15[20:46] Two slightly complicated messages later and the Fangs have reconvened in full. Much hangs on this meeting... unless they defer all decisionmaking, in which case everything will be fine, probably. [20:47] 14Piu's said her stance on the real important question facing them down a couple times now: barring any obvious torture, let their eclipse come and go and see what happens. [20:47] 14But Dryas probably has some clarity to offer on what they're teaching in the classrooms these days. [20:51] 10Daizo's pretty certain it's going to be bad news—but letting the leaders here show their own asses is probably going to be more effective than any intervention they're capable of.  [20:52] gh , [20:52] + [20:59] 14Well...until then perhaps they should go whaling? [21:01] 07Dryas: "They are recieving a normal education, for the blind. They aren't blind, yet. One of them is a Deathknight in disguise." [21:02] 14Piu: "We know which one at least, right?" [21:02] "Sadly I think he knows about us, too." [21:02] 07Dryas: "His name is Victor. There is another in the town, who wasn't at studies with the rest. Victor has Szalony completely fooled... which is too bad. If she wasn't herself deceived, by Gu Len: I estimate her to be a person of integrity who actually cares about the kids to at least some extent. She deserves worthier masters." [21:03] 6Zhangyu: "Cares about the children yet is willing to go along with their blinding?" [21:03] 14Piu: "I think they've got this idea that the exaltation itself will do it for them." [21:03] "Well, the ones that aren't Gu Len." [21:04] 07Dryas: "In their estimation, only one of them will be blinded. They don't want to take any chances, though." [21:04] "I think he knows precisely how he wants to kick off exaltation." [21:04] "One Deathknight kid we could probably take, though...killing kids...even undead kids...eugh." [21:04] "Two's a bigger ask." [21:04] "Rinca should be back to normal soon. But, it was one of them who petrified him." [21:05] 10Daizo: "And we have another party entering the ring in the next few days." [21:06] 14Piu: "Yyyyes. While you in your quarters, P&T was hailed by a ship calling itself the Golden Barque." [21:06] *you were [21:06] "Lady Clara kind of wrong the story out of me when I was explaining what we needed the prediction of the eclipse for. So she'll be arriving in person." [21:07] *wrung [21:08] "Golden Barque, eh. That sounds… official enough for a Chosen of Heaven." [21:09] 14Piu: "Makes sense given where we got this ship that they know how to talk to each other, too." [21:09] 14She sighs. "I'll talk with Rinca. I dunno how he'll react to one of Heaven's agents. They don't like each other, right?" [21:12] 07Dryas: "This is getting out of hand. Now there are two of them." 07She ponders. "Prolix and Terse? Are you familiar with the Golden Barque?" [21:14] 10Daizo: "Depends. Clara was willing to work with a deathknight herself, perhaps she's unconventional enough that Rinca won't take offense." [21:15] "Or perhaps that's exactly the sort of thing that would set him off. But I'll leave that up to you." [21:15] 14Piu: "Well, I was the one arguing for a popular front." [21:15] "I'll probe him out and report back." [21:15] 07Dryas: "A what?" [21:16] "You know. Allying with whoever we have to oppose Skullstone." [21:17] 07Dryas: "Like Budokan and Mnemon?" [21:17] 14Piu: "We don't have them. To the extent there's a relationship, they have us." [21:18] 10Daizo: "Budokan might already have forgotten about us. Depends on how far gone he is." [21:18] 07Dryas: "Hm." [21:19] "The frank truth of it is, if any of us actually thought House Mnemon or her Eminence were our friends, we'd have been back to Abalone before now." [21:24] 07Dryas: "I am going to lay it out once: it makes me uncomfortable to kill other members of the Dynasty while making a lot of friends with its enemies. We have done it before but, putting a name to it makes it feel more real, more purposeful." [21:25] 14It's just the Fangs in the room, right? [21:25] 14And the daimon. [21:25] 07It better be 15[21:25] Unless you wished it otherwise. 15[21:25] It sounds like you didn't. [21:25] 14Piu: "Cathak Budokan personally executed half of my house." [21:26] "He doesn't get to leave this island." [21:26] "He doesn't get to stay on it, either." [21:26] 6Zhangyu: "That's fair." [21:27] "If you want to make a deal with his number two, or even with that little weasel Grenseal, I can get on board with that." [21:27] "And we can go to the Mnemon fleet in Abalone and...see what they think of the logistics." [21:27] "I don't have a very high expectation of what they'll say." [21:27] "But we can try it." [21:27] 14Her voice hardens. "But Cathak Budokan dies." [21:28] 07Dryas: "Very well." [21:29] 07Dryas, smiling weakly: "I can't deny you honest vengeance, as a matter of your own honor." 15[21:29] That sounds portentious. A chit Dryas plans to cash in? 15[21:30] Wonder what Falen's up to right now... [21:30] 10Daizo isn't touching any of this with a ten-fulm pole. [21:30] 14Piu: "But as a political matter...let's say we take this archipelago for the Realm. Let's say we crush Skullstone with Mnemon's help or, more realisitically, let's say we back them off. You're our leader, you're the one interested in ruling. Answer me this:" [21:30] "Who gets the bird, the dog or the hunter?" [21:37] 10Daizo: "I don't see you settling for an Order of Mnemon, that much is certain." [21:37] 14Piu: "That little punk who rolled in to replace the governor of Abalone more or less told us to our faces what even our own Houses expected of us out here. He didn't say 'misfit trash,' but he didn't have to." [21:42] 07Dryas just smiles - nervously but bigly - at Piu's question. [21:43] 14She stops herself and sighs. "We've had this fight before; we'll have it again. We don't have to tease it out now." [21:44] "If we are gonna let the rogue priesthood here hang themselves and clean up the mess -- or try to clean it up beforehand -- we should probably build some goodwill with the people by feeding them first." [21:44] 07Dryas: "It's not like I have an answer yet. It's like someone pointed out: you three are the closest I have to a real friend out here. Maybe anywhere." 07She listens. "But I like that idea. Do we have time?" [21:45] 14Piu: "Well, if the Barque won't be here for a day or two, that means the eclipse won't either, right? So we should have some time." [21:47] 10Daizo: "The exact wording was 'a few days at least'." [21:48]  [21:48] 14Piu: "We got charts around here? And any idea how long P&T would take to get to speed and run in the wind?" [21:49] "I'm guessing your elemental can give us an edge too here." 15[21:49] The daimon crackles. "I know the answers to these questions." [21:49] "Heyyyy~ Excellent!" [21:50] 10Daizo: "Sure, we can have Current do some scouting and find us some likely waters." [21:50] "Are we actually in it for a whale? A proper one? Or will anything do?" [21:50] 14Piu: "...Do we have anything to like, whale with?" [21:51] "I'd settle for nets of fish, but I don't know how much we can haul or whether P&T can do netfishing." 15[21:51] "Going fishing, are we? Trawling for bottom-feeders and hideous creatures built to withstand enormous pressure which are repellent to taste and decency? I'll set course for Yu-Shan." [21:51] 14Piu sticks her tongue out at the ceiling. 15[21:51] "Joke! I'm allowed one per day." 15[21:52] "I am but a humble vessel for your wishes. You ask if I can fish. I ask: can you?" [21:53] 4Piu: "Yep! Gotta figure out if the rest of the crew can, but it seems like something they shoulda learned by now." [21:53] 07Dryas: "I can turn any bow into a bolt thrower big enough for a harpoon. Maybe we can find something tastier than that last sea monster? The rubbery, yellow thing?" [21:55] 10Daizo: "Worst case scenario we simply have Cousin jump into the ocean and snap a leviathan's spine." [21:55] 6Zhangyu: "Never tried it before, but first time for everything." [21:56] 4Piu: "Heehee!" [21:57] 4Seems like we're ready to adjourn for the moment, with at least one decision made? Or do we want to firm up our plan for when we get back, too? [22:01] 07Talking during a hunt - or a fishing session - can be another good way to ease the mind and speak more freely. It's a great way to do business and make deals. 15[22:20] After parameterization, the daimon comes back with a report. "I was hoping to find something really tantalizing for you to [4HARVEST], but the seas are sadly thin. Conjecture: perhaps the poor readiness of the navy is emboldening larger sea fauna to tempt less remote waters. But! The search was not in vain." [22:21] "Oooh?" [22:23] "Do tell." 15[22:24] He traces a long dotted line through a shimmering map of the Northwest, grazing the back of the Neck. "A pod of moonwhales is following this storm system south-southwest. Whales eat well in the wake of storms and are known to venture this far. One of the bulls of the pod would be an adequate catch for your purposes." [22:25] "Sounds like a plan, if we can catch 'em...we can go fast enough, right P&T?" 4she teases. [22:26] 07Dryas: "A bull should be good to cull." 15[22:26] There's a brush of static. The daimon may have just huffed. "Well, if you'd care to get out and swim instead--" [22:27] 4She giggles. [22:27] "That's a yes!" 15[22:29] Just a couple last housekeeping questions: some people are clamoring for leave. A handful of the sailors, a couple of whom Piu knows to be (or have been? it really has been a long time since Abalone) Lao's men. The Cathak twins. And Sadako and Seiri. The Commodore is inclined to let them; does anyone want to convince her not to? [22:31] 07Hostages for Onyx? Then again, maybe they can help calm things down. [22:31] 4Sounds good to Piu. [22:31] 6No objections from Zhangyu. [22:33] 14Piu has intentionally walled herself off from whatever Caedus has them doing. She trusts him. [22:35] 14Is Rinca staying back or does he want to help fish? [22:35] 14Or maybe just distance from that port. 15[22:37] Rinca's gonna stay on the ship. He'll help if asked, but he's not volunteering. [22:37] 10Shore leave? No problems here.  [22:38] 10Well, except for Garnet. Garnet needs to stay on the ship for her own protection. 15[22:39] Garnet's not really being seen outside her cabin lately. Someone could probably read something into all the people Garnet spends time with (the twins, Sadako, and Seiri) getting off the ship but not getting so much as a request from her. [22:40] That's not great. [22:40] 14Piu resolves to spend some time with her while they're out at sea. [22:40] 14They need to get her out of that jar. Emotionally but also very literally physically. 15[22:41] Then away they go! The weather is choppy; the Prolix & Terse is on a course that takes them straight through the storm. Inside the jadeclad, it doesn't matter. But when the alarum goes out for the call to hunt, it's still raining pretty hard. 15[22:43] The wind's not going to knock anyone overboard, but you struggle to see the whales moving until their huge, rubbery gray heads break the surface, and their huge, flat mouths full of hundreds of spear-sized fangs. It's then you remember that moonwhales don't have any affinity with the moon per se; they're called that because they eat people. [22:43] 07Delightful! 15[22:44] Still, they eat, like, swimmers and underequipped shrimping boats. You're the Four Fangs. [22:44] 6Badass. [22:44] 4Is there any rigging to hang off of? Piu misses that the most. 15[22:45] No sails, sadly. [22:45] 07Dryas is out on deck, looking for the biggest bull of the pod, the Earned Nemesis in her hand. 15[22:45] You could hang some ropes from the observation tower, though, for swinging and hanging. [22:46] 4Piu will do that to the extent that it doesn't impair operation, or make P&T too surly. [22:47] 10Just makes it more of a fair contest this way. Daizo's perched atop the tower—there's something bracing about taking the storm head-on. [23:04] 07Dryas draws back on the Earned Nemesis - but the arrow disappears in salt and spray, finding only the thick blubber of the beast. [23:04] 4That's fine -- Piu and Zhangyu are off into the mist. [23:06] 10Daizo's up in the tower and Current's dissolved in the sea, following the pod and marking out the trail with jets of water shooting up from the surface.  [23:08] 10Then, once Piu and Zhangyu are off, he spreads his wings and glides through the storm to guide their way. [23:08] 10There's some turbulence. [23:09] 6Zhangyu's off like a shot as the bolt fires, grabbing onto it as it lands. He drags it through the flesh of the great beast, leaving a gory trail of blood and blubber until it's aimed directly at the largest target he can see: the beast's eye. [23:10] 4He's got it jammed against the...orbital? Whatever giant whales that eat men like guppies have. It's jammed in there when Piu dives out of the mist and slams both feet into the bolt's haft with burning force, driving it home into the eye and beyond. [23:12] 07Dryas stares in shock at the bloody work of her hearth - that's one way to correct a poor shot. 15[23:13] Dryas is able to land a square enough shot under Daizo's guidance for the two brawlers to exploit... but that leaves Dryas unprotected on the deck for the creature's death throes. Its tail crashes against the deck, knocking Daizo off course and forcing him to glide in for a rough landing; Dryas is briefly crushed against the tower and might have cracked a rib. 15[23:14] But the creature's still alive unless Piu can bring it down... [23:16] 4She leaps off the haft, pirouettes in the air one more time -- and drops again, driving the bolt past the eye into the brain. [23:18] 10Rough landing is putting it nicely—Daizo skids a good few fulms face-first across the P&T's deck before he's able to stop himself, something that would've peeled the skin off a normal man entirely. He heaves himself up with nary a groan, just in time to get a great view of Piu making the kill. 15[23:21] A decisive, nearly flawless victory for the Four Fangs. They've done it again. [23:21] 07Dryas claps gamely in lieu of cheering as she rolls out from under the body of the great beast. [23:22] 4Piu sends up a clear whistle, and wrapped around the bolt and covered in blood and slime, turns her thick safety into another hauling line for the kill. [23:22] 10Come to think of it, do we want to add some moonwhale fangs to our collection, to go with the man-face-cat fangs? [23:23] 4They'll probably need a few more, but for now, Piu slides back down the hauling line to the deck. [23:23] 07She catches her breath on the deck in the rain amid the blood and sea-spray. "What a kill!" [23:23] "WOOOOOOO!" [23:24] 4She hits the deck in a controlled roll, which ends up in a lounging pose. [23:25] 10Daizo: "Right for the eyes. It never knew what hit it." 15[23:25] With the bull whale lashed for towing, it's a slightly slower trip back to Cinder Hearth than it was out to the hunting ground. The town isn't burning or anything when they get back. People come to stare at the jadeclad and the whale, though. [23:25] 6Zhangyu leaps up shortly after Piu. "It probably had a bit of an idea. The bolt took a little trip to get to the eye." 6He, too, is covered in blood and slime. [23:25] 07Time to strike a pose again. [23:29] 4Piu lets Dryas soak in most of the glory here; this is her element. After a few waves she directs the sailors on how to cut the thing free...and keeps an eye out for any dead kids. [23:29] 14You know, walking around. Smirking. 15[23:37] The one Dryas calls Victor is with the blindfolded children. The un-blindfolded other one, the starveling gamin, who was watching them (and smirking) from a window with a bowl of noodles, is nowhere to be seen. [23:42] "Eat your heart out, Moray Starving in a Prison of White Coral," 07Dryas smirks to herself and the other Fangs as she waves from the approaching jadeclad. She will gesture to the others like triumphant conductor - calling to each of the other fangs, Ratel, and anyone else who cares to come out on deck to bask in the glory of the cheering crowd, which she is expecting. 15[23:46] She gets what she wants! People cheer, they applaud, they sing... a lot of people don't, though. A lot of people hang back, eye the people parading their kill and the fanged beast itself with some suspicion. What's more, they seem weirded out by the people who are so overjoyed. Over time people drift to converse among the likeminded; Dryas and the Fangs are buffeted by praise and 15[23:46] questions from the faithful, others walk away muttering to one another. [23:50] 10Daizo, once the crowds have dispersed: "…perhaps they aren't given to accepting charity. Self-reliant people on the frontiers and all that." [23:50] 14Piu: "Some of them were. Weird reaction." [23:51] 07Dryas furrows her brow. "Well, we are here to bring peace. We should do what we can now that bellies are full." 07She seems uncertain. 15[23:52] The blindfolded children linger, because their teachers do too. Szalony waves at the Fangs. "Nice work! I look forward to seeing what we make of it!" 15[23:53] "Children, thank Lady Dryas and her people." 15[23:53] The children in unison: "Thank you, Lady Dryas!" At the back, just behind the students, Seiri joins in and waves excitedly. Behind her, Sadako sticks her tongue out at Dryas. [23:54] 14Piu tries not to focus too obviously on Victor. "Aww! Thank you! Hi you two~" [23:54] 07Dryas perks up a bit and waves back. She points back at Sadako and Seiri. [23:56] 10Daizo: "No, no, it's the least we could do for the hospitality you've shown us." 10To the girls: "Did we miss anything interesting while we were gone?" 15[23:56] Seiri: "Oh yes!" 15[23:56] Sadako: "Fuck no." [23:57] 4Piu: "The duality of woman!" [23:57] 10Daizo: "Not in front of the children!" [23:58] "Not THAT kind of--" 4She slaps him lightly on the arm. [23:58] 10Daizo blinks, reviews the conversation in his head. "Uh. Ah. I see." 15[23:59] The children tittered appropriately. Seiri: "Lady Szalony was looking for help and Sadako and I volunteered! It's been so much fun." 15[23:59] Szalony gathers up the children, who have lost discipline in the crosstalk. "Don't be too long, Sadako, Seiri." 15[00:01] Sadako pulls Seiri over to go look at the whale, leaving the Fangs to their thoughts and their plans. [00:02] 10It is going to snap Seiri in half when one of these kids inevitably dies for Gu Len's plan. [00:02] 07It won't, because they won't. 15[00:03] NEXT TIME: The Adjutant