[hr]ATTN: [@PaulHaynek][hr][hider=For Sake's Sake]"[color=008000]We've arrived...[/color]" Ripcord says, as she looked around. "[color=008000]And, everything is here. That's not protocol.[/color]"

"[color=E97451]Everything is still standing, Rippy! People are still alive! Are we sure Varjans came here...[/color]" Umami asks.

Ripcord shrugged. "[color=008000]Let's ask around,[/color]" she says, striding to the nearest villager, "[color=008000]Hey, why didn't the Varjans just erase this place like they normally would?[/color]"

The peasant woman bowed. “[color=f26522]Please. This way.[/color]” She led the Claremont sisters into the workers’ living quarters and urged them inside with quick hand movements.

Once inside the building, the peasant woman assumed a more relaxed, honest tone. “[color=f26522]Apologies, miladies. I couldn’t speak freely out there. The Varjans might have overheard.[/color]” She then continued. “[color=f26522]They’ve been drinking us dry. When they first came, their leader - a Varjan Warrior covered in fur pelts - offered to spare us as long as we gave them sake.[/color]”

“[color=f26522]But the amount they've been demanding lately is way too much than we can provide. And they’re coming soon too.[/color]”

"[color=008000]The fact you're still alive is contingent on whatever you are supplying,[/color]" Ripcord says, "[color=008000]Sounds like a protection racket.[/color]"

"[color=E97451]Protecting what? Those place doesn't offer much in the way of value, beyond the sake production,[/color]" Umami says, "[color=E97451]There's nothing much to gain in protecting something ypu can buy at any market.[/color]"

"[color=008000]Even a good production house isn't worth anything to the war effort. However, the land is a different story,[/color]" Ripcord surmised, "[color=008000]Mami, take to the sky, and see if there is anything of interest around?[/color]"

Umami snapped a salute, before her body transformed, "[color=E97451]On it, Papi![/color]" and she shot into the sky like a rocket. The apex of her wing-assisted, she transformed again; taking on the features of a Werebat, as she descended, and took in the surroundings. Upon landing, she held on all fours, and looked up. "[color=E97451]Here's what I got...[/color]"

The villager woman said. “[color=f26522]Yokai or not, how dare you speak of our sake like that? Our sake is known throughout Shizuyama. This is not some random horse piss an amateur sake brewer makes in their backyard. Our methods had decades of refinement.[/color]”

Umami saw nothing of note nearby that could interest the invaders. There was only forest around the brewery. Perhaps, the Varjans really were only here for the sake and kept these people alive to brew more.

"[color=008000]Yokai,[/color]" Ripcord spat. "[color=008000]Humans use that word with arrogance and disdain. Be it the Varjans that created us as a superweapon, or those that kept us enslaved to be used for our purpose,[/color]" Ripcord looked at the woman, her temper flaring nonverbally, as her left eye divided like an egg cell into multiple irises, "[color=008000]Or, you, here and now, assuming that we are nothing more than a weapon for YOU to point at our old slave keepers to do your dirty work.[/color]" 

"[color=E97451]We just want to live! We have names! We have hopes and dreams! We bleed! We need to eat, sleep, piss, and shit! Just like you![/color]" Umami snapped, her temper flaring verbally, "[color=E97451]It's not our fault you weren't born into chattel slavery, designed as nothing more than a product to be used! No better than the bottle used to hold this sake you're so proud of! And, just as easy to throw away![/color]"

Ripcord placed her hand on Umami's cheek, and brought her close. "[color=008000]You're losing your temper, Mami,[/color]" she says, bringing them nose-to-nose, "[color=008000]Breathe, in and out... Steady...[/color]"

Umami balled her fists, before her shoulders dropped. "[color=E97451]I'm not a monster, Papi... I'm Umami...[/color]" she looked to the side.

"[color=008000]My baby sister, and my pride and joy,[/color]" Ripcord smiled, rubbing their noses together, eliciting a giggle and blush from Umami, "[color=008000]The Varjans have an advantage with the forest. They can move small numbers through, and strike without warning. However, if they've been moving through it, they've been taking a route,[/color]" she says, "[color=008000]Sniff it out, Mami. Find all of them, and return to make. I'll start making traps for you to put in their paths.[/color]"

Umami saluted, before adopting Werewolf features, and licking her cheek, "[color=E97451]I'm on it, Papi![/color]" before she took off.

Ripcord giggled, and rubbed the lick into her cheek, before turning back to the woman. "[color=008000]As for you, I hope you had a good harvest, but I need material for explosives, and sake is flammable...[/color]"

“[color=f26522]Take as much sake as you need, yokai.[/color]” The villager woman replied, surprisingly undaunted by the sisters’ earlier outburst. “[color=f26522]Get these Varjans off our island.[/color]”

Meanwhile, Umami went into the forest and searched for the trail that the Varjans used. They did not bother masking their scents or their tracks, allowing her to find the trail immediately. In fact, she found much more: An entire dozen of Varjan Brigands armed with shields, axes and javelins were already en route to the brewery. From their walking speed, they would arrive in several minutes.

They were led by a fair-skinned, muscled man who walked confidently in front of the group. He wore nothing but a pair black trousers and a fur pelt around his neck. A large spear was slung on his back and he walked with abject boredom on his face… until he raised his fist to stop his men from moving.

“[color=fff79a]...Someone’s watching us.[/color]” He sensed Umami’s presence.

"[color=008000]Stop calling me that! I have a name![/color]" Ripcord snapped, no longer maintaining her calm demeanor, now that Umami couldn't see her being so disgraceful. "[color=008000]I don't know or care what your past relations with others of my kind are, but I'm not them. I grew up under the whole palm of the Varjans - I've never had a choice to be anything more than a living mop and bucket, while my sister was naught but a broom and dustpan.[/color]" Ripcord turned to face the woman, "[color=008000]You stand there with the freedom to insult me and denigrate my existence, while I was created to serve your kind until I break,[/color]" she says, "[color=008000]I can get rid of your problems, free you of tyranny, but as long as you live, you'll always oppress me, and think it's just the way of things.[/color]"

Before Ripcord could continue, she would bend forward, almost comically, as Umami full-body tackled her from behind - panting heavily. "[color=E97451]Varjans! Coming! This many![/color]" she held up her hands by her ears, flicking them left and right, "[color=E97451]Whadda we do!?[/color]"

Ripcord straightened up, "[color=008000]Twelve, huh? Need to be smart about this, then. You, racist woman, since you've so much to say, put that mouth to work, and get people inside the most unassuming place. My original plan is shot. We'll have to take them off-route...[/color]"

Umami nodded, "[color=E97451]What should I do?[/color]"

"[color=008000]I wish we had more time to dig a hole, but alas...[/color]" Ripcord closed her eyes, "[color=008000]You'll just have to keep them safe, while I deal with the brunt of it.[/color]"

“[color=f26522]You will always be yokai, madam.[/color]” The villager woman crossed her arms, replying to Ripcord. “[color=f26522]That’s something no one can take away from you. If you are going to be angry every time you are called that, you will be angry for the rest of your life. Word of advice - be proud of who you are, no matter your past.[/color]” The woman finished. “[color=f26522]There’s a basement here where we can fully hide. You two just focus on the Varjans, don’t worry about our safety.[/color]”

After the woman gathered all of the workers and hid, the Varjan contingent finally arrived. Or at least, one of them did - the fur-pelted leader. He sauntered into the brewery area seemingly without a care in the world, the rest of his group nowhere to be seen. Presumably staying back in the forest, or laying an ambush.

Ripcord bit her lip, as the woman spoke. There was no pride in her. There was nothing to be proud about. She was a tool; a hammer when there were nails, a screwdriver when there were screws, and so on, so forth. Her purpose was to serve. Pride wasn't in the mission statement.

As the workers moved about, they gained an extra body, as Umami slipped into their ranks, and would take to hiding among the workers in the basement; disguised and present to protect them, if the Varjans went a-hunting.

Meanwhile, Ripcord looked at the main attraction, and dropped to her ankles in a foreigner squatting pose, as she rummaged her non-existent pockets, and retrieved a pack of rolled cigarettes and a lighter - immediate giveaway to her homeland.

"[color=008000]So,[/color]" Ripcord asks, lighting the stick, "[color=008000]What's Varjo want with a dumpy, little sake shack on this no-name, little shit stain of an island?[/color]" Taking a drag, Ripcord blew smoke at the leader, "[color=008000]Shit, my bad. Old habits. I didn't ask your name. Mine's...[/color]" Ripcord paused, "[color=008000]Isn't that something... I've forgotten what it was. I'll have to ask for a new name once I get back, I guess.[/color]"

The Varjan Champion sniffed the smoke blown at him. “[color=fff79a]That depends. What’s a monster doing on an anti-monster island?[/color]” He responded. “[color=fff79a]...Don’t try to pretend. You’re no local and you’re not Order. I’d say Varjan, but my gut really says that isn’t the case. That narrows the choices down.[/color]”

“[color=fff79a]Still, I’m glad you’re here. The alcohol this place is making is top-notch stuff. Much better than whatever gunk we brew back in the ships. But it has always been my opinion that drinks taste much better after… a fierce workout.[/color]” The Champion continued. “[color=fff79a]So, monster. When do we start?[/color]”

Ripcord signed, "[color=008000]I was born just as Human as anyone else...[/color]" Standing, she looked annoyed, and flicked ash off her cigarettes. "[color=008000]Sounds like your problems are insignificant, just a bunch of drunks, unhappy with their own drink.[/color]"

"[color=008000]Well, regardless, whenever you'd like to begin,[/color]" Ripcord says.

“[color=fff79a]Ah, a traitor to the human race then.[/color]” The Varjan Champion concluded. “[color=fff79a]I think we can begin now.[/color]”

The whizzing of the air alerted Ripcord of something rapidly coming at her. She was not fast enough to evade but fortunately, the attack missed. A javelin thrown at Ripcord did not find its mark, but landed quite close at the ground mere inches from her. “[color=fff79a]Oh, for the love of…[/color]”

The Varjan Champion quickly grabbed the missed javelin and began thrusting and swinging the weapon against Ripcord.

There was a loud clang, as the initial swing found purchase, before it was shoved back towards his; a large, unwieldy weapon pushing out of Ripcord's body. "[color=008000]Traitor,[/color]" she asks, "[color=008000]Quite the contrary. It was Varjan science that made me. It's simply doing what I was born to do by your betters.[/color]"

Lifting the weapons, Ripcord pulled on the ripcord, and it revved to life with an unnatural roar and sustained growl, as the misshapen canine teeth spun.

Hopping forward, Ripcord would cleave at the Champion - fully on the offensive.

The Varjan Champion reeled back from the unknown, but powerful, weapon. To him, it looked like some sort of sword. A sword that had teeth. Teeth that slid along the blade with blurring speed, rending anything that it made contact with.

A vertical swing of Ripcord’s weapon split the Champion’s javelin into two and sent him stumbling to the ground. But before Ripcord could deal the finishing blow, javelins and throwing axes rained on the Homunculus. The Brigands that this Champion led had climbed the rooftops of the brewery’s buildings and threw projectiles from the vantage point.

The Champion used the opportunity to get some distance from Ripcord. Picking up a missed thrown axe as a weapon.

Ripcord barely took her focus off her opponent; she didn't have to, after all. As the rain of projectiles came at her, she would shed her clothing, and expose a myriad of opening eyes like those that bore down on her opponent. Her skin would ripple like a disturbed pond, before fleshed arms erupted from her; her by undergoing intense, rapid mutation of her Shoggoth DNA, and allowing her to catch the weapons slung at her from all angles.

Pulling her numerous arms back, acid would leak from her fingertips and her sweat glands - dissolving the weapons, as she absorbed them.

"[color=008000]A delicious craftsmanship. It's crude and quaint. Like, a simple meat stew or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,[/color]" Ripcord says, licking her fingers, "[color=008000]Reminds me Varjo. What they fed me, back in the business...[/color]"

"[color=008000][b][i]I can't wait to get my dessert... haven't had dessert in so long... I just have to clean my plate...[/i][/b][/color]"

The Varjans were stunned at Ripcord’s display of her Shoggoth abilities. Even the Champion was slack-jawed for a moment before regaining his senses. “[color=fff79a]Shoggoth! Prepare fire weapons![/color]” He ordered his underlings.

Despite that, Ripcord saw about half of the Varjan crew leap from the buildings to run away. They were not here to fight such a terrifying creature.

The Varjan Champion hacked at Ripcord with his small axe. “[color=fff79a]You want your dessert? Come get it![/color]” He stretched his arms at the Homunculus, goading her to attack him.

Ripcord revved her weapon, "[color=008000]Fire? How cute...[/color]"

Moving forward, Ripcord would launch herself via the momentum of her oversized weapon, and chase - slinging her moving sword forward, and through one of the retreating men. Flesh rent, acid seeped into the wound, and like venom, ran through his bloodstream. Turning with a swing of her weapon, Ripcord corrected her path, and chased another.

She seemed completely uninteresting in the goading attempt, as she swept up the small fry... [i]like hor d'oeuvres...[/i]

“[color=fff79a]Oh no, you don’t![/color]” Ripcord felt her flesh grabbed with tremendous strength. “[color=fff79a]Your fight is with me![/color]”

The Homunculus was thrown by the Varjan Champion into one of the buildings in the brewery, crashing through a wooden support and into some barrels. Ripcord felt liquid splash onto her, the alcoholic sake from the barrels. When she looked up, she saw a line of three Varjan Footmen aiming flame-tipped arrows at her with their bows. The Varjan Champion was just behind them. 

“[color=fff79a]Fire![/color]”

Ripcord barely flinched, as she absorbed the sake into her skin, and swung her weapon; acid splashing off the spinning teeth, and melting the arrows in mid-flight. In addition to that, it created momentum that she would use to throw herself forward, and give herself a boost to her transition into a running sprint. As she rushed, the Mutant would stow her weapons away by rapidly sucking it into her hands, before pivoting on her right foot, and spinning; twinned, smaller version of her weapon erupting from her hands, as her arms stretched, and allowed her to become a whirling dervish, as she spun at the champion with the intent of slicing his men down as collateral.

Two of the Footmen were cut down as Ripcord spun, the third one managed to duck in time to live and run for his life. The Varjan Champion stood fast in his position as Ripcord came at him. With impeccable timing, he moved forward and caught one of the Mutant’s arms mid-swing and stopped the spin attack.

The Champion then threw Ripcord over his shoulder and pinned her on the ground. “[color=fff79a]Hahahaha! You are no ordinary monster, that I can tell for sure! You are a fine prey to hunt![/color]”

"[color=008000]You aren’t...[/color]" Ripcord says, looking away, before looking back. Umami had a difficult time listening, and moreso, obeying orders, but she’d done well so far. "[color=008000]The countryside isn’t as interesting as I hoped,[/color]" she lamented, "[color=008000]I’m just torn between if I should melt you down or kill you quickly. Normally, why work is with corpses, so I’m conflicted between business or pleasure...[/color]"

Ripcord grinned, as her skin grew translucent, and tendrils erupted from her where she was being pinned; tiny, nipping mouths forming to tear like ant.

"[color=008000]I’ll choose both, I think...[/color]" the Shoggoth grinned.

As the third Varjan ran through the woods, a wind would swept past him, and bring him, but a moment’s pause, before he was suddenly several dozen feet over the woods, and in the blink of an eye... falling.

"[color=E97451]Too close. Too close. Rippy would have scolding me, if anyone got away...[/color]" Umami says, as she flew back to the ground, and transformed into a Weresheep upon landing. "[color=E97451]Sorry about this...[/color]" the Chimera frowned, raising her cloven foot over the head of the broken man, having crashed through several tree branches, "[color=E97451]It’s just business...[/color]"

Umami would slam her foot through his skull, before hurrying back to the workers; shapeshifting back into her borrowed Human form.

“[color=fff79a]Argh![/color]” Ripcord’s tendrils bit onto the Varjan Champion’s arm pinning her to the ground. He was forced to let go, but not before grabbing her neck with his free hand. Ripcord felt something magical embed on her neck before the Champion released his grip.

The Varjan Champion stumbled back and dropped to the ground, grasping his stung arm. He had no weapons and was virtually defenseless before Ripcord. “[color=fff79a]Now, my fellow Varjan hunters will know who you are. Hahaha![/color]” He laughed as he admired the magical mark he branded onto Ripcord’s neck. “[color=fff79a]You will be hunted for the rest of your days.[/color]”

The brand was a red mark in the shape of the Champion’s palm. It seemed as if it was ordinary red paint, but it was something definitely magical.

Ripcord eyed the Champion... through about two dozen eyes, as her Shoggoth nature took full hold; eyes and mouths opening across her body, as she shed her clothing and Humanity in equal measure. Before long, she was naught more than an amorphous blob with a translucent, yet pearlescent young woman sat upon like a melted Centaur.

Biting; Stinging; Lashing tendrils whipped out, and surrounded the Champion. "[color=008000][i][b]Do you have a name...[/b][/i][/color]" Ripcord asks, her voice muffled by the lack of a primary mouth, as her face was a blank expansive, like a mask with eye holes, yet amplified by the myriad of secondary mouths that decorated her body. "[color=008000][i][b]I wish to thank you for such a promise of fun to come.[/b][/i][/color]"

“[color=fff79a]I do. It is Naugar. The one who marked you. Each time you are attacked, you think of me. Every time you are robbed of peace, you think of me. The moment you breath your last, you think of me.[/color]” Those were the Champion’s final words as he let himself be eaten by Ripcord.

"[color=008000][i][b]Yeah, yeah, words, words, so talkative. I’ll see you again, in like, eight hours, as literal pile of shit,[/b][/i][/color]" Ripcord rolled her nonexistent eyes, as she shuffled forward; shedding her True Form, and stepping out of the amassed smile in her Human form. "[color=008000]Jeez... i didn’t even look to see where they ran off too...[/color]" she says, reaching into her side, and retrieving her smokes, before loosing a shrill whistle.

Umami perked up, and dropped her transformation. "[color=E97451]It’s safe to return,[/color]" she says, before bouncing out the doors to the cellar, happily throwing them wide. "[color=E97451]The sake is safe! And, the people, too! We did it![/color]"

The brewery workers reluctantly left the cellar, and beheld the work of Ripcord. They were in awe at how one monster woman managed to repulse an entire Varjan unit. Not everyone was optimistic, however. “[color=8dc73f]Once the Varjans learn this unit is gone, they’ll send more to find out what happened.[/color]” One of the men said.

“[color=f26522]He’s right.[/color]” The woman leading the brewery said before turning to the sisters. “[color=f26522]Can you two stay? You can have as much sake as you want.[/color]”

"[color=E97451]Nope!~[/color]" Umami beamed. "[color=E97451]We’re just helpful adventurer types, now! From the big temple place! That’s our home![/color]"

"[color=008000]There’s not a lot of you here,[/color]" Ripcord says, "[color=008000]A repeat of today would go poorly, so... what if we just bring all of this to the temple,[/color]" she mused, "[color=008000]I can probably fit all of your machines and you inside of me.[/color]"

“[color=f26522]Big temple place? What temple are you talking about?[/color]” The woman asked.

Ripcord would explain, since it wasn’t common knowledge. "[color=008000]The temple to the... north... ish... or so... That’s unimportant. Point is, it’s a... well, kinda like a village, really. It’s a place where Humans and Mamono can coexist, and where we can put our abilities forward on missions like this,[/color]" she says. "[color=008000]It was requested of us to aid you, and so we did. My sister and I are newcomers to the whole ordeal, so you’d have to ask more experienced members for better details. But, the long and short of it is this: You needed help, and we came to help.[/color]"

"[color=008000]It’s not safe here, but it can be safe there, and there’s a kitchen area that my sisters and I are going to build up, so I’m betting we can fit a bit of your sake stuff in there,[/color]" Ripcord nodded, as she visualized it, "[color=008000]Sure, it won’t be to such scale as this, but starting over small isn’t such a terrible price for safety from those idiots that attack you for what you should be given coin for.[/color]"

"[color=E97451]Plus, we can show you how to make Sno-cones! So you can have something to sell when its super-hot out![/color]" Umami supplied.

“[color=f26522]A temple to the north… You mean Terauchi Temple? It’s a place where yokai and humans coexist, huh? I knew there was something off with that temple before all of this.[/color]” The woman then shrugged. “[color=f26522]Whatever, we’ll take refuge there then. Thank you for fighting off the Varjans extorting our brewery.[/color]”

The brewer crew all bowed at the Claremont sisters.

“[color=f26522]And please, no need to bring our equipment. You’ve already done so much for us.[/color]” The woman finished. “[color=f26522]We’ll just close up here and hide the equipment as much as we can. We can just come back here once the Varjan invasion is over.[/color]”

Ripcord tilted her head, "[color=008000]It wouldn't trouble me to carry everything, but if you're sure,[/color]" Ripcord would turn. "[color=008000]Let's go home, then.[/color]"

"[color=E97451]Umu![/color]" Umami cheered.

Helping the worker pack up their homes and livelihoods, Ripcord and Umami would start the task of escorting them home.[/hider]