257/Wake the Nightmare

Wake the Nightmare
Date of Scene:	06 August 2015
Location:	Pikarigaoka - Clover Path
Synopsis:	A mysterious nightmare attacks, and a warrior from an ancient time awakens.
Cast of Characters:	Shiori Sato, Tadase Hotori, Seishi Tamashige, 94

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Tin Roof Sundae (94) has posed:
Everything seems peaceful enough today, on Clover Path. The sun is shining, the birds are singing. People come and go from the many shops, carrying with them bags of groceries, clothes, or other goods. It's a perfectly wonderful summer day to go shopping or just go out for a walk. For a brief moment, a cloud passes over the sun.

Every once in a while, someone turns around, confused and maybe a little unsettled. Some of them mutter about feeling watched, while others seem to keep finding themselves going the wrong way. It's nothing terribly threatening so far, but it's a little strange.

Those sensitive to magic might be able to feel a subtley disturbing presence nearby. A chill might run up your spine, or your stomach might feel like it's sinking. A light feeling of dread that seems to be creeping in. Something is very wrong.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
Lately, Seishi feels like she's treading water. There's classwork to finish over the summer break, club practices... no telling where the Eater of Dreams might have spread his influence, and even with O-Yasu's guidance she's just one person. Not to mention the thing in her desk drawer that needs to be disposed of post-haste.

For right now, though, she's focusing her attention on a simpler and more immediate responsibility. Grocery list in her pocket, she's been making her way down the sidewalk with brisk, purposeful strides... until that unsettling sense of something not quite right brushes her senses and she slows, beginning to frown.

The feeling doesn't go away. If anything, it's getting worse. She stops entirely now, looking around her with wary eyes. Where...?

Shiori Sato has posed:
Shiori's not aware of anything for quite a while as he walks down the sidewalk. He's spacing out, thinking about all the weird things that have been happening of late. Finding Mamoru unconscious. That giant spider in the library that all of a sudden wasn't there. The /library/ wasn't there, now. The spider had been dispatched. And those weird dreams the previous night. Remembering the last one just makes him yawn, because ugh, he hadn't slept very well last night.

Suddenly he emits an 'oof' as something hits him. He looks up, snapping back to reality, and realizes someone ran into him. Someone who looks... just as surprised as he does. The other person blinks. "O-oh, I'm sorry... I didn't realize-- I... thought I was going the other way."

Shiori looked confused. "R-right. No harm done." he waves as the equally-confused person starts off in the other direct. That's when Shiori notices the weird atmosphere. Yeah that. Doesn't feel right. There's something up. He too starts to look around. Though if he sees Seishi, he doesn't find anything out of place about her. Then again, his attention might be elsewhere, too.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase Hotori is also on the same path - headed from a summer break meeting of the Guardians to pick up some items at a shopping center in Uminari city - and while the odd presence actually goes unnoticed by the young boy, it doesn't go unnoticed by a small King resting in the backpack he wears.

Kiseki leans in from the backpack he'd been hiding in (too many people can see him now for him to float freely all the time!) and whispers. "Tadase, there's something wrong around here." Tadase stops and looks around, whipsering back. "Is it an X-egg?" he asks. "No, but I don't think it's anything good, either!" the small King responds.

Tadase shifts off to the side so he's out of the walking paths of others.

Tin Roof Sundae (94) has posed:
The wrong feeling only gets worse. Most will only feel an increasingly deep feeling of dread, but a certain Seishi Tamashiga will feel a little something more. There is a distinct feeling that she is being watched.

The area grows darker, and one by one most of the average civillians disappear around a street corner or into a shop, until none remain but Tadase, Shiori, and Seishi. The streets distort and change until the layout of the area becomes unrecognizable. Shops, streets an alleyways aren't where they 'should' be.

If one looks closely, every once in a while, an eye might open in the middle of a wall, a lightpost, a sidewalk, but only for a brief moment before it closes again, disappearing like they weren't even there. Each eye is looking at Seishi, but they vanish before she can see them, vanishing before her gaze can even touch them.

The eyes are all the same: threatening and angry. The threats are pointed at Seishi.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
Seishi's breath hisses out through her teeth as adrenaline jolts through her, the fight-or-flight instinct kicking her heart rate into a dreambeat. Without hesitation, she reaches upward, taking hold of the red ribbon that ties her hair back and yanking it free. "Twist the cord of fate!"

The ribbon unfurls, becoming an infinitely long scarlet cord that hangs in the air beside her, twisting into a loop that passes over her starting from her fingertips and moving along her arm. Where it passes, her garments change, from her simple street clothes to the banner-like sleeves and overlapped layers of a scarlet kimono. The grimacing hann'ya mask settles over her face; the red cord catches her hair up in a samurai's high ponytail, and where Seishi stood a moment ago, the magical samurai Akashimaru has taken her place.

As soon as she's transformed, she draws the Shinken from her belt, snapping the fan open with a flick of her wrist. Her voice rings out clearly across the twisted street: "Show yourself!"

Shiori Sato has posed:
Suddenly the world changes abruptly, and Shiori blinks. "...Uh-oh..." he mutters. Something weird's happening again! The first thing he does? Look around for people who might be in the way. He sees Seishi, and is about to go over and warn her. But then... something happens. The girl he doesn't know... changes. Into someone he does know. The girl from the library. When the spider attacked. Does that mean... there's something like that here?

He catches sight of Tadase next. "Hey, uh. This is pretty dangerous, the last time I saw it. Do you want help finding a safe place?" he asks. Of course... he doesn't know exactly where IS safe...

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase turns around to see Shiori - and Tadase looks, for all the world, like many children his age would. Scared, but fighting it. Trying to stand tall against all of the wierdness. And that's when Kiseki comes out of his backpack again to remind him.

"Tadase, I'm scared too... but people might be in danger. And one of the things a King does is help out his people during danger." the smaller version of himself comments. And so Tadase steels himself, and in a flash most of that fear is gone, replaced with only a general unease. After this internal struggle, he turns to Shiori.

He looks Shiori over, wondering if he might be a warrior, or a civilan. Tadase knows which one he is, thanks to Kiseki. "Do you know what's going on here?" is his response to the question. But he's not looking for a way out, now. Just an awnser.

Tin Roof Sundae (94) has posed:
There is a low chuckle, like the rumbling of thunder, as Seishi transforms and challenges the Nightmare. A terrible feeling comes over, focused and adamant. Akashimaru is being followed by something trying to threaten her, and somehow she knows it. Somehow, the Nightmare is telling her.

From a dark alleyway comes... Something. The eye can't really process what it is. It moves as Seishi's eyes move, staying eternally out of sight, even if it has to move impossibly fast to do so. Windows and other reflective surfaces don't reflect its image.

It's large, it's powerful, it's strange, but aside from that the exact shape and details of it defy understanding. It's almost as if there is nothing there to understand. It's unpleasant to look at, and there can be no doubt that it's pure evil. It clearly wants to harm Akashimaru, and even Seishi can realize that despite not even being able to see it.

It lumbers towards her, every step coming closer and closer. It could clearly go faster, but it's taking its time to mess with her.

What looks like it might be an arm extends from the strange THING, swinging an impossible-looking punch at Akashimaru's back. While there is significant force behind it, there's a feeling that it's only getting started.

Tadase and Shiori can see it just fine, whatever IT is. It only avoids the sight of Seishi.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
It feels like a cold thin rush of ice water in her veins, a sour taste in her mouth. She knows it's there, she can feel its predatory focus like a physical pressure against her back, but when she whirls in place there's nothing there to see. It's behind her. Whichever way she turns, wherever she looks, behind her and getting closer.

She's still trying to get a bead on it when the blow lands, the impact hard enough to bowl her off her feet. Biting back a yelp of surprise, she manages something like a defensive tuck and roll as she takes a bruising tumble across the pavement, scrapes and abrasions joining the larger pain singing through her spine and shoulders.

In the next moment she's scrambling up from her hands and knees, clutching her tessen in one hand. A wild gaze falls on Shiori and Tadase across the street: a civilian, a child. If she can't get on top of this, they'll be in the line of fire--

Got to outmaneuver this thing somehow. "You guys need to get out of here!" she shouts at the two boys - and then bolts, launching into a sprint. If she can gain some distance--

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
"Hmm," says a voice from nearby the two young men - a gruff and faintly tired masculine voice, deep and close by and... surprisingly low? "This is bad."

The voice comes from a strange creature that's padded up out of nowhere to stand next to Shiori. It's about the size of a corgi, with a rounded body and short tusks and snubby snout that resembles a tapir, if a tapir had striped legs and paws like a tiger and spoke in the voice of a middle-aged man. "That one's stubborn, but stupid. Always straight ahead, trying to face things head-on. She'll run herself to death before she figures it out."

The beast turns its head to look up at Shiori with eyes that glow like embers. "So?" it asks him bluntly. "What will you do?"

Shiori Sato has posed:
Tiny chibi kings? Well, that's one bit of pleasantess in all this weirdness and unease. Though Shiori does look a little sheepish at the question. "Well.. n-not really," he says. "The last time something like this happened, it was in a library. A giant spider showed up, and she fought it." As he says this, he points to Akashimaru.

And then Shiori looks up too. And sees that... THING is about to punch her! "Watch out!" he calls, but too late for it to matter. He winces as she goes tumbling. It's keeping out of her view... but he can see it. Maybe he can call out and tell her when it's about to attack. But then, that thing seems to be faster than he can register it, call out, and have the girl react...

Suddenly there's... actually Shiori's not sure what it is. He remembers the thing, though. The elephant/tiger/anteater thing from the library. But he /is/ being asked a question. He blinks, looking to the creature. "I... what do you mean?" he asks. "Well, I... I want to help her, of course. I'm not really... equipped for this kind of thing."

But if that's true... why is all this so familiar? Not just the red-clad girl. Not just the corgi-sized creature next to him. Everything about this. Besides that... why can he even /see/ it, then, if he's not? And not just the thing that's attacking the samurai girl, but the tapir-thing too. Clearly he's not supposed to be able to, even he knows that.

"...Am I..?" Referring to his earlier words of being 'not equipped for this sort of thing'.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase sees the creature lumbering after the warrior. Then he sees the monster lash out at Akashimaru! He makes a gasp of surprise and worry at her predicament. Kiseki, though, says what they're both thinking. "We have to do something!" he shouts.

Tadase turns to Shiori. "Keep back." he adds, as a crown appears on his head. He jumps between Akashimaru and the nightmare. "HOLY CROWN!" he shouts, holding a scepter between Akashimaru's back and the advancing monstrosity. But the situation - the fear, the fact that he doesn't know Akashimaru, or anyone here - that he's alone, and that this monster is truly horrible.

And so the barrier he creates may be much weaker - and even looks it - than the norm. And may put him in danger, too.

Tin Roof Sundae (94) has posed:
The THING goes from slow lumbering to a speedy chase, keeping up with Akashimaru relentlessly, laughing loudly all the way. The laughter doesn't seem to make noise, but it's more like a radiated feeling of superiority, mocking, and dark amusement. It keeps up with her as she moves, keeping in perfect step, always staying just out of sight.

For the moment, it ignores Tadase, Shiori, and the strange creature mascot. At first. Once Tadase transforms and stands in the way, the monster SCREAMS at him. It's a loud screeching noise, accompanied by a projected feeling of rage and frustration.

The monster crashes into Tadase, smashing against his barrier. For once, the monster leaves Akashimaru alone, taking a moment to recover from Tadase's interference. Several black incomprehensible arms emerge from the indecipherable shape and lash out at Tadase. The creature is taking out its rage on the young king, trying to get him out of the way so it can continue seeking out Akashimaru.

It vanishes again, perhaps because Akashimaru tried to look at it, reappearing behind her with an incomprehensible expression of malice. It forever stays out of her sight.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
"Who knows?" the stubby little creature answers Shiori, its inhuman face unreadable and enigmatic. "You're the only one who can find that out."

The terrible cacophony of the monster's screaming and it battering against Tadase's barrier brings Akashimaru's sprint skidding to a stop. Even now when she looks back over her shoulder, the beast is nowhere to be seen - but by then the damage has been done. With a small cry of dismay, she wheels around, beginning to rush back toward Tadase only to stop short as that feeling of menace looms behind her again, its very real threat proven all too well. "Coward!" she cries out in frustration to drown out the cold threads of fear knotting within her. "If it's me you want, take me on face to face!"

The baku's eyes remain steady on Shiori, unblinking and bright as flame. "What'll it be?" it asks him. "Will you take control of your fate, like the Lady said? Or not. It's up to you."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase holds his scepter, and creates his shield, but the fear and doubt in his heart is having an effect on the strength of his powers. WHUMP. WHUMP. Go the creature's battering limbs, and the barrier of the Holy Crown breaks. And now, despite his henshin, he stands between the creature of nightmares, an 11 year old, and the monster is powerful, determined - and frankly out of his personal wheelhouse.

"HOLY C..." and he's cut off by a sideswipe from the creature. He is flung across then sidewalk, rolling. Kiseki appears behind him, shaking his shoulder. "TADASE? TADASE?" he shouts. A tense moment and a groan later, and Tadase is trying to crawl to his feet, but he's obviously been knocked for a major loop and probably shouldn't be fighting...

Shiori Sato has posed:
Shiori's eyes go a bit wide when he sees the crown appear on Tadase's head. And then the younger of them runs to assist! "Wait, it's dangerous!" he calls out. The crashing into the barrier, the flailing at Tadase... knocking the other boy away sharply. Then the girl is turning again, trying to get to the thing before it can hurt the young boy again...

Shiori is one of the only two who can see that thing... and yet he can't do anything to help. It makes him clench his hands into fists. He couldn't keep whatever it was from happening to Mamoru. He couldn't help the samurai girl when she fought the spider. Why can he see this if he can't /do/ something about it?!

And then the odd dog-sized creature's words come. 'Take control of your fate'. How could he do that? If he just threw himself between that thing and the others, he'd end up getting hurt. Possibly killed. But more words come to him, as if from a half-remembered dream, but he knows them to be correct. And he speaks them. Proudly.

"Seize the cord of fate!"

It peeks out from behind his shoulder, the tiny length of red cord. Barely longer than the width of a palm, it flits through the air at his right side as if it was trying to escape notice. His eyes are closed, and it looks like it just might escape... but at the last possible moment his right hand shoots out and grasps the flitting thread firmly, as if he'd known where it was the whole time.

And as he does, the ends of the cord grow and flatten into a long red ribbon. It wraps around his arm, his chest, his other arm, and then down his body. There's a flash and he's now glad in the garb of a ninja. He releases the cord and the ribbon winds itself around his face; another flash of light and the cord has disappeared. he is now wearing a ninja's muffler, the trailing end whipping in a breeze. His glasses are gone, and his hair is light blue and spikey.

A moment passes... and Shiori looks at his hands. "...What the... what just happened?"

Tin Roof Sundae (94) has posed:
A very distinct sound of metal sliding against metal can be heard from behind Akashimaru. Tadase and Shiori can see metal curved blades, not unlike katanas without hilts, shining in the otherwise dim light. The sky is a dark blue now, turning darker, and the ground, fences, storefronts and lampposts are all shaded black. Only Tadase, Akashimaru, and Shiori can be seen clearly.

As Akashimaru continues to challenge him, calling him a coward, the monster gains one distinct feature: A wide grin. Impossibly wide, and getting wider, leaving the bounds of whatever counts as its face and becoming a red upturned crescent floating in the air in front of him. It enjoys her fear, and her frustration only makes it sweeter. It's closing in...

Shiori's sudden transformation gets a reaction from the creature, and it reels around to face him. Those katanas gleam in the moonlight, and looooong tendrils emerge from the formless beast, each one holding a shining katana at its end. Some of the katanas come down above Akashimaru, but several of the blades are thrown at Akahana and Tadase in a thick barrage of razor sharp edges.

It's still malicious, it's still evil, but it wasn't expecting a three on one fight, or the appearance of a new enemy. It's very angry, but underneath that anger is an undertone of fear.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
Those words, with the weight of two lifetimes behind them, go straight to Akashimaru's heart. In spite of her own peril, for a moment she stands transfixed and simply watches as the transformation takes place and the boy she vaguely knows takes on an appearance that, somehow, she knows very well indeed.

"...Aka...hana...?"

Even as she says the name, something within her shudders. Looking down in confusion, she finds her own hands inexplicably wet with - is that blood?

No, there's nothing there, and there's no more time to think about it because in this instant there's a sound of metal behind her and she knows that the Nightmare is making its move. Looking won't do any good; she ducks to the side, tessen raised with some half-formed idea of shielding herself, but then she sees the blades go flashing past her overhead and acts on reflex. A flick of her wrist sends the Shinken flying, spinning through the air to meet the katanas that are coming down over Tadase before the blades can strike home.

Of course, that leaves her with no way to shield herself...

Shiori Sato has posed:
Shiori had been looking at his hands, trying to figure out what had just happened to him, and then he noticed the darkness around him. Then suddenly there's a KATANA COMING AT HIM! It's more instinct than anything else that sees him leaping into the air and turning sideways, around the worst of the barrage.

But he can't dodge them all-- one of the blades rips across his chest as he turns in the air. It doesn't tear the skin or fabric, but it sure feels like it did! And the force turns him again in the air; some part of him feels gravity shift around him in a way he's never been aware of before, spatially-aware in a way he's never been before. He lands on a knee, harder than he'd intended to, and winces again at the impact, emitting a grunt. One hand goes to his his chest where he'd felt the pain of that strike. OW!

He looks up... and then sees those katana coming at Akashimaru. She's closer than Tadase, but Shiori will move to assist of Tadase look like he needs it. He remembers Tadase having a barrier ability... hopefully the other boy can engage it in time. For the time being though... Akashimaru will find the ninja leaping at her, trying to grab her around the waist and leap away before the katanas can strike!

Tadase Hotori has posed:
As Tadase is getting up, and those blades come near him, he gets ready to just take the damage, wincing - before the loud sound of Akashimaru's interruption makes him open his eyes. He becomes quickly aware of her action, and the fact that someone went out of their way to save him... in a way, it reminds him of the strength his grandmother had. The strength he wants to have. And that feeling in his heart - that memory of why he had the resolve to have Kiseki.

It's like a second wind, and he's back. He's up in a flash - not knowing anything about Akashimaru's powers, he grabs her fan and tosses it back to her as he moves back to cover her again.

"HOLY CROWN!" he announces, with much more emphasis and conviction than last time. The sudden burst from his wand is a brilliant, metallic silver-gold now, and forms a much more effective barrier.

"Thank you." he says to her. He means a lot more than just the physical save, but to a degree, the emotional one - after all, Kings can't fear monsters, be they dragons or whatever this is.

Tin Roof Sundae (94) has posed:
The implacable monster brings down its katanas, only to have them smash against Tadase's shield. The katanas continue to beat down upon and slash at the barrier, but they don't get past. Frustration mounts, and ferocity increases, but its quarry is no longer nearby.

The monster hisses at the young king, angry and menacing, but the unwavering king isn't the things's target. It warps and distorts in strange ways, moving back and away from Tadase to pursue Akashimaru again. Akahana are close together now, and the creature wonders if it can't get them both at once.

The katanas vanish, along with the long tendrils. The incomprehensible monster opens a large mouth, giving off a definite expression of several rows of teeth. The thing is flying right now, at the back of Akashimaru's head, mouth opening wide enough to bite a significant chunk out of a person.

Well, would if they were real teeth. They, like the katanas, are strange facsimiles of what they represent.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
She expects to feel the blades carve into her - instead, Akashimaru finds herself seized around the waist and physically hoisted out of the way of the Nightmare katanas as they come down.

Behind the grimace of her mask, she blinks in astonishment.

"--thanks." It comes out breathlessly, and when Tadase tosses the Shinken back to her she snatches it out of the air without missing a beat. She's given up trying to see what the Nightmare is doing, can only guess by the overwhelming sensation of murderous intent pressing down against her back like a physical weight, but she's not alone in this now and she knows what she needs to do.

Her free hand comes up to her face, lifting the mask away. "I'll set it up," she tells Akahana and Tadase, declaring it loudly and confidently - and without looking, she wings the mask behind her at the monster. "Let's take it down!"

Then, the tessen in her hand flaring with red light, she whips around and leaps into a sprint. If the Nightmare vanishes again rather than face her, well, her allies will have clear shots at it. If it doesn't? She'll meet it head-on.

Shiori Sato has posed:
Shiori offers a quickly nod to Akashimaru's thanks as he sets her back down. "S-sure thing." Ugh, he hopes that didn't sound as hesitant to the samurai girl as it sounded to him. How did he do that? And how... does he know her name?

('Akashimaru...?')

He doesn't say the name, but he does look at her samurai girl a bit longer than maybe is normal. Then she reminds him they have a Nightmare to beat. Yes, that's right. This is all familiar. He sends a backwards head-tilt of thanks to Tadase as well, for retrieving the Shinken. And then he nods to Akashimaru's words. "Ready," is all he says. And then he waits for the Nightmare to make its decision... teleport away from Akashimaru or face her wrath head-on. Somehow it seems too cunning a monster to do the latter.

Shiori also realizes that whatever's happening to him, it knows what it's doing more than he does. So he gives himself over to these new instincts. Akahana crosses his arms before him at the wrists, fingers splayed, and then draws them apart with a quick motion, placing them down at his sides. And as he does, his image blurs, his image seeming to grow insubstantial and then to separate, every other 'strip' of his image moving to one side. It results in two ghostly, dark, and insubstantial ninjas.

And what do these ninjas do? Why each one draws a short, straight sword with a single edge and a square hilt. Then they round either side of Tadase, moving quickly as they can, seeking to come together at the Nightmare's position with an X-shaped dual strike with those blades.

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase's second wind doesn't last very long - the damage that was done to him earlier is more severe than it was, and after he's repaid Akashimaru, he falters a bit, falling to one knee. In a desperate sense of wanting to aid, he fires a few white-gold blasts from the tip of his scepter at the beast, hoping to at least help out in the attack.

But how much help those small blasts are against the horrible nightmare is yet to be seen. Out of all of this, there's one thing Tadase knows for sure - this is no X-chara!

Tin Roof Sundae (94) has posed:
The monster stays behind Akashimaru. The way it swivels so instantly makes it seem less like it's acting on reflex and more like it's somehow physically forced to be out of her sight. Perhaps it /can't/ let itself be seen by her.

Whatever speculation could be made on the beast is soon a moot point. Tadase's attacks smash into it, forcing it to slow down, stunned by the sudden hit. Shiori's X strike hits home, each blade sticking into the monster.

With a shriek, it stops. There is the sound of something like glass shattering, and the monster is frozen in an incomprehensible look of shock. It begins to break apart and turn into dust.

Even if Akashimaru turns her head, the thing doesn't move to stay behind her. She might be able to catch a glimpse of... whatever it is... before it fades away.

The world slowly returns to normalacy. People reappear in the streets, seemingly confused and lost for a moment before regaining their bearings. Whatever threat was attacking them, it seems to be over.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
She feels it, just like she felt the Nightmare's malice, and Akashimaru's momentum peters away from a sprint to a slow halt as the world fades back into the normalcy of a bright summer day. Her hand, still gripping the Shinken, lowers to her side. "Haa..." The breath goes out of her in a sigh.

When she turns toward the two boys, she's wearing a lopsided but genuinely grateful smile. "Thanks," she says, glancing around as she moves back toward them - they won't be able to stand around here for long, but for just this moment it doesn't seem like they've attracted any attention. The confusion should protect them for a very short while longer. "Are you guys okay?" Her dark eyes move from Akahana to Tadase, questioning. She didn't see the younger boy take the hit, but it had looked like it must've hurt.

Apparently unnoticed by any nearby civilians, O-Yasu pads over to the place where the Nightmare died, snuffling at the pavement. A fragment remains, a tiny sliver of wrongness that does not belong in the waking world.

When he finds it, he promptly and calmly eats it.

Shiori Sato has posed:
That's what he'd thought was going to happen-- the thing would move. Even if it had no choice but to stay out of Akashimaru's sight, it did exactly what Shiori expected. Aided by both Akashimaru's turn positioning the Nightmare, as well as Tadase's blasts stunning the creature, the shadow images' blades strike home. The two images merge back together as they pass through each other, and the ninja's image is back to normal opacity.

Though as he sheathes the sword... he turns a confused gaze to the others that had been inolved with fighting the Nightmare, first to Tadase (partially to check and see if he's all right, and partially because he's confused), and then to Akashimari. He nods to the samurai girl's thanks. "You're welcome," he says. "But uh... what just happened...?"

It looks like the instincts are there... but the knowledge really isn't. That's when he catches sight of O-Yasu and...

His eye twitches. "...And what is he doing...? Do I wanna know?"

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase smiles a bit. He's holding a lot back to push that smile, but by gods he's smiling. "We got it, didn't we? Then I'm okay." says the elementary-schooler, his hand still wrapped tightly around that scepter, in almost a deathgrip, like he's worried it'll come back.

"As long as we got it, I can relax... but what /was/ it?"

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
Akashimaru's eyes follow the direction of Akahana's to where O-Yasu is just finishing nomfing down the Nightmare fragment. She can't help but smile a little, wryly. "...just cleaning up," she says, looking back to the guys. There are definitely some explanations in order.

"That was a Nightmare," she says, that trace of a smile leaving her face as she looks from Akahana to Tadase. "It's... what happens when someone's dream is being stolen. We defeated it in time, so it should be fine now. ...Although we probably shouldn't stay here like this for too much longer."

Looking back toward Akahana, she meets his eyes directly. "There are some things that we should talk about."

Tadase Hotori has posed:
Tadase nods. It's not unlike an egg being stolen. And he also nods to akashimaru's comment that we shouldn't stay much longer. He grins a bit to the two older teens. "Well. I think... I'm going to need to have a rest after that nightmare. But I think our paths will cross again some day, both of you."

He's recently bugin to understand that a single fight is a bad place to make an introduction to Virtue - and he does usually see folks around later. Plus, that blow was stronger than he was ready for. Sleep sounds great. There's a sudden burst, and a HUGE jump, and Tadase is off over the treeline!

Shiori Sato has posed:
Shiori nods. "We got it, don't worry." That much he knows. But as for what it was? That he can't really answer. Even if it's familiar. A Nightmare. And the creature is eating the remnants of it. "...A baku?" he finally figures out. he winces a little, though, when Akashimaru points out they need to leave. "...Yeah, if nothing else we probably looks like a bunch of cosplay idiots that escaped from their cells at the local convention."

Tadase makes his farewell, and Shiori nods. "Take care of yourself," he offers. "And thank you again." Suddenly the kid has the proportionate jumping strength of a flea! Shiori blinks. "...That's handy."

And then Akashimaru mentions needing to discuss things. He nods. "Seiyou School roof. Saturday. No one should be there." Short, clipped replies. Not characteristic of Shiori... but it is characteristic of someone else Akashimaru knows. Or rather, 'knew'.

And then, more normally for him, "I'd give you my number instead, but I don't seem to be able to find my phone, and I don't want to just blurt it out." The sheepish look is muted a bit behind the ninja face-wrapping, but it's there. He salutes. And that said, he does pretty much the same thing Tadase did-- he leaps up to nearby a rooftop, and then makes his escape along them.

It'll be a while before he changes back, and when he does, he'll still be on the roofs. Realizing he's changed back, he'll note, "...I really hope this building has a fire escape..."