World Tree MUSH

    It's been a little bit since events on the little world in the midst of divine revolutions and revelations. But true to his word, Kyner Dorsett is waiting at a small town called Last Light. There are a few other paladins and knights with him, and they all look as dour as the young armored man as they talk in sullen and hushed tones amongst themselves in the village tavern.
    "This is where Kyner said to meet him..." Castiel is here at the door to the tavern, though she looks hesitant to enter judging from the mutinous air that seems to waft off the various knights present.

There's a large part of Itana that would like to take Castiel and usher her out of this forsaken world. She already shot a god in the face and then ended up in the middle of an ambush. What more need they go through?

Nevertheless, an angel has obligations, and Itana can't leave the little beam of light to handle this alone. Standing behind Castiel, the archer rests a hand on the angel's shoulder and squeezes firmly. "Whatever happens, we face it together," she assures with a little smile down at her.

"...I do not think they would have called us here if they meant to fight."

    It would be so tempting to kick the door down, but it looks like common sense wins out for once. Dante does however keep Ivory in his hand, after brass-checking it Keanu-style with a one-handed flourish and tucking the gun behind his back.

    "Here's hoping." He says, before entering the bar slowly with a steely gaze.

    Illumiel gives some of the knight the stink eye. They're making Castiel uncomfortable, that means protective sister is go and they get the quirked, and knitted brow of the identical, yet opposite sister for their trouble. Arms fold over chest, the tiny angel standing her ground between them and her sister, and by extension, Itana too. "If thou wishest a fight, I will be more than glad to give one." she warns, backing into the tavern after the others.

    It took a lot of doing to convince the Shuzenji clan elders to let Matsu be here at all - and a lot more to convince her attendants to only send one along with her. The older woman looks a tad flighty, but seems to be doing her best to remain stoic.

    Matsu, on the other hand, seems to have not one single care to give today. She remembers the town all too well, and the look in Kyner's eyes when she confronted him with, essentially, herself. Her real self. The kind of person that his allies were creating more of. She has little need for decorum, and little concern for the hostility in any of the knights.

    And for once, it's tiny Matsu Shuzenji who walks with less caution than the Son of Sparda. She pushes right past everyone, shoves the tavern door open with a bang (not a LOUD one - she is not exactly strong), and sweeps those red eyes across the bar, unafraid to look each and every knight in the eye - daring them, in fact, to object.

    "We were bid by Kyner to come. So we have."

>> SUMMARY[Matsu Shuzenji] >> >:|

    Into the tavern the party goes, though, and things get even more hushed, the various men looking up from their tables and seats at the bar, before a hand raises from among them.
    "Over here." Kyner signals the group over to his table. And on approach the others with him stand up and choose this moment to give him some privacy with the group.
    "Hi." Kyner says, nowhere near close to his chipper normal self right now. "Have a seat. We've got some things to discuss. ... No one here'll start a fight, all these men are loyal to me. ... And are just as disgruntled with Bishop False's orders as I am."
    Castiel delicately takes a seat, indicating she's ready to listen.
    So he takes a quiet beat to rub the back of his neck before he continues. "So you have come, indeed." He replies to Matsu, who's demeanor makes him feel all the guiltier. "Bishop False make some sweeping proclamations. The other knights more zealous to his cause immediately took up arms on his orders without question. I'm... Of the opinion he needs to be stopped."

    "Fair enough." Ivory returns to her holster and Dante grabs a seat without any attempt at drama. Matsu kinda did enough for all of 'em really. He's still giving the other knights a suspicious glance with his cool blue eyes, mind. "I feel like we kinda missed a spot check with the Bishop, honestly." He says. "So what's our first move against 'im?"

    Illumiel continues to stare... until she's satisfied... she then takes up a standing position near to Castiel, casting the pair in their opposing elements. Castiel is the talker, the diplomat. Illumiel is the warrior. She keeps close to Itana too. The nomad being part of her adopted little family, the two most important people to the smallest Avenger, here.

    As Kyner beckons them over, Matsu walks with a soft, steady step. The attendant behind her looks more nervous, but pulls out a seat for the young Phoenix Maiden with a dutiful air. Matsu stares at her for a moment, then offers a soft, "...you can stay outside, Hinoe. With these allies, I will be safe, and I certainly won't tell anyone." The woman looks surprised, then tempted... but then steels her look and shakes her head. "No, my lady. I will remain at your side, as is my duty."

    Matsu looks a little surprised, but then nods, and turns to face Kyner. Her expression is a little more neutral now. "We're of the same opinion. What can you tell us, and do you have any plans?"

'Have a seat.'

Itana folds her arms and rests one heel on the cross-support of a nearby chair, but otherwise remains standing - conspicuously behind Castiel. No words are necessary.

Her expression is stolidly neutral as she listens to Kyner's explanation. Dante, at least, seems all in, but the archer takes a few seconds to digest what she's hearing. She looks down at Castiel a moment, then back up with an outbreath through her nose that leaves her shoulders easing ever so slightly.

"Some of us," Itana corrects Matsu.

She gives Kyner a look. "You will forgive me if I say that I'm skeptical of this situation. It appears that every time we intervene in the conflict here, matters escalate in some new manner. No one we have met has been up front about their intentions. Perhaps I misjudge you and your men, but I do so out of an abundance of caution."

Itana looks to Illumiel, then back to Kyner, before finally pushing her hood back with both hands and shaking her hair free. "What I am saying is that you need to convince me that diving further into this mess will not cause the situation to become even worse. I have already come to regret shooting a god in the face. I do not want more regrets, with higher costs."

    Well it's a good thing Dante puts his gun away. Though Kyner purses his lips, the young knight is silent for a beat. "No harm will come to you or anyone, while we're here." He does offer to Matsu and her attendand, Hinoe, but then the young man sighs, scratching at his neck.
    "I'll be upfront with you, then." Kyner says to Itana. "It's the least I can do after all the chaos."
    "We were all equally deceived by False."
    He pauses at this as though he JUST gets the irony and rubs his temples at the thought. But then he continues.
    "False has consolidated all the church's power to himself and is basically throwing lives on both sides into a grinder. ... I can't promise much but. At least if he's stopped the violence under his command should hopefully come to an end."
    Castiel purses her lips as she looks to Itana. "Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but underneath are ravenous wolves..." She murmurs more to herself than to anyone else, but then shakes her head, "A man like him in power is clearly a threat to the peace of this world."

    "I'll hold you to that." Dante says with uncharacteristically cold words. His gaze is like stone, as is his posture. He does give Itana a look. "He's right. The least we can do is stop this, otherwise a lotta good people are going to suffer."

Itana's trust in the religious affairs of this world has diminished much as of late.


'We were all deceived by False.'

Itana lowers her lashes ever so slightly.

When Castiel looks up at her, the archer dips her gaze to meet the angel's eyes. There's a tense reticence there, but it's beginning to fade away. Quiet at first, she brings a hand up to Castiel's shoulder once more, as if to reassure the angel everything will be fine.

"I appreciate that. That you don't promise much, I mean. That's the most honest statement I've heard from anyone since we arrived."

Acknowledging Dante's glance, Itana turns her eyes to Kyner once more. "Castiel is right. Whatever happens, we are already involved, and we can at least make that involvement a net positive by helping to end the violence."

    Matsu turns to glance at Itana. It's an appraising look; there's a mix of emotions there, some of them positive, some of them negative. But the archer is probably right. Even if the young healer is bad at admitting that kind of thing. She listens to Kyner's response and... well, she has to force herself to appraise it. To not take it at face value. She finds herself wanting to agree with it, but now that Itana has pointed it out, she realizes it's what she wants to hear, so it should be treated with caution. "...if nothing else, we certainly have proof that False speaks falsely. He lied, he used them as bait to render a god vulnerable."

    But it's Hinoe that speaks up next - hesitant, raising her hand, with a troubled look on her face. "Ah... if I may. If this 'False' is using both Lord Kyner's side and the kami's side towards his own ends... then what are his own ends? It may perhaps be best to consider that if he has spoken falsely to both sides, then his true goals are as yet hidden. At court, one should always be cautious that one does not further the enemy's true goals by standing against their stated goals."

    Illumiel's face remains stoic. An impassive mask.

    Then Itana would feel a tiny hand grasping at her cloak, the presence of the less chatty Angel pressing a little closer to the nomad archer.

    Kyner is being honest, there's that, and he nods to Itana. He can't promise much beyond what he hopes. But his hopes are earnest. "Hold me to it as much as you like." He says to Dante; "I can only hope it turns out that way." Nevertheless Kyner leans back in his seat. But then he does frown at Hinoe. 
    "Geeze... I hope we're not walking into some trap that further's his schemes. That would really suck." The young knight grumps. "I'm just wanting to put a stop to the bloodshed and violence so we can go back to being peaceful again.
    "It's settled, then." Castiel says. "We will *ask* False his goals ourselves."

There is a little tug. Instinctively, Itana looks over and brings her arm out, curving it around Illumiel's shoulders as stoically as she can. Some angels are tactile.

"Gods should not bullshit." The archer lifts her chin a little. "Priests should not bullshit either. If what we must do is hold this clergyman to account for his deeds, then we shall do just that."

    "A hero need not speak. For when he is gone, the world will speak for him." This is the first time Illumiel's spoken since she arrived, and her simple proclamation is all she leaves to hang in the air, as she leans against Itana.

    There's a little side glance of crimson eyes towards Itana. And then Matsu offers a slightly dry, "You'd hate the Imperial Court. 'Bullshit' is all they do." Hinoe looks slightly scandalized at Matsu's choice of words... but something in her eyes suggests she doesn't disagree.

"I don't like cities much to begin with," Itana murmurs with a sidelong glance. "But the Imperial Court sounds particularly... fascinating."

    Dante pops his neck. "Let's do this."

    A scoff escapes him. "Yeah...'bullshit' is kinda their language." He agrees bitterly. "I'm ready to do this whenever you guys are. Say the word."