linkingup | IZOU'S PALACE

IZOU'S PALACE

KYOTO BAKUMATSU PALACE
You find yourself in historical Kyoto at night. The city is shadowy and beautiful, elegant but hostile. It's a sophisticated city, but you don't belong there and it knows it. Everyone knows it. You are being watched.

Worst of all, a terrible demon haunts the streets of this powerful capital city.

Eli Walsh, Kirumi Tojo, Still Sunrise, Argenti, Yi Sang, Celeste, Mafuyu Asahina, and McGillis Fareed, do you dare journey into hell?

♪♪♪

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I managed to find one myself, yes.

[ Argenti piping up immediately, to display his own. Time to add to the pile, fam. ]

[When Argenti and Offscreen McGillis add the two pieces they got, the guard, now almost completed, again seems to Activate its Magnetism Powers, tugging further down the street, towards an adjoining smaller avenue.

Conveniently the shinsenghoulmi fight made most of the crowd disperse, so walking over there shouldn't be hard. Once at the next street, someone will have to scope the scene for further leads, though.]

[ It's Eli's turn to chase the magnetized olds, here we go. Though once there, he'll take a look around the new avenue, searching for anything of note (13). Smaller, no longer crowded, where have they ended up now? ]

[This new street is smaller than the last two, and while it's more crowded than the first street, it's less crowded than the second one was!

A little ways down, two shadowy figures are standing together. I guess they're sharing the last goober?]

...

Shall we?

[Well! Time for Kirumi to go towards them. Even though the shadows have been mostly cooperative, she's not lowering her guard, walking in that direction attentive to any sign of hostility.

Helloooooo, what's up, guys]

[Given that there are two of them, Celeste will follow a half step behind or so - no sense in letting her be outnumbered if they do turn out to be hostile.]

[Hello!!! It's hard to tell since they're all just spooky blackness, but it looks like one is doffing his hat to her in greeting. The other is stock still, arms folded. He also speaks first;]

I regret ever supporting that demon. After all I did for him, all he did was bring me down.

[The hat man is next, and he adds on as he holds out his other hand with the last piece of the guard;]

Being associated with the demon was an obstacle to my goals, I was happy to leave him behind. Here, you'll need this to take him down.

[What say you to that, Kirumi?]

[Kirumi gives a subtle glance at Celeste, like confirming that she's going to trust him to have her back if things turn ugly soon]

I will accept it. That said, may I ask what the demon did to disappoint both of you?

[Despite the question, Kirumi slowly extends a hand, palm up, not trying to get the guard out of the shadow's hand, instead silently requesting it to be deposited there]

[Both men pause for a long moment. The unhatted man says;]

He fights without honor and comports himself foolishly.

[The hat man, meanwhile, as he puts the gubbin in her hand, pauses even longer before saying;]

He didn't dissapoint me. He's my friend.

[He then seems to wince? And turns into dust. Weird.]

( admitting to emotions kills people in izou's mindset, got it. )

I see. Thank you for your answer. We will do all in our power to take this to the right conclusion.

[A very diplomatic and at the same time very noncommittal answer. She starts stepping away, although without looking away from the shadow until she's sure there's some distance between her and him.

Also, Celeste:]

I appreciate you were there, just in case. These encounters are rather unpredictable.

[Like so, she sure didn't predict one of them would poof into nothingness after a question!]

[He does give a glance to Kirumi as The Hat Man is no more, but again allows her to finish this last bit of diplomacy - it got them this far without having to get into a fight, after all.

But, after stepping away:]

Of course. I'd hate leave you outnumbered, if these ones were as hostile as some of the others have been...

[A beat-]

Though it would seem even he doesn't believe all the lies he's told himself about his compatriots. That... may be good to know, when we find him.

Perhaps he wishes it was true. It's easier to live hated than loved but complicatedly so.

...It is indeed.

[ The admission is a tough one, however. ]

When I spoke on the subject of his allies, he at least seemed ready to defend this Ryouma.

So it seems.

[Izou will never admit it aloud, she's sure. Still, once she's back with the rest, she shows the piece she got]

Here. With this, that sword guard should be fully assembled.

[We did it, team!]

Edited 2024-09-04 00:01 (UTC)

It should lead us to the next path, then...

[Final Fantasy Victory noise!!!

Once fully assembled, the guard will once again tug at the hand of whoever's holding it, this time, it seems to be acting almost as a compass needle, pointing at a grand, multistory teahouse on one side of this street.

Before they can go there, though, they get another flash of memory;

A refined looking man is placing a sword in Izou's hands, one some people might recognize as the one he carries now. Speaking with the voice the behatted shadow had, the man says "Izou. I want you to take Hizen Tadahiro. A swordsman of your skill deserves a blade just as fine... and there isn't a man I trust to carry this sword more than you." He smiles with genuine warmth, which Izou returns in kind.]

Edited 2024-09-04 00:11 (UTC)

...

( mafuyu watches, quiet as always. she watches, takes it in, and then goes to approach the teahouse.

she's going to smack this man upside the head, she thinks. )

[ ...so hat guy really was his friend, huh? But did he betray him? Wait, is that why Izou is so fucked up? He'll mutter something rude under his breath before following Mafuyu to the teahouse. ]

Edited 2024-09-04 00:16 (UTC)

[ Argenti's eyebrows furrow at the sight of this man, before a little frown adorns his face, wondering at the flash of memory that has just appeared.

But, there is no doubt that is is probably one of the most important memories Izou himself had experienced. Yet, even with all of that has been being said, what he has said of his allies, and who he defended...

...Well, he will let such thoughts fade way.

Though, his eyes land on the teahouse next afterwards. He'll proceed that way next. ]

[ Oh... Even from just this memory, Sunrise can tell that it is a good sword. (And while it isn't really any of her business, she knows, she kind of wants to ask Izou after all this if he's been able to take care of it here.)

She also considers the whole conversation just now, and then follows the others into the teahouse.]

Fights without honor? Wait, is that supposed to be what he thinks?! He's always telling me that I don't fight with honor and that he does! That jackass!

[ IZOU, HE IS 500% KICKING YOUR ASS FOR SURE NOW. ]

[IT'S WHAT HE THINKS THAT GUY WOULD SAY ABOUT HIM, IT'S CALLED NUANCE ELI, LOOK IT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

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fullmoonmutt - 2024-09-04 00:17 (UTC) - Expand

...It just means he'll have to be convinced to think otherwise.

[ Easier said than done, but sometimes going toe-to-toe in battle is one answer to helping change minds. ]

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