Ryukuza Quest: Protector of Smiles and Youkai Hunter

Well the way I see it, we probably aren't expected to be so gung-ho about doing his bidding even at night while our clan sleeps, so doing something on our own now should probably be okay! Probably.

oh right, that one. Well, might as well get it out of the way. Was there a recipe we had in mind?

[] Kiss them both and slip out of the house to deal with a personal promise.

>[] Kiss them both and slip out of the house to deal with a personal promise.
Hahaha this will be fun

>[] Kiss them both and slip out of the house to deal with a personal promise.

So, what was our idea for fulfilling it to the letter, if not the spirit, of the promise again? I remember it was discussed at the time but it's been a while.

I forget, what reason does Himeyuri have to not have booby-trapped her house/set up an ambush there?

Not that I think anything she can muster can really stop us, much less slow us down, but she might be able to do something she'd regret.

Illusions, maybe. Or maybe a Clan Ryo combat team that does not realize that Ryukusa is coming for a visit.

actually wait, withdrawing that in favor of
>[] Take some time and pray and meditate, give them this time together.
Because I forgot that we have to make sure Himeyuri doesn't wake up and Ryukusa might be too high on power to be as stealthy as she can be.

I don't think Ryukusa would punish her for self-defense, so unless she can actually mount enough of a threat to force Ryukusa to fight seriously enough to risk hurting her, I don't think it'll be an issue.

There is a small problem
>I am going to slaughter them. Then I am going to take the pieces and arrange them in your living room while you sleep. If you wake up, which is extremely likely, I will slaughter you, take the pieces to your parents home, and place them there. In the event they waken as I am doing this, I will slaughter them, and place the parts in the houses of the next nearest relatives. I will continue this process until either no one wakes while I am there or until one month has passed, whichever happens first. It is important to remember that I do not have to be a quiet dragonette when moving through people's houses.”

While the dinner part is fine, we still are honor bound to kill Himeyuri if she wakes up, however, I'm not sure what the terms are if she's awake when we get to her place?

That's a fair point, or rather, two of them. I wonder, if she wakes up but doesn't notice Ryukusa is around, does Ryukusa still have to kill her? What if she just wakes up for reasons unrelated to Ryukusa?

On the other hand, to imply that she can't arrange pieces in someone's living room without waking someone up is really selling Ryukusa short.

>might be too high on power to be as stealthy as she can be.
....you really don't have to worry about that.

It doesn't say anything about us waking her up on purpose though.

oh good, paranoia withdrawn then. Sorry!

[XXX] Kiss them both and slip out of the house to deal with a personal promise.
[XX] Take some time and pray and meditate, give them this time together.
[X] See what Wood Eyes can tell you about your seer and sorceress.

While smoking was a habit you picked up both as part of the delinquent image and simply as something to keep you relatively occupied as a schoolgirl, like all such habits it was one you could take or leave at will. The holdover isn't desire as much as it is a way to be doing something other than simply sitting, meditation or no.

Not that some prayers and meditation would be misplaced, though. You're an adult now, apparently, or at least you've become what you were meant to be all along. That deserves a little respect.

You do have one bit of nagging curiosity though. You've never really tried Wood Eyes, largely because it was difficult and draining when you could have tried, and you've never really had a use for them. You're not ignorant of how incredibly helpful they have been to Yui-niji-chan, as Kiki-hime has been guiding and helping her to grow. So you open them, with shocking ease, to study both Er Yin-sensei and Kiku-chan.

You're not quite sure what you expected. Rather than the matter-of-fact understanding Water Eyes gives you, the simplified and absolute intense truths revealed by Fire Eyes, or the complicated flow of power, Chi, Shen, Jing, and other rarefied energies that used to make no sense to you, you are given a much deeper, more intricate insight into Er Yin that Water Eyes allows. No, not deeper or more intricate....more fundamental. More personal, and in depth, perhaps. It's a subtle difference.

Now you are aware of Er Yin's essential desire to be a good Master (and her awareness of that word is complex and intricate, easily broken down if you bother to concentrate upon it) to her Hougyoku-chan, her more complex and intricate desires and needs to assist you in avenging her previous incarnation and those of her lovers and family as well as assist you in this lifetime to become whom you are meant to be, and her more fundamental and basic desires to be a good nurse to your children and to protect the household as a whole.

Following any one desire leads you to the fundamental natures and basis of that desire, such that you can easily understand her motivations, her needs, and what she requires and can be given or lead to to assist her in achieving those goals. The inverse is easily accomplished as well: you could easily uncover ways to inhibit or even destroy those desires, fundamentally altering the way she acts, feels and believes.

Interestingly, she doesn't notice you using Wood Eyes, though you're pretty sure she's noticed you using Water eyes at least once before.

[] Go ahead and study Kiku-chan.
[] Oh, no, fuck that mind controlling bullshit. No way.
[] Relax, close Wood Eyes, and open Stone Eyes instead.
[] Follow up on some of Er Yin's desires (write in which one) out of curiosity.
[] See how much of that knowledge you retain without the use of Wood Eyes by closing them.

>[] See how much of that knowledge you retain without the use of Wood Eyes by closing them.
Sounds like an interesting test!

>[x] See how much of that knowledge you retain without the use of Wood Eyes by closing them.
>[x] Relax, close Wood Eyes, and open Stone Eyes instead.

>[] See how much of that knowledge you retain without the use of Wood Eyes by closing them.
Useful, but we might need training on how to
deal with them properly.

I vaguely feel like it might be a bad idea but
>[] Relax, close Wood Eyes, and open Stone Eyes instead.
I feel like since our elemental training is mostly maxed out, we should make sure we know all we can of our weakest two elements.

>[] See how much of that knowledge you retain without the use of Wood Eyes by closing them.
>[] Relax, close Wood Eyes, and open Stone Eyes instead.

>[x] Relax, close Wood Eyes, and open Stone Eyes instead.
>[x] See how much of that knowledge you retain without the use of Wood Eyes by closing them.
Yeah, sure. A little less prying.

Maybe Ryukusa is a little uncomfortable actively manipulating someone with wood eyes, but getting insight and then closing them again seems nore "fair".

Also while not that vehemently, I sort of feel
>[] Oh, no, fuck that mind controlling bullshit. No way.
Not because we distrust Kiki, but more awareness of how we could get carried away.

Yeah, I suppose Ryukusa might just be uncomfortable using Wood Eyes on her family in general, even if it can be completely harmless when used in moderation.

Also if you're clever enough at using them, the other Eye techniques can be pretty fucking invasive as well.

That's basically the point of them, yes

We just have to take some animals like chickens, kill them, and cook them.

Also we shouldn't really lack trust in our ability to use it when needed, just remember that Wood Eyes aren't a toy I guess? ...Eh now I'm thinking this was a mistake.

Even cook them?
Well, I suppose domestic Ryukusa needs practice too.

Cooking them makes it just a bit more fun than throwing carcasses around. But uh, I wouldn't say she needs practice, no.

Considering that she can make a multi-course gourmet meal for 10 in 5 minutes effortlessly I think she's fine.

You always need practice user!

>You won't attempt to control your loved ones or anyone like this, especially not for something of your daily life.

>Apologize to your beloved for using your Wood Eyes without asking before. Everyone has their private things.

>Mention they were just as beautiful under Wood Eyes than as always

Ryukusa takes care to never be invasive with them. She can arguably fail, but that's it.

Even putting aside the mind control angle, relying on wood eyes acts as a crutch where regular empathy should be used. You go from feeling for a person to just pushing their buttons, and acting out according to desired results instead of one's own feelings.

Hi XS! How are you?

Time for best Quest with best QM!

Hoping this is not too late.

Ryukusa doesn't need practice in domestic things. She needs to perform Actions, though.

So tell her we tried Wood Eyes, and apologize for doing it? That seems like a good idea.

Wood Eyes is basically an enhanced version of this.

I wouldn't say that how Kiki has been using it with Yui is bad, for exemple. But like any power, it can be abused easily.

Adding to my vote here >Kiki-hime-chan is amazing, handling that power so wisely. Of course, there was never any doubt about it.

If we apologize for using wood eyes, that implies that our loved ones who do it naturally would have been in the wrong if they ever used it on us.

I still say we go to the Mill Pond Demon, after we've dealt with Enma-oh.

I mean, there is more than Er Yin's recent injuries that we wanted that power to cure.

Also, did Akari send that invitation ? It would be inexcusably rude to not go after inviting the Kappa to a meal.

hm, hadn't really considered that part. I feel like might mollify it a bit, but perhaps not. This is complicated.

Perhaps it could be worthwhile, but there is certainly no rush to it.

Not really, because we are fine with them using it, but we used it this time basically "just to test" for fun. It's like if we used Water Eyes just to test them and discovered someone's private thoughts.

Your point about the invitation is fair. So's the rest really, but as user said, we've got a lot of stuff to do, so it'd probably go on the backburner.

Sure.

As I said, after we've dealt with Enma. Unless the invitation makes us do it soon anyway.

though wait if we're doing that, we probably shouldn't also test Stone Eyes.

I say we need not address it at all. We've not even brought up that we have all the eyes, as far as I know they have no idea about it.

[XX] See how much of that knowledge you retain without the use of Wood Eyes by closing them.
[X] Relax, close Wood Eyes, and open Stone Eyes instead.

Perhaps it is your prejudice against – or simple awareness of – how utterly devastating the Barrier Techniques where you assault someone's mental integrity that makes you really not want to pursue this too deeply just yet. Still, it is insightful. Closing your Wood Eyes, you are caught by surprise by how very little retention you have of what was only seconds ago completely obvious. It is also notable that while Kiku-chan was in Er Yin's arms, you received absolutely no information about her through Wood Eyes at all. You're still aware of how much Er Yin wishes to help and how she adores and dedicates herself to Kiku-chan, but compared to what you understood so deeply while looking through Wood Eyes, it's nothing you didn't already know for yourself.

And it makes sense, really – Wood Eyes, unlike most of the other techniques, is an active technique, actually informing you and allowing you to manipulate others while they're active with supreme accuracy. And once they are closed, you have no retained information, and what you understood so obviously fades into non-importance, even for someone with your retentive memory. The influences you can create while using them are not anything permanent, only very well informed psychological techniques that might have a lasting impact more because of whom you use them on rather than your use of them.

Though you can certainly see what Kushinada-san meant when she didn't want Kiki-hime in charge of Japan. That would be a troubling thought, if you didn't know the power of Wood Eyes was so self-limiting.

Stone Eyes, on the other hand, gives you something even more simple that Fire Eyes does. The few objects of stone and crystal in the room fade into translucence, including the glass and the backing of the mirror; but the real interesting thing is what you see when you look at Kiku and Er Yin. Kiku is a ancient, potent flame, supremely destructive even to itself; only that which contains it is spared from destruction and that would be Er Yin. Er Yin is an even older yet more flexible, vivacious force of incredible depth and knowledge. Her natures as Void and Metal intermingle, making her both wise and warlike in equal amounts.

Not 'truth' per se, but simply their basic nature.

You close Stone Eyes and rise easily, your tail slipping free of Er Yin's. Placing a hand on Er Yin's shoulder, you leans down, and kiss her softly, deeply, reveling in the intimacy of the kiss. You can't help but shudder as she allows you to break the kiss; you didn't even notice when she took control of it and was kissing you, rather than the other way around.

You are so looking forward to that date.

A gentle kiss for your delicate seeming priestess causes a soft, trilling warble to erupt from her throat, much to Er Yin's amusement. You stroke her hair and whisper softly to Er Yin, “I will be back before dawn, I think. If something happens, you will know, but you need not worry. I have a Promise to keep.”

Er Yin-sensei starts to look worried, but when you explain why you are leaving, she nods and takes you at your word. “Hai, Ryukusa-sama. I will sleep soon, I think.” You trace her horn and slip away to one of the other bedrooms. There you say a litany of prayers, to those whom you have promised them and to those whom you feel need and deserve them, as well as some on behalf of your family and yourself. You then settle down to meditate for a while. You know it isn't going to be as long as you want, but it feel like forever.

And you have just the thing to meditate upon: what you're going to wear to Himeyuri's house.

[] Sleek and Chic: meeting of the classy ladies.
[] Not-Ninja Exotique: stylishly not a ninja.
[] Traditional Tomboy: this is Clan Ryuu vs Clan Ryo.
[] Casually Beautiful: you don't need attention, you just need to look good.

>[] Casually Beautiful: you don't need attention, you just need to look good.
Maybe we can blend in!
Yeah, I know, for Ryukusa that's a hopeless idea, at least without some kinda glamour or illusion going on.

>[] Not-Ninja Exotique: stylishly not a ninja.

>[] Traditional Tomboy: this is Clan Ryuu vs Clan Ryo.

I like tomboys

>[x] Traditional Tomboy: this is Clan Ryuu vs Clan Ryo.
A tomboy Ryukusa is fine too

[] Sleek and Chic: meeting of the classy ladies.
[] Not-Ninja Exotique: stylishly not a ninja.

>[] Traditional Tomboy: this is Clan Ryuu vs Clan Ryo.

>[] Sleek and Chic: meeting of the classy ladies.
>[] Not-Ninja Exotique: stylishly not a ninja

Not-Ninja Leader Ryukusa

>Let's add some Ainu influences.

I'd add some Chinese ones, too, but I think tonight we can use Ainu.

>[x] Traditional Tomboy: this is Clan Ryuu vs Clan Ryo.

>[] Sleek and Chic: meeting of the classy ladies.

Ainu isn't a bad idea. I'm wondering whether XS could craft an outfit combining all these traits though, user!

Looks like everyone's here for the REAL decisions.

A stylish outfit? Quite possibly! An outfit with Ryukusa's lack of dress sense? A much greater challenge.

I will have my say in Dragonette Dress-up Simulator 2016, user!

What do you mean, lack of dress sense? Ryukusa is incredibly elegant and fashionable.

This. Has he even read the quest?

I declare that now is the time to post asian beauties

Do you think we could recruit Himeyuri? She'd be useful, though it'd be hard as hell to convince her to quit the Clan Ryo, even if we point out she technicaly betrayed Oba-shit, and that Oba-shit definitively betrayed her.

In any case, I think we should leave a letter for her.

Maybe we could leave her a caligraphy, too. Something nice.

Maybe "Forgiveness".

And maybe written in a way that both says we are forgiving her and apologizing for putting her in this harsh position.

I mean, she was acting as our enemy, and we didn't go overboard, but threatening her entire family was still big.

That's quite pretty indeed, user!

I dunno about that. I mean, I don't dislike her and would like her on our side, but I also dunno about recruiting her now. After all, if we did, wouldn't she get a huge target on her from auntie, as a traitor and all? I mean, technically our family is full of traitors to auntie, but that's because they were closer to Ryukusa. Grabbing Himeyuri would be almost an insult to her.

[x] Sleek and Chic: meeting of the classy ladies.
[x] Not-Ninja Exotique: stylishly not a ninja.
[X] Traditional Tomboy: this is Clan Ryuu vs Clan Ryo.
[+] Ainu influence. Well, what you've seen of it.

It's a fairly difficult choice, to be honest, because you have so many interesting statements to make. But really, this is you, head of Clan Ryuu, meeting with the Spymaster of Clan Ryo, and making good on some serious threats. But that doesn't mean you can't have some fun with it.

The one thing you definitely would like to try out is something showing off your hips. Both Inau-kun and Yuuhi-chan's outfits bared their hips some, and Inau-kun's was sort of mannish, a samurai sort of style to it. You rise slowly and lay out a set of hakama....and then consider the better of it, and lay out a set of nice silk hakama, black and elegant with silver trim along the waist and legs. You use talons to slice bits of it away, keeping in mind the rest of the outfit, and sew the edges, adding some embroidery to it.

Absently you note that Akari has woken up, and while Yui and Kiki-hime stirred both of them are quickly asleep.

The jacket is more gi than jacket, but you add a little embellishment to it as well: namely your personal mon as given by Clan Ryo upon the jacket in several places, along with a set on each shoulder. Scoop back blouse, not quite to the waist, long sleeves, a choker strap....hmmm. Oh, flare the sleeves and split them from the elbow down, except the wrists held on by cuffs. Bare forearms, to match your back and your hips. Flowing legs, wide and soft and shimmery, good. Silver buttons with cobalt blue glass on them and the collar. Flats, Chinese style with more silver and cobalt blue embroidery. Nice wide men's obi-style belts, two of them. No need for weapons just yet.

You dress, adding a traditional fundoshi, but the amount of width for the pants makes it unlikely that anyone will catch anything more than bare skin at a glimpse. You glance at your back in the mirror before drawing the jacket up; the tattoos marking you as a warrior of Clan Ryo are dark and vivid along your pale skin. If the police see, it might make a difference, but you aren't planning on letting them see you. You toe the slippers into ~Nowhere~ for the moment, and then leave the bedroom in the same pristine state in which you entered it.

Er Yin-sensei has vacated the living room, Kiku-chan undoubtedly in tow, but Akari-niji-chan is waiting near the door, dressed and clearly intending to go with you. Her eyes open and she is rather taken aback by your look. You pull Ame-no-Omukade-no-Musume and place her in your belt, while you toss Matagama-no-Shitoki over your head and she settles about your neck, while you take the sheathed blade Gendai-no-Muteki-no-Buki and balance her on your shoulder, while hanging Go-Yūrei-no-Rensa, the silvery Five Ghost Chain along your right hip from one of the two belts you are wearing.

[] Ask her what she thinks before her eyes burst.
[] As much as I'd like to have you with me, you can't join me this time.
[] You think I'll impress Ryuu Himeyuri?
[] I know what you're going to ask, and the answer is maybe.
[] This is personal business, niji-chan, but I'll consider it.

>[] You think I'll impress Ryuu Himeyuri?
>[] As much as I'd like to have you with me, you can't join me this time.
Sorry, niji-chan.

[] Ask her what she thinks before her eyes burst.
[] You think I'll impress Ryuu Himeyuri?
[] This is personal business, niji-chan, but I'll consider it.

>[] Ask her what she thinks before her eyes burst.
>[] You think I'll impress Ryuu Himeyuri?
>[] As much as I'd like to have you with me, you can't join me this time.

>This is not a question of security, but of a promise I have to keep.

>[x] Ask her what she thinks before her eyes burst.
>[x] As much as I'd like to have you with me, you can't join me this time.
I wish I had a better imagination (and grasp of Japanese clothing) so I could visualize what the outfit might look like, but I'm sure Ryukusa is pulling it off swimmingly.

>[] You think I'll impress Ryuu Himeyuri?
>[] I know what you're going to ask, and the answer is maybe.
We're not planning to actually fight anyone, are we?

Amazing outfit, as much as I can tell.

What tattoos does Ryukusa have?

>[] Ask her what she thinks before her eyes burst.
As for Akari, even though I feel like it's important we break into Himeyuri's place on our own, not sure why we can't talk with her along the way.

Not planning, no.

>[] Ask her what she thinks before her eyes burst.
>[] As much as I'd like to have you with me, you can't join me this time.

Ryukusa's plans are better than average plans, so I'm sure they'll go off without a hitch!

Nah, Ryukusa is smart enough to know things won't go as planned most of the time.

>They are a pair of 'mon' type markings along her shoulderblades, encircled and entwined with a pair of dragons and the kanji for wealth, prosperity, dragon, and loyalty along with the family name. Not quite yakuza style and they follow the same basic outline of most Clan Ryo markings, but they are unique to her as all are. Akari has similar ones, except her personal mon is different than Ryukuzas and her family mark is different.

>and the kanji for wealth, prosperity, dragon, and loyalty along with the family name
Sounds kind of tacky. I've never seen actual Japanese fashion use kanji in that fashion; do you have any examples?

[] Ask her what she thinks before her eyes burst.
[] You think I'll impress Ryuu Himeyuri?
[] I know what you're going to ask, and the answer is maybe.
[] This is personal business, niji-chan, but I'll consider it.
>[] Let her make her case to come with.

No, because it's entirely made up.

They're designed so that the entirety of the tattoo can be added to a charm or talisman so that the spiritualist of Clan Ryo can literally curse specific individuals or create wards against them.

This won't work on Ryukuza or Akari - theirs have been altered by the Sun.

>They're designed so that the entirety of the tattoo can be added to a charm or talisman so that the spiritualist of Clan Ryo can literally curse specific individuals or create wards against them.
Man, that's pretty nasty. I guess we shouldn't expect differently from auntie, huh.

[XX] Ask her what she thinks before her eyes burst.
[X] As much as I'd like to have you with me, you can't join me this time.
[X] You think I'll impress Ryuu Himeyuri?
[+] This is kami stuff, a demigod's promise.
[+] ….but I'll always hear you out.

You smile and tug the jacket open so Matagama-no-Shitoki can slip under it to rest against the shimmering black satin blouse, cradled by your breasts. “You should probably blink a few times before your eyes become permanently damaged, Akari-niji-chan,” you comment mildly as you walk over to her. With a flick of your wrist you spill the nodachi into ~Nowhere~ to free up your hands.

She blinks several times but can't take her eyes off of you. “So....you think Ryuu Himeyuri will be suitably impressed by this?” That gets her attention, and she shakes her head. You reach down and cup her cheek, running your thumb along her lips gently. “You're drooling.” She watches as you bring your thumb back to her mouth and extend your tongue, sliding it along your extended thumb while looking into her carnelian eyes.

You swear to kami she just about had an orgasm.

“....you shouldn't go alone, aniki,” she murmurs, enunciating so carefully that you're absolutely positive she's working at not stuttering.

“I have to go alone. I made a Promise, as a demigod, to Ryuu Himeyuri. If everything goes well, there wouldn't be a problem with you being there, or anyone else....but if the worst happens, I don't want anyone but me there.”

“This is about the Twin Warlords, isn't it, aniki.” Unwholesomely on top of things, but that's why....wait, you don't pay anyone yet. You should probably do something about that. You nod slowly. “But that means I have to come, because chances are high she will have set a trap.”

“Ah, but that's why you're going to pinpoint her current whereabouts and that of the Elites, in the next thirty minutes, niji-chan,” you tell her, having just decided that in the last few seconds. “And while I warm up the tea, you can try and argue your way into this mess of mine, so I can say 'no' again.” You lean in and sniff her hair, reveling in the scent of damp stone and strange spiciness that is Akari. “You DO like this outfit,” you comment as you turn and walk away.

Akari coughs softly and crawls over to the coffee table to set up her laptop. “Yes, aniki, I do,” she admits softly, and you can't help but smile. As she starts work, you reheat the green tea that has been steeping this entire time. You add a little water, draw off a little tea, and take out the tisanes to set them aside. “I imagine she'll need a direct line to Oba-san, so I'll start there.” The softened key-tapping of her personalized laptop won't wake anyone, you're fairly sure.

Setting her tea on a coaster near her, you settle on the floor next to her. She works very hard at ignoring you. “I made a very distinctive and plain promise as a threat to her and all her living relatives. If I want to, I can pretty much kill everyone in her lineage without repercussions.” That declaration makes Akari look at you. “Oh, I left myself several loopholes, easily exploited ones, but the point is at my discretion I can end her line.”