Let Your Fists Do The Talking! Akyu Quest Continued!

[Fightest]

Was ill. Am no longer.

>Well, at least they're doing that much.
>Dream of Yuka. That was a brighter spot of the day.

>If we want a more peaceful resolution, we better increase our compassion.

> You dream.
> The warm embrace reinforces your mind and steels your body.
> The blows that rain down on your back mean nothing to you, for how could a friend, an ally - even one who does not know it yet - hurt you?
> It is impossible.
> And how indeed can you be hurt when you hold such feelings in your heart?
> How can you allow yourself to be hurt when you fight for something more than the joy of combat?
> How can you afford to be hurt when you fight for those dearest to you?
> You cannot.
> Your Compassion drives you and guides you. From now on, you can never be forced to hurt your allies, even if your mind itself is in the clutches of your enemy.
> Your Compassion protects you. For an amount of times per fight equal to your Martial Arts, as long as you are fighting for something you care about, you may use:
> Heavenly Guardian Defense. As long as you hold love deep within you, your body will remain unbroken. This move automatically and completely blocks any single attack, including such attacks that cannot be blocked.

> ...

> You wake up. It's dark outside.

[Hello Purvis]

> Contemplate new understandings while getting dressed. Head out to get something to drink. Figure out what tie it is along the way.

[Mr_Bob]

>Figure out what time of day it is along the way.

>Do a quick stretch and controlled breathing to get rid of any lingering stiffness or pain.

[Fightest]

> Contemplate new understandings while getting dressed. Head out to get something to drink. Figure out what tie it is along the way.

> Your Compassion is a great strength, and can certainly play a major role in your future fights. You feel extremely close to making a breakthrough in your fighting capability.
> You get dressed and leave your room. This floor is conspicuously empty of fairies and rabbits.
> You think it's probably approaching late evening.

>Do a quick stretch and controlled breathing to get rid of any lingering stiffness or pain.

> You pull yourself this way and that, and a quick breathing exercise gets the Qi flowing freely, washing away fatigue and the aches and pains of the day.

> You spot where everyone is from the kitchen area - Keine has sat herself on a chair in the main reception room, with fairies and rabbits sitting on the floor all around her. She's telling old fairy-tales - you can tell from the brief snippets that float your way. Mokou is amongst the crowd on the floor, listening with rapt attention. Kaguya and Eirin are off to the side of the room, playing some odd variant of shogi.

> On the kitchen table you see a plate covered with a linen cloth with a piece of paper attached with Akyu written on it. There's a wicker picnic basket to the side of it.

[Hello Purvis]

>Aw bless their hearts.
>Have a seat by the covered plate, uncover it. Presuming it's proper food and it's clear the faeries haven't made it the subject of a prank, dig in!

[Fightest]

>Aw bless their hearts.
>Have a seat by the covered plate, uncover it. Presuming it's proper food and it's clear the faeries haven't made it the subject of a prank, dig in!

> The meal's still warm, a hearty mix of rice and vegetables with just enough spice to wake you up.
> Keine gives you a smile and a wink as you eat, not skipping a beat of her story.

[Hello Purvis]

>Smile and nod to Keine
>Once finished with the meal, write "Thank you, will be back sometime" on the opposite side of the note, take the picnic basket, and head for SDM.

[Mr_Bob]

>Be sure to include our destination as well. And for the heck of it, write using calligraphy (if it is handy), just to make sure our hand still knows it's stuff.

[Fightest]

>write "Thank you, will be back sometime" on the opposite side of the note, take the picnic basket, and head for SDM.

>Be sure to include our destination as well. And for the heck of it, write using calligraphy (if it is handy), just to make sure our hand still knows it's stuff.

> Oh yes, you've still got it. As some would say, you have all of it - the shaping and patterning of each letter is perfect, the harmony in the lines and curls, inscrutable.
> You leave the house. The sun has long since set, but you can see everything clearly in the bright moonlight.
> By the time you reach the mansion on the lake the moon is high in the sky - it's probably just past midnight.
> You see Meiling at the gates, leaning lazily against the metal bars.
> You hear her mumbling to herself, "brightest...day...snrf...in blackest...hrrk...night..."
> She's obviously asleep.

[Hello Purvis]

>Ponder inviting ourselves in.
>Decide that'd probably be a poor idea, and gently shake her by the shoulder.

[Fightest]

>Ponder inviting ourselves in.
>Decide that'd probably be a poor idea, and gently shake her by the shoulder.

> Meiling starts, and looks like she's about to blurt out something, but stops herself in time.
> She stares at you blankly for a few moments, then finally seems to wake up and gives you an awkward smile.
> "Oh, uh, Akyu. The Mistress is expecting you. I hope you don't get into too much trouble, she was really upset by the whole breakout thing."

[Hello Purvis]

>"I suspect she'll probably want to defeat me. Let us hope this isn't the last of these I'll have to give you, then."
>Give her the Picanic Basket.
>"May I go in, then?"

[Fightest]

>"I suspect she'll probably want to defeat me. Let us hope this isn't the last of these I'll have to give you, then."
>Give her the Picanic Basket.
>"May I go in, then?"

> "It probably isn't that bad," Meiling says, frowning.
> She accepts the basket with a bow.
> "Yes, you'll be met at the front doors. Good luck!"

[Hello Purvis]

>"You too, and thanks for helping out with the hell raven yesterday."
>Enter!

[Fightest]

>"You too, and thanks for helping out with the hell raven yesterday."
>Enter!

> Meiling grins.
> "That was quite something. I only got some vague snippets, though."
> The grounds beyond the gates are well-maintained, with gravel paths winding between carefully-trimmed hedgerows. Flowerbeds are tastefully scattered around the place, their bright-white flowers almost seeming to reflect the light of the moon.
> The front doors of the mansion open as you approach. You recognize the head maid of the mansion standing just inside - Miss Izayoi. You've never really spoken with her before, but, that said, nobody else has - she is said to only have time for her Mistress, and her Mistress alone.

[Hello Purvis]

>Bow politely to Sakuya and present invitation.

[Fightest]

>Bow politely to Sakuya and present invitation.

> Her face impassive, the Head Maid examines the invitation, then bows in return and beckons you inside.
> "Please enter, Lady Hieda. You are expected."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Thank you."
>Don't be scared, don't be scared, we can handle this. We handled Utsuho, right? ...Kinda.
>Walk in. Try not to be too nervous. Or at least not visibly nervous.

[Mr_Bob]

>Expand our awareness.

[Fightest]

>"Thank you."
>Don't be scared, don't be scared, we can handle this. We handled Utsuho, right? ...Kinda.
>Walk in. Try not to be too nervous. Or at least not visibly nervous.

> It probably won't be that bad, right? Meiling said as much, didn't she? And the Mistress of the mansion has been quite nice lately, hasn't she? Or was it all a ruse? But it was just a harmless prank, really, wasn't it?
> Great, you've gone and gotten yourself thinking in circles.

> You enter. You've never been inside the mansion on the lake before, and the first impression is majestic indeed - you see a spacious entry hall, resplendent in marble and crimson carpeting. Paintings hang on the walls, portraits of people you do not recognize. Staircases on your left and right lead up to an open second tier.
> "The Mistress is waiting in the dining room. Please follow me."
> The maid heads towards one of the staircases.

>Expand our awareness.

> There is magic in the air, but it's not much stronger than the natural background of the land.
> In your sphere of awareness, there is only the maid that is worth noting. Despite her stature and poise, the flow of Qi you get from her is muted, dull. Considering her infamy, it's impossible that that is a genuine reading - she must be suppressing her power so as not to stand out.

[Hello Purvis]

>Follow the maid. Take note of things that bear historical interest, if we see any we'd recognize.

[Fightest]

>Follow the maid. Take note of things that bear historical interest, if we see any we'd recognize.

> You take in the details of the paintings lining the walls, but you do not recognise any of the landscapes or people there - all of them look foreign.
> You are led through a series of double doors in the centre of the first floor landing, down a wide and tall corridor.
> The head maid stops at a set of double doors to your left, opens them and bows to you.
> "The Mistress awaits inside, Lady Hieda."

[Hello Purvis]

>Return bow.
>"Thank you."
>Enter.

[Fightest]

>Return bow.
>"Thank you."
>Enter.

> You enter what is no doubt the mansion's main dining room.
> It is decorated in much the same style as the rest of the mansion you've been in, but the centrepiece of the room is certainly the vast dining table in the centre, illuminated by three ornate chandeliers.
> At the far end of the table, facing the door, sits the Mistress of the Mansion on the Lake, the Lady Remilia Scarlet, her diminutive stature looking almost comical against the unnecessarily large chair she is sitting in. She is wearing her customary pink summer dress.
> "Welcome, Madam Hieda!" she almost-shouts. You note that if she were any quieter, you wouldn't be able to hear her.
> "Tea? I assume "yes" - Sakuya, tea for two, please, centre-table this time, would you kindly? Madam Hieda, seat yourself over there, I swear, sometimes that girl just..."
> The rest of her sentence she grumbles to herself, and you're not able to make out what she's saying. She did point you to a seat half-way down the table, though.
> She herself, still grumbling, gets up from her seat, walks down the long table and, clearly annoyed, sits herself down opposite the chair she pointed you at.

[Hello Purvis]

>Well, she didn't kill us first thing!
>Take the indicated seat.

[Mr_Bob]

>Vegeta Hieda what does the scouter Qi say?

[Fightest]

>Well, she didn't kill us first thing!
>Take the indicated seat.

> You still feel alive, so that's certainly a good sign.
> The chair is firm and rigid, not very comfortable. It does look like Remilia's is identical, though.

>Vegeta Hieda what does the scouter Qi say?

> You get an exceedingly odd reading off her - it is as if there is a field of magic not her own suffusing her. You cannot begin to judge combat ability off her, and even thinking of fighting her requires some serious mental somersaults - she most likely has the tournament's immunity effect. You reckon you would have gotten the same off Satori and Orin, if you took the time to look.

> Remilia steeples her hands and rests her chin on them, eyeing you with one bright-red, almost glowing eye.
> "Well?"

[Mr_Bob]

>"What do you ask of me, Eternally Young Scarlet Moon?"

[Fightest]

>"What do you ask of me, Eternally Young Scarlet Moon?"

> She narrows her open eye, her eyebrows starting to furrow. While she looked a bit annoyed in general, some of that annoyance is clearly now aimed at you.
> She doesn't say anything, though, as if still waiting for the correct response.

[Hello Purvis]

Let's not taunt the vampire in front of her crazy maid anymore =[

>"You may be pleased to know the plan went off virtually without a hitch. Eientei did not know what hit it."