Fantasy Hunter's Moon: The Sin & Sentence [IC] [CLOSED]

[Dmaster]

Hudson said nothing to their damnable hosts as he got into the train proper, quickly separating himself from the group. While the idea of staying about to pick the brains of murderous vampires that were now in this tenuous group of allies was not the most... attractive idea of how to spend time the hunter at least wanted to bathe beforehand. Already knowing the paths to take, he moved toward the washroom and entered it, locking the door behind him.

Despite how high class and well-decorated everything was he could not help but feel greatly uneased about the whole situation. Yet there was not much he could do about circumstance at this point, simply deciding to take his bath with his sword near him as he did so. It was a far more pleasant experience than bathing in slightly-acidic rains, his paranoia and caution notwithstanding.

 

[K0mori]

As Wesix offered his "assistance" in the bath, Mariette raised an eyebrow. "That won't be necessary," she muttered. Then, entering the cabin, Mariette's eyes went wide. Beds... Real beds. She stepped over to one, placed her hand on the soft cover experimentally, before getting on her knees and burying her face in the fabric. She sat there for a minute or so, before slowly raising her head with a deep and mournful sigh. "I miss this," she said, knowing that Cassandra and Riberta had witnessed the entire display. She then unhooked her sword from her clothing and set it down gently against the foot board so that it rested on its tip. She turned and gave them a smile. "I almost can't wait to sleep tonight!" she beamed.

 

[Infab]

Cassandra chuckled, while Riberta simply smirked. "I know, right? It feels like its been an eternity since we slept on something actually SOFT." said Cassandra, sitting down on her bed nearby. Riberta glanced to her. "I actually prefer the ground, but...its nice to have something nice once in a while." She had already shed her gear, setting it next to her bed on the floor.

Cassandra set her messer aside, and simply looked about the room once more. "...This reminds me a little of my room when I was younger...though it was just two beds. My sister and I would stay up late and read stories about heroes of the Ancient world. The Epic of Utultar, the life of Gaius Laberius Dominicus, Osric of Strathkirk, even the story of King Bryne and his loyal knights. My mother would check in on us, and we'd hide our books so that it would look like we were fast asleep." She smiled, as she reminisced about her childhood history, before looking over towards Mariette. "...That was a long...long time ago."

 

[K0mori]

"I know," Mariette replied. "You've told me about her, and I've told you about my own siblings, too... what little I can remember, that is. I've always wished that I had been closer to them, but I was too busy being groomed by my family into the perfect little debutante. It might have been worthwhile, were I to have been queen. Instead... well, you already know." She sat her new grimoire down on the pillow of her bed and admired it for a moment. "If we get the chance, I'd love to teach you how to use this," she added. "I've already gotten plenty of use out of our training sessions with the sword, but it's about time you experience the arcane for yourself."

She then looked to Riberta and flashed a grin. "You deserve a real night's rest after that battle we had together." She then unloaded the few remaining pieces of equipment she was carrying until she was simply dressed, and excused herself to the bath.

 

[Infab]

Cassandra watched as Mariette departed for the baths, before glancing over towards Riberta. Whom was gazing back at her as she sat upon her own bed. "...Nice to see that you have everything upstairs fixed for the most part, Cassandra." said Riberta. Cassandra smirked. "Being sent to Hell can really cleanse the mind...though Mariette helped quite a lot as well." Riberta's serious expression didn't change much. "Good to know. Let's hope you don't fall back into your old ways."

Cassandra chuckled. "You don't have to worry, Riberta. I've shed my addiction to Romanov blood. No longer do I thirst for it, and I will forever refrain from touching it." said Cassandra, before dragging her finger across the left side of her chest. "Cross my heart." she said, a dose of sarcasm layered onto it. She then stood, shedding what gear she had left off. "Though I'm sure you might end up having a taste of it sooner or later. Sazak's left his mark on both of us." said Cassandra, before giving her a faux bow. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be in the bath."

And a moment later, Cassandra twirled about and departed for the bathrooms. Leaving Riberta to stew in her own thoughts for a while.

---
​

As Mariette arrived at the bathrooms, she found Wesix standing in the hallway. "The baths are prepared. Hudson is already occupying a room over there. You may select from any of the others." he said, motioning towards Hudson's room before motioning to the others. And it wasn't long before Cassandra appeared behind Mariette, gently poking her in her kidneys to spook her. Cassandra flashed her a grin as she stepped beside her, before shifting her attention to Wesix. "Well, mister handsome incubus, I would very much like for you to bring me some of that blood wine your beautiful succubus friend mentioned. A bottle or two, if possible." she said, pointing out one on the right. "...I'd rather like to enjoy myself for a while."

She then smiled again at Mariette, before slipping through the door she had pointed out. "Oh my word! Roses, candles, fragrances, lotions...AND BUBBLES! I already love it!" she exclaimed, loud enough that Mariette and Wesix could both hear it.

 

[K0mori]

Although Cassandra could never truly sneak up on Mariette due to her aura, the latter still jolted when she was prodded by surprised. Upon hearing Cassandra's request for blood wine, she mildly regretted slaking her thirst earlier on the corpse of Ergran. "Ah, only one for moi, s'il vous plaît," she directed, and hesitated when she moved to select a door, as she very nearly asked Wesix to deliver it to the same bath chamber as her counterpart. This was a force of habit, much like her tendency to refer to Sazak as "Master," as much as she detested the habit and was actively trying to extinguish it. But now, she felt a mild rush of embarrassment, and even Cassandra's unbridled joy at seeing her bath failed to put her at ease.

Mariette glowered at the incubus and, perhaps unfairly and irrationally, assumed that in some way the mistake had been hoist upon her. She even thought about the time she played matchmaker with her own dark magic. "I'll have that room there," she said, pointing at the room next to Cassandra's, "and... have the other one... qu'est-ce que c'est..."

"Cat?"

"Oui. Have Cat bring the wine," she directed sharply before entering her bath chamber. Moments after shutting the door, the aromas and humidity of the chamber eased her nerves, and the decor was truly pleasing to the eye. She quickly disrobed and set herself down in the tub and sighed as the water rose to her neck. After rolling her head once in a complete circle and letting loose a single loud crick, she sank further so that the water's surface reached her chin. Having not been so comfortable since before her death, she very nearly fell asleep within minutes. It was lingering sense of vulnerability that kept her awake: a fear that their hosts would betray them while she was indisposed.

 

[Dmaster]

After several minutes, Hudson had finished both bathing and drying himself in the privacy of the bathroom. In that time frame he silently contemplated on past events and the progress toward the future. While killing his shadow was a weight off of his shoulders, the hunter questioned whether or not the trial that battle presented was worthy to be considered significant absolution. His shadow was right in saying that killing him would do nothing for those he already killed heartlessly, but Hudson worked to reassure himself that the past could not be changed. So long as he could move forward, he would continue to fight to protect others.

Despite these thoughts, the hunter did not even consider his hand in the killing of Sazak's son. The unfortunate truth being that the demon was not even worth thinking about at the moment. If there would be any questions of Ergran's innocence the justification of the demon's sheer inaction and lacksidasical attitude of the horrors around him sealed his fate, ultimately. To Hudson the boy may as well have been an accomplice.

He would slip back into his clothing and gear, taking up his sheathed sword and its chains before exiting the bathroom. Hudson had nothing to say to their lust demon hosts per usual, and he began to make his way back to the sleeping quarters he had taken before. Choosing not to sleep in a bed yet again, he sat upon a chair and lowered the brim of his hat to block the lights overhead.

 

[Breadman]

Henderson looked around the fields and wondered what exactly was produced here that caused such a stench. Did they grow corpses layered in shit? He wondered what sort of information they could even hope to gather from these wretches. If most of them are as malnourished as Loque says they are, they probably don't venture out much.

"I suppose ruffing some of them up is out of the question regards to intelligence gathering?"
---
As Jacob conversed with Edmond, they could hear the door to the bar area open again. The train did not move for them alone and often times others were there to use it's services. The woman looked odd. Black boots and pants, a dark blue shirt under a short coat. Traditional men's garb, but hardly the strangest thing. Her hair was silver and tied in a ponytail. Her eyes were hidden behind tinted spectacles, a scarf is tied around her neck, but a keen eye could spot some scar tissue poking out the edge. It's obvious that the Abyss has not been kind to her, but the holster on her hip shows she had some way to protect herself. That and her left hand. Her fingers were long, hard and bend into a claws. In her other hand she carried a case, a rather large one. As she walked, an odd combination of sounds could be heard coming from inside.

"Business has been slow, Cat." She spoke to the demon attending the bar "But I got some done anyway." She said sighing while she placed a few coin on the bar "Agreed upon cut from me and" A few more coin were dropped "I'd like to reserve two more days for rest." After she took care of her financial obligations she looked around. Somehow she had missed the other two patrons, one with rather large wings at that. She wondered if she should bother with them. Patrons like that were prone to be rather intolerant to annoyances. But things were tight around the belt enough. Might as well. At a slow pace she walked over to the two and once near them, she spoke with a friendly tone. "Bonjour messieurs. Can I have just a few minutes of your time? I see the two of you are enjoying the hospitality of our hosts, but might I interest you in taking some of that home or to your work with you?"

 

[Doomevil]

Senya stood next to Loque and observed the scenery, used to sensing harsh odors and bodies. But nevertheless, it didn’t make it any easy to see. Florentina acted as the completed opposite: fertile soil, full of life and activity, and most of all adventurous. Here, she saw none of that.

She crossed her arms and turned to Loque, “I know I said you knew a lot about this land. But it’s been a while since then. If we do manage to kill Thorgran, what do you think will happen to your home?” Senya asked to her.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

Jakob didn't speak after Edmonds last response. He did not know what to think of the Nosferatu, as noble as his intentions were, he still killed innocent people, something that was unforgivable for Jakob no matter how noble your quest is. Edmond remained quiet as well, he simply sat down near a seat after retracting his wings and closed his eyes, meditating. After a few minutes, Jakob raised his head when he noticed a woman coming into the bar wagon. She looked bizarre and talked like she was working, he eyed her for a moment before she turned her attention to Jakob and Edmond, asking if they would be interested in buying something, he assumed she meant whatever was inside her case. "I... well, I'm not from here but... always willing to help a working woman, what is it that you offer?" asked Jakob with a cautious look but friendly smile on his face, Edmond remained quiet, but eventually spoke as well. "I'm afraid I carry not a single denar nor modern bill with me, my lady... but thank you for your kind offer." he said before sinking back into his meditation.

 

[Breadman]

"Ah, quite alright." Someone on this train with no money? Either he's lying or someone's bodyguard. Maybe the other gentleman's? "I offer something rare in the abyss. It may sound absurd to a visitor, especially someone coming from the outside, but..." She opened the case. Inside Jacob could see a row of bottle and vials in different shapes and colors. Each marked with a small rune etched into the glass and fancily written names in such a thin font, he would have trouble reading them from where he stood. "Perfumes, colones and bathbombs are very VERY rare down here. Often reserved for the high demons and select minions. But those tend to be...similar to one another." She smiled while presenting one gray bottle to Jacob "I try to find the right ingredients from all over the Abyss to create unique fragrants. If you allow moi to be so bold, you said you're not from here, no? You sound like a man of danger if you brave the Abyss, a man of action. Then perhaps you need something to refresh yourself while not riding here comfortably." She placed the bottle on the table. "Lightning. Named after the same horse used by wrathlord Gergekon as it was strong, so is this potent. Please, spray some on your wrist and give it a try."

 

[EdwardDewey98]

This strange woman talked like a snake oil salesman, using fancy words and stories to make her product seem more valuable than it might actually be, but there was a certain level of honesty to her words. Jakob gave her a smile and tried this cologne. After smearing some of it on his wrist, Jakob gave it a sniff, it was actually a very good cologne, it had sweet smell to it, but as expected from something made in the abyss, there was something... strange about it, it felt like it burned in his nose longer than it should. "...Well ma'am, gotta admit that's quite good... tll you what, I'll get that one..." he said while pulling a some silvers from his pocket. While he waited for her response, he thought about asking her a few questions, since the lady spoke with a slight Escarian accent which made him curious "by the way... seeing you speak Escarian, I take you were from there? How long have you been here? If you don't mind me asking such personal question."

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"I suppose ruffing some of them up is out of the question regards to intelligence gathering?"

"That's not going to be necessary, Henderson. We're not like the other demons. Unlike those of Lust and Wrath and such, we actually suffer along those souls condemned here too as you can clearly see... and smell." she answers. Then Senya asks another question.

“I know I said you knew a lot about this land. But it’s been a while since then. If we do manage to kill Thorgran, what do you think will happen to your home?” Senya asked to her.

Loque gives Senya a blank look as she tries thinking of a proper way to answer her question. "I don't know, but I guarantee you it won't get any worse than this."

-Meanwhile, in Bathalom.-

There's still no sign of her here, but to Irin, that simply means Loque is on her way. For the past few days, she'd been sitting on a silo rooftop for a while now, watching, waiting, hoping Loque would be dumb enough to waltz out in the open. She's just another uppity demon that is begging to be put down, after all. She knows Loque wouldn't pass up the opportunity to pay her homeland a visit after making the stupid mistake to come down here to the Abyss again. Maybe it's to torment someone else, maybe she's just hiding down here after committing another heinous crime in the mortal realm; but she's somewhere here alright, and the Abyss isn't big enough for her to hide in. So she waits and sharpens her needles in preparation to give back Loque the same levels of pain she felt when Loque murdered Karlel. Seeing his half-eaten face frozen in a silent scream is the sight burned into her memories that's stopped her from sleeping properly for far too long. Even several hundred years after the fact, she can still recall it all in her mind. The time of day, the darkness of the room, the smell of blood... It all flashes in her head again, and it takes nearly all her nerves to stop herself from taking off sprinting and eviscerating everyone in this dirty filth pit that's called a village.

But then, an idea manifests among the images of her murdered lover. Something that'll make her revenge on Loque so much sweeter.

It was in their home that she killed him all those years ago, but this is the land of gluttony; this means Loque must have her dirty hovel around here somewhere. Should she be able to subdue her while holding back her instinct to kill her on the spot, she'll drag Loque back to her cave and paint it's walls red with her entrails. Grinning madly to herself, Irin gently floats down from the top of the silo and disappears among the shriveled remains of a dried out wheat field nearby.

Yet on the other side of the field was someone watching her the entire time from underneath an overturned wagon. With both eyes open and trembling at seeing her again, they slowly sink back towards Bathalom once they're certain she's left the area for good.

 

[Breadman]

"I suppose." Henderson said as he rolled his eyes "Tho I do wonder how ol tubby has been going strong without some sort of rebellion before."
---
She took the money Jacob gave to her and bowed her head as a thank you. After counting it, she set aside a small part. Percentage is still percentage so she still owed some to her hosts. What was peculiar was that this man...cared enough to ask her about anything instead of brushing her off after the transaction was complete.

"I..." She tried to answer "I am from Escaria, yes. Lived there my whole life. First with my parents, then alone for a short while before I met...my husband." Sorrow began to fill her voice the more she talked. She felt so stupid. Instantly talking about it. About him. "Forgive me monsieur. The decades in the Abyss have been heavy. But each of us carries a burden here. Be it just or not." Her clawed hand tightened for a bit "We just have to be patient with it." the grip was released and her voice was soothed back to normal.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"Though I do wonder how ol tubby has been going strong without some sort of rebellion before."

Loque audibly sighs, her voice suddenly becoming hushed and mournful.”

“...It’s not just the land that’s given up hope, Henderson.” she says, gesturing to the fields around them.

 

[SniperComZero]

"And I'm about to give up my lunch if we don't get reprieve from this stench." With both hand and cloth still tightly pressed against her face, Gwen looked out towards the rather sorry state of the fields. "...It makes one wonder, though. How was one such as him ever allowed to let this place fester? Surely food is as important as gold for a vast empire like this, ah, demon king wishes to make, non?"

 

[Doomevil]

"It is the land of Gluttony after all. My educated guess is that Taranoch never bothered with a royal progress and let his own henchmen do whatever they wanted," Senya pointed to the rotting fields, "You've ever made a visit to your vassals Queen Gwenaelle? I wonder what's your Shadow counterpart like." Senya scoffed.

 

[EdwardDewey98]

But each of us carries a burden here. Be it just or not.

Jakob nodded in agreement. "That much I know, I've seen the hollows of those who didn't deserve to be here... a foul business nonetheless, sometimes I worry that... nevermind." he sighed, at the sole thought that Cecil could have ended here, but then he remembered Cassiels sweetened words that his wife and son were in the Heavens above. "Sounds like you could use someone to talk to ma'am... why don't you sit down,would like to hear from one of the few sane souls in this cursed and twisted parody of our world... you can tell me about your life and I'll tell you about mine." He said with an inviting and friendly smile on his face.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"...It makes one wonder, though. How was one such as him ever allowed to let this place fester? Surely food is as important as gold for a vast empire like this, ah, demon king wishes to make, non?"

“Just because Thorgran rules us of gluttony doesn’t mean he knows how to lead us. From his throne, we’re all just food to him.” Anger rises in Loque’s voice the more she explains it to Gwen. “...He was never one of us. He never worked in the fields like we did! He never had to break his back digging into the dirt for scraps with his bare hands like we did! He never had to experience a famine for months on end like we did! He never set foot in any field for any reason beyond seeing what he can stuff his fat fucking face with! That maggot fuck who calls himself our icon is a parasite; a fat tick who only ever leeched off of those around him!”

Realizing how angry she’s getting, Loque takes a breather to calm herself back down.

“And why should Taranoch or any of the other icons care how awful Thorgran’s reign is? Us gluttony demons always come last.”

 

[SniperComZero]

"You've ever made a visit to your vassals Queen Gwenaelle? I wonder what's your Shadow counterpart like." While Senya was joking around, and Gwen was still acclimatizing and trying to get used to the foul odor in the air, the piercing, cold gaze that was sent towards her was unmistakable. "I did, many times in fact, madame." The way the word was spoken fell like ice from her tongue. "We had a saying, you know. 'A kingdom is like a hound. Kick it and it shall bite you, love it, and it shall love you'. I can only hope that if you humans had learned a single thing from us, it was that. Since it obviously wasn't fashion sense." Gwen shook her head before looking around once more. Rot, decay, hopelessness.

"...The thing I don't understand about these demons is the same thing I don't understand about humans. When I had to study them, I saw far too many that were so... content to rest on their laurels and take with no give. Greed for the sake of themselves. Gather armies, and destroy something, just because it was there. No compassion, no avenue of self-betterment-- par les dieux, not even a hint of care about their successor. They bloated themselves and their empires so fat, that they would collapse under their own grotesque corpus within years, just because they could. It's the same thing I see here. These demons take, and take, and take, just because they have the power to. Eventually, there will be nothing left to take, and what skeleton their realm became will simply fall apart."

 

[Doomevil]

"I can't speak for the other kingdoms like Atraca or Escaria. For I know Florentina, provided you stay away from the City of Valencia and the isles, is a hard working country. King Leoncio Santana is an honorable man according to my brother Ryden. For he understands there's a deep conflict between Humanity and the supernatural. The purges aren't a solution." Senya uttered before Gwen questioned the foreign nature of the demons here. The Warden had to agree, for it was hard to understand their cultures, or multiple cultures rather.

"Of course, it's not my intention to slight your stature, Gwenaelle. I still find it hard to understand how the Abyss even works. The inhabitants have said it themselves if we continue to stay, we'll end up hollow. Perhaps that could be a factor. I don't know..." Senya admitted, still staring at the scenery.

 

[Infab]

"...Eventually, there will be nothing left to take, and what skeleton their realm became will simply fall apart."

Vincent spoke up. "Its held together for millenia apparently. And when it finally collapses, the Abyss of old will likely come back." he said, glancing back to Gwen. "As for Taranoch, he's always had his sights set on the mortal realm. Its the realm he set out to rule, not the Abyss. But in order to get to the land of mortals, he had to conquer the land of demons first..."

Soon, far ahead, a village began to grow on the horizon. Likely Bathalom. Seems they were getting a bit closer. At least the smell was dying off a bit. That or they were all growing used to it. The fields they were passing now had less dead crops in it, and they would notice that there were both skinny hollows tending to the crops as well as starving demons. They passed a wagon being driven by a pair of thin demons, pulled by something that they could only guess as an Abyssal version of a horse. And it didn't look much better than the demons scattered about. Thin, hairless, bones showing through the ashy grey skin. Its dull yellow eyes devoid of true life.

---
​

Cassandra would lounge around in the bath tub for almost an hour, playing with the bubbles from the sudsy bathwater as well as gulping down the blood wine that had been brought to her by Wesix. Lust demons were always a strange bunch, actively looking to seduce you in some form or fashion. Mariette obviously seemed to dislike him, however, and that was what bothered her about Wesix. She'd keep an eye on him, just for that alone. Cat, the succubus, seemed more cheerful and payed more attention to her work than the people coming aboard. Not much to worry about there, it seemed.

Soon, Cassandra finally began to bathe herself. Blood was scrubbed off, her hair washed and shampooed. And once she was out, lotions were applied and fragrances were used. She decided to just wear the bathrobe she had been given back to her room, her long blonde locks left to hang loose as she carried the cleaned clothes Wesix had brought with her. When she arrived, she found that Riberta was gone. Likely having ventured to take a bath herself. So, she shed her robe silently, and slipped into her underwear before climbing into the lovely bed. My, this bed is better than the one I had back at the Duke's estate.

 

[SniperComZero]

"The purges aren't a solution." There was a quiet scoff from the elf. "Not to my mind. I've only ever had trouble with beasts. Werewolves slaughtering flocks and farmers alike, vampires stealing souls and blood in the night, ghosts scaring people away from the tombs of their relatives-- the list goes on and on. I swear-- even the more traditionally bestial ones, take your, ah, your griffons, your dryads, for example. Laying claim to caves and forests and just being a general nuisance. At this point I'd welcome getting rid of them."

Her attention soon turned upon Vincent. "And when it finally collapses, the Abyss of old will likely come back." "I doubt it. Once one king falls, a lack of power drives those without it to seize it for themselves. I hardly think that with people here so set in their ways of life now that they'd simply let it fall apart-- go back to fighting each other with hand and stick, and let all the infrastructure they've built just decay to nothing."

 

[Dmaster]

Hudson slowly lifted the brim of his hat, stretching and sitting up with a grumble as he looked about the room. As it turned out he was feeling more restless than he had thought, though he himself could not place why. It mattered little to him, as he knew exactly how to solve this particular problem.

The hunter soon entered the traincar that housed the bar, moving through it with as much tunnel vision that he could muster. Edmond was there, and the less he saw of that vampire the better, yet Jakob also appeared to be at the bar proper. What was puzzling to Hudson was the fact that he was chatting up a demon that he hadn't seen before. Perhaps another transient.

"A bottle of whiskey and a shot glass. Hold the eyeballs and entrails, if you would." was all he said to the demon working the bar, his tone flat and slightly impatient. Hudson stood before the bar and waited for his order, not saying much of anything to Jakob despite their proximity.

 

[ANIMAL MOTHER]

"I doubt it. Once one king falls, a lack of power drives those without it to seize it for themselves. I hardly think that with people here so set in their ways of life now that they'd simply let it fall apart-- go back to fighting each other with hand and stick, and let all the infrastructure they've built just decay to nothing."

Upset, Loque’s head snaps towards Gwen with a stern look on her face.

“Not all of us, elf. We’re not all simple insects that let things go to shit when someone kicks our hive. Otherwise we wouldn’t all be here today.” she says, holding a finger up to her. “I might've been too young to comprehend Kaizen’s rule properly, but I have more than just hope that things here will become better like his reign once Taranoch dies. All we need is the right person in power, and I have faith that there’s people as benevolent as the previous rulers somewhere out there.”