Operation: Blackcrown (Inactive)

Game Master Signore di Fortuna

"Well...that was disappointing," Michael sighs. "I'm sorry. I suppose you can try Brother Ulli at the temple or Arista."

Toni nods. "Thanks for trying."

Before Jin and Laenid leave:

"If you'd like, you can come some morning and help me out," Yulia offers. "I can teach you a thing or two."

After:

She smiles at Drago. "Like I told Jin, it should be a slow day and the cleaning is all I'll have to keep me busy. It won't hurt my feelings if you go off to take care of other things."

Before....

Jin's eyes get a little large at the offer and she bows to Yulia, "Oh Ms. Yulia, that would be great! Maybe then I won't set things on fire anymore!" Looking up at Laenid she says, "Did you hear that Lae? When we're not busy with other stuff, I can come over and help and maybe next time I make something in the kitchen it won't catch on fire." She says a little excitedly, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet.

Laenid chuckles. "Sounds like a fine idea."

Giggling slightly she leans into Laenid after saying goodbye to Yulia and her....Drago. Walking outside she wraps her cloak around her a little tighter, "So...what should we do? I'm not sure we need to go home right away." She says with another giggle.

"You are well-fed and full of sugar, so maybe we should see Ieyasu and you can play for him again," Laenid suggests.

She nods, "Yeah, that sounds like fun. Playing might help relax me and get me ready for a nap too. Would you like to take a nap when we get back home?" She asks as they turn and head towards The Old Fish.

"Mmm, a nap would be great," Laenid says, her arm wrapped around Jin.

"Alright then, let me get the tables moved back first."

A few minutes later, Drago gave Yulia a kiss on the cheek and headed home. Finding some parchment, ink, and a quill, he wrote two copies of a letter.

When he finished, he wrote both names on both envelopes and set out to deliver them.

Not sure if I know where they live, but I'd head to the Fort first. Barclay would probably know.

Jin sighs happily as they reach the tavern.

Barclay doesn't stay at the fort. He stays at the barracks near the mines. Esme lives in her own place, I don't remember if Divitia's left the Common House or not.

And anticlimactic. ”Which should we head to first?” Toska asks Toni and Auric.

Once inside, Malyoxa takes off her cloak and hangs it up. She smiles slyly at Hitome. "What would you like to do?"

"Absolutely anything you like." Hitome says with a grin, hanging up her cloak, and taking Malyoxa into her arms.

"Oh, so no preference?" Malyoxa asks. "I might like to hear some more of your poems."

Ieyasu smiles at Jin and Laenid as they enter. "Back again? Can I get you anything?"

Nearly bouncing on the balls of her feet she says, "No thank you Ieyasu-San, I'm full of sweet hot drink and other yummy things....but, I was wondering if maybe I could play my flute again? It helps to calm and relax me and you seemed to like it last time....so I thought I would come by and see if you wanted to hear some more."

"I would enjoy that very much."

"Perhaps we should try the temple first and see if Brother Ulli can be of some help," Toni says, standing up. "Thanks again, Michael."

Michael nods and escorts Toni, Toska and Auric to the door of the school. "Best of luck."

Jin gives him a smile and goes with Laenid to a table near the fire before sitting down and pulling out her flute. Taking a couple minutes as Laenid gets comfortable, Jin cleans her flute before bringing it to her lips.

Closing her eyes, Jin begins to play.

Perform Woodwind: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

Laenid sits back, entranced by Jin's music.

I'm just gonna say that I probably play about three songs to really wind down. They're probably all about 5-7 minutes long, so I didn't know if anything else was going to happen during that amount of time or not. I have issues dealing with time stuff. Lol If you want anything specific to happen during that time, then I guess just say so or whatever. I don't know, having to dry my hair always wears me out and makes it hard to think.

Jin plays about three different songs, all varying in cadence and intensity. The melodies though somewhat similar, vary enough to make each piece seem special.

Though they start in a very light happy tone, almost energetic...as she progresses, the tempo and notes change to a slower more relaxing kind of music. Almost meditative in the way it seems to bring peace to the mind of the listener.

Without realizing it, Jin starts to transform back into her natural state about halfway through her last song. As the last few notes start to fade, Jin lowers her flute and takes one last cleansing breath before opening her eyes and nearly gasps as she realizes what she's done. The music was so relaxing, even to Jin...that even though she knew she wasn't in her house, she just reverted back to her natural form anyways.

The look she gives Laenid is one of near panic as she tries to think of an explanation to give Ieyasu-San. Why did this have to happen now? Do I feel so safe here that I'm just going to change whether I mean to or not? Is this actually a bad thing? Are they going to look at me the same? So many thoughts run through her head at once that she has trouble separating them.

Jin quickly puts her flute away and tries to think of what to say.

After being diverted from the fort, Drago ends up at Barclay's doorstep. The paladin opens the door after the dhampir knocks. "What brings you by?"

Ieyasu approaches Jin. "So this is what you've been hiding."

Toni leads Auric and Toska to the temple. She looks around to make sure she isn't disturbing anything before walking up to the senior cleric at the altar. "Brother Ulli?"

Ulli turns to face Toni, Toska and Auric. Toska can easily tell that Ulli was not a sedentary cleric and had served his god with his hand. "Yes? What can I do for you?"

"I, uh, have a curse I need removed," Auric replies, a little intimidated by the cleric. "If that's not a problem."

Ulli give the trio a kindly smile that seemingly remakes the cleric's stern face. "It's no problem at all."

He waves his hand in front of the halfling. "By the grace of Sarenrae, may your affliction be removed."

RC: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34

Ulli appears to draw the halfling's shadow out of him before dissipating it into nothingness. "There."

Auric closes his eyes, like he did before. "I can hear the whispers of this world now. I can hear her."

He opens his eyes. "Thank you, Mister Ulli, sir!"

"You are welcome," Ulli says.

"So, do we owe you anything for this?" Toni asks.

"Feel free to leave a donation in the coffers," Ulli says with a shrug. "But, unless it requires something of great cost, I do not charge to heal the afflicted."

"Healthcare is so much better here," Toni mutters to herself. "Well, Auric...do you want to summon your eidolon now?"

"Err...I'd rather wait until I'm in private," Auric says. "I don't want to make a scene. Sound good, Toska?"

DAAAMN Ulli! "I've got a couple of letters I'd like to deliver to Esmerelda and Divitia. Unfortunately, I'm not sure where they live, and rather than wander around aimlessly, I thought I'd ask if you happen to know?"

"Divitia and Esmerelda have their small house next to the tailor's shop at the north end of town," Barclay answers.

"Thank you Barclay. Have a great day." Drago turned and headed towards the tailor shop.

Drago finds Esmerelda and Divitia's house easily enough. Thick curtains hang in the windows and the dhampir hears no noise coming from within.

Ieyasu approaches Jin. "So this is what you've been hiding."

She nods her head, not sure if she could actually look up at him or not. "Yes...I...I...didn't...I don't know actually why I just felt the need to keep it a secret. I guess I was just afraid of what other people might think. I...I don't know why it just ccame out like that all of a sudden." She says quietly, the nervousness in her voice rather apparent.

Ieyasu shrugs. "You need not fear what other people might think."

He puts a gentle hand on the kitsune's shoulder. "I hope that this means that you are relaxed here. I prefer serenity in my establishment."

He feels her tense slightly at his touch, but she doesn't pull away. Nodding again she says, "I...I don't think it could have happened any other way....so....maybe I feel safe enough here to be myself? Nnno one has been unkind to me or anything, and everyone is just super nice....so maybe some of that...I don't know what you call it, internal fear? Leftover junk from bad past experiences....maybe being here...with Lae and everyone, the way Hitome took care of me on the ship trip over here...maybe I'm just feeling like people won't hurt me here for being what I am? I would never do anything to disrupt the peace that you seek for yourself and this place Mr. Ieyasu-San....I'm sorry I tried hiding it...maybe I shouldn't have...but I just didn't know...." She says, her hands beginning to tremble slightly at bringing up things that were painful for her to remember.

Drago stood outside the house for a minute, trying to decide his best course of action. Finally, he stepped up to the door and knocked.

"Oh, so no preference?" Malyoxa asks. "I might like to hear some more of your poems."

Hitome blushes slightly, unused to someone appreciating something that private to her. "I'd love to read you more. Want to relax down here while I go get my book, or upstairs?"

Esmerelda opens the door, looking quite tired, and narrows her eyes at Drago. She yawns and waits for him to state his business.

"We can start off down here," Malyoxa answers. "You might get other ideas if we just rush off upstairs."

Ieyasu gives Jin a grunt similar to the ones she used to get from Yamamoto-sensei. The ones that spoke volumes with just a single sound. To Jin, it sounded like the one that meant "Do not worry about it".

Getting a strange look on her face she sticks one of her manicured claws in her mouth and absently starts chewing on it. How could someone that wasn't Yamamoto-sensei....sound like Yamamoto-sensei and with uncanny similarity at that? Taking a breath she lets it out slowly, "Okay...okay...I'll try not to worry so much. I'm sorry...it's just left over...from before..but I'm trying." She says while chewing nervously on her claw.

Laenid comes over to Jin and puts her arms around her. "Is everything okay?"

Jin nods, "Yeah...I just...I wasn't expecting it to just happen on it's own like that. I guess I just got really relaxed while playing and it just...happened. Maybe I shouldn't worry about it so much here....it's just hard to suddenly put behind you everything that was done to make a person react a certain way in certain situations. I'm feeling pretty tired now....can we just go home? I really think I need that nap now." She says, looking up into Laenid's face after yawning, "I think it took a bit more out of me than I thought."