Mentions: [@PaulHaynek] The wererabbit huffed, her cheeks reddening slightly as she glared at Takeshi. “Hmph! You don’t have the right to pat my head! You’re not my father!” [Quote] Ayu finally returned and saw Takeshi and Lunatea little scene. "Hahaha! It's good to see that Lord Takeshi is getting along really well with the yokai." She cheered. [/Quote] “I’m not getting along with him!" Lunatea protested, only to fall to deaf ears. The two then explained the message Musubi had brought to Ayu, although, it was more like Takeshi did all the talking while the wererabbit stood behind him saying nothing. She was still too upset to speak in her usual manner. Only when Kerry and Relica made their dynamic entry that she returned back to her usual self, out of the sheer disbelief and surprise that she experienced. “What in the world are you two doing?!” They were then interrupted yet again by the arrival of Io, Yuki, and Kaze. Takeshi then left the group to catch up with the latter, leaving the wererabbit with Ayu. [Quote] "Big news, everyone. Lady Kyouko has a fleet ready, but she needs a big enough port here to land it. Otherwise, the Varjan can inflict heavy losses on her fleet, even if they can't outright destroy it." The head spy explained. "Most, if not all, major ports in Shizuyama are already taken. That means we'll have to liberate one from the invaders." "The closest major port here is Komatsu Bay. But I heard that place is as fortified as a castle, taking it head-on will be quite the challenge. Even for you, yokai, so I'm interested in your thoughts." Ayu said. "Although, I do have an idea... N-Never mind, it's not worth it." [/Quote] “You want us to assault a castle?” Lunatea asked with raised eyebrows. “Are you insane? We might be strong but we’re not that strong! We’ll need an actual army to do that!” [quote] "Hold on to that. Don't ask me where I got it. Now, if Komatsu Bay is fortified, then a full on assault would be a death sentence, not with the devastated numbers on Shizuyamian side. You got us, but there's only so much that we can do, so we'll have to be smart about this. Do you think there's anyone here, refugee or otherwise, that has been there? Any secret routes we can use to- wait, shit, I just remembered. Takamori's kid spilled the beans on that, so the Varjans may have any hidden pathways that we could've used covered." [/quote] "She's right," The wererabbit chimed in. "A full-on assault would be the death of us all. And if there's no secret tunnel of some sort that we can use to sneak in, I have no idea how we would do it. Maybe we can set up a bait so the majority of their forces would be somewhere else while we sneak in into the fortress?" It was only a vague suggestion, a fact Lunatea was well-aware of. She was a scholar, not a war strategist. So she wasn't good at all at this sort of stuff. [Quote] "Well, I know someone who's been there but he's... shady, to say the least." Ayu scratched the back of her head. "That and, his name is... well, I guess there's no dressing this up: His name is Shizuka. Not our Shizuka, of course, just same names." The head spy revealed. "Err, I guess we can find a way to handle the names later." "Actually, that's not all. He's actually doing business with the Varjans." Ayu continued. "But that guy owes me, I'm sure he'll help us. His methods, though, can get... unorthodox so the question is, are you guys prepared for that?" [/Quote] Lunatea nodded. “That’s fine. If it’s the only plan we got, then we might as well take it.” [Quote] "I believe," Io chimed in to Ayu's last statement, "That 'unorthodox' is our modus operandi." It was an equal part lament and praise, in Io's eyes. "But can we trust someone doing business with the enemy?" [/Quote] [Quote] I’m with Io on this one.”, concurred Kerry as she crossed her arms. “You say this guy owes you and I’m down for doing anything ‘unorthodox’, but do you even trust him? In my line of work, people who operate on both sides of the coin, per say, aren’t who you would call trustworthy. He could lead us into a trap, for all we know.” [/Quote] “Io and Kerry are right.” Lunatea chimed in. “We have to make sure he’s a trustworthy person before we employ his methods.” The incident with the natives trying to kill Takeshi and set her up for his murder was still fresh on her mind. Just how many untrustworthy humans are there in this island? Unfortunately, they never ended up finishing their conversation. For Eula came in a rush, yelling that the temple was under attack by the Varjans. Chaos broke loose as the upper part of the pagoda was decimated by a flaming boulder. Lunatea quickly readied herself for a fight, creating a wind barrier around her and the others, protecting them from the rubble falling around them. After giving his speech, Takeshi ordered them to go wherever they were needed most, which wasn't much of an order at all. Tch! Everyone for themselves, isn't it? Lunatea decided she wasn’t a frontline fighter. As such, it would be better if she stayed with the human refugees, protecting them from any Varjan soldiers that might make it inside. She made her way to the inner hall where the humans had gathered, on the way telling anyone she met to hurry up and go there. Someone had erected a barrier over the temple, something she was particularly grateful for as it meant she wouldn’t have to worry about more flaming boulders landing on their heads. The hall was packed to the brim and her sharp ears picked up every single whispers and murmurs that came out from the masses. "Mommy, are we gonna be okay?" "Shh, of course we are. Sir Takeshi and his retainers are fighting for us right at this very moment. So you have to be a good girl and stay silent, alright?" The mother's optimism wasn't shared by everyone there however. Some were praying under their breaths, begging to the gods to save them. Others were actively sobbing as despair crept into their hearts, making them think this would be their last moments. The wererabbit paused, her mouth half-open before she closed it once more. She was about to give the crowd some words of comfort, only to realize she wasn't any good at public speeches. What would she say that could soothe their concern, especially since a lot of them were wary of monsters like her? And then, all of a sudden, the words came to her mind. "People of Shizuyama! Hear my words! My name is Lunatea vern Farnsworth and I am a soldier that Lord Takeshi has recruited to protect this island!" She placed a hand on her chest, moving her eyes across the crowd. To her surprise, they immediately turned their attention towards her. The hall was now completely silent as they all waited for her to continue her speech. "I may be a monster! A youkai! But that doesn't mean I am evil or untrustworthy! I am on your side against the Varjans and I swear that I shall protect you from them! So please, stay calm and stay here until it is safe!" The silence continued as the refugees exchanged worried looks against each other. Thankfully, her magic panties realized the gravity of the situation and they decided not to flip up her dress, even though there were many males of mating age in the crowd. [i]That… that should be good enough, right?[/i] She ended her speech with an awkward bow before exiting the room, closing the door behind her. Now, she just had to stand guard here, against any Varjans that might sneak into the temple.