Yui-chan

Thanks for the birthday wishes, everyone. It was a restful day. ~Yui

((Did anyone admit or deny that the Quincunx was in the Bermuda Triangle, as Tanuchan guessed? Has she been found? )) ~Yui

((Quick! Someone get Zadown off of Easter Island before the Dreamer finally does destroy him. @_@ )) Soon to reveal her new location, ~Yui

((I don't see any misspelling, there... *wink, wink, nudge, nudge* ))

Why are the Potter books good? It still amuses me to no end that they appeal to adults when they're written for teens. Inquisitive, ~Yui

The shadows twist in strange ways as Yui shoves against them, warping the bounds between Pen and Real and back again. After much moaning and complaining, a few currents of static power serving as rather stinging reminders that this is a barrier not to be crossed easily or lightly, they are finally forced to give way, and the small woman slips out into bright, California sunshine and the smell of salt and rotten fish. Ugh. Wrinkling her nose, the transformed Huntress straightens her polyester-blend shirt and brushes a speck of grey-white dirt from her fitted jeans. I'd forgotten how much this place stinks. Only the ghosts of prisoners long gone and the half-crumbling cementine walls overhear her quiet mutter. With a sigh, she raises her gaze to peer at the fallen prison, ignoring a gaggle of camera-draped tourists chattering on in Chinese as they meander past her on the pebbled path. Squinting against the harsh reflection off the near-white walls, it takes her a moment to get her bearings, but soon she can make out the collapsed rubble of the Warden's house on her right and the weed-choked 'field' that served as the prison Yard glaring at her from the other side of the path. Now, just to find Zadown in the bars and tunnels of the compound... It wasn't all that hard, the whispers of curious and excited visitors guiding her to the 'strangely-dressed man' that was loitering in the barber's chair. A family of rather loudly-spoken Americans were busily trying to convince the people next to them in line that he was probably an actor there to help spruce up the tour. Yeah. Right. Shaking her head, Yui slipped quietly past the milling throngs and into the narrow corridor that led to the famous cells, ignoring dirty looks cast her way for 'cutting'. Sure enough, the Zadown of Old sat in the leather-wrapped chair with his chin fisted on his knees, studiously ignoring a pair of Norwegians who were asking him questions in broken English. Hm. I'm not sure I even want to know how you got yourself trapped here of all places, Zadown. This particular world is notoriously difficult to get to ... and to escape from. At first, he blinked blankly at this short, pretty-ish blond stranger with her long, wavey hair and her stylish clothes, but then recognition hit him, and the old mage's green eyes went wide. Yui couldn't help but grin at his surprise, making a vague little gesture down at herself. When in Rome, you know... Come on. Let's get out of here before the Reality of this place has any more chance to infect you. Alcatraz Island just doesn't suit a mage of Terra. Guessing long-windedly, ~Yui

Elation and joy are tempered by the hints in his words and eyes, and what might very well have been the first-ever witnessed tacklehug by the solemn Huntress turns into a quiet approach and a warm, strong hug, instead. Yui-chan smiles softly and plants a kiss on Brute's dark cheek. Heyya, stranger. Welcome home. Yours, ~Yui

Am I too late to join the fun? Yui-chan + Books = Obsession. Late, as usual, ~Yui

Late that night... The wards and guardians of a very personal space stood before her, crackling with energy and carefully bridled threat just as they were meant to. The former were the standard Pen-variety protection spells, woven in strands of silver-grey Peredhil and tinged with the earthy tones of Gyrfalcon, their lines as perfect and intricate as one would expect from a joint venture between the two powerful men. The latter were creatures that eluded her understanding, strange imp-spirits that danced just on the outside of vision and on the very edge of mage-vision, their forms so shifting and obscured that the only thing she knew for certain was what she could feel. Wildness. Freedom. Willing servitude. Balance. In short, Nature. She wondered idly whether Gyrfalcon knew about his god-gifted protectors... and she felt strangely certain that he did not. Yui crouched in her dark place-between-places and reached a hand out to close the distance to the wards, her motions slow and steady. Trained to recognize her, the spell was a simple matter to pass through, but her friend's more feral defenses were another matter entirely. Darkening threateningly, they skittered across the threads of the spell to place themselves like a writhing mud-puddle between her and her destination, as expected. 'Konbanwa, little spirits,' the Huntress whispered, her thoughts piercing the soundless air. 'Thank you for keeping my friend safe. Will you let me pass? I can prove to you that I'm worthy. Come. See for yourself.' Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to relax and open her mind and heart just as her fingers brushed the puddle of elementals. They swarmed her so suddenly that she had to grit her teeth against the shock of it, concentrating to avoid the instinctive urge to snap up the mental and emotional barriers she'd just lowered. Suffocating. Buried. Draped in too much weight for such ephemeral creatures. Yui staunchly ignored the sting of their tiny claws as they shuffled through her thoughts and feelings, reminding herself that Nature was not often a gentle force. Instead, she concentrated on her half-elven friend, summoning up the memories built from thousands of years of love and care. Adventures. Wars. Quiet conversations. Fascinating debates. Rousing victories. One-sided sparring matches. A flash-image of crossed swords was the trigger, and suddenly the young woman was yanked back into the memory that the Nature wards latched on to. "Do it." She heard herself whisper the words, once more drowning in the grief and desperation of that moment as if the many months since had never happened. "Quickly, Gyr, before it's too strong to resist." Those eyes of his held such fear, even as he leveled his sword at her heart. She could feel the war he waged againt himself just as poignantly as she could feel the war she waged against the Chaos twining itself through her will. Kill her and save millions across the multiverse. Let her live and doom himself and her both. It hurt, either way. "I- ... Yui, I-" "Please..." She couldn't say more than that, throwing all her concentration into ignoring the compulsion tickling in the back of her mind. He had to know it, too. The battle that raged inside must have shown in every tense line of her body. Either way, she was lost. Gyrfalcon must have realized the same thing, because the half-elf suddenly tightened his grip and threw himself forward, lunging with the speed and accuracy born from millenia of practice. The blade bit with frightening ease through cloth and flesh, its passage whisper-soft in contrast to her cry of pain, but even as it did, she knew they'd failed. Had he pierced her heart with Redemptio's perfect steel, it would have hurt far less than what she felt as that heart shattered, instead. The young woman watched him open his eyes, saw the moment he realized that his fate was now sealed. Her hand moved. Her arm raised. She wanted to touch him, but touching him was the absolutely last thing she wanted to do, the harm that she'd tried to die to prevent. The Chaos wanted to disturb the Order of his existence, and so did she. But she also didn't. Not that there was a choice. "Forgive me," she whispered, feeling the muscles in his shoulder tense beneath her palm, fighting the burn of Power that surged up from somewhere within and beyond her. He didn't have time to do more than stare at her with understanding eyes before that horrible Power unraveled him, throwing so much Chaos into his being that the tiniest particles of him flew apart in a billion different directions. Redemption crashed to the ground at Yui-chan's feet, its blade slick with her blood, and she followed it, feeling as wholly destroyed as Gyrfalcon. Pain woke her from the forced revery, but not just the pain that her guilt always pricked her with over that incident. 'Aaaaah!' The Nature ward's rage ripped at the scar on her shoulder with tiny claws and razor-sharp teeth, burrowing its way from front to back as if those ephemeral guardians were tracing the path the sword took. Slowly. Agonizingly. Struggling just to breathe through the torment, Yui fell, curling into an unhappy ball on the edge of the shadows. Still, she had the presence of mind to know the attack for what it was. The ward accepted her, but punished her nonetheless because that was what she felt, what she always did to herself. The Gyrfalcon she'd had to destroy in that parallel world may have forgiven her, the Gyrfalcon who slept peacefully in the tower on the other side of the wards may have forgiven her, but she still had not forgiven herself. She wondered, at times, if she ever could. After a few moments, her guilt was assuaged, and the cavorting mass of elemental spirits slipped away from her body to return to their home in the warding spell. Yui sat up gingerly, catching her breath as the pain slowly faded. She still had an important task to accomplish. This time, she stepped up to the dancing boundary of the Nature-blessed ward confidently, placing her hand flat against the threads. The guardians parted and the Pen-born portion of the weave recognized her, letting her slip through into the dark quarters on the other side of the shadows just as easily as normal. Within seconds, she had done what she came to do, and she left Gyrfalcon's room with a little grin on her lips. Behind her, a simple map drawn on rough parchment waited patiently on the Ranger's desk, weighed down by a small paper box and a note that read, "I'm sorry I didn't make it back for your birthday. Meet me here at dusk, please, and I'll make it up to you. ~Yui"

~Brief Description~ Temae Yui is an Ascendant Mage who has gained the ability to portal from place to place via another realm, called the Shadow Plane. She is immortal and lost track of her age a long time ago, but has probably lived well over 10,000 years. Yui was born human and still appears to be so, a petite woman with long golden-blonde hair and greyish-green eyes. Ever the practical person, she can most often be found wearing fitted trousers, a vest-like garment over a long-sleeved shirt, and an ebon cloak. Yui-chan is well known as a dedicated and responsible individual, taking care of anything and everything she can. She runs a fiefdom in the Pen lands, has a position within the Pen as an Elder, and finds motivation in keeping both her lands and the Pen running smoothly. She is a good person to have on one's side, and perhaps equally as bad to have as an enemy. This mysterious woman has achieved master-level in archery and can send herself or someone else through any shadow not belonging to the person doing the travelling. Yui possesses a bag of enchanted jade arrowheads inside her cloak, her bow, and an unadorned Katana. Disclaimer: This description was written by Katz as part of her quill-quest. Thank you, Katzaniel!

Everyone, Thanks very much for your comments and feedback. I think you've proven to me that Anarchist did what it was intended, since you noted not only the wild attempt to break out of the mold but also that bitter irony that's built into the very structure of the piece. I think the entire concept of an anarchistic system is rife with contradiction and uncertainty, and the reality of it would be far, far different from what any sane person truly wants. Wyvie, the 'let phookin' ears hang low' line is a play on a colloquialism that basically means 'let it all hang out'... be natural and unfettered. Once again, it's a reference to being free. I thought it had a kind of punk-metal beatnik sound to it that made me laugh, so I threw it in there. Ah, and for anyone who went crosseyed trying to read this, here is the conventionalized text:

http://www.patrickdurham.net/themightypen/index.php?show...50entry103876 "Boring"? Thou dost wound me, Vlad. Truly, I am bloodied. *cry* Teasin', ~Yui

I think you're out of luck, Tralla. You're not feathery enough. What a sweet story. I love those little signs in life that say not all humans are selfish, cruel-hearted b--... beasts. It's an easy lesson to forget, without moments like that. >_ Cynic, ~Yui

Wyvie, Thanks for the feedback, once again. I can see your point about the transition between similes getting strange. The mice were meant to meld together the idea of water, which gets in through the tiniest cracks, and a fortress, which would be infested with vermin who can do much the same thing. The words in the last stanza, though, just don't make that shift as clear as it could be. An astute observation, as always. You're my poetry Professor. And, on to the next... Finally, a new addition to my 'IST' sequence. This is the product of having my laptop in a really dull, day-long meeting. Whee! Computerness rocks. On the downside, though, I used so many MS Word tools that I can't properly convert this to text for the Pen Board. I apologize, but you're going to be viewing it as an image, instead. Ah, and ... I sure hope you can read what it says. If necessary, I'll provide a translation of the text. >_ Overzealous, ~Yui

"Very well." The deep, gravely rasp of the Dreamer's voice overwrote the sound of Yui's breathing and the rustle of fabric as Valdar fidgeted with his sleeve. Dropped in emotionless tones into the stifling air of the room, the words promised nothing, reassured no one, and at the same time dropped finality over the entire conversation. 'Very well'. The Huntress resisted an urge to frown, her silvered gaze following the Planewalker's form as he made his way back to his throne and settled himself into exactly the same position he'd held when they had first entered. Pain in his hands. Black-tainted blue in his eyes. The armor of a warrior king shimmering around his deceptively frail shoulders. The expression he wore was the dead look of a thoughtful monarch, and the two others in the room knew it for the dismissal it was. Yui turned to Valdar and beckoned him closer, crouching down to meet his eyes. "Thank you, Valdie-kun. I'm sure Uncle Dreamer understands, now. You did a very good job of explaining it to him." The smile she gave the child warmed some small portion of the cold air in that place and wiped the uncertainty from his expression. He grinned proudly, nodding. "You wanna go, now, Auntie Yui? Uncle kinda looks like he's in his thinkie pose. I don't think he wants us to talk to him, any more." "Hai... Let's go back to the Keep." The little woman glanced across the room, her expression sobering as she considered the silent Planewalker. He would heal, and he would think. Whether his ponderings brought him around to forgiveness or to vengeance... Well, time alone could influence that decision, now. Yui followed Valdar out of the Dreamer's dead room, clenching her teeth against an urge to consider what a war between Planewalkers would do to the beautiful halls of the Pen. ____________ The next day: Peredhil finished his explanation with a still-weary sigh, leaning back in his seat. Even after so much time spent unconscious or asleep, he felt weak and drained, aching slightly where his body and spirit still resonated with the essence of the Pen and its denizens. The effects were fading more slowly than he might have expected. "Ah. That explains a lot." Across from the Ancient, Temae Yui leaned her chin on her fist, all too aware of the dark circles under her friend's eyes and the brittle way in which he moved. The Healer needed some healing, himself, but it could wait until the meeting had ended. "I wondered where your magic was coming from, but I couldn't trace it back to any particular source. Thank you for saving me from my bluff against that Solar." He answered her grin with a small one of his own, admitting, "You willed that yourself, Yui; you just borrowed a bit from the Pen to make it happen." Pondering that, the group fell silent for a moment until Gyrfalcon growled and leaned forward to smack his palm on the hard wood of the table. Gwaihir jumped at the sudden sound. "I can't believe I wasn't around for all of that. I should have been here to--" "-- to what, Gyrfalcon?" Ozymandias interrupted, his deep voice gentle with sympathy. "Even you couldn't stop the Dreamer if he wanted to blow this place to Kingdom Come." The ranger sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "I could have helped... somehow..." Beside him, Yui leaned in to rest a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You did help, Gyre-kun, even if you weren't here to wield a sword or spell. You're a good teacher to a little boy who is going to grow up to be as powerful as the Dreamer but as compassionate as his Uncle Gyr." She smiled. "Your protégé made every choice with caring intentions." Gyr blinked at that, blushing slightly as he took in all the amused grins aimed at him. As proud as he was of Valdar, he wasn't sure what he thought about being most useful as the Pen Nanny. Finally, he relented with a smirk and muttered, "Remind me of how good he is next time he summons a clutch of imps in the middle of my tavern." An hour's worth of tension broke on the laughter that followed, and by the time it had faded, all the self-recriminations and doubt in the room had been washed away. Ozymandias examined each face around the circle, his expression sobering. "It could have been worse, but let's not forget that Vlad was nearly destroyed by the Dreamer's servant. Minta's necromancy saved him from a final death, but his new unlife is a constant reminder of our vulnerability. Tzim, is he going to be ... all right in Minta's control?" Beside Orlan, the nekkid woman shrugged. "Minta is Minta. He has his will, if not his freedom. It's something..." "Hm." The Loremaster nodded slightly, his expression making it clear that he was certainly not trustful of the situation. "Well, I'll trust you and Orlan to help keep her under control. "Yui? Do we need to get serious about preparing defenses against the Dreamer?" The Huntress sighed as her leader voiced the exact question she'd been asking herself all day. "I wish I could say, Ozy-san." "A guess, then? Intuition?" For a moment, she was silent, her gaze fixed far beyond the window. "... He believed enough of what Valdar told him to calm his rage, and that buys us time, at the very least. The Dreamer is eternal. Even if he chooses vengeance against what he thought was an attack, he has no need to seek it tomorrow or next week or even next decade. I think we are safe for now, and who knows what future events might do to whatever decision he has made." With a sigh, Yui gathered her thoughts back and turned to meet the ancient king's eyes. "I want to trust him, Ozy." He nodded slightly before his glance went to the only True Planewalker in the room. "Peredhil?" Elrond nodded as well, resting his hands on the cool table. His discerning regard was gentle where it rested on the Shadow Elder's face. He could see how fragile the hope there truly was. "Sometimes it's enough to have someone who trusts and believes in you. Even for a creature like the Dreamer." "Good enough for me," Ozymandias pronounced with a smile, tapping his fist on the table. "Now, if there's nothing else..." When the group all shook their heads, he stood, stretching. "Take care, then. You all know where to find me." Gwaihir paused as he was pushing his chair in and raised a finger, "Actually, it's really only sometimes that - ... " The oblivious elf paused at the dirty look Ozy shot him and wisely closed his mouth, turning to trot off after Jechum's fading form. Wyvern snickered, but Zool's protestations covered the sound as the painted Elder was carted off to promises of "a geld-mine of a scheme". "Peredh..." Ozymandias waited until the others were out of earshot before calling to his friend. The half-elf paused, turning back. "I wondered if you were really going to accept it all on faith." Smirking sadly, the Loremaster glanced at the door as a small form in a pitch-black cloak disappeared into the stairwell beyond. "... I'm not as fond of hope as I am of precautions. Let's ... talk..." Fin

1) A Female Member of the Pen - Salinye's Ogre Muse, Bertha 2) An Animal - a bald cat 3) Verb ending in "ing" - kibbitzing 4) A Male Member of the Pen - Elladan Peredhil 5) Adjective - prestigious 6) An Article of Clothing - a black g-string 7) A Mode of Transporation - floating upside-down A Location - Cioden's lavatory 9) A Landmark - L'arc de Triumph 10) Adjective - indomitable 11) Plural Noun - hemmorages 12) Verb ending in "ing" - expelling 13) Noun - soy milk 14) A Liquid - molten silver 15) A Female Celebrity - Miss Piggy 16) An Article of Clothing - a frilly garter belt 17) Noun - broken lock 18) A Colour - chartreuse 19) A Part of Body - sternum 20) Noun - pushpin Oh boy, oh boy! ~Yui

Mmmmmmmmmmmuhhh... Newzzz, not ... braiiiinsss. Annnnnnnouncem'tzzz: Quill Quests >> YanGannnnn play cards... mmmmrrrrrrr... Must not eaaaat poker chips...mmm.... Promooootionzzz... mmm... >> Magic brain goooooooooooood. Gryphhhhhon ... Herald, now... grrlglgl... join zoooombie mob... nnnr... Attention neeeeeeeded... : 1) Glrrrgl... Rehhhhverie... poetic braaaaain... sign up to Slaaaaaam Quill Quest. GoooOoOoOo! 2) Katzaaaaniel.... hrkkl... catch peeeople and eat braiiiiins! Gooooood Quilll Quest... donate braiiiin today! 3) Feeeeeeed Madlibs yummy woooords... like brains, but more fiiiiiiber! Uuungh... 4) Guilds goooood... hkkkglllrlll. Stoooory brains mixed with Poooooetry brains... mmm... make goooood brain casserole! Sunnnndries: -- Grrrrargh! ... Weenie Award make baaaad braiiiiins! -- Vaaaaaldarrrrrr... Writing Exchaaaaaange. Gnaw other braiiiiins?? -- ... mmmmnnn... Pen Recommennnnnnnnnds. Add mooooooore brains... Rotting Cheerfully, ~ZombYui Key: Green = open to public. Orange = limited to Initiates or higher. Red = full members only. Purple = Guild members only. ... mmmm... gimme braaaaaiiiins! *crunch, munch*

Haha. I'm glad you found it amusing. I get too bored if I don't inject some zaniness on occassion, and we all know that pirates rock! (And beat ninjas any day. >:} ) Anyway, I'll certainly keep your suggestions in mind. As the pile of News posts gets deeper and deeper, we'll go through those and many more. I have plaaaaanssssss.... *evil cackling commences* ~Cap'n Yui

Aaargh! Ahoy, ye scurvey bilgerats. 'Tis bein' time fer another update t'tha News, rrragggh... Tha 'nouncements be goin' here, aye: Quill Quests >> Thar be Magic the Workshop, an' 'tis all th'fault 'o that wiley deck hand, Gryphon. Give 'im a rousin' cheer, me hearties, as he be finishin' up 'is Quest. Arrrrgh! Promotions >> An' while yer at it, raise yer grog mugs t'tha newest full members 'o tha' crew. Poet Cryptomancer an' Troubadour Mynx be headin' fer riches an' glory, I tell ye! This here be needin' yer 'ttention: 1) YanYanGanaffi be takin' anyone with a hand fer tha cards, so get yer deck-swabbin' arses on over t'his Poker Tournament Quill Quest an' put yer blasted 'X' on th'line a'fore yer left hangin' from th'missenmast. Here be th'sundries, yaaaaaaaaarrrgh: -- Have yer gotten rid of yer Weenie Award, yet, or d'ye wanna end up walkin' th'plank?! -- Do ye still owe yer entry fer Valdar's The Mighty Pen, Second Writing Exchange Project? -- Aaargh, did ya be findin' anythin' t'add t'The Pen Recommends? Polly Want a Cracker? ~Yui Key: Green = open to public. Orange = limited to Initiates or higher. Red = full members only. An' if ye don't like it, ye'll be walkin' th'plank! GRAAARH!

Jade. Hrath. Merlyn. Lelianye pondered her new teammates as they meandered away from the conference table, their separate goals and values getting them gobbled up by the grey mist of the heavy, rain-dotted air. The lady, the Grasshopper, moved more like a lithzan cat than a clunky bug, each step carefully placed, each movement perfectly balanced. That one would defy gravity in ways normal people could not, she noted to herself. The smaller of the two men (though calling him ‘small’ would have been a grave injustice) was hard. Tough like dried beef. He moved with a boulder’s awareness, heavy, final, his steps confident and unswerving, just like the opinions in his eyes when he looked at her. The last, the man whose head threatened the clouds, was the hardest to see through, the glass of his personality fogged and smoke-scarred so that the image of the inside was warped and uncertain. Dim. Shadowed. Leli watched him intently as he stood in the rain, measured the shape of his lips as he spoke, watched the curve of his shoulders as he left. Masks and naked flesh at the same time. The sudden insight brought a twisted grin to her lips. “Hm.” Jadros’ voice broke the pattern of the rainfall, something akin to exasperation in the sound. “Well, it looks like it’s the three of us, unless you’ve got plans, too, lad.” The ‘lad’ in question shrugged, gazing down the empty street. “Hadn’t really thought beyond dinner and a dry bed, honestly.” Jadros chuckled at that, brushing a drop of water from the tip of his nose. “That’s a sentiment I can appreciate. Maybe we should all just relax, get some rest, and l-“ Lelianye interrupted the idea with a sharp tug on her superior’s sleeve, her head shaking in a vehement ‘no’. Having caught the older man’s curious gaze, she smiled excitedly and tipped her chin down a side street, raising her free hand to her mouth to pantomime drinking from a mug. The activity was clear enough to both men, but just where she intended to drag them required a little more than a vague gesture. Unfortunately, the small woman didn’t seem to be offering anything more. She just gazed at him hopefully, oblivious to the rain pelting her upturned face. Shrugging, Jadros nodded his trusting ascent and glanced over at Matthias. “It seems Leli wants to invite us to dinner, Matthias. Y’interested? I’m sure we can beat an evening spent alone.” After a moment’s thought, the young man nodded, unfolding his arms for the first time since they’d left the conference room. Though he peered at his small, silent teammate while he answered, he was very careful to let none of his curiosity and growing surprise show on his face. “Sure. As long as the floor’s dry and the food’s warm, I’m game.” *** Two hours later, Jadros’ booming laugh echoed through the small tavern called Kogroy’s Black Hole, its stentorian tones easily overwhelming the less obtrusive tenor of Matthias’ echoing chuckle. Though the three companions had started out with a warm meal and quiet conversation, time-honored military tradition and Lelianye’s wordless insistence had quickly turned the food to drink and the conversation to wild war-stories and amusing anecdotes that seemed to get louder and more hilarious with each ale. The last night before a world-changing campaign seemed to be a good time to get a little drunk, though each of the specialists from the 3rd Division knew exactly how to do so without risking the mission in the morning. Leli smiled brightly in shared mirth as the men voiced their enjoyment of Jadros’ best tale, one of her favorites from his first year in the Confederacy. Fuzzy as her thoughts had become, she saw the transformation clearly, watching in fascination as Matthias’ smile brought his luminous personality shining through from its hiding place behind the mask of obscurity he always wore. Passing him in the ranks of their home division, dealing with him here and there when their units chanced to cooperate on a campaign, she had seen only his invisible mien, the attitude that made him as easy to overlook as a chair in a dark corner. The contrast was amazing. “By the Fist, you’re telling me you managed t’hold th’entire rebel town with only five men? You’re a magefired liar, aren’t ya? Admit it!” The scout’s harsh words were softened by his awestruck expression and the smile curling his lips. Jadros laughed, waving his hand as if he could swat the accusations out of the smoke-clouded tavern air. “Naw, it’s the truth. Ask Cap’n Katherina if y’don’t believe me, pup. She was the one who came up with the whole scheme. See, we’d caught on t’the Loomie spy, an—“ “Oy, oy, lookit!” All three of the soldiers turned at the gruff voice that shoved itself rudely into the story. “Them’s Confederacy uniforms, ain’t they?” The intruder was a sailor, fully drunk if the glassy look in his eyes and the wobble to his legs was any indication. Brash. Loud. Smiling like a kid ‘neath the Firnight Pine as he staggered up behind Matthias and leaned an unwelcome-but-friendly arm around the young scout’s shoulders. “B’the waves, I’ll be dinged if they isn’t! A toast t’me brothahs in th’army, lads,” came the ear-splitting bellow. “Death t’the Looms!” The chipped mug in the stranger’s sun-dark hands sloshed dangerously right above poor Matthias’ head as he raised it for a toast. Cringe-worthy as the moment was, the soldiers each politely raised their own drinks, smiling their embarrassed thanks as many of the patrons cheered. “Glad to serve, sir,” Jadros spoke up, standing to offer his hand to the enthusiastic sailor. “It’s always good to meet a proud citizen like yourself.” Somehow, he even managed to keep his voice steady despite the vigorous buffeting he got while the stranger pumped his arm happily. “Ye’re a good man, good man!” Beaming, he squinted across the table, his alcohol-pickled brain finally registering the details of the third figure there. “Och! An’ good lady, I sees. Th’army be prettier ever’time I looks at it.” Leli grinned and winked, nodding her head at the compliment as the man untangled himself from Matthias’ shoulders. With a great swig, he managed to empty his mug, and the lack of alcohol seemed to successfully divert his attention to the bar across the room. “Mff. Throne keep yaz,” the sailor mumbled, shuffling unsteadily around the edge of the table, his thirsty gaze on the balding bartender. “Oy, ‘keep! I needs me anoth-uh-.. whoa!” The stumble was innocent enough and not surprising considering the harsh man’s impairment. One moment, he was safely on his way to the bar, and the next saw him tumbling in a confused heap straight towards Lelianye’s lap. Only Jadros knew the danger, but he didn’t have enough time to do anything more than bark a warning before the sailor found himself splayed across her seat… her thankfully empty seat. Matthias blinked in surprise as he considered his teammate, impressed not only by the display of acrobatics that took her from her seat to a neat, ready crouch on the rickety old table but by the impressive speed with which she moved. She was good. Good, but … the tracker didn’t miss the flash of panic and rage that was quickly gone from her face. Nor did he fail to see the gleam of the dagger that she pressed back into the shadows of her left sleeve. Had she come as close as it looked like to actually attacking a drunk civilian? One look at the relief on Jadros’ face gave Matthias his answer and awakened a dozen more questions. As the young soldier watched his unassuming teammate smile and nod calmly to the old sailor’s apologies, he found himself reflecting on her recent return and sincerely hoping that her answers weren’t going to be a threat to them all.

Yui shuddered at the desolation in Valdar's gaze, but being back in control, she kept most of the horror and fear from her eyes and voice and hands as she drew him close. "I understand, Valdie-kun," she said softly, rubbing his back to try to calm his shaking. "Uncle Dreamer is just confused and upset because of how hurt he is. He needs someone to talk to him and help him understand." The child pulled back a little to blink up at her with worry written all over his scarless face. "Do you think he'd lissen, Auntie Yui?" She answered with a smile that was much more confident than she felt. "We'll make him listen, Valdie. He knows we're his friends, and I'm sure he also knows that Uncle Peredhil wouldn't really try to bind him. You and I just have to make sure he calms down long enough to realize that before he decides to blow anything up, right?" For a moment, the elfling pondered that before a bright smile blossomed on his face. "Right! Uncle Gyr told me that counting to ten helps, so we should tell Uncle Dreamer that." "Hai." She laughed softly, taking further advantage of his ruined Wards to ruffle Valdar's hair playfully. "Maybe we should make him count all the way to a hundred, though. He's a grumpy old Planewalker, after all." The child giggled at the idea, seemingly over his fear for the moment. Yui watched that small face with something akin to wonder, realizing that it was all too easy to forget that the youthful Planewalker who walked around in his untouchable Wards was also just an innocent little boy. Idly, she wondered what the adult Valdar-who-was would have thought of the Valdar in front of her. I hope you would like what you've become, bunny-elf, just as I hope that someday he will grow up to be as lighthearted as you were. The small woman shook her head to chase away the momentary reverie and straightened, turning to glance around the room and take stock of the rest of the situation. Zadown was gone, hopefully to somewhere he could rest and heal; she knew the Verdant mage would be able to take care of his own wounds, so she dismissed him as a concern. He would be fine. Gryphon and Dana and Minta stood to the side of the room, huddled around the spot where Vlad had fallen. As she watched, Minta spat blood on the ground, filling the laden air with yet another flavor of magic, one as bitter and biting as Peredhil's was cloyingly sweet. Necromancy. Perhaps there was hope for Vlad, after all. Across the room, Gryphon felt the weight of the shadow Elder's stare, and he turned his head, meeting her thoughtful gaze. The questions there, illuminated by the emotions on her face, were as easy to read as the runes in his favorite books, and he grinned reassuringly, giving her a slight nod in response. Yes, they were all fine. Yes, they would take care of Vlad. Yes, he understood that she was trusting him to look after the others. Her answering smile was part 'thank you' and part 'I trust you' and part 'good luck', but it was the most sincere she'd managed since this entire debacle began. So reassured, Yui turned back to Valdar, who watched her with quiet patience. "Do you think you can find Uncle Dreamer, Valdie-kun? Can you take me to him?" He frowned, his eyes shifting to the blue of Astral as he searched the remnants of the magic in the air, the subtle trails and tracks of the Paths. As an adult, his specialty had been tracking, the hide-and-seek of infinite Planes, but as a child, that skill was blunted by the lack of experience and knowledge. The young woman didn't know what to expect, but ... "Oh! Uncle Peredhil sent Uncle Dreamer home, an' the Astral Harbor is realreal easy to get to." Valdar clapped his hands excitedly and took a step back. "Just lemme make my Wards come back. Uncle Dreamer says I shouldn't ever play without my Wards on." 'Auntie Yui' nodded and watched quietly as the boy's concentration yielded a static crackle around his small form, runes flickering and floating into place before they disappeared from sight and mage-sight. Valdar the Child became Valdar the Untouchable, again, and soon he shifted them sideways into the dangerous realm of the Astral.

Yui frowned in sympathy at the frustration and pain in Zadown's eyes, reaching out a hand to steady him as he swayed under the influence of injury and blood loss. "We a--" The sound of her name interrupted whatever she'd been about to say, and the Huntress jerked her head around, hearing pain in the word. Who was being hurt, now? Vlad. And ... the little Elder sighed, noting she really needed to learn the new girl's name. The latter seemed fine, but the vampire held his ribs in a twisted embrace, his features too taught and haunted for even an undead. He would be of no use. Yui gestured, hoping the girl would have the sense to follow an order and save the questions for later. "I need you to take Vlad to the infirmary, lady. You're both in da--" She didn't get to finish the sentence, interrupted by the unintelligible rage in the angel's booming voice. He moved, a lightning strike of light and metal and flame, and there was only time for a horrified, "Ei!*" before Vlad was sliced in twain, ashes burnt from portions of his body swirling around Dana's feet. The women both watched them scatter with varying degrees of shock, but for Yui's part, it felt as if a vice had latched around her lungs. She couldn't breathe, but it wasn't darkness that descended on her vision, it was the cold blue of rage. "YOU!" The hate-filled word coincided with the crack of the fist-sized rock that slammed into the Solar's perfect cheekbone. The impact snapped his head around and scored a line of blood across his skin, but his surprise was from the sheer audacity of the attack. Who fought an angel with stones?! He turned to the small woman, the stained Ascendant who met his incredulous gaze with wounded defiance and an unhealthy amount of murderous intent. "You are here to guard your master, not murder his allies! Undo what you have done, or you will join him in oblivion." (... she says, quite aware that he most likely has no power to restore a slain undead. >:} ) * {Japanese}: No!

Gazing up at the calm features of the angel, Yui groaned inwardly as she felt the situation slip further out of control. Zadown could barely stand; the Dreamer was already down. Valdar lay in a giggling heap on top of Vlad, who looked significantly more pained than amused. Behind them, the wall was spiderwebbed with cracks from the explosion and their subsequent impact, and she could feel the reinforcing magic that had been woven into the newest rebuild of the Cabaret room straining to hold the ruined structure in place. The newcomer, a woman with a face the Huntress recognized but had no name for, stood there with an expression that lingered between surprise and indignation, and having seen that the woman had some control of mana, she worried that the woman might try something without knowing the powers of her opponents. "Yamete!*" she ordered, turning her intense gaze to Zadown, whose green eyes were set to calculating his chances of getting past the guardian to attack the fallen Master. "You must not fight here." The bleeding mage sneered, growling, "Ya know quite well that we have ta fight, Lady. I won't be wiped away s'easily as tha others." Yui nodded slightly, not backing down an inch, "Soo desu kedo** this is the Pen Keep, not the bloody battle ground you would create. We will not let you destroy this place in your attempt to slay the aspects of yourselves. Not again." "An' ya think ye, a child, a vampire an' a mana-channeler are enough t'stop either of us?" "We don't have to stop you," she answered, stepping calmly closer. "We only have to move you, and I don't even need their help for that." As she watched Zadown consider her words, the Huntress serruptitiously took hold of a corner of her voluminous cape, watching her small shadow darken his tall, lanky form and calculating exactly where to throw the material to make the portal big enough. * {Japanese}: Stop! ** {Japanese}: True, but...

The thought is a trigger, and in a blink the table between us is gone and his hand is on mine, soft and cool against my skin. The eyes that hold me are closer, big enough to lose myself in for all eternity, yet far too distant for the longing that fills me. His breath is soft against my cheek as he speaks. I can barely drag myself away from the sensation long enough to comprehend his words. He wants something from me. He needs it, a gift that I can give him in exchange for a gift that he can give me. I don't -- The book hit the ground with a thunderous crack, fallen from a pair of fine-boned hands gone slack with shock. Not far above, the eyes that had absorbed those words with rapturous attention only seconds before were blank and distant, the reader's attention fixed on a shriek that could not be heard, an inferno that could not be seen. The mana lines were shredding with the force of the power being sucked along them, and the center to which it was all gathering was in their very own Cabaret Room. The danger that represented drew her to her feet in an instant, and before she even had time to make it a coherent thought, she was stepping through the darkness between places to emerge into a cratered and ruined room. Temae Yui gasped at the destruction, her wary gaze noting the two fallen men, the wafting dust and debris, the blood that spattered more surfaces than could be healthy. The air tasted like burnt power and shattered spells, a metallic tang always present where magic was used, but so powerful in that place that she grimaced with the bitterness of it. That was the Dreamer's legacy, a magecraft too far beyond mortal to belong to the bleeding samurai who lay collapsed across from him. "Dreamer," she called out to the stranger she knew best - if such could be said of either - stepping across the rubble to kneel before him, her hands outstretched but not quite touching his hunched shoulders. "What in the name of Terra Lost is going on here?" While she regarded his bowed head with worried eyes, Yui heard booted feet on marble halls. Other Pennites were coming to investigate, and she feared that each step brought them closer to mortal danger. ((If that's the Dreamer + 30, then would his timeline include Yui's help with the little princess in Dreamer + 15? Just curious... ))

Mynx, Wonderful job! It was a pleasure to read, and I enjoyed pondering the changed reality you dreamed up for the Pen. Thanks for including us. Yours, ~Yui