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Castlevania: Now with 100% less backtracking [OPEN] [Action]
Ted donned his ill-used thinking cap. Where to find the madman's lab, with the prized elixir of life?
The skeletons might narrow it down to two fifths of Genessia: Fayren, and Everglade. And, Ted found, no matter how he mentally hemmed and hawed, he could not logically choose between them. Alchemy, necromancy, healing potions...either place could house them comfortably.
But if not mentally, perhaps emotionally? The laboratory he saw was, to make poor use of his vocabulary, creepy. A dirge from an organ would not be out of place. Put that way, it seemed right at home in Everglade. Fayren knew its share of the fantastic, true. But it seemed a sunnier, earthy, more wholesome thing. His journey's destination resonated most strongly with the dark, the old, and the spirits of Dickens.
So much for deduction. Now, Ted set upon Everglade, beating pavement, asking obvious questions. Have any witch brews made themselves especially pungent? Any mad scientist cackles roiling through the air? Did they know of a man with clothing as ornate as his heart was black? The night wore on, moon watching ominously overhead.
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She tilted her head to the other side. "Instructed you... not to? Are you sure?" Her brow furrowed a little bit. "I'm not sure... OH! Like a religion! Why didn't you just say so?" Koishi had brightened considerably. "I understand now. At home in Gensokyo, a nice lady with pretty hair has me help out at her Buddhist temple. She likes it when I talk about how my head is empty. I think she thinks it means something but I'm just a broken satori youkai but she doesn't want to listen. She says a lot of strange things about it that are difficult to understand, but I suppose that's what they want so I don't mind helping. Even if I don't get it myself."
She shrugged her shoulders, tipping her hat up. "Mister Spades." It seemed she finally had given him a formal nickname. "Be sure to look to make sure you understand exactly what is being said, okay? It's easy to get confused and misunderstand things. Especially with some of the lessons religions teach. Deities especially. They speak in vagueness and riddles and it can be hard to understand them, but don't give up, okay?"
She drifted up, looking at the door. "You're really restless, so let's go. We can talk more about it later over a warm cup of tea. Rose is my favorite, and I bet you'd like it too." She gestured to the door. "Shall we be off?"
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"Yes, exactly like one. You catch on quick." Goodness, if Buddhism perplexed, the faith from the other side of the world would probably be nigh-imperceptible. "No worries about deity; he's typically very lucid, especially about that. Strange; you're not the first lady whose urged me to dig deeper into things. And here I thought I knew it fairly well! Suppose I'll have to puzzle over that and my relation to spades."
He agreed, and went through. Whoa! That Larva almost got a bite in. Ted backed off, waiting for it to pass by. "That's one way to jump-start a heart...easy does it." He waited for it to pass by, then quickly dropped by, sneaking underneath to the west.
Another large room, eerily silent. They came in from the ground floor, seeing two pathways: upper-left, and upper-right. The room itself has the usual hodge-podge of alchemic materials. And one curious thing under a drape. Ted couldn't help himself, but whoever uncovered it first would find a choco souffle. This made Ted laugh a great deal.
"Oh, it's too absurd! Clearly, this is the reason this castle was built. This was why so much equipment, both arcane and scientific, was necessary, and why it needed to be guarded by scores of undead. Oh, that man, he thought he could trick us by making some red tincture. A literally red herring. I've seen through it! I can see it now; his brow, heavy with sweat, as his best and brightest labor to find the perfect ratio of filling-to-shell. The ingredients measured with the utmost precision, chocolate extracted from a diabolical cocoa bean plant. We shall find a greenhouse with the bedeviled tree just next door, I expect. But lo, his heart grew as dark and opulent as his dessert, having sacrificed humanity and sanity to produce it. And with most delicious irony, even what he has shall be taken away." Assuming Koishi hadn't already scarfed it, he'd stow it away. Perhaps the chaos of the castle had gotten to him.
Whether through infectious insanity, or just being Ted, he climbed towards the upper right, merrily inviting Koishi to attend. "Oh, what a place. What a loon!"
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She drifted closer to Ted, recasting the shield over him. "And it's always good to question things. Otherwise you do things blindly and that's never good." She didn't comment on the spades thing. Trying to figure out Koishi's logic was a fool's endeavor half the time.
She avoided the larva easily, following Ted into the new room. She paused at the sight of the chocolate treat, the heart over her shoulder twisting around once as she drifted closer to examine it. She only stole a small taste of it, her eyes brightening significantly, her third eye drifting over to nudge Ted... but stopped short. She remained still throughout Ted's entire rant, staring at him with a perplexed expression.
At the end of it all something cold seemed to reach out, wrapping around his mind and taking the edge off of his emotions. All of them, pulling him a little bit more forcefully toward a calm state. It only held for a few moments before relaxing its grip, hopefully cooling his momentary hysteria. "Is that better Mister...? Your mind went looped up and through and I don't know what I'm supposed to do about that. You need to be careful though. We can leave if it's too stressful a place..." The emotion had reminded her of panic, but it had been different in tone. It was not one she sensed often.
Regardless, she followed him as he pressed on, her normal calming aura settling gently over his mind.
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"Ah, that was you doing that Koishi. I thought it was queer how see-saw my passions were in here." Truthfully "Ted talks" like those weren't uncommon, but they were usually inflicted upon worthier targets than desserts, however out of place. "Just trying to make fun of something so unusual." Ted was sheepish, mostly due to relativity. When one like Koishi gives you funny looks, you've probably gone too far. "Still, please ask permission before administering your peculiar brand of calm-down juice. It's unsettling, being forcefully settled. If that makes any sense." He took a look around. "Not much does in this place. But no, let's continue. Leaving now would be just as bad as defeat, and we'll have none of it."
The next room might prove Ted to have spoken too soon.
There it was. The potion. A long, lavish hallway, with it sitting on the grandest pedestal so far. There could be no mistake. It was the elixir of life. Naturally, it was guarded by two fearsome monsters. Slogra, a seven-foot bony bird creature with a sharper beak, wielding a sharper spear, and Gaibon, the equally large but thicker fire-breathing gargoyle. It was technically a 2-on-2, but somehow Ted was less than comfortable with those odds. Worst of all, Ted had gone through the entire castle without once consuming any of his supplies from the Rabbit's Foot. Alas, these monsters were too many and varied for him.
"Shall we seperate, or be as one? If the former, I suggest the bird thing. Flying's more your specialty."
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Koishi visibly tensed as they stepped into the next room. Yes she could see their prize on the far end, but the creatures guarding it were not like the things they had previously fought. These things had a mind and a degree of cunning. She would have to be on her guard. But... what about...? She glanced at Ted, swallowing, a little nervous. The shield would only take a hit or two before breaking. To dedicate more of her power to it would compromise her own safety and if she was hurt or knocked out... Well then Ted would be unprotected.
"... Separating might work Mister Spades..." She was opening and closing her hands, sleeves shifting as she readied her tendrils. As much as it would be harder to protect Ted if they were separate, being together would mean she would have to protect two fronts simultaneously. "They are smarter than the others, so be really careful, okay?" Already she was drifting up into the air. It was a bit different this time, the little youkai sporting a very unsettling aura. It was clear she was more serious about this fight than the others.
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He'd try to heed Koishi's advice again, and keep his guard up. The electric skeleton had taught him that there's more to these creatures than meets the eye. Who knew what they were capable of? Thankfully they were fairly large, and Ted wouldn't have a hard time landing his shots with one hand. While wielding his bag in the other, he filled the gargoyle with a few bits of holy lead. "It would seem their tactics are already decided." They were tough creatures, unrelenting in their assault. And what an assault! The gargoyle picked up Slogra in its talons, the bird-beast with its spear pointed below, ready to strike. Ted got a good impression of what was coming, eyes fixated as he ran along the room. Gaibon flapped its imposing wings before releasing Slogra, its spear embedding itself in the ground. Just the ground, luckily; Ted had rolled out of the way and avoided an unpleasant skewering. He fired another shot at the grounded Slogra, actually causing it to flinch this time. No matter; Gaibon picked it up to begin the cycle anew.
Ted took a breath, unsure if their combination boded well or ill. How long could he keep this up?
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Koishi huffed and waved her hand, dispelling the thorns, actually panicking a little when Slogra was thrown at Ted. She turned to reinforce the shield, though, fortunately, Ted managed to roll away in time. This... wasn't going to work. She wanted to keep at a range, but Ted was not mobile enough to do that. Especially if one of these creatures was intent on throwing the other. And using reliable magic or psionic abilities while maintaining Ted's shield was out of the question. Her third eye closed. It was time to get her hands dirty.
The tendrils slid from her sleeves, Koishi drifting back far enough to place one toe on the far wall, her entire body coiling. She focused her full magic on Ted, hardening his shield as she waited for Gaibon to throw... She kicked off of the wall the moment Slogra had left Gaibon's talons, her tentacles lashing out ahead of her, one winding around the gargoyle's throat, the others spreading, trying to cage its body, wings included. She pulled hard, further accelerating herself, half crashing into, half shooting past the monster at quite a speed. She was trying to swing it to one side, hoping to knock it out of the air and pin its wings all while ending up behind the gargoyle. Unfortunately, Koishi didn't have a lot of mass, but her speed more than made up for it.
Hopefully the speed and ferocity of her attack would distract Slogra some to let Ted get in a few extra hits. Beyond that, you're on your own for now. Sorry Ted! Hopefully the shield will help!
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Ted had managed more distance from the pogo-stick attempt, now that he knew what to expect. Then he saw Gaibon get tackled by one much smaller than he, somehow, as Slogra was robbed of his air support. Earthling to earthling, flier to flier, as Ted thought things might go. He stole a glance at how on earth Koishi had managed it, shuddering a bit at how visceral things had gotten for her.
But there wasn't time for more than a quick threat scan. However she had done it, she had, and the important thing was to watch out for Slogra, whose spear was glowing at present. Ted would soon find out what that forebode, as it shot a triangular wave of energy at him. Ted panicked, and jumped, clearing the shot a few feet. Safe!
Or so he thought. Gaibon struggled, using its only weapon: balls of fire. Its neck was controlled, meaning it could only shoot one way, much as it might try to immolate its immediate surroundings. That meant the balls of flame were heading straight for Ted as he shot upwards. He raised his legs, the hellfire walkers deflecting a few of them. There were too many, however, and the last of them destroyed the shield. He was gonna have to start a tab for how many times Koishi saved his life.
Ted landed on his back, but softly thanks to the flight pin. His aerial adventure had allowed Slogra to catch to close the distance. Ted didn't fancy a swordfight with a weapon, or a monster, that massive. One day, he wished, he might be able to use such a chivalrous and romantic weapon. But for now, the much safer, much more efficient revolver. One, two, three, four five body shots. And still it approached. Just how much punishment could he take? It was a gamble, whether Ted had enough time to reload.
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She tensed visibly, shifting her grip as quickly as she could as the gargoyle turned to spit fire at Ted. It only got off three shots before a clawed hand wrapped around the creature's snout, stifling the fire. It burned her hand a little bit, but it wasn't hellfire. She could endure it for a awhile. She flinched as she felt Ted's shield break, but she wasn't in a position to remake it. Even with her magic no longer being tapped, she was in no position to focus, and lashing out psychically would hurt Ted too. She grunted, having to tuck her head as the Gargoyle rolled again to avoid hitting her head, putting her face unpleasantly close to the beast's neck...
Well that could certainly work.
Her jaw ached as her teeth sharpened the younger satori biting into the creature's spine, where the neck met the upper back. Considering how tough the creature's hide was and how thick its bones were at this location it would take considerable effort to chew through to the beast's nervous system. Especially since Koishi's jaw couldn't unhinge and wasn't big enough to bite through the vertebrate and muscle in one go. Well that just meant she had to take more than one bite!
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Ted barely scooted away as the spear plunged where his shins used to be. He was getting backed into a corner, nearing Koishi's struggle. He stole a glance, and was horrified. His partner's name was all he could yell before re-attending to his more present threat. He couldn't gamble taking out his speed loader and applying it in the time it would take Slogra to breach the gap.
Second verse, same as the first. He jumped with all his might, leaping over Slogra. At that exact moment, Gaibon entered a berserker rage. When either of these creatures neared the end of their mortality, their colors grew red, and their powers increased. In the gargoyle's case, his flames became thrice as large and intense. With the last of his breath. he ushered out alchemical flame, either launching at Ted's jump, or else at the hand that even now gripped him.
Ted dropped all of the things he'd bought from the Rabbit's Foot at once onto the beast's head. Surely one of them had to work. Indeed, it seemed to. As Ted alighted on the other side, he saw the beast flinch, its spear having disintegrated. Ted's adrenaline surged as he relished his enemy's disarmament. He took the time to arm his gun. One shot, two shots, then the beast lunged with its beak, increasing it's reach dramatically, and stabbed Ted's thigh. He howled in pain, nearly becoming disarmed himself. He hopped away with the strength of one leg, reflexively trying to create distance. He tried to focus on his aim through the pain, hopefully having enough impact to put the beast down for good.
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Her teeth met muscle again, this time scraping bone. She wasted no time, ripping out next layer of flesh to get at her target. Unlike the muscle, made tough by the gargoyle's ability to fly, the disks of its spine would give far more easily. Digging the elbow of her burned arm into the base of Gaibon's skull she she bit down twice at odd angles, breaking the disks, and once more to rip one of the vertebrae clean out of its neck.
She flinched visibly as the creature died, the psychic feedback providing a sobering shock, Ted's sudden pain compounding upon that. Pulling her claws free she struggled to untangle herself, finding some of the tendrils pinned under the large creature... And Ted needed help. Giving up on freeing herself for now, she took a breath, narrowing her focus on Slogra, her third eye opening wide enough for the corners to split. She promised to protect Ted. And that was exactly what she was going to do. Though it would not be easy seeing as Ted was also within her line of sight.
Focusing her power as best she could, she loosed a psychic lance at the beaked creature. Madness. Nightmares. Pain, sadness, fear. Everything that made up the darkest parts of the psyche were in that blast. Not as powerful as it could have been, she didn't dare risk more. Even after she put so much effort into focusing, Ted would undoubtedly feel the far edge of that strike.
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A wave of fear overcame Ted from without. By now, Ted was getting a feel for Koishi's compulsive mood swings, and he reasoned that that might explain why the creature had given up the offense, merely standing there, quivering. Being Death's minions, their capacity for feeling of any kind was blunted. But it was enough. Ted steeled his resolve, limping towards the creature. He wrested the gun into the creature's eye, and fired.
It was dead, as made evident by the way it's flesh immediately encased itself in flame, leaving only bones that swiftly faded into dust. Ted purposefully looked down, concentrating on what needed no further notice.
The violence done to Gaibon was too much as well, and it followed suit in self-cremation. The struggle was at an end, at least against them. Ted continued to stare at the floor, until he knew for certain that whatever madness gripped Koishi had passed.
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She remained silent, even when Gaibon's immolation scorched several of her tendrils. She simply shifted, readjusting and retracting fully her uninjured ones, drawing in the burned ones just short of the injury and allowing them to wind delicately up her arms. The burns needed to be treated and to dry out some before she could put them away properly. Though overall she wasn't seriously hurt.
Stepping forward, nearly tripping on the gargoyle's skeleton, the little youkai made her way over to Ted, not bothering to take to the air. She was too agitated. "Mister Spades?" Koishi had lost her frightening aura and some of her more monstrous features, her teeth and nails were still a little sharp. It didn't help that her mouth and hands were quite bloody and the sclera of her left eye was still completely black. The lid twitched a little. She reached up with a wrist, nursing the scar above her temple, the darker eye closing as her hat slipped off and to the floor. At least meeting the satori's gaze no longer felt like staring into empty sockets.
"Mm..." A deep breath. She had a migraine already. "Do... Should I cauterize that? Or do you have bandages..." A pause. "Do you need to be carried?" Her third eye drifted up as she made a half-hearted attempt to recreate her calming aura with little success. She was silent for another moment. She wanted to help, but she did't try to touch him yet.
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"I'll be fine". Not his most convincing voice, and not his most dignified moment. He took out the dessert he had mocked a short while ago. Every foodstuff till now had had a mild restorative effect. Perhaps this...? It was worth a shot. He took a bite, and could feel his wounds closing, without pain. "Positively miraculous...Koishi, you should eat something we found. The cheese might do." He felt idiotic, like a sous chef who mistakenly walked into an ER.
Mostly, though, he wanted Koishi to remove herself. This, he felt, was why fairies let their chosen ones do the dirty work. Because they're the ones who can wear the dirt. This was brutally ugly, like a Fairy Godmother taking part in a World War. Ted still wanted to hope that this world might be a fairy tail, if only for a few hours. But then, hope always was Ted's weakest virtue.
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"Well I don't have that horrid taste in my mouth anymore." A weak attempt to break the tension. "I guess youkai don't make good fairy companions after all. I'm sorry you got hurt..." Another pause. "Please don't be scared of me." Perhaps a foolish request at this point, but sincere none the less.
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Ted shook his head. "You're sorry for my state, I'm sorry for having induced it, as well as taking us on this fool's errand to begin with." It was a potentially scary thing when Ted, of all people, came to regret adventures. "Let's not bandy apologies till we have the energy."
'Scared' was an emotion, certainly, along with a host of others. It made for a cocktail Ted wasn't in the mood for sorting. At least his emotions weren't forcefully subsiding, this time. Ted got up, found that he was well enough to walk, and claimed the potion: genesis of the night's troubles. Into the bag it went.
"We've got what we came for. No reason to stay in this wicked place any longer. If you're good to go, by all means, let's go. If not, I have a few amenities in the bag. First aid, things to wash up with: a bath, if you can believe it." He was hoping for something more celebratory, but then Dracula wasn't the type to toss confetti. It's a wonder Ted didn't toss cookies. The violence, the adrenaline, the food, and Koishi's grisly sight all combined to make one roiling stomach. Queasiness, at least, was a feeling Ted had no doubts on.
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"I do want to apologize though. I made the adventure a little bit less fun." Her voice was almost completely normal. "I get over protective of my friends when there is danger around. I underestimated you and focused so much magic on protecting you I didn't save any to attack with. I should have trusted your skill more and stayed by your side. I'll remember that for next time. I promise."
She hesitated a moment, drifting a bit closer, looking down at her hands. "I... um... wouldn't mind a little water to wash my hands and face though." Gaibon's blood did not smell good.
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"Ask and ye shall receive." He took out a bottle of water and tossed it to her. There was much to respond to, listening to Koishi's progress report. True, most humans would have stayed away. Proverbs 22:3 "A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished." Boy had that one come true. Had he learned things? Yes, though he would have remained ignorant if he could've. Had fun? Yes, but that was a bit outweighed by most everything else. As usual, Ted couldn't comment on applied magic, and hardly more on battle strategies. He didn't wanna think how things would've gone had he been using more traditional weaponry.
But, above all else, he was too tired to articulate or argue any of it. The night bore on him, running out even his motor mouth. Ted sighed, adopting his usual pose with Koishi. "I'll trust in your account." His eyes were averse as much as they were able; maybe after the wash.
Once she had finished, Ted would wordlessly make his exit, bypassing the lazy Larva once again, and referencing the map he'd been recording.
I do not apologize for the reference.
Shifting the bottle to her hand she floated over to Ted, offering it back to him. Her left cheek and the corner of her eye were tense, the sclera on that side still black, the iris and pupil eerily bright. Once he had taken it back she drifted over to her hat, picking it up and gently rubbing the scar with her other. There was the beginnings of a bump and bruise bruise forming under it, though the cheese no doubt would ensure it didn't get all that bad.
She tried to put her hat on, visibly twitching several times before she gave up. The hat put some pressure on it as it stood now. She followed behind Ted a short ways, drifting closer when they got back to the maid room. She placed the hat gently on his head. "You can wear Mister Hat for awhile if you like. He's very comfortable and keeps me relaxed when I feel tense. Because Sis made him for me."
Re: I do not apologize for the reference.
"Thank you". He took the hat, a bit concerned. They still had the obstacles courses to retrace, and Ted feared for the safety of such a precious heirloom with whirling blades about. But she probably knew the risks, repetitive as they are. He found Koishi's new, blacker countenance disconcerting, and was none too subtle about avoiding eye contact when he could. Mister Hat would assist there.
Ted was a bit bashful receiving the bottle, knowing that his usual absent-mindedness had caused pain again with a careless toss. Such is his life, he though resignedly, and with the same attitude made his way back to the castle entrance. Ted had little to say on the return journey, his thoughts centered around what to say for a farewell. He felt ashamed, of course. He owed much to Koishi, and detaching himself like this was a poor reward. And yet, what else could he do? All his disappointments were due to his own preconceptions; The Tower crumbling down. He thought they'd be in for a grand amusement; he was wrong, mostly. He thought Koishi would be like the Three Good Fairies; mostly wrong again. He thought he'd be able enough to brave the challenges capably; mostly wrong three times. Like a dark cloud hovering above all this, he thought that this attitude was most unlike him. The Fool ought to be cheery and open, cracking jokes with utter inattention. He might think of one now of Koishi's more carnivorous features, if he liked.
But he did not like. However alien the cloud, it remained, and no amount of mental attention would budge it. His ideas were wrong, his attitude was wrong. The Fool is not the most glamorous of titles, the Bible heaping no little abuse on it, but to fail to live up to even that happy idiot was pitiful. Perhaps it was just Castlevania's evil seeping into him; no good thing could last in there indefinitely, surely. They had trekked all the way back to the black forests past the drawbridge, and Ted, in another concession of personality, had nothing to say.
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By the time they reached the drawbridge, her eye was finally starting to clear, but she was still rubbing her temple. Needless to say the looped heart normally held above her left shoulder was completely gone.
She paused, hovering there for a moment before drifting forward quickly, giving Ted a tight hug. Not too tight (she was amazingly strong for her size) but it might have been slightly uncomfortable for a human. "I'm really sorry if I scared you Mister Spades. Really. I closed my eye so I wouldn't scare people anymore but that doesn't always work out as planned..." The understatement of the century.
She let go quickly, taking a deep breath. Safe for a dark tinge around the edges of her eye she was completely back to normal. "Maybe the subconscious doesn't work well as a fairy? As opposed to a youkai not working well. I don't know..." She HAD actually been trying to play the role. "I act on impulse when I'm alarmed. And the subconscious is neither good nor bad. I just... Bring out various aspects. Usually joy. And calm. I really like those..."
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Ted couldn't help but be warmed up after that. Given that his aura, if you will, was all wrong, what was Ted to do about it? Lie, obviously. One could say that the better part of morality is pretending to be better than you are. Ted vigorously shook his head, and burst. "A pox on apologies! This shall be the last for the evening, anyway. Ahem! I'm sorry for being such a dreadful bore. We won! We've done it! True you may have done the lion's share but nonetheless, the castle is vanquished! I dare say if we should ever pay a second visit, it won't even be standing by the end of it!
Not only have we secured the double-edged elixir of life—we must remember its conditions—, but we've secured a magic emerald, and no small amount of desserts. Made off like bandits! We ought to celebrate. As I lack the funds for a proper celebration, I substitute this." He made a move for Koishi's arm, put his dance lessons to use, and spun for a twirl.
Whew! That must've made an allowance to squeeze out the last of Ted's melancholy. He started again, quieter. "As to the fairy/youkai business, well...all I know to say is that, I suppose, neither of us are as I wished. Not that my wishes ought to count for much, mind. But one thing I wish very much is to sleep like a log, after all that excitement. Are you satisfied with the divvying of spoils? I don't suppose you know anyone in dire straits who might need the crimson fluid?"
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She did pause in her celebration after a moment though. "Emerald?" She reached into her pocket and removing the Frenzy of Wind. "It looks more like jade to me. Or maybe even malachite-" Her correction was cut off, however as Ted grabbed her by the arm and spun her about, the little youkai giggling uncontrollably as he did so.
She spun once when he let her go, a little lopsided in the air for a few moments as she corrected herself. Fortunately the mood shift managed to calm her down fairly quickly. "Not what you wished?" She blinked. "Mister Spades? You know I'm a four-hundred year old psychic monster of myths and legends, right? I should tell you more about satori youkai sometime. Sis is better at telling stories than me though but if she's not around I'll try my best." A pause. "Also, what did you wish that you were? I think you're fine just the way you are."
As for the spoils? "You can keep the stone too if you want Mister Spades. I got to eat so I'm happy. And I don't think I know anyone who is hurt and needs a healing potion. You should save it for sometime or for someone who really needs it. Okay?"
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"If that's conventional, the strange Youkai must be truly unorthodox. I don't know; that phantasmal shield that hung about me was rather gracious. I rather enjoyed not being flattened like a pancake every now and again. But you're the expert in these things."
"Hmm, maybe take the stone to one of those...what were they called, oni smiths? See if they know anything about it."
Ted may not be the fastest thing on two legs, but he was never second rate at evading questions. "400 years? Hah, I suppose at that point there's no need to be less than forward." Women Ted knew tended to be a bit shier about that information once they got into their thirties. "You age well; I'm tempted to say not at all. Well, if I didn't know it now, I'm certainly starting to get that impression." He tried to let go of his preference for 'fairy', but that would be a hard-fought loss.
"Oh, and here's your hat." He placed Mister, garland and all, atop its rightful place. "Another thing: mum's the word on the potion, all right? Private victories are sweeter, for one, and for another, there's no telling what sort of unsavory types might want to get their greedy hands on it. If you must boast, do so only to the trustworthy, if you please."
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Koishi did tilt her head a bit at the comment though. "Not at all? Nooo satori youkai age. We get taller. Slowly. Her smile grew."Some of the oldest ones were a whole foot and a half taller than me when I left home. But I was shorter then..." She looked thoughtful. "But I'm not that old for a youkai. Some youkai can live ten thousand years or more! The oldest satori I knew of was over two thousand, if he's still alive..."
She giggled softly as her hat was placed on her head, her left shoulder and the corner of her mouth twitching involuntarily. She closed her left eye before it started to darken again, quickly removing it once more. "I'm going to wait for the bump to go down before wearing Mister Hat again."
A pause... "Who is this 'mum' person? I wont tell anyone about the potion but make sure mum doesn't tell anyone either."
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