Snippet #1055652

((whoa, Misdemeanor how did you get your character in the 'characters in this post' sidebar??))

Taro sat directly across from Sayako, still a bit wary of what was going on. This place, the people in it, the new appearance the woman whom he thought to be Jenga's caretaker adopted, it all seemed too...strange. He didn't even feel like he was in Firefly City anymore, let alone the skyscraper called Iori Place.

"You look worried. Let me explain a bit of just where we are right now, and what we do, just so you can---" Sayako began, but Taro cut in, a bit sharply.

"You said you were...tracking my mother and me...even one of the workers here, he said it was good to see me again, but I know I've never met him before..." Taro's violet eyes were narrow now, he couldn't help but feel a huge suspicion at all of these people.

"Right. Like I said, I will explain everything to you Taro. Give it some time though," The meek, respectful tone she had when he first met her on the airship was long gone now. She sunk a bit deeper into the couch, letting out a flat sigh.

“This room in which we are in, doesn’t lie in Iori Place, nor does it lie in Firefly City, in fact, it’s not even in Acadine. It’s very accurate to say that it doesn’t exist, at least not on the same plane as the regular world. That’s why it’s so convenient, no one but people like us, people who know the song can enter, even then, you have to have a certain trinket to pass through the warp.”

Taro’s head was struggling to wrap his head around it all. This room, was in a totally different dimension than any other place in Acadine.

“Do you know what trinket I’m talking about?” Sayako added, taking a look at his blank expression. As she spoke, Taro dug into his jacket pocket, pulling out the blue butterfly pendant. To his surprise, it was now glowing with a vigorous blue light, much like the blue light of the chandeliers in the room. “Exactly, although, our male members carry a much different form of the gatekey.” At that, she nodded towards Alistair, who until now had been sitting far off to the side, sipping away at his glass of wine. Without a word, the old elf pulled out a simple purple pin, with a strange black marking similar to a plume of flame.

“This pendant was my mom’s…so you mean to tell me she was a member of your ‘group’?” He used the word group loosely, he still didn’t know exactly what they were yet.

“Yes. For over three hundred years, your mother and I worked together here…but that’s another story for another time.—“ Taro chimed in, yet again.

“Three hundred years? Sayako…you’re a supernatural?” At his conclusion, Sayako simple smirked, nodding slightly to give him a yes. It didn’t appear that she was ready to answer fully to his question at this time.

“Anyways, like I said, we gather information, among other things. Each member here has well over three centuries of knowledge to lend us, I have nearly a millennia, Alistair even more than that. But these creatures of night, the Neesha. They are completely foreign even to the both of us.” She reached for a small black remote to the cushion to the left of her, and pressed the only button on it. The TV above her flickered on, showing a picture of a generic Neesha.

Alistair chimed in, “Are you aware of Hecate?” He asked the question to Taro, as he had turned his head (and his gigantic nose) his way. Taro scratched the back of his white locks, sighing.

“Yeah. A few of the Neesha said something about Hecate being their mother. I didn’t really think much of it though, every living thing has some kind of God they look towards right?” Taro shrugged, but Alistair and Sayako shook their heads, and she stood up, arms crossed, hips abit to the side.

“That’s true…but we believe this is very relevant to what’s going on here. It looks like the Godesses, Oribelle and Hecate are at war. These Neesha, are her, Hecate’s troops. Ever wonder why they seem to always find people like you?” Taro was slowly arriving to a conclusion, “We think they’re targeting super naturals, and human’s with supernatural abilities.” At Sayako’s words, Taro bit his lip.

“This whole war thing…it’s pretty farfetched. I can’t deny the fact that it looks like the Neesha are coming after people like us hard but…” His voice trailed off, he rubbed the back of his neck with an exhausted expression.

“Truth be told, I found it hard to believe myself. But Alistair has talked to many humans, all of them with powers that mimic some aspects of our own, and they’ve been having dreams. Oribelle spoke to them Taro.” Alistair nodded, only agreeing with her words.

“You don’t say…” The mocha-skinned fellow scratched at the side of his face, countenance contorted in a frown trying to come to terms with the situation at hand.
“Is that it?” he asked them, not rudely, but actually very curious.

Sayako shrugged a grimace crossed her face, “For now yes…complications have arose with my ability to investigate, and Alistair is confined to Firefly,”

“Complications? You mean Jenga coming home right?” She nodded at his deduction.

“Yes, I’m still his caretaker after all, our organization is bound to servitude of the Iori family, however, only the head of the household knows of our existence. Jenga will learn soon enough.” She smiled at the thought, it appeared she truly did care for the child. “That is where you come in, we’ll let you use our resources, in exchange for sharing any information you gain in your pursuit with us.” She sat back down on the couch, arms crossing again. “After all, it’s only right that you follow in your mother’s footsteps right?” Sayako said the last bit almost teasingly towards the young man.

“Tch. What resources? I don’t like the idea of being tied to a group…” Taro gazed at the glowing pendant in his lap, remembering how much pride she wore it with back when he was a child.

“Well, aside from the funds you’ve been using for so long, we have countless safehouses, informants, and items that you can use to your hearts content.” She smirked impishly, “You’ll only be an temporary member of course, you technically wouldn’t be bound to us in anyway, so, will you accept?” Taro clinched his fists, thinking hard about the offer…after a period of silence, he rose from his seat, stuffing his mother’s memento back into it’s home in his jacket.

“Fine. Like you said, I’m not a member. I’m just allying with you all. Looks like my inheritance wasn’t my own huh…” He smiled though it was only to hide some disappointment at the revelation. Sayako grinned, satisfied, and she nodded at Alistair as he rose to hand Taro something. It was the pin that he had showed him earlier at Sayako’s command.

“The gatekey not only serves as your way back here, but also as a way to communicate with us no matter where you are. Simple play that song at any piano and you will be warped to this very room. Make use of it, and do not lose it.” Taro nodded at Alistair’s words of caution and instruction. And then, Sayako stood up, walking towards him as well.

“You look a lot like your father, only your eyes match ours…that must have been what threw me off when we first met, I couldn’t be sure of who you were, but I still took you with Jenga and I. Then I saw that you had that pendant…” She put her hands on his shoulder, smiling very warmly, almost motherly. “It’s good to see you again Taro…” A tiny lump was forming in the boy’s throat, she was probably the closest thing to family he had left in the world.

“H-how…do I get back?” He asked, trying to change the subject quickly. Both of them laughed.

“You’ll wake up in your room at Iori Place…”

And with that…the world all around him melted away, replaced by the darkness of his own eyelids.