bando: first blood

[bypartisan]

... tell me, is there an award for earliest, most ignominious death in a jaunt? Because I think I may have won that anti-prize.

Those of you in Nakamiyo, tread lightly around Gyakusatsu Izanami. And see if you can hide my body? I'm on the outskirts of Mibu Village, on the disused path near the Sentai clanhouse. If I'm lucky enough that no one but Izanami knows I died then perhaps I can slip back into my overlay's life.

[Sorry, By. That's not going to happen. Given that it took about a day for you to resurrect in Liminal--must have been Bai's fate as a pincushion that caused the delay--not only do all the Sentai siblings know about your death, but so should most of Mibu Village.]

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[willyousee]

[willyousee]

[Quickly discards ten variations on "are you all right"]

Can you speak of what happened, or would you rather not?

[bypartisan]

Even if I'd rather, we'll still need the information, won't we?

I--that is Bai--he's an elementalist, you see, and he was attempting a new trick of manipulating groundwater. Only he still hadn't got it under control so he was being a bit of an idiot and practicing when no one else was about, in order that later, when he had it down, he could casually produce it and impress everyone with how clever he was. You have to do that when you're the oldest of five including Kotei (that is, Zed), not that I'd know myself, being as I'm only the oldest of two and Cora is nothing like Zed.

... tangent aside, he was practicing his new trick in the wee hours of the morning, near a long-neglected path on the outskirts of town because the groundwater there was... well, it was better for it. And because he was still learning control, he accidentally created an uncontrollable geyser of water and mud at roughly the same time Gyakusatsu Izanami--that is, Istas, and for some odd reason our Trumply masters seem to have assigned that insufferably loud menace to rest and relaxation, Jaeger, to be her brother--anyhow, why Izanami was out walking in a very smart and no doubt hideously expensive kimono that time of morning, I shall never know, but the force of the mud and water hit her full blast and her beautiful kimono was ruined.

She said, and I quote, "Your skin will become my new kimono," and being no fool, Bai had already turned to run and had summoned up a shield of water, but unfortunately, Izanami had acted faster and by then the dozens of tiny blades created by her metal-wielding were already inside that shield and Bai had quite shortly become a human pincushion. Metal shardcushion.

I very much miss having Istas on our side. It's much easier when the carnage is directed at someone else.

[willyousee]

[He's not wrong, but that doesn't mean Alcuin has to like it. And it just gets more horrifying the longer it goes.]

She... Over a kimono? Blessed Elua I hope not everyone is so fickle. Forgive me... the eldest of five siblings, you said. All infiltrating, or a mixture?

[bypartisan]

All infiltrating. After Bai came Setsuko, who I'm informed is named Sabetha when she's out of Infiltration. Then was Kotei, who is Zed and believe me, it's disconcerting to feel residual familial affection for the man--though sadly out of all of them he's probably most fit to be a Vorrutyer--and yes I do know what this says about my family.

Anyhow. After Kotei is Raito, who happens to be the young boy named Right who has a tendency to become a grown youth whenever he's on Jaunt--don't ask me how--and who seems to be Zed's arch-enemy? Anyhow, the last of them is Hibine, who I don't know the name of out of Jaunt yet, but he's one of the new fellows, the one that's second only to Jaeger in volume... although since he's never disrupted a hangover by screaming in my head, he's no doubt the superior of the two. [Someone may be bearing a grudge.]

Oh, speaking of Jaeger, he's in Mibu Village as well, infiltrating as Izanami's much more reasonable younger brother Ren--and you have no idea how it pains me to describe Jaeger as reasonable compared to anyone. He and Hibine have one of those friendly rivalries which involves a lot of shouting and punching and declarations of honor and how much they've been training.

[willyousee]

[Alcuin actually manages to broadcast an odd noise when he names Sabetha, but then falls quiet and listens intently.]

Bai, Setsuko, Kotei, Raito, Hibine... Izanami and Ren. Interesting. And Bai used Blue-- that is, water elemental magics. Did the others as well?

[bypartisan]

The entire family did, each specializing in an element, such as they are reckoned on the Peninsula. Setsuko has plants, Kotei fire, Raito wind, and Hibine metal.

[It's at this point that the implications of what he's describing fully sets in for him.]

... oh good lord, Zed has fire. And the person who put his fires out is gone.

[willyousee]

Are those common techniques? Might there be another to assist?

[bypartisan]

Common enough. That is to say, not terribly common elsewhere on the peninsula, but not so rare that most villages in Nakamiyo wouldn't have a few people who know elemental manipulation. In the very least, there will be some in the Mibugumi. That terribly tall woman for one. She's given Kotei a good soaking before.

[willyousee]

That terribly tall... [Sigh. Byerly your descriptions leave something to be desired sir.]

Well at least we needn't worry about him starting a fire to burn down the village. And Eren is safe... at least, I can think of few safer places than under the friendly eye of Izanami. Good. I doubt either of them would care for me at the moment. Did you see Armin or Mikasa nearby him?

[bypartisan]

That's how Bai thought of her, mostly because she was indeed taller than most men in the village or the Mibugumi. Name of... Araji or Arashi, perhaps? Well muscled, dark eyes, carries a walking stick. I think she may be a Traveler, but I'm not sure.

Mikasa... yes. She's Ren's betrothed. Arlert, unfortunately, is nowhere to be seen. Too bad. He's the most sensible of the three by far.

[willyousee]

[...Asa? Not that names correspond terribly consistently, but. Still, if so, he must assume she is either infiltrating or doing something to hide those magnificent horns. But the other comes as a little bit of a shock and a disappointment all at once.]

чертовский... Where is he. Well at least Eren will be safe. Ista and Mikasa would tear people apart before they let them touch Eren in earnest. And if he has any fighting skill in this infiltration - which it sounds as though he does - then he will not be helpless. I can only hope that he is more interested in what is going on around him than in fighting monsters right now.

[bypartisan]

Oh, he has fighting ability. He has all the fighting ability anyone could ask. It's all martial artistry--no weapons--but he managed to win every bout he was in our first day here, no matter how many had come before. And he's another fire wielder. I'm not entirely sure how aware he is of the finer nuances of the political situation, but he's very concerned with his own personal honor.

[willyousee]

......

[You can almost hear the blinking. And the weary sigh.]

I suppose I should be pleased to hear that. Well, unless an extremely competent assassin is prowling about, at least I can put myself at ease on that.

If you can access any of Bai's memories, do you happen to know what it is everyone is so tense about?

[bypartisan]

I can still, at least a little. I have only recently come back to myself and Bai was gathering information and gossip all day on the day we showed up.

Anyhow, there are rumors going around that the summit is Suzuki is to decide which province will be supplying the shock troops for the similarly rumored invasion of some 'barbarian' land overseas by the Empire. It wouldn't be the first time the Bando Peninsula has been taken advantage for cannon fodder. We've--they've--generally been offered a generous cut of the plunder for the survivors, which is why being given the opportunity to die for the Empire that shuns us--them--is still reckoned as a prize.

The general consensus is that everyone hopes the issue can be solved at the summit, because otherwise there's a chance that it'll be solved by assassination and inter-provincial feuding.

[willyousee]

War. Either with one another, another land, or the Empire. And there is little chance to avert it. Well that narrows things down, doesn't it.

[bypartisan]

Why we're here is likely due to the threat of war, yes. But I have no idea who the Trumps wish for us to side with.

[willyousee]

[Sigh.]

...You do not know of any extra powerful, godlike beings about, do you? It may be entirely unrelated to the war, too. They are fickle creatures.

[bypartisan]

Only the dragons of the elements.

... do you think the Trumps think them competition?

[willyousee]

...It is highly likely that they thought the Illuminants were.

[bypartisan]

Wonderful. We're their hit squad.

[willyousee]

Not always. But in certain cases it seems likely. That the Illuminants and the... happenings in the town of Harrogate would have also badly damaged the worlds in which they resided is not in question. It benefited the people there to have them removed from power. In the case of Harrogate it saved not only a kingdom, but I believe the world.

Still. I am not fond of the idea of murder being out best option.

[bypartisan]

As am I. I am perfectly capable of recognizing that sometimes it can be the only option... but that doesn't mean I like it.

[willyousee]

No. But unlike Dolorosa and Harrogate, I can see no method by which these dragons might be made solid, unless perhaps Matthew's spirit summoning. I hope to see if there are others who know of it at the Temple, but with luck the dragons cannot be summoned into this realm. It does not seem that they are the cause of any of this war, but instead the Imperial rule, if rumor is correct.

[bypartisan]

I'd bet good money that it is.