[Trespassers V2 Subplot] Okami: Stains upon the Canvas

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Tanabe

 

"Simple, I was resting here before moving on to Kamiki Village. I did notice an odd change in service when I arrived. Mostly the food and tone, but I could hardly sleep in the wilderness with my inventory out in the open for any would be thieves" Tanabe replied with a small shrug, "Believe me, they're more of a problem than you would be lead to think."

[StormLord]

Spicy HG wavered forward a fraction of an inch as the old man came down the staircase, the trip of her glaive shifting only slightly before her grip tightened down on the shaft.  White knuckled she stood, simply watching him as he spoke.  She waited a moment, her hands and arms shaking ever so slightly, then she slowly turned her head to look at Mistu again.

"We will meet again soon I'm sure."
Very suddenly the aura around her collapsed and her arms and hands quickly relaxed.  With a sigh of relief she dropped her arms and glaive down and slumped her shoulders forward.  Taking another deep breath while looking at the ground she mumbled quietly.

"That bitch"

[Chevaleresse]

Mitsurugi remained silent for several moments, processing what had just happened. Spicy HG seemed to be having issues with her other aspect, that much was clear, though she had never heard of being quite so adversarial. That was at the back of her mind, however; the goddess was still stricken with what she had been doing, the thunderous words that had echoed through her mind. "It is not safe here," she murmured, half towards Tanabe and half towards, seemingly, the air. She shook her head. What was she to do? She could not abandon her purpose - that would be suicide for a being like herself. Yet, the path forward seemed to lead to something even worse. Not wanting to admit her own uncertainty, she stayed quiet, glancing back at Lexiel, who she felt was sure to step forward.

[DragonRage]

"You need to get out then," Lexiel orders the merchant, moving forward towards the stairs, "We're clearing the demons out, and it's not safe here.  Unless...  I don't suppose we have a way to prove this isn't a demon in disguise?"

[Yours Truly]

Mot cast a sideway glance at Tanabe as his motorcycle slowly puttered down the hall, half hoping that the group didn't have to search around for the yokai thing they were after, "Well, Miss Ako's the yaokai expert round here, I bet she's got a talisman or spell that'll be a real big help for that."

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Vulture Inn

 

Up until her name was spoken, Ako was currently blanking, trying to make sense on how and why the merchant was here, blinking rapidly when she heard her name and shaking her head, “No, I don’t think they’re a demon. Or if they are, they are remarkable at hiding their nature” 

 

“Thank you, Miss Ako. I don’t exactly have a way to prove that I am a demon, besides my word. But, I suppose for now I’ll return to my room and gather up my wares, if this place is as dangerous as you say.  If you have any time before I leave, I’d be happy to let you browse them” Tanabe spoke, ending with a tip of hit hat and a puff of his pipe as he began to turn away and walk back to his room, until he stopped, seeming to remember something.

 

“Oh, and additionally, if you’re clearing out demons and the like, I’d be wary of the Inn Keeper. I’m well versed in people, and I can confirm that she’s an absolutely dreadful person. Receptive enough for business, but has a terribly high ego and awful ability to name things” the merchant added with a shake of his head, “‘Vulture Inn’. Absolutely dreadful name to give to such a fine establishment” he scoffed, passing out of sight of all but Mitsu, who merely saw him walk into an open room and close the sliding door behind him, completely unphased by the potential threats presented to him.

 

Ako merely watched him go, moving to rub her eyes in both exasperation and annoyance once he was out of sight, “I will never understand that man” Ako muttered, to herself, “Still, not surprised that someone took over and renamed the place. Why is beyond me, aside from... Maybe spite?” she added with a shrug, turning her gaze towards the elevator that had remained untouched by the brawl.

 

 

Spray, Unknown

 

Through years of experience, it was rather obvious to Spray that whatever was happening to him wasn’t a dream. Yes, he had gone to bed to prepare for tomorrow, but shortly during his nap a light had enveloped him for only a few seconds, before leaving him in what felt, sounded, and looked like an endless void for what felt like a minute. Then the curtain of nothing was pulled back, revealing a large plain with clouds rolling across the ground, mountains seemingly painted on the horizon, and an impossibly large Sakura Tree, lifting all the way into the sky and various roots bursting from its base and spreading across the land.

 

It was on one of the smaller roots that Spray realized he wasn’t alone. For sitting there was a young, black haired woman of obvious japanese heritage, wearing… Nothing but a green leaf bikini and pink skirt, hands folded on her lap as she took notice of her new guest.

 

“Welcome, Traveler, to Nippon. It is a pleasure to meet one of your kind at last” the woman called out, standing from the tree root she sat on and somehow floating towards Spray, “I am Sakuya, Guardian Spirit of Kamiki, and helper of Amaterasu, Origin of all that is Good and Mother to us all. Unfortunately, she is currently preoccupied with an old adversary, so I’ve been asked to greet you instead” she explained with a short bow, her ethereal and calm voice adding to the soothing space Spray found himself in. Even if was still all too sudden.

[AzyWng]

Before he'd gone to bed, Spray had reminded himself of the things he'd need to do the next morning. Make sure the car had a full tank and was ready for the trip to M.E.R.C.'s office, that he had what he'd needed to bring (Weapon, flares, smoke grenades, and the medical supplies - he'd been told he'd be reimbursed for his purchases once someone hired him out), and that he'd sent the payment from his last job over to his folks back home.

 

Looked like his plans were gonna be delayed.

 

"Uh, h-hey there, ma'am. I'm Maxwell Schiff, but you can call me 'Spray' if you like..." He trailed off as he noticed that, not only was most of her skin exposed, but that an old habit of his had reared its head. He'd gotten some spit on Sakuya's shoulder.

 

He reached forward with a handkerchief in hand (thankfully, he was somehow wearing his work outfit and not the undershirt and boxers he'd gone to bed in) to try to wipe some of it off, but hesitated, before simply offering the handkerchief to her.

 

"Sorry about that."

[Chevaleresse]

"It is natural for a youkai to destroy a place of refuge." Mitsurugi nearly flinched at the memory of what she'd done to the temple earlier. Please, forgive me, or forget that I was even present. "We should continue moving. This place must be restored at once." There was nothing to do but continue forward. Fate had led her along a path of many trials and cruelties; it seemed that she was due for more. She only hoped that if the corruption that seemed to be creeping forth once more overtook her, that her teammates would have the heart to destroy her before she did any further harm.

[DragonRage]

"Yeah, no sense standing around when there's evil to vanquish," Lexiel agrees, following close behind Mitsu, "Let's get dangerous."

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Spray, Spirit Realm

 

Though Sakuya didn't initially comment towards Spray's unfortunate habit, nor did she flinch, the guardian spirit gladly took the offered handkerchief, wiping down her shoulder as she continued, "Think nothing of it Spray, it's not the worst that I've had to deal with in my time" she stated, handing Spray his handkerchief, "Regardless, I am afraid I am unable to speak with you for long. The darkness that encroaches upon this land, and the longer my attention is diverted, the better it can seep into the lands I protect. But it would be rude to thrust you into this situation without a clue of what to do, so it is my current duty to give you that clue" Sakuya continued before clapping her hands together.

 

"To put it simply, you have been called by a higher power to assist in keeping balance to everything that exists, protecting worlds from creatures that wish nothing but to devour all life. It is that reason that you have been brought here, as one of these creatures have begun to wrap their influence on Nippon in order to resurrect and old enemy of Amaterasu, all so they can plunge this world into darkness. However, they-" Sakuya continued, pausing to herself for a brief moment as her gaze flickered to the side, where there was still nothing but a blank expanse, "My apologies, it seems this has to be more brief than I expected. I shall bring you to your current partners in this task, simply tell them that Amaterasu called you to handle the Trespassers, and they should be able to inform you about the rest" she quickly finished, waving her hand in a circle to summon yet another flurry of sakura petals that swirled around Spray's feet, right before Spray began to be lifted into the air by an unseen force, the petals swirling around him in greater and greater intensity until all he could see was a mixture of white and pink.

 

"I wish you luck, Maxwell Schiff, with your new role."

 

The light of the world vanished into darkness.

 

 

Sparrow Inn

 

"Well, there's a difference between destroying and taking over, and-" Ako commented idly, about to go into a short rant before she caught herself, "Never mind, I try to rationalize yokai actions far too much. Let's just deal with the new boss and figure out where the old one-" she began with a shake of her head, following Mitsu and Lexiel up the stairs... Only to be interrupted by the sight of a various sakura petals being blown into the building by the now broken entrance, flowing past the group and consolidating into a sphere at the top of the stairs for a few moments. Then, the force controlling the flowers stopped, each petal suddenly being unceremoniously dropped, their soft landing being easily overshadowed by the loud thump of a body slamming against the wood floor.

 

As for Spray, all he saw was blackness before a tiny sliver of light shone through the cracks in his high speed cocoon of petals, right before the air supporting him gave out and dropped him right onto his back in an old yet very well kept Japanese-styled inn, with several figures standing near the bottom of the stairway next to him, staring up at the new arrival.

 

[AzyWng]

Spray was still trying to process the information he'd been given when he was sent falling from the ceiling of an unfamiliar building. Looking over at the crowd, the rookie mercenary weakly raised his hand in greeting.

 

"Um... hello, there. I'm Maxwell Schiff, I was sent here by a Guardian Spirit named Sakuya. Are you the people I'm going to be working with?"

[Chevaleresse]

Mitsurugi eyed the new arrival. An ordinary human, if not from this world. At the very least, it seemed that this land's native gods had not rejected her yet, if they were willing to send her group aid. Or so she chose to believe, faced with the other alternatives. "I must assume so. My name is Saigai Mitsurugi." She gave the newcomer a slight nod, before turning to the miko. "There is little distinction between conquest and destruction when it comes to these matters. Either way, it imperils humans and gives the youkai more grounds to prowl." Her piece said, Mitsurugi began to continue up the stairs, passing Maxwell. There was still much to do, and she felt that her time to accomplish it was slipping between her fingers at every moment. If the siren song of untempered calamity was already calling to her so, it may have been too late already. Still, like a climber clinging to a rock even as it broke beneath his weight, so she clung to the hope that she could reverse this transformation before it was too late for them all.

[AzyWng]

Searching himself for injuries and finding none, Spray stood up as Mitsurugi passed him. "Pleased to meet you, ma'am - wait, hold on a second! When you say youkai, do you mean like the cow-headed dude or the slit-mouthed woman or that guy who offers colored toilet paper to people he's going to kill? 'Cause, uh, not to understate the threat they present to humanity, but those don't exactly seem like massive, world-devouring beasts - I think Sakuya called them 'Trespassers'?"

 

Spray suddenly remembered what the Guardian Spirit had told him less than five minutes ago. "Oh, right! Amaterasu sent me to help you deal with the Trespassers! I don't exactly have any experience with... whatever those things are," (It was at this point Spray had wished Sakuya had given him a photo or a drawing or an astral projection or something - surely Guardian Spirits could do something like that), "but I can handle myself in a firefight, and patch up your injuries as needed!"

 

With the introduction out of the way, Spray returned to his previous topic. "Anyway, even if those kinds of creatures are dangerous, at least some of them should go down to a few magazines of nine mil. Unless it's like that lady that comes out of the TV, in which case, I guess we're just going to have to run." Upon bringing up the subject of firepower, Spray surveyed the weapons and equipment his newfound colleagues had...

 

A gauntlet, swords, a revolver, and two of them had no visible weapons at all...

 

"Okay, so, most of us don't have guns it looks like? That's... not great. I myself only have the one..."

[StormLord]

Spicy HG walked up the stairs behind Mitsu,  Hunkered in on herself and only really acknowledging Spray with a nod.

[Chevaleresse]

Mitsurugi shook her head. Another modern human who had lost the way like so many others. "Maxwell Schiff, you are embroiled in matters you do not understand." She paused to look back at him, golden eyes glinting in the shadows. "Youkai have stalked humanity since time immemorial. They are felled by the strength of one's heart and the will to carve meaning into the world, not by bits of mass-produced lead." Humanity in its current state seemed to know so much, and yet understand too little. How did one speak of faith and meaning to a person who knew only bare facts and what their eyes could see? She turned to continue ascending the stairs, moving ever closer to the interlopers. "You may be the least prepared of us for this battle. My blades shall stand between you and these dark creatures - you would be wise to watch and understand why."

[AzyWng]

Wasn't the first time Spray had been treated like a lesser individual because of his background. Wasn't the first time someone had told him he was in over his head. Wasn't even the first time someone'd failed to elucidate the exact reasons he was in over his head - or the first time a future colleague had responded to his introduction with apathy. With a first impression like that, Spray grinned broadly. It was almost like he was right back at A.I.M.! And, hell, Saigai had even told him his targets were immune to bullets, so she'd helped him more in the first five minutes together than most of his coworkers had helped him in their first five days.

 

All the same, he needed a little more info on who their enemies were, especially if he was going to earn his keep. Which reminded him of the check that was still sitting in its envelope at his desk back home...

 

He could worry about that once the current job was finished. For now, diplomatic, ask for more info. Speech is spontaneous, don't think too much about it. Shaking his head to clear it, Spray opened his mouth to speak again.

 

"Okay, okay, so guns are not an option. Guess considering our current situation that's good to hear. But, you, uh, still haven't told me what these 'dark creatures' are, exactly... Wait, are they ghosts? 'Cause if they really are ghosts like that one lady... I think her name was 'Ringu'? Whatever, if they're ghosts then I'm afraid I'm not sure what good I'm going to be... I mean, if their powers are limited to throwing things at or on people or making lights flicker, then I might be able to help, but if they can do things like possess people or reanimate the dead, I wouldn't know where to begin with that..."

 

Maybe he should've caught himself before he went on a tangent that ended with "I basically can't do anything in that situation".

 

"A-anyway, what are these youkai, and why would swords be better weapons against them than guns? In fact, you spoke like 'strength of heart' and 'the will to carve meaning into the world' are separate from the use of 'mass-produced bits of lead', but I've met more than a few people who could claim otherwise. Whatever, getting off track again - Youkai. What are they?"

 

Probably way too many words for such a simple question, but it was done. They couldn't be taken back no matter what he or anyone else wanted. He just hoped this wouldn't end the way it did when he'd met that Roachburn colonel... His nose still hurt thinking about it.

[StormLord]

Spicy HG forced herself to relax and at least try to answer the newcomer's questions.  She coughed a bit to clear her throat before beginning, with some hesitation still audible.

"To put it in terms you might better understand....We're hunting a noble among demons, five of them in all.  And being hit by bullets won't hurt them, but being shot just might...does that make sense?"

She glances over to Spray only a few times as she speaks, instead intently staring at the steps as she walks up them.

[AzyWng]

Spray mulled around the words in her head a little bit before seeming to come to a conclusion.

 

"'Being hit by bullets won't hurt them, but being shot just mi...' Hang on a second, what? Yeah, shooting them with the bullets was what I was thinking of in the first place! I ain't gonna throw my ammunition by hand, if that's what..." Spray shook his head. Don't get distracted. "Never mind. I'm not the best shot anyway, so I suppose it doesn't really matter - what's more important is what kind of injures am I going to have to deal with. Is it lacerations? Third-degree burns? Broken bones? Any combination of those things?" Spray figured that, if his gun wasn't going to be much use, that left his medical skills. And if fights here were anything like fights back in... his home world, for lack of a better term, there were going to be plenty of injuries when the fights ended. He hoped his medical supplies would last...

[StormLord]

Spicy HG shook her head at Spray seeming to miss the entire point.

"You thinking about it too much...as for injuries Yes."

[AzyWng]

Not exactly an unfamiliar situation, but he was usually not the only doctor... Well, maybe he was just there to keep people alive until the more experienced medics came through. He could do that.

 

"All right, then. Oh, by the way, I didn't catch your name..."

[StormLord]

Spicy HG stopped at the question, freezing mid step.  An almost frightened frown slowly moved over her face as she looked towards the ground again.

She mumbled something to herself.  "Who am I?  Really?"

When she finally did speak her voice was strained, disappointed even.

"I am known to my people as Blood Heart, Goddess-Queen of the Demented Isles, the people here know me as Spicy HG, you're welcome to call me that as well."

[Yours Truly]

"Kid, just don't worry about it too much, the important thing 'ere is that they go down when you shoot 'em as well as when you slash 'em, some folks here just know to handle a sword or a spear better," Mot finally said, as he gently revved his bike a little closer to the newcomer, his helmet still covering most of his face, "The name's Michael in case you're wondering, but some still call me Mot."

[AzyWng]

There were plenty of times that Spray had done something that elicited a less-than-friendly response. That one Halloween at FoodPlace's^tm, the birthday party for Sandra where nothing went right, and earlier last week when he asked for a raise on his contract fee.

 

He'd never had someone freeze up and mumble to themselves when he'd asked who they were, though...

 

"Okay, uh... Spicy? Are you all right? You seem... troubled."

 

Maybe stating the obvious wasn't the best start, but he had to bring up the issue somehow, before it got worse...

[StormLord]

Spicy HG shook her head.

 

"I'll be fine.  I've lived with it a long time."

 

With that she turned and kept moving.

[DragonRage]

"To my understanding, Youkai are somewhat conceptual beings," Lexiel explains to Spray, "The biggest difference between a Youkai, which is generally considered evil, and a Kami, which is generally considered benevolent, is perception.  You could have a river spirit that is considered a Kami by one village, because its river floods every year and enriches their fields, and another village who considers that same spirit a Youkai because its floods damage their docks and houses.  And because they're conceptual beings, the method of harming them matters less than the intent to do so.  And for some, these generally the more potent ones, more powerful attacks are more powerful not because they output more damage, but because you, using them, believe these attacks to be more powerful and have placed more effort and faith into them.  However, mostly these interactions are going to boil down to your attacks working as you expect them, aside from a few edge cases that are unlikely to apply to just shooting one.

 

"As for injuries?  Contusions, cuts, bruises, and the like are inevitable in pretty much any fight,  Aside from that...  I'd expect burns of the heat and electrical variety, burn-similar effects, frostbite, and extreme exhaustion.  Those are the most common consequences of more exotic damaging magic."