Starring:
Datura, Ra, Kanami, Mune, Shinji
Date: November 4, 2010
Summary:
Hunter Okumo Ra returns to Lady Spinner Ryoko with news of the completion of the task he was asked to perform. His entrance is both unorthodox and inconvenient, however.
"Infection - The Spider Returns"
The Land of Grass, the Daimyo's Castle
The palace grounds of the Daimyo's Castle were expansive. Though it wasn't the richest of countries, it still did well enough that it's fuedal ruler could live in absolute vanity should he so choose. The high fortress walls of the Daimyo's home encompassed not just the castle itself, but dozens of gardens, training fields, and many smaller, miscellaneous buildings such as those used to house the staff, soldiers, or craftsmen.
It was currently in one of the outer courtyards that the Precious Consort, songstress, and famed dancer, Lady Ryoko, otherwise known as Datura to her closer acquaintances, was occupying. A trip to the market had been her fare earlier, but she'd only made it to the first shop before becoming distressed and fretful over something, insisting that it wasn't safe, that there was 'something in the crowds', before her samurai guard had escorted her back to her rooms. Rooms she'd only recently left again.
The Daimyo had tried to see her upon her return from the markets, but had been convinced into departing as she claimed to be 'unwell'. It was an act she didn't have to stretch too far to pull off, with dark rings forming under her eyes since the banquet, her skin wan and pale (though pale wasn't unusual), and a bright, feverish look to her normally calm eyes. It was a wild look that spoke of paranoia more than the fever her 'beloved' thought it to be, which naturally resulted in a doctoral visit.
Dusk was beginning to settle in as the heat of the afternoon began to wane, the sun so low on the horizon that it was no longer bright yellow, but having settled into a dull orange. And still Datura seemed unhappy and unsettled. Surrounded by beauty, with streams flowing through rocks, trees, shrubs, and beds of flowers just so, all expertly designed to appeal to the senses in the most aestheticly appealing way possible, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed kunoichi simply scowled into a small pool of water occupied by a pair of black carp. In her hands was the remains of an orange flower, half of it's petals missing as the diva rips them from the stem and carelessly tosses them into the placid body of water, making tiny ripples. Occasionally one of the carp would nibble at a bud, thinking it might be food, only to reject the floral morsel.
Feeling mean, the young woman leans down, picking up the hem of her dark red kimono in one hand, lifting a pebble in the other. She hefts the tiny stone, slinging it at the water, watching it strike one of the large fish before harmlessly drifting off to the bottom of the water. "…Stupid animal."
Mune has no particular reason to be in the Daimyou's palace. Except that when a 'doctoral visit' was determined to be needed, a certain someone made sure the only doctor Datura would POSSIBLY trust if it was something serious was the one making said visitation. So it is that Kishi Mune, dressed like a doctor just like back in Fuuma Alley, comes calling. Unlike back in the Land of Rice, Mune brings no large bag or satchel of medical equipment. Instead she has only one large scroll tied to her back, making it clear she is not just a doctor, but a Medical Ninja. Normal doctors don't use Scrolls.
Mune is still striding through the palace grounds, not quite sure upon Datura's exact location, but having been given general directions at least. She'll arrive soon, hopefully. If Datura fails the Tao Shih now on account of health issues, things could get ugly for ALL of them.
Kanami has made sure that someone is with Datura at all times when she can not be. Since Datura probably wouldn't appreciate or ALLOW some random guard or something to follow her around constantly, Kanami's observer is one that is intended to remain hidden. The garden is beautiful. But, in every garden a serpent waits. Such is literally the case right now, as a long, slender viper with scales the same color as the stones he lies upon, rests not 30 feet away from the Lady Ryoko's position.
Jaajaa Jatai watches everything that is reflected in his presently stone-gray eyes, and occasionaly flicks his forked, black tongue out to taste the air. If there is need for him to alert Mistress Kanami, he will do so. For now, simply watching is sufficient.
The Daimyou's Castle is very fortress-like alright. It is well-guarded. Considered impregnable, perhaps, by those who built it. The architects did not account for the vast plethora of capabilities available to ninja when they designed the castle, however. And they certainly did not account for an individual as old as the benefactor of Mune, Datura, and Kanami, and with a mind so alien compared to normal human beings, that all the assumptions made in the planning of the castle's construction — namely that they would be thwarting an intruder that is even remotely human — have flown right out the window this evening.
A giant spider is crawling up the outside of the castle walls. There are guards on watch, of course, but they do not look straight down at the mammoth arachnid that gradually makes its way upwards. The giant turantula-like spider has brown stripes on its bulbous rear-body and is surprisingly soft and furry on its legs. It is also approximately the size of a a three-level city bus — if buses existed, that is.
Kyodaigumo crawls until she has reached one of the walkways atop the castle's walls, and then she just leaps right off, up into the air, causing a massive gust of wind that tears at the clothing of the guards on watch. When they look around for the cause of the wind, they find nothing.
About 2000 feet away, and 300 feet above, Kyodaigumo lands on one of the the walls that surrounds the palace grounds. The impact is felt throughout the entire castle, but doubly-so where Datura is situated. The pond practically jumps out of its confines, fish and all, before sloshing back down into the carved ground, and tossing as though it were a stormy sea instead of a carp pond.
More impacts, though lesser in force, follow the first. And then it becomes visible. Two enormous, hairy legs reach up and over the parapet, and their owner comes into sight a moment later. Kyodaigumo perches atop the wall, looking at Datura with her glistening eyes, and then slowly continues her descent, to the palace grounds proper.
Riding atop the giant spider is a figure in tattered brown robes and a hood, hunched low. Inside of the hood, eight eyes glow in the darkness.
Shinji has been identified by Amuro (in the guise of 'Hei-Long', the warlord from the Southern Lands) as one of his chief military advisors and battle leaders, who is to provide additional protection for the 'precious consort' in these tense times of the tournament. There are those who would seek to sabotage the tournament for their own ends, as Hei-Long has explained to the Daimyou, and if something were to happen to Lady Ryoko, there are those who might attempt to use the 'noble lord's' own grief and 'sense of justice' to pin the crime on a rival nation… Perhaps as an attempt to start a war that would destabilize the Land of Grass, making it easier to invade!
That level of subterfuge and strategy went way over the Daimyou's head, and it showed. He was absolutely horrified at the idea that someone might attempt this. And yet Hei-Long had assured the man that Shinji was one who could foil any such attempts, and any of a dozen other conspiracies that might be hatched. He would whip the palace guards into shape, and make sure no enemy would even dare >think< of harming the Lady Ryoko, for fear of the consequences.
This also meant Shinji would be in a prime position to watch Datura and make sure she didn't try anything. Guarding her is a priority too, of course, but Datura can take care of herself against most normal assassins.
The Daimyo accept this and allowed for Shinji to traverse the palace grounds. This gave Shinji the freedom to explore, he had taken the time to explore as much as he was allowed. Upon coming into areas where he wasn't permitted and asked why he was there. He simply informed the guards that he was checking all possibly ways in and out of the palace just in case any attempt at Lady Ryoko may come. The guards understood but made it a point to show who was in charge and turned Shinji away. The merc only smiled and did as he was told. He wasn't going to blow his cover nor was he going beat the crap out of the guards. They are useful pawns who will and would come in handy.
Shinji is touring the palace grounds when he hears the loud noise, and the shouts from the guards that it came from the palace grounds. Shortly after that, Shinji realizes that Lady Ryoko was last reported to be at the Palace Grounds. The former mercenary wastes no time in dropping all pretenses of being calm and collected, and goes running to try to reach the one he is supposed to be protecting — and watching — before anything happens to her. If he is too late… The consquences… Well, he had just better not be too late!
If the young blonde-haired consort has taken any notice of a snake within the palace courtyard, she hasn't shown it. Either her shinobi training and ability to notice unusual things is slipping… or was never there to begin with. After all, the groundskeepers would never allow a dangerous reptile in a place where the Daimyo would be in danger.
The 'doctor' that had come to treat the kunoichi-in-disguise's 'ailment' wouldn't have to wander around for too long. The guards here were good at their job, and almost always knew where anyone worth protecting was located at any given time with a simple message-passing system. Enough questioning of the staff would eventually lead to someone who had seen her target 'around', and thus point her in the general direction of the outcast Yamanaka.
But if that weren't enough, there's also the noises caused by invading arachni that could be something right out of the movie 'Tarantula'!
Immediately, Datura's head snaps up to locate the source of the disturbance, surprise registering on her face at the sight of the enormous spider, more so at it's appearance than the fact that it was in fact a giant spider that had arrived. The blonde's picture-perfect teeth grind together as her brow draws low over her nose, and expression of frustrated anger arriving on her features.
"Idiots!" The rogue Yamanaka hisses through her teeth. "Did the concept of 'subtlety' slip by him LAST time he visited!?"
Falling silent in order to fume more conveniently, and to avoid angering the extremely large eight-legged creature, the young woman folds her arms crossly below her chest, eyes darting about the palace grounds to look for witnesses as she waits for its rider to reach her. Explaining THIS away would be difficult enough even if she were screaming at the top of her lungs, much less if she were seen CONVERSING with the beast! And no doubt the many samurai who gaurded their lord here wouldn't be far behind the monster's presence.
Mune is pointed in the right direction and Lady Ryoko is just coming into sight as the dark-skinned woman moves through a doorway into the garden, when there is that massive IMPACT. The ground shakes and Mune immediately drops into a rather non-doctorish combat stance, even as her conscious mind is still registering the ground just shook really hard. Her training has her move from the spot she was initially standing and into a low-to-the-ground but swift dash, arms out behind her like most ninja, heading towards cover.
Datura. Datura is still out in the open. Mune barely gets that thought going, when her vivid blue eyes falls upon a giant pair of legs coming over the wall just a bit to the south-west of Datura's location. A… Giant spider? There's something you don't see every day. Eyes fall back onto Datura, and Mune pieces together that from the fact Datura is not running, either she's too stunned or scared to do so, or she is confident she can handle the monster, OR there is more going on here than is apparent. No time for second-guessing, so she goes with one of the first two, and calls out, "Da—Lady Ryoko!" as she starts moving, trying to rush in behind the blonde and then to in front of her, dropping into a combat-ready position again, this time with her hands held as though they were lethal weapons instead of… Hands. What does she plan to do against a foe like this? Punch it? Judo chop it?
"Unless you can explain in five words or less what this thing is doing here, I recommend withdrawing to inside the palace. Some animals aren't susceptible to Genjutsu, and there will be guards here any moment anyway." She belatedly catches sight of the humanoid figure crouched atop the arachnid, and narrows her eyes a bit. So this thing is being directed. This isn't 'just' a giant animal. That makes the situation even worse.
Does Mune spot the snake nearby? No. She has bigger concerns.
Much bigger.
Jatai tasted a very powerful scent of spider on the wind. Spiders can make good meals. But as those distant vibrations in the stone come closer and closer, the clever reptile begins to coldly and logically work through the facts. Spider aroma suddenly becomes very strong. Vibrations as though the stone were being struck some distance away, but still within the Castle's boundaries. When there is a sort of 'rough' sensation through the stone and the roar of displaced air, Jatai puts the last piece of the puzzle together. Out of all those in the castle, Jatai is the only one not to be surprised by a mammoth tarantula landing on the garden wall and then crawling within. He is also quite swift in vacating his previous position in order to take up shelter along the wall, amidst some flowering plants, at the foot of a statue of a dog (???). This is a nice, sheltered vantage point. He was not told to flee and save his own life. Especially not when it is unclear whether he is actually in danger yet or not.
But somewhere distant, perhaps in Kusagakure, Seishino Kanami is abruptly sharing the vision of her serpentine summon as he watches Mune run in to defend Datura against a spider big enough to kill either one of them just by stepping on them.
As it happens, Kanami was taking a shower at the time that this occurs. "…That is the second largest non-human animal I have ever seen," she states to no one in particular. Her own eyes reflect the scene before Jatai's rather than her own. "Hm. Well, Dat-chan DOES have a fondness for spiders." She shrugs and leans forward to rinse the shampoo from her hair. "Mune-chan is there too, so if there are any unfortunate incidents she can probably fix the victims right up. Still… Keep me informed, would you? I find the possibility that Dat-chan can use Kuchiyose to THIS degree to be very intriguing…" She blinks her eyes twice once she straightens up, and her eyes return to normal. She turns off the water.
Jatai just continues watching.
The spider comes closer and closer, slowing down her movements when Mune rushes to the fore and stands in front of the rogue Yamanaka, ready to defend her… Or buy time for the both of them to escape. After all, what can one tiny Medic-Nin do against a creature like this? Especially with an intelligent force behind the Lady Spinner's movements?
Kyodaigumo eventually comes to a stop about a dozen feet away. The robed and hooded figure rises from his crouch slowly, eight eyes still focused on the two women. He then casually leaps off, over Kyodaigumo's head, performing a couple flips before he lands easily, absorbing the impact with his legs and without bending a single inch to do so. He certainly looks a lot more fit than he did the last time he and Datura spoke.
"Lady Spinner Ryoko and Lady Spinner Mune, it is…" he tilts his head to the side. "…Good to see you again. We believe this to be the correct phrase. Would 'excellent to once more encounter you' be more appropriate? Or 'you are good to look upon'? Is the latter too informal? We have been practicing, but it has been so >long<. You understand this, correct?"
Hunter Okumo Ra, the First Okumo, has returned.
He turns his head and focuses on Kyodaigumo. "We believe we need no further assistance. Our appreciation is extended, Kyodaigumo-san. Please return to Fukaizan." After a pause of about a second and a half, the giant spider vanishes in a cloud of smoke. That is one less thing to have to explain, at least.
Rushing with all his speed which is surprising fast for someone who doesn't use chakra to improve his movements. Shinji vaults over a wall and lands on the balls of his feet, then rolls forward. The guards behind him are having a hard time keeping up with him, his arms are swept backwards behing him as he runs, quickly out distancing them. He had to get to Datura, he couldn't fail his masters or the others. Controlling his breathing as he runs, he notices the large spider and shakes his head, 'How the hell you fight something that damn big? Maybe it's slow??' he shakes his head. Spiders aren't slow no matter how big they are. The merc memeber continues to push himself, jumping over hedges as he closes distance to where Lady Ryoko and Mune were.
With only a few feet to go, Shinji is able to close it quite easily. Skidding to a halt in front of the two ladies and noticing that the large spider was now gone, he looks to the man speaking, "Who are you?" he asks as he gets into a fighting stance. Datura would remember Shinji but Mune he's only met once but didn't speak with her. He looks to the man as he looks to the two ladies behind him. His body tensed and ready for a fight, he didn't know why this spider-man person was here but if he was looking for a fight, he was going to get one.
The first of her 'guardians' has arrived, but this one is one she can trust. …To an extent. Datura turns at the sound of her alter-ego's name being called, taking her eyes willingly enough off of the enormous arachnid bearing down on her position like some kind of spidery homing beacon. She makes no move to stop the incoming medic, scowling at her backside as she leaps in front of her, ready to risk her life in defense of her against an enormous monster? Her expression betrays almost as much surprise and momentary confusion as it did at the beast's first arrival.
"It's just an overly-zealous returning friend, Mu-chan. One who's determined to blow my cover."
Pale blue eyes narrow a bit as the robed figure leaps towards the two women's current position, but to her credit she manages not t flinch away, nervousness betrayed only by the tightening of her lips in a mild grimace. Affinity for the eight-legged creatures or not, it was hard not to be nervous in front of such a huge example of a specimen, regardless of the size of others of the type she may have been near. But then the male speaks, and the light-haired diva steps forward, smoothing out the few wrinkles in her flawless silk kimono as she moves beside the medic.
"Ra-kun. Your entrances are as… conspicuous as ever. And here comes the trouble you've brought. Just… don't say anything for a moment. Stay close to Mu-chan and let me do the talking!"
But just before she can finish her instructions to the Okumo Hunter the first of her complications arrives! And takes up an aggressive stance against the spidery fellow. With a fierce scowl, Datura steps forward, rears back a hand, and aims an open-palmed swat right for the back of Shinji's head. "Stop it! We don't have time for this! Stand up straight, don't act like he's anyone suspicious. Just follow my lead or you're going to ruin everything!"
The samurai that Shinji was able to outdistance are still a ways behind, but others had been closer when the disturbance began, and several of them begin entering the courtyard from its main entrance even now, hands on their swords as they run, ready to draw them at a moment's notice as they sprint towards the Precious Consort and those near her. Immediately, Datura sways on her feet and grabs the other woman's arm as if she were having difficulty keeping aright. A hand weakly wafts in the running men's direction as they get closer, eyeing the three unusual companions of the Daimyo's prized woman with deadly intent.
"Oh, thank God you're here, Captain!" The blonde speaks in a hurried, breathless voice, her chest heaving as if badly frightened. "I was with the doctor and her assistant," she gestures limp-wristedly towards Ra. "When we heard the most awful noise. My protector will take me to my room, but I fear we may have intruders within the castle!"
The samurai captain's eyes take in the Lady Ryoko, then narrow on each of the three others. Will he buy the deception? She could only wait and see, and hope everyone played their part.
When Mune recognizes Ra finally, she groans and relaxes back into her standing position. Then Shinji comes tearing in, looking for a fight! While Datura is busy slapping Shinji in the back of the head, Mune has already thought ahead. The spider is gone, but there will be questions to answer soon. Questions about the loud noise, the shaking, etcetera. She is not sure if this will work or not, but she will have to try.
Opening up her labcoat, she yanks out a string of plastic vials from an inner-pocket and grabs three. These are then bound to the third with a rubberband, and Mune holds out the assemblage at the very limits of her arm's flexibility. She turns the trio upside-down and swiftly removes the stopper in the middle vial.
A bright flash goes off and Mune lets go just in time to avoid having her arm literally ripped out of the socket. She doesn't manage to get out of the way quite in time to avoid getting some burns however, as the middle vial blasts out a bright-white flame and goes flying up and at an angle at phenomal speeds.
All of this in about eight seconds. She turns around, cleaning her partially-charred hands on a sterile-wipe to conceal the burns there, and keeping all signs of pain off her face. By the time that the Lady Ryoko has explained the situation and the Samurai Captain has begun to look about suspiciously… The vials have reached quite high indeed. Then the heat from the middle vial, having boiled the contents of the other two, makes said other two pop their stoppers. The two chemicals mix.
There is a flash of light even brighter than when the middle vial was opened, and a wave of dark clouds expands outwards at hundreds of miles per hour in the sky that previously showed no signs of a storm. A powerful *BOOOOM* echoes over the landscape, vibrating the Castle at approximately the same level as Kyodaigumo did… Or perhaps more so.
Lightning and thunder. A simple explanation. But the fact the storm clouds and such previously did not exist should betray that this is not a natural phenomena. Mune turns to look up as though surprised and says, "That storm is unnatural. Possibly the result of some Jutsu." She then turns around again, looking at Shinji and saying, "Ah, yes! That's right!" as though he had said something. "Your suggestion that we should take steps to secure the Castle against the storm as well as to keep an eye out for any strangers that might have been planning to use it as cover to attack is a good one. But you should speak up a bit more! With the thunder and all, it is hard to be heard." Another vibrating *BOOOOOOM* comes out from the sky, and Mune responds by yelling over it and closing the distance between her and Shinji. "Nonsense! You are the protector of the Lady Ryoko, and these noble Samurai also know the importance of keeping the DAIMYOU'S PRECIOUS CONSORT safe. After all, no one wants to see what the DAIMYOU might do to someone who let Lady Ryoko come to harm. They will not begrudge you a wise suggestion like keeping the DAIMYOU and his PRECIOUS CONSORT safe!" She then turns to Samurai Captain, just as a bolt of real lightning streaks down from the sky and hits somewhere distant, producing a sort of 'fan' of additional lightning bolts that likewise streak outwards for several seconds before expending themselves. Whoever was standing near there is probably having a bad day. "Would you?" she asks, wide-eyed and innocent. Another thunderous roar echoes out to emphasize her question.
The chemical smell of Mune's mixture if offensive to Jatai, and the glare of the flame painful. But he continues to watch, and to transmit what he sees. Even after the sky turns dark and stormy, and the heavens begin to roar, the snake continues to watch. He would be a poor spy indeed if he allowed such petty things to dissuade him.
Kanami is relaxing with some plum wine and looking at a white Noh theater mask of a woman. Stringy black hair hangs in its eyes, and over much of the face, but a nightmarish array of sharp teeth between smiling black lips is visible through the strands. Then she gets hit with a blindingly white light and all the visual input that Jatai is experiencing. Her head comes up swiftly, eyes reflecting scenes of somewhere else. "…Interesting, but not really imperative that I know about it. That man is 'Shinji'. The other one in the robes is 'Okumo Ra'. Both are allies. Though I had wondered where Ra-san had gotten to… Hmm… Maybe it was HE that had Summoned the spider? Yes, that may be the case… I am going to retire for the night. Continue to keep watch, if you could. But you can report verbally to me any notable events, once we rejoin each other. Unless harm comes to Datura or the other three with her, I do not wish to be disturbed."
She then gets up, picking up the 'The Grudge'-style mask and setting it alongside two others on her nightstand. A mask of a woman, and a mask of a monstrous white serpent.
Ra tries to bow to Datura, but, as always, the alterations to his body prevent such. So he settles for nodding his head and sort of leaning forward a bit. "Our apologies, Lady Spinner Ryoko. The men below would not permit us entry—" then he stops talking and does as Datura commands, even as some strange man comes charging in and looks ready to attack. But Ra was given instructions, so he does not take any aggressive actions, not even making a threat display as most spiders would. Then again, he is human, not spider. Or WAS human, at least. He says not a single word throughout the entire speech given by Datura and then by Mune. The storm appearing is interesting, and makes some of his hairs bristle with static electricity, but he otherwise evidences no sign of being disturbed.
Instead he stands next to Mune and stays there.
Shinji relaxes but then rubs the back of his head as he is smacked in it by Lady Ryoko. He turns and narrows his eyes at her, how the hell was he supposed to know this is a friend of theirs. But to add to the confusion, Munes vials goes off causing him to jump a little, but as she tries to explain that he had a good idea in taking Lady Ryoko back to the palace, Shinji caught on. Looking to the guards who finally made it and listening to both women, Shinji moved forward, "I will be needing to take them back, ot the palace. As well as help with securing it from whatever or whoever is trying to assualt us." he says in a low voice. His eyes are intense as he looks to teh guards, he didn't like being inconvienced like this and now he hoped that these guards would not think to much into this little play and allow them all to go to the palace.
The sudden appearance of thunder and lightning from a previously-cloudless sky has the effect of unnerving most of the onlookers. The samurai's eyes turn towards the sky almost as one, taking in the sudden change in weather that was far too quick to be natural. The captain wastes little time being distracted by the striking bolts, instead snapping to the men around him.
"Secure his lordship and prepare for attack!" Now matter how 'dear' the Precious Consort was to their lord, she was not the first, nor even the third concern for the captain of the guards. The royal family came well before the Daimyo's pretty young toy.
Datura didn't have to try hard to act shocked and frightened by the blindingly thunderous lightning strikes, simply allowing her normal human instincts to override the training she had received for most of her life. She shrinks away from the noise, cringing visibly, letting out a terrified cry of dismay, the kind one would expect from a petite blonde 'flower', her fingers biting into the 'doctor's' arm a little deeper.
The captain of the soldiers seemed to pay them no more mind, waving Shinji on his way with a silent command to herd his new charges to safety, even as the rest of the group broke into ordered chaos. The men split off into different directions, some of them interrupting their still-running comrades, giving them the short of it and new orders, while others went to spread the alarm throughout the forboding stone walls of the enormous estate.
With an arm on Mune, being supported upright by her 'doctor' and looking as if she may well be felled by a stiff breeze, squeaking in terror at every little noise that makes itself known in her vicinity, Datura places her other frail hand upon Ra's sleeve, tugging the male arachnoid along with their group as they make their way through the samurai readying themselves to repel an assault. They're challenged several times, but always allowed to pass quickly once their identies are made known.
Once the entire group is inside, Datura slides the shoji door leading into the foyer of her own chambers shut, before spinning around to face the others with a petulant look. While not intimidating to look at, looking more like an expression that would be worn by a teenager denied a week's allowance for misconduct, it was the look that usually preceeded murder for the volatile blonde. It's leveled at Ra. No longer cringing in fright, the Yamanaka's small frown turns down towards her sash, which she straightens, as if composing herself until she could speak.
"Ra-kun, that was very inconvenient." Sucking in a deep breath, the blue-eyed young woman summons up a smile from somewhere, clasping her hands in front of her as she takes several steps towards the male. "But I'm hoping you have good news."
Mune is presently busily cutting away burnt flesh form her hands with… Her hands. Somehow she is just cutting it right off with some invisible surgical tool that seems to surround her hands and fingers. Chakra Scalpel, though most here would not be able to see it, most likely. Once she has cleaned her hands of destroyed tissue, she can wrap them up in her special bandages and get them on the way to healing.
For now she sits and listens, even though she came here to attend to Datura's health. Apparently there is something else going on here.
Jatai was told to watch. How can he watch when everyone goes running off? Humans are so inconsiderate. Both the ones being watched and those ordering the watching. Luckily, Jatai is a lot faster than normal snakes. He slithers out swiftly, attempting to trail right behind Ra and send out Chakra pulses that communicate to the Hunter his intentions. Namely, he wants to become a passenger temporarily. If permitted, he coils around Ra's ankle and simply hitches a ride…
If not permitted, then he may be a bit late to the conversation. Either way, he'll try to be present to observe and report anything significant. Oh, like Mune being harmed. Kanami said she wanted to know if anyone was harmed. And so…
Kanami, lying in bed and asleep, suddenly snaps open her eyes. She is quite awake now, even though she was just pulled out of deep sleep by her Summon. Reflected in her eyes is… Mune's cleavage? "…." Kanami sighs and sits up slowly. "…If looking down her shirt is your idea of a joke, Jatai-san, I do not find it amusing." She waits and listens as though hearing someone's voice and then says, "…Ah, the hands. I did not notice immediately from your angle. How did that happen?" More waiting. "Chemical burns. Well, that IS her specialty. Wielding chemicals, that is, not burning herself with them. Odd that she would get hurt with something she uses all the time. She's normally much more careful and very… Good with her hands." She smirks in the darkness, remembering a time at a certain day spa.
The pale Nogakujin woman lets out an inquisitive Mmm? then ahhs. "Yes, do remain. But if the others leave, focus only on Datura. It is her safety that I want to preserve. If she acts oddly, as though responding to some unseen intruder, or otherwise, notify me immediately. Otherwise…" She trails off, hoping it is clear THIS time that she doesn't want to be woken up again.
Ra allowed the serpent to 'board' his ankle, assuming that any snake that is intelligent enough to communicate via Chakra emissions has to have a good reason to ask instead of just trying to climb on. And later on, in the Lady Ryoko's chambers, he watches as the snake moves from 'around ankle' to 'up on some shelf or table or something' which apparently also translates to 'omgoshboobs'. Not that Ra realizes this or would care if he did. Instead his attention if focused squarely on Lady Ryoko. When she finally speaks to him, he offers, "Our apologies, Lady Spinner Ryoko. The men below would not permit us entry into this structure, and the alternative to entering as we did was to enter on foot. This would likely have resulted in a number of deaths on the side of the defenders, and even more of a spectacle than was made via the method we chose to use. We humbly beg your pardon for being too limited of imagination to conceive of a different means of contacting you. If you wish it, we can request from the Spider Queen that a Door Spider be used to reach you in the future?"
He is bowed as well as he can with the surgical changes to his body, and he remains so until he has been forgiven. If he is not forgiven, then he is silent for a few seconds before providing the 'good news'. Actually, he would provide it eithe way, but he will take note if he is not pardoned, and make this encounter brief so as not to distress the Lady Spinner further. "I have located Princess Nefura. She is well on her way to establishing a new nest, with…" He tries to do some kind of calculation that involves counting on his fingers.
"…Ten cycles of birth having been gone through so far. Her progeny are growing swiftly and healthily. Her consort is tired often, from what I observed, but he should have at least a short time to rest, as the Princess is presently pregnant with what will become her eleventh cycle of birth. When I conveyed to her that you were interested in seeing her again, she seemed pleased with the prospect." He then goes silent.
This was a very good turn of events, having figured the guards would go to protect their Daimyo over a consort. When offered to go into the palace Shinji quickly ushered the group in and being able to get to Lady Ryokos room, Shinji allowed himself to relax but for only a moment. He didn't know how this other man was, nor did he know for how long would the distractions take the guards to figure out. Sighing a little, the man walks away from the door, and leans against a wall. Looking to Mune, then Datura, and lastly Ra, Shinji wanted to know more about this man, and well one of the best ways to do that is to listen. Reaching up to his hair and fixing it a bit, he crosses his arms over his chest and listens to the conversation that was being had.
As he looks to Mune, he does grow concerned at her hand, but seeing as she wasn't looking to worried, Shinji just decided to keep an eye on her. As far as Jitai, that snake seemed to be very content on where he was which he couldn't blame. The silent guard just remains viglent.
"Ew, don't get any of that in the carpet!" The blonde-haired diva points towards the burned tissue being sloughed away from the medic's hands, having noticed motion out of the corner of her eye and turned to take a look. Her nose was wrinkled in distaste, though whether out of concern for Mune, the carpet, or just the action in general was up for debate.
"NO!" The teenaged blonde's hands come up at the suggestion of the Door Spider, her expression clearly aghast at the implications that method of entry entailed. She shakes her head mildly, before continuing in a more normal tone. "Uh, no. That won't be necessary. There was no real harm done this time. No more Door Spiders, not here." Datura's small frown reverses itself into a pleased smile at the Okumo's news, however, perhaps a sort of nonverbal pardon. It was unlikely that 'forgiveness' was in the sociopath's vocabulary.
"Finally! Just sh- Wait, eleventh!?" As the numbers register in the young woman's mind, her jaw drops, spinning away from the stained window she had turned towards to stare incredulously at the male. For a woman who couldn't imagine herself with child ever, to know that the Priness was already on her eleventh brood nearly knocked her down. "I'm surprised she hasn't run him into the ground yet."
For a moment, the blonde looks indecisive, as if unsure what to do with the news that had been delivered to her. Both of her hands come up near her chin as she turns to look out of the decorated window once more, her fingertips pressed against her lip as her eyes search for some kind of answer to a question only she could hear in the grounds below. Samurai were taking up positions on top of the walls. Whether the attack was discovered to be real or not, she knew there would be heightened vigilance from them for several days at least. Finally, she snaps her fingers away from her face, holding them back in front of her, her head turning to look at the others while her body mostly stays facing the window.
"I'm leaving with Ra-kun. I don't know when I'll be back. The Shuichi-baka will continue to suffer until I return, but access to him is likely to be more restrictive until then. If any of you have something you need from that oaf, get it before tomorrow morning."
Mune uses a different Chakra field to make the dead cells in the burnt flesh dissolve into nothing, at Datura's protests. Once all the confusing explanations are done with, Mune stands up and says. "I was sent here to make sure you are healthy. You do not look healthy to me, and I haven't even checked you over yet. But you're not going to stick around and be treated properly, I'm guessing, so I'll give you something to make sure you last until you reach your destination." She then puts down her scroll on the tabel, unknowingly unrolling part of it right over the spot where Jatai is camouflaged. Pressing a hand ot one of the many seals on the scroll, she says, "Release." A puff of smoke comes out of the scroll, and a small black bag appears. She then picks up the bag and holds it out to Datura. "Soldier pills. You'll have a lot more stamina than normal with these. But they aren't a substitute for food, water, or sleep." A pause and then, "Be careful, please." Concern showed for Datura by the loyal servant of Amuro? Or is she really that loyal after all?
