[semi-open] don't eat the pomegranates

[sweetdeath]

Who: Tsuzuki, Hisoka, Elsa, Hakkai, Bishamon, Kazuma, Yuto, Gintoki & open!
What: The planned trip to Yomi-no-kuni in order to find signs of where Vector's gone is finally happening!
When: March 27, 2016
Where: In the Far Shore on the way there, and Ise, near the entrance to Yomi-no-kuni
Warnings: Violence, horror, hair bondage, possible character death: just another happy day in the underworld.

[Please see individual starters to tag in!]

Comments

[OPEN for morning visitors/characters not going to Ise]

[sweetdeath]

[Flowers are bursting out everywhere on this spring morning, even on the Far Shore. The group is scheduled to meet at Elsa's temple at breakfast time, and then head out.

This is the time for last-minute conversations, farewells, or final attempts to talk someone out of the journey....]

[birdstheword]

Good morning~!

[Hajime jumps up as she reaches Elsa's temple, waving excitedly with her free hand. In her other hand is a small box.]

Wow such a big group you have here!

[sweetdeath]

Yeah, a bunch of people wanted to... [Tsuzuki trails off as he realizes that Hajime's carrying something. He blinks.]

Hey, what's that?

[birdstheword]

I wanted to go to... [The only real reason she didn't push it futher was because Rise and Yuuki would have pushed going with her. She doesn't want Yuto to have to go but she understands and didn't even try to stop that one. She does glance quickly in his direction before focusing back on Tsuzuki.]


Oh! Just a treat to eat! Before leaving or to take with you in case any of you get hungry!

[She opens the container and holds it out to him, revealing it to be full of homemade cookies. Various ones but they all have things like "Go Fight WIN!", "Do your best!",":)" or "♥"s on them in icing.]

drops in

[pachintoki]

Mmmmm, those look good. What good frosting! Cookie-chan, I approve.

[Before Tsuzuki can take one though, there's an impressed sound coming from behind Hajime, and then someone reaching over her shoulder to snatch a cookie. He was never one to pass up a treat, even if she hadn't said just anybody could have one.

he's already eating it, you can't stop him. ]

[birdstheword]

Cookie-chan? I'm not Cookie-chan. I'm Hajime!

[She leans back, tilting her head back as well to look at everyone's favorite fox god. He's so tall. She smiles warmly though before standing up right and turning to him]

You can have more if you want! Take some to take back to Ross-san too!

[sweetdeath]

... Oh wow, thanks!

[Tsuzuki snags a cookie, and smiles at Hajime. He's so glad she's not going. Hajime, stuck in the underworld... even if her power might be useful, it'd be too terrible if she got hurt.]

This's great. [He swallows the mouthful of cookie, and adds:] I'm not going in, either. I couldn't leave Hisoka behind, and he's not a combat shinki.

We'll look for any sign Vector was there around the entrance.

[birdstheword]

[Oh Tsuzuki she could totally try and make the underworld a more inviting place.]

Oh? Covering more ground that way I guess. You and Usa---Hisoka-san should be fine. As long as you stay together!

[She seems pleased with that as she pushes the box gently towards him to share or eat for himself. Mr.Sweet tooth.]

I hope you do find Vector, Asap!

[CLOSED - Ise]

[sweetdeath]

[It's chilly on Ise, but the day doesn't look like rain.

The cave looms before them, indistinguishable from any little roadside cavern except for the chill of the breeze wafting from it. There's something about the scent. Tsuzuki can't place it, but he shivers despite his coat as he steps closer.]

[arealhardnose]

[Elsa shudders as she looks into the darkness ahead.] Somehow I expected it to look more imposing, though it has the right feeling about it.

[In that sense, it meets expectations. All the research she'd done over the past few days has turned up consistent descriptions of Yomi-no-Kuni, and so far, they seem to have been accurate.

That means it will be very, very dangerous. At least she has her ability to depend on, and the most powerful warrior god is coming with her and Hakkai into the world below. They'll have much to watch out for, but the potential rewards outweigh the risks. If they can find something, anything that will tell them why so many people have been pulled in as gods and shinki, and where those who disappear have gone to, and maybe even what happened with the chocolates, then everything will be worth it.

Looking at the rest of their party, she nods.] The moment of truth. If anyone has changed their mind and wants to go back, I understand.

[reformedsinner]

Not unless you have.

[Hakkai's tone is mild, but he's not pitching it for only Elsa to hear; he's not sure if they'll find any useful information in Hell, or any alliance, but he's very sure that he doesn't plan to allow Elsa in alone.

She'll need a sharp blade. He darts her a glance.]

I think it might be easiest if you carried me in my vessel form. The fewer of us there are in the party, the more challenging we'll be to see.

[dominatriarch]

[ She reappears from above, astride Kuraha as always. A quick patrol around the area to scan for wayward humans, ayakashi or any particular possible hiccups was always a good idea after all. The minute she unmounts, Kuraha reverts to his human form and takes a step back from the party. ]

Nothing unusual to report. If we have to go, now would be the best time. Kuraha will stay behind just in case we need anything from the outside world.

[ She's packed light, or at least light compared to what she's usually seen wielding. Just a whip and a dagger today, and a suit of armor with a full skirt. But as always, there's an ever familiar earring right where one would expect it. ]

Just to make things clear... I want us in and out as quickly as possible. Search for any trace of Vector or the other missing gods but don't allow yourself to get caught up in wanting to probe too deeply into Yomi.

[nailed_navigation]

"Need I remind you to be extra careful, Viina? I find it rather hard to believe that Izanagi would take it too kindly to loose the same guest twice." Kazuma silently warned, rather glad at the fact that he was currently in his vessel form instead of his normal one. At least it was harder for the others to read just how uncomfortable he felt about being drawn back into hell.

[ZOMBIE HAIR FIGHT]

[sweetdeath]

[There's only so far you can go in Yomi-no-kuni before you come to the attention of its... denizens.

Demons like bloated corpses, dark hair hanging around their shoulders in wet hanks as they rise from pools along the rough stone path.

Skeletal hands.

The scent of rot.

And, moving under your feet, something thin, fine, slithering and grasping, fine black strands of hair. Izanami doesn't want her visitors to go.]

[dominatriarch]

[ Nope. Nope not this again. No way. Not the hair. ]

JINKI!

[ Almost immediately as the whip materializes in her hand, she cracks it to send any tendrils away. They made an attempt on Kazuma once, she won't be as careless now. She hangs back from the rest of the group, trying to prevent those tentacles from reaching everyone else. That said, she has her back turned to them, her attention focused on the darker depths of Yomi where all that hair is coming from. ]

How is everyone?

[arealhardnose]

[Oh, there are so many answers Elsa could give to that. Tense. Frustrated. Tired. Afraid. Determined to get out of here. But this isn't the time for conversation. A few tendrils of hair reach for her ankle, and her fighter's instincts (more familiar now that she's been training, more her own than the relic of a time when she'd been little more than a puppet) kick in. She slashes at them with Gouki, leaping back from them, all to put more distance between them and herself-and-Hakkai. (They are a unit right now, a team. There is no other way.]

All right, for now. [She twists her wrist, shifting the sword a little as if to ask Hakkai how he is.] Already looking for a way out.

[It's hard to concentrate on her escape intuition right now, though, when there's imminent danger all around them. Izanami is going to make them fight for their freedom.]

[reformedsinner]

[The hair tendrils wrap around the tip of the sword as Elsa slashes at them, and refuse to cut against Hakkai's edge. He radiates alarm, twisting free.]

I don't know if I can cut that hair, Elsa. Please stay clear of it.

Can you sense which way to go?

[There had been tension in her voice, and he can feel it in the strength of her grip on him, too. There must be an escape.]

[FINDING THE WAY OUT]

[sweetdeath]

[arealhardnose]

We're almost there. I can sense it.

[It's a whisper in her blood, a certainty she would swear on, like the fact that her eyes are brown and that this plan has gone terribly wrong.

They'd found no sign of the disappeared gods or shinki, hadn't even gotten close to talking to Izanami, and had almost gotten themselves killed. Now, bloodied and wounded, all Elsa can think to do is get them to safety. So much of this is her fault, after all. Yes, Tsuzuki had gotten the ball rolling, but she had championed it, had spend entire days researching Yomi, had hosted the entire party at her temple just this morning--

Just this morning. It feels like they've been here forever.

No, she won't let that happen.]

We're almost there. [This she says in a fierce whisper, like a promise, to Hakkai, who fought so hard and so splendidly earlier. Elsa will not let him die, and she won't let either of them abandon Sanzo when he only joined them yesterday.]

[reformedsinner]

Good.

[There's a chip in his blade where it caught on demon bone, and Hakkai feels it like a slash across his scalp. Phantom dizziness is dragging at his senses, sharpening his determination to a razor edge. He's not as exhausted as the gods, not as wounded. Metal is very resilient.

He will not allow her to be hurt any further before they escape.

But it's a good thing they're close to the exit.]

[arealhardnose]

[In spite of the aches from her injuries, Elsa keeps running. She can't let anyone get hurt any worse than they already have. She can't let anything else happen to Hakkai.

She leaps up onto a ledge, glancing over her shoulder to make sure the others are following, and once she sees that they are, she heads for where she knows the exit is, a large stone in the cave wall that might otherwise go unnoticed by anyone else.]

There! It's--

[She stops when she gets to it, first patting it with her hand, then pounding on it with her fist. The rock doesn't budge, and there's no sign that there's anything on the other side.]

No, [she breathes, her grip on Gouki's hilt tightening. Her heart begins to race as she looks back at the others again, with eyes wide and brow furrowed.]

This-- this is the exit. I know it.

[No, no, no! This is what she'd been banking on, and now, her unfounded confidence might get them all killed.]

It is, [she says, her voice small, for only Hakkai to hear.]

[LAST-MINUTE RESCUE]

[sweetdeath]

[How long is too long? Tsuzuki worries his bottom lip with his teeth, watching the cave. It still seems as quiet and placid as it had when they went in.

Clouds are gathering along the horizon as the midafternoon heat starts to fail towards an evening chill. He swallows, and glances around.]

... They've been down there a while, huh?

[Vector said a month. It hasn't even been six hours. Maybe he shouldn't be worrying. But he's worrying.]

[outwardinsight]

[ Hisoka's lost track of whether his anxiety is entirely his own for a while now. He's been increasingly on edge since they'd gotten there, quietly tense, and keeps gravitating towards Tsuzuki despite his empathy.

Or maybe because of it. ]

Mm. [ He crosses his arms to ward off a chill that has nothing to do with the fall in temperature. He shifts until his arm bumps Tsuzuki's, catches himself at it, and leans away. ] I don't like it.

[sweetdeath]

[Tsuzuki leans back towards Hisoka, too distracted to think better of the gesture, and bumps his arm back against Hisoka's in return. It's comforting to feel him there.]

They haven't tried to communicate yet.

[Or they can't. If something happened to the entrance... but he's only saying it to reassure them both. He hadn't expected the reassurance to sound so thin out loud.]

[outwardinsight]

[ He's been against it from the start, but it's too late to keep on about how it's a bad idea. If they end up with several people rather than just potentially one trapped down there...

This time, he doesn't move away from Tsuzuki. He looks down, his expression shuttered. Had he made the wrong call? If the group had run into trouble, could it have made a difference if they'd gone in with them? ]