Withering Green [Exalted 2.5e]

[TheCountAlucard]

The sun says goodbye to the Shore Lands, painting a lovely sky with orange and purple colors as it journeys to the sea. Its farewell makes the River of Queens flash with gold. Along this river is the City of the Steel Lotus, capital of An-Teng.

The streets of the City of the Steel Lotus still thrive with activity as the night life begins to awaken. Somewhere between the market district and the Palace of Threefold Magnificence, the Upright Lodge of Peony Flowers is open for business, and its owner, a middle-aged woman named Petal, directs the staff in making dinner for its guests. It caters to foreigners and the Dragon-Blooded alike, and so sees much business.

In the common room, long tables have been set out for most of the guests to sit and eat; a number of guests do so now...

A beautiful courtesan sits in the lap of a boisterous Realm officer; he jokes and drinks, and she does a good job of laughing with him and not noticing when he spills on her.

An old blind Tengese man sits with a cup of tea, murmuring prayers before taking a sip.

Twin men with yellow-slitted eyes pick at what scraps of meat cling stubbornly to the bones on their plates. Scales are visible on their naked forearms. One wears a saber.

A priest of the Golden Lord, dressed in spotless robes, simply sits, looking about. When a waitress asks for his order, he explains he will wait for his friend.

An iron-thewed Northman is arm-wrestling an Immaculate monk, and losing. Badly. With each victory, the Immaculate simply smiles and offers him to try again.

A Tengese lumberjack eats eggs from a jar of brine, shells and all. Though he wears cotton jacket and trousers, three silver earrings adorn his right ear.

A hunchbacked sailor with pointed teeth cleans his nails with a knife. When his food is brought to him, he uses the same knife to begin cutting his dinner.

(OOC thread is here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?339366-Withering-Green-Exalted-2-5e&p=17253133).)

[Snowfire]

It was pretty much all but impossible for someone like Shia to prevent herself from drawing the attention of those around her - it had been a gift that she had profited and suffered from in almost equal measure from birth. Of course she knew how to wield the natural beauty she had been gifted with far better now then she had then, training that had in time given her an almost magnetic charisma with mortals, and even those of the Elemental Dragons. Her brothers and sisters of the Fellowship...well a lot of them could be harder, and she'd read old tales of the Lawgiver's powers to sidestep the more subtle powers that her kind had been chosen to wield. But then in the end, had that not been to be the way of things? She had grown to dwell on that question more often in the time since she had arranged passage of herself to An-Teng. Tabby had...not been hard to persuade of things, even with the self-enforced disadvantage of not wishing to channel more than a tithe of her essence. It wouldn't do to attract attention to herself like that.

Then again, it wasn't as if she minded the looks that those on streets often shot her way as she approached or passed them by. Her study of the Sapphire Veils of Passion had given her a far deeper understanding of how complex and powerful such things could be, and where she once might have seen them as leering or degrading, she now felt quite differently. It was nice to be wanted, for such things you could do with that desire.

Yet the half-Circle she was building was still not complete. She had brought Dawn with her, as well as one of the phases of the Moon that could move them across the sky. Now all they needed was the Night. She'd sent out feelers through the network she'd been building in preparation for this and had come up lucky in that there was - so she believed - one who fit the bill in An-Teng itself. She'd watched his movements for some time across the region since he flared to prominence and the last report she'd gotten on him had placed him as heading for the City of the Steel Lotus, which had happened to suit her right down to the ground.

To say she breezed into the establishment was perhaps something of an understatement, it was more like she was a breeze. One that slipped gracefully in through the door, flowing across the room in a breath of simple presence. Part of it was just ingrained showmanship, but the rest was a very carefully calculated act to draw attention away from Tabby and to herself. The overlapping garments of purple, red and pink had been well made to suit her - she'd actually done some of the work on them herself. She looked around, then headed for the table with the priest of the Golden Lord. She hoped he hadn't been waiting too long.

"It is good to see you again." She said, sliding languidly into the seat across from him. Literally sliding. She hadn't sat down so much as slipped sideways onto the chair in a motion that was far too sensual to be legal. "The passing of days has treated you well?"

[HalfTangible]

The city of the Steel Lotus
Upright Lodge of Peony Flowers

A major disadvantage to being a mercenary is that your clients will often be people you detest. This is especially aggravating if the client had paid in advance.

Tabby kept her head down underneath her hood, her cloak deliberately positioned to hide her orichalchum gauntlets and reinforced breastplate. Mortals generally didn't grasp the significance of golden armor, but there was no reason to make it easy for anyone who did. Her blonde hair was tied underneath her hood, but as her green eyes shifted to the crowd, she found herself scowling. Of course they were going to stare. Shia was in front of her.

She was, unfortunately, a client who had gladly paid for passage and an escort in advance. So Tabby was obligated to be here.

Well, her or Black Cloud, the pilot of their airship. A lunar wasn't as strong as a Solar, but he was strong enough. However, Tabby wasn't leaving her bo- her lunar mate alone with this (most likely) god-blooded woman in the middle of Realm-controlled territory. Sky was completely smitten with Shia, and Tabby wasn't going to deny it got under her skin. Putting aside that she could make any woman feel inadequate, she was sure Sky had-

Tabby threw those thoughts out. The warm, comfortable feeling of her breastblate, gauntlets and armbands helped her calm and focus herself. It wouldn't be long. Not too long before Shia dismissed her - it wasn't like she'd need an airship every day. Then she could go back, set off with her friend and continue their lives like nothing at all had happened.

As the two entered the inn, Tabby lowered her hood. A few glances were thrown her way before settling back on the beautiful woman in front of her. Tabby figured it was because she was foreign - her pale skin spoke of a woman from the north, while her tan spoke of the fact that she trained in the sun every day. (She'd lived in the south most of her life, as had her dad, but she thought her mother might be from the north) Of course, there was also the fact that her client was drop-dead gorgeous and drawing every eye from here to Coral. She kept quiet as she sat at the table with Shia and the priest. This was negotiation time. She wasn't good at negotiation time.

She probably wouldn't get to do her favorite thing on this trip, either. Another reason she didn't like this client.

Stop thinking about her and maybe, just maybe, you'll stop being so ticked. Geez. Ten more minutes, if you're lucky. Ten more minutes!

But hey, maybe she could open a mercenary band. Give jobs she didn't like to her subordinates one day. That sounded like fun. She sure had the money for it...

[TheCountAlucard]

Many eyes follow the newcomers through the lodge's common room; the tree-cutter begins picking eggshells out of his teeth; the Northman scoots over to a closer spot, leaving the Immaculate Monk to frown disappointedly; even the lovely courtesan lets her eyes glance over the beautiful Shia before returning to her Realm acquaintance. Sadly, he seems even more taken with Shia than some of the others, and try as she might, she cannot captivate his attention again.

Only the blind man and the sailor seems unfazed by Shia's beauty; the sailor's teeth shred a cut of meat to a pulp, dark juices running in rivulets between the filed-down choppers.

The priest smiles warmly at the sight of Shia. His lips are all too eager to brush her hand, and then he says, "Blessings to you, child - my days have gone well, but your beauty brightens them further. You are lucky to have caught me today; I was readying myself to spend a week down the river. What business do you and your friend have here?"

[HalfTangible]

"She is not my friend." Tabby grumbled, placing her chin on the table. She hoped this would go quickly.

[Snowfire]

Shia smiled demurely as the priest pressed his lips to her hand, eyes sparkling with amusement. She hadn't changed even slightly since she had met him over a decade ago, and yet he still called her a child. And yet far from angering her, in a way it was nice to be able to talk to someone that knew her as the she who was carefree and joyful. She placed her hands on her lap with an almost catlike neatness, smiling again but with more humour at Tabby's objection to her being labelled a friend.

"Be nice, dear. I might even buy you dinner." She replied without skipping a beat as she picked up the menu in front of her, gazing over its lowered upper edge at her friend. "Lucky indeed that I found you today then. I was wondering about the mutual acquaintance of ours that you said should be in town soon. Do you know if he's arrived?"

[TheCountAlucard]

"If he's here, he hasn't announced his presence yet," the priest says calmly. "I suspect he's arrived only recently." The priest falls quiet at the approach of the waitress with a bottle of wine, which she sets before Shia.

"Compliments of our illustrious Realm delegate," she says. The waitress remains in place long enough to collect the group's orders before leaving the table.

Once she's left, another waitress approaches, setting a tall glass of sweet-smelling liquer before Shia. "From the delegates to the south," she says, gesturing in the direction of the scaled men.

Before Shia can get a drink from the courtesan or the lumberjack, the priest says, "Do you have accomodations yet for the night?"

[Snowfire]

"My thanks," Shai began, only to be cut off as well by the approaching waitress. As the bottle of wine was placed on the table, she laughed out loud - the sound disturbingly alike to that of happy bells in the type of sound it creates (if one could create bells that were happy at least) - the sound sending a ripple of reaction around the room.

"If I didn't, I'm pretty sure I just got two offers of it." Shia chuckled. "But I do, in fact." She bent her gaze in Tabby's direction with a compassionate smile on her face. "Unless of course you'd prefer some alone time tonight. I'm sure I can arrange something." A single elegant eyebrow dipped upwards at the priest. "Or was that an offer of your own?" She asked. Her tone was playful, yet as was often the case there was a question beneath it. Was there a reason she should seek accommodation, or was it just the priest being himself?

[TheCountAlucard]

"I-I promise," stammers the priest, "I mean nothing untoward! That is, do you have family who would accomodate you two, or will you be renting out a room at this lodge?"

The waitress brings in their suppers: for Shia, a sumptuous dish of golden pears baked with cinnamon; for Tabby, a bowl of roasted scarlet figs with a dollop of homemade cheese.

The priest takes a few appreciative bites of his own dinner before speaking again. "That said, I'm having difficulty even finding evidence of our mutual acquaintance's quarry. Do you have any advice in that regard?"

[HalfTangible]

Tabby shrugged. "I have a place." She glanced at Shia. "You should know, you've seen it." Her ship was close enough by to walk back to, but far enough that no one was going to run into it.

[TheCountAlucard]

XolA solid week of planning, down the hole.

Enian's information had been solid; it had taken almost no time to actually become a regular face, once he'd abandoned his previous guise. The new visage he'd donned was serving him well, but try as he might, he couldn't hold the mark's attention. Not with her there.

His eyes train on the priest. Subordinate to her. Decent amount of influence. Some money, but not that much. Next they flick to the robed woman. Strictly business, this one. She's got a friend, but not here. No richer than the priest. Then they train on her. Nothing.

She's pretty, I'll give her that, but I can't read her. Luckily no errant emotion betrays the face he wears; it never does. He gives one last look to his mark, then stands, rounds a corner, and disappears.

I'll just see what she wants...

[Snowfire]

"Calmly, my friend. It would have been no insult." Shia replies, her voice a cool breeze upon the flame of embarrassment. She considers for a small moment, then nods. "I cannot point you to any members of his quarry," she says, voice quiet, "but I can give you a name. The Seven-Stranded Vine. Just be careful where you speak it." She looks over at Tabby.

"I believe my contract is still in effect until such time as I terminate it, and I may have further need of your services here." She gives the younger woman a gentle and compassionate smile - likely to no effect, but there is no harm in politeness. "I will keep my berth until then I think. Easier that way, no?"

[TheCountAlucard]

After the brief repast is finished, the priest bids them good-bye and heads off. The waitress collects the undrunk beverages sent to Shia - five in all, by the time the meal is done - and bills Shia a small sum of jade scrip for the food. When they take their leave, many of the guests have left to go about the city or to bed. Only the two snake-featured men remain, laughing and joking amongst themselves in their hissing tongue.

The sun is long-gone, the street lit by occasional lamps affixed to poles; after all, the most revered Dragon-Blooded cannot be expected to grace these humble streets in the dark. The ship is an hour's walk out of the city; as Shia and Tabby walk the streets, however, they can see lights twinkling from the direction of the docks; presumably one of the Dragon-Blooded's pleasure-barges has made port for the night.

A shadowy figure can be seen moving between two lamp-posts close by.

TabbyHe is not alone.
ShiaIt is the sharp-toothed sailor from the lodge, and he is armed with a strange-looking sword. He is headed in your direction; he is not alone.

[Snowfire]

Shia taps Tabby on the shoulder as she picks out the approaching figure, speaking quietly into her ear.

"Sailor from the lodge. Armed. Be ready if my words fail." Then she pulls herself up and turns to the oncoming figure. "Hello. Can we help at all?" She asks in Riverspeak. Her voice is bright and welcoming, eyes sparkling with possible promise - even as she prepares to activate her own defences.

Shucking the Ewer Resplendent and preparing to activate Soft Presence Practice and Defense of Shining Joy if we're attacked.

And making a social attack if I'm allowed to make the Sailor answer her question truthfully.

Charisma (5) + Presence(2): [roll0]

Subtract Appearance differential as necessary.

[HalfTangible]

Tabby felt herself tensing up, but in a better way than before. She shifted position, ready to intercept if they came to blows. Tabby was Solar Exalted - she could take the hit better than a mortal ever could.

She'd been longing for a good scrap anyway.

Defend Other
Specifically, defending Shia.
"Without Charms, defending another individual is a Speed 5, DV -1 Miscellaneous action."

[TheCountAlucard]

The sailor steps into the light; in one hand he bears a strange sword. Hilt, pommel, and hand guard all have pointed blades, and the long straight blade sweeps back at the tip into a serrated hook. Four other men and a woman prowl their way closer, armed with similar blades.

He leers at Shia with disdain, baring a row of razor-sharp teeth. "You can certainly help us. The Realm's been cracking down on our business. You can lend us your ship."

The woman comes closer. "Just for a few weeks, you understand... and of course we can reimburse you for it... if you behave yourselves."

[HalfTangible]

The sailor steps into the light; in one hand he bears a strange sword. Hilt, pommel, and hand guard all have pointed blades, and the long straight blade sweeps back at the tip into a serrated hook. Four other men and a woman prowl their way closer, armed with similar blades.

He leers at Shia with disdain, baring a row of razor-sharp teeth. "You can certainly help us. The Realm's been cracking down on our business. You can lend us your ship."

The woman comes closer. "Just for a few weeks, you understand... and of course we can reimburse you for it... if you behave yourselves."

Tabby's eyes narrowed. "No sailor worth the skin on their back asks for someone else's ship." She said coldly. "And no moron would ever give it up." She jabbed her thumb back towards the inn. "If you want my services, fine, but it's my ship. I don't 'lend' it, nor my pilot. If you have a problem with that you can go back to the inn and find a prostitute."

Get a 'Pride' intimacy for the ship.

[Snowfire]

"Oh, you're Lintha, aren't you!" Shia exclaims brightly, acting for all the world as air-headed as her beauty can sometimes make people assume she is. "I've always wondered, but the swords do give you away." She smiles brightly, white teeth flashing in the lamplight as she darts forward to grab the man's hand with her own. "Oh, what is your name. I've always wanted to be able to say I've met someone who serves that family, do tell me."

Shia puts all of the faint hope that she and Tabby won't have to kill everyone around them into the question, a faint prayer whispering through her mind to Lady Venus. If this didn't work, there wouldn't be another choice. Sometimes there just wasn't...but maybe not today.

Actions remain readied for incoming combat.

Other than that. 0 wp to channel Compassion (Heart-Brightening Presentation Style). Charisma + Presence to try and force the man to tell the truth.

Charisma (5) + Presence (3) + Compassion (4): [roll0] (9 successes)

[TheCountAlucard]

"Now," growls the man to Tabby, "no need to resort to that. You needn't worry about dirtying my blade with your blood." He looks to Shia next. "If you don't want to do business with us, I see no need for us to exchange names."

[HalfTangible]

"Now," growls the man to Tabby, "no need to resort to that. You needn't worry about dirtying my blade with your blood." He looks to Shia next. "If you don't want to do business with us, I see no need for us to exchange names."

She cocked an eyebrow. "So sure it'll be my blood on your blade."

Tabby glared at Shia. "She's a client, not a partner. It's my ship."

[TheCountAlucard]

"Ahh, so I see. Well, it looks as though we've come to an impasse. Your refusal of our generous offer is noted. The chance to do a service to our Family is precious indeed; we could have given you a position of honor among us."

The female pirate stands in the illumination as well. The woman has a greenish sheen to her pale skin, her white hair is half-shaven, and gold-pierced gills adorn her neck and cheeks. A buff jacket covers her lanky frame. "Brother," she hisses, "They will not budge. Best to just take their ship by force..."

He shakes his head. "No, Sister, we have other options," he says, and then turns back to Tabby. "Best hold onto your ship, kitten. I want you to regret your decision as long as you can."

[HalfTangible]

"Ahh, so I see. Well, it looks as though we've come to an impasse. Your refusal of our generous offer is noted. The chance to do a service to our Family is precious indeed; we could have given you a position of honor among us."

The female pirate stands in the illumination as well. The woman has a greenish sheen to her pale skin, and gold-pierced gills adorn her neck and cheeks. A buff jacket covers her lanky frame. "Brother," she hisses, "They will not budge. Best to just take their ship by force..."

He shakes his head. "No, Sister, we have other options," he says, and then turns back to Tabby. "Best hold onto your ship, kitten. I want you to regret your decision as long as you can."

She shrugged. "Considering your offer was to steal my ship anyway, I sincerely doubt I will ever regret this... unless my ship turns into a giant monster." A glint entered the blonde woman's eyes, her expression dark and cold. "And if that's what you're warning me of... well, I guess I'll eat well tomorrow."

[Snowfire]

"And an order to serve when one has no need to is no honour at all." Shia replies as the woman steps into the light in front of her, and her joyous smile changes. The warmth seems to just drain away, being replaced by a far colder emotion that Tabby had never seen from the woman before. Even then her eyes remained bright, yet it was a very different brightness. The ecstatic dance of the summer sun was gone, replaced by the icy glint of the coldest stars.

"I tried to give you a chance," she sighs, and her free hand - the other still fixed on the man's as a link between them - literally blurs in the light of the streetlamps. Later attempts to reconstruct exactly what she did worked out the motions in the end, but it happens far too quickly for any but Tabby to catch most of it here and now.

Her fingers twist around one of the sashes at her waist, the slender hand flicking in what is clearly a well-practiced motion to free the beginnings of a shimmering ribbon of shining metal. In the same instant, she pulls on the wrist of the man in front of her, hard, jerking him off of his feet past her and in the same movement allowing her to spin to fully free the ribbon of - in the reflected light of the streetlamps - what looks like molten sunlight. The strange weapon sweeps around Shia like a dancing snake, throwing of reflections in all directions as it holds a ribbon of thrumming metal between her and any threat, and as Shia relinquishes her hold on the pirate her still-moving other hand flicks four paper fans into the air around her.

The sparks in her eyes flash an indescribable blue and the paper fans simply do not fall, whirling about her and the ribbon of metal in a dance of flashing, intricate steps as the tip of the ribbon rises up behind her like a cobra. A cobra aimed straight at the pirate's heart.

Activating Dreaming Pearl Courtesan Form, 5m from Personal.

Join Battle if necessary: [roll0] (8 successes)

[Snowfire]

Time seems to crawl as the pirates react to the sudden explosion of weapons into the air in front of them, a strange lucidity of motion that Shia knows very well. There had always been few - relatively speaking - capable of matching an Exalt's speed, yet with her it went deeper than that. It wasn't just the speed - which others could match, albeit rarely - it was the grace that went with it. She seemed to literally flow from one kata into the next, the weapons spinning around her harmonising with every motion at a speed faster than mortal muscle could create. The speed of thought and purest essence written within her soul. And against that, there was little that she had met capable of matching her.

The viper-head tip of the ribbon-blade stabs downwards as that thought completes itself, a motion progressing without conscious effort to strike at the pirate who began this facade - led by an edge of perfect starsteel. Blue-white after-images blur around the weapon as it falls, reflections scattering away from it in prismatic splendour to paint the whirling fans in all the colours of Creation's rainbow. Shia had never liked pirates, and had liked the Lintha even less on rediscovering their existence during her teaching. And here was one - nay, many - standing before her like so much chaff in the wind. She would not cast aside this gift.

First attack, this being the reflexive one. Because I'm evil, firing off Lethal Paper Fan Attack for 4m. This increases Accuracy by 2, lowers Speed by 1 and adds Essence to the weapon's damage due to the Form-Charm being active. I am intending to flurry, but only to a certain point and I'd like to see what this does to the first target before I pick any more.

Dexterity (5) + Martial Arts (5) + Accuracy (6) + Speciality (2): [roll0] (9 successes)

[TheCountAlucard]

The toothy Lintha swings his hooked blade just in time to catch at Shia's attack and pull it away from his vitals. The weapon still grazes him, resulting in a spray of Lintha blood that smells strange, as though saltwater was mixed in with it.

[Snowfire]

Shia's smile doesn't even flicker as the blade is deflected, in a way it fixes even more firmly onto her face as the nature of her being reinforced her strength. She has been kind so far, using only the least excesses of her powers in the belief that she faced only demon-blooded. Perhaps that was still true, but she doubts it and in the end it didn't matter. In matching her, the shark-toothed man has opened himself to taste of a fuller expression of her power. Blue fire flashes again from the her eyes as she reaches deeper, towards the spring of sublime perfection that only an Exalt can drink from. A radiant flicker of essence dances across her being as she calls upon that simplest gift of pure excellence granted to all Chosen. It is a simple thing to her, yet what is simple to a Chosen cannot be simple to those not.

Tabby recognises in her own way the sudden change, the flowing strength born of something deeper than training that sweeps over her charge as the ribbon of starlight dances back into the circle around her. Not a match for a Warrior of Dawn perhaps, but undeniably powerful. The fans shimmer and flick in the air, and the smile on Shia's face becomes a vision of effortless joy.

Activating Propitious Martial Arts Mastery: 6 motes, 1 wp. Sword College Rating 4 which reduces the cost by 4m, so that counts as a 10m activation.

[TheCountAlucard]

The pirate twists the hook of his sword, backing away as he shifts into a defensive stance. The green-skinned woman snarls fiercely and moves in with the other pirates; keeping the blade up and ready to defend, she punches with the pommel of the sword, the lethal spike aimed at Shia's heart. Two of the other pirates swing their blades down in flashing arcs, eager to chop these upstarts to pieces.

[HalfTangible]

Tabby's movements were too quick for the human eye to follow - one moment she simply stood staring at her charge with wide eyes, the next her foot slammed against the green woman's blade, twisting the deadly spike out of the Sidereal's path. She simply glared at the Lintha, cocking an eyebrow.

"You're going to ignore the bodyguard entirely?" Her eyes narrowed. "Truly astounding incompetence. Your grip is abysmal and your stance is like a child's. That may work on random street brats if you're god-blooded, but not on me. Save us some time and just drop the sword so I can kill you with it." Tabby's tone was that of thoroughly jaded old master, who had seen mistake after mistake made by student after student.

It would undoubtedly be disturbing to hear such a tone from a young woman that you were trying to rob.

[TheCountAlucard]

The pirate-lady's face contorts with rage as she tightens her grip on her blade. "You are a fool to think you could wield our sacred auzhian." Another pirate steps in, swinging the hook of his sword at Tabby's legs, while his companion attempts to flank Tabby, his eager bronze blade attempting to invade her kidneys.

It's then that one last figure emerges into the lamplight - the courtesan from the lodge.

Her kind gray eyes flick briefly toward Shia and Tabby, and she gives the girls a nod. She still wears her silken evening dress, but draped over it is a shirt of oiled chain links; to one arm is strapped an ox-hide shield, and in her left hand she bears a short club of black wood. Her luscious black hair, perfumed, is held back with a silver band to keep it out of her eyes. Though she looks short and delicate, her stance shows she is no stranger to the weapon she holds.

Her sudden appearance prompts one of the Lintha to turn his head. Moving gracefully, her swing drives the club soundly into the pirate's gut, knocking the wind out of him. Shifting back into her battle-stance, she speaks, and her voice is like birdsong.

"Riches stained with blood
Honey in a poisoned cup
They call an honor."

[HalfTangible]

Tabby's confident smirk never left her face. As the blades closed in on her, she leaped into the air, pulling her arms in and twisting so that the enemy's blades flew both above and below her by inches. Before the Lintha had time to react or to process what she'd just done, she had already kicked at the auzhian, aiming to knock it out of the green pirate's hand and stick her landing.

However, the weapon didn't leave the pirate's hand, instead staying locked firmly in an iron grip. Tabby frowned at this development. She'd been too careful to avoid the sword's spikes for a properly strong, disarming blow, but her attack had moved the blade out of the way... she used her momentum to carry herself forward and gripped both of her fists together before slamming them into the pirate's shoulder. She didn't let her annoyance show as she landed solidly on the ground, her stance still strong.

"At least your amateur grip is solid." She growled.

Flurry: Action 1: Steal the sword
Dexterity (5) + Martial Arts (5) + Disarm (3) - Flurry (2)
[roll0]

Charm: Second Martial Arts excellency
+3 successes
-2 succeses for disarm

Action 2: Attack
Dexterity (5) + Melee (5) - Flurry(3)

Charm: Second Melee Excellency (Yay for Dawn King's Strife!)
[roll1] +5 Successes

14-14/35-2
0/33

Anima: Minimal (2 motes)

Stunt dice:
[roll2]

Action 1: 6 successes
Action 2: 5 Successes

[TheCountAlucard]

The gilled woman hawks and spits in reply; she then barks a series of commands in an unfamiliar language to the other pirates. The pirates begin to circle, waiting to strike.

[Snowfire]

Shia smiles gratefully as Tabby enters the fray, knocking aside the weapons that the pirates had mustered against her - albeit that from their grips they wouldn't have even pierced her ring of protective guardians. Her eyes fix on the fleeing demon-blooded who she had attacked first, mind tracing distances in the air between them, and her smiles widens with a deadly intent.

"The clients of a Courtesan,
Cannot escape her sight,
Forever is their memory,
Of that unending night."

The weapons around her dance and twirl in time to her beautifully musical recital, coming on the heels of that of the armed and armoured courtesan joining the fight, yet holding far more power in their tone. Shia spreads her hands out wide and two of the fans around her hurl themselves upwards at her command, rising a dozen yards or more above the brawl. Then her eyes flash with sapphire fire once again and a single finger points unerringly at the - still running - shark-toothed sailor. Above her the two part-circles of paper whirl once, twice, and then blur across the world. One moment they are above her, the next they are on top of the shark-toothed sailor. He barely has any time to notice their movement - so focused is he on running - and before he can even begin to properly react they're far too close for him to dodge.

One whips past his sword hand, stinging his knuckles as a reminder that he's still quite within Shia's range, and the next hits just as he's beginning to turn to react, slamming like a hammer into his back. It's utterly impossible, yet the blow sends him crashing to his knees, and a force borne of pure essence grinds his face into the well-kept street.

"Come now, 'brother', don't be leaving us so soon." Shia sings out, and the viper's head of the maiden's ribbon descends on the green-skinned woman like an inverted shark. "Your siblings need you."

The floating ribbon stabs down in the space of a single breath, uncaring for the attempt by its target to dodge and slipping between her parries with all the fluid elegance of the snake it resembles, and there is little chance of safety against its strike.

Flurry of August Leaves Concentration: 4m, 1 wp for two attacks. Augmenting the second attack with Vindictive Courtesan's Pillow Book Understanding to make act as a Counterattack (2m) so that I can hit the guy with Resplendent Sash Grapple Technique (4m) to grapple him. No multi-action penalties, attacks are Speed 5 with full dice pool and Shia takes a -1 DV penalty.

Attack 1:
Dexterity (5) + Martial Arts (5) + Accuracy (2): [roll0]

Attack 2:
Dexterity (5) + Martial Arts (5) + Accuracy (2): [roll1]

Reflexive:
Dexterity (5) + Martial Arts (5) + Accuracy (4) + Speciality (2): [roll2]

Using full Second Excellency on all attacks for +5 successes.

[TheCountAlucard]

The thrown fans bring down the first pirate, and the lashing ribbon takes down the second, who collapses in a bloody heap with a grunt.

[HalfTangible]

Tabby took the auzhian from the downed pirate and attack the nearest foe.

[roll0]

[TheCountAlucard]

The next pirate to go down does so under Tabby's borrowed blade, the hook stuck in his neck. It is the same one that the dark-haired courtesan clubbed; with him down, she steps closer, eyes flashing as she deals the next pirate a low blow; unfortunately, the Lintha blade slows the cudgel's blow enough for him to sidestep it.

Acknowledging Shia's verse, she calls up some poetry of her own:

"The cursed family
Brothers eat flesh of sisters
And think themselves blessed."

Though their commanders are fallen or entangled, the pirates coordinate their assault against Tabby, attempting to give her as little room as possible to dodge their wicked edges.

[HalfTangible]

Tabby felt the pirates closing in on her, and almost pitied them. This would've been a good tactic had they not been so thoroughly outclassed. Really, in most circumstances, the best thing for a mortal to do when facing a Solar is to run or ask for mercy. The Lintha apparently were too proud for that. Tabby didn't mind, though; She'd been itching for a good scrap all day. She couldn't draw on more essence without lighting herself up, so that just left her fists.

As the enemy's blades closed in around her, Tabby shifted to a more defensive stance. She wasn't nimble enough to dodge through all of these blades, so she raised her gauntlets and struck out with them in a quick spin. She was aiming to spin the pirate's blades around against each other with her gauntlets, both avoiding damage to herself and knocking the group into their partners to keep them off-balance.

She did love a tricky and impractical maneuver.

[Snowfire]

Shia grimaces as her ribbon punches straight through the woman who'd coordinated the rest of the group's attack, not even allow time for blood to flow from the wound before retracting to leave its target collapsed in a bloody heap on the ground, and the true nature of her opponents exerted itself. These people were mortals, they couldn't even touch her. Even if they were Lintha, it didn't matter. The whirling snake of gold-tinted silver retracts in to defend her, its pattern spinning and spinning ever more complex. The three part-circles of unblemished paper whirl around her like a veil of snow-white songbirds, and she shakes her head very gently.

Her hands move.

The fans whirl one last time.

And a whirlwind of blinding after-images explodes out from around the Chosen of Serenity.

It isn't even funny how fast they move, the pure essence blazing deep within her soul guiding them into their targets even as their edges cut the air to spawn eerie whistles ahead of their coming. And as the singing storm of blurred white slam into the three Lintha still standing, her voice carries a gentle whisper.

"Let this end."

And so it would.


Dice pool is: Dexterity (5) + Martial Arts (5) + Accuracy (2) - Multi-Action Penalties (5 to 9) = 7 to 3

Pirate 1
Attack 1: [roll0] (15 successes)
Attack 4: [roll1] (7 successes)

Pirate 2
Attack 2: [roll2] (6 successes)
Attack 5: [roll3] (7 successes)

Pirate 2
Attack 3: [roll4] - Using Lethal Paper Fan Attack on this one for 3m. (9 successes)

Full Second Excellency on all attacks for +5 successes.

Reflexive is holding to see if any are still up at the end.

[TheCountAlucard]

The last pirates drop after being showered by blows from fans and ribbon, leaving only Shia, Tabby, and the courtesan standing.

"Please tell me," she says, lowering herself over one of the downed pirates, "is that sorcery that lets you animate your fans? Or some other splendid trick?" She pulls something out of one of the pirate's pockets, what looks to be a transparent tooth. Collecting teeth from the other pirates as well, she stoops over the female Lintha. "It really was best that you didn't accept their 'offer.' Their entire brood is vile." When she rises again, she curtsies to Shia and Tabby. "You may call me Lily," she says.

[HalfTangible]

"Well I can certainly see why you needed a bodyguard, Shia." Tabby muttered sarcastically, palm covering her face for a moment before she turned and gave a formal half-bow to the newcomer. "Your aid was appreciated. I am Tabby Kitten, this is Shia." Her tone was much warmer and friendlier with Lily than with Shia.

[Snowfire]

"A girl has to have her secrets, little thing." Shia replies with a radiant smile, the moment of calm following the fall of the pirates around them more than enough for her to don her Destiny again. She's always liked the role of the Ewer, the love and passion that flows so easily from the constellation's destinies. "And if you had not been here, I might well have been harmed, Tabby." Shia inclines her head in thanks towards the warrior. "My thanks."

"Yet you seem to conceal more than a few secrets of your own," she says, tilting her head ever so slightly to the side as she looks back at Lily. Then she shrugs. "Well, it will all come out in the end, I'm sure. For now, shall we collect the last member of this little gang?" She asks over her shoulder as she saunters towards the last of the pirates (the one currently pinned beneath a paper fan), her props dancing far less aggressive patterns.

[TheCountAlucard]

"I suppose," Lily says, nodding to each at the introduction. She goes over to the downed pirate, producing a set of sturdy steel manacles seemingly from nowhere, and applies them to the Lintha's wrists. With the pirate's weapon out of reach and his hands secured behind his back, he glowers up at the assembly of women, blood dripping from his sharp teeth.

[HalfTangible]

"A girl has to have her secrets, little thing." Shia replies with a radiant smile, the moment of calm following the fall of the pirates around them more than enough for her to don her Destiny again. She's always liked the role of the Ewer, the love and passion that flows so easily from the constellation's destinies. "And if you had not been here, I might well have been harmed, Tabby." Shia inclines her head in thanks towards the warrior. "My thanks."

"Yet you seem to conceal more than a few secrets of your own," she says, tilting her head ever so slightly to the side as she looks back at Lily. Then she shrugs. "Well, it will all come out in the end, I'm sure. For now, shall we collect the last member of this little gang?" She asks over her shoulder as she saunters towards the last of the pirates (the one currently pinned beneath a paper fan), her props dancing far less aggressive patterns.

Tabby brushed off her thanks. "Well, you paid." She muttered. "At less than a fourth of the actual price, and now appear to be squeezing it for every drop you can." She glared at the pirate, her eyes only betraying just how low she considered scum like him. Though she wasn't punching his face into a bloody paste, so that was a plus.

She could play bad cop.

[TheCountAlucard]

With some effort, Lily hauls the pirate to his feet. "Where exactly do you intend on bringing this scum?"

[HalfTangible]

Tabby shrugged and pointed to Shia. "I just wanted him dead quick and painless. She wanted the prisoner. So go on then, Miss God-blooded powerhouse. To where shall we bring the completely necessary prisoner so you can get his pants off or whatever it is you're gonna do with him?" She rolled her eyes. "And can we hurry it up, please? I doubt we've seen the last pirate in Creation and I equally doubt they'll take their butt-kicking lieing down."

[Snowfire]

"Lily, if you would knock this poor excuse for a demon-blooded unconscious. I'd like a change of scenery before I try talking with him," she smiles ruefully at Tabby, but waits until Lily has knocked their captive out before continuing - and in far quieter tones. "For all that your words are appreciated, I used much of what I could access here. Your ship, I believe, has quarters suited to the holding of such as this." She nods at the Lintha.

"I would like to know what they wanted your ship for, you see. And if not that, where their den within this city lies." Her fans spin up to rest themselves upon her clothing, fluttering in a faint time that has nothing to do with the gentle wind even as the ribbon of golden-tinted silver slips back into its hiding place in the folds of her clothing. "You seek the same, I think, don't you?" She tilts her head to one side, spearing Lily with a measuring glance.

"Not the typical courtesan, but then few who involve themselves with stopping Lintha are typical." Her smile turns truly enigmatic. "Well, shall we?" She gestured at the limp body and then towards the edge of the city.

[HalfTangible]

Tabby returned Shia's smirk with her own iron glare, but sighed and relented. "Yes, yes I do." After the pirate had been knocked unconscious, she leaned down and picked up the pirate, carrying him over her shoulder. "At least we get to fight more pirates this way, I suppose. And Sky will be expecting me back." Her tone grew a bit brighter at that.

[TheCountAlucard]

"Lily, if you would knock this poor excuse for a demon-blooded unconscious. I'd like a change of scenery before I try talking with him," she smiles ruefully at Tabby, but waits until Lily has knocked their captive out before continuing - and in far quieter tones. "For all that your words are appreciated, I used much of what I could access here. Your ship, I believe, has quarters suited to the holding of such as this." She nods at the Lintha.

"I would like to know what they wanted your ship for, you see. And if not that, where their den within this city lies." Her fans spin up to rest themselves upon her clothing, fluttering in a faint time that has nothing to do with the gentle wind even as the ribbon of golden-tinted silver slips back into its hiding place in the folds of her clothing. "You seek the same, I think, don't you?" She tilts her head to one side, spearing Lily with a measuring glance.

"Not the typical courtesan, but then few who involve themselves with stopping Lintha are typical." Her smile turns truly enigmatic. "Well, shall we?" She gestured at the limp body and then towards the edge of the city.The courtesan jabs the Lintha's temple with the unwieldy club - not the most skillful of techniques, but it puts him out soundly. "Look at their blades," she says, pointing with a dainty foot at one of the hooked weapons. "They're not headquartered in the city. Why carry auzhians, blades that could cost them their heads, if not out of desperation?" She flicks her eyes from blades to Shia. "I wouldn't doubt it if the Lintha did have a presence here, but by my guess it'd be another sept, and not one on the friendliest of terms with him and his ilk. Otherwise they'd have gone to them first."

She looks from Shia to Tabby and back again. "I actually have other, more pressing concerns, but if you'd like, I could discuss these with you as well."

[HalfTangible]

"Well, if a ship would help with whatever you're planning, my rates are very reasonable." Tabby replied, shifting the pirate's position on her shoulder.

[TheCountAlucard]

"Well, if a ship would help with whatever you're planning, my rates are very reasonable." Tabby replied, shifting the pirate's position on her shoulder.She seems to consider the offer for a moment. "I take it your ship is rather special," she guesses. "Not an ordinary vessel. If that's the case, I can probably make use of it and give you a cut of the profits in exchange. Does that sound fair?"

[HalfTangible]

She seems to consider the offer for a moment. "I take it your ship is rather special," she guesses. "Not an ordinary vessel. If that's the case, I can probably make use of it and give you a cut of the profits in exchange. Does that sound fair?"

"Depends on what we're doing, but we can talk on the way back." Tabby started to walk towards the southeast, away from the docks. "I mean it'll probably be okay, long as we're making more than it costs."

[TheCountAlucard]

Her only response to that is a girlish giggle as she follows.

[HalfTangible]

Tabby led her companions into the hills near the city as the sun faded. The three's path wound deep through the area, often doubling on itself in attempt to avoid pursuit. Tabby occasionally stopped the group, simply listening for small stretches, before continuing to move. Whether by Luna's grace or by sheer luck, nothing seemed to disturb their trek and the light of the Silver Chair was enough for the group to find their way.

As they crested over one final hill, it became obvious precisely why they were nowhere near a river to retrieve Tabby's ship.

It was an airship.

Beneath them in a valley lay a massive airship, current landed but with a balloon that could outsize a village. It was a mythic thing strange out of legend, gilded and pretty (albeit tarnished with age) but with a ferocity that belied its beauty. The ship sported massive cannons, ballista and some form of essence weaponry. As it lifted to rise majestically into the air, the young exalted knew this ship was meant for great things.

"OI! WELCOME BACK, CAP'N, SEXY, AND NEW FACE!!"

Tabby facepalmed. "And there goes the majesty of that moment." She was smiling anyway. "So. Where to then?"