[indent][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/hQyGCk7.png[/img]
[hider=Mood Music][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KejndkauzGs[/youtube][/hider][/center][right][h1][color=f49ac2]Edict[/color][/h1][/right][right][sub][hr][color=f49ac2]Mentions: [color=ffffff]Auri Auclair[/color] |[/color] [color=f49ac2]Direct Dialogue: [color=CD5C5C]Linqian Han/[@FernStone],[/color] [color=f4eb93]Britney Williams/[@Punished GN],[/color] [color=7ABBFF]Layla Hyacinthus/[@Estylwen][/color] |[/color] [color=f49ac2]Location:[/color] Festival Grounds, Cracker Island Historic District [/sub][/right][hr]
[/indent]Edict listened to Britney and Linqian, letting them go on about things as he watched Layla's reaction. It almost made him smile how much more chipper she was, and he wanted her to remember this feeling while she had it. Because when it left, it was going to hurt, he could tell by the amount of work that went into making it happen. Frankly he was a bit tired now, and skipping out on having to use his 'little friend' meant he wasn't going to need to explain why he'd been carrying a piece like it around all night. He'd had people get upset before, realizing he'd had a gun in some strange contraption that they'd never expect poised and ready to fire away.
There was talk about the Feds, however, which did make him a bit sick. Irrationally, he hated them almost more than some of the Sycamore Leadership based on their sheer willingness to break an Omerta code he perceived between Adepts and Third-Eye Opens. That they were all in it together; that having associates outside of that bond was fine so long as you kept them in line, but when it came to one another it should be protect over detect. He definitely didn't want to stick around any longer than he had to if that meant dealing with them.

Suddenly, his new little buddy started to pop out of her shell. He instinctively grinned, recognizing the behavior from so many introverts and closed off people. People with fears and worries simply needed to be assuaged, their stresses often getting the better of them in strong, unmitigated ways. With a washing like what she'd been put through, [i]fuck it[/i] was well within reach, and it seemed so simple to just reach out and take whatever they wanted once they were there.
[i][color=7ABBFF][b]“Here's my bid for the second one. Why not~?”[/b][/color][/i]
Edict's brow furrowed and he looked down at the twenty year-old woman. He had a vaguely father-like scowl on his face as his hand instantly wrenched two twenties from his pocket and nearly flung them forward.
[color=f49ac2]"Ayyy, out-fuckin'-bidded over here, Jesus... You ain't old enough, I know that one for a fact. At least wait until we ain't in public where someone's gonna arrest us before you go open fisting a can of Miller in the middle of Ol' Cracker. Fuckin' Feds everywhere, Sis!"[/color] Greyson asserted, his other hand extending to lower Layla's as he smirked at her.
[color=f49ac2]"But, sure. Sabrina's house it is. How's about we all hit the Ferry then. I'll have someone bring my car back into the city, and we'll wait at my Uncle's bar down the road from the docks while we wait."[/color]

Mentioning his Uncle's anything made him assume, after what had happened, that Linqian was going to be nervous. He'd stuffed the money into her bag and left the beer there for later, shrugging with the now empty hand.
[color=f49ac2]"Ah, nobody's gonna be there. It's closed for the day, but I have the back door key. We can just hang, it'll be cool. You remember the Brick, Britney? We got sick drinking there together one night, slept in a booth; my cousin Roland came in the next day to prep and woke us up?"[/color] he grinned, a fond memory coming back to him. He figured with the privacy, they could even let poor Layla unwind a bit more with a few off-the-clock drinks.

Edict's head moved in a strange way for a split second, neck craning to catch a look past Britney's head and out into the festival in front of him. He could, through a couple of booths, make out Auri Auclair sitting at a booth with a glass of wine. Two guests. A woman and some figure cloaked in black... 
[color=f49ac2][i]Who the fuck?[/i][/color]
This night was getting weird, and he was starting to feel cagey; like no matter where they looked, they were just going to find more and more characters that weren't going to be particularly warm or friendly to him. His mind split for a moment, like it was a decade ago that he felt just like this, standing there with a feeling like he was the odd man out of a bunch of groups of friends. Like the few years before were nothing.

But her face was there. She was there. Just like she had been, when everyone else had turned their backs on him, she was the last to leave. Left to turn out the lights, because they were both cast out for their willingness to win a war that literally [i]had[/i] to be won. He hated to think that was the only reason she had stuck around, but he couldn't be sure. Still, it was okay; she was back. Back in his life for a small period of time before she'd eventually see through him again and run far far away.
[color=F5388C][i]Better you do, my Love. I won't chase you. Once we're safe...[/i][/color]
He felt his Lux welling up in his throat and eyes, the tendrils of his spell making themselves as if they were their own creatures. He was too slow to stop it from reaching them all, its influence meandering about rather than attempting to make some entry purchase. As soon as the burning started, however, he was shocked back into mindfulness. All present would feel the wandering tendrils dissipate instantly, like the clouds parting for the sun. 

Love was a hard emotion to hide.

[color=f49ac2]"Shit, fuck... Sorry, I... Wh-whatever, let's get the fuck out of here before someone gives us any trouble."[/color] he asserted, taking a step out of the gazebo and on toward the ferry docks, mumbling curses under his breath toward Auri Auclair and her poor decisions.

[hr]
[indent][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/SizLDki.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/FcbtMmB.png[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/fiZp2Yv.png[/img]
[hider=Mood Music][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ytmDeSJC2Y&pp=ygUbb25lIHJhaW55IHdpc2ggamltaSBoZW5kcml4[/youtube][/hider][/center][right][h1][color=7B81B3]Kenshiro[/color][/h1][/right][right][sub][hr][color=7B81B3]Mentions: [color=ffffff]In Collaboration with [@Punished GN][/color] |[/color] [color=7B81B3]Direct Dialogue: [color=ffffff] Auri Auclair, Odessa Maxwell[/color] |[/color] [color=7B81B3]Location:[/color] Auri's Flower Stand, Festival Grounds, Cracker Island Historic District [/sub][/right][hr]
[/indent]Auri ran to the scene, butterfly staff in hand, and watched as the crowd that came to watch the confrontation dispersed. There was ([b][i]THANKFULLY[/i][/b]) no sight of Emily, but Auri recognized the two PRA Agents who were in cutesy maid dresses and the rest of her people. She saw Britney walk up, and then Stormy talked to her. She got spooked, turned on her heel, and left with Linqian and Sabrina Vanburen. The situation seemed alright, but Auri didn't want to be around the people who teargassed them. However, Auri jumped when Odessa put her head underneath her arm, and smiled at her… Auri awkwardly laughed.

“These are your friends?” Odessa asked as she took a step forward, getting from underneath Auri’s arm. “The Sycamore Tree Coven?”

“Well, some of them,” Auri said.

“Heroes.”

“What?”

“They’re heroes!” Odessa said with a smile. “Not [i]anyone[/i] could face the Stygian Snake, defeat it, [i]and[/i] live to tell the tale!”

“Yeah…” Auri sighed as she looked around… and most curious, there was a little frog in her peripheral. She furrowed her brows in confusion as this was [i]not[/i] the season for them. Then confusion was replaced by curiosity as it reminded her of [i]someone…[/i] she summoned the butterfly apparitions within the butterfly staff and commanded them to grab the frog. Two glowing butterflies grabbed the frog and lifted it up, bringing it over to Auri so she could get a closer look…

“... Are you gonna dissect it?!” Odessa said with a laugh.

Auri shook her head. 

The small frog was indignant at its quickly adjusting position. The butterflies were strong, and while the sticky pads on his toes kept him firmly planted for a moment, their constant dusting quickly dried out his skin.
Now, landing in Auri's palm, the frog took a resting squat while staring up at her.
This particular specimen was quite the robust mixture of colors; gold and purple seemed to swirl together underneath a tiny yukata robe, and on his little waist was a belt with a metal piece that had the tiniest kanji stamped into it.

As a poisonous tree frog, if he felt threatened he knew he could pressurize himself and ruin this person's day at the cost of his own time in this realm…
But he'd recognized what the Master said: The Butterfly Priestess. He croaked, actually chirped as he was so tiny, which was followed by the most miniscule and incomprehensible Japanese rambling.

If Auri could understand Japanese at all, she'd recognize that whatever dialect he was using either didn't exist, or was so old that it was no longer in use. He stared upward, upward some more, gave one last burst of language from his throat, then threw his hands up in very clear frustration.

So the peeping started: even small frogs like him were capable of projecting their tiny barking across great distances. While he wasn't trained in hearing such subtle noises, Ken was joined by the Scout Leader, who began to direct him toward Auri by listening for his Brother's distant signal. The two parties were capable of wandering just a few more yards before Ken rounded a corner and was looking down range at Auri Auclair.

[color=7B81B3]“Auri!?”[/color]

It only took a few seconds for the area that had once been devoid of Froggy influence to flood with the peeping and croaking of the dozens of scouts sent out to find the woman. Some of them came to rest on her shoulders, a couple others ended up in her hand with the one she had found. 
They were all kind of cute with their uniforms, some having little top knots or hats, but they all transferred back to Ken as he got close.

[color=7B81B3]“Auri, I'm so fucking sorry…”[/color]
He didn't hesitate wrapping his arms around her in a warm and friendly embrace. He remembered losing his family; all he wanted was a hug. 
[color=7B81B3]“I had the worst nightmare and it made me come back. I should have sensed something was wrong earlier, I'm so sorry…”[/color]

“K-Kenshiro?!” Auri’s mouth was agape… and it wasn’t for the frogs all over her. She looked at Kenshiro. “It’s… not your fault. There is no need to be sorry. But it’s been so long, friend. How was your adventure?”

[color=7B81B3]“Awful, I come back and people who I love are dead again. It’s like the past repeating itself, and despite my Batman costume surrounding me in its friendly warmth, I crave vengeance as I have for many years. But, it’s renewed.”[/color]
He flicked his hand, [i]arigato[/i] leaving his lips as the several dozen frogs vibrated into golden hazes before disappearing entirely.
[color=7B81B3]“I… I got your message just now. Not but a few hours ago when I arrived. I’m sorry about meeting you with such tragedy in such a happy place, but I await your orders!”[/color]

Auri briefly glanced at Odessa, who smiled at her, and then looked down at this stupid robot costume that she was wearing.  Auri took a step forward as she said, “Well… ummm… right [i]now[/i] we’re laying low, but tomorrow we’re going after a lead I gathered last week.”

Auri sighed, “I guess… I can fill you in on everything you missed in the meantime.”

Kenshiro grimaced  beneath the mask and the eye makeup, bowing low in front of her as was traditional.
[color=7B81B3]“Forgive me, I understand now is not a good time. Also, I believe I saw and, as they say, [i]fucked on[/i] Emily G. Reed as I arrived here at the island. Say the word and I shall make myself scarce until a time that you require my assistance.”[/color]

“No, no, no, don’t go!” Auri laughed, grabbing onto his sleeve. “Come to my stall, we can talk like… normal people. I got wine in my stall, I’m not sure if it’s your thing.”

She briefly glanced at Odessa, who was smiling,

“... This is Odessa Maxwell,” She began, “A friend of mine.“ 

Odessa stuck her hand out, still smiling,

“It is great to meet you, friend!” Odessa began.

Ken smiled back at the two women, taking Odessa’s hand and bowing in front of her before pulling his mask from his face. The two dark black makeup circles made him look like a japanese raccoon with his hair tied up in a little bun.

[color=7B81B3]“Odessa is a place in the land of Texas, correct? Coincidentally, I visited there within the last few months. The tacos are to die for!” [/color]

He was sure to hug Auri again, elated that she wasn’t rejecting him for another time slot. He wasn’t sure what he was liable to do without proper guidance in this time of crisis, but it was going to be drastic.

[color=7B81B3]“You are not one of our people, Odessa Texas Maxwell. You are… Like us, yes?”[/color] He turned, falling to Auri’s side like a loyal dog would do.

“I am not one of you, but if I had known what was going on ten years ago, I would have been there by your side! Better late than never, as they say!” Odessa was still smiling, tilting her head. “However, I consider myself a loyal ally to old Sycamore, even if most of you are not aware of me yet!”

She then shrugged.

“Though, maybe not Texas, it is great to meet you!” She laughed.

Auri awkwardly laughed; if she had a collar, she would have tugged it, but alas. 

[color=7B81B3]“I’m convinced it was a Texas close to our own reality. But people seemed tolerant and that’s not what I’m aware of our Texas being like…”[/color]

As they walked through the fair grounds, Ken pulled a small pack of seeds and flowers from underneath his cape.
[color=7B81B3]“As usual, I’ve brought you back some things. Some of it may already be rotted: The land of Owrang is a place that I was lost in for a few of their years… I don’t know how well some of them were preserved, but I did remove the best I saw from the pile of junk and brought it here for you.”[/color]

The little sack opened up in his hand, held aloft by his most basic control over his Phantom Hand technique. Within were petals of flowers and stalks of some cactus-like things as well as at least a dozen baggies of assorted seeds and other things.
[color=7B81B3]“I hope you can make some use of these. The blue petals seem to taste good, and offer some uplifting effects… I uh… I definitely got lost in those mountains for a few weeks.”[/color]

“Oooooooh….” Auri said as she grabbed the flowers, mouth agape with wonder, before she looked at Ken and giggled. “... I’ll have to save these for later.”

Odessa laughed.

It wasn’t long before the trio returned to Auri’s stand… and she did not yet notice the alterations that the 317 did to her paintings. However, she did not move the closed sign as she leaned against one of the tables.

“So… maybe I should start from the beginning…” Auri glanced over to Odessa, who was staring at the 317. Unblinking. With a smile on her face. Auri shook her head, “... Oh!”

That was when Auri reached underneath the foldable table and pulled out a glass of red wine… and thankfully, she had brought two glasses. One for her and one for Ken… Auri glanced at Odessa again and figured that she probably does’t want any. She poured them both a glass, and then smiled as she said,

“Cheers!”

[color=7B81B3]“Kanpai!”[/color]

[hr]

One short conversation later, and Kenshiro was all caught up…

“... So, that’s why we’ve been laying low for the last week, but I feel like we’re on a race against time!” Auri awkwardly laughed as she ran a soft hand through her hair. “But, I think, with the help of Alyssa, we [i]finally[/i] made a breakthrough.”

Ken looked like a war veteran at the other end of the table. His hand gripped the stem of his wine glass like the end of a club, the glass itself shimmering with a small amount of his natural energy as it arced through the material.


[color=7B81B3]“This is a lucky break, Auri. Not all souls have the capacity to speak their truth.”[/color]
He remembered the Brothers of Honored Dead, taking them back to his village after the devastation and the Hellfires were diminished.
[color=7B81B3]“It’s encouraging to know that we can make some headway soon: What do you feel I should be spending my energy on then? Keeping tabs on others? Or should our enemies feel the sting of my precision?”[/color]

“Relaxing,” Auri said with a smile. “At the moment…”

She paused as she carefully tried to pick her words.

“... We have no enemies, I would like you to keep an eye on the others because Father Wolf always attacks people who are alone.“ She sighed. “But, you can take a breather. There is no need to rush….”

Ken grimaced a bit more. There was a moment where Auri could’ve seen the gears in Ken’s head turning tightly, wound up like a tense clockwork that didn’t seem to understand it’s own mechanisms. His eyes went wide in his head like he was experiencing a war all over again, and it was a deep cut that he was traveling to in his memories. Vivid Recollections of the Stygian’s wrath.

[color=7B81B3]““We… Have enemies. If our blood is spilled, our enemies lurk in the City. Heavens forbid, the Beast’s allies are back! Or, worse, Leon’s gone off the deep end, I couldn’t take it!”[/color]
His face was pure panic: Fear of the loss to come consumed him, and he was having a hard time thinking about Auri’s plan for “laying low”. But he was trained just as much in scouting as he was in combat: He could stake anyone out that she wanted him to.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and finally nodded his head in agreement.
[color=7B81B3]“Okay. I shall… I will watch! Them, everyone. You say Jack is around, so I will approach him about establishing a proper network. I suggest we press certain people to test their loyalty to our cause; that we may avoid saboteurs! Though, no doubt we will be able to establish suspicions more directly by quiet observation.”[/color]
His expression changed to one of expectation, with the hope that she would approve of his plans like a toddler would look for approval.

Auri’s mouth was agape as she stared at Kenshiro in abstract horror.

“... Relax,” Auri tried to smile; she did but couldn’t hide the concern from her face. She had one final card up her sleeve as she desperately poured Kenshiro another glass of wine. “Here! Have some more!” She thrust it out.

Ken may have always seemed somewhat childlike in nature: It’s true he was somehow sheltered from the way that the “real” world works, but that didn’t degrade his ability to perceive. He felt the shock in her expression, the reaction to push alcohol onto him as if that would somehow dull his nerves.
[color=7B81B3][i]Maybe it would.[/i][/color]
His grimace turned into a simple frown, turning into a slight pout as he took another drink from his glass and nodded.
[color=7B81B3]“Then, that’s how it will be. Relaxed. They would’ve trusted your judgment, and so will I.”[/color]
He couldn’t help but feel a little disheartened; that she was so willing to just play the back field when such things were happening around them. 

[color=7B81B3]“Before I came home, I was in such a strange place. The trees, they weren’t trees. They were, like, giant dicks. Flesh and wood. One day when things are less dangerous, I wish to bring people through the paths… To see the other Realms.”[/color]
He very quickly went from looking scared to looking reminiscent. Almost longingly, he thought about the chance for adventures that would maybe never come.
[color=7B81B3]“Kari won’t see it now. Neither will Kali. I… Some may crave the same action that I do. It will make them restless. Vengeance.”[/color]

“I am certain that they are watching over you from wherever they are, Kenshiro,” Auri began, attempting to reassure Kenshiro, “They will have a front-row seat, you can say.”

She nodded her head.

“You are doing honor to their memory by returning, you know? You could have simply left and never come back to save yourself. Yet. Here you are. Ready for action. You’re going to save everyone, I promise you that.”

Ken shifted in his seat, his heart rate slowing down as he sipped on his drink and looked out across the festival grounds as the rain started to lighten up. It was getting closer to dark now, the time where things began to get strange. He recognized the slowly shifting feeling as the alcohol warmed his blood in the cool autumn air. He held his tongue for a long while, thinking about what he wanted to say.
But implying that he was suspicious of her and her behavior wouldn’t do him any favors. It was a dangerous game throwing accusations around without any sort of actual proof. There was a shift in his demeanor, his intensity dipping with the sunlight below the horizon.

[color=7B81B3]“Right. Then we shouldn’t languish here in the rain. What kind of honor to the living is it to populate the waking world with the memory of the dead?”[/color]
He stood up, stretching and putting his mask back on.
[color=7B81B3]“Trick or Treating! We should find some of the others, and go out into the city for the Trick or Treating! I still have several smoke bombs, soft boiled eggs I keep for rations, some…-”[/color]
Reaching into his utility belt, he produced a small sheath of close to ten shuriken stars.
[color=7B81B3]“-Some throwing stars, I think I have a tomato?”[/color]

He reached back to the furthest point on the belt where there was a pouch with his smoke bombs. What he pulled out was a half squashed potato; clearly a mixup in his vocabulary. Despite his perfect American accent implanted into him, the words were not all wired correctly, and he often either sounded far too formal or too silly to be taken seriously.

Auri just laughed. “... That’s a potato!” 

When she finished laughing, she said,

“But, you know, that doesn’t sound half bad, but…” She looked at the CLOSED sign on her stand… then Odessa staring at those weirdos. “I have to tend after my stand, I can’t really leave the stand again… but don’t let me hold you up!”

He narrowed his eyes as deeply as he could at Auri, taking in the inventory that she’d brought. It was the fall season, and while she had plenty of perennial flowers for sale grown in a greenhouse, there were seasonal flowers as well. The thought about his abilities, and about Kai’s many paths. He’d be here in St. Portwell for the foreseeable future, so…

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a few small [url=https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/Vi0AAOSw6gRlG-AM/s-l1200.webp]rectangular gold pieces[/url] that clacked together as he placed them on the counter and slid them toward Auri.
[color=7B81B3]“I refuse to leave you alone like this.-”[/color] he started, then stopped and looked at Odessa.
[color=7b81b3]”-Well, not alone certainly, but out like this. It’s the perfect venue for a murder, and I worry a single friend won’t be enough of a deterrent. So, I will buy your stock; and as we’re leaving we will hand every single beautiful flower out to the people who have gathered here on glorious Crackerland!”[/color]

Auri grabbed the pieces, staring at them with wide eyes. 

[i]“... What are these?”[/i]

He pulled a third one out and put it on his forehead, right in the center with it sticking upright. He smiled widely.
[color=7B81B3]“Meowth! Meowth!”[/color] he began to laugh. [color=7B81B3]“These are Koban. Gold from the Empire which we used as a stipend for our yearly operations. The clan treasury would supply us with a few boxes of them every year, and we would return with different artifacts and materials you can’t find in this realm.”[/color]

He held out the third one to Auri, letting her take it as well.
[color=7B81B3]“They were still in the village the night I returned to it burning; it’s how I can tell it wasn’t one of our rival clans that did the deed. If they had, they would’ve pillaged our coffers as well.”[/color]
There was a wide grin on his face, and he wasn’t about to tell her how many were back on his boat, or how many were buried on the property outside.
[color=7B81B3]“These are, I believe, from the early seventeen-hundreds. Get them appraised, they become too high profile to sell. But, I met a fence willing to go for around sixty percent, which means today each coin is worth about a thousand or so of your American Greens.”[/color]

“I… uh…” Auri was completely awestruck as she stared at them. “I can’t take these Kenshiro! It won’t feel right!” She looked over to him.

[color=7B81B3]“I believe I am a paying customer. Put the rest of it on my tab for gardening supplies and dogwood bark bags for my summons, and you will be perfectly capable of taking them as payment for an evening worth of your time without my being so glum and harmed!”[/color]
And there he was, back to being intensive in a bright and cheerful kind of way that he was mostly known for. Kenshiro was generally always wearing his heart on his sleeve, but these moments made it somewhat endearing as he provided warm and friendly energy to the situation. Maybe too much…

Auri smiled.

“... Well, could you help me get my stuff back to the mainland, then?”

A wide grin formed across his face.
[color=7B81B3]“Of course. What else is all this good for?”[/color] he asked, his right hand slipping into the formation of half of a somatic sigil. Every flower and bundle or bouquet rose from the table like a ghost hoisted them from their spot. He slid them back onto open ground, giving Auri room to take care of her things which he moved to help with as well. 


He’d purchased friendship for the night, it seemed, and he was satisfied for now despite the lingering fear and anxiety over what was to come next.