks her before looking over as the origami man commits honorable suduko in Edith's palm.
"Alright, let's get this home." He says to Edith, looking down at himself before shuddering. The golden light in his body felt strange. He wasn't sure if it was a good strange of a bad strange yet, but he wasn't going to fight it for now, it seemed like he needed it in order to get this seed Ritsuak wanted back to her. He pauses for a moment, frowning "... Do you remember the path we took to get here?" Takeshi asks Edith
"I do." Edith nods to Takeshi. There's another bow to the dryad; Formality rather than actual care, and then she leads the man back from wence they came. "I could path us back, though Miss Shimomi will be waiting."
With the seed in hand, the Dryad turns away, and disappears behind her tree once more. Both Takeshi and Edith feel like their tracks have been... well, removed, as far as one could be concerned as the two begin to make their way back. Sunlight does start to fray just barely more and more, though the sky retains its dark blue when the two reach and arrive back inside the Tsubaki foothhold in Kyoto. Ritsuka is already there, though her clothing looks bloodied, does not help that her pants are white, but she does not look wounded. More like, more of the usual kind of situation and when she sees the flower in Takeshi's hand, she does afford him a sweeter smile, and then makes a light bow to Edith "I am glad that you both could get it. Would you mind handing the flower to me, Takeshi-san?" She asks, though Takeshi can feel the presence within him, if he hands it over, this presence will move on over, too. "I can path the three of us back to Haven-city, and offer you a place to stay at until the darkness takes Haven, Eidith-san? Or drive you to where you need to go?"
"That is well with me." Edith nods to Ritsuka.
Takeshi looks Ritsuka up and down as he notices her covered in blood, a violent, approving grin coming over his face as if he was thinking to himself 'hardcore'. He looks down as she asks him for the flower, taking a step forwards and placing it not into her hand, but instead pushing it into her hair by her ear. "We got the seed, Obachan." He tells her proudly, as if expecting praise.
The moment that the flower ends up in Ritsuka's hand, she is strung up like a doll again. Her posture changes, draws to be more alluring, chest pushed out, and more sway to her hip, and her other hand palms the flower. There is a stiff nod that comes from her then, and she nods. "We return to Haven and place this at my altar. I will keep it, but be prepared that many more sacrifices will need to be made in the future." The tone is not hers, it is more sultry, more... something. But the possessed girl turns away, and then mentions "I will path us back." And so she does...
Back through the misty forest, where empty branches reach up to the sky. Where everything is foggy and ridden with endless mist, where people get forever lost if they ever treaded off the path, and the end location is in the middle of her home. In the kitchen that is familiar to Ritsuka and Takeshi, but not to Edith. The first step... lies completed. More await, as more plans are made. For the future.