[Day 10 - Late Afternoon] The Decision (Closed)

[Yasuki Umiko]

Umiko would show up at the Temple of Light once more, and this time she would bring company along with her. After the previous day's events, how it seemed like everything was converging on her and the Temple. As much as she was hoping things would stay under wraps with the veneer of politeness and day-to-day routine, behind her sister's notice, this secret was going to become not so secret soon. She had a choice to make here.

She stood at the entrance and looked to her companion...

[Yasuki Honoka]

Honoka was beside her, as she said when Umiko called she would come. There was no other place she would rather be than at her side while she made a difficult, and potentially very dangerous choice. With a pat of Crabbo for luck her hand would venture so daringly to take Umiko's hand for the briefest of soft squeezes. Looking to her, meeting her eye, and nodding with all the reinforcement she could muster.

Unless Umiko would have forbidden it, very near and vigilant would be the ever stalwart Hiroto. Whom, despite the leisure expected of this position was finding himself have to rise to the occasion.

[Yasuki Umiko]

The hand unexpectedly went to Umiko, and she found herself returning the squeeze in kind, casting a small and brave smile at Honoka. She was scared, anxious, and unsure. Her old friend did invigorate her with some courage, albeit briefly. She was going into the unknown here, and she didn't know what to expect. At the very least, she felt that she had some confidence in her purpose here.

Hiroto was allowed to accompany them. Umiko would check the surrounding space and didn't see the bit of pink hair anywhere as her escort. At least, for now.

Taking a breath in, she would open the doors and step in...

[Yasuki Nagisa]

Umiko and Honoka (and all of her company, including Crabbo) would be immediately faced with less familiar faces greeting them...



The armed and uniformed Crabs seemed to be standing around the 'temple' space. Two were standing at a different set of stairs to flank them, while the Kuni was standing at the end of the warehouse.

And of course, there was also Yasuki Nagisa. Her expression would light up with Umiko's appearance and she would walk over to them, looking absolutely glowing as she greeted them. "Umiko-chan! Honoka-chan! Yasuki-san and Crabbo-san...I'm so glad you've all decided to come back, together! This makes occasion already so splendidi! Splendidly divine, you could say!"

She crossed her arms and tapped on her chin in thought of an idea. "You know, I've always kind of wondered if we would make up a trinity of sorts of our own. Umiko-chan would obviously the Sun, because she's so uplifting. Myself, the Sea, because I'm a captain and I'm so mysterious. And maybe Honoka-chan would be the Sky, because she's so adorable! That's a cute thought, hmm?"

That wasn't the first time she had that idea, but wasn't there another Elder who was supposed to represent the Sky?

...

...


Yasuki Haruto

Oh right, him. Nevermind about him.

[Yasuki Honoka]

Honoka had to freeze for a moment at that thought- sky? Adorable? That didn't make a lot of sense. How would the sky be adorable? The other two were so spot on but-- Honoka digs a nail into her palm just a bit to refocus herself. No need to get carried away with needing to make sense of everything, not now at least. She could ruminate on how that could possibly make sense later.

Right now? There was business to attend. However, worthy of note: unfortunately for dear Haruto, who surely Honoka woulda mentioned and stood up for in some weird way at the perhaps slight on him. Just, there was one little problem... she didn't even know he existed.

"It is interesting to learn how we appear only to grow closer, and more fondly in our absence from one another, Yasuki Nagisa-san," she remarks, a little glib. Gosh, she kinda liked being a little glib.

[Yasuki Umiko]

Umiko was uncomfortable with the presence surrounding them, found herself casting a few glances at Honoka to both see how she was doing and for support. With Honoka's retort to stop Nagisa from further gushing about them, she found the need to step in and get something off her chest.

"Nagisa-san..." she said softly at first before her tone would embolden as she stepped forward. "I don't want your help anymore. We don't want your help anymore. We don't need your support at the temple, not like this. Just take everything that you've put into the temple and just leave. We'll forget everything. I don't think anyone trusts me anymore, and they're going to find out soon, if they haven't already...I think this would be best for everyone involved, please."

She let out a breath to let out the tension in her body and looked to the captain for her answer.

[Yasuki Nagisa]

"Oh..." Nagisa said at first, like she had been floored by a rejection that she hadn't expected at all, looking a bit deflated by Umiko's sincere words. She crossed her arms and looked down at the floor as she had a moment of introspection, or perhaps coming to grips with the devastating news! Maybe she felt hurt that someone she considered a close associate and a friend would reject her, especially after everything she had done for her. Maybe she was the problem and she should reconsider the error of her wicked ways? "I see..."

"Okay, we'll leave," she finally agreed with a bit of dramatic sadness in her tone. "We'll extract the funds remotely, take our things and leave. It was never my intention to hurt you, Umiko-chan. Here I thought I was only doing you a favour, supporting a friend, and making you the true star of the show on the Empire's stage. A destiny that you were fully intended for since you were born! Alas, a back-up dancer knows that they were never meant to outshine the star, and I will gladly take my leave if you truly feel that way. Adieu et au revoir, Carpe Verte."

"Hiruma-san, start packing our things, we are leaving. Gunso, please call the ship for extraction." She would tell the two bushi. "Oh, and take them too, they're coming with us. Use force is necessary."

Haruto stepped forward to object.


Yasuki Haruto

"Please, wait, let's not be hasty here..." he would say as gently as possible, despite feeling the obvious tension in the air.

Oh, right, he's still here, too. Nagisa let out a pained sigh and took out her sidearm to immediately fire a shot into the man's stomach, just to show how serious she was about this right now.



"DROP IT! DROP IT!" The Hida barked at the yojimbo with Honoka.

The Hida and Hiruma already had their rifles at the ready, training them both on Umiko. While it was obvious that Hiroto would defend Honoka with his life but this would put the onus on Honoka to give the order with her friend hostage.

[Yasuki Honoka]

Blood pumping, brain moving, the world around her was suddenly so fast and it felt... okay, it was deeply terrifying but that shake in her hand which causes her to avoid most social confrontations she could wasn't there. That shake that was suspiciously absent all the while she was here supporting Umiko. It wasn't there, or perhaps it still was but it was just moving to the beat of the moment. That part of her that was always looking at every possible situation for a threat was finally having its opportunity, it was ready and so was she.

Honoka, in the moment of most dire need, remains surprisingly calm. With her heart pressed firmly against her chest she looks to Umiko, and gives a soft smile. Trusting something bigger, the way it all fits together, she knew watching Hiroto die here wasn't going to help anyone. Raising her hand to Hiroto in a passive gesture, she looks to him with that same inner confidence, "Hiroto-san, I think exchanging fire here would only put me at greater risk. I compel you to stand down as your charge," she says, and slowly lowers her hand.

[Yasuki Nagisa]

"You really left me no option, Umiko-chan," sighed Nagisa as she holstered her sidearm once more. "And you are really adorably naive if you thought we would just leave so easily, especially with witnesses! Perhaps your sister would be more agreeable? We'll just have to see, now, won't we?

Both Crab soldiers would converge in a pincher formation on Hiroto, Honoka, and Umiko to disarm them in quick order.



"Now, sit in the corner and don't try any fun stuff..." demanded the Hida as she pushed them to the corner of the warehouse...

/scene