World Tree MUSH

Wakasa Bay is a lovely area, but the fishing that is often done has had to be put on hold. The worldwide crisis has not left this area alone, but the Kyoto area nearby took care of their problem - a plague of technozombies - months ago. It has not been /quiet/ but it has been relatively calm since then.

The appearance of the Vine has put everyone on alert, especially with the bay shut down. Why is it shut down? That's easy to find out, because the JDF is at the Vine trying to organize new arrivals. Many are sent back through, because they obviously have no idea where they ended up. Some are taking longer, and what looks like a dozen Roman soldiers are being spoken to through an interpreter nearby, while the response is being organized.

This all makes it immediately obvious why such a disorganized panic is going on. Sightings of a 'giant monster' are treated much more seriously now that the entire world is suffering from just such things. A small division of the local troops are gearing up not far away, to investigate an apparent silhouette of a giant snake seen just an hour or two ago, but it is nowhere to be seen now. Another group is gathering camera equipment, speaking rapidly about how the observation setup on the bluff overlooking the bay had been destroyed some weeks ago, making it hard to monitor the area. With the fading light of dusk, they may not make it there before nightfall.

    There are certain things the Fairy Tail guild specializes in. Giant Monsters, weird magic, apocalypses (Both Inadvertantly causing and advertantly stopping). So it makes sense that when all of these things create a confluence at a single location, someone from Fairy Tail has a chance to show up! 

    And someone from Fairy Tail HAS shown up! You might wish you got someone like Erza Scarlet, or Wendy. One of the reasonable ones. But instead, falling out of the vine and landing in a crouch on the battle is The Salamander of Fairy Tail: Natsu Dragneel. Getting up and stretching a bit, the youth seems to try to get a bearing on his surroundings before the local JDF forces make their way over to him. 

    He has a Guild ID. He shows it to them, explains he's a wandering adventurer, and there is some boisterous conversation before they seem to accept that he is, at the least, not here to make things worse. Yet.

    "Well this isn't right," Yahiko says. He can tell this immediately. As a wandering swordsman(tm), Yahiko naturally wanders, and though he's trying to find his way back home, he's gotten pretty good at figuring out what worlds AREN'T home yet. Immediately the level of technology tells him this isn't his world, at least not his world at the time he left it.

    "No, I'm not removing it, but it's fine, it's not sharp," Yahiko is explaining. "I'm just passing through, I don't want to cause trouble... what's going on, anyway?" A brief argument with the JDF about his blade ends with him trying to figure out what's going on... and then he says, "Hey, I know this place! I've been here before..." He didn't live in Kyoto, but he had been there before... and specifically to the bay area. "At least I'm in the right country now, just wrong time."

    Seeing the people being turned away from a Vine - or rather, going in and then very quickly coming back out - is cause enough for curiosity that Octavia orders her airship to divert. For the outside Tree, it's been but a day; but for her, the previous night's events have been more like a week ago. Long enough for the raw basics of her situation to settle, and with them a great big ball of stress. So a possible problem provides at least a moment's distraction; and if it turns out to be a situation worthy of humanitarian aid, all the more so.

    She orders the Chariot set down off to one side so as to keep the ship out of the way, and disembarks on her own. Only her butler Brandt follows along beside her, and both of them carry ornate rapiers. Her footsteps are brisk on approach to the JDF; with a noble's practiced eye for "who's in charge", she heads straight for someone who looks like they have some pull. "Ah, excuse me. Ambassador Octavia de Tenebrae, Kingdom of Schild. Is there some way I might be of service? I'm capable in battle, if there's some risk at hand."

    Unlike some, Raylene doesn't need to argue about her armaments... partly because she only carries a small knife. Also partly because unlike many just showing up, the young aristocrat had intentionally flashed her passport and made her way here, though she had gotten held up due to her youth. She had heard the rumors even before the Vine showed up, and taken the long way around via bullet train from Tokyo. Considering her surprisingly vast knowledge did not include Japanese, she had some trouble with the language barrier too, but here she was. With a camera.

    "Stupid Anna," the girl is complaining. "This is her job, not mine. Why couldn't she come with me? I wouldn't stick around if MY uncle had a heart attack." Sigh. Never mind that she isn't sure if she HAS an uncle so best not test that. "All right, where is this monster? Best place to find it... oh look, troublemakers, I'll just follow them." And THAT is why she's heading toward the Vine.

    Out from the Vine comes a brown-haired young woman here with a robotic left arm and leg, dressed in shorts and a tank top. On her back, she has a high-tech sword with a gleaming white curved blade with a black edge, with green running lights here and there; at five feet long, it's only one foot shorter than she is.

    "All I'm saying is that going home regularly is probably going to help you out mentally more than just sticking around Hyrule," says the sword in an electronic girl's voice.

    Lex sighs softly, and adjusts her glasses. "Yeah," she says softly. She's looking kind of exhausted. "Wait, where are we?" She looks around in surprise at the group. "... huh. What's going on? Something up?"

    "... Well, I suppose we can at least investigate," says Lightshard 18 coolly.

    Given the 'world at war with everything' even the JDF isn't too picky about people carrying weapons, so it isn't hard to get them approved once offworld aid is asserted. The JDF is finally getting the Romans back on track, but the others arriving are met with only vague wariness. There's a certain paranoia about offworlders, but they've had experience with Vines that mean they know better than to try to block everyone.

    So most of those present are given a polite 'wait a moment' and gathered up, along with a few other nameless offworlders, for a quick rundown. "Sorry, yes, sorry..." Clearing throat, the two interpreters try to convey everything quickly while the Captain here explains. "We've had several sightings of what is being called a kaiju - giant monster - offshore, and a recent one just a few hours ago near the bluff." He points to what looks to be an island nearby with a high precipice... but closer inspection shows there is a land path to it. "That's also the best vantage to see it coming from here. Normally we have equipment up there but..." A gesture at the crew trying to pack their equipment away. "We did see something on radar not long ago, but it must have submerged, and we're getting too much interference to use sonar to find it right now, not without risking our only working cutter."

    Lex probably strolls into this right as it's starting, but midway through, someone else joins her. A young lady in traditional Japanese garb, a pretty kimono that is, with long hair and... two horns? She declares lightly, "Well it isn't me, that I can tell you! Raylene, Yahiko, you're back in my world? Are you here to find the problem? There most DEFINITELY is a problem," the cheerful girl, Kiyohime, cuts in. "I'm certainly going to the lookout! Would anyone care to join me? I wouldn't mind being a native guide."

    The explanation makes sense, but Yahiko abruptly freezes when he hears that voice, eyes going wide. "Wait, this is THAT world?" He makes a grimacing face, his hand brushing his sword hilt... the real one, not the wooden shinai he carries for most occasions. Wary, he eyes Kiyohime, but once he hears the rest of the situation he looks less worried about her, and more about the situation.

    "Ugh... this isn't going to help me get home." Yet here he is, rubbing the back of his head and continuing, "Yeah, I'd better take a look though. This isn't my Japan, but it is A Japan, and I'd prefer Kyoto not get stomped flat after all the effort it took to rebuild it." Sigh, at least he isn't put off by the idea of a hike.

    Octavia and her butler both listen intently to the briefing; she regards the others present with interest, but as much as she'd like to sate her curiosity about the guy with the scarf, the other guy with the sword, the girl with the camera, or the other girl with... armored limbs? It's rather more important to be paying attention to the Captain's explanation. But as she does so, she murmurs. "...if it's a giant beast of some kind, it's perhaps best to keep the Chariot on standby. I should hate to be telling father it's been destroyed after less than a week." The older gentleman snorts, but nods briefly. "Shall I have it readied, miss?" Octavia nods once in return. "I'll send up a rainbow flare if I need a rescue."

    Oh, but here's someone who sounds like she knows what's going on, and she's dressed so elegantly besides! And horns. Goodness. "I would gladly escort you, miss. Octavia Alicette de Tenebrae, at your service."

    Having had some experience with Customs and Border Patrol from Nort and Scar's world, Natsu is able to contain himself around the various guards that question him his nature as a foreigner, and one who honestly looks pretty strange besides. 

    Finally freeing himself from the guards, Natsu looks over towards Kiyohime when she cuts in to ask if anyone cares to join her. Natsu punches his palm with his fist and grins, "Oi. Count me in for coming along to see whatever is up! If there's anything a Fairy Tail Wizard specializes in, it's Property Damage and Giant Monsters!" He grins at Kiyohime. 

    And then someone makes introductions, "You got a long name! I'm gonna just call you Octavia. Natsu Dragneel at your service!" He gives her a casual salute, more a sort of delinquent greeting than anything formal.

    "Hmm, hmm..." Raylene listens, then quickly perks up when Kiyohime appears and starts speaking. She'll head toward her with Octavia, giving a curtsy to Yahiko as well, and then introduce herself to everyone. "This seems to be reasonable. We can make sure the way is clear for the crew over there, yes? It looks like they can't spare many men to do it themselves."

    Yahiko gets recognized too, "Ah, the boy who fights unicorns. Yes, you and Natsu and so on are good to have, in case of violence. My delicate constitution is unfitting for such activities." She lightly plucks her dress up, to follow along. "Raylene Dunwich, you may all call me Raylene as you wish. A pleasure to meet those of you I haven't, I am here to document this giant creature because my acquaintance, the normal camerawoman, is unavailable. Though I am not one to jump into battle, please do not worry yourself about protecting me, I've made provisions in case of accident, demonic invasion, ghostly uprisings, lost hostile regiments, giant monsters, invisible monsters, and fallen angels."

    Lex considers this for a moment. "Well, I mean ... I'd like to help ... but I mean, it's not like I can ..."

    "I submit that you now have an Atlantean sword at your disposal," says Lightshard 18.

    Lex considers this a moment. She frowns, glancing between Yahiko and Kiyohime, wondering what that's about, but she's not about to pry. When Raylene lists off the 'provisions' she's made, she just gives her a look for a few seconds. She ... really doesn't know how to respond to that. She tries not to chortle at Natsu's reaction to Octavia's name, though.

    "Well ... I ... might as well at least get near the situation, and all that," she says finally. "Wish I hadn't left most of my stuff back home ... Uh, anyway, I'm Lex Brando, nice to meet you, kind of thing." She grasps the sword and holds it at the ready with the ease of someone who's done this a million times before, and the edge of the blade starts to glow mint-green, like the running lights. "And this is Lightshard 18."

    "Charmed," says the sword cheerfully.

    Lex looks up at Lightshard 18, as if she's only just now realizing how big the sword she's holding is. "... Wow." It's just that she clearly hasn't used this particular sword before.

    "Ara ara, reluctant heroines are so cute when just starting out~" Kiyohime says, snapping her fan open and fanning herself lightly when she looks at Lex. The others are given smiles. "And you can call me Kiyohime! I am one of the guardians of this world, trying to find out what's gone wrong. Outside help is something I've had before, mmmhmmm!"

    Whatever problem Yahiko has with Kiyohime, it doesn't seem to be mutual.

    Natsu gets an interesting look, then Kiyohime shrugs, turning about to motion for Octavia and the others to follow as she makes her way up. "My kind are drawn to these disturbances to fix them! It's very nice that I can have help, it seems that the world's automatic defenses don't really understand people or things from other worlds... and this almost certainly is! Otherworldly threats are so very common. It looks like it's getting dark, though... we should hurry."

    She seems... cheerful as she hops along, despite the threat she just described, heading up the walking path toward the bluff that the JDF indicated.

    He didn't introduce himself, yet, so the teenage boy with the sword grumbles, "Yahiko. Yahiko Myojin." He eyes Lex's blade uncertainly, then looks at Octavia's to compare. "Are you sure that's the right size of sword for you? No offense, but your build seems to be more like... well... that one." He gestures at Octavia's, then falls into step with Natsu, who is someone he can at least... sort of understand. Hot-headed, probably. A bit like Sanosuke.

    "Not really experienced with giant monsters, got any tips?"

    "I just show up wherever there's trouble," Natsu says to Kiyohime with a thumbs up, "Even the Guild Master thinks I'm a problem solver. He says I have great instincts for it. He's worried about all the trouble I fix!" Natsu explains to Raylene and Kiyohime regarding Fairy Tail's problem solving abilities, "Whenever Lucy, Grey and I would get back, Master Makarov would say 'Everywhere you three go, there's trouble. Can't you cut it out?'." Natsu grins, "He's so great, worried about our well-being like that. I hope I get to see them all again soon." 

    Natsu folds his hands behind his head and follows after Kiyohime and walking next to Yahiko as he boredly lets out a yawn while they go.

    "I, er," Octavia stammers for a moment or two, baffled at Natsu's response. "I suppose that's fine...?" It's what she would have said anyway. But what a very... informal young man. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Natsu Dragneel. And yours, Lex Brando, Raylene, and Kiyohime" she adds, even giving the latter two a brief, polite bow. As they set to walking, she keeps a brisk pace alongside Kiyohime, adding, "If there's an issue with illumination, I can cast light-elemental magic. It's far more suited to offense than illumination, but it should suffice for a brief while."

    Lex blushes at Kiyohime's compliment. "I mean ... I ... don't ... uh ..." She rubs the back of her head bashfully with her robotic hand. "Ahaha, um, thanks!" Her voice is a bit scratchy and androgynous, and this briefly becomes emphasized as she speaks.

    "Easy there," says Lightshard 18. "Oh, we'll do fine, Mr. Myojin, I have localized flight and inertial-manipulation magic."

    Lex looks over the blade as she follows alongside Yahiko and Natsu. "Yeah, uh ..." She gives the sword a few experimental swings, which seems as easy for her as if it was two feet long. "... Apparently, I'm gonna be just fine!"

    "Just don't break my edge again," Lightshard 18 says dryly.

    Lex snorts, but doesn't say anything. She perks up slightly at Octavia. "Light-elemental magic, huh?" she says. "Nice, that's kind of rare where I'm from. Is it common or something in your homeworld, or is it, like, a special ability, kind of thing?"

    Raylene might be in a dress, but people may notice that her shoes are sturdy and weathered, suitable for hiking despite outward appearances. This isn't her first day trip. She squints at Octavia, then gives Natsu and Lex long stares as well during the walk. "Interesting... focus-based magic and some kind of mystical artifact... a good start to work with! I'm afraid my own magical powers are much more... mmm... suited for subtlety. But if you'd like a light cooling breeze when it gets too hot, just give me ten or fifteen minutes." Is she making fun of her own abilities? "I do, howver, have a few potions that may come in handy, if something should happen."

    Natsu gets another look. Then she nods, "Mmm, I can see how that might happen." Cryptic! And perhaps suspicious. Then she follows it up with, "I'd advise you to tread our guide with respect, though, Mister Dragneel."

    At the end of the trail, a lone figure sits upon the bluff overlooking the bay, waves crashing against the rocks below. Far from some imposing terror, it is a young woman with black hair long enough that it pools on the ground behind her. She wears a black serafuku-style outfit with a pink ribbon, as well as a long black scarf with a pattern reminiscent of snakeskin. Her feet, which dangle carelessly over the cliffside, are clad only in pink stockings, with no shoes to be found either worn or waiting anywhere nearby. No cosmetics appear to adorn her pale face, and she wears only one piece of jewelry: a plain gold band around her left ring finger, which she idly fiddles with as she stares out toward the sea.

    Even if she's somehow managed to miss all the activity of interdimensional travel hubbub off in the distance, she definitely hears the monster-hunting party marching up behind her as they get closer, but it's only when they get within a stone's throw that she pulls her gaze away from the waters below. Not even getting up, just twisting her head around to peer over her shoulder. Eyes flit over Kiyohime, Octavia, Lex, Raylene, Natsu... But fix a little longer on Yahiko in recognition of his apparel. "Ah, a samurai. I was beginning to wonder if there were any left," she notes, though her voice comes out too flat to determine whether it's a happy or unhappy discovery for her.

    Her gaze then returns to Kiyohime, the other clearly-Japanese person and apparent leader of this little troupe. "If you can't let me sleep, you can at least stay out of Oryou's hair," she grumps. And that may include literally, depending how close people are getting. Don't step on Oryou's hair! Or her scarf. Rubbing her face, she turns back to the horizon, her shoulders slumping as she adds sullenly, "What do you want?"

Kiyohime guides the others up, paying some attention to the chatter with a friendly smile. The petite girl hmns, nodding now and then, and Octavia's offer gets taken up. "Oh, we may need to soon, but the moonlight is lovely and bright~!" Clapping her hands, that seems to make her happy! "I wonder what the problem is this time? Oh well, let's burn it completely and then enjoy this pretty moonlit night~"

    However, upon reaching the top, she slows, staring at Oryou quizically. She doesn't answer Oryou directly, instead glancing at the others. "This woman is not human." Flatly stated. "She is... some kind of Phantasmal perhaps? Or a Dead Apostle if she is that old? She doesn't seem like one of those..." A little worriedly, she frowns, then tsks. "I don't think she's an otherworldly threat, though. This one appears to be from my world or a very similar one. She isn't a Servant, though... she hasn't been summoned by a Mage. She isn't a Counter Guardian like myself either."

    For those not in the know, like Natsu and Octavia and Lex, Kiyohime glances to them. "Counter Guardians like myself are the spirits of the dead given form to take care of this world's problems. This girl... I think she is alive." Rude that she isn't talking directly to Oryou yet, but that almost changes when she suddenly stops, staring at Oryou with eyes wide open. "Oh my..."

    And suddenly she gushes, "You're married? Did your husband lie to you and abandon you and you're here for vengeance and righteous, JUSTIFIED BURNING?!"

    "I don't plan to start a fight with her, if that's what you mean! She smells like fire, though. So I think I'd have a decent chance if we did come to blows." Natsu notes as he walks along with his hands folded behind his head, scratching the back of his head as he casually keeps up his pace with their guide while looking at the back of Kiyohime's head, "Wouldn't be an easy fight for either side, though." He decides, seeming serious when it comes to appraising someone else's fighting ability. 

    Natsu stops when they approach Oryou. He tilts his head at her and leans in, sniffing the air a few times, "Are you okay?" He asks her bluntly, tilting his head in the other direction, "You look lonely and you smell like a snake. Do you need to talk about something?"

    "It's quite rare where I come from, as well," Octavia replies, practically jumping at an opportunity to talk about something she's familiar with. "Earth and water are the most common, then wind, then fire. Darkness is normally quite rare, but within the Tenebrae family, we've managed to make it the most common trait. When I turned out to be a light-user, there was quite a stir," she adds, in an amused tone.

    She does, however, give Raylene quite a warm smile. "Being able to conjur a proper breeze must be splendid. I fear my magics mostly only find use in battle. I've some cursebreaking and minor healing in my holy spells, and my light spells offer a form of far-seeing, but..." She falls quiet as they approach, Oryou, tilting her head curiously. She's silent for the exchange between Oryou and Kiyohime. Though the explanation of Counter Guardians draws raised eyebrows. "Spirits of the dead returning to protect the living? Fascinating'..."

    Wait, what was that last part from Kiyohime? Um.

    Magic really isn't Yahiko's strong suit, he's here with a sword and his body, and that's it. So a lot of the discussion goes over his spiky-haired head. Natsu's comment gets Yahiko nodding, "Yeah, she looks like a cute girl, but she's kind of vicious in a fight. I had to fight her once. I mean, not me directly against her, but I was in the battle. I'd really like to keep my hair on my head thanks. The fire breathing is the real thing, not some circus stunt."

    When the group runs into Oryou, Yahiko is singled out for the oddest thing. "H-huh?" He looks at his clothes, his sword. "N-no, I'm from another time period," he says quickly. "And even in mine, the samurai aren't really a thing any more. My family is a samurai family, but I was born right before the Meiji Restoration." He huffs though, straightening. "... I'm pretty proud you can tell." Brownie points for Oryou.

    "I don't know if I'm really mystical," says Lightshard 18. "Am I mystical, Lex?"

    "You're totally mystical," says Lex. "Oh, that is cool, Octavia!" She's addressing the noblewoman so casually, but probably not to the same degree as Natsu. "Um ... Raylene ... do you any of your potions do, like, restoring or boosting magical energy, and stuff? My prosthetics use my own magic, and it's kinda ..."

    Her voice trails off as they reach Oryou, and Kiyohime starts rattling off about her. Lex holds her sword defensively, regarding Oryou with a nervous expression. Something about the woman's attitude has her on edge; she's only gone up against one other humanoid enemy, and even then it wasn't much of a fight, but this situation reads like every video game she's ever played that had a major boss character.

    There's a pause after Kiyohime's outburst. "I'm going to set aside the part about burning for a moment," says Lightshard 18, "and ask how you know she's married."

    "Uhhh ..." Lex looks more closely at Oryou from where she's standing. "I ... think ... is that a wedding ring?" she asks Oryou. "Well, I mean, um, the reason we're here is, we're here investigating, like, a giant monster that's been seen around here, and stuff." She doesn't seem to notice that she said 'we're here' twice.

    "Mmmhmm, curse-breaking - and curses, actually - is my specialty!" Raylene is saying to Octavia, having found someone to talk shop with. Lex's sword, unfortunately, seems to be the thing that powers her, but... Raylene noticed the comment. "Magic is a common thing in your world, Miss?"

    The curiosity heightens when they encounter... well, Oryou! Raylene stares at her, considering this. "Perhaps the problems in the nearby area have stirred up hidden cryptids? She seems to be non-hostile, at least for now. Could our target be somewhere else?" She looks directly at Oryou. "Have you seen any giant monsters about?" She's looking rapidly between Oryou, Kiyohime, and Natsu... and sloooooooowly edging away from all three, with silent pantomining for Lex and Octavia to do the same.

    Oryou's head whips back around at Kiyohime's explanation of Counter Guardians. Not just her head, but her whole body, rising up to eye-level with horned girl. Not standing up, mind you, but rising, floating with her feet never touching the ground as she leans in and grabs Kiyohime's kimono. There is a Look in her eyes, one perhaps not completely unlike Madness Enhancement as she latches on with laser focus so tight she even manages to ignore that someone would dare imply her Ryouma would ever be anything but faithful to her. "'Spirits of the dead'? You're a spirit of the dead? You can bring back spirits of the dead, bring them here with real bodies? You can give me my Ryouma back?" she questions a little too desperately, her grip tightening on the fabric but her body sinking slightly, her knees not quite touching the ground. "My Ryouma....."

    Though there are still other people talking to her... Yahiko's... From another time period. 'Meiji Restoration'? Wasn't that the name of that Emperor Ryouma talked a lot about? "Hey, does that mean you're a dead spirit too? From Ryouma's time? Are the rest of you dead too?" A look at Natsu, who seems most interested in helping her, "Oryou... Oryou wants Ryouma back..."

    There are some words in this conversation that Natsu doesn't QUITE understand. Most notably, the phrase 'Meiji Restoration' kind of skims right by him. It's not exactly something that happened in Earth Land, where he comes from. He does recognize 'samurai', thanks to brief interaction with Kaguya and also a few of Erza's Requips. 

    What Natsu DOES understand is that Oryou is looking someone, "Mm..." He looks a bit concerned, "I don't know someone named Ryouma. I'm still looking for my own friends, but you can tell me what he looks like! Or if you give me something that smells like him, and I run into anyone that smells the same, I can tell him you are looking for him!" Natsu offers. 

    It's about as helpful as he feels like he can be at this moment.

    Startled, Kiyohime stares at first... but then it clicks. Oryou's husband wasn't unfaithful, he's GONE. And that... is not something Kiyohime is happy about either. "Oh... oh no. I am, yes. I am Kiyohime." She doesn't tell her own tragic backstory, probably because it's far less sympathetic than Oryou's is. "I can't, the Will of Humanity brings back those that need brought back. I don't know how it decides. I'm not even a good hero, I just know how to burn things. Maybe things need burned so that's why I'm here." Really this whole Counter Guardian stuff should come with a better instruction manual.

    Kiyohime's lecturing tone has softened to sympathy though. "I'm looking for my beloved Anchin. I understand. I don't know what it takes to bring someone back, but I can't imagine my Anchin wouldn't be brought back or reincarnated somewhere."

    Octavia reaches up and flips back a stray strand of hair with a pleased 'hmph'. Of course it's cool! She looks rather pleased to hear that Raylene is a fellow cursebreaker, though. "Oh? My, we'll have to speak some time. Adviced from an experienced peer is always welcome." She doesn't have the faintest clue what the silent pantomime is all about, though; she mostly just looks confused!

    But she steps back a pace or two anyway when Oryou starts floating. "A-ah? No, no I'm quite alive, thank you. I'm simply not from this world."

    It all clicks together suddenly. "Ryouma?" The others are looking sympathetic and so is he, frowning at the news that this creature, human or not, is a grief-stricken widow. Even at fifteen, Yahiko has seen that sort of thing too many times already to not connect the dots...

    The dots...

    Something clicks. "Wait... Ryouma?" This is Kyoto. Oryou's name is familiar. "I'm not a dead spirit I'm from another world that's 150 years in the past. Do you mean... Sakamoto Ryouma? The Meiji hero? He died just before I was born, I heard. You're his wife?" And then, the 150 years thing, the floating, the comments about not being human hit. "You're his wife and you're still alive?"

    Lex nods to Raylene. "Yeah, uh, it's pretty common," she says. "Adventuring is this whole profession. I'm ... I was ... licensed to the Monadnock Adventurer's Guild, but, uh ..." She gestures with her robotic arm. "My job status is currently up in the air because getting this new sword ... cost me an arm and a leg, kind of thing."

    "She hasn't stopped saying that exact joke to every new person she meets, too," Lightshard 18 adds, but there's a hint of amusement in her voice. "Ah, I don't think it really works like that, Mrs. Oryou -- ah, Mrs. Sakamoto, thank you, Mr. Myojin -- I'm definitely not detecting any necromancy. And Lex here is certainly alive, despite the efforts of my creators." She practically spits the word, even though she's a sword and thus doesn't have a mouth.

    Lex glances between Octavia and Raylene, and gently grasps Octavia's arm with her robotic hand and starts trying to pull her a bit further back as she says, "Yeah, I mean, we're from another universe. ... Several other universes. No idea how to find your husband, sorry, ahaha ..." Her nervousness is plainly visible on her face.

    Raylene isn't startled to see Oryou floating, and she hisses to the others, "Of course she's alive, Kiyohime just said she wasn't human! She's something else!" Raylene's eyes stay put on Oryou for a long few seconds, the grief there... not exactly resonating with the odd little teen.

    Distractedly to Lex, Raylene notes, "I did wonder about the arm and leg. As for this situation, it's far more incendiary than I'd like. But it sounds to me as if this hero of the Meiji found himself a nonhuman bride, and that bride is still grappling with the mortality of humans. I've seen it now and then with the Fae... and it often ends poorly."

    Oryou blinks. "'Kiyohime'? Like the story?" she questions. Yes, that story was already around in the Edo period. ...Oh, that does kind of explain the thing about lies and abandonment and burning. "So the World brought you back... Ryouma's a hero. Ryouma's definitely a hero," she asserts firmly to no one in particular as wheels start turning.

    But Yahiko actually recognizes her apparently, bringing up a whole different angle. She nods firmly to his question, "Sakamoto Ryouma. He was killed... He was killed while I was away... I couldn't... So I just slept." She gestures vaguely back toward the bay behind her. "But everything here's so noisy now and I woke up. If you're from a world where Ryouma only just died... But that's no good either... But maybe another, earlier? I could save him... But then he'd want to be with that world's Oryou... No..." her voice quiets, fading into mumbling to herself as she looks down at the ground.

    Kiyohime is recognized! She nods, and for some reason that only people like Raylene and Yahiko will know, she turns red in the face, ashamed or something. "But I don't understand," Kiyohime says. "There is definitely a disturbance here, and if the noise woke you up, that means that something else-"

    Yes, it's something else that is ACTUALLY the problem. Something that cuts her off as a large shadow rises from the ocean some distance away, clawed and beastlike and very much not Godzilla, though the two-headed monster is also thankfully a bit smaller than most kaiju. Large enough to easily be seen though, stomping just past some of the harbor houses, splintering a boat with a long tail, and slither-striding like a giant salamander toward Kyoto proper. It's 'only' five stories high, but yes, that qualifies as a giant monster doesn't it? The group can see it quite clearly... by virtue of being on a cliff well above the site of the attack.

>> SUMMARY[Kiyohime] >> Dramatically Timed Monster Appearance

    Tug. Back Octavia goes, a bit surprised by Lex urging her backwards, but perhaps not opposed, when Oryou is something so noticeably inhuman... But the more she hears from the woman, the more she finds herself not so afraid. That's... actually a really sad story, in fact. "...I, er. I don't really know what you're feeling, but... perhaps, until you can see him again-"

    That is a very large monster.

    Octavia looks between the kaiju, Oryou, Kiyohime, and the kaiju again, and then quickly says, "The best advice I've been given is, I was told that if I ever lost someone whom I treasured, I should seek to live a life that would make them proud." And without skipping a beat, she turns and steps over to a section of the cliffside where she'll have some room, and whips Hauteclere up into a ready stance.

    Her rapier flicks once, twice, thrice, going through quick and precise movements that inscribe runes in the air with glowing gold-white energy. She sweeps the rapier along the series of runes, and they burst into a shower of gold-white sparks, all of which flow around behind her and take the shape of broad, angelic-looking magical wings. Without an ounce of hesitation, she runs and leaps off the cliff, spreading her wings and gliding over the water. ...hopefully she'll get there before the spell runs out.

    Natsu frowns as he realizes he is not going to be a great deal of help to Oryou in her current situation. He's not a necromancer, if such things truly exist! That'd be something to ask Zeref about, and he is not exactly on... speaking terms with Zeref at the moment. For as much as anyone can be on speaking terms with ancient black wizards. 

    That monster over there, though. That is something Natsu can actually do something about, "Someone over there is getting uppity." Natsu remarks as he walks to the edge of the cliff and looks out at the Kaiju. He licks his thumb and holds it up towards the monster as if he's aiming a crosshair or drawing a bead on something. He seems to focus for a few moments and then stomps a foot to the ground, digging in his heels. 

    "Fire Dragon..." Natsu takes in a deep breath and holds a hand in front of his mouth. Heat begins to roll off him in waves, as if he were a blast furnace as he continues to inhale a deep breath, "ROAR!" 

    And then he exhales. And when he does so, from out of his mouth comes a massive pillar of flame truly worthy of the title of the spell he just used. It rips across the water, turning parts of the sea into steam where it comes close to the edge of the flames or the area immediately surrounding it. And it is this massive pillar of fire that slams into the side of this five-story tall monster and then explodes into a blast of fire and heat.

>> SUMMARY[Natsu Dragneel] >> Fire Dragon Roar

    "I guess that answers that question!" Yahiko yells when the monster appears. He runs... to the edge of the cliff. "... but I can't fly or anything, I don't suppose anyone could give me a lift?"

    Natsu releases a blast of flame! This startles Yahiko, and the boy glances at Raylene, understanding dawning about her warnings here. "Uh..." His hand goes to the hilt of his metal sword, but he doesn't draw it. Octavia is already flying off, though. "I don't suppose anyone can give me a lift?" Though the question is, what does he intend to do with a sword?

    While Oryou certainly has a lot of sadness in her heart, a truly overwhelming amount of sadness... There is equally a rage inside her heart. Ryouma didn't just die, he was taken from her. STOLEN from her while she wasn't looking, by cowards who didn't even stick around long enough to face her. And now something's interrupting her when she's trying to figure out how to get him back? Practically the same as trying to take him away all over again? No.

    If anyone present had doubts about the assertion that Oryou was non-human (even with the floating), let those doubts melt away now... As Oryou's body darkens into a a shadow, except for the red eyes that glow even brighter, then melts into an inky puddle on the ground. A split-second later, a massive snake-like black dragon erupts up out of the puddle, her head alone as large as anyone present. She rushes past the assorted humans (and such) straight for the monster, right past Octavia, directly through the fiery blast of Natsu's attack... To sink her fangs into its hide and latch jaws around the monsters throat (or one of the monster's two throats, anyway) before whipping around and releasing, flinging the monster straight into the rocky cliff directly below the gathered monster-hunters with enough force that the JDF gathered back at the Vine can feel it.

    They can probably also see the pillar of purple flame breath she sends skyward to light up the night. Straight up that is, not at the monster and nearby humans. Friendly fire isn't.

>> GAME >> Oryou spends an Edge for: Transformation into dragon form and tossing a kaiju like a ragdoll.

    That ... is a big monster. "Oh crud!" exclaims Lex.

    "I'll go with 'oh shit!'" says Lightshard 18. "Or 'that's is one big motherf--'"

    They both go silent when Octavia just ... conjures up wings and flies. They stare at her for a moment. Then, at the same time and almost in the same tone of voice, both of them mutter, "Lucky."

    "Yeah, uh." Lex just ... stares at Oryou's sudden transformation. "I ... can't exactly fly, either ..." She laughs nervously. "Oh, jeez ..."

    "I recommend jumping," says Lightshard 18.

    Lex boggles at her sword. "You what."

    "You heard me."

    Lex stares for another moment.

    And then a nervous and slightly wild grin forms on her face.

    She makes a running leap off the edge of the cliff, falling almost straight down to the kaiju, sword swinging! It's a surprisingly careful swing, considering she just jumped off a cliff onto the back of a five-story monster.

>> SUMMARY[Lex Brando] >> Lex does the most reckless thing imaginable.

    "Oh... of course there's another," Raylene sighs, but she doesn't appear to have any means of flying. Natsu can use a ranged attack, the heat wave washing over her from here... and she grimaces. "Well, nothing for us to do..."

    Or is there? Because when the other dragon shapeshifts and attacks, Raylene adjusts her dress, as if she isn't surprised by the transformation. She'd suspected as much, really, thanks to her mystical sight. What DOES surprise her is Octavia and Lex, whose abilities she wasn't able to get a firm grasp on with her limited time here. "Interesting."

    Raylene, for her part, stays very still... and the blood drains from her face, the girl getting noticeably pale. Suddenly, there's a distinct /presence/ in the air, an invisible and stifling one that leaves loud, thumping footprints on the cliff's edge before leaping down, the indistinct and hazy outline visible in the spray of mist to show something bestial yet bipedal plummeting toward the monster, to attack the soft(?) underbelly.

    A column of fire goes blazing right past Octavia; she shifts her weight in the air, briefly turning herself to yell, "Watch where you're aiming your-!"

    Her words cut off as Oryou goes hurtling by one way, and then the kaiju goes hurtling by the other. "Awahwshaya?!"

    It takes a second for the young noblewoman to collect herself, and then she wheels back around, flapping those wings furiously to regain some speed to get back to the cliff. She doesn't have long with these things. But as she goes, she's already bringing Hauteclere up; and rather than drawing the runes in the air as before, she reaches up and runs her fingers along a set of runes etched into Hauteclere's flat. The runes light up with that same gold-white, and when she sweeps the blade, the spell triggers immediately.

    Ahead of and above her, holy energy begins to coalesce, forming itself into a shining spear of pure blessed magic. She points the tip of Hauteclere forward, and the holy spear launches like a projectile, straight at the monster.

>> SUMMARY[Octavia de Tenebrae] >> Suddenly fluent in confusionish. Banking back around, unleashing a holy spear projectile spell.

    Yahiko just finished saying he couldn't fly. "WOAH!" He did NOT expect someone else aside from Kiyohime to breathe fire. He also didn't expect Oryou to shift into that massive dark dragon form, but that answers a lot of questions! Perhaps if he were the anime version and had encountered the ridiculous Feng Shui arc, he'd be less shocked, but he is not and has not seen any weird mystical nonsense in his own world, only out in worlds like these.

    The fricasseed monster slams into the cliff, but Yahiko is already leaping off the edge! "HOLD IT STEADY!" he calls out, diving down headfirst and drawing his blade. The gleaming metal's dull edge is facing the monster, and he plummets at high speed... then tumbles, spinning around to slam the sword into the back of the thing's neck...

    And bouncing off.

    Just as planned.

    The rebound sends Yahiko into a spin to the side, giving him force behind the secondary attack, the turn and fall letting him shift his aim just enough to slam the blunt-edged blade into the beast's throat, right where he guesses the windpipe should be. It won't be a crippling blow on a creature that size, he's sure, but a jab at that area will stun just about anything, he figures. The impact also lets him divert some of the energy to throw him outward, away from the rocks, to splash into the water with... um... mostly no serious injuries.

>> GAME >> Yahiko Myojin spends an Edge for: Ridiculous Kenshin-style Physics Attack That Shouldn't Actually Work

    Screams of the townspeople shout out at the attack, drifting out over the ocean... but then non-military 'defenders' kick in. Probably a lot of screams from that, too, because the blazing roar of fire sears down the monster's back and side, making it whip about in shock and smolder on the sides. It turns attention from the town to the cliff where the source of its injury is...

    Just in time for another serpent to latch onto it and make it scream, tumbling through the air. It impacts on the cliffside with a shudder that rocks the cliff and causes a few rocks to tumble, not to mention a loud screech from a half-burned side slamming into jagged rocks. That has to hurt.

    The partly-crispy beast is just getting its bearings when Kiyohime joins in, but she doesn't use fire breath. A series of shimmering naginatas appear, and the lances pepper downward to pin the feet and tail down as best she can, giving Lex and Octavia a clear shot. Lex's Atlantean blade finds the scales tough, but not so tough that they don't shear apart and she penetrates, and the holy spear slams into it not far off to again pierce the hide, and also scratch the burn that Natsu gave it.

    All this time it is screeching because some invisible creature is tearing open its belly, blood seeping into the ocean... but worse yet is how the screeching turns into an odd-sounding, snort-like wheeze from the tiny(comparatively) blade impacting at that soft throat to compress the windpipe, staggering it and making it thump head agains the rocks.

    It's dazed now, unable to even defend itself against the aggressors that just mauled it, and unless someone makes an effort to save it, the 'kaiju' will be dispatched quickly.

    Natsu does not have a follow-up attack! 

    This is not because Natsu is injured, or because Natsu is particularly weary from his big breath of fire! 

    It is because Natsu just saw Oryou turn into a massive serpent and beat the shit out of that monster before throwing it into a cliff! 

    And also because this is one of his first times experiencing the magic (or abilities) of people from outside his own world. This causes him to let out a loud: "Wooooooow. Awesome."

    Yahiko blubs. Fortunately he has learned to swim, so he'll be joining people soaked but satisfied the city is safe at some later point.

    Octavia manages to come in for a landing, but it's a little bit of a stumbling thing, and as her wings come apart into rapidly-fading sparkles, she looks just a touch winded, and seems to be sweating a tad. She stands up straight almost immediately, however, and whips around, drawing Hauteclere through the air once again; this time, rather than that golden white glow, the runes are a pure white core surrounded by a faint rainbow halo, and the runic spell is a touch longer. When she whips her sword across, the resulting spell forms into a mass of light magic directly above the kaiju; it begins to rain down in a barrage almost immediately.

    Oryou was definitely that massive black dragon. Everyone saw it. Well, maybe not so much the townsfolk who just saw a dragon suddenly be and then suddenly not be. But the PCs did, anyway. However, as quickly as she became the dragon, she's back to the long-haired young woman in the black serafuku, floating just above the waves on her way back to shore. She offers a hand to Yahiko along the way, lifting him up enough that his head's clear of the water and dragging him along back to the others, and if there's anyone else who winds up in the water along the way she'll offer her other hand to them. But as soon as he/they are on dry land, Oryou's wandering off, not even checking on the status of the kaiju. She has a lot to think about.

    With her robotic hand, Lex grabs into the gash she just created in the monster's body, because she's on the back of a giant monster which is thrashing in pain, and she doesn't want to fall off. Gross! But then her eyes widen, and she looks down towards the water. "Yahiko!" she exclaims, her voice sounding even more scratchy and androgynous. She glances at Kiyohime and Oryou, then down at the water. Oh, good, Oryou's helping him. And anyway, at the moment, she's got other things to worry about.

    Such as the fact that she's on the back of a giant monster which is thrashing in pain.

    She grits her teeth, and starts slashing at the side -- again, carefully and precisely, since she already knows that swinging as hard as she can would damage her sword. She's probably doing considerably less damage than everyone else, as far as she can tell, but it certainly won't die more slowly with her contributions.

    "This is the best day of my life!" Lightshard 18 calls out. It sounds less like a shout and more like she just raised the volume by several decibels.

    Lex briefly furrows her brow, but lets out a squawk as she finds herself surrounded by rainbow-colored blasts. "Um! Careful!!" she exclaims up at Octavia.

    Click.

    That's the camera Raylene brought, taking some pictures while the invisible Horror tears into the creature. "Hmm, that seems to work just fine." She notes Oryou carrying Yahiko to the shore, and stands up, a little unsteadily, and starts walking. The boy will probably need some medical attention, if only minor. Oryou... she'll just have to look up later.

    There is a part of Natsu that wants to chase after Oryou, just to gush over her powers. He's never seen a dragon of her type before. 

    But even Natsu can recognize when someone wants to be alone. And he does not have much he can really do to help her at the moment. And so, the Dragon Slayer Wizard simply watches Oryou go with a faint frown on his face. "I hope she's okay. Maybe we'll meet again some time."

    "I have a feeling this isn't the last time we've seen her," Kiyohime says to Natsu, just before stepping off and lightly landing on a rocky ledge to watch the beast thrash about and die. Between Octavia and Lex and Raylene's Horror, it doesn't last much longer, croaking loudly and thudding over on the side, half-cooked and all.

    "Hmm... I hope this was the only one, that would be a fairly simple problem to solve. Many thanks, offworlders."