Scene #4932:

Owner	Pose
Yari Takane	With Rogo Ironboot's ascention to Lawgiver, the Concord has largely done it's job. But that doesn't mean the Layered Deeps is safe. It's gained a bulward against the Dark Elven threat, but little more. There's lots more work to do if this place will ever have competent leaders ensuring peace. Or at least that's how Yari Takane chooses to think about the whole matter. Right now, she's laying in a small natural cave barely able to fit her lithe self. Her kimono is ripped to shreds, she has a head wound and multiple knives have made her fake arm pretty much useless. Outside, there's a third of a dark elven warband left. She'd managed to ambush the hunting Dark Elf party and bought the dwarven diplomat time to flee with his guards. Alone, and with help unfortunately far too distant, all she can do is hope that the group of eight well-armed dark elves doesn't find her. Particularly as one inquisitive member of the party is wandering by with a spear. "I want the assassin alive! Mistress Sendrax will pay a high price for exotic slaves! Be sure to break both of her legs and arms!"
Sanary Rondel	Just how long has it been since Sanary last saw anything that wasn't wilderness or rocks? Too long to count. The flaming rocks were fun for a while, at least, right until they started setting her food on fire. That was awful. Still, she's gotten rather used to her new lot in life: Living off the land, eating whatever she could find laying around or growing on trees, and occasionally watching people or spooking animals she's passed by. Those have some sort of weird sixth sense, right? Right. Things aren't looking great right now, though, considering that she's been in this strange cavernous area for a few days now with nothing to eat but bats and the occasional mushroom. She's just wandering through the cave with no particular goal in mind. Her path does take her across the warband, however, thankfully too far away to be spotted while just close enough to hear that angry shouting. "Whazzat...?" She murmurs to herself while observing the party from a distance. Sanary isn't really doing much to hide herself nor try and get their attention, instead just squatting in place to watch whatever it is they're up to.
Yari Takane	So far, the delirous war-cleric goes unnoticed! There's plenty of boulders to kneel behind and peak out from for even the most incautious of warriors and adventurers here in the Deeps. The warband eventually converges on the cave. Two of them rush in. Yari can't hide any more. The pair fall, before mini crossbows crunch into Yari's sides. Finally, she collapses. She's hauled over to a clear spot on the ground. One dark elf raises a flanged mace. "Why don't you scream for us?" Utterly at their mercy, the ninja grits her teeth and sucks in a breath as she prepares for the worst. "I'm..sorry, Sanary!" She can't help but call out to the 'emptiness' beyond this crowd of soldiers.
Sanary Rondel	For better or for worse, Sanary's not trying as hard to hide behind anything as she probably should be. She's really not concerned with that at all, is she? As the warband rushes in, she just watches them from behind, the only thing keeping her footsteps quiet being a worn-out pair of beach sandals. It's just so interesting to watch people without a care any more, and for a moment, there's a wave of nostalgia as she hears a familiar voice from further inside the cave. Nostalgic enough to make her hungry, even. Taking out a handful of jerky and the one type of mushroom she actually managed to determine was safe to eat (probably through trial and error), she munches on it while contemplating just why she heard that voice. A pause, and then... No. It couldn't be. Curiousity gets the better of the raggedy-looking healer as she ventures further past that rock, and... Wait. That's Yari, isn't it? Fat lot of good that Sanary can do in this state, but it's not like she won't try anyway. Hauling up one of the smaller boulders from nearby, Sanary foregoes anything resembling finesse or stealth and just charges right into the group of dark elves, aiming to barrel right into them with that rock. It's a long shot, but if she's still corporeal enough to lift it in the first place, just maybe...!
Yari Takane	A random crazy-human is /not/ what the elves here expected. So worried over catching the assassin, they never thought to check for others. Especially ones that pick up Giant Boulders and rush down towards them! Really, it's a bit like bowling as Sanary crashes into them from behind. Only with a lot more horrible crunches and screams. Two of them are crushed outright while two more get their arms smashed in. They're for the most part useless. The elf about to smack the ninja would suddenly find legs wrapping about him, and dragging him to the ground. There's a spitting sound, a slide of metal to flesh, and then stillness. But there's three left! One spear-wielder rushes for the human. "Stupid Man-thing! Die!" Cries one as the other two plink away at Sanary with their crossbows! Yari, looking up, locks her gaze with the wild woman that Sanary has become. Her heart sings even as her body cries out. "It....is it really?" A shake of her head, and a smoke bomb at one of the crossbow users! POMF!
Sanary Rondel	That reaction was about as expected. Really, a boulder coming at people is not something that normally happens outside of freak rockslides, so it'd only be natural to assume that it's a living weapon. Very strange that they called it a Man-thing, though. Sanary's not about to try and figure out what that's all about, though, considering that the boulder she's holding is getting shot at and charged by a spear-wielder. What's worse, she can even feel some of those crossbow bolts finding purchase in her legs! Enchanted ones, perhaps? THen again, maybe this is a good opportunity to test just how much of her is still corporeal now... "Silence, puny mortals! The Stone tires of your fleshy... Meat!" She shouts in challenge deliriously while waving the boulder around once, then swinging the thing at the oncoming spear-wielder before chucking it at the other crossbow-wielder as if she was passing an oversized basketball. "Know your palce, you... Not-rocks!" Aside from being completely delirious, the healer's also looking rather unsteady on her feet. She doesn't even seem as worried about Yari as she would normally be in favor of.. Well, shouting about rocks or something.
Yari Takane	Woops. Poor elves! The first is boulder'd down, spear smashed and then his face exploding thanks to Giant Rock! Then, it's chucked at the last elf, and all is left is stillness. Also a ninja that slowly pulls herself to her feet. Stumble-crawling over to the dirty, delirious healer, the ninja offers an arm out as she approaches incautiously. "Sanary? Is that you? Sanary, speak to me!? You...you saved me..." Yari's wounded, scared for the figure before her, and utterly exhausted. The stoic ninja's strength is nowhere to be found right now. She just wants to reach out, to touch, to make sure Sanary is real.
Sanary Rondel	Sanary's looking somewhat perturbed as the last elf goes down, and she shakes her head slowly after a moment of contemplation. "Dammit... Really gotta come up with better names. Would've been so cool if I had something... Nrgh. Freaking magic shoot... Sticks." She shakes her head again while glancing down at the crossbow bolts embedded in her leg, wobbling again for a moment before realizing something is VERY off now. Yari's looking at her. Not at the boulder, even, but at HER her. Sanary squints while reaching out to take the ninja's hand. It's caked in dirt and smells about as bad as she looks. All things considered, she probably looks about as bad as she did during their first meeting. She also sounds considerably more worried than she had moments ago. "Y... Yari? Wait. You can hear me? See me? Then did you... Did you die, too?"
Yari Takane	Sniff sniff. Squint. She takes that dirt-caked hand, and there's a very real sense of nostalgia. Yari's gaze closes. There's tears slipping down her face. Dirty and smelly or not, she knows this is the woman she's been fretting and fearing for. "I...I can Sanary. What happened? You can't be...we're not dead, Sanary! I..." She hardens herself. Then she peers at Sanary. It's time to truly /test/ if this is a living, breathing Sanary. She lets go of Sanary's hand. Something comes out, and squirts on the top of Sanary's head with ninja speed! Then a rush of handseals, and a most horrible attack happens! A very, very light Suiton, complete without the oil or magic damage. Nope, this is Ninja Water Light. And that stuff is bubbly pink bubble bath with heavy relaxing scents. "Anti-Ghost Sanary-Cleaning Jutsu!"
Sanary Rondel	Not dead? But that just raises even more questions! Also, it's making Sanary weirdly hungry again. "Eh? But.. How? That's... No, I'm pretty sure I'm a ghost now. Nobody else could hear me before you, aaand-" And then the healer gets doused by a washing spell by the ninja. She inhales sharply as the water hits her, tensing up for several moments at the sudden shock of CLEANLINESS. Or... At least smelling considerably better than she did before. Sanary still smells bad, of course, but having that surface layer of gunk washed off certainly helps a lot! She still looks utterly confused, though. "Grhgh... Are you sure you're not a ghost, though? 'cause the radios... Nobody's said a thing to me even though I kept hearing everyone, all the..." Sanary pauses as her stomach lets out a loud rumble, and she promptly digs out a (now-soggy) chunk of meat from her pocket to munch on. "This is getting weird... But then if..." She's going to need some help figuring this all out, isn't she?
Yari Takane	Suddenly...suddenly it all makes sense to Yari. One hand goes to her own forehead, and rubs. Then, she drops that hand and pulls out a towel. Long, silence follows as she tries to towel off the very wet Sanary! And then promptly tosses it away from the Dirt Cake it's now become. "Sanary. You've been out of contact with everyone for a reason, and it's not that you've gone and died. Come on. I have friends near here." Then, she half grabs, half collapses against Sanary. It's going to be a team effort to get into the nearest town. But it's not /too/ far away. "You missed the Multiverse finally ending it's long-time bar crawl. Basically, space-time turned itself inside out and spat everything into new places. Or, that's what they say. But both the Confederacy and the Union do not exist. They're calling it the Upheaval. Both Njorun and the Citadel were destroyed." A hand out. "So were most of the usual bands in the process. A few individuals have some running though. Let me see your radio." Stumble stumble nnrgh. Gasp. Her tail clings against Sanary. Her good arm is hugging her to death against her. "There. I think Mister STark set this up. Sanary. I..." Gulp. "I thought I lost you. I thought you might have...I looked and looked and..." "But you are alive, here, and in my arms. Just...DON'T EVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!" She howls, then her knees go out, and she's sobbing right into Sanary's neck and shoulder, smell and grime be damned.
Sanary Rondel	"... Really? You sure? 'cause that would... No, those animals definitely didn't like it when I got near 'em." It's going to be tricky trying to get through to the healer in her current state. Just what has she been eating this whole time? Priorities, though. Even in her addled state, Sanary's still got enough sense to work with Yari as they stumble along to get back somewhere safe, pausing to pull out the crossbow bolts in her legs and directing magic there as well as around Yari's wounds to get their wounds healed up enough to not bleed out on the way back. Wherever 'back' is, anyway. "Is that why they all went quiet? But... Hnn. Was wondering why it all went out that day..." A few moments later, though, and she's looking considerably more freaked out about the destruction of the Confederacy. "W-wait. Is everyone okay? Where's... Everyone? Whatare you doing now? What are we..." She cringes lightly and grasps her forehead, taking the headset off to hand it over to Yari while tightening her hold on the Au Ra to keep her upright. Should Yari inspect it, she'll notice that although the hearing part is working, the microphone itself is damaged. "Stark? Toph's dad? Wha... H-hey, I'm not... I mean, I'm pretty sure I'm not a ghost now!" Sanary stammers out quickly to try and reassure her, eventually starting to tear up herself while holding Yari close and continuing to shuffle along with her. "I-I'm here, alright? And you're here, so everything's fine now. And..." THere's a log pause as she just lets the moment sink in, not caring too much about how much of her stink is rubbing off on Yari. And then... "So... I'm not getting paid vacation time?" She sounds rather disappointed about that last part.
Yari Takane	Slow frown. "...Sanary. You've been out in the wilderness...what, at least two weeks? By now, I'm certain that you must seem like a rabid animal to the rest. Erm. No offense." Truly, it's Survivorman: Sanary Edition right here. She pauses only to cross her arms and nod once. "I'm impressed. We might make you a real predator yet, Sanary." Cough gag. After a long, long shower. Yari tries to give a reassuring smile. "We have not found everyone. But, I know several are still alive. Mister Steve, Miss Medusa, Miss Lihzeh, and Miss Armada at least. I imagine many more. People have not been so much killed, as 'cut off' from each other. The same with the Union. The Fleet is still in operation. I just...hope Miss Wo is alright. Yuna is alive as well." A glance back to Sanary. "My Emperor was quick to sign terms with the Concord. The war is over, but politics is far more difficult now. Revolutions, wars abroad...well, as far as we go, the Concord's goals are to place the best and brightest where they need to be for the security and prosperity of the nations they work for." Yari's eyes shine. "I no longer have to fight a grinding war without purpose. Now I can work for real change and peace in the multiverse. So it can know the Glory and Honor of my people!" The ninja, for th first time in a while, might just sound fired up. Snuffle. She uses Sanary's shoulder as a tissue after the tears end. Sanary too is held as they both walk and cry. It's a pathetic sight for the guards of the Iron Holdings. But they well recognize the ninja by now, and the duo are being rushed towards medical attention. The cold, deadly gaze she gives anyone fool enough to try to pull her away from Sanary is enough to chill blood and stop hearts. "Right. Here. With Me, Sanary. You're alive. You survived the worst the Multiverse has ever thrown at anyone. Be proud." Yari pauses, though, even as they're shuffled into a guardhouse where a bath is being drawn and medical dwarfs have bandages and cleaners ready. "And no Starlight bonus either. I hope you have been saving up." She finally breaks down and laughs, tease in her voice.
Sanary Rondel	"Hey, hey. I don't have rabies. I'd know if I ate anything rabies... 'd." If it's any consolation, at least Sanary isn't foaming at the mouth or toppling over. Then again, considering the actual symptoms, it might be hard to tell right around now. "So people are.. ALive. Good, good.. Eh? Concord?" She raises an eyebrow slightly at Yari and shakes her head after a moment, eventually managing a tired chuckle even as they continue moving along. "Gonna need a... Talking lesson later. Figure out what the hell's.. Stuff." She may also need a lesson on how to talk properly again. The guards at the gate actually get a curious look from Sanary at their stature, and it might take a bit of shutting up to mkae sure she doesn't laugh outright in her delirious state. Once they're in the safety of the baths and the weeks of grime and gunk are getting washed off, though, the healer is looking better than ever! Or just better than some hours ago. They may have to switch baths a few times just to make sure it's /all/ off. "S... Saving? Uh. You... You think the Confederacy's banks are still around?" Or stock options, at least!
Yari Takane	"You can only contract rabies through bites. And no, you cannot eat rabies. Otherwise I would weaponize it." A shame, no rabies poison for ninjas. "Definitely. That's fine. We will return your wonderfully straightforward and direct vocabulary to you. And we should check your reading as well." Tomorrow, it will be 'storytime with Yari' and 'What Does The Chocobo Say' time. Baths, bandages, and general healthcare later, and Yari's laying out on a medical bed, probably right next to Sanary. Her tail is reaching over, grasping her ankle. "Probably being raided in the confusion. Or about to be." Her gaze closes. "We really need to withdraw our holdings, don't we? First lets get some sleep. We can plan tomorrow. Plus...Admiral Nagato wants us to visit Hikari." She'll pause. She'll let that sink in. "Things are going to change a lot now, Sanary. Let's make the best of the opportunities in front of us. I love you." Leeean over. A smooch right on the forehead, and a little nose tickle before she flat crawls into bed and gently hugs. It's not long before the lizard is out like a light.