Session Start: Sat Feb 11 16:19:06 2006 Last time, on Hunters: The team found itself in a penthouse apartment overlooking the IHA grounds, waiting for word from the Palace to go in after Sato. ...and then the world outside seemed to tilt, pan, fade to black. Norcliff had a REALLY BAD FEELING, and as the team attempted to evacuate the building they found themselves... somewhere *else*. Somewhere else with talking skeletons, patchwork monsters, and a vampire lady that looked uncomfortably familiar. Things got a little messy at that point, with Mysteria ripped up badly... and after the battle was over, Lady Heat had fangs. [Unknown location] [Thursday, March 31, 2004 - 2030 Tokyo time] [session start] * LadyHeat wishes she could take off the goddamn ofuda. * LadyNightshade moves on to the next room, looking for the way out. * Lord_Darkmoon looks over Mysteria, trying to satisfy himself that she's still alive. His expression is stony, and his katana is still out, dripping ichor from the Frankenstein monsters. * LadyMysteria is... well, she's not bleeding all over the place, but she's definitely not awake. All the rooms are made of stone here, and Lady Nightshade finds herself in archaically-decorated and furnished living quarters. * Lady_MakeBelieve is making sure Mysteria is as comfortable as possible Chains, manacles, and sharp-edged implements seem to be unifying motifs. * LadyNightshade explores the room, trying to find another path they can take. She ignores the torture devices as best she can. There are several rooms here, all generally open to one another. Opposite the way she came in there's another door. * Lord_Darkmoon flicks his Katana to Tessen form and back, before sheathing it. He very carefully picks up Mysteria in a bridal-carry, and walks purposefully to the next room, the way Nightshade went. "Make Believe, until Mysteria wakes up, you will protect her while Nightshade, Heat, and I deal with any further hostiles. Heat, Make Believe, follow me." * LadyNightshade checks the door, seeing if it's looked. It's not locked, just very, very heavy. Want help? * LadyNightshade presses against the door. "That'd be nice..." I still don't think its a good idea to move her, but I guess we need to get out of here. * LadyHeat pushes the door. I think leaving her here would be a worse idea... She lives. She'll heal. I will not leave her behind, even briefly. ... Can I take the ofuda off? Please? Heat can't quite seem to get a hold of the door. That would probably be unwise, Lady Heat. * LadyNightshade growls as the door refuses to move. But I can't open the door otherwise! * Lord_Darkmoon lays Mysteria down, carefully, and moves to join Nightshade at the door. "I will help her." Do you all need crowbars or anything? * LadyNightshade looks up at Darkmoon and blushes a bit as he moves closer. * Lord_Darkmoon meets Nightshade's eyes. "On three. One, two," he begins, leaning into the door on "three." * LadyNightshade presses into the door on three. Darkmoon plus Nightshade manage to make it move a couple centimeters. * LadyHeat stands back and feels useless. She keeps twitching her hand, as if she's going to reach up and tear the ofuda off. * LadyRoyal takes a grip on Kyo's shoulder. "Nope nope." Again. One, two, three. *leans* * LadyNightshade once again presses into the door. She looks a bit calmer now as she's working together with a Lord, focusing on getting the door open. * Lady_MakeBelieve makes a note to ask Darkmoon about maybe Ordering Kyo to leave the seal alone. Two of you just isn't enough. I can't do anything like this! I know, but it's better than what might happen to you otherwise. We're gonna need some more help guys... * LadyRoyal , still keeping half an eye on Heat, steps over and tries to help with the door. Thank you, Lady Royal. On three... one, two, three. *leans, voice still dead and even* * LadyRoyal leans. * LadyNightshade continues pushing as she's told to. The door mooooooooves creakingly slowly open. You realize that it’s going to be difficult holding the door open. Everyone get through quick... Heat, Make Believe, get Mysteria through, and get through yourselves. Heat, you go first, make sure there's nothing nasty. Okay. Some help me get her up on my back... I can't carry her otherwise. * LadyHeat helps pick up Maya and put her on Haruko's back as best she can with the god-awful buzzing in her head. The door starts winning again, and the three holding it open start moving backwards. Hurry! * Lord_Darkmoon plants his feet, and makes himself as solid a barrier as possible. Somehow, he seems no more or less strained than before as he applies more pressure. * LadyHeat moves through quickly * Lady_MakeBelieve struggles through at a hurry, trying not to jostle Maya * LadyMysteria twitches once, twice. One of her hands curls into a weak fist, then relaxes. * LadyNightshade makes sure everyone is through all the way before letting go of the door herself. Girls, she moved! * Lord_Darkmoon holds it as he moves forward to take up Nightshade's place, moving fast to try to apply more leverage to the swinging end long enough for him and Royal to get through, letting is scrape his shoulder as it shuts behind him. * LadyRoyal squeezes through quickly. * LadyNightshade scans the new room, looking for the best path to follow. * Lord_Darkmoon winces, but regains his stoic expression quickly as he looks around the room, ready to draw his weapon at a moment's notice. * LadyMysteria twitches again, and lets out a ragged exhale as she starts to come to, eyes lidding open. There's just enough light here to see that it's some sort of long chamber. Behind the group, the door closes smoothly, though not quickly. It shuts completely with a booming thud. The room reeks of death and shit. Let us hope this is not a dead end. Are you okay with Mysteria, Make Believe? *starts striding purposefully forward, drawing his Katana en route* I'll be alright... As long as I don't have to run.. * LadyNightshade coughs and covers her mouth and nose. She's coming too anyway. What the hell is this place? We will see to it you don't have to. Lady Mysteria, how long until you can walk? * LadyNightshade moves to find a way out of this room as quickly as she can. This place is an obstacle. Let us find our way through it quickly. Light seeps in around the edges of many doors lining this room, or is it a hallway? The floor here isn't even stone, just crummy old cement. ... Maybe we're in a basement in somewhere real? * LadyMysteria seems to be conscious enough to notice the smell, and she winces faintly. Her mouth others... and she promptly claps her hand to her throat in obvious pain. * LadyNightshade strides to the end of the hallway. Make Believe, can you make us a light? I hope we may be back in the building we were trying to exit when everything went wrong. The *near* end of the hallway is a blank wall. The far end is a gentle curve out of sight... If someone comes closer and holds out a hand. Mine are tied up right now. * LadyNightshade follows around the curve, then. * LadyRoyal hisses in a sharp breath at the door closing, keeping a card ready as she starts looking around the place. * Lord_Darkmoon holds out a hand to Make Believe. * LadyRoyal flicks on t he flashlight from before and shines it around the place. There are more doors, still more doors. The hallway continues to gently curve, and perhaps slope a little upwards. Hurry up, we need to keep moving. * LadyNightshade looks back to the group. Just keep carrying her if you have to. * Lady_MakeBelieve concentrates and a new flashlight pops up in Darkmoon's hand * LadyHeat wishes this would be over soon. Ah, thank you. Let's go. I'm checking one of these doors. *looks it over with the flashlight* * LadyMysteria takes a moment to do next to nothing, then tries to push off of Make-Believe and onto her own two feet. They don't quite cooperate, and she starts to stumble. * Lady_MakeBelieve struggles to stay upright. Waaah The doors all seem to be roughly the same. Wide enough for a couple people, and heavy heavy. On this side, they all have handles to pull on. Warn me before you plan on doing that. * LadyRoyal notices Maya move, and hurries over to help prop her up. * LadyMysteria almost opens her mouth... but closes it, gritting her teeth. She inhales as angrily as her condition can manage, and points to her throat. * Lord_Darkmoon moves over to take Maya's other side, helping Royal support her. "Glad to see you're doing better, My Lady," he says with a small smile that quickly vanishes. "You are unable to speak?" * LadyNightshade continues moving up the hall. * LadyRoyal shakes her head at Maya. "Probably not a good idea to take those off yet." * LadyMysteria nods slowly; even that seems to hurt, and she stops doing it quickly. * LadyNightshade vanishes from sight as she continues onward. Come. We should catch up with Nightshade. Hopefully the way out lies at the end of this corridor. I do not relish the thought of trying to open one of these doors. Let's keep going... I'll let you guys know if I see anything. Just poke my side if you want me to set you down Maya. How are you doing, Lady Heat? I really, really, really, really, really want to take it off because I can barely even think because of the way it's buzzing in my head. Just let her do what she wants... * LadyMysteria practically leans against those holding her, not quite able to move on her own just yet. * Lord_Darkmoon helps Mysteria forward, presumably with Royal's aid on the Lady's other side. "Let's move. The sooner we get you to Purity, the better, Heat." Nightshade creeps along, and on, and on... the idea that they might be back in the apartment building dies quickly, as there just wouldn't be space in that structure for this corridor to exist. * LadyRoyal continues helping Maya. * LadyNightshade tries to keep track of exactly how far she's moved spatially, trying to get a rough layout of the place. It seems to just be a long upwards curve - maybe not even a spiral, as the curve is gentle enough that it can't have made a full revolution yet. Where *are* we? Who the hell knows. We just need to get out of here. I do not know. This does not seem to be the work of any of your Dragon Lords of the directions, does it, Make Believe? * LadyNightshade gets more and more desperate to get out as she moves through the structure. There has to be an end to this place somewhere. There has to be. Nightshade finds herself in nearly complete darkness - she's reached a section without doors. She bounces nose-first off the end of the hallway. Ow. What? Wall. What happened? Oh. We're in a dead end? Are you alright? * LadyNightshade scans the wall for any sort of door or opening. I'm fine. * LadyMysteria looks up, then makes a face as she remembers she's unintentionally muted. We have a number of doors to try. It now falls to us to figure out which one to try first. There's just no light, but Taki can feel the edges of a door, and freezing air seeping around it. * LadyNightshade tries to open the door. The door is locked, but feels... flimsy. Darkmoon: Not any of the ones I know of... There's a huge whoosh of air just outside the door, which rattles eerily. What was that, Nightshade? I don't know... There's something moving the air on the other side of the door... * LadyNightshade tries to peek though the cracks to get a better look. Could it be wind? The group is coming back together, and Taki can see better as their flashlights come into range. ...wait, you can feel wind in the door? That must be some powerful wind to shake these heavy things. I can see you guys approaching. Maybe we're going to fight ice men now or something. This door isn't as heavy. * LadyMysteria gently grips at Darkmoon, looking in the direction of Taki's voice. ... You guys should hurry up. * Lord_Darkmoon rests a comforting hand over Mysteria's gripping one. "We're coming." * LadyNightshade sits down on the floor next to the door, waiting for the group to show up. * LadyMysteria smiles thinly at the grip, then finally distances herself from Royal and Darkmoon. She wavers for a moment, but she stays upright. Still, she slumps, and looks rather pale. * LadyNightshade swallows a bit uncomfortably. * LadyRoyal steps away for a second, eyes Maya critically, and then steps back, keeping a hand on her arm. She doesn't seem inclined to let go for the moment, either. Is Maya going to be okay? Maybe she should wait out here until we know what we're dealing with... * Lord_Darkmoon does likewise. "Come on, my Lady. Don't strain yourself until you're better." * Lady_MakeBelieve hustles up from behind, having been distracted by talking to Norcliff * Lord_Darkmoon helps her forward, until the group can see this door Nightshade's at. He looks it over, now that there's light to shine on it. So are we going to break it down soon? * LadyNightshade stands again as everyone approaches. I can maybe pick it... Just... there's something bad on the other side. So we need to be ready. * LadyNightshade looks the group over. ...right. It's a door. A lousy, hollow, wooden door. It has a handle/knob thing, with a modern-looking lock. No. If we're leaving some in the hall, we don't want this door to magically seal and become a door to someplace else. We break it open. * LadyHeat replaces the empty spots on her belt with bottles from her backpack. * LadyRoyal lets Darkmoon take Maya, and moves in front of her, cards ready. Heat drops one or two, unable to keep her hands steady. Okay, someone else break it down then. I'll go in first, invisibly and you guys follow. * LadyMysteria actually waves Rin away, offering him a smile... but she does stay close. * LadyHeat can't do this anymore. Does it look dark enough on the other side for you to be able to? I don't know until we get it open. * Lord_Darkmoon smiles back, perhaps a little nervously, but without even a shake of his head he clears the uncomfortable expression from his face. If there's something there though I might be able to rush it. Heat... *worried* ...we are out of time. Open it. *readies his gun* Right. Let's just get this over with... * LadyNightshade takes another deep breath as she once again disappears from sight. I've got a bad feeling about this. Join the club. * LadyHeat attempts to drink some water, but fumbles getting the cap off and when she finally does get it off, she spills it all over herself. God just let her take the stupid thing off. Are you volunteering to be bitten first? She can't do anything right now! I'm not going to bite anyone! You say that *now* Goddamn it. There's no saying whether it's the bite or the seal that's making her like this, you realize... * LadyNightshade just reaches up and rips the thing off of Heat's head. ....Ahhhhhh. * LadyMysteria opens her mouth to say something. Winces. Claps hand to throat. Shakes her head angrily... and then watches as Taki acts. Let's _go_. Nightshade you *IDIOT* * Lady_MakeBelieve smacks another one up there. OI. Door? Remember? * LadyHeat clutches her head. * Lord_Darkmoon looks over Mysteria once more, then moves over to Heat. "Let me he--" he steps back in surprise as the invisible girl rips the seal off. "...Heat, how do you feel, now?" I felt FINE and I didn't even want rare steak! Good. Still, mind if I Order you not to turn into a vampire? *his quirked smile doesn't quite match his tone; it's hard to tell if he's joking* * LadyHeat takes the new ofuda off herself and snarls at Haruko! That's fine... I don't want to eat anyone but it's so hard to think with the thing on... Just break the door down now. Yeah. Let's do it. * Lady_MakeBelieve stays far away from Heat * LadyMysteria makes a most aggravated face, but seems to be able to only stew in her emotional juices. No eating teammates. *winks* Do it, Nightshade. * LadyNightshade gives Heat adequate room to have at the door. * LadyHeat punches the door! * LadyHeat has at it, as if it were Haruko's obnoxious, ofuda smacking face. * LadyNightshade looks through the door as soon as it's down. The door splinters open, revealing another darkened room beyond. It seems... wide, with a high ceiling. * LadyNightshade steps through cautiously, looking around for anything dangerous. Nothing is immediately visible, but the room is cold, cold, and she can hear someone - something, perhaps - breathing. There's definitely something alive in here... * LadyNightshade tries to locate the source of the breathing. * LadyMysteria pauses for a moment, then clings to Darkmoon, perhaps for support. It's off to one side, out of the light coming through the door from the group's flashlights. * Lord_Darkmoon holds Mysteria, offering support, and sparing her a worried smile. "Not much longer. ...I hope." * LadyNightshade carefully moves closer to it, trying to get a look at what exactly it is. Do you want a light, Nightshade? *quietly, more into the radio than into the room* Someone use their flashlight... She moves closer... something stinks in that direction as well, and she puts her foot down into something squishy. Let's not make it mad till we know what it is... *barely whispers* Ugh... * LadyNightshade picks her foot back up, not wanting to think about what it was. There's a loud *SNORT*, and the breathing shifts bearing, becoming a odd- sounding inhalation. ... ... maybe it's asleep. GGRRRRrrrrrrrRRrrghh. Not anymore. Or not... * LadyNightshade swallows and freezes. * Lord_Darkmoon pats Mysteria's hand, and looks down at her again, trying to gauge how she's doing. Rrrrumphppbb. Aararaaahhhhemm. * Lady_MakeBelieve freezes There's a fanning sensation, and suddenly the chamber lights up with veins of yellow-green fluorescence. ...Oh no. Aiishit. * LadyNightshade eyes widen as the lights come on. * LadyMysteria twitches, gritting her teeth. She looks ready to... well, move. Definitely not fight. The room is gigantic - stadium-sized. It's inhabitant... needs that space. ..... This isn't right at all. * LadyMysteria simply gapes. It's not supposed to be like this. * Lord_Darkmoon looks it over seeming impassively, as if this were entirely normal. "How is it supposed to be?" * Dragon is a huge, skeletal construct - bones, mostly, with some rotting flesh dripping off of it. Inside its rib cage, a heart pulses a bilious yellow. Around its skull there is more flesh than elsewhere, and even one (normal) eye. It would seem he has seen better days. * LadyNightshade looks it over real quick before just flat out running. The monster is not quite twenty meters from nose to tip of tail, and its (western) wings have nearly that same span. Now would be a good time for you guys to help... This... doesn’t feel right... Norcliff! What is this?! * Dragon moans, as if waking up. Haruko, be quiet, you're going to wake it up! ...now, that's a weird thing. * Lord_Darkmoon pats Mysteria's arm, and pulls away gently. "Stay safe, my Lady. Make Believe, cover Mysteria, please," he says quietly as he puts away his gun, and, drawing his Tessen, steps into the room to back up Nightshade. * Dragon uncurls, stretching out its bony wings and turning its head to look at Taki and its other visitors with the empty socket in its skull. * LadyRoyal looks back and forth, torn between covering Maya and helping Taki and Rin, and finally goes through the door. * LadyHeat heads through the door. * LadyMysteria is pulled, and doesn't try to fight at all. She's just... staring. Haaave... hrrrrRRRRMMMMPH! * Lord_Darkmoon meets the things presumed gaze. "Greetings." He drops the word as if it were made of lead, polite, but beyond patience. Have you come to surrrrrenderrrr? To submit to fate? No. Not quite! This isn't fate. It can't be. No. Ah, little Harrruko. You spent too much time fighting the Lorrrrd of the Norrth. This, too, is fate. Death and corrruption and destrrrruction. * LadyNightshade circles around the back of the creature. * LadyRoyal SIGHS. This isn't right at all! This isn't the way the world is supposed to be! Have you come to see us back to our own war? Goddamn it, I knew this was her! * Lord_Darkmoon steps forward, a feral grin and gleam in his eye. "Or, perhaps, to join us in fighting it?" All things die, girrrrl. Living and seeking death arrrre the same thing. Let's just kill this stupid thing and get it over with. You know this. You know this! No they don't! They can come back! Goodness always triumphs... it has to! * Lady_MakeBelieve sounds more like she's trying to convince herself than the Dragon ...Haruko made me a vampire? * Lord_Darkmoon makes a disgusted sound. "Goodness only triumphs if it has the power to do so. Haruko made Rin glow, didn't she, Heat? Why can she not make you a vampire?" * LadyHeat sighs. Well, Make Believe? Are you not going to introduce us? * LadyMysteria looks around, then at Haruko, then at the Dragon, and back again. She almost looks like she's trying to connect something in her head. If you do not come thinking of submission, you have come rrrrregarrrrdless. He's the Dragon Lord of the West... but not the right one. This doesn't match at all what the Celestial Agency said... I don't know what’s going on! What would the right one be? How do you recognize him, if he is wrong? I don't KNOW! Everything is going all wrong... You do know. We didn't exactly have a choice to come here. THIS ISN'T THE WAY ITS SUPPOSED TO WORK * Dragon flaps his wings once, twice, as if to loosen them. Despite there being no flesh connecting its bones, the dragon generates a fierce breeze. He's an imposter... if we get rid of him everything will be alright again! * LadyRoyal quietly makes her way to the side, not approaching the Dragon, but moving to face its flank. I AM the Drragon Lorrrd of the West - as the sun sets, so must all life. And so must yourrrrs. But the sun always rises again. Your logic is faulty. So it's just an analogy. But you still get to die. * LadyMysteria shakes her head, then looks for a place to... well, get the hell out of the way. * Dragon flaps once more, pushing itself into the air. Life ends at its dusk. Ours are still in the late morning ascension. You will cease to hinder us. *is speaking to Haruko, now, not the dragon* * LadyNightshade leaps onto it just before it starts to take off. * LadyNightshade miscalculates her jump though and overshoots its tail as it passes in front of her. She growls and looks up at the dragon. The dragon is not trying to gain altitude, just surveying its opponents. * LadyNightshade leaps again at it, throwing as many punches and kicks as she can get off before landing again. Taki leaps back into the air, and unloads a full flurry of punches into the dragon's bony flank. Bones splinter under her hands, and the monster howls. * Dragon twists in midair, and opens its mouth. What emerges is not fire, nor ice, but a torrent of bone shards that blast at Taki. That's new. Lady Nightshade seems almost to be shredded under that blast. She sags to the ground, a bloody, ragged mass. * LadyNightshade bleeds. >< If she is dead, you will not survive this. * LadyMysteria grits her teeth as Nightshade falls... then looks around quickly for somewhere to hide. She finally withdraws to the door, using it for cover. * LadyRoyal moves more to the side and wings a card right at its pulsing heart thingy. The card slices right into the beating heart... and the dragon doesn't drop out of the air. It does, however, start to squirt brackish blood as it pulses. Lady Heat grabs a bottle off her belt and wings it at the dragon lord's head. ...something's off, though, as the bottle is thrown so hard that it punches through the dragon's bony snout, and she can't detonate it if she can't see it. Lady Heat, can you boost me so I can jump into it on my signal? *pantomimes lacing his fingers together and pushing someone up by their foot* Yes. * Lord_Darkmoon nods, and crouches into a ready position. * Lady_MakeBelieve retreats slightly into the doorway, keeping an eye on Maya. * LadyMysteria glances back, holding her half-mangled wand. Why aren't the Sailors here yet! As if summoned by Haruko's call a circular diagram similar in design, but not in scale to the one Norcliff had drawn earlier appears in the center of the room, glowing with colors of all five of the sailors. As the light grows brighter, they appear in the circle, holding hands. * Sailors take a quick second to look around the room, then spy the dragon and immediately launch a barrage of attacks. * Dragon is blasted by colors of the rainbow! It seems a little effective, but not terribly so. * The_Sailors look around the room, taking up a defensive formation and looking for Haruko. Sunbeam spies her first and rushes over "Haruko! we came as soon as we could... what happened here!" * Dragon wobbles through the air, then pulls in its wings and crashes down at Darkmoon and Heat. A wing sweeps forward, clawing and pushing them into the dragon's front arc. Both of them are pushed forward - Heat trips and bounces her head off the hard floor, dazing the girl. * Dragon opens it mouth once more and breathes bone at the pair. Both Lord and Lady are ripped up awfully, and can not protect themselves. Sailors, try to cover them! Waterfall and Landslide move to position themselves between the Dragon and the fallen. * LadyMysteria almost steps out, but stops herself, looking wordlessly torn. * LadyRoyal growls and dashes in front of the Sailors, letting a flurry out at The Dragon. * Dragon twists with a grinding sound of skittering bones, and manages to get out of the way of a few of the cards. Regardless, its bulk is bounced brutally by the explosions. * Lady_MakeBelieve moves to drag Heat back to safety, bringing Sunbeam around for help. Waterfall swears "You've really gotten yourself in a fucked up situation here you know. Girls, lets hit it hard!" * The_Sailors rallies the girls to her, as they attempt to combine powers, seeing as individual attacks had little effects. * The_Sailors gather hands once more, this time energies leaping from their gathered hands to twine into a pure white ball that gathers above them, before disappearing and appearing right in front of the Dragon, seeking to slam into it. * Dragon screeches and twists again, and the ball of light only takes off one of its wings. The severed bones clatter awfully to the ground. You fulfill your own destiny, Haruko. Even now, you seek destruction above all things... * Dragon slams Landslide aside with its remaining wing, and snakes its head forward to snare Waterfall with its jaws. Nooo! Shelli! MARA! YOU MONSTER! Sunbeam drops Heat and rushes towards the Dragon, not willing to abandon the fight. * LadyMysteria takes a ragged breath, then curls around the door long enough to point the wand at the dragon's legs. While it spits a gout of smoke, it can still unleash those damned ribbons. Inwardly, she prays to any god listening to not let this be the last time. * Dragon is looking very worse for the wear now. Its pulsing heart is squirting like a fire hose, bones are cracked and sagging everywhere, but still it looks determined to destroy everything. Ribbons fly everywhere, then close in to try to encircle the dragon. They wrap... and stretch... and can not quite bind such a large being. With an almost musical groan, they flutter away to the ground. * LadyRoyal tries for another flurry. This time, the dragon can not dodge, and it takes the full brunt of the detonations. It shrieks as its rib cage shatters and bone splinters spray everywhere. * Lord_Darkmoon picks himself up, using his Katana as a cane until he gets his feet under him. "You preach destruction, you pathetic delusion of a madwoman," he says emotionlessly, so blood-soaked that it's impossible to tell where he's not wounded, "But I will give you the gift of utter devastation." He charges, running under its neck and straight into its ribcage, diving to cut out the putrid heart. It's not a perfect cut, and the Dragon even manages to roll away a little, but silver light pulses, drowning out the yellow of its heart, and when everyone can look at it again the heart is black and deflated, and the skeleton collapsing all around Darkmoon. * Lady_MakeBelieve rushes over to where Shelli is lying. * LadyNightshade continues bleeding on the ground. * LadyRoyal goes forward and drags Darkmoon from the collapsed skeleton. * LadyRoyal checks Taki as well. * Dragon sighs as it falls to pieces. "And destrrrruction wins..." * Lord_Darkmoon lets it collapse around him, kneeling next to his Katana, which is point-down in the ground, and seems to be all that's holding him up for the moment. If anyone can see him through the bones. "I will destroy all that opposes me. That is victory." * LadyNightshade groans and moans, fists clenching as she regains consciousness and tries to move. * LadyMysteria promptly stumbles out towards Darkmoon, stopping at the bones. She reflexively tries to say something, and then regrets it a moment later. * LadyRoyal takes a breath and goes into the bones to get to Darkmoon. * LadyNightshade aches all over as her body tries to force the bone fragments out of her. She can't quite pick herself up yet. The lights in the chamber slowly begin to fade, as if the death of the Dragon Lord of the West means their death as well. * Lord_Darkmoon pushes himself to his feet, several shades of red flowing from him, though his black hair is just matted and sticky where it absorbed the ichor and blood. Ignoring any shrapnel wounds, he pushes his way out of the skeleton, heedless of where the bones break his skin or aggravate extant wounds. * LadyRoyal reaches DM and takes him to the rest of the wounded. Unlike him, she *is* paying attention to not letting him get hurt any further. * LadyNightshade makes her way over onto her side, coughing once before looking across the room to Haruko, growling, a feral look in her eyes. * Lord_Darkmoon doesn't shake off Royal, but doesn't let her move him to join 'the rest of the wounded'. * Lady_MakeBelieve moves from one wounded to another, tending them as best she can. Haruko. Take us home. We have a mission to accomplish, still. How can I do that? * LadyNightshade pushes her way to her feet finally, lurching towards Haruko with a grim determination. Because you brought us here. * LadyMysteria moves as quickly as she can between Nightshade and Make- Believe. * LadyRoyal leaves him and goes over to Haruko, standing next to Maya. * LadyMysteria just... shakes her head, sadly. The three undamaged sailors move to block Nightshade as well. Gentle Breeze looks at her and says very coldly. "I wouldn't, if I were you" * LadyNightshade swallows back what's probably blood in her throat before pressing on. "This is all your doing. Stop acting like it isn't." * LadyRoyal isn't so much standing against Taki as she is standing between her and Haruko. This isn't my doing. This isn't even *right*. * LadyNightshade gives Gentle Breeze an icy glare. "Try and stop me." Dismiss your fantasies, Haruko. If they're what's nailing us to this place, then dismiss them. If you will not, I will destroy them, too. We fought your fucking dragon, now let us out. He's not *mine* They aren't *fantasies!* Stop that. Waterfall picks herself up off the ground and glares at Darkmoon. "Just Try it pretty boy" Even if it was her, she's never been able to do it of her own free will before. * LadyNightshade continues moving forward, pressing into the wall of girls that tries to stop her. It's getting hard to see, and it almost seems like the giant room is shrinking around you. * Lord_Darkmoon ignores Waterfall. "Good," he says, looking around at the breaking down of the room. If she can't even control it then she's more of a danger to us than the ningyo are. * LadyMysteria looks around as well, biting her bottom lip in obvious frustration. Enough, Nightshade. It is ending. I'm done dealing with it. Even her hallucinations admit what they are, if not to her. * LadyNightshade wheels on Darkmoon. "And what if it happens again?!" Then I will kill her. * LadyNightshade sort of stops at that. * LadyMysteria looks at Darkmoon, and actually looks most unsettled. * Lord_Darkmoon flicks his Katana, and it sheds blood and ichor to the ground before he sheathes it. Moonbeam turns to Darkmoon " Don't do that unless you want to die." * Lord_Darkmoon continues to ignore Haruko's delusions. "When this clears, we will go eliminate the IHA." * LadyRoyal checks Heat now that the immediate bitching is over, glancing sidelong and suspiciously at Darkmoon. * LadyHeat continues to be bleeding and unconscious. * Lord_Darkmoon moves over to Mysteria. "How is your throat?" * LadyRoyal patches Kyo up. * LadyNightshade just closes her eyes for the moment, just waiting for it all to go away. * LadyMysteria just shakes her head and exhales. * LadyHeat wakes up when Royal starts touching her. "...Urhn." ...and the lights finally, totally give up, leaving everyone in complete darkness. ... Sunbeam looks over at Darkmoon and Nightshade with a stern look on her face... "Moonglow, stay here with Haruko and keep an eye on her. Norcliff, we're going to the Agency. Something about this is all wrong, and I want some answers *now*" * LadyNightshade shoves herself away from whatever girls were holding her back, moving to be separate from the group. Make Believe. Flashlights. Help me up? * LadyRoyal is doing so. * Lady_MakeBelieve ignores Darkmoon. * LadyMysteria rubs her temples, desperately wishing she had some paper and a pencil. * LadyNightshade moves around to the sound of Darkmoon's voice, handing him a lighter from her coat. She doesn't even say anything and just sort of leans on him, tiredly. * Lord_Darkmoon takes the item he's handed silently, and, after feeling it to figure out what it is, says, "Thank you. ...Nightshade," he concludes, based on the, erm, shape of the person leaning on him. He holds up the lighter, flicking it on, and looking around in the illumination. Unfortunately for Nightshade, now DM's blood is getting all over her. He's sticky with it. Haruko, can we get some lights, please? The flame shows that you're in a tunnel again, except this one looks more basement/industrial/sewer-y. There's a faint smell of sewage, but also of cleaners and of machinery. There's a set of stairs going up just a few meters down the hall. Certainly Royal. * LadyNightshade has plenty of blood of her own to share. * Lady_MakeBelieve hands a Flashlight to Royal. Thank you. * LadyRoyal shines it around, adding to the light made by the flame. She goes down the hall to check out the stairs. Can we please go back to Tokyo now? And make me not a vampire? * LadyNightshade looks back up and around the room. * LadyMysteria quietly moves to the stairs, without a word. * Lord_Darkmoon moves with Nightshade over to offer Mysteria a hand. "We're back. Let's go finish what we came here to do." * LadyNightshade heads up the stairs with the group. * LadyMysteria accepts said hand. She just looks... tired, now. * LadyHeat walks up the stairs, hoping she won't disintegrate if she goes into sunlight. * LadyNightshade looks a bit jealous at the hand, and slips her arm around Darkmoon's other arm. If I turn into a pile of dust... Well, there's no sunlight here, but you do find yourself on the ground floor of what seems to be some sort of office building. * LadyRoyal turns as she reaches the stairs to see if everyone's going as well, and frowns slightly, but continues on. "Well, it's probably dark by now, so you'll have a chance to get fixed before that's a possibility." * LadyNightshade looks around trying to figure out which building exactly they're in. * LadyMysteria looks for a door, free fingers tightly gripping her half-broken wand. There's a doorway outside, and through the glass you can see what have to be the grounds of the IHA campus. * LadyNightshade goes to the glass to try and see which building they're actually in. Mysteria's cell rings. * LadyMysteria pulls it out and hands it to Nightshade. Who is it? Someone should uh... Right. *answers it* Hello? ...Mysteria? No, this is Nightshade. What's happening over there? Oh, uh... this is her number, though? Yeah, she sorta had her throat ripped out though. * Lord_Darkmoon tenses for a moment at that description. ...what? Is she dead? Did you attack already? Not quite. And no. It was Haruko. *idly glares at the other girl* .....um. We handled it. Don't worry about it. What's happening over there? Okay - here's the deal. We've been attacked, and won. We lost eight Ladies, and one Princess, but we can confirm 70 dead and 25 captured on their side. We got some to talk, and Sato is definitely the man. ... What Princess? * LadyMysteria blinks, and turns to Nightshade. What happened? * LadyNightshade looks worried for a second. * Lord_Darkmoon waits, silently, for this conversation to end. Purity. But that's not important now - we're coming your way with transport, and need Sato alive and captured when we get there. ... I... Okay. You've got... about 40 minutes. We'll get on it. What about a Princess? * LadyNightshade hangs up if there's nothing more. The go for it. Purity. She died in the attack. Our mission is unchanged? ... Oh no. ....That’s bad news. * LadyMysteria blinks a few times at that, then just lowers her head. Heat, fangs? Yes. Well, we need to capture Sato alive. ... * Lord_Darkmoon is displeased. Clearly displeased. This displeasure also isn't chased away quickly. I'm stuck this way now. Apparently some of the men they captured confessed. Darkmoon, deal with it. Let us go. * LadyNightshade hands Maya back her phone. We will take him alive. And as unharmed as possible. We have 40 minutes. * LadyMysteria looks at her wand for a moment, then sighs heavily as she takes her phone and puts it away. Nightshade, if you'd be so kind as to find us a good entry point? I'll scout ahead then. You guys move when I tell you to move. * LadyRoyal cracks her neck. * Lord_Darkmoon nods. "Go." [end session] Session Close: Sat Feb 11 20:01:16 2006