In Nomine: the Pacific War (IC)

[tHEhERETIC]

Originally Posted by Lunakitten

“After all, you call my name, an’ you know dat powerful, non?” She licks his earlobe and the tender part of his neck before she’s suddenly gone, and in front of the group, upstaging the Oracle.
Corat whips a hand through where she'd been--fast enough to hit her, but not solid enough for such a wily being on her home turf. Ryuki's frozen solid, she has his attention, her power undeniable. She has his attention and because he knows what she is under that form he is horrified by his own reaction.
...
“So Sorcerer you are, an’ dat I name you here. Why you an’ dis one,” inclining her head at Glen, “think you can make de choice on who is worshipped, who …allowed? “ Her mouth twists with distate. “Why de cherubs let you live, hm? Cause dey know dey can win’ you up an send you wit dis one, wings clipped an’ half sidérered? Let your brothers get cut down, as long as you gon be fine, non? An’ my sisters? An’ me? You gon get you fun but make sure der nothin’ down on Earth dat can challenge you. Angel trust an demon fear de mighty Sorcerer, he walk unimpeded?” She snorts delicately. “Like dat gonna last.”
“Humans always been meddlers, an’ in de end angels an’ demons gonna step on an over you t’ get each other. You need t’ think on who need you, who wanna be wit’ you, an’ who like it when you meddle.”
She addresses the rest of the group. “An’ you, think careful like- wat dey gonna get from dis dat do you any good?” Nodding to Ryuki and Glen. “Dey can go safe, an you? How many friens an’ folks you know en up dead wit dem. How many dat jus’ got in de way? An’ when you get in de way?”
She crosses her arms and looks at each in turn.
“Now, you gonna really throw us away like dat?”

(;) http://img09.deviantart.net/8ede/i/2...nn-d6rq6ka.jpg)

Originally Posted by ladyarcana55

Sunae quietly sighs and shakes her head.

I knew it was some sort of trick.

Sunae does not show any reaction to the attention Ryuki is getting from this Ethereal in her female form. Ryuki had made it quite clear that he was not interested in any sort of future with her so she sees no reason to waste energy on the violation of something that will not exist.

Sunae only watches and waits for her to answer Mitch's question.

It's a damned good thing Ryuki doesn't read minds, or he'd have to resist the urge to school hell out of her. As it stands, a tiny tilt of the head indicates that he has noted the sound of her sigh and taken it into account.

On the bright side he is counting, thinking tactically again. Whether it was mere beauty or some glamour of the Baron's that had his attention, he has wrested it back.

"Alright," he addresses the god with a tiny sneer of defiance, "you've shown us your horrorshow, and you can see now what a man is. We could trade licks all day but we haven't got all day, and we have a Tradesman with us. He's asked a fine question that could actually help us all out. Maybe you'd consider answering it?"

Originally Posted by Puck

Mitch curls his tail around his body, flicking the feathered end of it around his face like a small fan brushing flies away. "My lord, as I'm sure you know is perhaps more open to speaking with you and your kindred then others of Heaven. I bear little to no grudge against your kind and do not mind if you wish to travel to Earth now and then. How do you believe that Ethereals can bring an end to the war between Heaven and Hell?"

"In case you've forgotten, what can you do to end the Angel Wars?" So he's paraphrasing. The gods don't seem in any hurry to answer; in fact they, the Baron and the Oracle, seem to be communicating with each other on a level you can't hear.

((Yes I know I've addressed a question to an NPC. I'll confer with Lunakitten, but anyone is welcome to jump in to the conversation anyway.))

[Lunakitten]

How we Ethereals gonna bring an end to de war ‘tween Heaven an’ Hell?" The Baron smiles at Ryuki, her teeth bright and white, her expression teasing and her voice soft, like a mother gently reminding a naughty child, but one that amuses her.
“Non, ma petite souris, you don’ ax de questions you know de answer to.” She suddenly appears on Ryuki’s right side, leaning on his shoulder. “I tell our tradesman here so he an’ evr’ybody know, but it serve you well to remember dat Mama Baron…” and with this a wisp of the fog pops up and smacks Ryuki’s rear on the left. This seems to annoy him more than anything, but maybe that was the point? At the same moment, she pops back in front of the rest of the party. “…can tell when you want to keep control of de conversation an’ when you trying to guide what dey know.”
Her gaze dismisses Ryuki, for now, and turns to address Mitch and the others.
“In some of de many wars fought among de humankine, der a country dat known for bein’ neutral, oui? Yes, dey was mostly lookin’ out for deyselves, now, but dey make good allies, good trade partners an’ a good place for negotiation- or spyin’, which often de same ting. In de war of wings an’ horns, dat should been humans, but y’all can’t not help it- you wanna be important bad so you pray to de angel an’ you make deals wit’ de demon. Maybe we gods play wit’ you an’ spoil you too much before, make you tink you can make dem do what you want too.”
She is almost sing song at this point, becoming more and more animated as she lays out her point.
“But de angels don’ care an’ de demons don’ play fair an’ you get used for whatever dey want. So de only real neutral party here, are me. Well, me an’ de other Gods, n'est-ce pas? So we can be de buffer, like we supposed to be- an’ de ones dat has no grudge on neither side. So we tell you where de demons run an’ where de cherubs flit an’ den you know what safe- an’ where to go if you wanna deal wit’ dem- you got your free will der, anyhow.” She shrugs. “So dat what we can do, if we can go do it.”
She looks at Ryuki again, who is grateful for his translator's training, but at the same time worried about sounding like a Nagasaki hick here in the dreaming. He keeps his mouth shut. “An’ dis one, he gone tell you dat if we keep de halos an’ horns separate, den who gonna keep dem in check? Sure, right now dey kine of play rough wit' each other if one o’ dem messin wit’ de humans an’ makin’ a big show, but you tink dey dere for every time? Sometimes dey’ll ignore it if one of dem, or one of de others is doin’ tings on de lown low and it work for dem. We see it here,” she gestures around her at the dreaming, “an’ den if we can go dere, we keep de balance. Tables got have three legs, non?" She smiles again and dimples.

[ladyarcana55]

"You're wrong. All three sides are fighting for their lives, in one manner or other. Under those circumstances, there are no neutral sides. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. You are not my friend."

She motions to the scene around her

"You can't use this as proof of your neutrality or your effectiveness. This is your home turf, you control it. You determine the outcome of what happens here. It has no bearing on the waking world."

[tHEhERETIC]

Originally Posted by Lunakitten

How we Ethereals gonna bring an end to de war ‘tween Heaven an’ Hell?" The Baron smiles at Ryuki, her teeth bright and white, her expression teasing and her voice soft, like a mother gently reminding a naughty child, but one that amuses her.

“In some of de many wars fought among de humankine, der a country dat known for bein’ neutral, oui? Yes, dey was mostly lookin’ out for deyselves, now, but dey make good allies, good trade partners an’ a good place for negotiation- or spyin’, which often de same ting. In de war of wings an’ horns, dat should been humans, but y’all can’t not help it- you wanna be important bad so you pray to de angel an’ you make deals wit’ de demon. Maybe we gods play wit’ you an’ spoil you too much before, make you tink you can make dem do what you want too.”
She is almost sing song at this point, becoming more and more animated as she lays out her point....
“an’ den if we can go dere, we keep de balance. Tables got have three legs, non?" She smiles again and dimples.

Originally Posted by ladyarcana55

"You're wrong. All three sides are fighting for their lives, in one manner or other. Under those circumstances, there are no neutral sides. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. You are not my friend."

She motions to the scene around her

"You can't use this as proof of your neutrality or your effectiveness. This is your home turf, you control it. You determine the outcome of what happens here. It has no bearing on the waking world."

Ryuki puffs up. "We are the neutral party, and you are our creations. Most of us have the blessing of ignorance, and a few of us have the burden of power. It is we--"

Corat cuts him off. "You're right, lord Baron." It's clearly flattery. "All noise, and not much getting done. You say your neutrality can help solve the longest war, if only you could get on the ground to work. Okay, but you are on the ground, at the car show where we were headed. We're all going to wake up and see what your man is about, really about since he's already started it without your coaching him to play nice." It's puffery, but the calm puffery of a well-armed professional soldier. He adds, just a little smugly, "We'll get back to you." And to the party, "We retreat from here and circle back around after gathering our provisions." It's almost as if he's justifying it to himself, to his relatively new Warrior mind. "Provisions, in this case, is experience, and battle is negotiations."

And to Cameron, though loud enough for anyone to hear, "You can wake up from this as you would any other dream. These fine folks will not stop you."

[ladyarcana55]

Originally Posted by tHEhERETIC

And to Cameron, though loud enough for anyone to hear, "You can wake up from this as you would any other dream. These fine folks will not stop you."

"I will stay until she wakes up, in case she needs some help."

[Puck]

Originally Posted by ladyarcana55

"I will stay until she wakes up, in case she needs some help."

Mich nods at Corat "I will meet you back at the car and we can continue on to the car show." He glances at the Baron "Which I'm sure you know is our actual destination, not the Ethereal plane."

[tHEhERETIC]

Originally Posted by ladyarcana55

"I will stay until she wakes up, in case she needs some help."

Originally Posted by Puck

Mich nods at Corat "I will meet you back at the car and we can continue on to the car show." He glances at the Baron "Which I'm sure you know is our actual destination, not the Ethereal plane."

Ryuki gives Cameron a gentle little push in the dream, to help her wake up. After she vanishes, he wonders whether Glen or Sunae will go without prompting. No matter; he can wait. Apparently Corat has had the same thought.

"Go ahead, I'll make sure everyone leaves here, and you can make sure everyone arrives there."

"No, you go first."

This little bit of comedy goes on for a couple of rounds until they resort to rock-paper-scissors. Corat wins this, of course, even without intending to cheat, and Ryuki pops out of the ether. Corat waits to see the others safely off while the Baron and his sister (you knew that, right?) talk among themselves.

Somewhere in the distant dreaming the swordfighting has stopped, and a gruff voice sings "Eeny meenie minie moe..."

The part would wake up in their van, stopped on the side of the road. They're exactly where they left off, within sight of the desert site of a car festival just beginning to wind up.

[ladyarcana55]

Originally Posted by tHEhERETIC

The part would wake up in their van, stopped on the side of the road. They're exactly where they left off, within sight of the desert site of a car festival just beginning to wind up.

Sunae wakes up and almost immediately has a perturbed look on her face.

"Well, that was a waste of time. Only God knows what their distraction allowed their rogue to accomplish."

She is visibly irritated.

[tHEhERETIC]

Originally Posted by ladyarcana55

Sunae wakes up and almost immediately has a perturbed look on her face.

"Well, that was a waste of time. Only God knows what their distraction allowed their rogue to accomplish."

She is visibly irritated.

"Did you not hear what they said? Or were you that taken in by their special effects." Corat's usually more circumspect than that, but he is in transition after all. "It's extortion, certainly. They're willing to negotiate down the terms, but it's 'we starve and you die'." His mind follows that, but his lips keep that tail to himself.

[ladyarcana55]

Originally Posted by tHEhERETIC

"Did you not hear what they said? Or were you that taken in by their special effects." Corat's usually more circumspect than that, but he is in transition after all. "It's extortion, certainly. They're willing to negotiate down the terms, but it's 'we starve and you die'." His mind follows that, but his lips keep that tail to himself.

"Was that what it is? I didn't realize that, my apologies. I am more used to the direct approach. But why approach us? Why not approach those who actually stand a chance of getting something done?"