Here's My Number So Don't Kill Me Maybe?

    The weather is cloudy and a bit chilly at the foot of the mountains north of Eas. It's inhospitable territory, patrolled now by the various 'friends' that Wake has visiting. The whole idea of keeping her friends close and her enemies closer is confused by the fact that her friends are probably going to be enemies before too much more time passes. King Gilgamesh warned her about them, after all.

    So Wake is being helpful! By slipping away from all her guards, telling no one where she's going, and then slipping right through the lines of patrols. To be here, feeling a sense of achievement in having put herself at great risk for truly no discernible reason. At least none that Kauchemar or Robert would be likely to accept without much eye rolling.

    And here she is, up in a tree. Eating some snacks that she stole from the kitchen. Well, not stole. Tae made them and really, when you are Baroness isn't everything in your castle technically yours?

Trees seem to be a popular location.

What? Foxes climb. They're the only canid that does. And by some stroke there is a fox in a tree but on the opposite side of the area, having used some enchantment camouflage to conceal herself amongst the thinning foliage. It took a great deal of subtefuge to even get this close, which is why it was the Palace Invaders' top scout doing so, alone. The road and bridge have been repaired from the surprise traps that had halted the invasion attempt a while back. One had to give them credit for being willing to destroy their own infrastructure to do so. The patrols had been increased, as is to be expected. Though Eas' greatest protection was it's isolation from much of the Kingdom around it due to the mountains. Patrols move in patterns though, which can be documented and taken advantage of. She just had to...

Footprints. One set, moving away from one of the recently passed patrols. They had not dispatched solo watchs in the time she had been observing. Suspicious...

One lone figure dropped from the tree, tails briefly visible before disappearing amongst the rocky mountain terrain again... She needed to get closer to see where those tracks go to. If they are setting up another anti-siege ambush, it needs to be documented as well.

    So the thing about Elly, when she is not wrapping herself up in her official position of Baroness, is that she really just wants to be friendly and care for others. This is why the war is so distressing. It has changed her, too. Down to her greatest ambitions no longer being what they had been.

    That may be why she is here, even if she can not understand it. She is wary, though. Well, no. Not wary. She is observant. She sees, for instance, the motion of four tails in the woods. It stands out to her.

    Being the cautious, careful, and stealthy woman that she is, Elly slips down the tree, alighting on the ground. She hasn't put her little picnic basket away. Instead, she carries it and makes her way right towards the guest. At least that's how she sees it. In fact..

    She's so uninterested in sneakiness that she glows. Calling upon her signifigant powers with light, she turns herself into a spectacle. Making something of an educated guess as to the nature of her guest, she calls to mind a song that may be familiar. Postman, by Faye Wong. She loved that song in the dream before, and it's in Mandarin.

It doesn't take long for Daiyu to realize that the footprints she's found are not following the strict path a patroller, even a lone one, would take... but why would one person take the equivilent of a stroll in a place potentially dangerous in middle of wartim--

Ears snap upright as her thoughts are interrupted by song, in a familiar dialect that she would not of expected to hear out here. Unlike the other she is constantly wary, being essentially an enemy to anyone outside of the areas her people have taken control of.

The singer is making no effort to conceal themselves, which is only more off-putting. The four tailed vixen took a step back, tessen fans appearing to open from hands that were clearly empty moments before and held warily as she squints behind her half-moon glasses. "You have some nerve making such a blantant display of yourself." Tails continue to switch and twitch behind her, long ears alert. She's clearly anticipating this being some manner of trick or diversion.

    Elly does have some nerve. Or she's just completely oblivious and trusts her fate to a higher power. She's not dressed for combat, nor for stealth. She's wearing a dark green dress, slit to each thigh. It's a modest cut, but very well made. On each wrist, she has her manacles, a few links of chain hanging from them.

    Seeing her guest is wary, she does not get too close. She is close enough to be easily and clearly heard.

    Then she does what she does best. She glides into an elegant curtsey, the effect not at all diminished by the basket held in her left hand.

    "Welcome to Eas. I apologize for this poor welcome. I was not aware that a guest was visiting. You are far afield. I imagine you are a scout, then. My name is Baroness Wake, Priestess of The Beautiful One."

The gesture is watched with a scrutinizing gaze, one that's likely expecting a knife or such to appear at any oppritune moment. Despite how... genuine this woman's presence seems to be. Then the name, and brows raise almost far enough to disappear beneath the crown upon her brow. Followed by a soft "... what..." under her breath as she tries to piece it all together.

Fortunately she is not one to remain befuddled for long, not dropping her guarded posture in spite of it. "This may be your lands, but for governship to walk freely upon them alone in a time of conflict... to approach an enemy as if no more than a surprise houseguest..." Okay maybe still a bit befuddled by these Yamatoan antics, but not one to let it dissaude her much. "I could run you through and be gone before your guards ever realized you slipped from their protective reach..."

    "Probably, yes," replies Elly cheerfully. "Oh, and if could, please call me Elly. My friends do. The game titles are so formal."

    If she feels threatened, she shows no sign of it at all. She looks around for a moment, sighing. There is no good place to sit.

    "Are you hungry? My fiance made some wonderful bread, and I have some dried fruit. Are you enjoying the local produce? I imagine a lot of it is the same, but I do have some dried persimmon and oranges if you like those."

The gaze narrows a bit more. "We are not friends," is replied in a flat tone. Clearly she's still deciding what to make of all this.

Though the warfans are folded away as there is no immeadiate threat visible. Granted, if she's spoken to anyone that knows or has dealt with the 'Black Jade Fox' she'd know those fans are but only one way the Hulijing Were Fang could be dangerous. The collapsed parasol across her back alone is hardly all it appears to be, for one.

"... I have not eaten since departing our holdings," she does admit. "Snacking distracts from survellience proceedure." While technically not the first to approach her as something other than an opposing combatant, the casual way Wake does so is... still slightly unnerving in comparison. As much as she makes an effort to keep her stoic attitude in place.

She does eventually get around to properly returning the introduction though. "I am known as Daiyu. The Black Jade Fox of Kallimore." Pause. "Formality is important."

    "Hmm, that is true. We are not friends. Yet. But friendship is beautiful, and the Goddess surely will bless our efforts in creating such an unlikely friendship as this," says Elly.

    She gestures then to a fallen tree. "Perhaps you would be willing to sit with me? Though I would hate to distract you from your procedures. It is just that I am quite hungry myself, and more importantly, you are on my lands and I am responsible for your comfort. It would be an egergious breach of etiquette if I failed to make you feel welcome and at ease."

    She pauses and notes, "You are most elegant, Lady Daiyu. Your title is wonderful, as well. You must be very strong, but more importantly, you are polite and graceful."

Daiyu remains wary, but after a moment the impression is that it's not the Baroness she's being so cautious of. Not when she's taking a careful scope of the vicinity around them. But whatever it is she doesn't see seems to be enough to get her to stop being quite so stiff and wary. "You.. are not the first to try and engage with me as something other than a warrior," the vulpine finally emits as she turns to stride, gracefully as noted, towards the log. "None of those should matter towards an enemy of your state, and yet... here you are, doing so." She sits, and lets out a soft sigh. "Yamatoans are so... peculiar..."

Tails drape off to one side, curling over the log. "I am one of the elite of Kallamore and a vetern of it's arena. I need to be strong and elegant in equal measures."

    "I do not know if I am representatve of most people in Yamato, as I am considered strange. My friends worry about me frequently. They do not understand my faith and fear that I am reckless."

    She settles herself on the log, within arm's reach. With very steady, but slow motions she draws out the food. With a little bit of earth magic she creates a nice, flat place to set things out.

    "I have some fruit juice, but no wine to offer," she says, smiling apologetically. "Oh, and some green tea. We have a very nice, strong leaf that grows up in the mountains."

    There is a more than just a snack, but a reasonable lunch set out when she's done. She has enough cups and bowls for both of them. She clearly came prepared to meet someone.

    "What is it like, being a veteran of the arena? What can you tell me about life in Kallamore? What did you do for fun?"

Daiyu tries not to show too much interest, but the mention of tea gets a clear reaction out of her. "...A proper tea has been hard to come by. Nothing appropriate grows near Shibuya, just that 'coffea' your allies had found. And I lack the proper skill, despite the great many wonders alchemy can perform."

A silence follows as she considers. It's likely some mental self-reflection on how much or little she can say. A need to be careful to not potentially give away something that would be useful information to the enemy, no matter how friendly and polite the Baroness is acting.

"I have heard it compared to the place Americans call... Las Vegas, I believe." Casinos, stage shows, lots of money moving mainly into the accounts of 'the house'. Or maybe she's testing how much Elly knows with such a comparison. Unlike the Palace Lands, Yamato is supposedly home to a number of forgien players.

    "Well, in that case, you are in luck. Someone more skilled than me grew and prepared the tea." Elly only contributes in one way. She heats up the water to a boil and then sets in the little basket with the tea leaves. It is, from the scent, a very bold green tea.

    She smiles at the thought of coffea. "I am not terribly fond of the coffea drink, even though I am at least partially responsible for its distribution and use. It was someone's dream, so I helped them achieve it."

    She sighs gently, turning her mind to Daiyu's words. The Priestess reads much in that long pause. "It must be difficult, to have to guard your words, to not give away something that might be used against you as a weapon. I understand that you feel it is needed. Still, it brings me sorrow. I imagine your home is wonderful in many ways. As for the city of Las Vegas, I am familiar, but that place has many more colors, many more flavors than most give it credit for. It is not just flashing lights and gambling. It is hopes, dreams, art and beauty, and people. So many people! With so many dreams!"

Such a soothing smell, though Daiyu is still careful to not let her guard down. A friendly enemy is still an enemy... and potentially more dangerous than a confrontational one.

What Wake says and how she says it gets a tilt of the fox's head. The topic, the phrasing... it gives her a wary idea of who the other woman has possibly spoken with recently. But not a matter she is inclined to speak towards.. maybe because it would confirm the truth in it...

"As does Kallamore," Daiyu replies, having calmed a bit but still stoic in her demeanor. "But everything belongs to the Lander Nobles, only those they deam fit of their support get to fully experience what it offers."

    Elly focuses her efforts on properly serving the meal. The bread that Tae made is the most important part of all. "But you are loyal, is it not enough? What are you not allowed to have?"

    There is no judgment in those words. She is simply curious. "Oh, and do you have someone waiting for you back home? I am very lucky, the woman I love came here with me. We knew each other in the dream before this world, and our love lives on here."

Daiyu just gives the woman a flat look even as she accepts the food. Warily. Like she's still not entirely convinced it's not a trick of some kind. "My reputation, and the effort to restore order after fools tried to tear that system apart, earned me the right before it became an issue." It's not hard to figure out what is being heavily implied by 'the right'. Not when it's sitting right there on her brow.

The second question gets a pause, and then a soft grunt. "It is irrelevant if I did or not. As are many things as long as this war continues."

    The first comment earns a thoughtful nod. Elly looks at the crown curiously. "Does it hurt?" she asks softly. "What does it feel like, exactly? That is, can you remember the time before you wore it and what changed? I had suggested to one of my friends that I wanted to experience it so I could better understand why this war is happening, but they refused to assist me."

    Her gentle demeanor, though, gets pushed a bit hard by the last comment. "Not irrelevant!" she says passionately. "Not at all. Your heart, your dreams, your love matters. To say anything else is an affront to the Goddess. Who you are, inside is beautiful and important. This war does not change that."

    As fired up as she gets in that moment, she is calm after. "So please, never think anything you feel is unimportant. I assure you it is. You have the right to feel, to dream, and yes, to love."

That... actually gets a short barking laugh out of the vulpine. "You know full well I would not answer such intricate details, yet you ask anyways. I will give you credit for that." The shimmer of a moment of mirth is gone as quickly as it emerged though. "The Crowns are a symbol of power. Of prestige. Of loyalty to our homeland." A pause. "To bear one you would have to turn from everything you have here, and despite our short time I believ you are not a woman who would willingly... risk so much. For a fleeting moment you would not come back from."

Not what Wake wanted to hear, but prehaps reassuring in a way that the enemy doesn't seem aware than a removal of the Crowns has been worked on.

"That may be true... but it does not matter to those who choose the path of this affair. We.. are the pieces on the board. The rooks and bishops moved at the behest of our leaders."

And she is going to enjoy this tea while she has the chance, thank you.

    "Why would I not ask?" Elly tilts her head. She does not understand that statement. "It seems to me a strange thing to hide. And you can never take that thing off? Not even to bathe? That part would certainly be troublesome. I truly enjoy washing my hair."

    The rest draws a soft, almost playful laugh from Elly. "It may not matter to them, but you are still a woman. You are still a person. Is it truly a matter of deepest secrecy to let me know if you have a special friend or family member? I wonder just what you think of me? Do you know nothing of who I am? Even the Landers know what I care for and what I do."

There is a soft crinkling sound. Most likely her claws clenching against the piece of bread in her other hand. "Am I?" Her voice is still stoic, but it's more forced in it's cold demeanor. "Where is that line drawn, when my fate is no longer my own? When the hero becomes just another footnote to another story? Anything I may of desired means little. This war continues on, dragging both sides with it's implaciable crawl. It cares not for anything other than victory, and we are expected the same."

    Elly's response to that may be the least expected thing of all. "You.. of course you are, Daiyu." She's.. there are tears. She's crying. "You are a woman. You are! I don't care what that thing does. You are still a person. No matter what someone else did, you have the right to live your life, to love the people you want to love."

    Through the tears, she's angry. She looks at the crown and there's a fire in that glance. Part of her cries out to test her powers against it. What holds her back isn't the fact that she'd die trying. It's that Daiyu would certainly perish.

    "It isn't right, Daiyu. It's wrong. It's horrible. You deserve the right to be yourself."

The stare is long, and trying to remain impassive. But there is the faint hint of something else in the dark eyes behind the halfmoon spectacles. Something that can't quite express itself.

And then the woman is crying. Why, when she should feel please that the enemy has broken down into tears, does it feel like something else. Something...

After just staring for an uncomfortable amount of time, Daiyu sighs. "You are too pretty to be wasting your tears for me, Wake." It isn't calling her Elly, but at least she didn't default to Baroness this time? She looks a bit awkward, like part of her wants to comfort the crying, but part keeps nudging her they're technically enemies. Tails writh from her side as there is little else she can to do to express the.. lack of what to do. To be able to do.

"Such is the true nature of War. It cares not for right or wrong, for who starts or ends it. Eventually someone will win... and everyone will lose."

    "Tears are never wasted, Daiyu. Your beauty outshines mine, though. But I make this vow, and I name the Goddess, The Beautiful One herself to bind me to it."

    Streamers of light dance around her in divine prayer. "By my being, by my love, by all that is lovely and right in this world, I swear I will free you, Daiyu. No matter the cost to me, it will be done."

    The lights then burst into a gentle light, countless glowing motes hang in the air, their shades of pastel across the spectrum.

    "And we will win. You are not my enemy, nor are your people. I will meet Queen Laira and together we will begin to find the truth. We will find a way to peace and freedom. For all our people."

    A hopeful smile, "Our true enemy is the war itself. We will conquer it. It's a promise."

"Your conviction... is impressive, if nothing else. I do hope it isn't misplaced." Again there is that brief look, that hint of wanting to say more but either unable to, or not risking it.

Daiyu rises to her feet. "Enemies or not, we are on opposite sides of this affair... yet you showed me hospitality. Understanding... I will not forget that."

A tail flicks over her shoulder to pat the woman lightly, the briefest show of returning some of that concern she can make. "Your people need you to be strong. Clear your eyes before you return to them. Farewell."

Like that, the vulpine turns, takes a few steps... and is gone. But Elly is use to people with the powers of darkness pulling disappearing acts, isn't she now.