[So, resuming where we left off. Saki is standing in the foyer of a mansion. Miranda is there as are a growing collection of demons.] * Saki glances from side to side as her aura dies down. "You went to a lot of trouble to get me. Must want something pretty important." * Miranda stands in a defensive stance her pupils have a molten glow. "You make useful bait." I didn't think demons took hostages. * Miranda snarls at that. "It wasn't my preference, I assure you." (preference->call) * Saki smirks. "You're a lackey." * Miranda emmenates waves of heat and her eyes glow brighter. "I'm done talking to you." She glances at the demons surrounding Saki. "Take her to a cell." * Saki smiles. "One sec. I think you overlooked something." * Miranda smirks as she settles into her stance. "Yes?" * Saki points her guns at her head. "What happens if your hostage is unusable?" * Miranda's eyes widen. "Don't be a fool. You can get out of this alive. We don't give a shit about what your Arcana friends want." * Saki snickers. "You really think I believe that?" She glances around. "I'm in hell. No chance of escape from here. And I'm not dumb enough to think you'd just let me walk away when you got what you wanted." The way I see it, I've got nothing to lose. How 'bout you? * Miranda keeps a slightly desperate done, but mixed with haughty. "You overestimate your importance. We don't want to keep you, we want your boyfriend. We don't kill our agent's toys." But you can't get at him. You wouldn't have come after me if you could. [Saki notices the demons are maneuvering around a bit but staying a safe distance away.] We didn't have anything he cared about. But once he renews his family's contract it's all over. We don't need to keep a hostage. Yes. Once that happens, you don't need me anymore. Do you think we're fools? If we then kill you, he will someday pay us back. Jason understands hard bargaining. Killing off you once he's recommitted would serve no purpose but to enrage him. You don't think he'll already be enraged? (But killling you off once) * Miranda smirks. "He can put that into his work." But if you don't have me, he has no reason to renew anyhow, does he? * Miranda smirks. "Renewing is part of how he gets you. In a roundabout way. That will involve the slaughter of the remainder of those damnable worthless ghosts." [And there's an entirely different set of demons in the front line at this point. Give me an occult roll.] [Saki doesn't know the difference in the types. Aside from the obvious visual discrepency.] * Saki shrugs. "Yet he doesn't seem to want to do it. Oh, and by the way," She takes one of her guns from her head and points it at a demon. "I don't like you changing the cast on me." Look bitch, if we need a hummunculus or a shifter to take your place, we'll use one. Jason we'll be disappointed, but I'm sure I could find a way to help him through it." (we'll->will) You know that won't work. Those things are easy to detect. He'll be a bit distracted at the time. And really, your lover boy is cute, but not that bright. If it were that easy, you would've done it. You want to test that? * Miranda growls "You want to di--" She then visibly and painfully flinches. "So what do you want? If you think we're letting you go you're more of fool then I realized." (than I realized) * Saki lays down her terms: "No bindings, no locked rooms, and I'm keeping my weapons. You try to use any magic on me, and I'll blow my brains out. And if I see the bitch with the scythe again, she's a dead woman." * Miranda thinks for a moment. * Miranda comments evenly. "You're asking a lot for us to not protect the scythe girl." Aww. I didn't know you cared for her so much. But if killing her is so important to you... you will be bound, but not until we return you to your worlds. You may keep your weapons. You may stay on the palace grounds. But if there is any attempt to slay one of us or escape and the deal is off. (your world) Can't imagine she'd be much good to you anyway, with the condition I left her in. * Miranda keeps a very even tone. "We don't give up our mercenaries cheap." Mercenary? She's not one of your own? * Saki snickers. "I'm flattered that you thought you couldn't take me without help." * Miranda frowns at that and her voice is low and angry. "I'm begining to think killing you would be worth the torture. Do you agree?" (agree to the terms?) (Not agree that killing you is worth the torture. ;P) * Saki points her guns to the ceiling. "Surrrre... Oh, by the way, don't bother trying anything. I know I can get to my head faster than you." * Miranda nods and speaks with a growl. "When all this is over. Once Jason has gotten bored of you. I will find you on my own time." * Saki laughs. "No you won't. I'll find you." Even better. * Miranda points to the large doors behind Saki. "There's the grounds." * Miranda then spins and walks down the hallway away from Saki. * Saki just smiles. She salutes Miranda and heads that way. "Later." [The closer set of demons trails Saki, but they stay about ten meters back.] * Saki tours the grounds. ( I'm about done though, unless you've got more planned. ) [The mansion is three stories tall and quite imposing from the outside. There's dozens of demons patrolling on the inside...] [And on the outer wall that's a good hundred meters away from the mansion.] ( What's the ground and sky look like? ) (Getting there. ;P0 [The sky is dark brown and the earth is marroon intermixed with obsidian stones/] * Saki whistles at the mansion. She walks around it, too, in its entirety. [There is a garden of stone and fire as well as crystaline trees.] [Behind the mansion there's a large brown lake. Its surface bubbles.] * Saki takes in the sights! And notes the number of entrences to the mansion while she's at it. [There's also a distant sound of wailing, screams, and moaning. Not really the happy sort.] [The mansion has two side entrances and a back balcony with a set of window/doors that could be openned.] [There seems to be a library on the far side by the look of it.] * Saki takes note of it. * Saki heads back into the mansion. [Let's say the lake is south of the mansion. Beyond the lake there's mountains, this range extends to the east and west of the manor. To the north seems to be a plain. Although far, far to the north of the mansion there's tall mountain peaks.] [When Saki approaches one of the doors, she finds there's a large demon guard blocking her way.] * Saki decides it's not worth the effort and heads back. ( I don't have anything else to do at the moment ^^; ) [Saki then hears a voice. She's experienced telepathy before and it's not quite like that, but it also seems to be more in her head than a real sound in the world.] ~And to think, I was impressed with your performance before you got here.~ * Saki stretches and glances around. "Yeah?" ( Do I recognize it? ) ( Nope ) [Saki see's nothing out of the ordinary.] Disappointed? ~Keep it casual. Don't look around. The demon's minds are being fogged, but no need to take risks.~ * Saki continues her tour. ~Can you hear this?~ ~Yes so long as you focus on your thoughts.~ (And do keep describing where you're walking.) * Saki heads back to the garden, making as though she's suddenly taken an interest in it. ~Right. Then, who am I not-speaking to?~ ~And no, not disappointed. Amused. More amused than I have been for sometime kid. But not so amused to give my name. Suffice to say we have a common enemy.~ * Saki peruses the garden. ~Yeah?~ ~Indeed.~ ~And?~ ~You've caused a great deal of heartburn so far. Probably ruined his week, if not his year, I want that to continue.~ * Saki looks like she's trying to make herself interested in the garden. ~That's funny. So do I.~ [The fire in the garden is actually quite captivating and comes in a range of colors not found on earth. Even with weird chemicals.] ~So, I'm afraid it would expose myself to have you escape at this point...~ ~Doesn't leave me with much I can do, then. In case you don't know it, I'm sorta stuck here. Even if I killed every last one of them, I wouldn't be able to get out.~ (Oh, and give me a soul willpower roll against sleep) (Sleepiness. That is) ( Mindshield count? ) (No, this is natural) ( Nope :P ) ( That's a miss? Saki's feeling tired. Not gonna collapse, but it has been a bit and she was woken up at like 2:30 am) ( That's a miss, unless you meant body :P ) (Naw soul) ( Although she oughtta be able to go a good 48 hours before she starts getting really tired ^^; ) (She have SD sleep?) ( Nope. I'm just using personal experience :P ) (And I'm using mine. ;P) (Although I can walk five stories without getting tired. Go figure. ;P) ~Hmm.. well, what do you know? I was able to watch the fight, but I'm not exactly privy to his thoughts.~ * Saki gets bored of the garden and heads toward the outer wall. ~I know they wanted me pretty badly. I know they're trying to use me as a hostage. And I know the only think I can do to screw them over is to kill myself, which isn't going to help me much.~ ~A hostage for what?~ * Saki yawns. ~And I know something's gonna happen before I fall asleep. No way am I letting them catch me off guard.~ ~They want some guy to renew his contract with them or something. Won't matter much. I'll be pretty useless to them when they're forced to kill me when I try to escape.~ ~I suspect they'll use you for whatever they have planned within a several hours. Things have been badly botched, the longer he waits the more things can go wrong.~ ~Got that right.~ ~So he'll go as soon as he can regroup.~ The voice then regains the sense of amusement. ~So, do you care about this guy?~ * Saki walks along the perimeter of the wall. ~What's it to you?~ * Guards glances down at Saki as she walks by. ~I'm naturally curious.~ ~Look, you got a plan to help me get out of this mess, or not?~ ~I plan to help you make a bigger mess. I don't think you'd be willing to pay a price high enough to reveal my paths in the heart of his stronghold. But I can help you towards some lesser goal.~ ~That doesn't answer my question.~ Session Time: Mon Apr 18 00:00:00 2005 ~And besides, just because I don't like Mr. Evil doesn't mean I have any love for you, Kahlya.~ * Voice laughs. ~Excellent guess, but wrong. I could care less about the disposition of that demon.~ * Saki walks. She sounds (thinks?) skeptically. ~Really, now? Well, I'm glad to hear it. Because she's so friggin' dead when I get out of here.~ ~Ah vengence, a girl after my own heart.~ * Saki doesn't' give a response to that. She hops once to see outside of the wall, if it's low enough. [Think castle wall.] ( Ooooookay. She can't hop that high :P ) [Like four meters tall.] ( Yeah. Not hoppin' ) [There is a staircase.] * Saki takes it. [Demon's stop giving Saki distance. They stay about a meter away and flank her.] * Saki glances at them. She chuckles a bit. "What do you think I'm gonna do, jump?" [There's a troop of demons doing maneuvers on the plain.] [There's a crystaline forest a few kilometers away.] * Saki watches them. ~Well, if you've got a plan, you might want to share it before I go off with my own.~ [Demons don't respond.] ~You won't get anywhere if you run kid. But, there are ways to make sure the hostage experience doesn't turn out as he intends.~ ~Care to explain?~ ~I'm betting his dog was never intended to intervene. The kidnapping was probably mean to be the accomplished by your enemies and that Kahlya demon.~ ~Well, yeah. Even I picked up that much.~ ~The threat will probably come from them and not fire girl. I take it this guy cares about you at least?~ ~They seem to think so.~ ~Then presumably it will be his role to save you. He just won't have the power he needs unless he makes a deal.~ ~And if he does that, they get what they want anyhow.~ ~Right. They don't care what happens to you. So, this guy, he tough, powerful?~ ~Without his powers? Probably not much more than your average Joe.~ ~Ah, and his powers a granted? Yes, that fits. That's dad's work all over: complex but not original.~ * Saki blinks. ~Dad? You're his son?~ ( That's freaky if it's true. It means one character's nemesis is another's ally <.< ) ~We all have parents kid. Well, most of us. So, again, the question is do you care about him and trust him? That decides your best course of action.~ [Demons continue to flank Saki.] [They don't move much. Not big on the independent thinking.] * Saki walks on, leaving the wall and trying to put some distance between herself and them. ~I guess so.~ [The demons stay away once Saki has left the wall.] * Voice chuckles, ~Well then, perhaps you should renegotiate his contract. However, that will take enough power that I won't be able to do anything for you.~ ~Explain.~ ~If his powers are granted, the contract is stored in the mansion somewhere.~ ~So what do you want me to do? Break in and try to get it?~ ~No, just read it. Dad couldn't write contracts worth shit in the old days. There's probably half a dozen loop hoes we could use.~ ~Easier said than done. They've got me tailed and locked out.~ ~Well yeah kid. That's what the black magic is for.~ ~Gotcha.~ ~I'll keep the guard distracted and put a stealth spell or three on you. I assume you aren't going to need any help if it comes to one on one combat.~ ~I'll burn that bridge when I get to it.~ ~I do like your attitude. Okay, I'll need to cast a spell to help you find and memorize the contract. I can't talk to you once you're inside.~ ~Check.~ * Saki hears a chant in her head. Optional soul roll to resist. ( Would she want to? :P ) ( Presumably no. ;P) ( I didn't think so ^^; ) (But the option is there.) ( By the way, has she recovered from the damage she took ^^; It was subdual, so she should recover faster. ) (True 'nuf) ( K ) * Saki waits for the chanting to finish, then makes her way back to the mansion door. [Saki feels a cold an unpleasant wave pass over her. However, she now has a feeling where the contract is. It's down below the house.] ~There is a slightly easier way. If you're willing to swim.~ ~I'll take my chances on the ground. Besides, if I do that they'll know it.~ ~I can cover for you, but your call.~ [The demons don't move to intercept Saki.] * Saki waves a hand in front of one's eyes. [It doesn't react.] * Saki is satisfied. She heads into the mansion. ~Don't push it. Particularly with the higher level ones.~ ~I'll keep that in mind.~ [She re-enters the mansion she hears the voice fade out and say ~Good luck~ as she does so.] (As she enters) [The foyer is a hallway that goes some distance orward. There's also rooms to the left and right.] [Currently her sense just leads down.] * Saki follows the foyer, figuring that the stairs won't be in a room. [There's a series of pictures on the wall. On the left side are a range views of a classical hell. On the right heavan. The people in hell seem to be having a better time. The foyer intercepts another hallwall. And there's a set of double doors in front of you.] * Saki looks down the hall. Double doors usually doesn't mean stairs. [There's a series of doors down the halls to both side. Both hallways also make a turn towards the back of the house.] [A passing demon, a floating eye with big wings, looks in the direction of Saki as it passes. It then blinks and moves on.] * Saki tries the left hall first. [There's three doors on each side before the turn.] * Saki glances down the turn first [She see's that the hall turned to avoid a spiral staircase. The staircase is flanked by two demons. Humanoid, big ears, not that tall. They look pretty alert.] * Saki approaches, cautiously. (stealth body roll. Secret modifier) [One of them perks up a little and looks around, but doesn't look particularly in Saki's direction.] * Saki keeps going until she slips past them. [The alert one stays on its toes and mutters something in a strange tongue to his partner. The partner shrugs.] * Saki keeps going, hoping that didn't mean she got caught. [Saki gets to the staircase. Made of stone and goes both up and down. There's a series of paintings of similar looking northern European type guys from various periods of history along the wall.] * Saki heads down the stairs. Dead European guys don't interest her. [She makes it down a floor. She can hear some screams coming from down the hall as well as some wailing. There's normal human size guards standing beyond this door. Her sense says the contract is a floor lower, and the stair does keep going down.] * Saki keeps going down with it. ( Some screams, some wailing and maybe a pinch of moaning? ) ( No moaning this time. Moaner is asleep. Briefly. 0 [There's two guards again outside the doorway. Three meters tall. They're slightly wirey for their size, but looks like they pack a mean punch. This is the right level and as far down as the stairway goes.] * Saki gets off here, then. She tries not to attract attention. I mean, duh. (body roll again) [Saki gets by them with surprisingly little difficulty.] [This level is more of a mineshaft type construction. Still stone, but with large crystaline support pillars and beams every few meters.] * Saki is thanksful for that! She continues on her way, towards the contract. [The hallway goes for a bit before a turn. Through an archway to her left Saki can see piles of gold and jewels. To the right a wide range of weapondry with origins all over the planet, some are actively glowing with power.] [The contract is still a ways ahead and to the right.] * Saki keeps on her course. [The hallway turns to the right. Awareness check Saki.] [It goes forward for about fifteen meters before turning left. Give me another awareness roll for reaching the end of the hallway.] [Saki hears a rather large demon moving right around the corner. It sounds rather heavy and yet seems to intentionally be trying to move quietly.] * Saki halts at the corner and waits. She moves back, too, if it comes her way. [The demon walks around the corner and ooks in Saki's direction and seems to be trying to focus. It stands about three meters tall with a large schimitar in two of its four hands.] * Saki ducks around the other corner. She pulls her fist back. (stealth roll) ( No h in scimitar ) (True) ( Unless you wanted it to be :P ) [The guy comes around the corner and doesn't seem to notice Saki.] * Saki slips by him and continues on her way. [So the hallway turns right and then left again. No other demons in immediate sight.] * Saki follows the hallway toward her target. [There's archways to the left and right. There's a sound of running water from the left. There's an archway to the right that the contract is beyond according to her sense.] * Saki heads to the right. [The archway opens to another hallway. It goes several meters and then there's doors to the left and right. They're presently both shut.] * Saki walks to the end of the hallway and waits for her sense to tell her which set to open. [Door #1. That is the door to the left.] * Saki tries to open it! [The door seems sealed.] ( How so? ) (It just doesn't open. Magically locked apparently.) ( Well damn. So much for this plan >.> ) * Saki frowns. She tries the opposite set. [Also sealed!] ( And no way to open them? ) (Awareness rol) [She notices that a stone juts out from the far end of the hallway. It's about as big a hand span.] * Saki peers at it. She tries pushing it. [Soul roll. +6] [Saki's hand is suddenly stuck to the stone. She hears a fairly quiet female voice speak. "Coming." * Saki doesn't like the sound of that. She tugs at her hand. [Renew the soul roll.] [Saki loses all feeling in her arm.] * Saki damn near panics at that. She grabs at a gun, pointing it in the direction of the voice. [Both doors open. There's a human-sized robed figure standing in the open doorway. Visual awareness roll.] [The figure is actually black haired Japanese female. One Saki remembers from her dream.] [Saki!] * Saki lowers her gun and stares at the girl. (Holding action) * Girl looks at Saki and looks confused. "Who are you? Why are you here?" You don't.... recognize me? * Girl's eyes go wide and she takes a few steps back. "No... I've served you loyally master... why?" Her voice is high. [Incidentally, Saki notices that while what the girl says Saki hears as english, her lips don't quite match that.] * Saki stows the gun away. "Hey, calm down. It's not what you think." ( It sure as hell isn't what I think, at least :P ) * Girl brings her hands together. "Then what is it?" You came to give me a warning earlier. Do you remember that? * Girl suddenly looks more afraid and shrinks a little while stammering. "I.. I don't know what you're talking about." She's not making eyecontact as she says it. [Saki's arm is incidentally still stuck and numb.] You must. You came to me in a dream, and... what are you doing here, anyhow? You aren't really her. She wouldn't act like this. ::her voice then is a mix of fear and anger:: Unless it was a trick to get me to free you. * Saki frowns. "You're wrong, Hanako. Believe me, I wish you weren't, but you're not. I'm responsible for your death. * Girl repeats her name slowly, as if trying it out. "I had forgotten." She speaks softly mostly to herself. "I can remember the dream.. she has changed, but why is she.." Hanako then gets a terrified look again and stutters in responsee. "When the master tells me to keep someone enscrolled, I'd never warn them, I don't know what you're talking about." She looks desperately at Saki, hoping for belief. You do. I know you do. * Hanako looks more panicked at that she brings her hands up for a moment. And give me an awareness roll against mind or soul. -4 for JO. Psychology helps. ( I have none of those :P ) [Hanako looks like she's about to attack. However, she's also really faltering as she does it, it's hard to tell if she'll actually follow through.] [And Saki's init continues to be superior. So she can interrupt if she likes.] * Saki watches her. After a bit, she offers, "Are you... angry, for what I did?" * Saki chuckles humorlessly. "Of course you are. I would be." She draw her gun and tosses it at Hanako's feet. "Here. If you want revenge, this will be less messey." But just answer me one thing, before you do. Why did you come to warn me? * Hanako's mind seems to break at that. She just stops her action and touches the stone of the wall, freeing Saki. "I don't know why you changed, or why you're hear, but please be quick about it. The punishment will be less that way." (hear->here) * Saki nods to Hanako. "Thanks. I owe you big time for this." She collects her gun and heads into the room. [The room is a collection of scrolls on long shelves. Saki can easily find the one she needs.] * Saki goes for it. * Hanako steps inside and closes the doors for the moment. She laughs quietly but bitterly at Saki's owing of a favor. She doesn't comment though. [The scroll is signed in blood and written in old english. It doesn't make sense to her, but she can feel the words burning into her memory as she reads it.] ( Nobody can make sense of olde English :P ) (The old english could. ^_~) * Saki frowns as she reads it, wondering how the heck she's supposed to renegotiate Jason's contract when she can't tell what the heck it says. [Saki reaches the end of the contract. It was actually pretty short.] ( It said, "We'll give you powers if you work for us." ) [She can make out the name. It's Gareth Ashton. With some extra funky look letters. Go old english.] * Saki puts it back when she's done. She heads over to the door. * Hanako speaks quietly. "Just a moment. The guard is passing." * Saki nods and steps up to the wall near the door, so she's out of sight should it open. * Hanako waits about twenty seconds. She then press the walls and the doors open. She says in a soft and sad tone of voice, "Good bye." * Saki looks at a loss for what to say. In the end, she just settles on a "Thank you", and hurries off before the guard comes back. [As Saki heads out of the door she can see to the room on the other side. There's an a range of artifacts on pedestals. On one of them she sees a restored version of her shotgun and her plush raccoon. And give me a soul roll. +2 per easily distracted level.] ( Oh, that's evil ) ( I do try ^_^_v) [Saki is not under any compulsions, but still suffers from any natural temptation.] * Saki looks tempted, but decides against it. She has a bad feeling about that. [And the doors close again after a moment.] * Saki heads back the way she came, quickly before she can be found out. [She gets back to the stairway. Give me another stealth roll.] [She gets past the two demons, but the do start chattering in a strange tongue and searching around.] * Saki hurries back the the mansion grounds. [The rest of the guards are pretty clueless.] ~Well done.~ ~Thanks. Doesn't do a lot of good, though. I can't understand a word of it.~ ~That old? I suspected as much. Stand by the shores of the lake for a moment. With your permission I'll remove the spells and read the contract.~ * Saki does that. [Saki sees her reflection in the lake. Standing next to it is a young blond man with pochmarked skin wearing a cloak and a fedora. The reflection reaches out to touch Saki's reflection and she can feel the cold from the spells leaving her.] ~I assume you feel no need to have the contract burned into your memory.~ ~Like I said, can't understand it.~ [Saki finds herself forgetting the contract. Which may be just as well, it felt kinda creepy.] ~Well.. Ah, yes, as I'd hoped. My dear dad will have a rather unpleasant surprise when he tries to recall these powers.~ ~Hm?~ ~Oh, just a trick or two I know about inheritance law. Suffice to say your friend will be fighting at full power. Have fun kid.~ [The reflection starts to fade away.] ~Right. Meantime, I'll just chill here.~ [And end!]