Heart of Inari

After finishing off the last of her meal, Cilan takes the plates into the kitchen where she disappears for a minute or two. Coming back out, she fishes into her pants pocket for a moment and pulls out a key, "Well, I'll be out riding, see if I can find any usable salvage, maybe see if I can’t take care of a few ferals on the way. Take care of yourself, Cyg, alright?"

Cygnus rubs her belly softly and smiles, shrugging gently and giving a nod. "Sure thing, you too Cil."

A human female makes her way down the stairs into the pub, dressed in a yukata with two swords, one hanging from either side of her, taking up a stool at the bar table. "Something strong please." She waves to the bartender, one of her hands absentmindedly touching her breast. "Guess I'm a woman now, huh?" She sips slowly from her drink when it comes, sighing deeply.

Cilan nods, and with a soft chuckle replies with, "No promises." later musing to herself, "Huh.. wonder how the penthouse is looking.." as she walks, though her ascent up the stairs is quickly halted as she looks to the new arrival. Returning the key Cilan asks, "Huh? Ah, sure." as she heads back to the bar she had left only moments ago. Once there, she pours a small shot of whiskey and slides it over to the woman, "Another guy turned into a female, huh? Heh, if I had a nickel for every time I heard that one!" she says with a soft chuckle.

Rihko wanders out of the kitchen, holding a steaming styrofoam cup that would appear to be full of instant ramen, and a fork. She's looking down at her food as she wanders up behind the bar. She looks around, settling down onto a stool, and then freezes as she stares at the human woman. She leans forward, and sniffs at the air, tails flicking.

The woman smiles. "You are...Cilan, right? I...she watched you get better." She finishes her glass of alcohol, getting a second drink from the Tagling before waving at Rihko. "And you...you made her feel comfortable in the pub. I must thank you."

"Hello, Rihko!" Cilan says exuberantly as she notices the kitsune walk next to her, "Huh? Yeah, I'm Cilan, Cilan Averith...uh...have we met?" she asks skeptically, staring awkwardly at the woman as if trying to recognize the face.

Cygnus blinks and sniffs at the newcomer, tilting her head.

Rihko leans forward a little, giving the girl a nod. "Yes, I am Rihko Kirijo. I am afraid I am at a disadvantage, though..." she offers, slowly stirring her noodles. "I do not believe I learned your name." She smiles, and then looks over at Cilan. "This would be the person who had been carrying Foxheart." She pauses, and looks back. "Until recently, I am guessing."

Cilan blinks, "O-oh... right, so... the thing happened, did it? I'm..sorry that Foxheart had to leave, a shame that her life ended like that." she says with a soft sigh, "Anyways, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Heh, though I have to admit, I am happy that I made her last moments comfortable." she says softly, wistfully.

Rihko's ear flicks. She shakes her head a little, then gives the woman a small smile, still slowly stirring her noodles and waiting to hear from the woman herself.

Cygnus furrows her brow and sighs, turning back to her food, "She did it then..."

The woman nods, sipping slowly from her second drink. "My name is unimportant. Just call me Foxheart, and that is correct Rihko...although...I am not used to being a woman. Looks like some of the fox spirit's influence stayed over even after she started to fade away." She looks at her comm unit which beeps as she finds the time, a sad smile forming on her face. "2 hours until the day ends. Plenty of time for me to enjoy my drink." The woman smiles at Cilan. "Foxheart isn't gone yet, though she's about to." She finishes her second drink with a heavy pant.

Cilan breathes a sigh and asks, "Why though? Why does she have to kill herself? Can you at least answer that for me?"

Rihko watches, still smiling. "Well, once your body gets adjusted a certain way, it tends to stay like that until it is actively changed again," she says. She gets a fork full of noodles and gently blows on it. "And I hope you aren't going to drink yourself into oblivion...I don't think I would be able to condone you getting drunk in my pub tonight." She smiles at the woman, and shifts her weight on her stool. "But I'd be willing to listen if you had something on your mind, if you wanted to talk." She takes her bite of noodles then, ready to listen.

Cygnus closes her eyes softly and lulls her head back, breathing a heavy sigh.

Foxheart waves a third drink, the smell of alcohol already ridiculously powerful on her breath as she starts sipping from it, nibbling on the glass thoughtfully as she does. "Not to worry, I have an incredible tolerance and an unslakable thirst for alcohol. I think I left some of the influence on the poor girl...though her drunken antics are funny." She looks at Rihko thoughtfully. "She trusted you a lot, you know? Maybe it's a kitsune thing, but she always felt comfortable around you. I know she said I wasn't supposed to feel anything, and I wasn't supposed to, but she didn't know that I was sapping off her memories the same way she sapped off mine."

Sorien wanders into the den, looking disheveled as if she either just got up or she hadn't slept much. She gets tea, then, seeing Rihko at the bar she goes over to hug the kitsune. She blinks, sniffing and asks, "Was Foxheart here?"

Cygnus points to the new girl sitting at the bar and sighs "Was.

Cilan nods, "Mm…I guess it is nice to spend your last few moments doing what you like, but sti--.." her sentence is quickly cut off as she notices Sorien, the woman promptly offers a wave and motions with her head over to Foxheart, "She's Foxheart.. or at least the host she was living in. Both go by the same name, I suppose."

Sorien blinks, looking shocked as she sees the human woman apparently for the first time. She sits rather heavily on a stool. "... She's gone?"

Narg pads down into the pub yawning and rubbing her eyes giving a wave "YAWN...... ello people" she makes her way to the bar and taps on it to order some whiskey up before settling in to listen.

Rihko finishes chewing her noodles and swallows, then wipes at her muzzle with the back of her paw. She smiles at Foxheart, ears twitching. "Ah, thank you. It could be that, it could be that, well, I've always been a good listener, and I like helping people with problems." Her tails flick back and forth, and she nods her head at Sorien. Then she looks back at Foxheart. "Happy birthday, by the way." The kitsune pauses again, ear flicking. "I have to say, I am a little surprised to see you. She wanted to live. She wanted to live, very badly... she must love you, still, after all this time."

Cilan just shakes her head, "Not yet. I've been told that she's fading. Got until what…the end of the day?"

Sorien says, "Isn't there something to do to save both?”

Foxheart shakes her head at Sorien. "No, but she's barely alive right now. Not strong enough to take over the body or even shift my form." She looks at Rihko. "I can feel her struggling to get out, her time slowly fading. It is a painful experience for both of us, and I'd let her out if I could but..." She orders yet another drink from the Tagling, who shoots her a wary stare. "I felt her distress just yesterday as well...she tried to think of a solution before giving up and putting a bold front for you all."

Sorien might be crying if she had the right tear glands. "How can you just... Accept this?"

Cilan says, "How about another host? Could one be offered so she could live in that one before she finally fades?"

Narg keeps her mouth closed, it being bound to get her in trouble anyway.

Cygnus keeps her eyes closed, hiding the tears welling up "I'd offer up a spot. At least until we could get her a body of her own..."

Sorien says, "I think many of us would. Maybe... We could petition Inari for mercy or something?"

Rihko shifts her weight on her stool, leaning forward as she listens, quietly eating more of her noodles. The kitsune's ears swivel, and flick, and her tails slowly curl and twist around themselves. "Y'know, Fox, if you don't mind I'd like to hear your side of all of this..."

Foxheart frowns. “Don’t I get a break from bring possessed?" She laughs at her own joke, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "Two years of just watching things happen is a very long time. Although she's been through four hundred over years of this torture so I really can't complain." She sips from her glass. "No use petitioning the god. I know you've already tried." She turns to Rihko, one of her hands reaching out to grab one of her tails as she smiles. "My side? It is very depressing."

Rihko's tails are waving and twitching, and her seat is behind the bar, out of reach of the human; she doesn't seem overly concerned, though, and just smiles and nods her head. "Or your thoughts on the matter. What you will do with your life, now that you have it back," she offers. She smiles, and then goes back to eating her noodles, watching Foxheart.

Sorien hugs herself, looking a little lost. "This isn't right. How can you be so calm?"

Narg speaks "When you accept fate as being fate and there ain't anythin you can do about it, it puts a new perspective on things... in my opinion at least"

Cygnus sighs and looks at Sorien before glancing around the room "Sorien and I can't be the only ones here who think we need to save Fox..."

Foxheart laughs, nearly falling off her stool as she lunges out in another attempt to grab one of Rihko's tails. "She left me a lot, a lot of freecred, for having worked two years. I could probably drink myself to insanity every day and still have enough to rent a room for the rest of my life. But...since you asked so nicely." She asks the Tagling to pour her another drink, shoving him a wad of freecred. "My life...that is an interesting question. With a very interesting answer."

Cilan asks softly, "So, what happens when she finally fades anyways? Is that it? No more foxheart? If so, I agree with Sorien and wonder how you can be so calm about that future? It's a terrible fate to look at!"

"This isn't right..." Mini says softly, wrapping her wings around herself.

Rihko continues calmly eating her noodles, tails dancing just out of reach. She finishes her current mouthful, licks her fork clean, and then points it at Cygnus. "You are biased. You are another possessing entity." Then she turns the Fork of Truth on Sorien. "And Sorien, I am calm because I am a calm person, and being calm and thinking things through is what I do." Her tails flick, and she goes back to stirring her noodle cup and smiling at Foxheart. "Does she just... go away? Or will she still be there, but with you in control?" she asks. "And... if it is an interesting question, with an interesting answer, then...please, I am quite interested in hearing it."

Narg grumbles a bit and then takes a drink of her whiskey.

Foxheart grins, sipping from her new drink. "Well, now, no need to worry your pretty little heads. She isn't dead yet, so there's that...although her time certainly is running out. Then she'll be gone, forever. Or...well...to be precise, nine hundred years before she recovers her strength and gets her first tail back." She smiles as Rihko mentions her interest, though the worried looks she's getting from the others don't seem to bother her. "It's simple actually. I believe she's told you the answer before."

Rihko thinks on that, and then shakes her head. "If she told me, then I don't recall," she offers. She shrugs her shoulders, and shifts her weight again on her stool.

Cygnus cocks an eyebrow and blinks "Rihko... You forget I’m the host. And honestly, Cyg taking over is purely consensual at this point."

Foxheart grins, finishing her drink in a large gulp. "Fair enough, I'll show you then." She smiles as she draws her wakizashi from her sheath. "I know I'm not supposed to draw arms in the pub, but still. This is a likely exception." She eyes the blade briefly before stabbing it into her belly, letting out a gasp of pain as her blood splashes onto the bar table. "T-this is my....answer..." She says between heavy breaths, wincing, one of her hands asking the shocked Tagling to pour her another drink.

Sorien jumps! Immediately without thinking she reaches out, concentrating her ability with nanites to heal, trying to help the self-evicerating human!

Cilan blinks and quickly rushes around the bar to press her softly ebbing hands against Foxheart, healing the self-inflicted wound.

Narg nearly drops her drink "FUCK! You japs and yer damn suicide rituals!" she is immediately out of her chair and next to Foxheart. "There are no exceptions idiot!"

<Sorien><Mastered Nanoheal> Foxheart is healed for 0 damage! <Power> Foxheart gains the effect of Regen.

<Cilan> light of the guardian affects Foxheart! <Narg> reconstruct affects Foxheart!

Cygnus jumps back a bit and starts to move to help, cut off by Cilan and Sorien, the white bunny just standing there with her maw gaping before pulling a few vials from her belt and uncorking them, dumping a couple into the humans mouth.

<Rihko> Unnerving Growl affects Rihko!

<Cygnus> Mastered royal delight affects Foxheart!

Rihko is up and on her feet, quickly, her arm and hand flashing out to the side to wave off the Tag-spawn. She slaps her other hand down on the counter, palm flat, and growls... a low, menacing noise. Her tails flick, agitated, and her nose twitches at the sudden, strong, alluring scent of blood in the air. The kitsune's hackles are up, and she gives Foxheart a hard stare. "I see. Not in here."

Foxheart smiles at the attempts to heal her, her trembling hand still pushing her shortsword inside her body. "You can't heal wounds around a blade, people, though I must thank you, you've bought me some time." She winces in pain. "To walk outside and finish it..." She sticks her tongue out at Rihko, a stunning resemblance occurring for just a moment. "The thing that the kitsune forgets is that...I came to the shrine of my own...accord." She stands up, finishing her last drink as she heads slowly towards the stairs. "I had no idea it wou-would be this painful. The movies always make it look like such an easy thing to do."

Sorien takes the moment to pin Fox's hand to the bar, holding it there with a LOT more strength than you'd expect, her other hand making sure Fox doesn't just ram herself forward onto it.

<*Official*> Sorien proves that they possess a stat named muscle mass with a value of 3. [Found in: Special]

<*Official*> Foxheart proves that they possess a stat named muscle mass with a value of 3. [Found in: Special]

<*Official*> Cilan proves that they possess a stat named heroic strength with a value of Adrenaline rush! This perk allows you to spend a hero point in a scene to perform an act of outstanding strength, like ripping a metal door apart or throwing a car. While it doesn't have any effect in combat, it's a lot of fun to Hulk out in roleplay!. [Found in: Jnote]

<Hero> Sorien spends a Hero point!

Balina steps down into the pub, stopping short. On second thought, she's not as thirsty as she expected. Sitting down on the bottom steps, she props her elbows on her knees, watching.

Narg gahs and steps away "Yeah... well I gotta say there is NO honor in that kind of suicide, serves no purpose and has no goal other than your own release... cowardly is what it is... my opinion, but you know, that’s just me." She moves to stand next to Balina by the door leading up and stares on cautiously.

Cygnus shoots a glance at the huskey and growls "Narg, shut the fuck up."

Balina raises her paw, waving gently. "While I am generally in favor of yelling at Narg, I'd like to ask for a recap of the last ten minutes, if you don't mind."

Rihko eyes Foxheart and Sorien, nose still twitching, her tails shaking a little. She brings her other hand down to rest on the bar. "It is extremely insulting for you to spill blood in here," she says, quietly, "even if it is your own. Take the damned sword out of your fucking stomach. -Then- take this outside." She raises her head and, for just a moment, her withering glare is focused on Balina; then she realizes who it is, and looks back at Foxheart. "This is Foxheart's host. He wants to kill himself. He decided to do it, while sitting across from me at the bar."

Narg lifts a finger up at Cygnus and smiles a harmless smile "Don't mind me and my big mouth, go find something else to do with yer pretty head"

"Not now, Bal!" Cilan says over her shoulder as she tries to force Foxheart and pull the wakizashi out of her stomach, halting the suicide permanantly. "There /has/ to be another way!" she says vainly to the woman that seems intent on ending her life.

Foxheart manages to grin through the pain, looking at Sorien's arms pinning her own down. "If you stop me, then the kitsune and I both die. I live the rest of my life with h-half a soul and she lives trapped in my body forever. C-can you do that to us, Sorien?" She struggles against Sorien's arm, though not managing to dislodge it. "The wound has closed around the sword. It's not bleeding. Let me walk outside and finish it while I can still hold my head high." She turns to Rihko with a frown. "She'll clean that up later and cover the cost." Her arms start to tremble as she nods in Cilan's direction. "There always is another way. Unfortunately, neither of us could find it."

Sorien says, "I don't want EITHER of you to die, goddamn it! There HAS to be a way!"

Cilan says, "So, you'd just rather give up then?! How many people have you asked for help in this before saying, 'there was no way'?"

Foxheart sticks her tongue out, her face turning white. "Given that I-I'm perfectly rational, I would have found out more. If there weren't 20 minutes left until she dies. Inari was very specific with the time...very well played on her end."

Rihko sighs. Heavily. Her eye twitches a moment as she watches the three. "The longer you sit here jabbering, the longer you are making him suffer," she points out, quietly. "Do not be cruel. Let him end this on the terms he chooses."

Sorien says, "Then we go to the Temple NOW. We face her NOW. See if she wants to see that."

Balina gets up, crossing the pub to stand in front of Foxheart and guests. Her nostrils flare at the blood, and she gives a humorless grin. "I can think of much, much worse ways to go. Think you can sum this up in 15 minutes or less, before any of us do something rash?"

Sorien says, "Will you let me carry you there, Fox? I can get you there in minutes. All of you who want, follow as you can."

Balina glances to Sorien, nodding. "Fine. Think you can sum it up in midair?"

Cilan says, "I'll be right behind you, Sori!"

Cygnus nods and spreads her wings, shaking them gently and folding them back "I'm ready. I'll be right behind you."

Foxheart sighs. "Y-you're not going to let me have it easy, are you? Fine. Have your last desperate attempt. At 3 minutes from the time I...I finish the slash. No argument."

Sori scoops Fox up, carefully. "Take the blade out. You'll have to restart anyway, and you'll need to hang on."

Narg pants, "I go with ya as well..."

Foxheart smiles. "Later, Sorien. I'd rather not get any blood on the floor. And I'm nowhere near dying...not with all the attention that's currently on me."

Cilan says, "I tell you what, Fox. If this does not work, I will do the suicide for you. Just please, give us this chance to save both lives."

Balina leans in, whispering something to Foxheart, giving that same grin a little wider than before, then stepping away to head out. "I'll meet people there."

Rihko's body language is full of nothing but "I do not approve", but her tone is controlled, polite, despite the stiff, puffy tails, the raised hackles, the faint snarl on her lips and the fire in her eyes. "Balina. I do not know how much you know of Foxheart already. Long story short, today is the day that her host," she gestures at the sword-stuck woman, "was freed to make his own choices. The choices being, kill himself and let Foxheart have the body, cast Foxheart into the darkness for another millenium, or stagger through the rest of his life sharing his body with her spirit. He wanted to take option one. Sorien and the rest violently disagree."

Skylar comes downstairs, whistling a tune as most of the time, she seizes as she spots the comotion, Balina making her way to the stairs and a human dressed as Foxheart with a blade on herself. "Uh...I won't even ask...need help?"

Rihko tenses a moment. Then she reaches down below the bar, picks up her jacket, and slips it on before she hops over the bar. "Let us end this charade. I'll try and make sure nothing silly happens."

Balina grabs Skylar on the way past, dragging her by the hand in silence.

Skylar stays true to her word and doesn't ask anything, just staring at Balina as she's dragged away.

"You-all are gonna have to haul. I'm going wyvern." The wound is again healed and Sori runs upstairs with her burden. When outside, She shifts, becoming MUCH larger, black-and-white leathern wings replacing arms, body rapidly reconfiguring. She makes sure Fox isn't going anywhere with her tail.

<Sorien> Mastered Nanoheal affects Foxheart! <Power> Foxheart gains the effect of Regen.

<[0%]Foxheart><Mastered bloodletting> Foxheart takes 1268 damage!

Cygnus races out of the pub, bolting on all fours in a manner rarely seen of the rabbit, her massive wingspan unfurling as she leaves the doors and she’s quickly airborne.

Narg dashes up and out into the lot, shifting into an eagle girl on the way before launching into the sky towards the temple and the general showdown area.

Rihko pauses long enough to put a paw on Foxheart's shoulder and murmur, "My apologies, you had horrible judgment," before she too grows a set of wings and takes off, eager to not let Sorien lose her.

<Outside> With that shout, Sori-wyvern launches into the air, somewhat clumsily due to her burden; rapidly she rises then dives to the temple, landing just outside. She shifts again on landing, staggering as she pushes her abilities again, carrying the human within.

Cilan heads outside, her large white wings spreading to full mast and she quickly flaps off to the temple, following behind Sorien.

<Cilan> light of the guardian affects Foxheart!

<Outside> Balina tears through the streets like a wolf on a mission, Skylar keeping pace in the air.

Foxheart removes the sword lodged inside her, her body arcing painfully as she does. "Somehow I...have faith...in you. Though I'm not sure what good faith is in this situation."

Narg hits the ground not long after Sori hits it and shifts back to her normal self, taking a breath or two to recover before following after the pair.

Cilan lands back on solid ground, and folds her wings back behind her, the woman promptly heads into the temple and looks around for an offering place, something to assist in summoning Inari.

Cygnus circles overhead for a second before diving after Sorien, taking a spot as a wingman on the wyvern before landing at the temple, the rabbit folding her wings and landing with a roll.

Sorien carries the bleeding woman into the temple, the people within parting like the sea at the sight. They remember the visit from the evening before, and are no more interested in violence than they were then. She reaches the pool, and gently sets Foxheart down on the ground. She strokes the human's head, saying, "I can't believe that Inari is truly unjust, nor do I believe Inari to be without mercy. I'll appeal to her... I have to try." And she shimmers again into another form.

<Dedication> Sorien becomes a coyote!

Balina arrives shortly behind the fliers. Balinawolf is fast, but she can't travel as Sorien flies. She pads in, glaring about, daring anyone to stop her as she comes to rest next to Foxheart. "Both of those sound right from here, but go ahead and try."

Narg finds a place to sit crosslegged and watch, not much she can do at the moment other than be there.

Skylar divebombs, stopping the drop and flapping like a maniac on the verge of a crash, she lands a bit hard but manages to roll and pretend nothing happened, she quickly goes in the 'vacuum' Sorien and Balina created and stops by the wolfcow. "Who did this to-I mean...nevermind, not asking anything for now, anything you need me to do?"

Rihko lands outside the small, peaceful shrine. She brushes her hands off and her wings snap before folding up behind her, and she gives a small bow to the fox statues that stand guard at the entrance, then stands at the threshold. She claps her hands three times, holding them together on the third, then bows her head and steps into the shrine itself. She crosses the floor, walking up to the shrine proper, then turns and stares at Sorien, crossing her arms.

Sorien looks at the still water and the room in general. Looking at Rihko, she says, "I am not a dedicant, nor am I worthy; but lead me- tell me how I may proceed."

Cygnus smooths her black fur, the rabbit having shifted in mid-flight, taking a spot quietly next to Balinawolf.

Cilan looks over her shoulder to the display Rihko had made, "Entry requirement or something, Rihko?" she shrugs and looks to the pool and kneels infront of it, waiting for further instruction from someone who knows what she's doing.

Balina sits down, grumbling, "Wait and listen, Sky. You're about to learn a little more of my worldview, I think."

Skylar nods quickly and sits beside Balina, diligently staying quiet and still.

"I don't know what you expect, Sorien," Rihiko replies, waving a paw. "I'm just here to make sure nobody vandalizes anything in a fit of rage, and that you don't murder Foxheart through your refusal to let her host take action," she says. Her ear flicks, and she glances over at Cilan. "It is a gesture of respect," she explains. "You clap to announce your presence, and bow your head in greeting." She motions at the small shrine next to her, with its bell and incense. "Ring the bell, make a prayer, burn some incense. Leave an offering if you wish. All pretty standard stuff." She pauses, and her tails wave. "But I know all of you, and I know you are not keen on respect, or tradition. So feel free to stamp around and shout as well. Inari is listening, but this is a matter he has already passed judgement on."

Narg rubs her nose, she ain't saying anything here without reason

In an attempt to prove Rihko wrong on the matter, Cilan rings the bell mentioned, and pulls a zippo from her pants pocket, later using it to burn some incense. After which she calls to no one, "Inari, I know you've already made your judgment, but please. Reconsider, the punishment you had casted upon Foxheart is too grievous for one so merciful as you are. Allow her a second chance to prove herself worthy again."

Sorien nods to Rihko. Shi goes to where Rihko indicated, doing exactly as Rihko indicated. She claps as did the kitsune, then gently rings the bell. She lights incense, then prays, her offering whispered to the goddess.

"Or a first chance, perhaps," mumbles a Balina, lying down and abstaining from hands. With her head closer to the Sky, she mutters as brief a summary as she can.

Foxheart grins. "You need proof. Have your proof. You will know that I chose this out of necessity."

Cygnus does the same as the others, paying her respects in an effort to bring the deity forth.

Skylar's only motion is to shake her head and lean towards Balina to whisper something back.

Sori almost whispers: "I have no standing in this place, and I and my mate created havoc last night. I am truly sorry for any harm that was done, and I will make compensation as the priests direct. I am here with a petition to save the lives of two who are beholden to you, Foxheart and her human host; the host lies wounded by her own hand, and we are why she is not dead in Foxheart's place. I would ask your indulgence- either for understanding why this must happen, or to save both, despite the transgressions committed."

<Hero> Sorien spends a Hero point! <Hero> Sorien spends a Hero point! <Hero> Sorien spends a Hero point!

Balina gives a snorting laugh at Skylar's words, watching Sorien and mumbling something in return.

With her prayer said, Sorien kneels and waits.

<Hero> Cilan spends a Hero point! <Hero> Cilan spends a Hero point! <Hero> Cilan spends a Hero point!

Cilan remains kneeled in front of the pool, her eyes closed as she waits for judgment by the goddess.

<Hero> Cygnus spends a Hero point! <Hero> Cygnus spends a Hero point! <Hero> Cygnus spends a Hero point!

<Hero> Foxheart spends a Hero point! <Hero> Foxheart spends a Hero point! <Hero> Foxheart spends a Hero point!

Balina is lying down. She's not quite sure what else is expected of her, but Inari better not hold it against her for not doing rituals she's not even capable of performing.

Narg watches everyone pray as she picks on a tooth with a toothpick she pulled out of her pocket, before she stands up and walks around to admire the architecture.

Cygnus kneels next to Sorien and Cilan, keeping her head low.

Foxheart smiles weakly, sheathing her sword. "I suppose...since everyone is already praying for me...I should offer my own prayer." Her comm unit beeps loudly. "Fifteen minutes left."

Skylar shakes her head and smirks at Balina's words, taking a more relaxed stance as she watches the others pray, she feels awkward at this sight, but remains by Balina's side, fearing crazy retribution for a badly done ritual, she having watched her shared of horror movies.

Rihko watches, surprised enough to let herself smile, faintly. Her myriad tails swing back and forth, and her wings snap once and shake then fold back up. She keeps a quiet sigh to herself, and checks the time on her com before she walks over to Foxheart. "So. I'm not going to stand in your way, Fox, tell you that you are wrong, any of that. Just curious, though, you are sure that sharing a body would be that horrible?" she asks. She waves her paw. "You said crippled with half a soul; souls aren't one of those finite resource things, y'know," she says, quietly filling the time with conversation.

Sorien remains waiting, still and quiet for what is to come.

Foxheart looks at Rihko, a look of sadness in her eyes. "That is...not correct. Soul damage can be irreparable...and in this case, it is. It's like those who've never fully recovered from a tragic incident. That part of their lives will never be whole."

Skylar speaks up from her spot at Foxheart. "You can't deny that there's ways to make life better for those people, and sometimes even bring their back to their previous state...a lot of people here are praying for a god they aren't even linked to...you could have some hope for their effort..." She then quiets again.

A warm breeze fills the shrine, a single leaf blowing in the air as settles right on top of the kneeling Coyote's head. A single green bladed leaf.

Rihko gives Foxheart a quiet, little snort. She slips her paws into her pockets, and rubs her shoulders. "Ehn. I'm sure my own soul is plenty scarred. I've done plenty of horrible things. Lived through plenty of horrible things. Dirty and stained and all that," she says, tone light. "But what of it? Is it something you can see, you can feel? Something that other people stare at and whisper about when you walk into a room?" She eyes the woman. "So you spent a couple of years with another person reading your memories, calling the shots. Crys has been through worse, and she has a beautiful soul. But, yea, like I said. Not going to try to stop you, just wanted to see if I could figure out what's going on in there." Her tails sway and she sniffs at the air, then looks over at Sorien for a moment before returning to Foxheart.

Sorien's eyes open with the leaf settling upon hir head. She glances up, not moving quickly as to not dislodge it, and gives a questioning look to Rihko.

Balina quite visibly tenses, snorting loudly. She makes no further moves, however.

Cilan remains silent, her head bowed, oblivious to the leaf that had landed on Sorien's head.

Foxheart is stung by Rihko's accusation. "Crystala was not primed to explode in a few minutes, you know." frowns as she sees the leaf on Sorien's head, propping herself up against one of the circular pillars. "W-whatever you do...don't drop the leaf."

Cygnus is the same as Cilan, keeping her head bowed and oblivious to the leaf herself.

The wind changes direction, swiping the leaf off of the coyote's head, and into the water pool nearby. It comes to rest on the surface with a small pattern rippling outward. The breeze stops, the entire shrine is silent, beyond the breath of those standing within.

Sorien blinks as the leaf blows into the water, ears perking straight at the pool in total attention.

Rihko pulls her paws out of her pockets and spreads her fingers as she sees Foxheart's reaction. "It was no accusation, my apologies," she murmurs quietly. Then she turns to watch Sorien, quietly, tails slowly waving back and forth.

Balina stands, padding over to the edge of the pool before sitting back down, watching expectantly.

Narg turns from her examinations to the pool of water, watching on quietly before moving to sit crosslegged at the edge of the pool, staring at the leaf.

Skylar mimics Balina's actions, also sitting down and fiddling with her claws as she also looks at the pool, not understanding if the leaf is something important.

Cilan looks up at the mention of leaf and looks around, staring around before noticing the leaf floating in the pool, "Hmm? Is…that bad?" she asks, finally breaking her long silence.

There's a rustle again, chimes gently humming, a tone almost beyond hearing. As if a breath and a whisper. The blood on Foxheart's yukata bubbles outward into the air, and then bursts, turning into a fine mist. The chimes hum again, ever so faintly, the sound of "No" can be heard.

Narg rubs her nose and whispers quietly "Awfully generic of an answer..."

Sorien gasps in stunned reaction. "... No?"

Cygnus blinks and furrows her brow, otherwise staying silent.

Balina wrinkles her face into a sneer. "She means he will not reconsider hir decision," she snarls. "They must make a decision, because that's what Inari decided."

Foxheart remains fixated on the leaf. "Byo, Kobo, yoku Inari." She whispers softly, hearing Inari's reply with a resigned frown on her face. "For sickness, pray to Kobo. For every desire, pray to Inari. What reason did she have to agree?"

Rihko's ear twitches. She concentrates for a moment and her wings shrink, pulling back into her body. The color drains out of her fur, returning to the ghostly white it was a month ago. She gives Foxheart a short nod, and diplomatically refrains from telling anyone that she told them so.

<Hero> Balina spends a Hero point!

Balina puts her muzzle closer to the pool, blowing. Directing the chill of Fenris to its surface, then deeper.

A single silk strand of a spider sways, the tiny shape crawling downward over the leaf. Closer and closer toward it, the tiny creature climbs.

Sorien sighs. "I... Don't want this. I don't want anyone to die. But...I said that I would abide. Much as I hate it. Gods, I'm sorry Foxheart... And you, her other self, I would have liked to have known you. I'll remain until this is done." Shi doesn't see what Bal is doing, nor does she see the spider.

A ripple of ice begins to cover the surface of the water, freezing outward from where Balina breathed. Slick and hungry, they reach out for the leaf just as the spider touches down. A flash of white as it crystalizes around the tiny creature, spiking up with sudden fury.

<Rihko> Unnerving Growl affects Rihko!

Cygnus glares at Balina.

<[0%]Foxheart><Mastered bloodletting> Foxheart takes 1268 damage!

Skylar stares at Balina breathing on the pool and quickly puts a hand on her shoulder or shoulder analogue, not applying any force into pushing her back. "What are you doing?!" She says, suddenly scared by the flash, going backwards a few paces.

Cilan watches the spider intently, blinking with the sudden reaction, wondering what's going to happen next Cilan rises to her feet and steps away from the pool, remaining deathly silent the entire time.

Narg frowns "Maybe this is a test Fox... dunno what kind, but perhaps if you let yourself go you wil.... Balina!!!" her eyes glare "Have you no respect for holy ground?"

Rihko stalks across the shrine towards Balina. She reaches down and, unless stopped, she picks up the much larger wolf by the scruff and turns her away from the pool. "Balina..." she says, voice thick with warning.

<*Official*> Rihko proves that they possess a stat named Muscle Mass with a value of 4. [Found in: Special]

Sorien looks at the shout, seeing the spider freeze! She reaches out to heal the creature, to protect it from the cold as best she can!

<Hero> Sorien spends a Hero point! <Sorien><Mastered Nanoheal> (On the spider)

Foxheart frowns at Balina, though she's too weak to move very much. "Balina...be careful. If Inari turns her nearest dedicants...Rihko and I on you...I don't know what she'd do." She looks nervously over to Rihko, who is clearly very angry.

The ice cracks, and creaks as something from within it changes, growing outward into the shape of a snake, cracking around it as its body lengthens. Its head opens as it hisses, cottonmouth. The thing than strikes outward in defense at the closest target.

[RP/Official] Crystala rolls 1d3+0 and gets 2 for a result of 2.

Narg scootches away from the pool and stands up to stare at the goings on

Balina sits up, but unless Rihko's arms are much longer than they appear, reach is not on her side. "I felt it important to make my contribution," she says, through something that may be a grin on that long muzzle. "I feel it complements the chilly reception we received."

Rihko is about to say something back to Balina when the snake strikes out; she raises her arm between her and the viper, ready to catch the strike on the armored, reinforced sleeve of her leather jacket.

The creature strikes at Rihko's outstretched arm, its teeth crashing against the kitsune with a loud crash. The creature changes again, growing larger, clawed arms and legs bursting from the warping creature. It's shape turning desconic, as its nostrils flare. The jaws let go as it grows, no damage done. And it glowers, eyes focused particularly on Rihko and Foxheart. It, however, does not speak, simply staring down at the group.

Cilan reaches into her jacket and pulls a handgun, quickly aiming it towards the viper-turned other creature, though she does not fire, she only waits, and watches.

Sorien watches, then very carefully says, "Please. Enough tragedy rides this day. No more."

Cygnus stays at a knee, one of her paws bleeding off a stream of heat.

Foxheart trembles a little at the snake's intent gaze. "They came of their own accord. Your servant wanted to end it quick, but they would not let me." She looks nervously at the group. "Stand down, guys... She has not struck...so she must be waiting for something."

Skylar gets up and tactically retreats quickly behind most of the group, no knowledge of the...thing on her front scaring her and making her feel of not much use, she musters enough courage to address Balina. "Balina! Why did you do that?!"

Balina snorts once again. "Your aim is terrible," she growls, standing back up and turning her back on the creature as she moves to a more favorable distance. Turning around, she sits back down, staring expectantly. "I was merely filing a complaint. If that was seriously enough to give whatever this thing is pause, then I should come sooner."

Narg looks at the dragon and flicks at her own nose as she waits for the thing to speak its piece and probably berate Balina.

Rihko lowers her arm and shifts her weight, attention focused on the dragon. She stays between the dragon and most of the others, and she slowly bows her head. "Welcome to Inari's shrine," she offers, politely.

Skylar shakes her head at Balina, even though she can't see it and approaches her again. "Guess that's one way to attract it's attention...by goddamn FREEZING a place where it...resides? Manifests? I don't know..." She sighs and plops down on the ground...more behind the wolfcow than by Balina's side.

Sorien remains quiet, waiting. Shi does move to near Foxheart, kneeling to place a hand on her head.

Even with Fox's mention to stand down, Cilan does not return the handgun she had pulled, though even still she does not hold it in aggression, just wariness, "Are you a friend, or a foe?" Cilan asks the dragon, as she asks her form shifts from human to the humanoid ddraig goch.

A reptilian voice erupts as the creature opens its mouth. "I know who I am, and the skin my messengers wear. What I ask is why you let mongrels into my presence." eyes shifting to Balina, and Sorien each, then back to Rihko and Foxheart. "You, you're supposed to be dead. Why are you still here?" focusing on the injured kitsune.

Cilan avariciously roars, "We stopped her, Lady Inari, we stopped her from killing herself, albeit temporarily, though that may yet still happen regarding your answer…we came here to beg you for forgiveness for this one, we came to appeal to your sense of honour."

The slit eyes focus on Cilan, almost... foxlike in shape. Narrowing. "You would injure this one's already diminished honor by preventing her from restoring it?" almost baffled.

Balinawolf is instantly on her feet, hackles raised, a deep growl coming from her vicinity. Ice is beginning to form under her paws as quakes with barely-contained fury at this... THING'S words. "You. Have. No. Right."

Foxheart winces as she hears the voice, kneeling with her head to the ground. "I meant no disrespect...I would have let your servant live." She slides her bloodstained sword across the ground in the pool's direction. "They would not let me die in honor." She is trembling in the presence of the physical manifestation of Inari.

Sorien looks up, adding her own words to the moment. "We knew Foxheart but a short time. In that time she found friends, and we loved her. It was MY act that harmed her honor, no one else's. Disaster has come to the world; she could regain her honor in the healing of this Earth, however small a part she might have in it."

<Hero> Sorien spends a Hero point!

Skylar stands up and takes a good amount of steps back as Balina seems about to throw down with a god, she doesn't seem troubled by her actions though, just giving her space in case things take a turn for the worse.

Narg frowns as she takes a seat.

Cilan drops to a knee, and lowers her head to the dragon, "I…I did not enjoy the aspect that it brought, to no longer exist for 900 years, for something so simple as loving someone. We came to know her as family, and it always hurts when family is lost." looking back to the dragon she states, "Though…I had made an offer to Foxheart, that if you do not offer forgiveness, I will be the one who shall administer her suicide, so she does not have to do it herself."

Rihko sighs. She gives the dragon a bow. "I apologize for not recognizing this aspect, lord," she offers. Then she straightens up. "I did not stop anyone because all are welcome," she starts, then looks at Balina, "although perhaps there are some who shouldn't be any more." She remains silent on the other issues, moving to stand in front of Balina, eyes narrowed in response to the wolf's open hostility.

If the serpent is angered by the wolf's reaction it doesn't show it, completely ignoring the display. Eyes focused on Rihko, as it moves in, breathing in her scent. "You, you are young. Why do you wear so many tails you did not earn?" and then pulls his neck back to look at the Coyote. "If they truly desired their honor restored, then they would have done so, regardless of your interference. What I sense is regret holding them back. Their lack of respect is blatant, and why I took her life the first time."

<Hero> Balina spends a Hero point!

"No RIGHT!" Balina repeats. The air around her continues its descent, errant flakes of snow appearing and drifting about. If the icewolf is even aware there's a Rihko in front of her, she doesn't show it. "Hundreds of years of service, then at the first sign of /free will/, you brand her a traitor to her kind! You leave her to be murdered, then hold her for hundreds more years, relenting only when an excuse for something WORSE rears its head! She continues to show her loyalty, to the point of suicide, but even then you still insist it's not enough to sate your idiotic, childish desires? YOU HAVE NO RIGHT."

<Rihko> Call Flames affects Rihko!

Narg looks in between the bickering Balina and the aloof Inari, still managing to keep her mouth shut and quiet

Foxheart manages to struggle to her feet, drawing her katana with a swift motion. "Don't...don't hurt your servant's friends...or I will have to stand against you." She looks at her comm unit, which doesn't beep despite the time that has passed. "Still...fifteen minutes?" Her eyes open wide at Inari's show of mercy.

Cygnus stands but otherwise stays as silent as she has the whole time, both her paws angled off from her hips as if she were waiting and ready for something.

Skylar clenches her fists as Balina delivers her speech, she doesn't move from her spot but starts looking around the place to check if she can make her way behind said god's avatar or at least flank it. "Balina...you are right...but are you sure of what you're doing?"

Sorien kisses Fox's head and walks near the dragon, looking it in the eyes. "Why? This is your place of power, honored one... Why have you allowed this so long? I humbly ask this." She then lowers her eyes.

Rihko holds her ground between Balina and the dragon, eyes narrowed. As the temperature plummets, Rihko's fur shimmers a moment, and her flickering fires spring into being, slowly circling around the kitsune. The air around her shimmers with her own warmth, but when she speaks, her tone is calm, polite, and respectful. "I wear only the tails I have been given, lord."

The dragon's head raises up in the air. "You bring a petulant child wearing the skin of a sick, dying god into it, and you ask why I've let a sick with power, and spoiled messenger try to redeem herself?" is her response to Sorien. Backing away from Balina isn't done out of fear, rather it allows her to coil her long body in like a snake ready to strike. The whiskers on its face flickering in the breeze, she turns to Foxheart. "If you truly want to redeem your honor, you must find respect for life. You brought death upon an innocent soul, once, long ago because of your pettiness. I gave you a chance to atone for it. So show me how you've learned after four centuries of watching."

Foxheart trembles, drawing her other sword with a shaking hand. "I cannot speak for the kitsune, but I'll stand for her." She walks towards the dragon, limping a little bit from the pain of her wound. "She would have wanted both of us to survive if any way possible. I'll...she'll.../We'll/ bank everything on this last chance." She is definitely not confident though, and it shows in her terrified look as she continues to step forward. "T-thank you friends...for giving me the strength to stand for what I feel is right." She nods at Balina in particular.

Balina passes onto the plateau of rage. "Don't you dare compare me to that punctured, rotting fleabag. I wear his skin by circumstances, not be choice, and certainly not by tribute." Her stance and the Fimbulwinter surrounding her remain unchanged, but the growling and the screaming stop. "And don't you dare speak of respect, honor, or even pettiness. Thousands of years, and you know less than a child." The growl returns as Foxheart's host makes their way towards idiocy. "You will not make this one throw their life away just for your amusement. I can't stop you, yet, but do you know what happens if I get my jaws on your servant, myself? I'd love to show you."

Sorien turns to Bal. "Stop it. You're threatening RIHKO, Bal. She's your FRIEND!"

<Dedication> Foxheart becomes a Kitsune!

"Balina," Rihko says, very quietly, holding her ground firm. "Stop posturing, and pay attention to what is going on around you." Her tails snap back and forth, then shake a moment, and she continues giving her best friend one of the nastiest glares the kitsune has ever come up with.

Narg can only watch as all the diety dedicated and deities bicker and fight, out of the hands of mortals and into that of gods.

Skylar aproaches Sorien, circling around the cold aura around Balina, fearing to end up flash freezed by it. "I believe she meant Foxheart, Sorien...don't think Balina would never threaten Rihko...and, Rihko's not the one about to die...but...anyway..." She turns towards Balina. "I fully agree with you, Balina...this is no way to treat a servant in a time of need..."

Cygnus stands perfectly still, her ears following the movement around her, the rabbit not having said a word since she left the pub.

Sorien looks back to Foxheart.

The voice booms once again, "I will let her prove herself, and leave you to the outcome. I care not at this point if you do redeem yourself, as I have other things to attend to." and the breeze increases, and the dragon explodes into a shower of rice, and leaves.

Sorien says, "Are you... Which are you, Fox, or are you both?"

Cilan breathes a soft sigh and rises to her feet and out of the kneeling position she had remained in, "So…does that mean Foxheart will no longer fade?" she asks looking expectantly to the woman the kitsune had inhabited.

Foxheart drops her swords and falls to her knees, her body trembling as she slowly changes back into a kitsune form. She looks at her body and sighs. "It's me...guys. I-I don't know...what happened then." She looks at her comm unit that beeps the start of a new day. "Is...everything over?"

Cilan avariciously roars, "No, I'd love to say it was, but the true test only begins now. Lady Inari had asked that you prove yourself to her, to show you harbor the true meaning of life, and that is how you will atone."

Sorien goes, kneels and hugs Fox. "A new day, sweetie." She stands and faces Bal and Rihko. "Now... Can the anger be released?"

Cygnus untenses and lulls her head back, letting out a long deep breath that she may have been holding the entire time.

Skylar looks confused at the rice explosion. "Rice...?" She then stares at Foxheart while approaching her. "Oh! You're okay! I thought you were done for!" She blurts out honestly, her beak open in an indication of happiness before looking back at the opposing temperature people, still looking happy.

Balina skids to a stop, landing sideways in a heap next to Foxheart. Panting, she picks herself back up, and gives Foxheart a long lick, then paces away. "You got lucky," she says, over her shoulder. "I ate before I came, anyway."

A finger twitches, a curl of flame dancing along the outside of Rihko's hand and down to the tip of her claw. It drips from the kitsune's paw, and winks out. Rihko's tails flick, and she glances over at Foxheart, then back to Balina. "You will have to tell us, Foxheart," she says. She certainly doesn't sound angry, but the still-raised hackles and ears pinned back may have something else to say.

Sorien sighs, then goes to hug Rihko, then Bal... Unless they stop her.

Narg stands up "I suppose that went well 'nuff on the grand scale of things... glad yer better Foxy, see ya back at the pub, maybe. And Balina and Rihko, try not to fight in here, it would be a desecration." with that she leaves the area sprouting her feathers and what not as her form shifts to that of a eagles girl and leaves towards the direction of New Ireland.

Foxheart shivers as she sheathes both her swords, adjusting her yukata as she turns to look at Rihko. "I think I understand what Inari is telling me...this was a test for me to see if I would take another life...to save my own." She bows her head down sadly. "Another test that I've failed." She turns to Balina, a small smile on her face. "I'll explore your insides another day...I hope. Thank you everyone...shall we go back to New Ireland again?"

Rihko doesn't do anything to stop Sorien, holding perfectly still and rigid for the skunkette. Or, almost anyway, since the kitsune's tails are squirming back and forth. "That sounds pleasant..."

Balina resists nothing. She does, however spend a moment shaking loose chunks of ice out. "Is that a promise?" she asks, a little more hopeful than she realizes. "I'd love to hear what really happened in your head over the last apparently-20-minutes."

Sorien says, "Lets walk home. I think there's more than enough tension that needs to be shaken out."

Cygnus glances around and smirks "And this whole time I was expecting to end up punching someone in the face!"

Foxheart nods, smiling at Balina. "I promise." She turns to Sorien, patting her with a tail. "I think that would be a better idea...especially without a twenty minute timer biting us. And there is much to say."

Skylar sighs as if letting out tension. "That was...ugh...tense, to say the least...I'll head back to the pub, not really comfortable in this place to be honest..."

Sorien nods. "I'll wait til I'm outside to go back to normal; I've caused enough havoc with this place in the past two days." She lets everyone go out, then gives a large donation plus a quiet apology to the priests.

Cilan reaches out and pats Foxheart's shoulder lightly, her final pat ends with her hand remaining on Foxheart's shoulder, ebbing again with that light, and healing any pain the earlier injury may have caused, "It's good to see you back, Foxheart."

Foxheart grins. "It's good to be back. If you'll excuse me...I think I'll enjoy the rest of my day first. We can talk about things later."

Cygnus pads over to Foxheart and waits for Cilan to finish, drawing the kitsune into a hug.

Balina would be whistling to herself, but hands aren't the only thing Balinawolf lacks. She follows into step beside Foxheart, listening and at least humming to herself.

==

Balina returns, much like the rest of the party, though she excuses herself into the back to put herself back on. And downs an entire gallon of water before refilling it and taking a seat near the rest of the gathering.

Skylar enters the bar while stretching her wings and back, she then groans a bit and settles down near Balina. "I guess...I did see your point of view in a way...and, that went well. But...did Foxheart say something about taking another life? I...didn't follow that." She says looking concerned about what just happened.

Cygnus pads down the stairs and heads straight for the bar, getting a pint glass and filling it full of water, then moving over to Bal and pressing the glass to the wolfcow, chilling her drink before chugging it down.

"That's what I'm hoping Foxheart'll explain," says Balina, idly sipping at her mug, then batting towards Cygnus. "Hey, ask next time, will ya?"

Rihko arrives back at the pub much later than everyone else returning from that last fiasco. She doesn't say anything to anyone, simply moving behind the bar, stowing her jacket again, then sitting down on her stool. She fidgets a moment, then pulls up her legs, crossing them, and lets her paws rest in her lap. Her tails swing back and forth a few times, balancing her weight, and then once she's settled they go limp.

Cygnus shrugs and blinks "You'd do the same to me if you needed to warm a soup."

Skylar stares disapprovingly at Cygnus before looking at Balina again. "Still...I agree completely with everything you said to it...even if it is giving Foxheart a second chance or whatever..." She sighs. "So...is that the reason you ended up...being a...uh..." She has trouble finding the word. "something, to Fenrir?" Her stare goes to Cygnus again. "Bet she'd ask first..."

Cygnus shrugs and looks to Skylar "I never said I wasn't an asshole either." The dark bunny simply takes a seat at a nearby table and yawns, her fangs glinting in the light.

Balina chuffs, "I damned well would not! There's a fire /right there/, Cygnus. Besides, I have nothing against cold food. It's probably ice by the time it gets to my stomach, anyway." Shaking her head, she adjusts her position in her seat, then turns back to Skylar. "The answer is probably 'no', but what reason did you mean? I yelled a lot of things back there."

Skylar scratches the back of her head. "...Gods being jerks with people, making they kill or do stuff for them with not much of a payback or even respect...I mean, compared to Inari, Dirt is a gentleman, then again...you did freeze her pool."

Skylar shakes her head. "I mean HIS...or...it...I dunno."

Selina stretches and heads to the bar to mix a nice coffee-based drink, working out something with rum, whiskey, coffee, and irish cream

Rihko flicks an ear, looking over at Skylar. She scowls, faintly, then lets her gaze drop down to the bar counter.

Balina smiles, stifling a chuckle. "I think I just randomly picked pronouns, myself. Inari is one of those things where people try to assign all genders, instead of none. Confuses the hell out of me, too. I don't even get why Shadow is apparently male, and call it an 'it' most of the time." She sighs, her expression shifting more towards the annoyed. "And Fenris is just another in a string of bad luck with me. I already told you about Tanuki, and you heard what I said about Fenris earlier. There was one in the middle I'm not proud of, either. I ended up with Fenris because I thought it was the only way to get his help against Shadow. The method wasn't quite what I expected, but it worked."

Selina looks around the bar, is everyone all sitting in one group? Or are there several small pairings? She leans on the edges of the bar as she sits, looking around at the others, perhaps trying to see who might want to chat.

Skylar looks over at Rihko, her expression blank, she does arch her brow as the kitsune scowls tough. "Huh..." She then shakes her head slowly and looks at Balina. "If Fenris is doing as bad as you said...this is probably the best way, make you a super powered god eater or something, instead of going himself against Shadow and probably end up possessed. Aaaanyway." She stretches her back. "Yeah, can't say that today helped my outlook at gods...and...if you and Inari started attacking each other, would I be able to do something other than run away?"

Cygnus pulls the rifle from her hip and lays it on the table, messing with it till a piece comes off, and once successful, starts disassembling the rifle with it.

Selina reverently says, "That's an impressive weapon. Did you craft that yourself?"

Rihko is sitting on a stool behind the bar, her legs crossed in a half-lotus and her paws in her lap. She turns her head and blinks at Selina, as calm and placid as a lake on a still day, but she doesn't seem interested in conversation.

Selina sighs, relaxing herself again and enjoying her drink

Cygnus shrugs "Yes, and no. It’s an old M-14 that I’ve fixed up over the years...." She says, her tongue sticking out of her mouth for a sec as she works a stubborn part lose, and the spring behind it shoots across the pub.

Cilan trudges down the stairs and moves to a completely unoccupied table where she sets her multiple weapons, both the trench knives, twin handguns, and rifle. Reaching into her pack she then pulls a cleaning kit and begins repairing, and cleaning them all. The woman starts by pulling a whetstone, and applying an oil to it, later running the whetstone to the edge in simple pulls.

Selina nods a bit. "I don't have them myself but I've designed a few weapons."

This time, Balina does laugh. "I appreciate the vote of confidence, but would you listen to yourself?" Flicking a frozen tear, she sets her mug down and taps her nose. "I was after his nose. Sniff out Shadow-Hare. The 'eating gods' thing was something I didn't know about until recently. I tried to make it clear to Inari at the time, but I had no intention of going directly for their throat. I can't stand up to that kind of power, Sky. I was going to go after Foxheart's host. Fulfill their obligation, and strike at Inari that way. Wouldn't have killed her, but it would have *hurt*. And shown him that I had my ways."

Selina steps over, "May I get a closer look? I don't mean to pry."

Rihko looks back over at Balina and Skylar. Her faint scowl returns, and she bites at her lip a moment, then looks over at Selina and Cygnus, then Cilan.

Cygnus nods "Sure thing! Just let me find that pesky spring..." The dark bunny pulls herself from the chair and pads across the bar, spotting what little bit of glint the spring gives off from the corner of her eye and locating it easily.

<Hero> Cygnus spends a Hero point!

Balina adds, leaning over to pat Skylar's shoulder, "And I told you that you were going to see a little of how my mind works. Inari did more in twenty minutes than I could have taught you in an evening."

Selina notes "You have good eyes."

Crys slips into the pub, the leopard quiet, still reserved from the emotional beating from the other day. She moves for tea, slumping her shoulders as she sighs. She fills a teacup and moves to sit down at the bar next to the jackal, her ears are flickering, but she doesn't appear to be listening to the conversation.

Skylar rests her head on the table, looking at some random point in the pub. "I said that it was the best Fenrir came with, I mean, by making you able to eat gods...but...I don't get what you meant by strike at Inari like that...I thought that by 'eating' Foxheart you'd end up eating everything...uh...actually, I don't even know what everything means but...augh, sorry, I'm bad at this whole gods thing." She says covering her face with both hands while her head still stays on the table. "I really don't know what I could've done to help anyone in there, and I really hope that there IS something I can do against these sort of powers while not having any of them myself."

Cilan looks up from her weapons maintenance to spot Crystala as the leopardess walks past. "Hello, mom!" she says softly before looking back down to the knife, and whetstone in her possession, going back to her careful pulls until the blade is sharpened to its original razor's edge.

Rihko listens as well, ears twitching. She gives Crystala an impassive look and a polite nod of recognition, but otherwise remains quiet, separated from the rest of the Den by the symbolic moat of the bar counter.

Cygnus smiles "Why thank you Sel." She says, sitting back down next to Selina, continuing the ritual of dismantaling and cleaning her rifle.

Selina nods, looking towards the leopard beside her, noticing the bit of droop to her ears, "Long day?"

Selina sips at her doctored coffee a bit.

Balina gets up from her chair, muttering something in Skylar's ear, muttering something else to Crystala, and settling at what she knows isn't a safe distance from Rihko, but she feels like pretending is. She doesn't say anything quite yet, but at least makes herself less scarce.

Cygnus yawn-rubs her belly softly, turning her gaze down to her expanding bulge "Yup... I’m swelling."

Selina tilts her head, looking over Cygnus "Have you had many children?"

After setting the knife, and whetstone down, Cilan opens her arms and stretches them wide, grunting the entire while, after which she looks over her shoulder to the bar and asks one of the Taglings, "Can I get a pint over here? Honey Lager this time…thanks!" she says warmly before looking to the second blade in her possession. After re-oiling the whetstone she soon begins the slow task of tending to this latest weapon.

Crys' somewhere else. It takes her some time to recognize the jackal was talking to her. She nods slowly, "Long week..." and then Balina's whisper comes, and her ears perk.

Selina smiles "Well, welcome back."

Sorien comes out of the restroom, face looking somewhat damp; she's running a brush through the fur on her head, and spots Crys. She immediately brightens and goes to kiss her love.

Rihko absently takes note of Balina, then lets her attention wander back over to Cilan, watching her work on her weapons.

Crys turns to Selina, and says, "I've seen you here before... I'm not sure I caught your name?" and then her mate comes to her, distracting her a moment, giving her a kiss and patting one of the stools nearby.

Skylar looks puzzled, not knowing what to say of the info Balina just gave her. "Uh..." She shuffles uncomfortably as Balina gets closer to Rihko, not sure what's her objective is.

Sorien takes the seat, leaning into Crys. "I'm gathering you're being filled in?"

Selina reverently says, "I'm Selina."

Selina smiles as that probably didn't get heard, but just as well, she relaxes a bit and lets the couple chat.

Cilan looks up as the Tagling offers her, her ordered drink, the dragoness soon grins and nods her thanks before handing the man the credits in return, during the exchange she spies Rihko's gaze out of the corner of her eye and grins at the kitsune in return, "Something up, Rihko?" she asks in a warm voice.

Cygnus nods "I made some money on the side as a surrogate mother before I got to Fairhaven. Ive had... 21 kids since P-day?... yeah, that’s about right... I’m no stranger to litters, but this one is just one as far as I know."

Selina reverently says, "21 children? Do they all live with you?"

Balina gives an absent-minded, "Child's play," to a side-conversation she has no place in, then continues to watch Rihko, still trying to piece words together.

Cilan spits out her beer in surprise and blinks at Cygnus, "21 kids, Cyg? Damn, seems almost all the guys that had been turned into females are in to creating huge families!"

"No." Rihko's answer is immediate, her tone as flat and placid as her expression. "I am just watching. I will stop if it bothers you."

Cygnus nods and sighs "Sadly, they weren’t for me. I was just chosen to bear them for others who couldn’t."

Crys shakes her head, "Balina mentioned something about Foxheart, love, but not much." She presses a hand against Soriens and turns back to Selina. "My name is Crystala. And Selina, this is my mate Sorien if you haven't met her yet."

Selina reverently says, "Yes that's one thing I don't understand... there seems to be such a huge female population and yet pregnancies are so frequent."

Selina looks to Crystala, then to Sorien, "It's a pleasure to meet you Crystala, Sorien."

Selina reverently says, "I see, Cygnus."

Sorien nuzzles Crys. "Foxheart lives, matters are settled, but there were... Conflicts." She glances at Bal and Rihko, and sighs. To Selina she says, "Glad to meet you; I think I've seen you about."

Selina nods "I've been coming for the last few months... since Halloween I think. But it's been rather busy here. And I've had to travel as well. It's still a good place to relax however."

Skylar nods at Sorien's comment and looks at Crystala as she lifts her head from the table. "Bal...kind of threatened Inari..."

Cilan quickly glances to Rihko, at least for a moment of silent contemplation before she just shakes her head and says, "Nah, if you'd like to watch, you're free to do so." she then returns her vision back to the weapons and finishes the final knife, quickly returning them to the sheathes, behind her hip, hidden by the long trenchcoat covering her now.

Crys' is listening to Sel, and then Skylar's comment comes from out of left field. Her head tilts to the side in a rather comic effect. She barely manages a word, approaching mwah territory as she stares at Skylar.

Selina reverently says, "Inari…Isn't that the kitsune deity?"

Cygnus removes the guard around the rifles barel, revealing a long tube of wires wrapped around the barel, the dark bunny sliding that off as well.

Sorien sighs. "Nice one, Skylar."

Selina reverently says, "I've seen a few kitsune in and out of here. I may have met this "Bal" person... did they live?"

Rihko continues quietly watching Cilan and Cygnus playing with their assorted weaponry.

Balina closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths. She refuses to move from this spot, but this is not going to get much easier. "I made demands of her, and his behavior towards Foxheart. I threatened to eat Foxheart, or at least the host they were inhabiting. As far as I can tell, it worked. Also, as far as I can tell, I'm okay, at least physically."

Selina reverently says, "I suppose I don't understand your relationship with your deity."

Sorien curls tighter into Crys' side.

Skylar looks at Crystala and doesn't know what to say then she looks at Sorien and REALLY doesn't know what to say. "I...what did I do?!" She asks exasperated. "Ugh..." She starts rubbing her temples and sets her head on the table again. "Sorry if I said what I wasn't supposed to say..."

Balina snarls, "Inari is not my patron. Fenris claims me as his, but even that is tenuous. NO god controls Balina."

Selina looks at Balina again, a long look... "Ohhh... I *remember* you. You're the one who wishes to destroy all of the deities save your own, correct? Well then it's no wonder you challenged Inari, now it makes sense to me."

Balina gives her old toothy grin. "Who said I want to protect the fen-dweller?"

Selina shakes her head, "Apologies, everyone looks different when I see them this time or that. I can't keep up."

Crys finally pieces a little of what Balina is saying, still seeming confused. She shakes her head and sighs. She then turns to Skylar, "Oh, oh sorry, I was just confused by your statement." and then she goes back to watching the conversation ongoing between the jackal and the cowwolf.

Selina reverently says, "I'm glad that you didn't die, however."

Rihko looks back at Selina, then, and snorts. She starts to talk, but Balina corrects Selina for her, so she remains silent. Her gaze, though, wanders over to Balina and she stares at her. Passively.

Selina reverently says, "Fen-dweller... you want to destroy your own god?"

Crys adds, "She wants that most of all." in response.

Selina nods "I see."

Selina reverently says, "Well, as I say, I'm glad you're in one piece. But really you've set yourself a lofty goal. I'm not sure you'll live to see it through."

Sorien looks again at Bal, then Rihko. She starts to sigh again, but stops it. "Hey... Could you two... Please talk? I hate that there's something this ugly between you. You're both my friends."

Balina is entirely too happy to be talking of the future like this, tail flapping about behind her. "I have help for all but the last part, after all. All of Fenris' pack is after the rest of the gods. I'm just not as picky." Sorien's words stop any further conversation in their tracks, and that poor tail stops as if shot, going limp against the stool.

Selina looks toward Sorien and then behind her to Rihko.

Skylar stops covering her face and stands upright, lookin at Bal and Rihko. "Sorien's right, either you two talk it out or you'll both stay bitter for who knows how long..." She then looks at Crys. "It's fine...really...it's just that everytime that I talk about this stuff I'm...not exactly right..." She manages to express a little smirk. "It's kinda worrying not knowing how to deal with these forces."

Rihko turns her bland, neutral look over to Sorien. Her ears twitch, but the rest of her posture remains loose, relaxed, and unchanging. She contemplates the skunkette for a moment, then looks back over at Balina. "Balina." Her tone is equally lacking in inflection.

Selina reverently says, "The fact that you lived through your threat to Inari says that one of you is weak compared to the other. Which I can't say"

Cilan continues to 'play' with her assorted weapons, and now with her knives sharpened and returned, she grabs one of the handguns she had placed on the table, a small mallet, and rod, and soon taps all of the pins holding the handgun in place, with all removed she leisurely takes the weapon apart and later grabs a long steel wire, and attaches a soft cloth to one end. After feeding the wire through the firing chamber Cilan pulls the wire and cleans the inside of the weapon, repeating, each time with a new cloth until finally the chamber is cleaned.

Balina stares at Rihko, less impassive but slightly more talkative. "I know what you want me to say, but you know why I can't."

Rihko turns her gaze from Balina to Skylar. She calmly ponders the gryphon, then gives her shoulders a very slight shrug. "I do not care what you think," she states, apathetic. She looks over at Selina, then, and repeats her shrug. "Clearly I know nothing." Her ear perks, then, and she looks back at Balina. Her eyebrows raise, and her "Oh?" is tinged with the first hint of emotion to touch her voice; faint curiosity. Then it is gone. "You presume you know what I want you to say," she corrects, staring back at the moowolf.

Cygnus rolls her eyes and pfffs softly, holding the barrel up the the light and looking down it "So much hostility..."

Sorien nods to Oiving, but is paying attention to the tension-laden conversation between Rihko and Bal.

Narg pads into the pub from upstairs and waves around, before making her way to the bar slipping by Oiving and getting a whiskey before heading to sit in a lounger, crossing her legs and giveing a relaxed sigh.

Oiving finds an empty chair and listens to the conversations as he goes thru his gear and sewing up tears in his clothes.

<Hero> Balina spends a Hero point!

A snowball is absentmindedly shot Cygnus' way. This is not the time for distractions. "I walked into your patron's home, indirectly assaulted them once, then spent the remainder of the visit screaming at them and making overt threats over what I'd do Foxheart's host. This is not a particularly complicated thing to figure out."

<Hero> Cygnus spends a Hero point!

Cilan looks up from her maintenance of her weaponry to nod a friendly, albeit silent greeting to Oiving as the man enters the pub. She then takes another swig of beer and continues her careful, and slow repair. Cygnus catches the snowball in her ears and tosses it back without a second thought

Rihko purses her lips a moment, then nods. "Yes. You did do that," she agrees, still impassive. "I still do not have anything I want you to say."

Skylar groans as her ears droop at Rihko's comment. She then watches Cygnus throw\catch\take the currently in a quantum state snowball. Her expression goes blank as she makes her way to the bunny and pokes the side of her head gently. "Stop it. Don't make more of a fool of yourself than you already do usually Cygnus. Please." She then turns her back to Cygnus and makes her way near the fireplace to warm herself.

Narg waves at Sky from her seat in a lounger "Ello Sky... fine day to be alive ain't it?"

Selina looks to Rihko, after the comment about her clearly knowing nothing. She sighs. "I didn't come here to fight with anyone."

Selina reverently says, "The first day that I came here, the first person I met was Bal, here."

Cygnus looks up "She threw a snowball at me. Proper etiquette is to return fire." Before returning to her rifle.

Selina reverently says, "And Bal told me without any conflict about her plans to kill every deity including my own."

Crys turns to Selina, "Dear, this is between two good friends. You aren't at fault." she gently places a hand on Selina's shoulder. And then quickly takes it away, surprised by the give when she squeezes.

Narg pipes in "Cept for the ones she can't reach."

Rihko nods her head again, in silent agreement with Selina.

Oiving watches the conversation, takes his things and moves to table out of way to watch from there. A table close to the exit even.

Skylar shrugs at Narg and ignores Cygnus comment. "Like usual, not really keen on the 'being dead' thing." She then makes her way near Narg and sits down. "What about you? Doing fine?"

Selina reverently says, "I continue coming here because it was assured to me that I had nothing to worry about. But despite that, it's rather nerve-wracking. I may not know everything, I don't claim to know everything, but saying I know nothing is an overstatement.""

Rihko blinks, and looks over at Selina. "Then you misheard me. I stated that I. Rihko. Do not know anything."

Selina reverently says, "I see. I did mishear you, I apologize."

Allowing the slush to simply splat against her fur unnoticed, Balina sighs and continues to stare. "Then I'm obviously still the undisputed champion of being wrong. What is on your mind, Rihko?"

Selina reverently says, "For my defensiveness."

Narg shrugs and takes a sip of whiskey "Other than being a pest, smart ass, and big mouth not much really Sky. Took me alot of effort to keep my mouth shut at the shrine let me tell you"

Skylar tilts her head at Narg. "Hrm, and what would you've said...? Also...how do you manage to drink hard liquor like that?" She finished pointing at the cup Narg just took a sip of.

Cygnus yawns and pads over towards the stairs "Narg probably had an alcoholic in the family like I did... I have an extremely high alcohol tolerance." The dark bunny says, padding up the stairs "If you’ll excuse me, i left something at home. I’ll be right back."

Narg chuckles and shrugs "Dunno, I just can, and I don't like the taste of beer, coffee, or tea and ther ain't any soda readily available" she taps the glass and swirls it around before taking another sip "As for what I may of said at the shrine, I forget what I woulda said and it doesn't matter anymore... mighta went somewhere along the line of they are all acting like squabling children or somewhat."

Rihko returns to staring at Balina. She contemplates, and ponders, and then gives a small shrug. "I expected trouble from Sorien. Or Cilan. Even, yes, some from you. You are uncouth, reckless, barbaric. All things that I loved you for, but rather jarring to be on the receiving end of that," she explains, uncaring. "I feel as though... something...has been grievously injured tonight, and I have no idea what the wergild for it would be." She pauses, and then shrugs. "I do suggest that you do not ask any favors of me, though."

Selina reverently says, "Mph..."

Skylar shakes her head at Narg in a neutral way. "Not really sure the situation could be any worse...and...that sounds like a good reason to drink...I think..." She shifts on her seat and stares at Rihko and Balina. Wondering what the situation is.

Narg nods "Yeah, and not to mention I need ten glasses of Tag's strongest stuff ta get drunk.... but like Cyg said I also had an alcoholic grand-da, I didn't get to really meet him though. He died when I was 2 or some... DAMN I need to get back to missouri one'a these days and get tha double barrel I inherited from him."

Skylar sighs at Narg. "Wouldn't that actually make you more propense to getting hooked onto alcohol instead of being stronger to it? I mean, alcoholism is not a super power, your liver gets weaker if you overdo that sort of thing and you get drunker faster..." She notices she's lecturing Narg and drops it. "Ugh, anyway, I dunno how cities are doing out there, apart from New York I guess. Anyway, that sounds like a lot of trouble for a shotgun...is it that good?"

Selina laughs "Alcoholism isn't a superpower, but the right blend in moderation certainly makes me feel stronger

Rihko flicks an ear, turning her attention to Narg and Skylar. She frowns a moment, then dismisses the inane talk and looks back at Balina. Cygnus pads back in and sighs "It was in my pocket... I'd go with you Narg. Hell... maybe one day when this is all over. When we've won... I’ll go back home."

Balina is, for the moment, more confused than worried. "Now I know I'm lost. You know full well that every word I said was for Inari, not you. You have been nothing but a rare beacon of sanity, barring... a few occasions. I would never, and probably could never actually do anything to hurt you. You know that."

Narg chuckles at Skylar "I take it slow with my drinks Skylar, pretty much only one a day... occasionally two, but its a lot of trouble to get just a shotgun, nah I gotta another reason for it... ta find my family, cause that’s where the gun would be, with them"

Oiving smiles as his order arrives and pays for it with a tip. He then quietly cuts into the steak and savors the first bite.

Selina refills her glass a bit.

Skylar snickers at Selina. "That's not alcoholism, that's 'too much for tonight'." She then eyes Balina and Rihko for a moment before Narg talks about parents. "Oh? Uhm. Guess that's a noble motive for an expedition. Still, very dangerous, specially with the bubble thing going on...do you rely on your 'mutant side' much?"

Rihko takes in a breath and sighs, closing her eyes as she tries to find the right words. Finally, she settles on what she can only hope is the proper vernacular, and she once more opens her eyes to stare at Balina. "Right. Iff'n I went an' took a shit in yer lab, an' told you to not take it pers'n'lly, would ya? Pissed all over yer workshop b'cause I was angry at th' nanites?" She gives her shoulders a little shrug, then.

Skylar arches one of her brows and looks at the bar in a 'what the hell' way, not knowing if Rihko is kidding or if she has some hidden Taggart mode when she gets too angry.

Crys blinks at Rihko. Her jaw partly open.

Narg shrugs "I don't have anything amazing in my repertoire. No fire, no electrics nothin like that, what I got is my pistol and my accuracy with it as well as my knife... and then I also got my fist claws" she lifts her hand and balls it into a fist, then three long shrap claws slide out "See? I like 'em they cause nasty scratches, they do." Narg adds to Rihko "Nice accent Rihko."

Rihko gives Narg a small nod. "It's probably what he would say if he were here. He's a crude man, would know how to communicate with another crude wolf." Her shoulders shrug again.

Narg chuckles "Yea, that 'e is."

Cygnus looks at her paws "I think the only reason i would get an implant is for some kind of electric abilities... Just little contacts in my paws."

Skylar looks at Narg again and smiles. "Ah! Just like me, except the gun part. I feel like we're a bit of a minority around here." She then shakes her head disaprovingly at Rihko. "It's like highschool again..."

A small smirk briefly breaks free on the edges of Balina's mouth, but it is quickly put back in its place. "Bad comparison. If you'd said 'virus', I would have simply asked you to move over so I could shit on the spot you missed. Unless you're saying things about Inari I'm not about to voice, the nanites are too dumb to know any better. I understand, but I can't agree."

Oiving settles back, dinner finished and relaxes some.

Rihko looks up from Balina to look at Skylar, just long enough to make sure the gryphon knows that she has been heard, and observed. Then she lets her attention wander, eventually settling it on Crys. "Hm?"

Narg nods "Yeah, we are a minority, that we are... and I prefer it that way, makes me feel like an elite"

Catalina wanders down the steps to the pub, before she stops at the Bar, "Hey, can I get a bone? Thanks!" she asks of the tagling, before curling up on the stool to watch the others. "Minority?" she looks to Narg, blinking a bit, "What have I been missing?"

Crys says, "You sounded just like your mate..." looking at the kitsune with a new light.

Catalina says, completely deadpan, "Well, Crys, let's just hope the brain damage levels off a bit, we don't want her to up and forget collage, now would we?" She, goes back to waiting to wait for a reaction.

Narg looks over at Cat "You missed nothing Cat."

Rihko thinks on that a moment, and then she smiles. The kitsune giggles a little, thinking of Taggart. "He gets me. I get him. We're perfect for each other." She rolls her shoulders, and then shifts her weight a bit on the stool. "How are you doing, by the way, Crys?"

Oiving hrmss and gets up and sets his empty plate on the counter to be taken away, the steak bone left on it.

Crys frowns, "Still a bit bothered from my reaction the other day. I have things inside that I can never quite shake. Things that bring me down when they shouldn't, and make me vulnerable. The last thing I need to do is give another path in for the shadow to be able to hurt my family." She nuzzles Sorien, and then says. "I think I need to take a walk."

Skylar stares at Rihko as the kitsune 'notes' her. She then replies to Narg. "Eeeeh...maybe, I guess? Outside of the bubble, sure, being trained with stuff that works outside should be useful, but in here I feel completely outclassed, I probably would be out of the bubble too since I've not been doing this mutant thing for long..." Her attention returns to Rihko and Bal, sighing again as she does so.

Narg chuckles "Trust me Sky, I can take what is here in the bubble and out, no worries."

Rihko thinks for a moment, then shifts her weight and lets her feet drop. She slides off of her stool and stretches, then gives Crystala a little nod. "Would you like some company?" she asks.

Selina looks to Skylar, "You know, if you'd like someone to travel with, I certainly don't think I'm out of anyone's league in terms of skill. I'm good... but I don't think I'm any sort of a bar to measure against.

Crys nods at Rihko, "You look like you could use someone to talk with, so by all means." and she heads upstairs with the kitsune.

Selina reverently says, "I have some skill, but I need a lot of practice myself."

Rihko snags her jacket from behind the bar, pulling it on as she follows after Crystala and slipping her paws into her pockets.

Narg finishes off her whiskey and stands up "I think I'll call it a night, haave a good night everyone" she then makes her way upstairs along with Rihko, although for a different reason.

Selina looks to Balina... she's not sure what to say, though…perhaps best to keep quiet as usual, taking another drink as she sits back.

Balina raises her paw as Rihko leaves, then slowly, carefully, puts her face to the surface of the bar. She remains there for several minutes.

"It's alright...I don't have any plans to go out of the bubble, not for now anyway. Uh, in any case, I can hold my own, I just know there's tougher and badder stuff than me." Skylar then waves to Narg as she leaves. "See you around..." Noticing Balina with her head on the bar, Skylar jumps off her couch and aproaches the wolfcow. "Hey..."

Catalina ears twist to listen to the conversation, not really saying much as her bone arrives and Rihko leaves with Crys. She turns to look at Skylar, "Things are easier to kill out in the bubble, I'd stay out there with a rifle if I could find a place..." she admits, smiling a little bit. The Vixen then finds a place in the loungers, curling up. Selina relaxes herself, tail swaying behind her lightly, thinking some heavy thoughts.

Balina mumbles something incoherent into the counter, but makes no other moves.

Cygnus sighs, curling up a little in her chair, staring at her freshly cleaned and reassembled rifle, closing her eyes and wrapping her wings around herself, "I wish I could go home..." The dark rabbit says, seemly lost in herself.

Skylar scritches on Balina's neck continuously, not caring much for the icecold'ness, at least not until it starts hurting. "It'll be alright...Rihko likes you." She then looks at Cat. "You'd need constant ammo for that and the same would apply to you, a bullet to the torso and you'd have to crawl back to a bubble or receive medical attention from someone skilled enough."

Selina looks to Cygnus, "What is your name? I'm Selina."

Cygnus blinks and looks up at Selina "My name is Cygnus. It’s nice to meet you Selina."

Catalina she looks to Skylar, "I can make my own bullets, and frankly, if I get shot and the gut and dont come back, I'm totally at peace with it... Not going out to get myself killed, but I'd not go crawling back to the bubble like a noob just because I got shot." she says, nodding a bit to Selena, whom she's seen around a lot.

Skylar points at Catalina while still scritching Balina. "AHA! We discovered your pre-P-day identity! You were one of those kids that scream a lot while playing video games! Seriously tough, Cat, you're sounding a bit like Russell with all this 'I'm okay with being shot and killed while secluded.' Although I'm not sure if Russell is the sort that would value his pride over his life..."

Balina picks herself up. Barely. She props herself up on her crossed arms, at least. "I'm sure she'll forgive eventually. I'm just suffering severe mood whiplash, that's all."

Cygnus nods "I live here... just... I’m not from around here. I’m a bit too far from home... Even if this is my home now..."

"Ah..." Says Skylar keeping the scritches going. "...Is that something from you being pregnant or just something from your personality? And uh...I think you were right on the shrine...as I said before..." She says before leaning on the wolfcow quickly in a weird sort of half hug before backing off and giving her a smile. "We should talk about something else...not sure what else we have to talk tough...

Catalina says, "Russell went into an assignment with a 36-hour life expectancy for vengeance, You decide." She looks at Skylar, saying, "I've never made it personal, like he did. I've got no reason to give a crap, really." She then turns to watch Balina with some confusion, "You okay over there, Balina?" Oddly, her bone is untouched.

Sneakysneakysneakysneak. There's a blurred shadow moving from cover to cover while it thinks no one is looking. There are pauses and gleaming emerald eyes from the shadows, and then more skulking. And then she slides over the bar, when her last visible position was behind a couch, to sit beside Balina, hugging her with arms and tails. "I missed something that went wrong, then?" She glances around the room, looking for confirmation.

Skylar suddenly stops the scritching for a moment before continuing. "He...did what now? Why would he do that for? And you're telling me YOU don't give a crap about him. Are you still sick Cat-Uh. Hi there Eithne, how's it going?"

Balina sits up, staring down at herself. "I'm *always* pregnant," she protests, "but I'm not usually moody. Damn it, this was the best night of the last six months until I got back here!"

Selina nods to Cygnus. "Well, I think, you know... most everyone around here is from someplace else."

Selina reverently says, "But I stay around here because of the people. You ought to travel with me sometime. I could even craft you a sidearm at some point, if you would like. Or perhaps armor."

“I'm from elsewhere." Eithne tosses that out there, but she's focused on her sad friend. She lightly rubs her head against the moowolf's shoulder, purring reassuringly. "Tell me about what happened, then...?"

Cygnus nods and glances around "I know... My heart just aches for my home... As corny as that sounds. I could take you on a shipping run with me if you don’t mind going outside the bubble. The traveling soothes me."

Selina shakes her head, "I don't mind."

Catalina glances at Skylar, "They didn't expect him to survive the walk here, it's a rough place out there... And I meant I don't give a crap about /dying/... I like Russ as much as I like anyone, but I'm not sure I'd go out of my way." She then turns to look at Cygnus, "I'd ask Agata if it where OK, if I where you." she then curls up, and proceeds to enjoy her bone, keeping one ear on Balina and Eithne, "Hi Eithne."

Balina reaches up to scritch at Eithnehead. "You know the situation with Foxheart, her lover, and ritual suicide? I think I saved her life today."

Selina reverently says, "That would be nice to do. I'd actually enjoy seeing your rifle in action. "

Skylar stops the scritching completely and slaps her own forehead with a now cold clawed hand. "Oh, right, my bad..." She puts her hands on the bar and speaks while looking at it. "Uh, which part exactly? The one where we ran to a shrine to save a bleeding nekomata or the one where suddenly their god tried to bite Rihko?" She says while letting out a sigh. "At least Foxheart got us more time...for...whatever we need to do..." She then looks at Cat. "Oh...well...I still think you'd jump on a bullet for him."

Eithne's purring changes, with the scritchings, and she leans into the paw/hand doing it. "Oh? What'd you think of, afterrr, to deal with the issue? Or... What happened, rrreally, in morrre detail? I know she had a choice..."

Cygnus nods to Selina and smiles, looking over to Cat "Agata knows what I do. Shes fine with it."

"Well, it seems that Foxheart committed suicide, which put her host back in control, but unless he killed himself in turn, she... wouldn't..." Balina trails, then screams in frustration. "DAMN it! I didn't accomplish ANYTHING tonight!"

Catalina shakes her head, "Not if he had it comin... I've promised to /put a few in myself/ over some of the stunts he's been pulling recently... Acctually did, on one occasio-Wait, did Fox acctually go through with it. What happend?" she drops her line of though, and her bone, staring at Balina.

Eithne crawls into Balina's lap, hugging her a bit tighter and tucking her against the woofcow's neck. "Shhh, shhh. Calm down. Just tell me what happened, and we can try and deal with the fallout. We're friends, yeah? And friends help friends patch up their mistakes..."

Selina reverently says, "Suicide...I had met the kitsune you're speaking of."

Skylar tilts her head at Balina. "Have you gone insane? Foxheart was with a goddamn sword stuck on her stomach, already halfway through to tails paradise and you managed to scare a GOD into giving her more time." She sighs. "I wonder if they have chocolate in here, hear that's good for mood swings..."

Selina reverently says, "I have some chocolate" She offers Skylar some. “It's something that's rather difficult to find, and she's offering you a bar with a wrapper. Mostly faded but it still says He sh”

Skylar hesitantly makes her way to Selina and grabs the bar with a meek grip. "Oh...wow. Are you sure about this...? Oh...I don't think I've introduced myself. I'm Skylar...nice to meet you."

Balina pounds the bar with her good hand. "If we had not gotten involved, and Foxheart's host had committed suicide in turn, we'd have seen Foxheart again. Instead, we went to the shrine, went through all of that, and... walked out with Foxheart. What, exactly, did any of that change?" Selina nods "It's fine. I think I'm possibly the biggest chocolate lover you'll ever meet." *smiles*

Selina reverently says, "I'm always keeping an eye out for it. I'm Selina, it's nice to meet you."

Catalina says, "Well, she's got a brass set of them /somewhere/, I'll give 'er that..." She says, then says, "WAit, Balina scared Inari, like-woah... Remind me to stay on wolfcow's good side, that's impressive... Though... What if Foxheart's host decided to screw her over? You can't guarantee what the bloke woulda done." she points out.

Balina snarls, "He had the knife in her chest before anyone here could react. He was quite ready to kill herself."

Cygnus blinks and shakes her head, surely she must be hallucinating. The chocolate bar is still in Sel's hand, guess not. The dark bunny yawns and sighs "We saved the host from dying... sadly, being trapped like that probably isn't much better..."

Selina looks away "I hope it helps." handing it to Skylar

Eithne rubs Bal's back, trying to calm the woofcow down. "What was the exact wording used after you made your threats to Inari, then?" The feline is... not reacting at all to the idea that Bal made a god back off, for good or ill. She is, however, rather intently watching the woman's face.

Skylar grabs the bar with both hands and does a half bow to Selina. "Thanks Selina..." She smiles and makes her way back to the grumpy wolfcow, opening carefully the wrapper and handing it over to Balina with an even bigger smile. "Here. And, you really think Foxheart would be alright with that? 'Oh hey, I'm back and my host killed himself over me, how sweet, oh well, back to being me~', she would be in a baaaad state...really."

"Did she say he was back? I don't remember anything like that." Balina's dancing between hating herself, and hating the world around her. Either way, lot of hating going on here. "She ran off on our way back to the pub, so I never heard any damned details. For all I know now, Inari just mixed the two into one soul, and called it a day."

Selina reverently says, "I could try to find out for you. If you do want to know. If it would give you some peace of mind. I could try to find out if your friend is really dead. I wont presume success, but I can try."

Skylar sighs as she notices she doesn't have certainty of what happened there. She still keeps offering the chocolate tough. "...well, then no reason to beat yourself over it." She then looks over at Selina. "It's...not really a matter of alive or dead...I think, it's complicated."

Selina reverently says, "No, I mean. I understand I think what happened. At least based on what I've heard. I could get some... verification as to whether or not either soul was lost. At least try to discover that. If it would help. I don't know what would help."

Balina snarls, "Different afterlife. Besides, she'll be here tomorrow, and I can ask then. For now, it just has to keep gnawing at me."

Selina reverently says, "Very well."

Catalina looks to Selina, and then asks, "What, does Anubis have some sort of terminal that you can use to find out who's checked in?" she flicks her ears a little, and turns to listen to Balina, saying, "Yeah, the whole afterlife thing is a mess."

Selina shakes her head to Catalina. “I've never actually tried to find out if someone is alive or dead before.I only thought I might be able to try. Normally... Well, personally, such things never bother me enough to need to check. But I do understand. At least, I try to understand."

Eithne stares up at Bal's face for a long moment, just listening to and watching the woman angst. She leans back against the bar a moment, still keeping herself mostly in the moowolf's lap. She's looking very contemplative, rolling an idea around in her head, before she nods to herself and shakes a paw out. For a moment, it seems almost like she's going to try and slap some sense into the very dangerous being she's sitting on... but the hand snaps for her collar, instead, and tries to pull her down into a kiss. It isn't a very deep one, and more affectionate than passionate, but the neko hopes it'll shock the woofcow out of her angst mode.

Skylar sighs and neatly folds the wrapper back and hands it over to Selina with both hands, half-bowing again. "Uh, thanks, Selina..." She then makes her way back to the bar and tip-taps her claws on the bar as Eithne kisses Balina.

Selina nods a bit and slips it away, sighing. "Sorry I'm not much help."Catalina blinks, that has happend to Balina more then once, in her sight, the vulpine makes a msall face at the scene, but turns to Selina instead, "Hey, at least you're trying!" she offers, smirking a touch."

Balina is surprised, Eithne must be credited for that. At least recognizing that, yes, there is a nekomata dressed up in her lap, Balina makes a few false starts, then manages, "Almost everything I said was that Inari had no right to act as they had been. That showing signs of individuality and free will was no reason to discard hundreds of years of service for hundreds of years of torture. I demanded that both be released, or I'd eat Foxheart's host."

Cygnus sighs and stands up, grabbing her jacket from behind the bar "Sadly, Bal... If you'd eaten him, I’ve shot you." The dark bunny gives a nod to everyone and heads out of the pub without another word.

Balina gives a single, sharp laugh.

Catalina blinks a little at what Balina says, and asks, "Wait, why didn't you just threaten to Eat Inari? What's with eating her host, I dunno what that woulda done, then again, the whole relationship confuses me." She admits with a sigh, turning to watch the others for a moment. "She calls after Cygnus, "And she'da eaten you, your gun aunt big enough."

"You are a good person." Eithne begins, now that she's sure she has the woofcow's attention. There's also a poke to her stomach for emphasis. "And you meant well, whatever the outcome is. Yes, it may not be what you intended. Yes, we're not sure on the state of Foxheart and host. But /you tried your best/, whatever the outcome is and will be, and /that is what matters/." She's living up to her name, it seems, and there's an almost audible crackle of flame as she gives Balina an intent look, and emphasis her next sentence with a poke at each word. "Everything. Will. Work. Out. Despite the naysayers. I'm sure there are people who weren't happy with your threat, but I understand it and your position." She turns around and flops back against the cowwolf. "Now stop beating yourself up over it and scritch me. Or so help me flame, I'll kiss you again and use tongue!" As if to emphasis that, she sticks the little pink muscle out at the canid bovine cross.

Skylar turns suddenly to the dark bunny. "What the hell-you know what? I won't even bother..." She then turns again to Balina and Eithne, beak nuzzling Bal's cheek for a second before jumping off her stool. "Eithne is pretty good at this cheering up stuff...I'll retire myself for the night...and...again, you were the right one today, stop saying 'wah wah I was wrong' and all that stuff..." She then stars making her way to the stairs.

Catalina waves a bit to Skylar, saying, "Sleep well!" before closing her eyes to relax and chew her bone.

Balina sighs, but at least brings her paw up to do its duty as she looks to Skylar. "I stand by everything I did in there. Every growl, every word, every threat. That's not what was bugging me. Speaking of threats," over to Catalina, "I don't stand a chance against Inari. But we learned recently that getting my teeth into a dedicant means putting Fenris' teeth to the god. Probably wouldn't have killed Inari, but they would have felt it. Like chewing their spleen from the inside." To nobody at all, "Given how that piece of shit needed two hours of cleaning, I'm not going to trust it would have fired, let alone stopped a Balinawolf." And finally, to Eithne, "The part I was upset about before realizing I may have just wasted everyone's time was that Rihko watched me do all of that. I'm sure you can connect the dots."

Eithne flicks Balina's nose with her tail, lightly, giving a light scoff. "And Rihko is an understanding soul and, while she may be annoyed at you in the short term, will eventually forrgive you. Especially if you make entrreaties to herrr and continue trrreating herrr as the frrriend she is thrrroughout." Then she snuggles more into the wolfcow's lap, relaxing. "If you don't regret your actions, stop regretting the consequences and buck up. Face them, keep your chin up, and continue treating people as if everything was right as rain."

Catalina listens, and says, "OH-oh... That makes sense, attack via proxy... That makes the threat make more sense..." She considers that, "And I dunno, Rihko seems dedicated, though I'm willing to bet she woulda backed yourr decision, Rihko isn't Sorien." She says, noddiiing, and then going back into the bone, "And yeah, I don't think it'a killed ya... And if guns woulda been coming out, you've got one trigger happy vixen that'a made a paperweight outta that rabbit.";

Balina relents, eventually. Sulking is hard work, anyway. "I still want to know that I wasn't completely wasting my time. My poor ego has taken enough for today. So, how was your day, o vanquisher of moderate angst?"

"My day was alrrright. A bit of ferrral mop-up forrr crrredit with Zephyrrr. Worrrking on a new prrrototype forrr an idea. Lots of napping." Eithne closes her eyes, curling up in Bal's lap. "I think Dirrrt's trrrying to give my narrrcolepsy so he can toy with my drrreams morrre. Lessons, he says, on rrrecognizing when I'm drrreaming."

Despite where the poor cat's intentions may have been, this does nothing for the wolfcow's mood. Wrapping arms underneath Eithne, Balina sets her down on a lounger, then prepares to leave.

Eithne watches Bal as the woman prepares to leave, remaining where she was put for the moment. "Bad topic. Noted. If you want to talk about anything, Bal, or just want someone else to be there, you know how to reach me."

"Plenty of things I /want/ to talk about, nothing that I /should/." Balina gives a distracted wave over her shoulder as she climbs the stairs. "I need to clear my head. And probably get a very long night's sleep. Try me tomorrow." With that, the Balina has left the building.

Eithne murrs a little, watching Bal head out, and then curls up for the moment with a muttered "And why shouldn't you...?"