370/A Walk in the Park

A Walk in the Park
Date of Scene:	06 September 2015
Location:	Mitakihara/Pikarigaoka - King Penguin Park
Synopsis:	When Akashimaru's training is interrupted, it's revealed that she truly can visit dreams... and brings up critical information gleaned from a princess' nightmares.
Cast of Characters:	Runealy Waldia, Seishi Tamashige

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Seishi Tamashige has posed:
What am I doing?, Seishi asks herself.

She can't come up with a good answer. Evening has fallen, and though the last lingering glow of twilight hasn't entirely faded, the shadows here in the park are deep and thick. If she had any sense, she'd be at home, studying or preparing dinner.

But Seishi is not at home. Transformed into her other self, dressed in the red kimono and samurai gear of her other life, she makes her way along a narrow path through one of the park's wooded areas. The Shinken weighs closed in her hand as her eyes search the dark spaces between the trees.

There aren't any lampposts near, and most people who had to walk this stretch of path at such a late hour would be hurrying. Instead, Akashimaru steps carefully, as though mindful of the sound her steps make upon the path.

Runealy Waldia has posed:
When shadows fall, bad things sometimes happen in Tokyo. Monsters wander, less worried about anyone spotting and aiding their victims. Schemers put their plans in motion, knowing they are less likely to be detected by the masses. After all, most normal people are indoors by then.

And so a scheming princess who likens herself to monsters wanders one of Tokyo's parks. It has often produced good leads on the things she seeks, even if it just as often yields disasters; witch barriers and other frightening, dangerous situations abound at these hours.

Off in the distance, she spots a familiar red figure amongst the trees. Runealy stops to ponder this, recalling their two encounters... no, last one encounter; the 'second meeting' wasn't real. It couldn't have been, she thinks. Having a second Akashimaru appear then was just a figment of her frightened imagination, one that keeps moving the definition of success further and further away as she pursues her goals and invents new obstacles.

Regardless, the memory rattles her and Akashimaru is given a few more moments of silence to enjoy practicing. Eventually however, the alien princess gathers her nerves and begins to walk toward Akashimaru. She calls out in a voice trying to sound coldly melodramatic, but instead wavers halfway through: "This time, I can't give you an easy way out." Stopping several yards away, Runealy aims her wand at Akashimaru.

She hasn't fired just yet, but looks ready to.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
Akashimaru's whole bearing is full of tension, and she startles at the sound of another person's voice, head snapping towards Runealy as the princess begins to approach her with weapon at the ready.

As recognition flashes across her face, however, she relaxes slightly. She's been on the lookout for the princess since their last meeting, but all things considered... there is much worse out there in the night to meet on a dark and lonely path.

So, rather than brandish her own weapon, Akashimaru tucks her hands into her sleeves and inclines her head in polite acknowledgment. "I understand," she says. "In that case, before we begin, may I ask you something?"

Runealy Waldia has posed:
That 'stance' draws a raised eye; Runealy can't tell whether it's a very interesting and dangerous trick, or some kind of posture meant to show Akashimaru doesn't intend to attack at all.

Torn between the two possibilities, the princess responds by putting herself in a red energy-bubble and speaks from within it: "I probably can't answer, but go ahead. Ask what you need to, if it will help you be okay with what's about to happen. Well..." Her head lowers. "...as 'okay' as you can be about something like this."

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
"If you can't answer," Akashimaru says, "that's fine, too. Although I hope you'll consider it seriously. Don't assume too much about what I'm not okay with," she adds gently, dark eyes calm and steady. "I might surprise you."

But, well. The princess is here with a purpose, and Seishi has no desire to make Runealy think she's stalling for time. She draws in a deep breath, a sound like a sigh, and straightens her spine a little. Time for one of those conversations that makes her sound like she's crazy.

"How well do you remember your dreams, Princess?"

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"We'll see," Runealy comments back flatly, trying to just get this conversation to move on; she's already on edge and slowing things down like this is making her even more uneasy. She starts to reach into her dress' bow to fish up something with her free hand, but this effort stops suddenly as Akashimaru asks something very interesting.

"That depends. Are you talking about my 'dreams' as in what I hope for, what I want to accomplish? I remember those every day, all the time. I don't stop thinking about them. If you mean what I see in my sleep..."

She pauses for a few seconds, then admits: "...I remember enough of them to think about them every day, too. I might lose some of the details, but most of it stays in my mind. It's something to think about."

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
Akashimaru's head bows briefly at the answer. "I meant what you see in your sleep," she says softly. "Although they're connected, aren't they? Your goals, and your nightmares."

A little reluctantly, she looks up to meet Rune's eyes again. Her expression is still calm, but very serious. "I owe you an apology," she says. "Although it wasn't on purpose, I blundered my way into your dream. So I think I understand a little more than you'd like me to about what you're trying to do."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
Runealy blinks, shuffling backward a step within her forcefield bubble. "Connected? You're guessing." Her eyes meet Akashimaru's, gaze narrowing. "Got into my dream? Now you're just making things up."

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
The corners of Akashimaru's mouth tighten, her expression turning slightly more severe. "I told you what I do," she says, voice taking on a tone of faint reproach. "What my enemy does. He works in dreams, hides in nightmares. I can travel into dreams to look for him."

She lets out a breath, and her shoulders drop a little. "Instead, I found my way into yours. I tried to help, but I only managed to make things worse. You took everything I did as an attack. Well," she admits after a franctional pause, "I don't think I could blame you for that, under the circumstances."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
Runealy's bluff is called, and her expression goes from aggressive to very guarded. "Maybe you are surprising me. What do you think you saw?"

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
It's a fair question, and fairly worded. Akashimaru hesitates for a moment, picking over how best to put what she experienced into words. "...I saw a castle," she says presently. "Or a place like one, somewhere that definitely wasn't Tokyo. It was under attack, and you were fighting to defend it.

Her eyes lid for a moment as her gaze turns inward, recalling the memory of a dream that wasn't hers. "A barrier that was breaking," she says. "That place was being destroyed. Or, was going to be."

She shakes the memory off, looks up to Runealy again. "It could've been a metaphor," she allows. "Dreams are like that, sometimes. But it didn't really look like one from the inside."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
Even with careful wording, Runealy is shaken by what Akashimaru has to say. She goes from 'guarded', to visibly frightened. Her left hand, having sat dormant for much of this conversation while buried in her dress' bow, begins digging again. This time she pulls something out, holding up a roughly diamond-shaped gem... one with jagged edges all over, and purple-black mist swirling within it. This fits within her palm well enough.

"You were right, you definitely have surprised me. I definitely can't let you walk away now," the princess insists with wide eyes. Those words are probably meant to be a threat, but they're delivered with a wavering and scared voice, tiny gasps punctuating various words. "I'm sorry, but you didn't do anything wrong and you did the worst thing possible," she speaks in contradictions.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
Akashimaru winces visibly at Runealy's reaction. Just like in the dream, trying to reach out seems to have only managed to backfire. Someday, she thinks, she's really going to have to learn when to leave well enough alone.

She sighs, quiet but audible in the stillness, and though her hands remain tucked into her sleeves her stance has become noticeably more tense. "Do you intend to kill me, Princess?" she asks softly.

Runealy Waldia has posed:
That question is met with a sharp gasp, crystal dropped. It falls to the floor, though seizing it will be unlikely since it rests within Runealy's forcefield-bubble. Her hands shake, while wide trembling eyes stare at Akashimaru. "Is... is that why you think I'm here, what I want to do?"

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
"I don't think that you want to." Akashimaru's voice remains steady, but her eyes as she meets Runealy's stare are a little wide, too. She's doing a good job of acting calm, but her bravado is starting to wear thin. "You said before that you needed to keep your reasons a secret, and now you're saying you can't let me walk away... is there another way that I should take that?" In spite of the desperate gravity of the situation, she can't help cracking a crooked half-smile. "This kind of thing is how misunderstandings happen."

The moment of gallows humor doesn't last very long; the trace of a smile fades quickly from her expression, leaving her grave and troubled. "In your dream, I was one of the people attacking that place. No matter how much I object to how you're going about it, do you really think that I'd take it out on what you're trying to save?"

Runealy Waldia has posed:
The 'joke' does absolutely nothing to help Runealy's visibly shaken demeanor. "I'm not here to kill you. I don't know... maybe find some other way to keep you out of things, but not kill you. That's something you can never take back. You can't say 'sorry' and change things, not after that."

Then she stops to consider the other question. "'Take it out on'? No... I don't think you or Sailor Moon or many others here are that petty. There are a few I know who would, but most of you, no. You'd just be doing what's smart. Stopping me so I can't keep doing this is smart. Making sure I can't do it ever again, absolutely no chance of even trying it, would be pretty smart too. I'd call it doing what makes sense to keep Tokyo safe."

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
As she listens to Runealy's reasoning, Akashimaru's lips tighten into a frown. "Maybe there are some people who'd think that way," and for the first time tonight her calm has broken and there's real agitation audible in her voice, somewhere between indignation and anger, "but I don't plan on sacrificing anybody who needs help, whether it'd make Tokyo safer or not."

After a moment, she sighs heavily, and all of the tension drains out of her shoulders again. "Anyway, it's fine." Her voice is quiet once more. "Do what you need to do. If you're not going to try to kill me, I have no reason to fight you."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"'Sacrificing'... that's an interesting way to put it," Runealy notes while reaching down to retrieve her dropped dark-crystal. Then Akashimaru seems to be standing down, confusing the princess even further. "What? 'Do what I need to'... do you realize what the problem is? I can't let you tell people about that. You knowing at all is a huge problem, and one I don't have an answer for. 'Kill you'... sure, the knowledge would die with you. Maybe nobody would find out who did it, maybe I'd get away with this. But you probably have someone who would miss you, wouldn't they?"

Her forcefield lowers, though she remains tense as if expecting Akashimaru to strike afterward. "Same problem if I just find somewhere to keep you until this is over. They'd be scared because you just vanished. No 'good bye', no explanation, just... gone. You show up a few months later, but what about all those nights they spend frightened and unable to sleep and looking all over Tokyo for you? That's pretty sick to do to someone. So those are both bad solutions, but..."

Her head lowers. "I really can't just let you go around knowing what you saw. Someone important to me is going to die when others find out what you've discovered."

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
"...You could try putting a little trust in me," Akashimaru offers, her eyes once more a little wide.

"I haven't spoken to anyone but you about it so far. It's true that I still don't know the whole situation, so maybe you'll think that I'm saying this too lightly." She watches the princess carefully as she speaks. Inside the voluminous sleeve of her kimono, her hand is gripping her tessen tightly. "But, if the lives of people you care about are on line... it seems to me like you can't afford to turn down an ally."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"It's not that I don't trust you. You're not petty, you're not here to 'take out your anger' on others because of what I'm doing. You're not threatening me or taking hostages or anything like that!" Runealy begins shouting toward the end of that 'list', frustrated. "You're not even making demands for me to do something for you, 'or else' you'll tell others. I know that! The problem isn't you, as a person."

Her head shakes several times, "It's that /anyone/ knows. Once one person knows, a second can find out. I didn't tell you about this, and you came across the information anyway. And from you, it can go to a second and a third and fourth and after a while everyone knows and things will get even worse! You won't even have to open your mouth, someone else could just 'get' it somehow, you've proven that!"

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
"What makes you so sure?" The princess's frustration is catching. Akashimaru's voice rises a little in response. "Even if a few people know, why does that have to mean that anyone would die? You're trying to save lives, right? Most people would only want to help, no matter where they're from. Sure, there might be a few assholes who'd try to take advantage, but isn't that all the more reason for you to want to have more people on your side to stop them?"

Gritting her teeth, she reins in her emotions. Her hands slip from her sleeves to rest at her side, the closed bar of the tessen still gripped in one fist. "So, what do you plan to do? There's no way to just take the knowledge out of my head. You could try to lock me up, but you're right, people would be looking for me. Can you afford that kind of trouble, on top of what you're already dealing with?"

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"Everyone here in Tokyo already has their hands full. They can't drop a city of millions to go save one life in some tiny corner of Europe," Runealy responds with lies upon lies, or at least very untrue masks for the truth. "And the problem is that only 'most' people would want to help. It's those 'few' you talk about, and some of them are stronger than you think."

Her head lowers again, and she kicks at the grass ineffectively. "So that's the question now, isn't it? What do I do? I can't kill you, I can't just abduct you for however long this takes, I can't let the information spread, so now what? I'm stuck until I decide to do something horrible!" It's not quite anger that the princess is showing... something more of a mix of frustration and despair as she stands here with an utter lack of answers.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
"Or, you can take a chance." Her voice nearly vibrates with intensity, but it's not frustration now: it's sincerity, and Akashimaru's expression is suddenly almost pleading. "For the sake of the life that you're trying to save. Do you truly believe that the people who'd risk their lives to protect people here in Tokyo would just turn their backs on someone in need somewhere else? I want to help you, Princess, and I'm sure there are others who would too - but you have to let us."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"You can't be everywhere," Runealy notes back. "And you can't help in this case. Or at least, the only way you can help is one you'd have to be out of your mind to do. I need energy, a lot of it. As much as I can get my hands on, and then a little more just to be sure. And even that might not be enough, I'm taking a chance on it working because nothing else will!" She stomps at the grass again, but the ground seems largely unmoved by her lashing out.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
There's not a moment of hesitation in Akashimaru's reply; she doesn't miss a beat. "If you need energy, you can take mine," she says. "I was prepared to offer it to you since the last time that we met."

She stuffs her hands back into her sleeves, mostly just to have something to do with them. "It won't be all that you need, but it would at least be more than you had."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"Uh?" It's a surprised, inarticulate questioning noise from Runealy, surprised by the offer.

Then, a few head-shakes. "No. You're the second person to offer that. The first one came to regret it. This /hurts/, really badly. It's awful, the energy transfer isn't supposed to work like this at all, and as far as I can tell... being hurt left them in danger afterward, even though I tried to do everything to reduce the risks. You don't want to just roll over and let me do this, trust me."

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
"Isn't that up to me to decide?" Akashimaru counters. "It's not like you ever gave me the impression that it was going to be pleasant. If I wasn't willing to put up with pain and risk, I'd be hiding under my bed by now."

She shifts her weight a little, squaring her stance, still standing straight and without offering any threat. "Maybe if I knew all of the details of your situation, there'd be something else that I could do, but you can't tell me. My situation has changed since the last time we talked, too. I have some allies now. Only a few, and I don't want to let them down... but I can afford to be out of commission for a little while."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"It is, but I'm not going to lie to you about that," Runealy chooses an odd spot to draw the line on what sort of things she'll deceive people on, nevermind that she has been lying to Akashimaru at some length during this conversation.

She raises an eye, fear giving way to curiosity as the dream-warding samurai continues to speak. "You're right, I can't tell you any more. Though, when you say 'allies'... do you mean 'allies', or is 'friends' a better word for it?"

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
The question gives Akashimaru pause. She has to take a moment to think about it, head tilting slightly to the side. "Maybe... both," she decides eventually. "Or at least, I'd like to think so."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"Can you tell me about them? I've been collecting notes for our historians back in our little 'corner' of Europe. So that they know about you, and your friends, and Sailor Moon and everyone else I've wronged to see this through." Runealy stows the dark crystal, and instead pulls out one of similar shape... but it has no jagged edges. It's smooth, and clear with a slight blue tint to it, beautiful instead of vicious and ugly like the other one she was holding. "Back home, we're going to honor you as heroes. I know that's not much of a consolation, but... I'm doing this to remind myself you're not just 'things' to use, you're people too."

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
Curiosity sparks in Akashimaru's eyes as she studies the crystal that Runealy holds up. It's nothing that's familiar to her, but it certainly gives a better impression than the other one did.

Another moment's pause, and then she smiles, just a little. "I can tell you their names," she offers, sounding faintly apologetic. "Anything else... I feel like wouldn't be my story to tell. If that makes sense?"

Suddenly seeming a little embarrassed, she glances to the side. "Akahana, and Seitetsu. It's a little complicated, but... we were comrades in a past life."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"Names will do. What they look like might help too. I've been hiring artists to draw these people based on what I describe, so that our history books will have faces to go with the names." Runealy begins walking up to Akashimaru, holding the crystal up... albeit tense, as if expecting that the samurai will shout 'just kidding!' and strike now that she's up close with guard lowered.

"That does sound complicated, but I'll leave it at that until I run into them."

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
The samurai girl draws up a little more tense as Runealy comes closer, probably for the same reason - but she makes no move to go on the offensive. Her eye flit from the princess's face to the crystal she holds and back again, and she manages to crack a smile. "Akahana is a ninja, so I definitely can't go describing what he looks like," she says, tone momentarily light with humor. "If you meet a young man with blue hair and a mask pulled up over his face--" she plucks at the front of her kimono, miming pulling the fabric up over her nose and mouth, "that's him."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"What's a 'ninja'?" Runealy asks, bewildered by this particular part of Japanese warrior mythos and/or history. She even stumbles on the word at first; her language is nearly identical to what is spoken here, but she does take note of the description and even tries to mime the 'mask over face' gesture, though it's pointless in her case. "I'll keep him in mind. ...Last chance to back out, though."

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
At this point she shouldn't really be surprised that Runealy doesn't know what a ninja is, but nevertheless Akashimaru's eyebrows lift a little. "A shinobi?" she tries, for all the help that's going to be. "Ah... ninja were assassins. Stealth and secrecy. Although it's not like he does that kind of thing now." A little shrug.

Then the princess offers her that last chance, and Akashimaru shakes her head, ponytail swinging with the motion. "Nope," she says. "I've already made up my mind."

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"I've never heard of anything like that." This owes to Runealy being unusually sheltered, rather than any lingual issue. "The closest I can think of is kind of like what Guardian Gao does, working the forests... I guess that's about the same. Um." She suddenly realizes Akashimaru might not know who that is. "He was the one in the green foresting cloak. You'd like him if we met in better circumstances, he's pretty amazing. Smart, reliable, able to get around real well. But since you're not backing down..."

"I'm sorry." Her gaze lowers. "I'll call for the healers immediately and wait until they find you." Then her thumb taps the top of the crystal, held close to Akashimaru's head. "Transfuse." A clear ray of energy flows from it, trying to connect to Akashimaru's forehead. If it makes contact, it will change color to whatever best symbolizes Akashimaru's magic, and... a chill will run through her, as the crystal invades and steals, painfully ripping out what it can store, filling the crystal slowly over the next half minute or so if not otherwise interrupted. And should she be allowed to do this, Runealy keeps a close eye throughout, mindful to stop immediately if it looks like Akashimaru's transformation is wavering or she's exhibiting major health problems.

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
It's red, of course. Just like the color of Akashimaru's clothing and the first character of her name, the power that drains into the crystal to light it from within is red, a warm radiance like the full glory of a sunrise.

She shudders as that chill first rushes through her, lips curling back from her teeth in a grimace as the pain of the energy drain racks her body - but however much it hurts, she doesn't protest. She stays on her feet for as long as she can, until finally she sways and, with a strangled gasp, sinks to her knees. One hand braces against the dirt of the path, keeping her from collapsing entirely, while the other hand clutches the Shinken against her chest.

The tessen glows with that same warm red light, lit with the power of her determination to endure.

Runealy Waldia has posed:
Runealy lowers the crystal to follow Akashimaru's descent, letting it continue to hurt and steal even as her hand begins to shake; this particular deed doesn't get much easier each additional time it's done, and in some ways harder when not done under dark influences from the other type of crystal she is using.

Yet in time, the crystal is full and Runealy snatches it away to break the link, hurriedly stowing it in her dress' bow. She looks down and aside once it's finished, that same hand pulling a cell phone out and dialing some numbers. As she works on it, the princess's eyes turn heavy, lidded with shame. "You know, I'm not sure whether it's better or worse that you just... stood there, taking it. You didn't scream, you didn't shout about how you're going to get revenge or hunt us down... and maybe you should have. I don't know. You're taking it a lot better than I would if our positions were reversed."

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
"...oh, come on." The words come out in a strained gasp, broken by Akashimaru's labored breathing. Now that it's over, she's shaking uncontrollably, only just managing to hold herself up with that hand braced against the ground. "I... volunteered, remember?"

The cord tying her hair back snaps, like a frayed string finally reaching its limit, freeing her straight black hair to fall in a smooth curtain around her face. The red fabric of her kimono seems to come apart into ribbons, falling away from her until where the magical samurai had knelt there in the middle of the path there is now just an ordinary Japanese teenager, dressed in jeans and a plain purple t-shirt. "...I'm not... that lame," Seishi gasps out.

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"You did, but... that had to hurt, a lot. I know... we tried it on ourselves before we came to Tokyo," Runealy volunteers some information in a low tone. "And it hurt just as much, but we were barely getting anything out of it. I have no idea why it doesn't work when we do it to each other, but... that's how it is."

She blinks when Akashimaru fades, instead revealing... someone Runealy has not entirely met before. Not in person. And Seishi in her dreams appeared somewhat different, so the princess' mind is struggling to reconcile these three different identities. "I wouldn't have looked down on you even if you did any of those things. 'Lame'," the local, modern slang is repeated oddly by Runealy, "Would have been threatening to reveal what you saw. I don't know what I'd do, what choices I'd have left, if you do that... so I am begging you, even though I've just done something sick and wrong... please don't share it. Things will get worse if news spreads before everything is in place, and I swear I'll come back to answer for all of this."

She then places the call. It's very brief. "I found my next hero. King Penguin Park. Look for trees and a dirt path, with red cloths tied to show you the way." Then... Runealy flings the phone into the air and launches a wand-orb at it, destroying it; she'll get another one, but one of Tokyo's defenders did advise her of the possibility of 'phone tracing' before Runealy's treachery had become known.

One more step remains. Several silver coins are dropped on the ground in front of Seishi. "I won't insult you by pretending this makes up for what I just did. This is for the healers, to pay for your treatments at Mitakihara General Hospital. They're on the way, and I'll leave once they arrive. So..."

Her eyes close as she starts to cry quietly, "Thank you."

Seishi Tamashige has posed:
"I won't," Seishi manages to say, though right now she can't lift her head enough to look Runealy in the face. "But I wish... you'd find someone... to confide in."

Oddly enough, it's at the mention of the hospital that Seishi actually winces. Even then, the sound that hitches out of her could almost be called a laugh, although quickly followed by a quiet hiss as the strain reawakens the ache in her ribs.

"...you're welcome," she says, before she finally gives up trying to stay sitting up and just kind of slowly deflates into a faceplant on the path, to await the arrival of the medics.

Runealy Waldia has posed:
"Who knows? Maybe that will be you. Maybe you'll do something I would have said is impossible, and arrive in my dreams again. I hope not, but it looks like something I can't control," Runealy remarks quietly, as she begins to pace away to set up the 'signal flags'. Before she leaves earshot, the princess looks back to Seishi to add, "I meant all of that, by the way. About you being a hero. Before I go home, I'm going to want to hear about the rest of this. About you and 'ninja' friends and whatever it is you are as you protect dreams, all of it. People here in Tokyo don't seem to get it, but back home... we'll know. We'll know you're one of the reasons all of this worked out in the end."

For all the lies she has told tonight, that much at least is sincere. And the princess does indeed stick around long enough for an ambulance to arrive. Once they get close, she finds somewhere to hide, reverts to her normal self, and... will skulk away quietly, head low as she inspects the newest crystal and its red light. One more step closer to her plan's success, Rune thinks. An unfortunate one, but it is what it is.