- RP Date
- YE 45.8
- RP Location
- Kyoto
Yamatai
Kyoto
Within the confines of the old district of Kyoto were many old houses and manors. At one such large plot of land on the top of a steeply creeping hill was an old Victorian style home with its iron gate opened wide. Spindly trees clawed towards the starry midnight sky as if caught with raised hands in prayer or plight. Though rows of flickering lamps lit the drive leading up to the old estate's central home, both of Yamatai's moons were full and illuminated not only the path but the surrounding grounds and forest better than the gas lamps could alone. For both moons to be their perfect globes of luminescence was a rare occasion on Yamatai, indeed.
The veil between the land of the living and the land of the dead couldn't be thinner than under these moons on this night. But perhaps rarer than the two full moons was the invitation sent out to those arriving now. It had been branded as a delightful Candy Festival treat: a haunted house with all the trappings of an enjoyable evening. The only thing missing on this evening were the attendees.
Nicholas Saiga showed up in his vampire costume alongside Taiyou Hoshi, having met up with her earlier at the festivities taking place on Kyoto's more common paths. A grizzled SAINT operative by profession, the Geshrin man had seen his fair share of real horrors on the battlefield and lived through a lifetime of yearly Candy Festival fun. So he didn't expect to be scared or even mildly shocked by whatever surprises lay in store at the haunted house his starship captain girlfriend was presently dragging him toward.
"The moons are beautiful, aren't they?" Saiga asked, looking sidelong at Hoshi beside him as they trudged up the hillside lane leading to their destination. The white light of Luna Bianca mixed with Midori no Umi's subtle green glow truly did cast a pretty luster down over Yamatai for the occasion, though his comment was less about that than it was about his present company.
The pink captain next to Saiga looked to the moons. Some of her long blue and white hair brushed her back as she did so and it made little pricks of goose flesh on her pink skin. Still outfitted in her kami-like garb that hung from her waist, one would have thought she would be cold on the autumnal night. Instead, she was warmed from the inside out as Saiga spoke to her.
"So beautiful that I can die happy," Hoshi said. "Midori no Ume in particular reminds me of someone. What with his bright green orbs looking just as vivacious." She was of course referencing the brilliant color of the SAINT operative's eyes. Her own vision was on her date and little more. But as they approached the house, the double doors at its front swung open with loud creaks that drew the attention of all that approached.
Saiga grinned at his companion, grateful for her compliment now as he ever was. The old manor's doors swinging open soon thereafter demanded his scrutiny, though, as musty breeze from within sent his shaggy black hair fluttering in the cool night's air and prompted his emerald eyes toward the darkness within.
Further down the road, a massive form slowly stalked up the street. The figure wore a blue gi, with red accents and wrappings that covered the monster's arms and legs. The face appeared to be a blue oni mask, with similar red accents. It turned its head in the duo's direction and began to amble in their direction before stopping a few dozen paces away.
After a second, the mask slid up and William waved. "Fancy seeing you here Captain, Saiga." The ID-SOL greeted.
"Yo, kid," Saiga said back to Willliam. "So you got the invite too. Here for some spooky stimulation?"
"How are you sure who that is?" Hoshi asked in a loud, joking whisper that reached William's ears. "Don't go around assuming who's underneath an oni mask, Saiga!"
The old operative smiled and rolled his eyes at Hoshi's jest but played along. "You're right. Can't be too careful here in Kyoto, huh?"
William too, rolled his eyes. "Hoshi, who else do you know that's 8 feet tall and knows you and Saiga by name?" He said sliding the mask back down. "Or I'm the ghost of Williams past. Oogabooga." He deadpanned.
Pressing a finger to her lips, Hoshi looked lost in thought as she spoke, "Well there is that story of Dr. Shinichiro Nobumoto's monster and he was tall from what I remember."
"You mean the Mishhuvurthyar, right?" Saiga chuckled.
"Hey, don't compare me to a giant squid..." William complained.
Hoshi only responded with a wry smile as she looked about, noticing the ornate carvings in the estate's facade and a fluttering of wings above. She looked for the bird or bat that had made the noise but saw nothing. There were a few other Nekovalkyrja milling about the topiaries near the doorway. As Hoshi watched them enter through those open creaking doors, she thought to move along, as well.
"Let's go in, shall we?" Hoshi asked, but was trotting ahead toward the dark wood of the manor.
With a sigh, William moved to follow behind the pair. He took in the massive estate in a glance. They had outdone themselves with the decorations.
Upon entering the home, it felt like something more akin to an estate sale than a merry night at a manor. From the entryway, there was a double staircase that surrounded a large crystalline chandelier. Each staircase led up to their respective sides of the house into two dark, shadowy halls that each had the looks of flickering lights somewhere in their depths, but it was hard to tell. Underneath the chandelier on the first floor was another long hallway, but this one was lit well enough by green wall sconces that seemed to be lighting up portraits of various family members that had once —or still— lived in the manor. It was hard to see from the entryway, but there were doors down that hallway, too.
A butler came forward from where he had been standing next to the left staircase to address the group. From where he had been standing, a cobweb fell languidly down, as if it had been affixed between him and the chandelier for some time until her moved from his station.
"Sirs and Missus," he began with a voice that cut like butter. "While we are pleased to have such a fine party, it is requested that you designate a party leader."
The massive ID-SOL smirked and looked at Saiga. "I vote for the old guy here to be the party leader." He answered quickly.
"You think so?" Hoshi asked, looking from William to the dark-haired Geshrin. "I second that with confidence!" Oddly, the costumed Neko behind her nodded and spoke out in agreement and Hoshi looked bewildered.
"Oh, I don't think we're all one group," Hoshi said, hoping to correct both them and the butler. The gray-haired butler remained impassive and merely kept his gaze averted from her and she looked to the others beside her boyfriend and longtime battle buddy that were there to get their opinions, but the strangers just shrugged.
"Sure," Saiga, the natural born Geshrin, said with a dry amusement. Less a genetically engineered supersoldier than most of his Star Army colleagues, he was used to silly things like leadership roles. "Guess it's age before beauty when it comes to you two and whichever other Neko are coming with us."
"Good, indeed. So whatever transpires, whether wicked or woeful, will be your sole responsibility, good indeed! Try to stay together, now. It's easy to fall apart when you're— well, apart." the butler said, then stepped back to the position he had been before. "Watch your step and don't scuff the baseboards if you know what's good for you."
"You won't be leading us on the haunted house tour?" Hoshi asked.
He replied from next to the staircase, "I couldn't for the life of me do so."
"Um what about the ceilings? I may bump into those..." The tall Nepleslian asked. "Also yes Saiga. I'm too pretty to get eaten first." He quipped back. He then turned back allowed to the other Nekos who had spoken behind them. "Are you pretty ladies joining us?" He asked, a playful smirk playing across his lips.
With tittering giggles, the Neko replied in kind and a more brash one of the group said aloud, "We're game if you are!"
Kyoto
Within the confines of the old district of Kyoto were many old houses and manors. At one such large plot of land on the top of a steeply creeping hill was an old Victorian style home with its iron gate opened wide. Spindly trees clawed towards the starry midnight sky as if caught with raised hands in prayer or plight. Though rows of flickering lamps lit the drive leading up to the old estate's central home, both of Yamatai's moons were full and illuminated not only the path but the surrounding grounds and forest better than the gas lamps could alone. For both moons to be their perfect globes of luminescence was a rare occasion on Yamatai, indeed.
The veil between the land of the living and the land of the dead couldn't be thinner than under these moons on this night. But perhaps rarer than the two full moons was the invitation sent out to those arriving now. It had been branded as a delightful Candy Festival treat: a haunted house with all the trappings of an enjoyable evening. The only thing missing on this evening were the attendees.
Nicholas Saiga showed up in his vampire costume alongside Taiyou Hoshi, having met up with her earlier at the festivities taking place on Kyoto's more common paths. A grizzled SAINT operative by profession, the Geshrin man had seen his fair share of real horrors on the battlefield and lived through a lifetime of yearly Candy Festival fun. So he didn't expect to be scared or even mildly shocked by whatever surprises lay in store at the haunted house his starship captain girlfriend was presently dragging him toward.
"The moons are beautiful, aren't they?" Saiga asked, looking sidelong at Hoshi beside him as they trudged up the hillside lane leading to their destination. The white light of Luna Bianca mixed with Midori no Umi's subtle green glow truly did cast a pretty luster down over Yamatai for the occasion, though his comment was less about that than it was about his present company.
The pink captain next to Saiga looked to the moons. Some of her long blue and white hair brushed her back as she did so and it made little pricks of goose flesh on her pink skin. Still outfitted in her kami-like garb that hung from her waist, one would have thought she would be cold on the autumnal night. Instead, she was warmed from the inside out as Saiga spoke to her.
"So beautiful that I can die happy," Hoshi said. "Midori no Ume in particular reminds me of someone. What with his bright green orbs looking just as vivacious." She was of course referencing the brilliant color of the SAINT operative's eyes. Her own vision was on her date and little more. But as they approached the house, the double doors at its front swung open with loud creaks that drew the attention of all that approached.
Saiga grinned at his companion, grateful for her compliment now as he ever was. The old manor's doors swinging open soon thereafter demanded his scrutiny, though, as musty breeze from within sent his shaggy black hair fluttering in the cool night's air and prompted his emerald eyes toward the darkness within.
Further down the road, a massive form slowly stalked up the street. The figure wore a blue gi, with red accents and wrappings that covered the monster's arms and legs. The face appeared to be a blue oni mask, with similar red accents. It turned its head in the duo's direction and began to amble in their direction before stopping a few dozen paces away.
After a second, the mask slid up and William waved. "Fancy seeing you here Captain, Saiga." The ID-SOL greeted.
"Yo, kid," Saiga said back to Willliam. "So you got the invite too. Here for some spooky stimulation?"
"How are you sure who that is?" Hoshi asked in a loud, joking whisper that reached William's ears. "Don't go around assuming who's underneath an oni mask, Saiga!"
The old operative smiled and rolled his eyes at Hoshi's jest but played along. "You're right. Can't be too careful here in Kyoto, huh?"
William too, rolled his eyes. "Hoshi, who else do you know that's 8 feet tall and knows you and Saiga by name?" He said sliding the mask back down. "Or I'm the ghost of Williams past. Oogabooga." He deadpanned.
Pressing a finger to her lips, Hoshi looked lost in thought as she spoke, "Well there is that story of Dr. Shinichiro Nobumoto's monster and he was tall from what I remember."
"You mean the Mishhuvurthyar, right?" Saiga chuckled.
"Hey, don't compare me to a giant squid..." William complained.
Hoshi only responded with a wry smile as she looked about, noticing the ornate carvings in the estate's facade and a fluttering of wings above. She looked for the bird or bat that had made the noise but saw nothing. There were a few other Nekovalkyrja milling about the topiaries near the doorway. As Hoshi watched them enter through those open creaking doors, she thought to move along, as well.
"Let's go in, shall we?" Hoshi asked, but was trotting ahead toward the dark wood of the manor.
With a sigh, William moved to follow behind the pair. He took in the massive estate in a glance. They had outdone themselves with the decorations.
Upon entering the home, it felt like something more akin to an estate sale than a merry night at a manor. From the entryway, there was a double staircase that surrounded a large crystalline chandelier. Each staircase led up to their respective sides of the house into two dark, shadowy halls that each had the looks of flickering lights somewhere in their depths, but it was hard to tell. Underneath the chandelier on the first floor was another long hallway, but this one was lit well enough by green wall sconces that seemed to be lighting up portraits of various family members that had once —or still— lived in the manor. It was hard to see from the entryway, but there were doors down that hallway, too.
A butler came forward from where he had been standing next to the left staircase to address the group. From where he had been standing, a cobweb fell languidly down, as if it had been affixed between him and the chandelier for some time until her moved from his station.
"Sirs and Missus," he began with a voice that cut like butter. "While we are pleased to have such a fine party, it is requested that you designate a party leader."
The massive ID-SOL smirked and looked at Saiga. "I vote for the old guy here to be the party leader." He answered quickly.
"You think so?" Hoshi asked, looking from William to the dark-haired Geshrin. "I second that with confidence!" Oddly, the costumed Neko behind her nodded and spoke out in agreement and Hoshi looked bewildered.
"Oh, I don't think we're all one group," Hoshi said, hoping to correct both them and the butler. The gray-haired butler remained impassive and merely kept his gaze averted from her and she looked to the others beside her boyfriend and longtime battle buddy that were there to get their opinions, but the strangers just shrugged.
"Sure," Saiga, the natural born Geshrin, said with a dry amusement. Less a genetically engineered supersoldier than most of his Star Army colleagues, he was used to silly things like leadership roles. "Guess it's age before beauty when it comes to you two and whichever other Neko are coming with us."
"Good, indeed. So whatever transpires, whether wicked or woeful, will be your sole responsibility, good indeed! Try to stay together, now. It's easy to fall apart when you're— well, apart." the butler said, then stepped back to the position he had been before. "Watch your step and don't scuff the baseboards if you know what's good for you."
"You won't be leading us on the haunted house tour?" Hoshi asked.
He replied from next to the staircase, "I couldn't for the life of me do so."
"Um what about the ceilings? I may bump into those..." The tall Nepleslian asked. "Also yes Saiga. I'm too pretty to get eaten first." He quipped back. He then turned back allowed to the other Nekos who had spoken behind them. "Are you pretty ladies joining us?" He asked, a playful smirk playing across his lips.
With tittering giggles, the Neko replied in kind and a more brash one of the group said aloud, "We're game if you are!"
