Trees and Rea-pers

Trees and Rea-pers
Date of Scene:	26 October 2012
Location:	Cleyra
Synopsis:	Faruja and Shiki head to Cleyra to fill in the other Shard Seekers in on Yashiro's ways.
Cast of Characters:	Reize Seatlan, Lily, Faruja Senra, Shiki Misaki, Lenn

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Shiki Misaki has posed:
I hope you're not acrophobic.

Welcome to Cleyra! You'll never get the sand out of your shoes. Some of the Shard Seekers have ended up here, and naturally, some of the Shard Seekers are going to meet the other Shard Seekers who ended up here so we can go back to the wonderful safety and calm of Fluorgis. Strength in numbers. Never split the party.

Shiki was climbing the tree with Faruja, but got seperated- fortunately she was able to extract herself from a rather sticky (slimy, bile-y) situation or we'd just be meeting up with Mr. Mew right now.

As it stands the two of them are wandering around looking for familiar faces.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja, after finally reuniting with Shiki and fawning over her like a proper healer, has had quite the spring to his step to be around his own kind for once...even if he's hovering protectively beside Shiki, watching out for any birds that might be so rude as to try to eat her!

Wielding a smile, Faruja bows to a passing Cleyran dancer, the pair exchanging a few flirts. Cough. His gaze turns back to the job at hand, however, the rat rubbing his chin. "Where /ever/ could they have gotten to? Truly, M'Lady, I shall be ferrying the lot of you upon Arista's back next time regardless of her protests." Air Arista, wyvern flying service.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
"And that is the tour of our city, young man.."

Shiki and Faruja will find one of the Shard Seekers, particularly, the leader, being led by a burmucian wearing the garbed priestly robes. The two seem to be chatting things up.

Reize, for the most part, looks a bit beaten up, but he is in high spirits. The two are walking along towards the pair, unknowingly.

"So the sandstorm was more of a protective barrier?"

"Yes..." The guide admits, but doesn't bother to explain any further. "Let us see...." And then, his eyes drift to see another burmecian. "Ahh, welcome to Cleyra."

 !!!

"Ooiii! Shiki! Faruja!" The boy is waving towards the two happily. Then, he furrows his eyebrows, "...How did you guys end up here?"

Shiki Misaki has posed:
You know it's sad, Shiki can't even politely push off Faruja's help and go 'it's ok, dude, I can take care of myself' because apparently we've proved on multiple occasions she can't.

So she's happy to have the big guy back, especially because it means that she can see how much he enjoys being here. "You know, I think I'd appreciate that, assuming there won't be too much crazy flying."

And there's the guy we came here looking for! "Reize!"

Shiki waves and wanders sedately over, Mr. Mew giving a wave to the priest. "We came here to look for you guys," Shiki replies. "I heard something happened out in the Desert... and we met some Noise on the way, so..."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja chuckles, shaking his head as his gaze turns to the beautiful, unique architecture of the place. "I shall keep that in mind. If I can find a less...ahh, combat-oriented wyvern, perhaps teach you to fly." Any more musing on the subject is dropped, however, as a familiar voice calls out.

"Ser Seatlan! Lord bless my friend, let me have a look at you." Yup, time to wander over and give the boy a once over for wounds. Tail flicking, he tilts his head slightly,again playing the concerned healer.

Upon seeing his fellow Burmecian, the older male gets a bow. "Good eve', fine Ser. How fare our kin without the cover of blessed wind and sand?" Quick to the point when he has a concern, this rat.

To Reize, the ratling nods. "We were worried. Care to regale ourselves with the tale, hmm?"

Reize Seatlan has posed:
The Burmecian offers a bow, there is a frown, "...I am uncertain. Since the situation..." The Heartless.. "We have lost touch..."

Grinning, Reize adds, "Lily and Lenn are out exploring parts of the city as well. They have a few tour guides, but I think Lily's just enjoying the nature surrounding the area!" The grin gets bigger, actually becoming more proud of the fact that Lily is learning more about the world.

"Oh! We're traveling with someone who has been a big help so far! Her name is Avira. She's a hunter, it seems and it looks like she's used to the desert!"

However, the moment that Shiki mentions about running into the Noise, Reize's frown starts growing. His head lowers as a hand runs over to the back of his neck.

"...About that."

The frown becomes grave a bt, looking towards Shiki, "...You mentioned that you met some Noise along the way." Pause, "So did we." He pauses, a faint smile given. "Let's walk this way, and I'll explain more..."

Shiki Misaki has posed:
Shiki gets this sparkly look in her eyes with clenched hands when Faruja mentions 'teaching her to fly'.

"Mm," she says to Reize. "In terms of spectacle, this place is amazing. I mean, I've heard of treehouses, but this is on a whole other level. You're right, I think Lily's going to like it here."

"Never heard of anyone called Avira, though. Maybe I'll see her if she's hanging around as well."

But then Reize's tone gets kind of... serious, and Shiki's face falls. "...I thought it was kind of weird. Noise... tend to show up where people are, and this was right in the middle of the..."

She trails off, and begins to follow. I don't want to be right. Don't tell me my I'm right.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja gives a nod to the Priest, shaking his head. "As I feared. Keep the Faith, dear Ser. Our people have suffered much, but it shall take quite a bit more than a few humans and Heartless to be rid of us!" Blink. He glances to his friends.

"No insult intended."

His tail flicks, the rat rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Avira, hmm?" he ponders. "Quite the talent for attracting friends, Ser Seatlan."

Faruja follows right behind the pair, silent as he listens. Best to let the experts on the subject go at it!

Reize Seatlan has posed:
"..When I met Avira, I was on my way to find the City of Illusion." Granted, he was traveling solo at the time. "Lenn caught up and then Lily... We ran into Mercade and his friend...." His eyes become more serious. "That was when we ran into the Noise. They were penguins."

As the boy reflects, he brings his hand up. The left gestures towards his left, "There was a large flock of penguins that swooped from this direction..." Then the right gestured forward, "The army of penguins and their leader was there..." He turns to face the two. "All of us rallied together and fought against the enemy forces! The legion of penguins charged at us like locusts, seeking to bowl us over and destroy us. The rallied forces took a stand and held their ground!"

One can almost hear the sound of sword clashing together as the boy brings a hand into the air.

Clank! Clankclank-shiiickkk!"

Nevermind that it's just little burmecians playing with sticks.

"The numbers started to dwindle and they began scattering. But Lily... gathering her great power, released a blast that was as bright as the sun and EVERYTHING TURNED INTO GLASS!"

...There was a point that Reize was trying to make earlier, but... he's likely lost in his storytelling mode, thanks to Faruja's encouragement.

Shiki Misaki has posed:
J-popguins, Shiki mentally tells herself. They were everywhere on day 7.

She doesn't comment on Avira any more: Reize has her sole attention. Mind you, it gets kind of difficult when he gets... bombastic. But even as he keeps on going, she's picking out certain key parts of his narration.

Namely 'legion of J-Popguins' and 'leader'. And, true enough, 'Lily glassing everything'. The last part should reassure her, but for some reason it doesn't. Like Lily's bombastic overblast when they met Priel, the sheer scope of power Reize describes is... equally intimidating.

And it's for that reason that Shiki doesn't really seem to get into the narrative. In fact, when Reize is done, her expression is... stony.

"Leader?" she asks, reedy.

Faruja Senra has posed:
The narrative, unlike Shiki, has Faruja looking at least partially amused by the smirk, quickly flicking tail, and way his fuzzy brow twitches just slightly. This one would make a good bard! But his better half is clicking away, doing his best to strip embellishment of a storyteller into something useful. "I am afraid I am unfamiliar with the creatures. Describe them?"

Leaning against a nearby part of the tree they're all in, the Burmecian /grins/ with plenty of pointy teeth at the thought of Lily wielding her great power to eradicate such abominations. A hand crosses himself. "May Shadow be burned away in blessed light. Lady Lily was...not adversely affected by her abilities? For such a young girl to be capable of such is extremely rare. Magery, in general, requires years of study. She seems possessed of raw power, however." A mystery!

A nod to Shiki. "What did this 'leader' look like? A name, perhaps?"

Reize Seatlan has posed:
"The penguins, well, they looked... Kind of what Shiki calls it... 'tattoo'ish or something. They look like regular penguins, but...All blue-ish."

"Leader? Well, there was the leader J-Popguin, but Lily took care of him." He considers, "However, what came next... It was a Reaper that showed up. She was complaining that there were no Players at the location." He frowns, "...She had pinkish hair and wore one of those strange girly clothes outside. She was wearing black."

He frowns, "She was surprised that I knew about her, but before I could do anything else..." He gives a faint smile, "Lily and I were caught in the sandstorm."

Shiki Misaki has posed:
"Yeah," Shiki echoes, a little shaky. "Lots and lots of raw power."

She considers for a moment saying something about learning to control it better, but there's no way she can form the words into a coherent or polite idea, so she discards it wholesale.

"That's a Noise alright," Shiki says. "They're always completely missing parts of their bodies. Just got those sort of ... graffiti tattoos instead."

"Hahaha," she quips. She realises that what she's about to say is so transparently false that it's not going to fool anyone, least of all herself, but. "For a second there, I thought you said a Reaper."

Pink hair. Girly clothes and black. "Heh. A Reaper named Uzuki Yashiro. Haha. Ha. Reize, I need to sit down right now."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja makes a few mental notes. Oh, he's going to have a few things to write to his Inquisitor friend after this! His previous grin turns to a frown slowly as he notes Shiki's reaction. An arm goes out, offered to her. As much as he'd like to hear of this Uzuki, the state of a friend comes first.

"Come. I believe there is a small resting area nearby."

Should she allow it, he'll try to lead Shiki and Reize over to the round wooden building overlooking the ground below Cleyra. Quite a view, if you don't mind heights.

"Rest, please, my Lady." Clearly the poor girl has met this Reaper before.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Faruja is rather amused by Lily's power, Shiki is afraid of it. Reize, however, just doesn't understand it. So, the amusement and fear falls flat on him and is instead regarded with confusion. His eyes drift towards Shiki, who seems to be trying to fool herself.

However, the boy can see that this is a painful experience for her. A hand moves over towards her shoulder. With Faruja guiding her, Reize is starting to follow the two up to the gazebo.

His head lifts to see that woden building.

When they finally make it, Reize turns to see the sights. "...Wow." It's quite a sight to behold.

"It looks better looking down at the city to see its wonder rather than having to look up at a giant tree and not be able to see.

Shiki Misaki has posed:
Like I said, better not be acrophobic.

Shiki sinks into a convenient chair, looking out over Cleyra. "It's nice," she says, "Nice and safe, too. Maybe we should stay longer."

She lets out a long, huffing breath. Guess it's that time again, isn't it? Exposition time.

"If Reapers were gamekeepers, then Yashiro would be one of the hunters. She's a Harrier Reaper. That means her job description begins and ends with hunting down and erase- killing people like me." She can't suppress the shudder.

"And I've met her before. She's ruthless, cruel and doesn't give a one-yen-pin about breaking the rules. When Neku didn't have his memories and he didn't know any better, she showed up at the end of our second day and told him to strangle me. He didn't know that'd end up erasing him too, and she knew it. She just wanted to get rid of both of us as badly as she could."

"Then later in the week she set a trap for us with a gigantic noise and... erased another friend I made. She was a little girl. Probably half my age."

"I had hoped all of the Reapers had been swallowed up by the darkness. Just my luck that one of the worst survived."

Faruja Senra has posed:
The more Faruja listens, the harder it is to keep quiet. The lovely little gazebo now sports a nice long section of claw marks where Faruja is doing his darndest to control his temper. It's mostly successful.

"This 'Uzuki Yashiro' sounds little more than a grandiose assassin. Forgive me to ask this, Lady Misaki, but for what reason do these Reapers hunt? And this so-called 'Game'? To be frank, it all sounds far too elaborate. Rules, positions, the use of abominations...where these Reapers simply killing for sport, their operations would be much less complex. Have you any notion as to what they are after?" Faruja looks Shiki in the eye, and attempts to still his trembling tail. Indeed, this is Heresy of the worst kind! But the rat needs information if he's to do anything about it.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
The frown remains on Reize as he shuts his eyes. His hand rests along her shoulder, offering her comfort. He takes the moment to listen to her tale, noting about her job and Shiki's situation. This is moreso dishearening when Shiki tells the tale of the one time that her partner nearly killed her. "...So she was the one that did it.."

His eyes shut. Then, his eyes shift towards Faruja, "...Going after something?" Then, he does bring to light that there are certain rules that they seem to be using. It is more complex than just going out there and killing people.

However, the trap with a Noise that erased another friend of Shiki's... That's disheartening.

Shiki Misaki has posed:
Shiki Misaki shakes her head.

"I don't understand anything, Faruja. The Reapers controlled everything and didn't tell us anything expect what we needed to do to survive. Support Reapers to give us smaller missions, the Game Master to issue every day's objective and Harriers to just try and kill us at every turn, I guess."

"I don't know why any of it happens. The Prize is coming back to life. But there's no reason why only one... uhhh... only two of us could... I don't know. Some stuff's hard to remember," she admits, rubbing her forehead as she tries to recall memories that either aren't forthcoming or just aren't there any more. Only darkness comes forth when she tries to bring them up.

"I don't understand. I just don't understand how any of it works. It's not to test if we're good enough or if we deserve it enough, otherwise people like her wouldn't try to kill us any way they could. It's not... I don't understand why they control Noise and sic them on us if we're supposed to be destroying Noise for the benefit of Shibuya. I don't... I just don't..."

She flails her hands for a moment and scowls.

Shiki Misaki has posed:
"Oh, guh," Shiki calls out, as if recalling something specific. "I remember. I remember this one thing. There was this one Support Reaper who was blocking a road we needed to get to the objective of the day. He said he wouldn't let us pass unless we dressed up entirely in Natural Puppy brand threads. And then we did, and then he let us."

"So it's nonsense. Obviously. It's obviously just nonsense rules. Whatever crap they feel like."

Faruja Senra has posed:
A small nod, and Faruja gestures with his muzzle at Reize towards Shiki. He'd no doubt be better at comforting her than him after all!

Taking it all in, the Burmecian offers a small smile to Shiki. "Thank you, Shiki. You know enough, for the moment. Do not trouble yourself overmuch. Yours is a situation none can envy, particularly for a seamstress. However..." a hand vaguely gestures to himself and Reize.

"You've friends enough, so much as you have enemies. Friends that shall protect you, as we are able. All I ask, Shiki, is that if you remember anything more, to tell it. What these Reapers do, in my estimation, is an insult to anything considered holy, much less the Church. Lives are in the hands of the Lord, not a group of would-be executioners. Certain...friends of mine will be very interested in what you have said today."

A pause, and a shake of the head. "Perhaps. Perhaps not. We lack context for these rules. To assume anything is dangerous. Knowledge is power, Lady Misaki."

Taking a deep breath, Faruja continues. "The important matter, is what you wish to do about the matter. These Reapers, for whatever reason, wish your life. That is what we know above all else. And we can plan around it. Think well, my friend. I have my own thoughts, were I in your place, but in the end it is your will that matters most.'

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Reize is uncertain over that to do or what to say regarding the situation. The prize is that only one is alive, but if there are two of them, where does that leave the other person. Reize just remains close to Shiki, just keeping a hand over towards her shoulder.

His eyes lift towards Faruja, "Faruja is right. You have us that are willing to stay by your side and prevent the Reapers from being jerks."

His eyes become determined, "Nevertheless, we will deal with it when it comes. We already know that the Reaper is here." He tightens his free hand, "I am not going to let her get you. In fact, we will beat her, beat the Game, and...."

A smile is given towards Shiki, "Well, you know."

Shiki Misaki has posed:
Shiki Misaki rolls her head back and forth a little bit, and makes a grumbling sound. "Yeah, but..."

"It feels rough, feeling like I can't pull my weight. Like you guys always have to protect me..."

"I got eaten by another big monster on the way up the tree. Like, literally completely eaten. Again. And Faruja wasn't around, I only managed to get myself out because I absolutely /had/ to."

Whereas most people would be quite proud that they managed to slay a monster the size of a small bus from the inside out, Shiki just thinks less of herself. It's startling, really.

She wracks her brain for a moment, trying to tease out any remaining shreds of relevant information. "All I can remember is just junk about Yashiro. She said Players and Noise are just pawns to her. She lied to Neku and said I was a spy for them so he'd want to kill me. As for the others..."

She presses her fingertips to her temple again. "I dunno. I'm starting to think that I must have hit my head pretty hard when I landed in Traverse Town. Whenever I try to remember some things, there's just fuzz and darkness there."

Reize, as always, gives her strength. "Of course you will, Reize. I know you will. After all, we're still Partners, aren't we?"

"Come on, c'mere," she says, shuffling her chair over. She sniffs a bit. "I need a hug. Give hugs."

Lenn has posed:
Lenn needed to take some time to re-stock the spells in her crystals, as she used quite a few. "Umm... sorry that took so long..."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Sigh. Oh, Shiki. The rat rubs his temple. "Shiki, you are stronger than you know. That you yet live, despite all that assails you...do you truly believe ordinary people could withstand the Game? The Reapers? Confidence, Shiki. If you desire to truly stand against your enemies, you must act decisively and boldly. Doubt and indecision will not serve you."

Standing, the ratling stretches, even as Shiki shuffles her chair forward. As the Burmecian passes behind Reize's own, his tail will gently tilt chair-and-boy. Hug or eat Gazebo, Ser Seatlan~

Then, standing and looking out at the aerial scenery as if he'd done not a thing, he continues.

"You must harden yourself, my Lady. Your enemies are merciless, it seems. It is painful. But I believe you are capable of it. Strength, Shiki. Learn it, hone it, and wield it. The Lord gave you your peculiar gifts. It is up to you to grow them. We must /all/ grow stronger, for each other. Do not think of it as us protecting solely you. We protect each other, for surely these Reapers target other innocents. And besides, there may come a day when it is /we/ who need your protection."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Twin ears perk. "Ahh, Lady Lenn, good even my dear. Lord bless you!" Bow! Thank goodness, more Shard Seekers are alright!

Lily has posed:
"Wheeeeeeeeee!" Now that they're past the danger, and have had a tour, Lily is rather enjoying Cleyra. She is in fact running down the pathways at great speeds that would worry -anyone- familiar with her habit of tripping, arms spread out like airplane wings for the Gazebo and the BIGGEST most innocent smile on her face!

Reize Seatlan has posed:
"Shiki, you're stronger than you realize. As I told you before. It takes time. So, just take it slow. You shouldn't go looking for it. When it comes down to it, then you will know what you are capable of."

Then, she tries to remember stuff about her time, despite her crash. But when she shuffles her chair over and sniff. ...He hears her request. A faint smile is given towards Shiki.

Nudge!!! The boy's eyes widen when the tail gently tilts the boy's way. He leans forward, the young man takes a knee to meet with Shiki's height. His arms wrap around her, offering her a smile.

"We're here for you, Shiki. I'm here for you.." He embraces her close. One can see the cheeks turning red as the embrace tightens around her.

Lenn and Lily's arrival earns a smile, "Oooiii! Lily, Lenn! I hope you both enjoyed your tour around this settlement!"

Lenn has posed:
Lenn pats her pouch. "I got myself restocked... I figured it's a good idea. Never know WHAT we'll run into with you around, Reize..."

Shiki Misaki has posed:
"I think I know what the deal is," Shiki says to both of them. "Rather than trying to wave a spear at things, I should just stick with what I've been good at before, right? I always feel more confident when I'm with my partner... well, a partner. Other people, really. So instead of trying to go out and get stronger by myself, I'll stick with you guys where I feel at my best."

She can't help but giggle a little, and pulls Reize in to give him a squeeze. "Stick /real/ close to ya."

Mmm. Yes, she thinks. This is where I feel safe.


And then Lily's high pitched squeal reaches her ears. She opens her eyes and detatches herself from Reize, sitting back and giving both of them a little bit of an apologetic look. "Good to see you both."

Lily has posed:
ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

It's really amazing that Lily is NOT TRIPPING this time, because the way she's running is not really how one would ever want to get around. And is that a dust cloud out behind her?

"REEEEEIZE! SHIKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUNCE.

... well, more or less. Lily JUMPS at the embracing pair and hugs them BOH really hard, squirming in as close as she can wrangle with wild abandon.

Lenn has posed:
Lenn smiles at Shiki. "I wasn't expecting to see you here." She blinks. "Oh!" She fishes in a pouch, producing a couple of small pins. "Those penguins dropped these. They reminded me of yours." She offers them to the fashionista.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja can't help but nod, the Burmecian quite liking her summation. "Quite. To work so well within a team...a rare talent." He comments, only to cover his muzzle as a blurr of bejeweled little girl leaps at the pair!

Lord give him strength to not give into so much cute! Beaming a smile at the trio, he manages to clamp down on a laugh. "Ahh, Lady Lily, a pleasure as always!" Grin! What a group!

Reize Seatlan has posed:
And the boy is caught in the squeeze by Shiki. A hand rests to her shoulder, patting it while keeping the embrace on. "Shiki.."

Blink.

And then Lily comes like a sonic boom. Oh dear. With that cloud of dust breaking behind her, his eyes widen. The moment she jumps over the two, Reize catches her with one arm, then he sweatdrops.

"Eh heh, Lily, it's good to see you too. I--..."

Antenna hair flops towards Lenn's statement. Reize makes a face towards the woman, sticking his tongueout at her, "Oiii! We've done a good job so far!"

He smiles, "It'll be about time for us to return home soon. It was interesting meeting the rest of your kind, Faruja! It was well worth the trip!"

Shiki Misaki has posed:
wauuuuuuuuuugh

Oh man Lily how can I ever stay mad at you. Even if you glass a small region of the desert then you go and do something like this and I remember you're just such an adorable bundle of HNNNNNGH.

Shiki giggles out loud and loses herself in snuggling Lily and Reize for a few moments more, feeling more genuine relief and joy for the first time in a little while. And when she looks up, it gets better!

"Came over from Fluorgis, was worried about you," she says, disengaging from the hug pile. The pins are simple ones, marked with denominations- Yen Pins, effectively monetary notes in little circular form. "Money in the bank!" she says happily, putting them into her bag.

"Do we have a little time for me to look around some more?" she asks. "I haven't been here long."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja smiles, looking down at the rest of the city as Reize speaks. "Indeed. I...may be late. It seems more of my companions have survived than I could have hoped. Do not wait for me, hmm?" The Burmecian has some catching up to do!

Glancing around at the rest of the seekers, he smiles, stretching as he walks past. "Excuse me, I should see to it. Lord bless, my friends. And do not forget the radios, hmm? We have them for a reason should ill befall you!"

Lily has posed:
"Hi Faruja!" The girl in white singsongs back at the holy warrior, while SQUEEZING the pair as hard as she can. She hears waht Lenn has to say though, and that's what gets her to let go. She pulls out a small bag of her own.. It's got two pins in it, from the J-Popguins. "These things? I thought they looked like it... but the wind came before I could grab any more of them..."

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Everything seems to calm. Shiki is good and safe. The Shard Seekers are all here. Lily is as happy as she can be. Lenn is here. Faruja is meeting with the rest of his kin.

To Reize, that makes everythin a good day. Shiki's request to see the city more earns a nod, "Yeah! Let's enjoy our time here. We don't have to go back to the headquarters anytime soon. Everything should be fine, right?"

Leaving Ivo to deal with the puppies.