I come at the end of the long road.

[ibideficitorbis]

WHO: Shura and YOU.
WHAT: A demon has found its way into Coba!
WHERE: Anywhere you like.
WHEN: Day 7?

This is quite a place Shura has found herself into. It looks like a normal, modern city at first glance, but if she stares long enough, she can see ruins and desolation everywhere. Is this an illusion? It was hard to tell. Both the modern city and the rubble looked equally real. She walks around the shopping district and stops every few steps, trying to find a clue as to what this place really is, why she is here, and whether she can find any drinkable water for her parched throat. As she travels, her stench lingers in the air long after she has left, a mix of dirt, gore, and sweat that makes it difficult for others to breathe. Maybe someone should tell her, as she seems oblivious.

Comments

[teethteethteeth]

"Oh my!" That's entirely too familiar a stench. It reminds her of the Red World with its violence and fear. But this doesn't necessarily mean this young woman's like the Red World's residents. So she tries to helpfully suggest, "Perhaps you could get a shower? I'm sure we can find one around here somewhere."

[ibideficitorbis]

Shura spins around, alarmed. She hadn't seen you approach, distracted as she was by the world around her. "W... who are you? You're so rude!"

[teethteethteeth]

"Oh! I'm so sorry! My name's Sugar Cream. Are you aware you smell of blood and dirt and stuff like that? I was just trying to be helpful, but I see I've been rude."

[ibideficitorbis]

"Sugar... cream...?" Shura can't help but pause. Sorry, but she thinks your name sounds like a coffee order. "I... I mean I must be, but... that bad?"

[teethteethteeth]

"I picked it out myself!" Sugar has weird naming sense, but she likes it. "Um. I'm afraid it's rather bad. I actually don't mind that much, but I think other people would! Besides, I'm sure you'd feel nice and clean after a good shower."

[ibideficitorbis]

This is what happens when you let children name themselves, Shura guesses. At least, she thinks that's what happened. She might be talking to a ghost, for all she knows.

"Do people here shower with water?" You can't be too careful.

[teethteethteeth]

"Uh. I think so? It's kind of a strange place with how it always changes, but I'm sure we can find showers with water. Or if not, I can always take you back to my place. It's not in this city, but it's easy enough to reach and it won't take too long."

That said, she begins looking around for a pool or gym or other place that might have a shower.

[ibideficitorbis]

A shower with water would be welcome. Her last shower had happened when a group of Oni has emptied a barrel of angel blood and sake on her. Might contribute to the stench.

"I'm... not sure about leaving." She's looking around, too, hoping for a public bath that allows tattooed people. "I'm a bad omen."

[teethteethteeth]

"Is that so? I'm kinda not the best omen either!"

And as they look, what do you know? There's a public bath. Sugar wasn't expecting that because she doesn't live in the areas where public baths are really a thing. But it looks like it should suffice! She gestures toward it. "Think that'll do?"

[ibideficitorbis]

"You destroy worlds too?" she asks, not really looking at Sugar. A public bath... will they let her in? There doesn't seem to be a sign against tattooed patrons...

[conjecture_this]

It's definitely the scent that catches the young Summoner off-guard. It's not unlike the tunnels of the Tento Lords, though less stale and more freshly raw in it's potency. She crinkles her eyes a bit, quietly displeased. It's the Pixie who pipes up first.

"It smells like a battlefield out here!"
"... Indeed."

It's not hard to find the source but Nagi is nowhere near so blunt to say as much to the woman herself. Now the High Pixie on the other hand... hopefully Shura has some forgiveness in her heart for the little demon in her blue kimono as she buzzes ahead in front of the woman.

"Where exactly have you been? You smell like you've been fighting for days!"

A cry of "Pixie!" comes from somewhere just behind the pair.

[teethteethteeth]

"Oh my! Well, I was created to destroy a world, but I haven't actually done so. It would just return into existence in a different form anyways."

She heads straight in without even worrying about the tattoo issue. It doesn't occur to her that they would be forbidden.

[ibideficitorbis]

Oh wow. Is that like a retro Pixie? Or maybe a weeaboo Pixie? Regardless, Shura is fascinated, and not just because she loves kimonos. She knows for sure that Pixie is a demon, so are there more around here?

She turns around at the cry, blinking as she saw Nagi. "Your friend?" she asked, pointing at the Pixie. She's never seen a human befriend a demon before, but if that was the case, it'd take a weight off her shoulders.

[ibideficitorbis]

Shura walks in, slow and careful, making sure not to let her greasy hair touch the banners at the entrance.

The owner of the public baths, a big, meaty man with huge hands, stares down at her.

She stares back. Is she allowed in or not? If she is, she doesn't feel very welcome.

[conjecture_this]

Once Nagi has caught up she gives a vigorous nod. "She is, yes." There's no denying that Nagi doesn't quite think of her demons as simply summons after all.

[ibideficitorbis]

Shura smiles, just a tiny bit, as if she lost the habit of doing so. "You gotta tell me where to find Pixie-sized kimonos. It looks good on her, I think it'd look good on mine."

[conjecture_this]

"Eh? Well... I've always had a kimono really..." Not that all Pixie's did but ones like her tended to.

[teethteethteeth]

Sugar waves cheerily to the owner. "How goes it? We're here for a bath." It doesn't escape her notice that he's staring at her new friend (which she had already decided on being her new friend), so she tries to smooth things over by being friendly and to the point.

[ibideficitorbis]

"Oh... that's interesting." Shura looks between the Pixie and Nagi, back and forth. Wait a minute, where are the woman's markings? She does have beautiful hair, though...

"Are you a demon too?" she asks Nagi.

[ibideficitorbis]

The owner stares down at Sugar, then at Shura again, for a long minute, before waving them in.

Inside, Shura finds everything is as described by the mangas she had read, aside from magical shenanigans: there's a changing room where she puts her filthy clothes, a little area where she can pick up a bar of soap, some shampoo and towels, and finally the tiled area with the cleaning stations and the bath itself. It's not coed, and Shura finds herself content at the thought, even if the few women inside can't help but stare at this woman marked from head to toes.

Shura sits at a washing station on the little stool provided, turns the water on, fills up a bucket, and dumps it on her head. Fuck, that feels good. The grime is still clinging to her skin but she feels better already.

[conjecture_this]

At that Nagi shakes her head. "Not at all. I'm a Summoner. One may call demons my friends."

Or so she thought of them at least.

[ibideficitorbis]

Shura raises a hand to scratch the top of her head, and it doesn't help the stench one bit. Careful, Pixie, your wings might wilt from the stink.

"A summoner... I can't say I've ever met one. But if you are a friend of demons, then we can get along."

[conjecture_this]

It's enough to make the Pixie back off, that's for sure. She ends up holding both hands over her nose. Nagi on the other hand is a bit more polite and ends up wrinkling hers.

"I'd say you'd get along with most people here. With a bath first!"

[gigglesnortpriestess]

While normal people would start to scream about the stench, there was one who asked a very different question once she was in sight of the odd woman.

"Are you alright?"

Because there was no way someone can ignore that kind of thing unless it was important.

[ibideficitorbis]

Shura pauses at the question, turning to face the woman. Is she all right? Most signs point to no. She's in an unknown world with illusions all around her and suddenly humans are there and how does human anymore?

"I... don't think I am."