[From Heaven to Hell] Chapter 1, Scene 2: Bearings

[WlfSamurai]

The sun baths the dirt path ahead and the surrounding woods in his warm light. As the two companions walk, gravel crunching under their feet, a voice from the woods slips through the trees like a song-bird's heavenly tune. "You are the one called Sakuya, yes?" A man-shape steps from the trees into the road.


Suzume immediately recognizes the god of these woods, Hayashi.


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His voice is like honey. "You are long way from home, goddess. The wind whispers to me that you are being searched for as we speak. Why would that be?"

Spoiler

You've had dealings with Hayashi before. How did you help him in the past?

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[Tabby]

["Already?"]


The word came out as an involuntary response, her emotional stability already impaired by recent events and her absolute stability compromised. Sakuya gathered herself almost immediately afterwards, a momentary moue the only outward sign of her reaction, but the damage was already done and her mind aflame with activity. How had Heaven reacted so quickly? She should have had a few days even in the worst case scenario, weeks if all went according to plan - not even the celestial lions would have been called that quickly unless something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.


Nara-O?


She regretted the thought the instant it came unbidden to her mind, recognizing her weakness in it. What sort of person would suspect a friend of betrayal so quickly? A million and one excuses came to mind, that Nara-O's secrecy made her difficult to trust, her reticence ensured she could have planned this - and none of it mattered, for she had thought so little of their friendship that she had nigh-expected betrayal. Nara-O had always acted in good faith before, and she had repaid that with a betrayal of her own.


Not Nara-O. Not her.


The moment of thought passed in a heartbeat as she composed herself, still shamed by her own failure, but forced into action by circumstance and an iron will that would brook no failure in her plan, not even her own. ["I am."] A singular strength to a single word, an absolute statement that dared Heaven and earth alike to gainsay her. Lessened and changed she might be, but nothing could change the fact of her existence.


He was a terrestrial god, though, of that she was fairly certain. Had he been a celestial spirit she might have had to consider more extreme courses of action, but for the time being he seemed more curious than vindictive - which meant that he might be useful, or at least not a threat until found by her pursuers. Sakuya nodded her head slightly in acknowledgement and respect, unable and unwilling to bend the knee, but intent on showing some degree of amicability as she pondered a response to his question. She didn't exactly have a lot of experience in not being the Goddess of Wisdom, or in covert operations in general, but she didn't think that telling him the whole story would exactly help matters.


Still considering her words carefully, Sakuya crossed her arms under her breasts, consciously keeping both hands away from the hilt of her blade - no point in sending unwanted signals. She spoke simply, with conviction in her words that belied their vagueness. ["Change is terrifying to those who do not, but I would rather a world more interesting than one that exists solely in the realm of mediocrity."] Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Sidereals. The errant goddess smiled slightly, continuing in a less intense tone. ["...And I am searching for someone, a young man whose spirits burns brighter than the sun."]


It was a gamble at best, but a risk she felt was worth taking. If her prey had passed through these woods, she suspected that the god would have noticed; Solars were rarely subtle. The possibility that he might be able to help was worth an element of risk, and she had phrased her words innocuously enough that they could be taken as anything - though their intent would be as clear as day.


It would be really nice if he decided not to totally blow her cover or try to murder her, though. This "being subtle" thing was apparently not her strong suit either.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Hayashi turns to Suzume and nods. "Hello again, Suzume. It is nice to see you in my woods. I have missed you so."


Looking back to Sakuya, he smiles. "A Sun-touched. I see." He looks down and rubs his chin. A squirrel crawls out of his cloak and onto his shoulder. He hands it a walnut from a pouch and it disappears again. "Tell me, Sakuya? Is it? What was your roll in Yu-Shan?"

 

[Hoshiko]

Suzume tilted her head as the voice echoed around both of them, a sound that was as much melody as it was speech, in tune with the rustling of leaves and the chirping of birds. A small smile brightened her expression for a moment as she recognized its owner; were circumstances different, she would have happily spent a few weeks catching up with her friend. Unfortunately, with Sakuya here, she could not seem too eager. The young woman schooled her expression, taking a step back deferentially, the better to hide her reaction, hopefully outside her companion's sight. Perhaps she was being paranoid, but one could never be too careful; not when the Wyld Hunt and the Dynasty were always lurking in the shadows, waiting for anathema to reveal themselves.


She set aside her thoughts as Hayashi revealed himself, stepping out into the road. Her eyes traced his graceful movements, the smile returning unbidden to her face. How could it not? Friends like him had been all but unknown to the former dynast before, surrounded by the politics of the great houses and the endless maneuvering of her peers for the throne's favor. She breathed deeply as he spoke, forcing herself back to the present, attempting to stifle the shivers that ran down her back. What had he said? Oh, yes, of course, Sakuya was a goddess. Big news. Why hadn't he greeted her first? Boo.


Oh, wait. Her companion was a goddess. That was big news. And being searched for? The metaphorical cogs spun in her mind as she organized her thoughts, shoving away her irritation. On the run, then, it seemed; perhaps her initial impression of the other woman had not been so far off. Then again, she had assumed her companion was a noble of some sort; the thought that she might be a spirit had never crossed her mind. Something to take into account for the next time, perhaps; if her mentor had been right, being found out by the wrong god would be just as bad as being found out by the Immaculates. She listened attentively to Sakuya, studying her words, her stance, her tone; it seemed like Hayashi was right. Which, in turn, would imply that she was probably not a threat to Suzume; perhaps she could relax a little.


Just in time, as it seemed Hayashi still hadn't gotten used to calling her by a different name when she wore other shapes. She sighed in exasperation, smiling fondly. She couldn't tell if he really was so honest as to be unable to understand the need for her second name, or if he just liked to tease her that way, but either way, she couldn't bring herself to be angry at him for exposing her deception. She moved before him, looking up into his eyes, crossing her arms; her attempts at appearing angry were ruined by the stubborn smile that remained on her face. She snorted briefly, unable to keep the smile from becoming a full grin, directed up at him, fighting the impulse to move closer and hug him. Would he mind if she did? She had no idea. ["It has been too long. It is good to see you again too, Hayashi,"] she answered heartfully in the Old Tongue, her voice heavy with emotion. She was slightly miffed, though. Her pronunciation was well beyond good by mortal standards, but it was a far cry from the melodious tones spoken by both Hayashi and Sakuya. ["You do know I'm supposed to be Marianne, however."] She winked as she spoke, smiling to take the sting out of her words, a friendly jab rather than a reprimand. She moved to his side, her heart thumping furiously in her ears. Curse the spirit for having this effect on her...and bless him, thank the Dragons. She turned to face Sakuya, smiling apologetically, shrugging. "Servants o' house Fa'Yul haveta learn all these fuddly-duddly languages. It be such a chore, I tell ya, milady."

 

[Tabby]

"A fuddly-duddly language you claimed unfamiliarity with mere minutes ago," Sakuya intoned neutrally, switching to Low Realm as she realized that her attempt to leave "Marianne" out of the loop was going about as well as her entire adventure was. The girl was full of surprises. And her name was Suzume, not Marianne. And she knew a spirit. Familiarly. Even if he was a mere terrestrial spirit, that was not exactly normal for a mere human - even Sakuya knew that much of the human world.


There was a distinct sense that there was far more going on here than she could tell, but in truth, Sakuya was not particularly worried about either spirit or human. If they attacked, she would slay them both, bind the spirit to ensure his silence, and continue on her way. More concerning was the fact that neither Huninn or Muninn had warned her of any of this - she had been informed that there was a terrestrial forest god in the area, but very few possible futures had led to meeting him, and none that she had heard of involved this... 'Suzume.'


Which posed a problem, because while her servants existed outside of Fate, their vision was ever affixed to it - they simply beheld all the different possible fates that intersected at a point in space and time. That which was fated, they could ever seem, but that which was not...


What?


It was still possible that her heralds had simply never encountered a timeline in which Suzume was important; certainly she didn't seem threatening, though a sixth sense for bullshit honed over countless years of listening to Cydaea's morbidly over-embellished story was flaring about the entire situation. A girl who knew Old Realm, who consorted with gods as an equal, who held no issue in accosting armed strangers - there was something she was missing, Sakuya knew, but even her enhanced perspective was itself flawed, limited by Fate and hampered by... unreliable coworkers, limiting her ability to strike out any possibility absolutely.


Not being informed, not having any real power without compromising her task, bothered her. It took the goddess a few moments to pinpoint the emotion, but she felt - unclothed, as though she was much less than she... was. It was a strange feeling, one she could only imperfectly place, much less describe, but it was playing havoc with her already strained patience. She had to remind herself that murdering everyone here and setting them aflame could be considered a non-heroic act, and that would be a terrible way to start off her adventure. An adventure that had already gone thoroughly to shit.


And this... 'Hayashi.' His question still burned in her ears, one that she could not answer truthfully without betraying everything she had sacrificed to come here in the first place. "It seems the girl who consorts with the gods did not need my protection, if the forest itself gives her its countenance." A wry tone, but there was a tinge of disapproval, the (usually) unflinchingly honest Goddess of Wisdom's disdain for falsehood barey evident - but so too was there a sort of mollifying admission to it. I agreed to escort her. Not a threat. She was not here to disrupt the peace of the woods, but to keep safe that which the god cherished.


Meanings within meanings.


The question. What was her role? Did Hayashi not know who she truly was? But then why would he know her - name. Which she had given to Marianne. Suzume. She could feel an aneurysm coming on. Was this terrestrial spirit simply gauging the situation, trying to decide what threat she might pose to himself, to his forest, and to his pet human? If she was a human at all. For all Sakuya knew, Suzume was a Sidereal assassin waiting for an admission of guilt to strike. That would be a fantastic start to her little adventure.


Her thin smile did not reach her eyes, their customary warmth dulling as the goddess considered her response. Another question? Get an idea of how he reacted to being stymied. She did not need him to do anything, rather to not do anything, which simplified her task considerably. Ah, the glorious frustration of social combat. It was Yu Shan all over again. Maybe she should start with the butchery, and to the Underworld with the Solars. "That young man will need my help soon. May I leave..." she glanced over to the girl, emphasizing her next word, "Suzume in your care?"

 

[Hoshiko]

Suzume nodded as the goddess spoke, her expression growing more serious in response to the traveler's gestures and tone. She was nowhere near familiar enough with her newest acquaintance to tell exactly what her inflection and mannerisms meant, but one thing was clear; Sakuya was tense. Akin to a cornered predator, in fact, prepared to fight or flee. The lunar could empathize, of course. She herself would react similarly, she assumed, had their positions been reversed. She had no idea of what to do with that knowledge, however; unlike some of her peers, she lacked the ability to weave and charm her way back into someone's good graces through honeyed words.


She gathered herself, discarding the Marianne persona completely, her pose no longer that of the deferential servant. That layer of her disguise was useless now, and unless she wished to be left behind in Hayashi's care, she had to be open with her intentions. She paused briefly, summarily locking away the part of herself that wanted to cry out shrilly at that last thought underneath a mental trapdoor, swallowing the knot that seemed to have formed in her throat all of a sudden as she glanced at him.


She had to focus.


The goddess' words had sparked her curiosity. Who was this young man that was so important to the goddess, and what did Hayashi mean by sun-touched? She needed more information. If their goals aligned with her own, they could very well be potential allies. They seemed to share in some viewpoints, at the very least; she did not know what mediocrity the goddess spoke of, but the empire's current state certainly qualified in her mind, and she could wholeheartedly agree. More importantly, whatever her personal wishes may be, she was a Steward, first and foremost. It was her job to nurture and protect...and she had to determine whether the runaway spirit and her mysterious associate were friends or foes before she could turn away with a clear conscience. Of course, she could always just shift into her hawk form and follow her, but...leaving things unresolved did not sit well with her. It was impolite, after all.


["Indeed, you are right. On all counts,"] she said, bowing her head briefly in acquiescence, but not shame, speaking in the goddess' language. It was the least she could do, to show some measure of respect after having blatantly lied to her. ["I'm sorry for the need for deception. I wish it were not so, but I find myself in as much need of secrecy as you seem to be. I'm..."] she paused, unsure of how to continue. Stating her true nature outright would be foolish; there was no way to be certain the other woman wasn't lying, or one of the myriad of spirits that reported to the Immaculates, but neither could she remain completely silent if she hoped to quell her doubts before confrontation was inevitable. ["...an attendant. A servant, of sorts, if you will,"] she smiled briefly, her expression growing serious again mere moments later. ["You offered me help freely, and I would like to extend the same offer to you. I do not wish to see this world stagnate, trapped in the old ways. You seek the same, do you not?"] She tilted her head to the side questioningly, fixing her eyes on Sakuya's own. ["Please, allow me to escort you to your friend, and ensure your safety. If your claims are true, I will stay or go at that time, according to your wishes."]

 

[WlfSamurai]

Hayashi looks between both women for a long moment, then rests his gentle gaze on Sakuya. "It does not seem as though she wishes to stay with me. Will you allow her to help you?" Despite calm demeanor, his eyes betray a yearning for Suzume. They flicker to her and back again.

 

[Tabby]

Sakuya chuckled, less out of genuine amusement so much as an attempt to lighten the air a bit and give herself a moment to think. What might have been coincidence before was clearly no longer - both god and girl wished for Suzume to accompany her, and she was bereft of the guidance of either of her temporal scouts in the matter. Making decisions of her own was nothing new, but life-altering choices required appropriate information in order to make the optimal decision, earned through research or means outside of Fate, not a gut feeling while talking to two people she didn't know. It would take time to come to a reasoned conclusion.


And time was exactly what she did not have.


Her domain did not include Hayashi, so she could not order him in that manner, nor did her words hold their Celestial weight when constrained to the aspect of Courage. Amethyst Awareness would reveal little unless Suzume were to use some sort of essence directly, and Sakuya was loath to use Memory Mirror on the unsuspecting even given the circumstances, nor would she lower herself to hurting them unless they made the first move. No matter what she had become, regardless of what the world arrayed against her, she would not lose herself.


Sakuya smiled wryly, as much out of the desire for these two chucklefucks to decide on a single goddamn language to speak as tacit admission of her position. "It seems I am at a disadvantage here when you both plead so earnestly." Not that she had ever been very good at saying no, but that was not exactly something either of them needed to know. "But this little adventure will be dangerous. There are usually-" bandits in most of the timelines she was familiar with thanks to her symbiotic temporal scouts, and while she was at it she might as well just mention that she was Sakuya, the Goddess of Wisdom, and I'll just wait right here while you go fetch the Celestial Lions and Sidereal death squads and we can have a cup of tea in the meantime. "...There will likely be fighting ahead, of the variety I would prefer to avoid entangling a mortal in, with consequences that would follow you to your grave."


Which would likely be very, very, very soon, if this was one of the timelines where there were Terrestrial Exalted in the town instead of, or in addition to, bandits. What she wouldn't give for a magical, spherical relic that would answer questions with clarity - yes, no, try again later. The goddess crossed her arms, shifting her gaze to Hayashi instead, though her words were aimed at both of them. "I will fight my own battles, without endangering the innocent." There was an undercurrent of challenge to her words, her refusal to betray her convictions accompanied by a none too subtle hint to Hayashi that the one he apparently cared for could well be in danger if she tagged along. Danger that he might well not yet know of.

 

[Hoshiko]

Suzume pursed her lips, her breath catching in her throat as Hayashi spoke. Her heart longed to remain with him, stay at his side. Was this Sakuya so important? Surely a runaway godling could be no threat to her vision, to the future of the empire? Her eyes danced to the side briefly, stealing glances at the forest spirit, her resolve faltering. And yet...and yet, the dragons blind her, she'd never forgive herself if she did not act. Had she not been frustrated at her inability to interfere when had been comfortably ensconced away within V'neef's halls? At being just another pawn for Creation and the Dragon-blooded Host to manipulate and puppeteer as they saw fit? And this goddess was on the run. She herself had been in much the same situation, not long ago; in a way, she still was, though far less fearful of the world beyond the Threshold's holdings. However...the thought of the god at her side, his easy smile and gentle nature, sparked something within her that threatened to overwhelm her.


The young woman steeled her heart, closing her eyes, her mind caressing the spark of divinity within her. She stood in her mindscape, balanced on a razor's edge, teetering between two worlds, just a hair's breadth away from embracing her essence. She could feel its warmth, the rush of joy and life that came with the power of Luna, and the undercurrent of wildness that characterized it; a well of primal emotions that she still shied away from, and wished to embrace at the same time. And underneath it all, the taint of the Wyld, unpredictable even beyond Luna's gift, bizarrely fascinating, held in place by chains of moonsilver. She basked in the light, carefully keeping it at arm's length, allowing it to fill her with confidence and resolve before reluctantly pushing herself away from it. It was always sobering, how intoxicating the use of essence could be; would she lose herself to the beast within her if she gave in to it enough times? She shook her head, breathing in deeply; those were thoughts for another time. Her heart was stilled, for now; a spark of longing still ran through her at the thought of Hayashi's name, but the moment had passed. Wasn't it ironic, though, that she used the very thing she feared to calm her emotions?


She placed her hand lightly on Hayashi's forearm for a moment, calling his attention to her as she looked up at him. ["I will be back as soon as I can, uh..."] She trailed off, blushing as she swallowed back the nickname that had almost slipped out spontaneously, as natural as if she had been saying it her whole life. ["Hayashi."] She smiled, uncertainty coloring her features briefly as she looked down at his arm, where her hand rested. Her smile grew as she squeezed his arm lightly, hoping he wouldn't mind. Sakuya's words elicited a snort from her that she barely managed to stop; if only she were still mortal, free of responsibility, this would be far easier. Then again, if she were still mortal, she'd either be married to that disgusting man in the Threshold, or dead. They were all slaves to fate, in the end; all she'd done with her exaltation was trade in her fetters for longer chains, but she remained bound. She turned towards Sakuya, burying her resignation as Marianne's mischievous grin filled her expression, issuing her own challenge. "Dinnae worry, miladyship, us servants o' house Fa'Yul are plenty able ta look after ourselves. I ain't withdrawin' my offer o' help."

 

[WlfSamurai]

And then...


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Squawking and cawing, a raven swoops through the group. Huginn appears, her back to Sakuya's. She speaks in her typical assertive tone.


"Mistress. A warband outside our View is nearby and rapidly approaching. I could not See them ahead of time."


At that moment, as if hearing something for the first time, Hayashi's head snaps to the side.


"I hear them. They're a few minutes away."


Huginn speaks up again.


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[Tabby]

"Just once, I would like to be able to say 'just as planned.'" Sakuya caressed her temple, a hint of the stress she was laboring under. "Informed decisions cannot be made adequately without accurate information." Not that she could blame Huginn for not knowing everything, the goddess was quite aware of the flaws in her unnatural Sight, but DAMMIT it just felt unfair to be able to see the bloody future and then half the time it turned out they were in a different past anyways, or their past was from a different future, or - it gave her a headache to even try to figure it out. Which was why she didn't, and generally just let her scouts do their own thing and show up when they felt like it, because interacting with either of them always gave her a headache.


Because dealing with a lovestruck god and a spoony human 'maid' was definitely such an improvement.


So this was how supervillains were born!


The thought amused her for some reason, serving to quell the rising tide of frustration under sheer ridiculousness. She really did feel naked with so much of her power gone, her information networks inacessible, her... awareness so drastically shrunk. Was this what humans felt like all the time? Even the Exalted? She shook the thought off with some effort, remembering that there were more immediate issues at hand that needed sorting first. "Link with your sister. See what else you did not forsee." She was going to have to talk to both of them about this whole subtlety thing, or someone was going to put two and two together when Huginn and Muninn kept reporting to some nobody. "I will handle this matter personally."


The goddess's hand meaningly moved to the ornate hilt of her sheathed blade, reveling for a brief instant in its cool familiarity. It occurred to her that neither Huninn nor Muninn had ever seen her fight in this form - doubtless both would be curious enough to view the new set of futures and future-pasts that unsheathing her blade would unveil. For now, they had work to do... as did she. She turned to Suzume.


"Then it seems we have a forest to protect and a young man to..." She paused, hesitant to use the word rescue when he would doubtless need very little help actually surviving some bandits. "...Hopefully not be mistaken for bandits by, if he has not already disposed of them by the time we arrive." This was all very exciting, Sakuya realized, the tinge of adrenaline nearly alien to her as she considered the possibility of directly altering fate herself for the first time. "Shall we be off, fair Marianne, to heed the clarion call of adventure?" Pause. She smiled wryly. "And bandits. Mostly bandits."

 

[Hoshiko]

(My apologies for the lack of colors and possible typos, I'm writing from an old tablet for this week, until I'm back home, mieu~)


=====================================================================================================


Suzume's eyes widened in surprise as she saw the raven vanish, only to be replaced by a stranger. She swallowed, taking a step back reflexively, barely even registering the new arrival's words as her hand flew up nervously to trace the white streaks of hair that held the magic of the Tell. The black-haired woman...there was no doubt in her mind. She had to be a fellow exalt of Luna, too. Either this servant ruse was more trendy than she could ever have imagined, or...or, this Sakuya, whoever she was, had a lunar in her service. Just what was at stake here?


The former dynast turned to Hayashi urgently, searching his expression for some kind of clue about what was going on. Every moment seemed to bring a new revelation with it, and she was starting to suspect that she had waded into a whirlpool of enormous strength, a current so ferocious that it threatened to drown her while she remained blissfully ignorant of the danger she was charging into. And she'd had the nerve to dispute the elder's decision to assign her the full moon caste. She snorted derisively, rolling her eyes before sighing, hands at her hips. So much for thinking herself the clever manipulator.


She turned to Sakuya as the taller woman addressed her, an unintended smile coming to her lips as she snorted once more, this time trying to hold back laughter. "Aye, bandits indeed, milady. Cannae meet more pleasant folks," she replied, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "There be a great big plenty of 'em in house Fa'Yul. They've learned ta hide better, though, so ya don't know whos'a bandit anymore." To the point where no new laws seemed to pass in the empire anymore. It was amazing how ridiculously dependent the entire Realm's structure was on the empress, and how little the oaths meant to most of her officers.


She debated shifting back to her true form right there and then; Sakuya was clearly aware of and in good terms with the lunar exalted, or this new arrival would never have revealed herself to the spirit. More importantly, it also meant she wasn't an ally of the Order and the Wyld Hunt. However, even if Sakuya was potentially alright...she did not know this lunar. Assuming her current form was her true form at all; she wasn't the only one who knew how to hide moonsilver tattoos and take on human shapes, after all. Her eyes narrowed as she studied Huginn with suspicion. Moonsilver tattoos; most lunars had them in their true forms. Not conclusive proof, but...a chimera? A fellow human shapeshifter? Or did she simply use essence to hide her tattoos like she herself did in her own true forms? There were too many possibilities, too many uncertain factors. She plastered on a fake smile as she curtsied, bobbing her head, her decision made. She did not know enough about this stranger to risk revealing her true self just yet.


"I'm yours ta command, meladyship! Ne'er let it be said servants o' house Fa'Yul ever backed outta somethin'." She turned to Hayashi, shamelessly switching back to the old tongue. ["Stay safe,"] she said, her tone filled with concern. ["Don't come after us. Whatever happens, I will take care of it for you. You..."] She trailed off, biting her lower lip as she felt warmth rush to her ears. ["Just stay safe, please?"] She looked up into his eyes, fighting the sudden, irrational impulse to reach up and kiss him, tearing her gaze away after a few seconds. What was wrong with her? He'd never be interested in her that way. Dragons knew how many years the spirit must have lived; she must be like a child to him, exalted or not. There was simply no way he had feelings for her. ["Farewell,"] she said, spinning on her heels suddenly, turning back towards Sakuya expectantly. "Well? Housecleanin' ain't gotta take care of itself, me mam said. We 'ave bandits ta put in their place, aye? Let's get ta it!"

 

[WlfSamurai]

Naesala (formerly Huginn) completely ignores Suzume's "babbling". "Understood. Mistress, remember, you're not who you once were. I urge you to take your time." At that, she vanishes.


In contrast, Hayashi nods to Suzume. "I will be. You as well, child. Be safe and return to me. Farewell." He too vanishes.


END THREAD