"I too intend to join the Anti-Airship group." Koyuki replies, "My skills with my blade are capable of dealing significant damage to stationary objects."

Koyuki slips the talisman inside her Kimono and nods thankfully to Kirakiri.

"Even if Kurama does obtain the legs, which I believe is a given, he will have to escape. With no escape route, we will have the opportunity to take them without much difficulty." She observes, turning to the rest of the group, "Thus, I suggest we proceed as planned. I am confident that Kirakiri and Myself can do sufficient damage to the airship, enough so that the rest of you can focus on keeping the attention of Kurama and his retinue."

The Adventures of Pyros+Moriko+Falcon: My cousin Finny!
 

In the depths of the deep, there are things borne in the waters unlike anything else seen upon the land. In the weak gravity of the ocean, creatures of nearly impossible shapes and sizes float about, eating, mating, and sometimes doing both at the same time. There's the Giant Seahorse in which the male takes care of it's young after the female births it, the Starfish that can regrow almost any injury, the lantern fish that carries around it's own underwater torch.

Yet despite the diversity and complexity of the life in the sea, it still falls sway to the rules of the universe. Which clearly states, that although a culture may be as different from another as carrots and oranges, it'll still have a womanizing jackass within it.
-------------------------------------
Finn, a sea nymph, was the sort who never gave up. Even when doors, clams, legs, and opportunities slammed right in his face. He had just been moved from his pond and into the big ocean, thanks to his cousin's uncle's sister's friend's noisy neighbor, who was quite close to Undine. He now had a posh pad next to the rainbow coral reef, with a good view of the entire ocean city that Undine called her domain.

But the only thing he didn't have was a ladyfin to bump into. And hence his great problem. While normally his charm, his good looks, and his fashion sense would be enough to woo any maiden or freshwater nymph, these Seafemales were more in touch with a wider range of people, and were far more picky. Mermaids thought he was far too bipedal, and what fins he did have were too "unmasculine" (whatever the heck that means), fellow Sea Nymphs were apparently looking for someone who would give more than just sex and flowers (But what else was there?), and Undine herself said she'd rather become the goddess of urine than go out with him.

Which left him quite alone for all the cold, lonely nights in the ocean. He actually cried alone in his cave everynight, despite only being without a girlfriend for 3 days. Such was his desire, such was his....curse. But one day, as he was currently moving at torpedo speed after being tail finned slapped by a Mermaid, he overheard the sounds of giggling echoing through the water.

There was giggling, splashing, and outright laughing from feminine voices, and if he listened harder, moans. He immdiately stopped and rocketed towards the noise. Instead of going towards a hidden cave or reef and finding a group of playful sirens, he went straight upwards. Soon, he saw a brown dot. Which grew. And grew, and grew, until it was most clearly the underside of a boat.

It wasn't uncommon for there to be boats upon the sea, but never before had he heard of a boat with such giggles coming forth. Perhaps some particularly slutty sea-vixens was showing off to some sailors, intending to later sink the ship. But as he put his ear to the wood, he found it to be more than any number of slutty seawomen he'd ever known. If he didn't know any better, he'd say there was practically a whole harem in there!

He listened even more closely.

"Oh Valerielle! This wine you poor on my naked flesh is so Cooooold!"

"Sorry! I couldn't warm it in the sun lest some of the sailors drinking it. Don't worry though. When we perform the naked dance of wine for those Europeans Genki keeps talking about, I'm sure the wine will be so much warmer."

"Brrrr! I think my teeth are chattering!"

"Oh! You poor thing! Here, let me make you all warm...."

"*Giggle!* That tickles!"

Immediately Finn had a nosebleed. "Oh my! TIS A BLESSING OF THE CREATOR! A BLESSING I SAY!" He exclaimed. "Well, I for one will not let this one go to waste! Woohoo!"

He swam up like a torpedo, giddy as a dolphin. He cleared the water perfectly, and landed upon the railing after doing a double front flip to see...old sailors?

Where? Where were the women? He had heard sweet, beautiful voices moaning in a chorus of lust! Did the sailors possess such a voice? NO! INCONCIEVEABLE! (besides, it would make what he just heard really awkward to think about)

He barged up to a nearby sailor, who was quite in shock to see a bluish finned man emerge from the depths, and leap up a good 2 stories to get to the top deck. "You! YOU! WHERE ARE THE WOMEN? I HEARD THEM! TELL ME NOW SO I MAY INDULGE MYSELF!"

The sailor wasn't exactly fluent in 'perverted nymph talk', but he did know that having Seafolk on the ship couldn't be good.

"CAPTAIN! CAPTAIN!"

Suij got up from his chair. He'd been attempting to read Miyamoto Musashi's 'Book of Five Rings', but found it a bit too deep for his tastes. How could such a man be taken seriously when he fought with a wooden sword? Suij looked over the balcony that oversaw the rest of the ship.

"What now? Another (three) Pirate ship(s)?" He asked with a slight yawn.

"Uhh...No. No Sir!" Finn was sniffing the sailor intently, hoping to find a feminine smell. It was quite difficult, as most seafolk couldn't smell worth crap above water.

"FINN WANT WOMEN!" Finn was normally a bit more conversational and witty, but days without getting any was just too much for him.

A bead of sweat ran down Suij's neck. "Damn! A crazed seaman! That's exactly the sort of bad luck I was telling Genki about!" He slammed his hand upon the armrail. "I can't make him get off my ship lest I anger the water spirits, but at the same time he may decide to sink the ship on a whim!"

Before he could curse more, Suij found Finn in his face. "WHERE WOMEN? I NEED WOMEN! VOICES! GIRLY VOICES!"

Suij suddenly figured out why women were bad luck on a sea voyage. "Umm...I don't know what you're talking about. This ship carries only gold and spices, oh lord of the sea!"

"NO? WOMEN!!!!" Finn started leaping about sniffing and clawing with his sharp fins, and ended up nibblling on a part of the ship. Suij turned to his first mate.

"Quick! got make sure our cargo is safe. And make sure it doesn't decided to leave it's rooms, got it?"

The first mate nodded, only for at that very moment Anji opened the door to the cabin. "Alright girls, I'll go to the galley and get us all some tea. Moriko, don't sleep like that, It'll mess up your hair!"

"Can't I just take it off? It feels like I am growing a small tree from my head!" Moriko whined.

Before Suij could tell them to quickly close the door, Finn caught Anji's face in the corner of his eye. "WOMAN!"

Anji was thrust back and lying upon the bed ground before she knew what hit her. Finn was upon her. "WOMANNN! IT"S BEEN SO LONG!" Part of what remained of Finn's sanity worried that he might start humping her. Fortunately, his sanity recieved help thanks to her quick thinking. Anji gave Finn a hearty slap to the face, and he fell over and hit the ground, rolling in agony.

Anji quickly pulled herself up and turned to face the threat.

Finn managed to stop himself. "Ow! That hurt!" He was slapped back to his senses, holding his face which clearly bore a red handprint from Anji's hand.

"Who the hell are you?"

Quickly Finn recomposed himself and stood up tall. "I am the great Feely Finn, the lover of seas!" He smiled with teeth so bright it was almost blinding. "And you my dear, are obviously the greatest beauty in the seven seas, and 32 great lakes!"
Yet again, in another flash, he was behind Anji, his arm around her shoulder. "Come with me, and I'll show you the greatest treasure in the deep blue sea...and in my pants." He then proceeded to squeeze her ass.

Anji slammed her head backwards into his face, then tripped him. Before he hit the ground she booted him in the face, where he went flying and crashed on hs back into the wall above Moriko's bed. He made an imprint in the woodwork, then fell to the bed with a thump beside the laid back Moriko.

He recovered quickly yet again, grabbing Moriko's callused hand. "Why such worn out hands! I think somebody likes it Rough!" His other hand went towards Moriko's leg.

Garud followed silently, keeping his hand on a monk's shoulder so he would not be harmed by the Barrier.

"Is it just me, or does anybody else feel as though you are having de ja vu? It's like I've been here before."

Idiot

The disturbance below was duly noted by the Turkey vulture that was tiring a little bit and decided to come in for a landing and a closer look.

Falcon uttered an awkward squawk as something rushed madly past her towards Anji in a blueish, fishy blur, displacing a mad amount of air and nearly bowling her over in falcon form.

What went around madly in the falcon’s predatory mind was this.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then, after a little bit, Falcon registered astonishment, then anger at the potential danger on the nice person that accepted her. NICE PERSON IN DANGER! MUST PROTECT!

~~

It was unfortunate of Finn that the back of his head was exposed to open attack through the door that was flung wide open.
Falcon dove in.

Claws first.

Then, that wicked beak swung forward in deadly precision.

“KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!”

FUCKING FINE! DON'T LISTEN TO YOUR DAMNED INTELLIGENT SIDE!

"Lord Raikotsu, the link merely connects two minds, and one with sufficient willpower and mental strength should be able to completely block any emotions or thoughts from traversing the link unless they wish it to." Hinote explained to Raikotsu keeping his subservile attitude even slightly bowing the wind demon. Nodding his head Hinote looked over towards where Kirakiri and Koyuki where discussing the plan of attack.

"If desired, I shall entrap the barrier, or as close as possible, around the temple grounds so as to at the very least know exactly when, and where Kurama and his group will exit from the barrier. If you both believe you can do enough damage to the airship yourselves, and all the others agree, I shall need an escort for if we are happened upon by a group of monks."

Sitting silently on the deck of the airship, Ningyou slid her third move to its final stop Sanjuro screamed in delight. "AH HA! NOW YOU WILL SEE HOW I, THE GREAT SANJURO YAMADA AND HIS ROOK OF MIGHT SHALL DEFEAT YOU! BECAUSE I, THE GREAT SANJURO YAMADA, FIGHTER FOR HIRE, HAS DEVELOPED A STRATEGY WHI-"

"SANJURO!" Ningyou declared angrily nearly losing grip of her current form as she did, "I already have you in checkmate, again."

"But how?" Sanjuro scratched his head sadly as he tried to understand where his god-like strategy went wrong.

"The same way I've beaten you the last six times Sanjuro, you haven't changed your strategy since you declared that the rook was the best piece ever." Ningyou wasn't sure, but she was starting to think this mortal was causing her cells to burst. Could a blood demon hemmorage?

"But the rook is the best piece ever." Sanjuro mumbled as he held the piece in his hands like a wounded ally he found on the battlefield.

Ningyou immitated a sigh as she turned to look at the rag-tag group of adventurers. "I've lost the Genkai." She declared simply as she realized they had been left behind.

"WHAT?" Sanjuro was on his feet in a flash, his muscles tightened as he prepared for his next task when he heard a loud snapping come from his hand. "Rooky......?" Sanjuro opened his hand, chunks of the former chess piece slipped from his fingers and fell to the floor, "ROOKY! ROOKY YOU WERE THE BEST ONE OF THEM ALL!!!!"

(ooc: Sanjuro and Ningyou were left behind on the airship where Sanjuro continues to prove his lack of strategy.)

"Very well then. Cast your spell, Hinote. I will likely be needed...my powers are sufficient to keep the airship from easily taking off, assuming they left someone behind capable of piloting it, and I can deal some amount of damage to it. My wounds should not be a problem." Raikotsu responded, with a nod of respect for the mage's clever idea.

"Koyuki, if it is alright with you, Anbu will be assigned to escort Hinote. He can redeem his warrior's honor that way." the Air Demon prince looked over toward the dog-eared, inhumanly beautiful woman with a small smile. Anyone looking close enough at that moment would have caught the hint of regret in it. Well...anyone but Sanjuro. He stood with only a small bit of difficulty, a bit stiff-legged, then walked over to sit down beside the other unofficial leaders.

Kirie pointed out an area that could be used for bathing to Astral, and insisted that they get cleaned up. Kirie wasn't all that surprised at how fast Astral gave in. "It's not like we can really do anything now."
The two girls undressed and entered the very small lake, leaving their clothes in some nearby trees but taking their weapons with them into the water. "All weapons that are forged in hell receive standard ether coatings," Kirie recalled. "This prevents these weapons from rusting, dulling, and breaking, making repair obsolete."
Astral stuck her katana in the lake bed and sighed as she relaxed. "It makes underwater combat a lot less bothersome. By the way, how are you in underwater battle?"
"I haven't gotten quite used to the fact about the water's resilience to my weapon." Kirie raises her right hand, the massive blade aimed at the sky. "Sure, I can wield it with one hand regardless of how big I make it, but the water prevents me from swinging it as fast. It's kinda difficult to get used to."
The monastery was still a bit of a trek away. "So Genkai is probably inside already."
Astral nodded. "I imagine they will remain the night. We should find a place to sleep ourselves later. They'll probably have the ships ready to depart by nightfall."
A moment passed, the girls settling into the small lake. Kirie decided that more conversation was called for. "I wonder what Shizuko is doing."
Astral thought about it. "Well, she did have her orders. You'd think that given all the time she's been gone, she would've found what was needed to finish Nyoka and find that torso for us. But she hasn't returned yet."
"Every one of us who wears a kimono has been ordered to bring Shizuko back alive and the pink kimono she wears back intact."
Astral smiles and leans back. "That's kind of Shizuka."
"Well, they are twin sisters."

Summary of Events: Kirie and Astral get nekkid and discuss their operation, also talking about Shizuko, Gema, and the torso of Talkatz.

"Of course. Anbu would be the logical choice." Koyuki replied, attempting to show Raikotsu some hint of a smile, as she was pleased at the lack of his socially combative demeanor. It would make this go much smoother if they all cooperated this time.

"Now, we can assume the airship will attempt to land as close as possible to the Temple's force-field. I believe we can use this to our advantage, as it will take the followers of Kurama a painstaking length of time to exit the field, allowing warriors on the other side to strike them as they exit." Koyuki observes, "It would be prudent if you, Lord Raikotsu, and whoever else we can spare, would take this task."

Doing as she was told, Tayuumi placed her hand on a monks shoulder and proceded through into the temple.