The hardest part was sitting still for an hour while all the regulars got to demonstrate their arts. Even without an interest in swordsmanship she could be impressed by the display and ache to practice it, but she wasn't raised to be rude when this was done for the Silver Gate student's benefit. They had limited time and there was much that could be learned, so cramming everything short of CPR into an hour was hardly tedious.
When the demonstrations concluded she didn't hesitate to proclaim her interest into the yari spear. It would not be long till she had one of her own and she wouldn't embarrass Muramasa-san by fumbling it just because she couldn't account for the difference in weight and length. She could tell already this would be significantly longer then her more westernized spear, but hey, that just meant she had an edge in pole vaulting, right? That, and stabbing, but the obvious need not be stated.
"I shall be proficient in using the Yari before I leave Kyoto, or I shall train with a weighted staff for the next year, I swear it!" The blonde declared passionately to the instructor, eyes almost seeming to be aflame as she pumped her fist before the older sensei.
"Welcome to the Central Onmyou Library of the Fujiwara, here we record all historical texts and techniques pertaining to onmyoudo. Many aspiring onmyou may order or request texts from our halls, or visit them directly. The security of our library is handled not by people, but by shikigami that have been made to be servants of the facility's core. As a result, do please try not to do anything suspicious, as the leniency of a human will not be present should you be judged harshly by our systems. Furthermore, if you do not find what you need here, might we suggest the branches in... Tokyo, Hokkaido, Shimonoseki, and Nagasaki. That will be all for the introduction. Do not hesitate to ask the shikigami for assistance, please, have a good day".
The last few minutes for Ultana was, strange, surrounded mainly by shikigami, and a few onmyouji who were poring over some texts over at some tables. Well, she could easily just ask the shikigami that has become dormant in front of her for directions, right? Though this was all done by magic, it felt a lot more like a robot than anything else. These shikigami looked a lot more like what she'd been led to believe they looked like, that being triangle pieces of paper with two arms and a circle for a head. Some of them had different markings likely to indicate roles, as well as varying sizes. There were numerous small ones that acted as guides like this one, as well as others at human size to handle stock like the staff of a library.
Fortunately this facility despite it's archaic ancient Japanese architecture, was clean, and well lit. There was still a rustic atmosphere along with it almost seeming like a shrine... Well, actually there was a shrine, in the very center of this underground library, with a shikigami there behind a counter. The aisles of this library were strange. While some were traditional books and even scrolls, others were... Tubes? If she asked one of the shikigami what they were, they were called kuda, a kind of container that contained entities. Supposedly some information was kept in dormant and safely stored shikigami rather than written, for various reasons apparently.
"Oh, yes I can do that. She'll be receiving it later today", Utsumi replied. He took the letter and put it away. What he'd do to send them off later was use a familiar to get it to a messenger between this and the next world. Eiseikato had a group of 'scouts' so to speak who kept an eye on the outside while also with authorized persons send messages, supplies, and so on. They did trading with the outside world afterall, through strictly private and confidential connections.
"Well, I hope you're enjoying your time here. I also trust you'll be careful with the weapons you may end up carrying, as part of your studies", like any teacher he gave some imparting worries, but frankly other than the events of yesterday, the impression Utsumi had of Otis was he was rather cautious.
"But, I'm sure you may have noticed, certain people running around and all, city's not the most calm right now, so just my suggestion to try not getting into any trouble alright?"
"My that's quite the spirit, I admire that, let it be more than just boasting then", she responded.
As the students began to choose what they wanted to try out, everyone split off to different groups in the dojo to practice the basics of their chosen forms. Lorelai was put with a few girls from the dojo, while the sensei watched every group from afar. It seems today was just basics, things like getting the form down, getting used to the yari, some of the key footwork, and so on.
The things she would be practicing consisted of doing the basic thrusts and the footwork. There wasn't much, but it would be practiced in repetition until she got used to it. Due to her experience with a proper steel weapon, she should very quickly acclimate to the weight and length of the practice yari.
"I'm always careful," Otis responded. He may be always willing to pull out his gun and shoot someone, but he always had a rational, logical reason for doing that too. Such as assassins trying to kill royal heirs in broad daylight. The Strigidae paused briefly, before adding. "And I don't look for trouble."
Just that it had a habit of finding him while he looked for answers.
Satisfied that Utsumi had at least physically received his letter to Koyuki, Otis strode off. There was a brief consideration towards the prospect of stalking Utsumi and seeing just how the teacher received and sent out reports to the more supernaturally-inclined individuals of the class, but he disregarded that soon enough. Too much effort for too little gain. Rather, considering the abruptness of the incident...the tawny-haired youth twisted his head around, cycling over his memories of those who were offering demonstrations and lessons at the conference. The Strigidae had consumed his fair share of Japanese media before. He had seen his fair share of Ghibli films before, of which Spirited Away was one. Demons and disappearances, which school would offer the fullest understanding of such matters in Kyoto?
Ah.
The Kyoto Alliance of Occultism probably knew something or the other, wouldn't they? With a direction in mind, Otis walked out into the gentle warmth of the morning light in search of that organization.
Aurelius mind raced with the many ideas that could explain how this man could pull off such a feat. This speed could not be natural, the precision of his cut was beyond anything he knew. Swordsmen in Camelot did fight with such speed, men like his father relied on superior technique and brawn to face down those that oppose them. His eyes just stared at the leaf as it slowly floated to the ground, the two halves representing the two halves of his mind seeking two different reasoning; One half sure that this man was using magic, and the other thinking it had to be the sword. That mindset slowly tanked as the man handed a katana to Aurelius, and he reached out to grip it.
"I will practice and meet with you again." Aurelius bowed respectfully, "I look forward to your teachings."
He brought the blade to his side, gripping the handle tightly to feel it's solid wood design. The weight did not match his regular sword, being lighting along the blade, noticing it was heavier in the handle only. A different form of training would be needed to prepare himself with this blade. He felt as though he could wield it to create faster strokes with less force; a novice to using any weapon of its kind. Aurelius turned to face Lady with a genuine smile. "Let's go train."
Ultana Whelen - Central Onmyou Library of Fujiwara
It was quite a strange experience, meeting a shikigami for the first time. You hear about them and see them in fiction all the time, but to see them up close was something else. With what she heard, it ended up being just as described but there definitely was some disappointment that they didn't have a human like appearance. Though, that was just the manga and anime influence speaking. There were quite a number of them inside the library along with some onmyouji all over some items at their tables, focused enough to where she didn't have to worry about any distraction. One good thing about places like this, huh?
She asked what the tube like things were and apparently they were something like a container of sorts for entities. I guess somethings were stored via sealed shikigami form instead of written. Was it something to protect older items from being destroyed by time? No....they probably have things like that protected with magic. Maybe it for items of grave importance to where they needed extra measures to keep it safe? Maybe. I wonder if there's something other than shikigami stored in those...Whoops can't let myself get distracted. Wanted to find out about that style the assassin used.
Asking the shikigami, "Where can I find books or scrolls on the fujiwara's clan history? Or what about famous onmyouji?" While the last request was simply out of curiosity for learning of all the famous onmyouji and what they were like (along with about their strength and techniques) but she was hoping with the first quest to see if they had something about the discret arts. Probably not, but worth a look.
Solemn repetition. That was what defined her stint beneath the instructor's gaze, and Lorelai couldn't have been more at ease. If there was some expectation that the weight and length of the spear would wear her out, they clearly didn't know how much time she put into practicing with a real spear with actual steel to weigh it down. To be fair, the added length pushed her to re-evaluate her arcs and grasp upon it, so it wasn't like she was there showing off to any of the more experienced students.
But she kept her word, as brash as it was, feeling her confidence soar as she worked the yata through fancy footwork and feints against imagined foes. Imagined foes in animal masks, reeking of spilled blood and carrying the chill of departed souls.
"I can do more then this....but for now, this is plenty of progress. Kyah!" Lorelai cheered, executing a vicious downward thrust that would have marred the floormats had the training weapon held a true edge. "I can't wait to practice this with a real weighted weapon!"
The shikigami Ultana had addressed began to blink nodes and screens across it's face in an ethereal pattern, causing a somewhat awkward pause, before it suddenly spoke up.
"Search complete. 'Fujiwara clan history', 467 results. 'Famous onmyouji', 128 results. If you would like to browse them, please use the magical projection upon my face", that was... unexpected. Though as it said, she could use the projection splayed across it's face like a borderless touchscreen, and browse the results. It appeared the results after the first 10 or so for the Fujiwara clan history were just other journals and notes about certain events. Not at all useful for an overview.
Meanwhile, in the 'famous onmyouji' search, there were plenty of results on just Abe no Seimei, with a few other famous names mixed in, yet that one name kept coming up. So she learns that this library was also a... Well, library, with some harmless texts available for reading, not just for finding scrolls on exorcist arts.
She can make her choice, and a shikigami will be remotely informed of her decision and bring her the necessary materials. She can seat herself anywhere that was not occupied and pore over them as she likes.
Otis' search was... Not one that would take long. If he pursued his search in just one place, he would end up there anyways, the organization was not much of a secret among them, and in fact was registered as an official organization. All of the shrines and estates owned by the various exorcist families of the city were part of the alliance save a few, but due to the rules, they do not officially conduct exorcist activities. There were even agencies across Japan that were connected to this organization based around keeping order in the supernatural and real world.
Honestly, it felt like he had walked into an entirely new and third world within this world, with Arcanis being his first. In any case, his little research trip would tell him that the Fujiwaras are the biggest within the Alliance. Seemed like they controlled everything with other families being given specialized tasks, like different departments. Their structure despite their use of families was a lot like that of a secret service.
A lot of the onmyou he met in this trip were more than happy to inform of how the organization worked, but they were rather reluctant or refused to elaborate in certain things, though that made sense. He still had the tag with him so to them he was an introspective student.
Although all of his poking around and questioning did seem to yield something...
"My my, you are one of Kuuto's students yes? From Silver Gate", a familiar voice had approached him from behind. If Otis turned with his unique... Feature, being of the strigidae family, he would only simply laugh following an expression of surprise.
The voice was Motsumine no Fujiwara, the head of the Fujiwara family. Was this the jackpot? He was accompanied by a few other onmyou dressed similarly to him. The two that Otis was currently (or formerly) speaking to had bowed acknowledging his presence.
"I am on the way back from some business, but I do hope you're enjoying your stay here. I could not help but hear you inquire of the Alliance. It is rare to get students even interested in the organization, while I am happy they would want to study our arts, the organization is as important to some of us as our traditions", he said, flipping out his paper fan to cover his mouth as he chuckled.
"As such, I shall take a bit of time out of my day to answer any questions you have", he seemed to be in a rather good mood... Well, at first. Otis' sharp vision had noticed a few things about his complexion. He seemed a bit under duress though it was very minor, but it seems Motsumine has an act to stay on top of things.
Lorelai after her practice was positively free to do as she liked. The results of her training had yielded some results, though the spears she handled were not all that heavy, in fact she got used to them quickly being experienced, she however did find or take to the handling of a yari quite well. There was a unique poise to the way you thrust the spear then brought it back, not present in other kinds of spearwork that were designed for all-in thrusts using the whole arm.
The shopping districts of Kyoto though were a rather refreshing sight. Despite the modern day city being that, the stores here were teeming with traditional Japanese crafts and foods. Traditional Japanese sweets, festival food being sold here all year round in some stores, restaurants, with the occasionally multi-national store like Starbucks. Every little story felt like it held a potential souvenir to take home. Whether or not she would, she can decide now, or later.
Maybe it would be nice to hang out around here and get something to eat with some people another time. Actually, hopefully, they've finished their own business by now, but they still had a few days on them anyway.
Though as Lorelai walked the streets, she could swear she saw feathers among the crowd yet, not a single bird was seen...
The day went by quickly after meeting with that swordsman Akimoto. Who was he? Why was he here? Well, none of those questions really mattered to Aurelius it appeared as he doggedly practiced to do the one trick he was shown, but to no avail. Was there a trick involved? Or was it something else?
Regardless, if he would head back there this morning, he would find Akimoto dozing off on a bench. His face hidden by his sandogasa, a kind of Japanese straw hat for travelling. It was almost surreal seeing a man dressed like he came directly out of the Heian period or pre-Meiji. Yet here he was. Were Aurelius not aware of the year he was in and was transported here he would think he was sent into the past.
So the Kyoto Alliance of Occultism was a union then, one that could only perform exorcist activities in secret, with their actual activities focused more on ensuring that the supernatural and natural worlds did not intersect in any negative fashion. The Fujiwara family, in particular, was the governing family within the alliance, while other exorcist families fulfilled specific niches. That all aligned with Otis’s understanding of the different studies that he had been exposed to throughout the conference; certainly, the nature of specialization took advantage of the effects of cooperation. As he bounced about Kyoto, interviewing whichever onmyous he managed to suss out through and noting down their comments, as well as their evasions and deflections, on a pocket journal, the Strigidae was certainly surprised when one approached him directly.
It was a face that was familiar, one from the conference even. Was it mere auspicious coincidence that Motsumine no Fujiwara had crossed paths? Or was it Otis’s questioning that had lead to this? No matter what, this was important. Crucial. A rare opportunity. He drew out his smartphone, activated the voice recorder, drew in a breath, and…
“My questions will be in order of decreasing importance. If there are any questions you cannot answer, please say ‘No comment.’ Now, I will begin, Lord Fujiwara. The Kyoto Alliance of Occultism brings order to both sides of the world, but how is this done? Are there exorcist families that operate only on the supernatural side of the world? Is this ‘spirit’ world one which is separate in the same way Arcanis is from Earth? How would one enter this spirit world? How far is the reach of the Kyoto Alliance? If it’s restrained to Kyoto only, are there other prefectural exorcist alliances around Japan? What about globally? In consideration to the Fujiwara family as the governing body of the Kyoto Alliance, is the organization such that you would delegate to other major families, as in a pyramid hierarchy, or is this all more flat, with only the Fujiwara elevated? How often, even, would those of the spirit world interact with the human world, and for what reasons do these interactions happen? As an associate of the Kaganomiyas, I’m curious as to what their place is in relation to the Kyoto Alliance, seeing how they appear to be overlapping with the ‘order-bringing’ duties of the Alliance. Amongst all the families associated with the Alliance, which one is the most advanced in terms of advancements towards talisman creation?”
Otis drew in a deep breath, then motioned with an open palm for Motsumine no Fujiwara to begin speaking. He had emptied his mind of questions in a single torrent of words, but already, more were budding in the back of his head.
Yaaawn. Waking up from her slumber with the stretching of her slender arms, the sleepy fox sat up with her snow white strands in a mess. Strangely, there was not any sunlight beaming through the window to indicate it was morning but the other fox ladies around her have awoken as well. They greeted her and each other a 'Good morning.' so it must be true. It was something she had to get used to around here, she supposed, as she stretched forward in a cat-like manner and letting out another yawn.
The student tidied up her hair and garment to make herself presentable after chatting with her seniors and finally getting up. One of the seniors, Kohane, if she remembered correctly, approached Koyuki and explained the errand she was assigned to do today. Hearing the word 'shopping' perked up her ears, azure eyes twinkled with excitement at the idea of properly navigating the town. After all, right after her arrival to Eiseikato, the fox girl was led towards the inn almost immediately, before she had the chance to fully explore the interesting new town.
"Yes ma'am!" With that, Koyuki was left to prepare her belongings before going onto the errand in town. The little fox rushed towards the locker area where her blue sling bag was stored, the only thing which was on her at the time of coming to this yokai world. She rummaged through the bag to pick out her ce-ll-pho-ne and grinned to herself, excited to finally be a true tourist and snap photos of this new environment. The screen showed that the was no signal, which was expected being in another world and all. With that, she moved towards the front door of the inn.
Ultana Whelen - Central Onmyou Library of Fujiwara
Just when she thought it couldn't get any stranger, it did, as it started blinking kind of like a computer when its loading a new page. There was of course it saying to use it's face as a touch screen to view the items that she would like to read. Hmm... Though she originally came here to find out about the style the assassin used, she was kind of interested in checking out Abe no Seimei, considering how many search results he was mentioned in. The other stuff can wait, might as well have some fun and see what kind of stuff they have on the guy.
Once she made her choice, she let the shikigami know so it can get the items. When finished, she made her way over to a vacant table and began to read them.
For all that Lorelai felt she could keep training for the entire trip, it wasn't fair to the dojo to hog up all their time. They'd doubtless have other visitors and the students who'd already earned their places would probably want their sensei's attention back upon them. That left her with free time and idle hands that would need to be occupied, and the streets of Kyoto had ample attractions to do so.
The level of tourist energy radiating from the ecstatic blonde was so high, she didn't even notice the multiple Starbucks being an obvious chain of cafes, though by the mercy of some divine entity, she didn't manage to spend her entire time mistaking foreign franchises for local delicacies and only wasted time at that one KFC...
With a wallet significantly lighter, one arm laden with bags nestled heavily upon the crook of her elbow, and a hand balancing spears of dango between clenched fingers, she ambled through the crowds. Eyes bright and carefree, she drank in the people as much as she did the local storefronts, growing energized by the steady pulse of life marching up and down the street. A flicker of peculiarity in this stream drew her attention from it, drawn by the splash of color most typical of avian in the form of distant feathers.
Seeing no harm in investigating, she munched on one of her snacks as she sped along towards the splash of color in the sea of humanity.
Poring over hard to read texts proved to be a rather taxing experience, furthermore a small floating shikigami was now permanently floating around her. Monitoring? Or something else...? When asked, it revealed that it would be her assistant. Thanks to it, Ultana was now able to make some sort of headway in her research... So let's see.
The texts on different exorcists were interesting, but their arts not nearly as much. A lot of it were similar to things she'd already learned. Was it really just down to writing onto talismans and chanting? Afraid so.
In particular though, Abe no Seimei... She learned that he was a half-yokai exorcist, a kitsune mother and a human father. His exploits as an exorcist were great, wrought with rivalries and foes, but it appeared he was very much a positive figure. As she went text after text, she eventually reached a shred of paper hidden among one of the dusty old books.
As soon as she touched it, it revealed itself to be a talisman, which activated upon touch. The shikigami beside her began to disipate, before a scroll appeared in her hand, but just as easily as it appeared, it suddenly disappeared when she heard a voice reach out to her, and pretty soon... She blacked out.
-----------
"Well well, isn't this a surprise, for one so young to find my hidden arts... I had made those talismans to only appear to those with a potential necessary, I could not have imagined it would reach the hands of one not even of this world. Perhaps that is fitting",
The image of a handsome dark haired man with a long black cap and flowing white robes appeared before her in a pit of darkness.
"But I'm afraid this is only part 1. When you awake from this transient dream, you shall have written the manual yourself. To find the others... Well, I'm sure my old books have ended up in some old exorcist's library somewhere. Hmhm, well then, I look forward to your progress, should you pursue this path"
"My my, quite the curious one are you not? Far be it for me to refuse such curiosity", he had listened intently over the barrage of questions with the fan open, closing his eyes after a moment, before snapping his fan closed again.
"Come, we shall walk through the estate", he motioned, and hopefully Otis would not refuse the offer to walk around his estate's gardens.
The Fujiwara estate was rather large, perhaps the size of two football fields. This was an estate set up in the forests around Kyoto too, and it was clear it had it's own storied history to it's construction too. The gardens of the Fujiwara estate were full of old trees, flowers, and the trained alchemist may spot some herbs too, perhaps even recognize that a lot of these flowers were used in certain mixtures and recipes. Truly, this was not simply an expensive estate, quite utilitarian for what appeared to be a pretty house.
"The Kyoto Alliance of Occultism is perhaps better seen as the mediator, rather than the exterminator. It was founded on the principle of harmony, as yokai are natural to this world as well, to eradicate them can have disastrous consequences, though, that in itself is another topic entirely. The spirit world itself is not another world in the same way as Arcanis, but rather the society created by yokai. Yokai that have become powerful however, are capable of creating their own separate 'realms' that mirror our own, or perhaps can be of their own creation entirely. Hm, hopefully that is something you may never need to experience, it can be quite harrowing even for the most experienced exorcist", they moved on as they went over a bridge, set under a tree.
"There are indeed other organizations of our nature, while the Kyoto Alliance is primarily controlled by the families in this region, other organizations work with us too. In Tokyo there is the Japan-Euro Christian Exorcists Organization, the Ainu Spiritualism and Tribalism Group that lives in the far north, and the Okinawan Exorcist Alliance in the south. The JECEO have connections with European groups, while the ASTG are more isolationist, only working with us should it be necessary. The OEA however have been rather cooperative, almost like a sister organization, as some of the families originally from Kyoto have moved southward", he explained. Throughout the whole conversation thus far he has managed to maintain a long thin smile, the same that he had had when Otis first saw him when he conversed with Kuuto.
"Leading into that, I did mention European groups, which do indeed exist. Every world government employs at least one of these, it can be said that the FBI and CIA have exorcists among their ranks in the USA, while the Vatican has it's own private and strict sect that encompass all of Europe, with smaller groups working in cooperation with them", the setting had moved towards some of the gardens just outside the dojo area, where some of the younger recruits of the Fujiwaras were training.
"The Kaganomiyas hm? I am surprised one such as you is aware of them. Though their members are kept secret, their name and presence is important. The role they fulfil may appear difficult to understand, but hmmmm. Perhaps, their approval of us gives us more authority. I predict that even with the influence of the Fujiwara, without a representative of authority, all the families of the Kyoto Alliance may begin to fracture, and eventually break apart. This finely crafted order and society we have made will crumble as a result", the purpose of the Kaganomiyas seemed to be more passive than active, so it appeared...
"And of course...", he stopped at a rather small building, Otis could see into it, a lot of scrolls were kept here.
"Well, the best talisman-writers in Kyoto, that would have to be the Tsuchimikado Clan. I'm afraid it would be quite difficult to help you get in touch with them, as they no longer live in Kyoto, but we do have in store some of their arts. Members of the Tsuchimikado were once part of many large clans in the past, perhaps this alone has made them among the best in writing charms and talismans", he directed Otis' attention to this dusty storeroom-like mini-library.
"Please, show the young man to them. He is one of Kuuto's students, here to learn. Do not be reluctant to show him what we have stored away", he ordered.
"Now... I do believe my free time is over, before I depart, perhaps you can tell me your name?", he inquired. His long smile accompanied by eyes that seemed sharp themselves.
As Lorelai happily walked along the river, perhaps unknown to her as she was following what might be a trail, but the bustle of the crowd began to really thin. Perhaps not out of the ordinary as she was heading away from the central areas, but it went a bit further than that. As she walked along she began to wonder why she was here, though... The feeling was a bit weak, she almost wanted to turn back, but as soon as she decided not to, she moved her hand around to eat yet another dango, she bit nothing but air. The one she was about to eat was... Gone? She noticed the same feathers again. She still had her others, but as soon as she tried to bite them, a black shadow swept over her for an instant, and they were gone.
Immediately, she would hear some jolly laughter from a female voice.
"Ahahahahaha! If only ya could see yer face! Well, ya did make it pas' the barrier anyhow", Lorelai looked around, but as soon as her eyes went up, standing on one of the houses was a female.
She had a traditional Japanese kosode and hakama with greaves and gauntlets keeping her silhouette thin at the limbs. She had a red mask with a long nose, a Tengu mask, and some black wings. Her hair was short, black, but cleanly cut in a sharp outward shape. Her eyes were sharp, dark, but there was a playful grin to it. In one hand she had Lorelai's dango, and proceeded to take a bite out of one of them.
"Ya really got good taste goin' to that store ya know, so you a whatsit-corsit of somethin'? Otherwise I dunno how you'd be unaffected. Hey look, if yer tellin' me to scram or somethin' I will, just prolly not right now yanno?", she had a pretty heavy slang to her accent, but she was mostly understood.
The duties of the day were pretty straightforward, meeting with clients who supplied the inn with everything for food, washing, tools, repairs, and so on. The streets of Eiseikato were truly something of their own, she was also told that any pictures she took wouldn't actually be viewable outside of here, a kind of interference from Lady Kuzunoha. Which was a shame, but if she wanted any views to be preserved, she should probably see one of the artists that lived here. It appears that physically drawn art would be preserved going from here to the outside world.
The lights of Eiseikato made it appear as if it was in a constant festival, the abundance of traditional garbs mixed with strange shapes and yokai had a truly mystical feeling to it, the festival food sold almost around the clock, the different and varying architectures, the mix of perfectly immaculate streets, to some jaunted and jagged layouts made every corner a small treat of their own. Every tiny street had something too, not just doors to homes or deserted corridors, many held tiny almost hidden restaurants and cafes, or bars among other things, every street they walked down offered something, and the souvenirs on offer were quite interesting, usually depicting yokai. Down a certain street she even saw figurines in the image of Lady Kuzunoha.
This so far was quite the day out, although for Kohane it was a bit more serious. From some of the conversations, it appeared that due to events outside, getting supplies this week might be tricky...
"Hmmmm. If we limit the amount of guests each day... No, not every guest consumes the same amount... And rationing to sacrifice quality may be rather difficult...", Kohane had in her hand a notebook as she scanned it trying to figure out how she might report this to the manager.
"Of course this isn't a problem if we can get another supplier for food... Yokai certainly consume more than normal... Sometimes I wonder what working at a human inn is like... It can't be more stressful right?", she muttered and pondered to herself. The little trip was at a standstill as she stood in the middle of a street, albeit, not so crowded.
Certainly, this was a gold mine of information, and one that Otis had no intention of letting go anytime soon. The fact that youkai were capable of establishing separate domains was interesting indeed. No doubt, it was a similar technique to the boundary that the assassin had set up. A shame, really, that all trace of that particular spell was destroyed when Ultana and Lorelai burst in. If the spirit realm was more of a private society than a different world though, how would he get around to accessing it? Perhaps the talismans of the Tsuchimikado would offer some insight.
Also interesting, however, was the ASTG that Motsumine no Fujiwara described. Isolationist policies may deter one from delving into their particular secrets, but the nature of isolated developments of magic meant that one could usually come across something much more fascinating than the usual affair. The Strigidae nodded along, keeping in mind to start Googling those folk once he had some spare time.
When their parting was at hand, Otis stopped his recording, turned to Motsumine no Fujiwara, and bowed. “This humble self is named Arillo Tan Otis, of the Strigidae family within the Arboreal Valley. Your answers have been enlightening, and there are no words with which to express my gratitude,” he spoke, taking the opportunity to try out keigo. “I’ve a final request, however. Can I have your LINE?”
The smartphone raised up again, Otis’s bright orange eyes looking up at the man with that strange mixture of predatorial intent and human curiosity.
Whether contact details were swapped or not, however, he was satisfied enough with busting into the old storehouse the Fujiwara head had directed him to. With sleeves rolled up and phone connected to portable charger, Otis was 100% ready to get his head into whatever spirit world or youkai related stuff he could pick up.
After all this time, he was still a man on a mission. Find a way to get to where half the class was, and then restarting his hunt for the assassin of the Kaganomiyas.
Ultana Whelen - Central Onmyou Library of Fujiwara
After some time of pouring through everything, Ultana wasn't exactly making any progress. Well, she already was veering off course with her new found interest in Abe no Seimei but it was probably a bit much to go through on her own. Luckily, the small shikigami that was floating around her was her Assistant when Ultana asked. Thanks to the shikigami she was able to go through all of it faster and was finally making progress.
It was definitely a bit of a bummer on their techniques and such, with talismans and the like not being her strong suit and all...But going through all the texts on Seimei, was without a doubt interesting. From his lineage to all the things he accomplished, it was all a good read. She was enjoying the read....until she eventually found a shred of paper that fell out of one of the dusty old books. The moment she touched it, the paper revealed it's true form, a talisman.
It got weirder when suddenly a scroll appeared in her hand and vanished just as fast. "Just what is go---" a voice cut her off and before she could discern what it was saying, she blacked out. It was then Ultana had a "dream", one in which an attractive man with dark hair and a flowing white robe appeared. The man seemed surprised that someone from another world found 'his' talisman but didn't seem disappointed in the fact.
Not exactly given a word edge wise, he continued on talking about how this talisman wasn't all of it, that there was more of his 'work' out there. Before she could make sense of it all, she found herself coming to back in the library albeit with the shikigami that was beside her gone and some kind of manual in her hands. Looking at what was in her hands, her mouth just fell. Demon summoning?! What she found was a scroll that had knowledge of regarding 'summoning' demons/yokai through use of shikigamis.
It made her recall that man in her dreams and the one-sided conversation. Considering the book she was reading, the talisman that popped out of it and what he was talking about....Could that mean that the scroll came from Seimei himself? And this was only 'part 1', so there was definitely more to this power than this. If that was the case, Ultana definitely had to find and track down the remaining parts. Having remembered what she originally came to do, she looked back on all the books on the table and groaned. Maybe it was best if she took a nice break before her head was going to explode.
There was something pressing upon Lorelai, carrying that implacable sensation that reminded her chillingly of the run-in with the gutless assassin who hadn't the decency to fight the students arrayed against her. It was softer then that, however, more a gentle nudge to try somewhere else, but that previous experience had her ignoring such impulses and press onwards.
It immediately cost her the dango she had remaining. If this kept up she'd develop a phobia of barriers.
Her search turned upwards- More out of exasperation then a genuine belief some bird had swooped by with more grace then a swallow and snatched the dango- one to find...that was actually the case. A bird of an entirely different breed, to be clear, but a Tengu, plain as day. Lorelai had the misfortune of being assaulted with what could only be called a southern twang in the Tengu's voice, it's affable drawl countered by the dango being plucked from Lorelai's stick.
"What are you doing here, just laying about waiting to rob tourists of their food? How shameless! Are you going to steal the offerings from the shrines as well?!" The blonde barked, shaking a rueful fist up towards the avian youkai and wishing yet again she had her spear, if only to discipline her with a whack across the back of her hands.
"Ah, yes I do in fact", it was an almost surreal image seeing a man steeped in such traditional attire produce a phone from his garb, before exchanging the QR friend code function with Otis, and then saying thanks to one another. His servants seemed used to it though... Not his first time or was he just always a little strange? Regardless, he bowed himself out, and waved goodbye to Otis as he was left with a servant or two to help him find what he needed.
Unlike some other archives, this one seemed to be mainly for the household and it's students, students all the same. Based on a conversation before between Ultana and Utsumi, there was certainly a much larger library as well, but everything within this little store room was intended specifically for techniques.
As for things related to the spirit world he was thinking of, there were certainly some talismans within that created the effect he had witnessed before. It had various names, but from what was understood it was a boundary or field that moved things into the spiritual realm... It wasn't clear... But somehow the terminology seemed familiar, perhaps it was related to another school of magic? Regardless, from within he also found the Tsuchimikado family's onmyoudo, which seemed rather potent. He can make use of it should he please.
When his business was concluded, he could go wherever he pleased within the city, within reason. It appeared likely that the other classmates would be scattered to their own business, so it all came to a matter of who he was looking for, or where there might be some classmates present.
As he was leaving he got a notification on LINE.
It was a picture of Motsumine and his white fluffy cat. "Allow me to introduce you to Kaki-chan"
"Hm? No it seemed funny at the time, still is", she replied, while taking a bite from one of the dango sticks, the dexterity of her hands as she twirled them between her fingers. She didn't seem at all inclined to move from her position, but her nonchalant reason for stealing a passersby's food was infuriatingly trivial.
"So yer not one of them Fujiwaras or whatever other families hang 'round here? Great, means I can stay a bit longer, love this city yanno?", by now she had finished eating all of them.
"With so many yokai runnin' round this place I figured it'd be a good time to take a peek as those paper-pushers would be busy with the others, no time for a tengu they could spend days chasin' to no avail, plus King Sojobo asked me ta have a look-see at what all the fuss was about", she bent down to sit on one leg, the other pulled over her knee as she rested her head on her arm.
"Anyway, real rare seein' a human who wasn't out here to erase me at the slightest slight, maybe we'll get ta know each other or somethin'. Hey what do girls talk about these days, I'm one too yanno, you got a guy you like? We'll gossip about that", she had a playful almost cheeky smile, but despite her abrasive and thieving habits she didn't seem intent to harm anyone...
"Ah right 'fore that, name's Sakichi, you can just call me Saki or somethin' though I don't mind".
The Tengu was an odd one, even by Lorelai's estimation, and though her thieving rankled the blonde's sense of propriety, her outrage was muffled by the yokai's assumption she'd murder her for it. "W-Why would I kill you? You may have stolen snacks, but it's not like your possessing an umbrella or strangling men with your hair. Aren't Tengu noble messengers anyway?"
Finding it a bit bothersome to crane her neck upwards just to keep talking to her, the blonde eyed the nearby surfaces before darting forward. Powerful kicks launched her upwards and side-wards, bouncing from signage to reach level with the avian brigand and plopping down with her legs over the edge. Closer now, two things occurred to her that made her view Sakichi with greater intent.
Otis was just as liberal with personal space and property as her, so maybe this was actually typical avian yokai behavior.
And she mentioned events going down in town, events Lorelai had a sneaking suspicion she was familiar with. In spite of their instructors demands, a spark of wrath was still nursed in her buxom for the assassin who humiliated her and nearly took an innocent's life so callously, prompting Lorelai to ask, "This business with your king...it wouldn't happen to be about someone trying to kill an...important heiress, would it?"
Sweat dripped to the floor like a leaky faucet. Aurelius's face was scrunched in pain as his forehead was covered in enough sweat to drown a village. His body shaking due to sheer exhaustion, hands blistered from holding practice katanas for several hours. Form, a word Akimoto had drilled into the young swordsmen's head, and thoroughly made sure that his body understood it too. Aurelius had never done training of this level before; Camelot training was very rigid and of one mind, Aurelius only ever branching out with his own style. Unfortunately that had even been too rigid for Akimoto's sensibilities, though Aurelius had known praise for his physical ability; specifically his agility and footwork showing that it was possible to fully learn what was being taught. Aurelius never sighed nor showed any annoyance, he was the dutiful student looking to perfect whatever his current sensai taught him.
An hour passed and he stood before Akimoto with both his swords in hand. Sparring was the name of the game for the last part of today's training, Aurelius looking forward to proving that he learned something. Every strike that Akimoto dealt to him was vicious, but lacked any malice behind it. Only for a second he could see his opponent's movements, his body reacting with one sword that gave him a short opening to strike. For once, he felt as though he could take Akimoto down in sparring; a subtle idea that died the moment Akimoto feinted and hit Aurelius right under his chin, lifting the boy off his feet. A large thud rang out through the dojo, Lady staring intently from the sidelines as she had been for the last two hours, stopping her own practice. Aurelius shook his head, shaking the very pain away before getting back to his feet. He was ready to go again.
Otis cracked his neck and rubbed his eyes as he leaned back, feeling the cramps in his hands. It had been a productive session of note-taking for sure, and the Tsuchimikado’s Talisman of Enervation was especially interesting. If it could disrupt the flow of magic from within, then could it not also be designed to absorb instead? And if it could absorb energy, Otis could say that he found a new avenue to take his own bulletcraft.
On the side of researching the spirit world, however, things were definitely murkier. Nothing that the Strigidae uncovered seemed to deal directly with the detection of that other reality. Rather, they generated fields that moved one to the spiritual realm…but considering how Motsuhime had spoken about the ‘personal’ realms that sufficiently powerful demons could make, that may not work out too well either. Otis furrowed his brow over the subject for a bit longer, before standing straight up.
If that was how it was gonna be, that was how it was gonna be.
Jamming his notes into his pouches, Otis turned to leave, only briefly pausing to send his new LINE buddy a message back.
“Good animal. This is my gun. It doesn’t have a name.”
With that, he was off, heading for the site of the crime: the convention center.
A fair amount of days had passed since the disappearance of half the class, and any physical evidence would have been disturbed and destroyed by the ebb and flow of mortal traffic anyhow. What he sought at the convention center, however, was an opportunity to test just how ‘connected’ individual pieces of the spirit realm was. There had been mentions of certain points in the world where the boundary between the twinned realms was thinner than normal, and considering how the kidnapping of multiple students didn’t raise any eyebrows from the supernaturally-talented individuals within the convention center, there must be a similar tear in that area, one subtle enough to slip beneath their detection.
Spirited away indeed.
The Strigidae looked towards the convention center, closed as it was now to civilians, and narrowed his eyes. Looked like he was going to have to do some homework first.
With that, Otis began to circle around the building, opening both his magical and physical sense to detect fluctuations in space and the presence of security cameras. First, he would map out the area in his mind. If there was a convenient ‘gap’ that was accessible even from the outside of the center, then he would happily use one his talismans for that.
If not?
Metal Gear Solid was a game that didn’t only test one’s reflexes, but also their tactical acumen and ability to memorize patterns. All three would suit him very well, in this upcoming infiltration mission.
"T-They become unviewable outside of this realm? That's truly unfortunate..." White ears droop downward dejectedly at the new information told by the veteran coworker. Immediately after, Kohane suggested that if Koyuki wanted to keep the scenery of the town in an image, she could perhaps see an artist to paint a piece for her. All of the images she took couldn't be brought outside, but if at least one piece of the town scenery could be taken... The thought caused her tail to swish back and forth in excitement! A painting of the town would definitely be a nice souvenir to remember this place, she could display it in her dormitory room back at the school. The student took a mental note to search for a painter in the duration of her stay here.
The stalls lined along the streets of the town made the younger fox spirit trigger her curiosity to explore and learn what they had in store. The lingering scent of the festival food here and there made Koyuki's stomach growl. Kohane felt a tug at the sleeve of her kimono, to see huge blue eyes staring up at her as if begging for permission. It wasn't too difficult to convince the older coworker, and the next minute, Koyuki was already lined up for one of the food stalls.
As the two moved toward their next destination, it was evident that Koyuki went... all out to be in spirit of the festival town. An oni mask was adorned on her head, a stick of yakitori on her left hand while a stick of candy apple on the other. A satisfied grin was upon the lips of the silverette, oblivious to how the veteran coworker might've felt about her going overboard with the festivities.
Overhearing the words Kohane was muttering to herself, Koyuki finished up the last of her candy apple before speaking, "Would it be possible to find a supplier outside of this realm perhaps? I'm certain that there would be an abundance of food of different variety, compared to limiting it within the boundary of the town."
