[Action]

[blindneedles]

It didn't take more than even the slightest bit of awareness for Jubei to realize he was drugged and not in a familiar place. The cocoon wasn't the major clue though as much as the sound of water all around him. There weren't any lakes in Mugenjou... He lay still for several minutes fighting the haze while trying to avoid his awakening unnoticed. When it was confirmed nobody was nearby, the man pulled a long, silver needle from under his sleeve and started ridding himself of the remaining haze.

Only then did he feel his way out of the odd nest of threads with the items on his chest in his free hand. A necklace, what felt like some kind of phone, and a packet of paper that felt like money. Jubei would have to ask their value later. For now though...

"Kazuki? Sakura? Makubex? Shido? Emishi?"

Just because he couldn't hear them breathing in the immediate area didn't mean they wouldn't hear him. After a minute of waiting while sitting on what felt like the edge of the mass of threads he shook his head and stood up. His shoes and the lower cuff of his pants were instantly soaked but that was far more dignified than entering a possible Situation only partially prepared. It was rather easy to wade out of the cavern towards land. At least it felt like he still had all his needles, clothing, and even his sunglasses. So far there had been no sign of threat and that made him even more alert.

Comments

[blindneedles]

Smart? Well, he did have a rather deviated sense of common sense and intelligence than most of the world, but there was an indication that she didn't mean the words to be taken as stated... Jubei mulled over the possible meanings while simply shifting aside when she reached a foot away. He had no reason to try and stop her and it wasn't as if there weren't several other places to exit. Trying to prevent someone from leaving that cavern would be like plugging up a few holes in a sieve.

But Jubei wasn't one to wait on her indulgence either. He had actually started up the slight slope towards the street several steps before she suddenly growled, threw something like playing cards from herself, and then rounded on him. Jubei sighed and turned an ear towards her so it looked like he was glancing back. "I awakened three minutes ago in an unfamiliar setting. I claim no responsibility, but I will defend my internal organs if you choose to attack."

[faetan]

If she chose to attack? It would be when she chose to attack at this rate. The whole situation was setting her on edge, and Jubei was the closest outlet for her to mask her confusion with rage. He would hear the shrill, sharp song of steel being drawn as she pressed the tip of her blade up against his chin.

"You didn't answer. My question."

Faetan still hadn't realized he was blind. His eyes were hidden from her, and she mistook his perceptions for smartassery. She reached out with her other hand to knot in his collar and pull him up close.

"I don't care if you claim responsibility or you don't. Are you responsible? Tell me straight." She gave his collar one sharp jerk. "I'll know if you're lying."

[blindneedles]

Some people never seemed to learn not to poke a badger. Jubei would have been quite willing to go about his own business of trying to track down where he was and how he could get back. But the woman seemed quite eager to hold him accountable for... whatever it was that happened to them. Steel to the neck, a fist in his shirt, Jubei could have simply given her a blow to the chest that would probably snap all her ribs and maybe rupture some organs.

Instead, his hands blurred along her arms with a prick of his needles into the main points. It would be quite difficult to keep her hands on him and her sword when both arms went numb and limp. He then took a step back and straightened his shirt. "I am not, nor am I one to the threatened. I regained consciousness three minutes ago and so far the only thing I know is that this is not Mugenjou."

[faetan]

It was a shame Jubei was blind, because the look of dumbfounded shock on Faetan's face was priceless. Her eyes widened as she watched her blade slip from her nerveless fingers, clattering noisily on the stone street. Both her arms hung like wet noodles at her sides, completely useless. She shot them a look of pure outrage, gritting her teeth, before her expression darkened into rage once more.

"Bastard!" she snapped. How dare he not let her threaten him! "What the hell did you just do to my arms?!" He was going to pay for this humiliation, she was sure of it.

Once she stopped being impotent.

[blindneedles]

"No, my parents were married. As for your arms, I blocked the nerves and relaxed the major muscles. It'll wear off in about half an hour." He thought about reaching down and putting her sword back in the sheath but the woman might misinterpret his intentions yet again. Jubei sighed and listened to what was going on around them for a few moments. It seemed that a few people had started to notice them.

"This place... are there any signs to indicate our location?" Why yes, he totally thought she'd stop growling at him and give him an actual answer... not. Anyone who just started randomly attacking people just to vent frustrations would be unlikely to give straight answers. "I have someone important I need to find."

[faetan]

Faetan ground her teeth as she swiveled in place to follow Jubei's motions with her eyes, as if she were trying to hatefully stab the back of his head with her glare alone. It wasn't working very well. He confused her. Why would he disarm her like that without killing her? Was his goal to humiliate her and nothing more? If she didn't think he'd put her leg to sleep too, she would have tried ramming her boot up his rear end.

"The hell are you talking about?" she growled. It didn't occur to her that he meant actual posted signs; it sounded as if he were asking if she spotted any clues. She glanced around, arms swaying slightly with her motions, but she still saw nothing at all familiar. The shops were foreign, and the smell of the air was strange too.

[blindneedles]

More likely than not he would have done more than put her legs to sleep if she had continued attacking him. There was no malice at all within him but he would defend himself as well as those under his protection without a second thought. Except there didn't seem to be any traces of those he cared for nearby. And the idea that they may have left him behind was completely unthinkable to him just now.

"Signs, text, books, novels, magazines, papers with information." Jubei was quite willing to expand on his bases of information. His head even turned a little bit in her direction. Perhaps even enough for her to catch the directionless eyes under his glasses. "I am unable to read information that might be printed around us. If you are unable to read I shall go question the people around us." Jubei would have preferred information without having to randomly engage someone passing along. But if he had to lower his standards of dignity then that was what he would do. But he certainly wouldn't do any favors to the woman close to him.

[faetan]

Faetan hesitated. She gave Jubei a hard stare for several moments. Was he illiterate? ...Or blind? Her gaze flicked briefly around them. Only one way to find out who she was dealing with, she supposed.

"There's a stand of fliers to the right. Can't exactly pick them up and read them, though, can I?"

The fliers were actually to the left. If he called her on it, then she could claim to have mixed up the directions. A common enough mistake. But if he went to the right, then she'd know for a fact that he couldn't see.

And that would suck, because it meant she got her ass kicked by a freaking blind guy.

[blindneedles]

His head turned towards the right and he paused to listen for the sound of paper moving in the breeze. Then his head turned to the correct direction. Ah, she must have meant her right. It was true that she wouldn't be able to pick one up, but he wasn't quite ready to unblock her arms just yet.

So Jubei did the next logical thing and took the few steps over to pick one up himself with no fumbling, turned, and held it up for her.

Upside down.

Sorry Faetan, you did get owned by a blind man.

[faetan]

Faetan stared, her dark eyes slightly wide. Then her lips peeled back, revealing grit teeth, and her brow dipped deeply. He was blind. She lost the use of her arms to a blind man.

"THIS IS BULLSHIT!!!!" she roared, whirling on the rack of fliers with a vengeful roundhouse kick. The stand clattered noisily to the ground, papers fluttering into the air. DIE FLIERS! DIE FLIER STAND! She'd never been so angry or humiliated in all her life. If her father or family had been here to witness, she would have been even more incensed at this mockery.

"You're blind?! How did I lose to someone like you?!" she demanded, her features contorted in fury.

[blindneedles]

Jubei sighed at her reaction. Just like a kid throwing a tantrum and just as predictable. He even reached out and tapped her ankle before she could finish her kick. It wasn't to actually do anything to her, just let her know he was aware exactly where she was.

"Quite easily, miss. I can sense and hear you shift your weight even before you move. By closing in on an unknown person without properly evaluating my potential strength you left yourself completely open." Jubei then gestured towards the fallen stand and scattered flyers. "You allow your anger and fear to drive you to lash out recklessly. You should learn more respect for your surroundings and resources. Littering and property damage is not an acceptable means of expressing frustration."

[faetan]

"Don't touch me!" she snarled at him, her fury continuing to rise. Her anger might have been forced to dissipate before because of the impotency of her arms, but this was too much. Who was he to lecture her, to tell her she was flawed? Just some blind pissant! What she wouldn't give for the use of her fists just so she could bloody his nose and make his eyes sting with tears...!

"And you can shove that respect up your ass! You wanna preach, go find yourself a chapel, you sightless bastard!" Faetan stalked to her sword, wedging her foot beneath the blade to kick it up and catch it in her teeth. Fortunately she'd practiced such a trick for use on her ship, as it left her hands free to climb (and it looked pretty damn cool), otherwise she'd be forced to either abandon her weapon or hunker over it and growl at anyone who came close to make sure no one ran off with it.

The box, though, she'd have to come back for. She stalked off, furious and insulted. She would not forget this, not until she'd paid him back ten times over in humiliation.

[blindneedles]

Preach? His frown was a good sign of his confusion. Jubei was a physician, not a priest. Ah well, at least now he could go searching for someone who would be able to read the pamplet to him in peace. But first... He pushed the stand upright again and started picking up what hadn't blown away. It would be left as neat as he could manage without knowing which end was up. Only then did he leave as well to explore the city around the lake.