Scion – Petro Campaign – Session 61
This account was originally found on Livejournal, I am not the original author—I am just a fan of the journal and have found reading it on livejournal clunky to navigate and rife with errors/instability (such as having to refresh multiple times due to the page in questions becoming unavailable often requiring multiple refreshes. The original post can be found here, published by DJ-Yomi, and was published on Oct 16th 2009
Big news! T-Bone and Dahlia are getting married! Isn’t that wonderful? He proposed to her in a romantic spot on Red Mountain last night. As you know, they had a rocky relationship there for awhile, but T-Bone has really, really been working to win her back. He’s done everything he can to prove himself to her, and it’s all been completely on the level. He even worked for honest pay to afford the engagement ring…something he never does. Dahlia already loved him, but I think that proved to her just how much she means to him. It’s so romantic. ^_^
So I don’t know when the wedding will be, but Dahlia has been on cloud nine. And so has T-Bone, though he’s a lot better at hiding it. ^_^ I and the rest of my girls have been giddy ever since we heard the news. Quinn was probably more excited than everyone else. She and Dahlia used to be the closest of friends, but the tensions that emerged with Miko and the whole lamp oil addiction thing drove a wedge between them. They’ve been getting over it, though, and growing closer again. I think they’ll be back to normal before too long. ^_^
Anyway, in other news, Vishnu wasn’t kidding when he said Lanka would sorely tempt us to act on our deepest desires. I don’t know about the others (well, not all of them, anyway), but I’ve certainly been tempted tonight. It’s a good thing Adam was able to keep a level head or else I might have done something that I would have regretted.
But, as usual, I’m getting ahead of myself. After talking to Vishnu and arranging for him to show up and open the way to Lanka the next day, we were transported to Red Mountain to pick up Tanith, Yuko, Sera, Keiko, and Dahlia (our “mischievous” companions who would make it possible for us to enter Lanka). We didn’t leave immediately, though. We stayed the night. I put Charles up in one of my guest rooms and introduced him to the rest of my entourage (and warned him away from the shikome house). He seemed comfortable, if a little overwhelmed, so once I got him settled in I spent most of the rest of the afternoon sunbathing to recharge some of my energy. After a wonderful night spent with Echo, I got up and made sure breakfast was underway for everyone. You know, it’s odd, but Steph really likes to cook, and she’s damn good at it. When she isn’t setting her hair on fire or something. >_< Sera generally helps her out. ^_^ Anyway, she put together a nice breakfast for us (well, maybe more like brunch), and we discussed our plans, mostly who would pair up with whom.
I should also note that Audrey warned me about Sera’s potentially unhinged mind and her kinda misogynistic, psychotic tendencies (which are what turned her into a nopperabo in the first place). Of course, I already knew about all of that, and I also know that Sera has always tried very hard to overcome her darker side. But I agreed with Audrey that Lanka would likely bring out that side of Sera if I wasn’t careful. I considered leaving Sera on Red Mountain and taking someone else, but no one else was really suitable. Quinn’s a new mother and needs to stay with Veronica, and Kimiyo’s dark desire probably involves murdering Keiko, so I really didn’t want both of them there. In the end, I decided to take Sera anyway.
Since we’d need to stay with our “mischievous” companions throughout Lanka, the pairings were pretty important. And since Keiko’s my PA anyway, I paired up with her. Adam paired with Tanith (those two get along so well; she’s really quite fond of him). I asked Charles to look after Sera, which he was happy to do. Pierre paired with Yuko, Ravi with T-Bone, and Elisa with Dahlia (T-Bone wanted to pair up with Dahlia, but since they’re both “mischievous” sorts, that wouldn’t really work out). Around noon, Vishnu showed up ferried us through a portal to his boat, and we set off across an ocean of milk to Lanka.
Our arrival was relatively uneventful, and we had to hike through a steaming jungle to reach the city proper. A number of nemean predators stalked and attacked us on the way in. They were tough, but we dealt with them pretty handily. We obtained more neamean snake skin and a couple of nemean tiger skins, though. I can’t wait to see Pierre in an adorable tiger suit! His bear suit is really cute, so I can only imagine how great the tiger suit will look. ^_^ Everyone else looks at me weird when I declare these things, but then again, they also look at me weird when I say that zombies and spiders can be adorable. They just don’t get it. ^_^ Of course, I don’t get Elisa’s obsession with fire, so I guess we’re even. ^_^
Oh yeah, Adam can call lightning now. It’s pretty incredible, but it sure surprised the hell out of me when he zapped a nemean tiger. I should also note that Charles is proving to be quite capable. He’s an excellent team player! I think we’ll quickly come to rely on his support both in and out of combat.
We began to see signs of the city when we encountered a small village that was home to several asuras and rakshasa. Elisa, T-Bone, and Adam scoped the place out. We probably could have taken the titanspawn there, but we decided to go around. There was no sense taking any unnecessary risks, after all. Elisa, however, vehemently opposed avoiding the village and wanted to kill the titanspawn while we had the chance. She argued that if we didn’t deal with them now, we might have to deal with them later when making our escape. But she was outvoted.
Eventually, we arrived in the outskirts of the city, and as we encountered a large, sumptuously decorated inn, we all realized how tired we were. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that our fatigue was supernatural; most of us don’t get tired that easily. The inn was definitely a trap. Sure, it would let us overcome our fatigue, but it was also a den of temptation.
Even so, we decided to risk it. The fatigue could have been potentially crippling, and I think we all felt a bit on edge. Charles especially looked tense and anxious when Adam and Elisa began arguing about whether or not Elisa should give up her lighter (we were afraid she’d be tempted to set things on fire). So we settled in at the inn, sticking with the pairs we’d already established (except for T-Bone, Dahlia, Elisa, and Pierre, who switched up so that they could be with their respective lovers).
I’m not entirely sure what happened with everyone else. No one really wanted to talk about it. Many of us seemed just fine the next morning, but I think a few looked uncomfortable, like Sera. But apparently Charles not only took care of her, but he was a perfect gentleman as well. I think she’s growing fond of him. I hope she is. She’s needed someone for a long time…though I don’t know if he shares her interest.
As for me, it was an interesting night. Almost as soon as Keiko and I entered out room and shut the door, she began undressing. She said, “Out there, I serve you, but here, now, I’m the one in charge.” and shoved me onto the bed, obviously intending to take me by force. Honestly, I had no idea Keiko was so domineering in bed! But I wasn’t willing to give in to her advances. I rely on Keiko a lot, but I’m not in love with her and I don’t desire her. I’m not going to betray Echo like that. I argued that she should stop, but she just told me that I always got who and what I wanted while she served obediently, and that now it was her turn to get what she wanted. O_O
I knew Keiko was vaguely attracted to me. Almost everyone is. But I had no idea her attraction was so strong. I also have a feeling that she saw sleeping with me as a way to gain access to Echo, with whom I know she’s infatuated. I feel really bad for Oda. I know she loves him, but does he even know about Keiko’s secret desires? Of course, I’m one to speak, what with Tabby and Feng Yi…but at least Echo’s a nymph and understands and even encourages that to some degree.
Anyway, I used my divine charisma to talk Keiko down long enough to disentangle myself from her, and then I moved to a different room. Keiko glared desperately after me as I left, but she stayed put, for the time being, anyway.
I didn’t stay long in the other room, though. I kept hearing sensual moans from my companion’s rooms, and my hand kept straying to my finger and the Unclean Ring that holds my shikome taint in check. I wanted to take it off and give in to my inner shikome so badly. But I managed to push down that desire and keep a level head.
Not level enough, though. I ended up getting up and wandering close to Adam’s room. I heard Keiko moaning in pleasure as I walked by her door…but by that time I knew what I was hearing were simply illusions, a part of the inn’s temptations. Knowing that, though, wasn’t enough to keep my desire for Adam from getting the best of me when I heard his voice entwined with Tanith’s moans coming from their room – more illusions.
I slipped gracefully into Adam’s room and poured on my charms. My seduction was exquisite, but Adam’s mental fortitude (and a little magic, I imagine) barely let him keep his cool. He came so close to giving in, but managed to talk some sense into me. He reminded me of Echo and how much sleeping with him would betray and hurt her. And he’s right. The last thing I want is to hurt Echo like I did before. Slowly, I was able to cool my passion, and with muttered apologies, I withdrew from the room.
Poor Tanith. She was ready to join us in bed, but I callously told her to get out and leave us alone. At the time I wasn’t in a frame of mind to notice, but I think that rejection really hurt her feelings. I don’t know if I can make it up to her. It’s the second time I’ve basically kicked her out in a situation like that (the first time was when Tabby and I went shikome in the 101 Hotel in Iceland). But at least she has Adam.
As I left the room, and returned to my own, I met Keiko leaving it. There was a tense moment when I thought she might jump me right there in the hall…but she didn’t. We went our separate ways, and the rest of the night passed uneventfully. The next morning, I tried to apologize to Adam and Tanith, but Adam just said, “What happens in Lanka stays in Lanka.” He’s right. That’s the best policy…though not if we use it as license to do whatever we want.
Now we’re all set to head deeper into Lanka, toward both more violence (I fear) and more temptation. I think I can handle my desire for Adam now. I’m not so sure about my shikome taint. I’m still worried I’ll give in to that temptation, and about what will happen if I do…