Scene #4814: PWTWM - The Greatest Heero

Owner	Pose
August Kohler	NOVEMBER 25th, 2016 SOMETIME, WHY DO I EVEN WRITE THE TIME ANYMORE ALBERICHSTADT, GERMANY The Shack is the headquarters of Die Reisende, where they vigilante in peace and store all their comic books. It also has a massive mirror used as an entrance to the Mirror Forest. Through this gateway is a small clearing, complete with pond, log, and pathways, where the group always touches down. Usually, the local navigator, the White Pig, hangs around here along, inside his log. But lately, there's been another presence: one Spriggins Jack. Having been met once before by some of the people here, where he called himself the Greatest Heero, Spriggins Jack is a short, rotund, white creature, with hollow black eyes, a brown vest with a white undershirt and lincoln green trimmings, a lincoln green cap with a red feather in it, and matching boots. He is also currently trying to ride the White Pig, turning it into a faithful steed. The Pig does not approve, and keeps trying to hide in his log. Jack does not seem hostile, and is slightly distracted, though he HAS expressed in the past that he wants to talk to the group when a bunch of them can show up. Wonder what he wants?
Emily Branford	With a Liberi not here, her representative has taken up the slack. Smartly-dressed as ever, with no sign of injury at all from the battering and self-inflicted exhaustion in their fight against the Huntsman, Emily Branford steps through the mirror, and... watches the spectacle with a perfectly neutral expression. Well, okay, not /perfectly/ neutral. One eyebrow is arched rather high.
Ainsley	Ainsley only steps into the mirror after peeling the heaviest outer layer of winter clothing off of herself so that she could function, the cold-blooded reptile muttering about how cold Germany was as it neared the Winter months. She seemed calm enough besides the idle complaint, though, having gathered enough heating contingencies to stuff in her pockets that it won't be an issue unless she gets blasted with ice magic or they hit truly arctic temperatures somewhere in the Forest. She approaches Jack's antics and tries to interrupt him to give the Pig some breathing. "Hee ho, there, Jack," she greets, taking a cue from how Hikaru approached the other Jacks during their unwise trip into the Forest during the Wolf's favorite time of year. "We're all here now. You wanted a bunch of people here for something...?" She prompts him, trying to distract him from harassing the poor Pig.
Hikaru Kurosawa	Hikaru is in a forest green dress shirt which almost approaches 'tasteful', going well with his olive-green hair even if it /is/ far too colourful. Today, he has a tie featuring colourful cartoon deer! They're frolicking, because of course they are. He steps in through the mirror to see The Greatest Heero, heeroically harassing the White Pig. "Hee-ho!" Hikaru calls out, waving to him. Distraction is the best course of action! Ainsley's on top of telling him why they're there, so he just strolls up beside her and smiles to the Shadow.
Rebecca Chambers	Who is Jack? What does he want? That's several questions that Rebecca has in her mind as she travels to the Shack. Upon arriving there, she spots the mirror which supposedly will lead her to Mirror Forest. She pauses for a moment, biting her lip, then shrugs and decides to try stepping through it to see if it works. Unsurprisingly, it does. She seems a little startled as she makes her way into the Mirror Forest, but once she's fully inside the forest, she starts to relax a little, almost as if traveling through the mirror for the first time is a weird, albeit novel, way of traveling. "Maybe after this, I should change my name to Alice?" She says to herself with a chuckle. When she spots Jack, she doesn't approach right away, as she knows that there's a lot to learn about this place. She lets the others who are approaching already handle him, figuring she'll back them up if need be.
Sanary Rondel	"... Is this what the call was for" Sanary blinks slowly as she watches Spriggins Jack at work with the White Pig, looking vaguely somewhere between amused and confused. She was expecting something more... Dangerous. Exciting! Probably not as funny. She's clearly hiding some snickering behind that vague annoyance, but at least it's not enough to get her to lose her cool. "Uh. Hey there. You'll probably have an easier time if you feed him fruit or something." She offers with a helpful tone, looking not unlike an odd exchange student in her own uniform that she probably just grabbed out of a school surplus store. There's quite a few familiar faces around at this point, although she doesn't seem too worried about any of them in particular. Sanary is going to be keeping an eye on Rebecca's hands, though.
Kotone Yamakawa	So just what was going on now? Kotone had no real idea the full nature of the situation. Still she was here at the shack in short order clad and redy for touble but she had no real weapons out after all given whom they might have as a guest? She didn't expect there to be a fight with them. No, but given the Forest? Shadows might come crashing down and she'd rather be ready for that. She'd arrive rougly at the same time s everyone else and she waves a little bit. "Hey it's not often we get guests who don't want to kick the door down and it's good to see you again, what was it? Hee-ho?"
Yuna Kagurazaka	Yuna hasn't met Jack before, but with August suggesting that maybe the group should meet him, it's time to remedy that. Of course, she needs somebody else to open the mirror for her - she couldn't meet Jack on her own if she wanted to, unless she happened to be in the Mirror Forest for something else and happened to cross paths with him. It's mostly by dint of what August said about 'trying to ride the White Pig' that Yuna identifies Jack when she spots him. "Hello - er, 'hee ho!'" she calls out, waving, and - in the brief interim while she might have Jack's attention - taking a moment to look him over. Then she gives him a polite bow, and glances around at the others. As it happens, Yuna's in what could be a school uniform herself ... if it weren't for the fact that it's actually Hikari Combined Fleet issue. Or, well, a gift to go with something else. Something that she realizes Sanary's probably seen her in ... Oh well. Sanary's not an enemy here, the only enemies that might pop up are roving Shadows. And if any of those show up, Elner's sticking close to Yuna so she can transform ... but Yuna doesn't expect trouble from any source tonight.
August Kohler	August Kohler is also here! He's in the back. He's not doing much, idly watching the Pig and the Jack do antics. Luckily, the group distracts the fae, especially when they say the magic words. Spriggins Jack leaps on top of the log, as the Pig runs to hide under Ainsley's legs. Jack responds to Sanary, briefly. "I tried! I even gave him this bacon that the fiery kid gave me, and it didn't work, hee-ho!" All the hee-hos put him in good cheer. "Hee-ho, civilians! It is I, the greatest heero, Spriggins Jack!" He takes a moment to glance between them, recognizing a few faces. "Ah, it's the potential squires, the ones who heelped me defeat the knight! And you've finally brought friends, ho!" He draws a shiny sword from a scabbard, waving it around in the air all knightly like, before leaping in front of them. He is way shorter than everyone there, even Ainsley. However, of all the people, the one he turns to is Hikaru! "Hee-ho, fellow Jack! My brothers told me about you! I am so hee-hopeless to have not realized when we first met! We Jacks must stick together!" Spriggins Jack's Approval Rating Has Improved Dancing around the group, before jumping back onto the log, Spriggins Jack doesn't actually wait for introductions, though he'll acknowledge them. "I have brought you all hee-here for an important thing: I have seen your heroism, and therefore, I, the great heero Spriggins Jack, will take you all under my wing! You will all be my squires, and journey on a quest with me! Are you all ready?~"
Ainsley	"..." Ainsley's skepticism can be felt just cascading off of her as she patiently watches Jack's antics. His behavior was offputting for her she just hid it pretty well. Hikaru might be able to read it, though. Her feathers bristle just a little, her eyes focus a bit too hard, and she grows a little tense. A calm smile becomes a forced smile when he tells them that he wants them all to be his squires. She decides to crouch down and reach to rest her hand on top of the White Pig's head, petting and scritching the Pig. "I'll go with what you decide to do," she tells Hikaru, looking up at him and her smile fading away. "He won't be satisfied until we do this for him, and maybe he'll prove to be useful to have around someday." A moment of pause, her brow scrunching as the pragmatic thought of 'maybe he could help us against the Queen' also registered how cold that seemed to her. She frowned and upgraded to doting on the Pig with both hands.
Emily Branford	Well, if Emily has any further reactions to this whole mad gathering, she doesn't let them show on her face. She's just gonna quietly be over here, being invisible as a butler should be. Getting noticed by Jack at this point is sure to lead to something utterly silly and/or headache-inducing. Alright, so maybe she's now particularly staring at Hikaru. Hikaru, who seems to have been selected to be THE HERO(tm).
Sanary Rondel	Sanary squints slightly as Yuna arrives, peering at her choice of uniform and how familiar it looks. "... Hey, Yuna. Where'd you get that outfit?" She looks the idol over a few more times before turning towards Jack, giving him a blank stare next between his revealed choice of offering and that odd pose he takes. "Hee... Ho, was it?" There's actually a vaguely recognizing tone in her voice as she says that, watching him dance about and even chuckling quietly before crossing her arms over her chest. "A quest, hm? Now that's more like it. Alright... What's the job?" Ainsley seems to have the same idea, at least, and the healer glances over at Hikaru as the pre-selected hero of the group. "And are we gonna need any gear for this quest?"
Hikaru Kurosawa	Hikaru bows to Spriggins Jack, hand over chest. "We've got to look out for each other!" Hikaru agrees, because apparently he's a Jack now, and he's just going to roll with it. It's not lying if he actually enjoys the anime! Spriggins Jack dances around them, and declares his intentions. Not everyone seems happy with him - he notices Ainsley bristling - and he nods to her, as she nominates his lead. (The radio, too, has nominated him.) He hides his own surprise behind a smile. "We must have done very well to be acknowledged by a Heero like you," he declares, with all the pomp required of a Jack. "But what quest are we to tackle? What act of heroism awaits us? What lurks," he tosses out a hand to gesture to the forest, "beyond the curtains of adventure?!" Okay, Hikky, you don't have to ham it up /that/ hard.
Rebecca Chambers	So Hikaru is going to be in charge for this mission? That's fine with Rebecca, since she figures he'd know better what's going on based on how he handled things at first. She gives a smile to Yuna as she arrives, glad to see an old friend in a somewhat strange place, but then she faces forwards attentively. Looking to Hikaru, Rebecca says, "I'll go along with whatever you've got planned. I figure I'll follow your lead since this place is still kind of strange to me still." She frowns a little as Hikaru starts to liven things up, feeling that this isn't the time or place for such a thing.
Yuna Kagurazaka	Yuna looks a little sheepish, and maybe a little embarassed. She hasn't even done that much to help the others in the Mirror Forest; she's been on a couple of missions, but she's missed far more than those even since she connected with August and his friends to begin with. "I'm not sure if I can devote my full time to being your squire," the blonde idol says, bowing politely to Spriggins Jack, "but I'm honored that you believe I'd be a worthy squire to one of your noble stature and skill. When were you planning for us to depart on this quest?" She might have to run back and throw some things together if this is going to be a lengthy quest; granted, she didn't have anything to pack when Elner tapped her to become the Savior of Light and save the galaxy ... but she did at least get enough warning to tell her parents and her manager she'd be busy for a while. So yeah, it's just a little important for her to ask what the time commitment is. If push comes to shove, she may have to come and go as she's able.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa seems all right with the Jack she recalls the others who helped them all on Halloween. She looks at Spriggins Jack for a moment to listen to what he has to say to them. "Your are seeking squires? I see you must need some serious help then if your looking for help. I have no issue Spriggins, with this at all." It was a bit cheesy but after he october she darn well /needs/ it.. Seriously Kotone's really does seem relaxed at this as she falls in step before looking to Yuna for a moment "Yuna the Light Squire hummm?" She also looks over to Hikaru for a moment as wll. "I have to agree it's how we'll surive, we have to wach eachother's backs."
August Kohler	Hikaru is appointed team leader! And therefore, he starts the discussion. "Excellent, Foxy Jack! Gimme just a moment, hee!" Spriggins Jack dives behind a bush for a minute, talking to the others while he fishes for something. First, Sanary. "You only need your heeroic spirit! The ability to do what is just!" And then, Yuna. "As long as you are helping others and serving as a heero, you are always acting as my squire! Have noble intentions and one day, you will all become full-fledged heeros! We will leave...in just a moment!" The imp finally rolls backwards out of the bush, into Hikaru. He quickly jumps upright, wobbling a bit, as he holds up something...a parchment! Specifically, a map that looks like it was doodled by a toddler. "I have hee-heard of your destiny, squires, and it is most noble! Therefore, when I found this treasure map, I knew it had to be shared with you, hee-ho! This map is said to lead to a powerful compass, rumored to be able to lead one to whatever they seek! However, it only has one use, and therefore is in hee-high demand! I traded some shiny rocks for this map, so it must truly be worth it!~" Spriggins Jack waves the map around for people to see, as he continues to move like a maniac. "Shall we all find the treasure, and save the world?~" Those who look at the map closely will notice something: sometimes, the terrain depicted changes, and the path changes to compensate. It moves at an irregular rate, but nonetheless, the geography on the map is ever-shifting.
Hikaru Kurosawa	'Foxy Jack'. ... there's no way to convince these guys to call him 'Hikaru', is there..? And so, Foxy Jack shakes his head and accepts his new nomenclature. He listens to Spriggins Jack give them a speech about heroism, and when he tumbles backwards Hikaru leans down to catch him before he can sprawl too far. Once Jack hops up, Hikaru straightens up, too, looking down at the parchment. As Spriggins Jack describes it, the map itself shifts - as if it's compensating for the Forest. For all that it seems like a children's drawing, that detail alone marks it as valuable. Hikaru claps his hands together. "Hee-ho, that sure is a treasure! You've found something great, Spriggins Jack!" He's /alarmingly good/ at this whole peppiness thing. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be!" He turns to the others, grinning. "Squires, are we ready?!"
Sanary Rondel	"Foxy...?" Sanary blinks slowly while peering at Hikaru again, holding back another snicker before clearing her throat at Spriggins Jack's response (and settling down when she gets the real answer). She actually seems somewhat relieved by the answer. "That so? Great. I got plenty of that." She even laughs confidently and smacks her chest once before lowering her arms. Nobody that's not sure of themselves would ever do that! Right? Right. The sight of the map gets her attention, and it takes Sanary a bit of moving around just to get a clearer view of the thing what with the imp's constant waving and moving around. "Eas-hee there. We need you to ho-ld still to get a... Uh. Better... Look at that, too. I'm ready when you all are..." A pause. "... Ho?" She's trying, really! Sanary's just not very good at it.
Emily Branford	"I don't know that I can qualify as a 'squire'," the butler finally speaks, taking a few steps forward. "I am, after all, but a humble servant, and it would be utterly unacceptable of me to stand upon the same stage as valiant knights. But my lady sent me here in her stead," Emily adds, sweeping an arm around to fold in front of herself as she dips into a graceful bow, "And it would be remiss of me to give less than my all in her name. You have my aid, good sir Foxy Jack." Is she... is she smirking? Nah, couldn't be. Just a trick of the light.
Rebecca Chambers	Squire? Rebecca? The S.T.A.R.S. medic opens her mouth to protest being addressed by that title, but then shuts it realizing that it's silly to yell at someone over something so trivial. She rolls her neck around and stretches her arms before giving an affirmative nod to 'Foxy Jack' before standing attentively. "I'm ready when you are. Just lead the way." She frowns a little, especially as she gets a glance at the map, wondering if she's seeing things or if it's really changing on her...
Yuna Kagurazaka	"I don't see why we couldn't ..." Yuna muses, taking a look at the map. She's trying to figure out how long of a trip it'll be, but she has to fall back on asking, "Do you know how long of a journey lies ahead of us? And -" She pauses, blinking. "... What happens if the path changes while we're in the middle of it?" That could be a concern. At least what's left of Hikaru's dignity has one ally; Yuna's a little too preoccupied to tease him about being 'Foxy Jack'.
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone looks the map over if she's able to get a look at it that is. "Very well Sir Knight where too?" She's been in the multiverse long enough to understand the Jack may be light hearted seeming but the prize may be something that those who brave the forest may very well need it. She was in good spirits and laughred at the name Hiiki just picked up as well. It was going to be a fun time or so she hoped. "Foxy Jack? That's nopt so bad of a name I you know." With that shes' tailing along behind poor Hikaru who may never have anyone call them by thier actual name /ever/ people may even forget they have an actual name.
Ainsley	Ainsley straightens up in her stand as she listens to Jack. The strange being's behavior made her pretty uncomfortable because of her expectations about Shadows, but she didn't show it overtly except in the subtle cues. She eventually decided that he is harmless and she starts to relax. He even has a map that /changes according to the Forest/-- "Heavens and stars, how did you..." She approaches to get a look at the map, though this might be difficult. She turns on her Sight and tries to scan it, because... well, it's conveying information about the Forest, and perhaps she can reverse-engineer what it's doing!! Or at least understand why it's special enough to work at all. "Ready!" she says, raising one hand in reflex to answer Hikaru.
August Kohler	The tribe has spoken. Hikaru is no more. He is now Foxy Jack. But we're going to call him Hikaru anyways. Jack pauses when Sanary does her weird hee-ho attempt, giving people a good five seconds or so to glance at the map before he moves again. It is /most definitely/ moving according to the Forest's terrain. It is also colored in crayon. Yuna's concern is actually answered by looking at it; while it changes, the path doesn't teleport or anything, it just reroutes around new terrain. Jack turns to Emily, shaking his head. "I have seen you in action, hee-ho! You seek only to hee-help people! You saved me from that knight! You are truly a squire, and a heero in the making!" Ainsley gets some interesting info on the map; not enough to reverse-engineer it, but enough to look into. "Oh, only a little while, hee-ho! As long as we don't get lost! Speaking of which, who wants to hold the map?"
August Kohler	After a brief conference over the radio, August snatches the map out of Spriggins Jack's hands. He doesn't seem to mind the rudeness. "Hey, Pig, want some treats?" He pulls a little baggy out of his bag. It has pork rinds in it. The Pig, a creature of habit, comes up, and grabs the pork rinds. "Alright, now, can you use your Persona to read this map for us?" "OINK!" Suddenly, blue light envelops the Pig, as an RV made out of brick appears. The vehicle is being piloted by three pigs, one who is driving, while the other two poke their heads out the windows. A massive radar dish with a computer-like box attached to it is on the back of the vehicle, and it has a little slot to feed things into it. August moves up to the slot, feeds the map into it... And the lights turn green. The radars begin spinning, before pointing forward on the path, as the RV begins driving forward. Jack leaps onto the Three Little Pigs, riding the RV into the Forest, which briefly causes the White Pig to panic before continuing. The journey is actually mostly uneventful. The Shadows are there, but they chitter peacefully and don't do anything but watch. Nothing attacks. A few times, the group suddenly turns around when the Three Little Pigs determine they're now going the wrong way, and they take a different path. And eventually, they stop...but the radar is still moving, meaning that they still have ways to go. So why are they stopping? Because they've reached a massive chasm. At the other side is a tall cliff. There doesn't seem to be another way around, or if there is, the Pig isn't following it. Around the chasm is a bunch of trees, and the cliff face is incredibly rocky. Water pours infrequently down the cliff, making it briefly a waterfall. What do you do, adventurers? Spriggins Jack, meanwhile, waves his blade in the air. "Aha! Our first obstacle! Onwards, heeros!"
Rebecca Chambers	Once they do reach the chasm, Rebecca stops and stares at their first obstacle. It's not like anything she'd expected to encounter, which shows just how much she has to learn about this world. She sighs as she looks up at the cliff wall, and then notices the occasional waterfall, meaning that climbing is out of the question either way. Still, she doesn't sigh like she normally would when she's stumped or frustrated. Instead, she looks to those she knows personally, namely Yuna, but anyone else who might be nearby, and says, "All right, it seems that a bit of lateral thinking might be required here. Granted, I don't know what we should be thinking of entirely, but I'm thinking a lateral view on this whole thing might be a good start. If anyone has any ideas, let me know."
Yuna Kagurazaka	While August is handing the map off to the Pig, Yuna transforms into her Light Suit, her sailor fuku replaced by the sleek, armored bodysuit. That way she's at least ready in case anything dangerous DOES happen. But it doesn't really give her any advantages when they reach the chasm. Trying to jump across is out - you'd have to be a monkey to make a jump like that AND grab hold of the cliff face. Yuna didn't bring any of the Matrix of Light along, so she doesn't have any of the mobility options provided by her alternate armor forms. The best she can do, in that light, is to help brainstorm on the radio. "Not sure if we want 'lateral' so much as 'diagonal,'" she jokes feebly to Rebecca.
Emily Branford	Her expression still perfectly neutral, Emily shakes her head in reply to jack, eyes closing for a moment. "Ah, but I have vowed my service to Janine Liberi. Were I to act as another's squire, it would be a mark against my pride as a butler." She taps her chin as if thinking about something, before adding, "Think of me, perhaps, as an emissary, here on behalf of my lady. And then perhaps the next time you speak with Janine, you can enlist her as your squire." Watching the Pig's persona read the map is interesting, to say the very least. And Emily is quite happy that sight is the only truly /interesting/ thing to happen along the path. Now, when they reach the cliff, that's another story. That's going to be difficult. "Well, then..." she murmurs thoughtfully, pondering the solution as they converse over radio.
Sanary Rondel	Sanary averts her gaze self-consciously when Jack gives her that stare. That was totally according to plan! Ungrateful kids. So what if she's only a year or two older than them at most? Well, whatever. At least they've got the map now, and it's time to give it to the Pig! She eyes the White Pig curiously as it calls out its Persona, and the healer proceeds to just stare as the pig-filled RV comes out of nowhere. She stare at its drivers blankly for a short while before stepping forward, and she can only hope that the RV is making enough ambient noise of its own to drown out the quiet squealing noise coming from Sanary herself. She might be a little too distracted during the ride to do anything other than watch them drive somehow. It's a good thing that nothing attacks, because even after the vehicle stops? Sanary's still staring. It's only when people start talking that she finally snaps out of it and steps out of the vehicle to look up at the cliff face facing the group past the massive canyon. "That's.. Uh. The Pig wouldn't happen to be able to call up a ladder, would he?" Wishful thinking. Instead, after some discussion on the radio, the healer starts channeling her energy into a more visible and solid form: A boatload of wide gray tiles! Said tiles start floating towards the chasm, acting as a makeshift staircase heading towards the top of the cliff! It's not going to be easiest way of getting up there, though, considering that there's barely enough tiles to even reach the top with large steps upwards, and they seem to be a little shaky as if an unseen force is holding them all up from below. Sanary herself seems to be having trouble just standing there and staring at the things intensely!
Yuna Kagurazaka	And then Emily suggests having one of the Matrix fly up to see what's at the top of the cliff. Technically, 'didn't bring any of the Matrix' is incorrect: Elner counts, even though the little robo-faerie provides the Light Suit itself and not a variant form, Elner can indeed fly up to the top of the cliff and scout around, reporting back via radio.
August Kohler	As Elner flies up, they'll notice that the top of the cliff is actually pretty interesting! The water coming down belongs to a river, flanked on both sides by a clear path. The reason it keeps blocking up is because of a weird figure, some sort of birdlike Shadow wearing a hood, who keeps putting a massive basket in front of it to collect water. They have several of these baskets, made of glass and forest-grass, filled to the brim with water, to the side. There's also some rocks, more trees, and a small campsite, which seems to belong to the bird-Shadow.
Emily Branford	"Hmm..." Emily steps up next to Sanary, looking over the steps curiously. "If you put those a bit closer together, would your hold on them be less shaky? I don't need to get all the way to the top - even just halfway would be quite enough, and then we can work from there."
August Kohler	Those steps look horribly unstable! August doesn't seem thrilled at climbing them. The Pig seems even less thrilled, as it remains stopped. They might need to be a bit less shakier, unless someone wants to throw the Pig.
Sanary Rondel	At Emily's recommendation, Sanary nods once and... Doesn't actually move as the stairs start drawing closer together. Some of them are still bumping into each other, but as the vertical distance closes somewhat, it does seems to be stabilizing a bit! Although now the stairs aren't reaching the top of the cliff. Still, anyone confident in their jumping ability might still be able to make it!
Hikaru Kurosawa	Emily is /definitely teasing Hikaru/, but luckily, Foxy Jack's pretty good at rolling with the punches! Besides, it /is/ pretty funny. This is the first time Hikaru's seen the Three Little Pigs, and as a fellow Spotter, he's got to admire it. "So that's the power you get from focusing on intel, huh..?" Really, it puts the Fox Sister's ever-moving ears to shame! But on the other hand, he doesn't run from every little conflict, so perhaps it works out. He follows them along until they reach the cliff, and Hikaru folds one arm across the other and taps his chin as he considers it. "Well, I could make them /look/ sturdier, if the little pig's still not sure," he supposes. "But perhaps we should consider that plan of melting glass..? We might be able to make a platform which Sanary could build from."
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone pays attention to the planning over the radio and she makes note of it. It's a simple plan but those often seem to become the best plans given if you think and plan too hard? Who knows how things might go side ways. She stares at the pig and the RVa? Why is it made of bricks it doesnt make any sense it does not make any sense at all. The jack offers the pig some treats and the RV appears. Thankfully nothing goes wrong on the trip but she gets the pigs are not following them for the moment. "Watch your step." She now looks at the cliff and debates about how to get past this. She could take one person with her and make it well enough. The rope she has is there if it's needed but shell keep with the group and watch just what Sanary do her thing. "I can scale on my own Sanary don't stress self about me I'll climb myself. I'm made for it." Before she goes she'll pull the rope out of her MM unit and pass the rope to Emily before she'll start on her own climb up the cliff. She seems to have no trouble pulling herself up or even in some cases digging into the cliff to make hand holds.
Emily Branford	"Thank you," Emily says to Sanary, with an echo to Kotone. The butler takes that rope and carefully secures it by tying one end around her waist, and handing the other end to Yuna - since Kotone is already climbing, and Sanary needs to focus. That's when the butler blurs in to motion. Straight up Sanary's steps at superhuman speed, using her own movement to gain momentum so that when she hits the very top, she can /jump/ with all her might and go sailing up towards the cliff at high speed. And with that extra height, she snaps out with her whip - meaning to snag an outcropping of rock and simply reel herself in. With that, she should have skipped... well, MOST of the climb. And the rest, she can just make her way up with a combination of athletic free-climbing, and use of her whip to reel herself up.
Rebecca Chambers	Normally, Rebecca would sneer or glare in response to a joke in a situation like this. But she and Yuna know each other well, and so she chuckles a little at the pun, before taking a deep breath and blowing it out. She decides that the best course of action is to try to directly confront the problem at hand. Which means scaling the cliff wall itself by hand. Rebecca's done rock climbing before, so she knows what she's doing, but she's not using a harness or anything like that, so if she makes a mistake here, she's a goner. Taking a deep breath and blowing it out, Rebecca makes her way onto the cliff wall surface. Without looking down, Rebecca slowly begins to ascend the cliff wall, taking it steadily while keeping a focus either to the side or up above. No matter how tempted she is to look down, she doesn't do it. She continues to climb the cliff wall, breathing deeply as she does so. At one point, one of the handholds she grabs onto gives way, and she's dangling by one hand. Fortunately, she recovers quickly and pulls herself back up. She continues to climb, slowly but steadily, keeping her eyes on the prize, in this case the top.
August Kohler	By the time Emily, Kotone, and Rebecca have gotten to the top, the birdman Shadow has begun slowly pushing his basket to the side with the others, allowing the water to flow again. If they don't approach or interrupt him, he moves to grab another one and set up the next water-net. He doesn't turn around during this process, so you can't see his front half, except for the side of his face, which is pretty damn hideous.
Emily Branford	Well, there they are. And the birdman Shadow doesn't seem to mind their presence one bit. Emily is quite fine with that, of course. It means she can go about untying the rope in peace, and look for somewhere nearby she can tie the rope down that will hold a person's weight. Other people will have to be climbing this, after all. Of course, if there's nothing usable, she, Kotone and Rebecca could always just hold the rope themselves. It shouldn't be too bad between the three of them, especially with Kotone.
Rebecca Chambers	As Rebecca makes it to the top, she stares in disgust at the Shadow's face and narrows her eyes. It's rather hideous to say the least. Thinking quickly, she attempts to crouch down and move to the side, trying to avoid being seen by the Shadow as a precaution. At the same time, she's working on catching her breath and wiping her forehead. "That was a bit of a challenge. But I'm just warming up."
August Kohler	Emily can easily tie the rope around either a rock or a tree! She'd find a pretty stable one of either.
August Kohler	And with a somewhat stable way up (run, jump, climb), August finally bites the bullet. He makes a run up the steps, before making the jump. And just barely, he reaches the rope and doesn't die horribly! He'll climb up to the top soon after.
Yuna Kagurazaka	That's ... not as easy as Yuna was hoping it'd be, but the 'better' solutions are basically not feasible. She waits for August to finish climbing the rope, then follows his lead, actually suppressing the Light Suit's normal defensive aura - just to make sure the normal impact-flare doesn't push her AWAY from the cliff upon impact, and before she can grab hold of rope or rocks or anything else to support herself. So it's kind of a hair-raising leap of faith for her, but the steps and the climb aren't really an issue. And while Yuna is going up ... Elner is flitting back down, and comes to a halt next to the Confederate. "If you need some assistance rejoining them, I can provide that assistance," the robo-faerie states - quietly, trying not to break her concentration.
August Kohler	For those at the top, they probably have a few moments to look around. The campsite has a little fire-pit and a tent made out of forest-grass and other forest-plants. There's also like, eight giant baskets of water, and a ton more unfilled.
Hikaru Kurosawa	The rope holds true! Once it's all secure, and the others are up and have demonstrated how to use the rope effectively, Hikaru lifts his wrist to look into the dangling charms there. "Persona!" The Fox Sister appears beside him, a young Korean woman with fox-ears twitching atop her head and a tail sneaking out from beneath her hanbok. She gestures to the platforms, and somehow, they seem to change, becoming a grand staircase. The rope, too, seems to change into a nice, sturdy pulley system. Hikaru reaches out to the pig. "White Pig, would you come with me, please? Look, it's perfectly safe." Of course, nothing about the situation has /actually/ changed, but it /looks/ so much more reassuring! Once they come to the end of the staircase, Hikaru calls out for the people at the top of the cliff to toss the rope to them. The 'pulley system' swings over and is caught by him, and he kneels down, tying a 'safety harness' (in reality, the end of the rope) around the White Pig's belly. Once he's properly strapped in, Hikaru swings them over, softening the impact with his legs when they reach the cliff. He'll carry the both of them up -- looking, all the while, to just be managing the lift of the pulley system. Sure, the Pig is a little short to reach the floor, but the floor is right there! There's a safety grate and everything! It's all perfectly safe, little pig.
Emily Branford	With the rope tied off and everyone on their way up, Emily... does not go look around. No, she's staying by the rope to make sure everyone gets up /safely/. Someone else can do the poking around.
August Kohler	The Pig is hesitant. But he's hesitant about everything! Eventually, Hikaru will coax him into it, and he'll take the rope. His Persona disappears, briefly, but reappears, still raring to go, once they reach the top of the cliff. Jack, having been on the RV, instead rides on Hikaru's head, because Foxy Jack is trustworthy. He's not that heavy!
Sanary Rondel	"... Huh. So that's what they were talking about." Once Foxy Jack's made his way up the cliff with the Pig in tow, Sanary's tile brick things start lowering until they condense into a larger stack of gray stackness. With nobody else to worry about getting up there, it's a fairly simple matter for Sanary to step onto it, sit down, and... Hold on for dear life as it floats up the cliff face while wobbling in every possible direction. It's hard to mimic absolute movement with something that's affected by gravity and centers of balance and whatnot! Still, she does get up there eventually, and the healer seems keen on getting right back into the pig's RV to give herself a breather. "Next time... Can we just do the flying thing?"
August Kohler	A short while after the entire group gets to the top, the birdman finishes with his basket. And in the reflection of the water, he spots the crowd behind him. Slowly, he moves his basket, allowing the water to flow down the cliff again, and grabs another one, setting it up. "This is my river," he caws, turning briefly. "And this is my water. No, you can't have any. I was here first." And, when he turns briefly, his front can be seen. He has a remarkably hideous face, for a birdman, which looks all mauled and messed up. But what's more important? The thing hanging around his neck: a compass on a cord, which looks like it hasn't been opened in a /very/ long time.
Emily Branford	"Ah, no, of course not, sir," Emily replies, stepping forward without hesitating now that everyone's made the climb. The Shadow's hideous appearance doesn't seem to bother her at all. "In fact, we're quite glad to have you here collecting it. We were climbing the cliff face, and you stopped the flow of the river in long enough gaps to make it safe for us. So we're quite grateful." She cants her head, as if noticing the compass for the first time. "What is that, if you don't mind my asking?"
August Kohler	"That wasn't my intention." The birdman replies, but not out of disrespect; he's stating just the facts. He keeps filling his basket with water, but stops to stare at Emily when she asks about the compass. "This is my lucky compass. I found it." And then, he glances to the group itself, "Are you here to rob me? I don't have anything. The last ones already took it all."
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa gets to the top without too much trouble and she doesn't move get into it with the shadow if it's not looking for a fight. Pig seem to be coming along with Foxy Jack, so it's all good right? she does make sure e veryone else has got up safe an sound before she does anything nd she now looks to the shadow. "We did not come for the river or your water do not worry about that." Oh wait is the the compass? Well this just got complicated.
Sanary Rondel	Sanary's still taking a bit of a breather even as they run into the birdman, although she does raise an eyebrow slowly as he speaks with Emily. "'Last ones'? There were others here before us?" Sanary squints for a moment as she glances at the rest of the group, then turns back to the birdman. "Did they hurt you? Uh. We've got some healers around if you need it." She's keeping a polite tone and actually sounding somewhat concerned. Furthermore, she's not recoiling from the grotesque sight of the birdman. She's seen and worked with uglier back home, after all!
Rebecca Chambers	"We're not here for your water, no." Rebecca says. "We're just here..." She trails off as she realizes that the Shadow has the compass they're after, and she frowns. She's not sure how to respond here, so she steps back a little. "We're not going to hurt you, if that's what you're wondering," She manages to get out.
August Kohler	"If you are not here to take my things, please leave." The birdman replies matter-of-factly, as he continues to scoop water. "No. I hid. I don't fight. Yes, there were others. They took my things because they could."
Emily Branford	Emily regards the birdman with a thoughtful expression, allowing herself a wry little smile. "Hmm. Well, I will be honest, we /did/ come for that compass. But we didn't know it was already owned, and we aren't the sorts of brutes to just take it by force. And as it turns out, you've recently been robbed of things that belong to you." She gestures idly with one gloved hand. "Perhaps a trade? We're quite capable fighters ourselves. If we go and get your things back, might you give us that compass as payment?"
Hikaru Kurosawa	Once they're at the top of the cliff, Hikaru kneels down so Spriggins Jack can hop off of his head, and 'unstraps' the White Pig from the safety harness. He ushers them away from the edge, and once they've turned away, the illusion fades - Hikaru sees no reason to panic the Pig if he doesn't have to. Let him think this really was a safe journey up! There's a bird-man here, bitter about the things he's lost. Hikaru doesn't recoil from his terrible appearance, though his expression softens in concern. "She's right, we're not here to rob you," he assures him, gesturing with a hand. That wouldn't be heeoric in the slightest. "We might be able to help you."
August Kohler	The birdman takes a moment to think about it. "You can recover them if you want. I'd be thankful if you did." He doesn't seem to actually care one way or another, very much. "But you can't have this. It's mine. It keeps me safe; ever since I found it, no one has attacked me." And then he pauses for a moment. "Yet." Either way, he continues scooping water. "It's mine."
August Kohler	MEANWHILE, Spriggins Jack is contemplating what to do from atop the RV. It seems he'll let the squires decide for now. Especially because he's busy trying to find a way into that motorhome, and failing, because it's a Persona.
Hikaru Kurosawa	The radio sparks some more discussion, and Hikaru turns to Spriggins Jack. "If you're worried about your safety... Spriggins Jack, wouldn't you say a non-combatant is a worthy civilian to defend? Why, you're the best knight I know - I'm sure you'd be able to do it!" He's the only knight Hikaru knows, but never mind that. Hikaru turns back to the bird, and tilts his head. "And as for your things... it's only right to try and find them. I'll start looking this instant." He summons his Persona to him again, and the Fox Sister lays her hands over his as he closes his eyes. The world fades, replaced by other senses. First, Hikaru looks at the crow, to get a sense of how he feels. Once that's done, he directs his attention out to try and find things which resonate with that pattern, but while he does... <He'll never give up his compass willingly,> Hikaru tells his party, through an odd little one-way mind link. <He's defined by his possessions. He'll struggle to keep it if we try to take it. If we could prove it belongs to us, I get the feeling he might listen, but it would have to be very solid proof.>
August Kohler	Jack looks up, having failed to break into the Personamobile. "Of course! I'd be happy to protect my fellow man!" He leaps off the vehicle and moves over to the birdman. The birdman replies simply. "You can guard me. But you can't have my water. Or my things. Don't touch them." Spriggins Jack seems fine with this, as he just climbs up a tree. "Thank you. I am glad you understand that I cannot give this to you." And then, he ponders. "What were you going to ask it for?"
August Kohler	Hikaru's scanning finds footprints. They're Shadow prints, of course. The number of 'things' with that pattern is probably a decent amount, but Hikaru does find one thing lying in one of the footprints: a marble. It resonates with the pattern, and therefore likely belongs to the birdman. He also finds some fur on it, which does not resonate with the pattern. A clue?
Hikaru Kurosawa	Hikaru emerges from his trance once he finds /something/, and bows his head to the birdman. "I believe I've found something - I'll be back with it in just a moment!" With that, he hurries off towards the place he felt the prints, the Fox Sister trailing behind him. Even if he's just leaving briefly, after all, it pays to be prepared in case something happens. Once he retrieves the marble, and the fur, he makes his way back to the group. He presents the marble to the birdman, in an open palm. "I believe this is yours," he says. "And this fur... is it from the person who attacked you?"
August Kohler	The birdman glances at the marble. And then, in one swoop, he moves to grab it with his beak, before tossing it into his tent. "Yes. Thank you. No. That is from the cat who tried to kill me. He didn't take my things, he just wanted to fight me so he could become stronger. And then the other one stole my things, so the cat chased them, because he wanted to kill them too."
Sanary Rondel	Sanary strokes her chin lightly as Hikaru returns, the gears evidently starting to turn in her head. Slowly, but they are turning! Just because she's from a hick village that turned into a crater doesn't mean she's /always/ going to be stupid. It's just taking a while to get there. "Hey. Uh. You wanna come with us, then? It'll be easier to find your stuff and sort it out if you can tell us which of it really is yours when we find it." She offers, then flexes an arm and grins. "You get your stuff back, we don't have to carry everything we find on the way to find your stuff, and..." A pause, then she lowers her arm. It's tiring keeping it up like that! "Maybe another time, you can use the compass to help us find..." Sanary trails off with a thoughtful look, then turns back to the rest of the group. "... What /were/ we going to ask the compass for, anyway?"
August Kohler	"But then somebody will steal my tent. And my water. And my grass." The birdman looks up at Sanary. He's not actually rejecting the offer. "If you do not know what you want to find, then there is no reason for you to take it from me. I do thank you for not having stolen my stuff yet. It usually happens much faster."
Hikaru Kurosawa	Hikaru pales slightly as he realises just what the pattern on the fur reminded him of. "Ah... I see. I'm glad he wasn't a thief, at least." He slips the fur into his shirt pocket - it might be useful in the future. He might be able to find something of Panzerkat's with this. Meanwhile, Sanary has an /excellent idea/. "We'd be happy to bring your things back here, if you need to stay here. But in the future, if you could help us just once, we'd be very grateful. We wouldn't have to take the compass - we'd come to you, and ask you to come with us instead. One of us could stay behind to guard your home! Don't worry, we'd be able to keep you from danger." Hikaru pauses. "And I'm sure if there's some new possession you really want, we can do our best to find it, too..?"
Emily Branford	"I myself will volunteer to protect your things while you're away from the camp, should the need arise," Emily adds, taking another one of those formal bows, arm folded in front of herself. "I'm quite strong, and I don't do things by half-measures, either."
August Kohler	The birdman ponders. He's being swayed, but not yet there. "If my stuff is safe from thieves, and isn't touched, I could come. But I can't sleep without my tent." And then he looks at the group. "But the legend is that the compass only has one use. I want that use, once I figure out what to use it for. I don't know yet. But it's mine. And you only want me for the compass."
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa has been thinking and speaking over the radio, and understand the compass is a single use the idea about trading something or just asking him to come with them whrn they need it. Or maybe they fan find another way to keep him safe, maybe something else to protect him? What about offering him shelter? the region around the club house tends to be quiet isn't it?
Sanary Rondel	Another pause, another look over at Hikaru and Emily, and Sanary snaps a finger. Well, even, possibly to compensate for her inability to whistle ever. "We could bring the tent. I mean... How heavy could it be?" More flexing! Sanary's definitely reveling in the opportunity to show off her pig-rancher axe-fighter muscles, isn't she? It's just to inspire confidence in the birdman, really! "We'll probably be back here before you even get tired, anyway. But if you'd rather stay here... What if we told you we could get you water from other places? /And/ grass?"
August Kohler	"I don't know how heavy it is. I can carry it if I collapse it." The birdman replies, before staring blankly at Sanary. "But that isn't my grass or my water. It isn't mine. This is mine."
Hikaru Kurosawa	"It might be true that we came here for the compass initially," Hikaru says, "but that doesn't mean I don't care about you. If I didn't care, I'd just take the compass, wouldn't I? And I think we've shown that we're more interested in getting your things back than taking them. You're an innocent here, and I don't want to hurt you." He shakes his head, gesturing with an open palm. "What if we came and proposed our question to you, to see if you agreed? Maybe we could work out something we're all happy with."
August Kohler	"Okay." This is all the birdman responds with to Hikaru's long statement. "I will consider it. It is unlikely I will agree. But I will hear you out." And then, he ponders. "I heard that cat mention signs. If we put a sign here, will people stop stealing my things, or will they steal the sign too? You seem smart."
August Kohler	Also, he says one more thing. "My name is Hoody."
Hikaru Kurosawa	"It's nice to meet you, Hoody," Hikaru smiles, bowing his head. "I'm Hikaru - Hikaru Kurosawa." Or 'Foxy Jack,' but let's not focus too hard on that. He ponders the question for a moment, tapping his finger against his chin. "I think if the sign was a warning - something to let others know that you had powerful friends who are willing to help you - then people would know that there'll be consequences. It's not foolproof, someone might still be brave and try, but I think it would scare off the people who were just trying to pick on you because you don't fight."
Sanary Rondel	Sanary seems rather pleased with Hikaru's attempts to convince the birdman and Hoody's own reaction to the whole thing. It's not a definite yes, but at least it's not a complete no yet. Plus, no need to resort to just taking the thing! Yet, anyway. "A sign, huh? That might help, yeah... MAke sure everyone that comes by knows this is your space and not somewhere to just take stuff from." She doesn't quite speak towards the topic of actually keeping things unstolen, but... One step at a time. "Sanary Rondel. And yeah, they might not bother if they think there's nothing worth taking compared to having us track them down."
Emily Branford	"Come now," Emily says from the sidelines towards Hikaru, her expression perfectly calm, voice without a trace of irony. "Don't be ashamed to give him your true name." She turns to Hoody, and adds, "This is the brave squire Foxy Jack, a grand hero in training under the gallant Spriggans Jack. If there are any among this group you can trust, he tops the list. I myself am Emily Branford, butler to Janine Liberi."
August Kohler	Hoody is about to respond to Hikaru. And then Emily cuts in. "It is nice to meet you, Brave Squire Foxy Jack, Emily Branford, Sanary Rondel. You are the nicest I have met. Even those who don't rob me yell at me or try to kill me." He ponders. He seems to pause and do this a lot. "Then we will get a sign. And then I can come with you. And you can give me a second place to make mine. I can have two homes. This one is very hard to get down from, the chasm is deep and I can't fly." More pondering. "Maybe I will think of some information I can share later, once I ponder enough. Information is still yours even if you share it, so that's okay." August, meanwhile, is playing his 3DS, because the new Battlemon came out the other day, and Hikaru was handling this. Hey, atleast the therapist can lead! Spriggins Jack meanwhile leaps down from his tree. "That was a fine show of hee-horics! I didn't quite know what to do here, but you have shown the greatest virtue: Befriendshipment, hee-ho! Even if we don't get the compass, we got something more important, and we have helped a civilian in need!" Jack doesn't actually seem too upset about the compass, even though he was thinking deeply. Or maybe he spaced out. Or maybe he was letting the others do this as a test of character. Who knows? (I do, Jack spaced out.)
Kotone Yamakawa	Kotone Yamakawa takes a momentto bow slightly. "I am Kotone Yamakawa." She smiles a bit at Hoody and does keep her distance from him at a polite level she's not trying to harm him and in the end she's be willing to walk away, from it she laughs and does have to agree with Spriggins Jack word she's right. "Foxy Jack I owe your one sir."
August Kohler	And so, after they do whatever they're going to do, the group can head home. The Pig will lead the path; he's found one that doesn't involve going down the cliff. Jack will ride on August's shoulder, this time, and then leaps off when they reach the clearing. There's a brief comedic moment where this causes August to trip and they fall into each other. He waves good-bye, with a hee-ho. "I'll contact you when I have another quest, brave squires! Hee-ho!"
August Kohler	In a blue room, on a seat of velvet, the old miss Agatha opens the book that rumbles to her side. And atop Page I, next to the first image, a new one writes in. In it, a fox-like man, surrounded by his allies, extends a hand to a battered, lonely bird, while a little imp cheers him on. The Fool - Rank Up - II