Foxside: The Temple of Inari 51

[Rebonack]

[Arboretum]

Well.

Sunder's chilling over amidst all the plants, looking alive and unscarred. There's a gloomy looking earth pony sticking close to her and sampling bites from stuff around the garden and randomly saying things like, "This is delicious, mistress, you should try some." To which Sunder just waves him off.

Rebo has no idea if everyone will be finding her at the same time.

Because time in the Nexus is weird.

[Ionbound]

[Arboretum]

Hikari enters the Arboretum and says, "Hi Sunder...Who's this?"

[Fenric]

[Arboretum]

And for a change, time in the Nexus is surprisingly linear!

Tsukiko smiles

Welcome back, Hikari. I trust your sword-making session went well?

And then Felina comes back, likely with Arlem

Holy Tsukiko... I'm... uh... back from lunch.

Tsukiko nods absently.

---

[Bath Area]

Frederick mmmmms happily.

This black fur sure soaks up the sun well. Makes me all warm and sleepy.

[Lost_Deep]

Arboretum

"Sunder, are you in here?" Punch walks up, and...

"Great." She has no context for this, remember. Just... this situation.

[Rebonack]

[Arboretum]

Well.

Now is a great time for awkward introductions.

"Oh, ah, hey Hikari. This is my... umm... son. Sort of. Shaded Spring," Sunder replies after trying her best to find a way to explain this that didn't sound terrible. "Elestra forced me to eat some criminal guy while she was experimenting on me."

Must have been going down while Hikari was busy getting some swords made.

Forging swords isn't exactly a swift process!

"And then Zukiko did something to make him corporeal instead of a shadow thing and he turned into a pony because of... umm... reasons."

She still doesn't quite get it herself.

Shaded looks up with a mouth full of lavender and waves a hoof at Hikari. He probably doesn't know any better than to eat the fox-folks' garden.

[Ionbound]

[Arboretum]

Hikari bows to Tsukiko and says, "Of course holy Tsukiko." She then turns to Sunder and sighs, saying, "Well, if Tsukiko thinks it's okay, then I suppose I can't complain. Anyways, I was wondering if I could go for another expedition into your mind...I don't think it'll be a fiasco like last time." And then Punch gets a look as Hikari asks, "And you are...?"

[Fenric]

[Arboretum]

Felina heads past the various people and into the sanctuary, perhaps still with Arlem.

Tsukiko smiles and watches the discussion.

---

[Bath Area]

Frederick stretches

Probably ought to get dressed, though. Ready to head out?

[Lost_Deep]

Arboretum

"Punch. Sunder's friend." She pulls out the DIAMOND.

"Got it, Sunder," Punch says as she casually lobs the huge and nigh-priceless gem to the pony.

[Recaiden]

[Arboretum]

Arlem is in fact here, heading past the various people with Felina. He'll try casually reading the minds of everyone as he passes by, but he isn't really paying attention to anyone besides Felina.

"There. And we weren't gone too long."

[Rebonack]

[Arboretum]

The gemstone that Punch just tossed gives of a fairly potent aura of necromantic magic. Sunder, being a pony and all, never really realized the thing was magical. If she had been in her nightmare form and spotted it then its magic would be all to obvious. But right now? It's just a fancy looking rock.

"Thanks Punch," the pegasus pugilist says before offering the stone to Tsukiko. "This thing's from my personal collection. Pried it off the crown of some piece of **** lich me and my buddies stomped. I figured it would be good for payment on... well... all the stuff you guys have been doing for my friends and me. And for burning it or whatever you guys do with gems when you've gotta rez someone."

Sunder isn't aware that the foxy folks don't need giant diamonds to resurrect people anymore.

Not like she would have any way of knowing that since it's how things used to work.

"And, uuh... I appreciate the gesture, Hikari, but the fox folks have got a job for me. Some skeevy bastards did something that earned getting socked in the jaw and Tukiko here asked me to go pay 'em in full for the temple," Sunder says. "And something about a spooky tree that may or may not have to get turned into a heap of sawdust."

[Ionbound]

[Arboretum]

Hikari nods and says, "Want me to come with? I want to try my new swords out properly."

[Bathing Area]

Helen nods and says, "I'm ready when you are."

[Fenric]

[Arboretum]

Tsukiko reaches out and takes the gem, but her calm demeanor cracks a bit at its touch and she quickly puts it away.

Um... thank you, Sunder.

And perhaps after you are done with this errand, you should explore if there are more fragments locked away in your mind: the change the last one made was substantial, after all. With each piece you recover, you may come closer to your goal of gaining full control over your condition.

---

[Bathing Area]

Be right back

Frederick gets up and heads over to the changing room to get dressed.

[Lost_Deep]

Arboretum

"Fragments locked away in your mind?" Punch asks, a bit worried.

[Rebonack]

[Arboretum]

"Yeah, I was thinking that might be a good idea," Sunder replies to Tsukiko with a nod. "And apparently I've got little bits of Sweet Spring still buried in me," she explains for Punch's benefit. "Pulling one of them up and... uuh... eating it... helped me out a bunch. Stabilized me, I guess? So the idea is if Hikari can use her mind-stuff to help me find the rest of 'em it'll fix me up nice and tidy."

Sunder would rather like to be fixed up nice and tidy.

"Anyway, I dunno how bad this place is going to be or how tough the bastards I need to face-smash are," Sunder reasons. "So... uuh... ask Tsukiko, I guess? She knows more about it than me."

Woah!

Sunder got the shadow-fox's name right!

Someone make note of thise.

[Ionbound]

[Arboretum]

Hikari nods and turns to Tsukiko as she asks, "What is it that we need to do, exactly? With this..Tree, I think Sunder said."

[Bathing Area]

Helen patiently waits for Frederick to change.

[Fenric]

[Arboretum]

Tsukiko nods, and decides that the time for secrecy has past, and for the first time, the gentle voice of Tsukiko sounds hard and harsh

Seven years ago, the messenger to the werefoxes was abducted by the were-hell-hound minions of an evil god, taken to that tree, and ... abused. They held her some weeks, and she never truly recovered.

Now, it seems that Karai Tenjin may have decided to take an instance of Inari herself there. They used an evil god-capturing artifact to abduct her while she was meeting with another agency here in Inside, and that tree is one of two locations we have identified as containing an item of that nature.

A plan to distract the mortal agents who performed the abduction has been successful, and they are fruitlessly chasing Lady Caroline, the current High Priestess, who is acting as a decoy. While the mortals are so preoccupied, you need to move in on the facility and take it out. We are not interested in prisoners: the fewer of the cultists who survive this encounter, the better.

And should we need to expand our stable facilities on the Plane of Shadows, that will be quite an acceptable result.

---

[Bathing Area]

Frederick returns, dressed in his usual outfit. He gives Helen a kiss

All set, darling.

[Lost_Deep]

Arboretum

"Sure, Sounds fun," Punch says with a nod. "I Could Go for a fight, and a fight for a Good Cause is Better than a random fight."

[Rebonack]

[Arboretum]

"I'm tidy for laying down a thrashing, yeah," Sunder gives a nod. "And it sounds like we'll have plenty of help, too."

Shaded says something enthusiastic sounding, but it's muffled by a mouth full of greenery.

"And I know where the park is, I can lead the way, no problem."

[Ionbound]

[Arboretum]

((Skip Hikari))

[Bathing Area]

Helen offers a paw to Frederick and says, "Shall we, then?"

[Fenric]

[Arboretum]

Tsukiko nods

Very good. I believe it is time to head out, then.

(( Serious Plots? ))

---

[Bath Area]

Frederick grins happily and takes Helen's paw. Together they walk back to the....

---

[Sanctuary]

Felina stretches and smiles at Arlem

Thank you for a wonderful afternoon, Arlem: that was fun.

Frederick and Helen walk in, holding hands.

[Rebonack]

All whole buncha folks will probably head off to SRS land!

We'll let Fenric set the stage there.

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Helen smiles and says to Frederick, "So how does this work?"

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary]

Arlem nods. "Thank you, Felina. Next time, you can show me someplace."
A bow, and he turns to leave.

[Fenric]

Sanctuary

Felina grins - Arlem doesn't get to escape that easily. She catches Arlem and tries to give him a quick kiss.

Right! And preferably when we don't have to hurry.

Frederick chuckles, which makes Felina's ears flick down in embarrassment.

Oh... Sorry. What can I do for you two?

[Recaiden]

Sanctuary

Felina grins - Arlem doesn't get to escape that easily. She catches Arlem and tries to give him a quick kiss.

Right! And preferably when we don't have to hurry.

Frederick chuckles, which makes Felina's ears flick down in embarrassment.

Oh... Sorry. What can I do for you two?

She succeeds, prompting a grin from Arlem, and then the escape is complete!

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Frederick smiles

Nothing, Holy Priestess: we just need to borrow your circle for a moment so we can visit the other temple.

Felina tilts her head

Other temple?

Frederick nods and takes Helen's paw again

Just step into the circle, dear.

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Helen nods, lets Frederick take her paw, and steps into the circle.

[Fenric]

[Temple of Tamamo]

And if this ever deserves it's own thread, here's the first post:

You have entered the temple of Tamamo no Mae on the Plane of Shadows.

You walk down an elegant grey gravel pathway between artistically twisted, full-grown pines. Stone lanterns provide an indistinct light to the path, while casting elegant shadows among the trees.

At the end of the pathway, a dark grey gate stands. A large nine-tailed fox carved from gleaming black stone sits at each side of the gate. As you pass between the foxes and through the gate, you feel the presence of the goddess. Watchful but welcoming, cautiously friendly, curious and mischevious.

In a niche off to the right side of the door sits a Shadow-Cola vending machine. Next to the coin slot, the sign reads "5 cp"

---

Frederick looks around, then notices the transparency of his form

No way! Awesome! The spell really made us into shadows this time! This is so cool!

[Ionbound]

[Temple of Tamamo]

Helen looks down at her own translucent fingers and says, "Yeah...It's pretty amazing. Well...Let's see what's here." As she walks through the gates and feels the presence of Tamamo, she smiles, feeling at home.

[Fenric]

[Temple of Tamamo]

And there in the sanctuary is a tall, slender werefox woman. Her overall appearance is similar to Freddie and Helen, but she is both taller and more heavily built. Izumi impassively surveys the newcomers

Greetings, visitors. Welcome to the temple of Tamamo... who are you, and what brings you here?

well... not quite as friendly