An Appeal to the People

The fact that Divina was nearly sobbing only increased Kabuki's sobbing; she ended up throwing her arms around the goddess in another suffocating bear-hug. "N-No, I didn't mean literal seppuku! But a situation equal in grief, gravity, and toll! You understand?!" she clarified through her tears, but now the scene was just looking comedic rather than touching. This wasn't really the prime time for the two of them to get distracted by this sort of thing, however; Joel reminded them of that by grabbing the two of them and dragging them backstage. Kabuki felt a pang of agony again as she realized that she wasn't going to be able to get through to the host after all and that, furthermore, their idling here would cut into their ability to aid Uprising's cause and save those in danger...

...However, when Joel began speaking, it became apparent that her knowledge of the situation (and possibly their employer's, if she'd omitted so many important details in her earlier explanation) was extremely limited. The biggest secret she'd failed to understand going into the mission was that the purple house was really just the worst of a system corrupted by evil on all sides; apparently, no bathhouse in the district would be a representative of justice if taken as a whole, because none of them had actually survived without getting their hands very, very dirty. Just as she'd been set off earlier, Kabuki found herself again bawling along with Joel. "C-Could it be?! Is the situation really so tragic?!" she asked, although she clearly didn't really expect an answer, as the situation obviously was so tragic or Joel wouldn't have gone through the trouble of dragging them into the back area and explaining at such length. Her hair and light both alternated black and red as she tried to decide how she truly felt about the situation.

However, she had a right to remain silent, and it was apparent now how little she knew (at least to her). As such, she elected to let him get it all out. While he was in the middle of doing so, a new figure interrupted: a woman, with an appearance that Yoshitsune probably would have enjoyed if he'd been paying enough attention. Kabuki's eyes widened and she had just enough clarity of mind to mutter, "KenmoeteMan? Why take Joel as a stage name then?" she asked, which was probably in poor taste after he'd just finished warning them not to joke. Of course, there were far more important things to think about right now, given the madam's introduction and the contents of her own words. In fact, a ton of important things... but the foremost was probably letting the madam know that they had not been directly trying to ruin the Red House, if she harbored any suspicion that they were.

The matron, as KenmoeteMan had called her, had also given them some surprisingly good news: Uprising had apparently addressed other areas in the region, while they'd been unfortunately tied up trying to win over the red house. It was now clear to Kabuki that they hadn't 'won over' much of anyone besides Seishin; the others who had been interested before might be turned off because of the obvious politics around the issue or the even more obvious resentment of Koushoku towards the one using their name. Still, even if she and Divina hadn't won the red house over, per se, the matron of Koushoku agreed with Joel that they had no chance now but to support Uprising's cause. Whether or not that would ultimately equate to a just outcome was the most difficult question of all. Their mission under uprising had been fundamentally flawed from its very beginning, as the whole issue was such a powder keg that it would have proven difficult to gather supporters attending various houses without creating endorsements from those houses, discrete or otherwise, thereby igniting a real fight. Additionally, listening to KenmoeteMan, it sounded like the situation was near unsalvageable; the best they could do was hope to tip the scales one way or another, from one utterly corrupt house to a new house or houses, which may in the process become corrupt themselves. At this point, she nestled a silent prayer in the back of her mind: that Uprising was aware enough of the situation to foster some real good rather than just shifting the balance of power again.

At first, she'd seen the situation as requiring they save only the innocent SPs. Saving those SPs by any means meant justice. Then, she'd thought that they needed to save those SPs and all those that might be oppressed by the tyranny of the purple house. Once they took care of the purple house, she thought, justice would be served. Even that had not been broad enough a scale, however; saving those SPs and even taking down public support of the purple house would only be a victory for a day. Once the dust settled, corruption would still be everywhere. Her head spun as she tried to fathom how this small gathering of bathhouses had become such a web of politics and crime that one would essentially have to dig out the roots in order to salvage it, or otherwise compromise with something just marginally less evil than it had been before one started.

Even then, there was still yet another issue: what if Uprising was just a further magnified version of themselves, a girl looking to do well but ultimately having no idea what she was dealing with or promoting? They could doom someone else just by divulging the name of their employer. Then again, being roundabout was how Kabuki had created such trouble to begin with. She decided that the situation could really only get better if they cooperated. Her pink eyes remained towards the floor, her hair black, and her voice even, as she was having a hard time pumping herself up after the emotional rollercoaster she'd just been through.

"The girl you're hearing about is our employer. She's gathering support from the other bathhouses while working to curtail and weaken the purple house for the event to come. We were tasked of the mission of handling the other bathhouses while she specifically dealt with purple, although it's possible we've been in here so long she's been forced to take matters into her own hands. We came onto this mission with no intention other than two: to be paid, by a GNA mission board contract, but more importantly, to save those SPs, whose master has already been killed. Our employer's idea was that navis from each of the bath-houses, mostly assuming guests, but really anyone with no loyalty to the purple house, would come together, pose a protest, and force the purple house's hand. Honestly, we have so thin of a concept of the situation here that I cannot even name the purple house," she murmured, realizing how pathetic that sounded. Pathetic, but true. "I do not know if our employer purposely left us in the dark or was unaware, as we were. I assume that at least her intentions were good..." Kabuki said nothing else, but thinking on it, she wasn't even one-hundred percent certain on that point. For all she knew, Uprising had known that they'd goof up in the bath-house, that the balance was delicate to the point where a little prod where it didn't belong would cause the whole thing to tumble into warfare. Still, she wanted to believe in Uprising, just as she wanted to believe in the inherent good of KenmoeteMan and the red house guests she'd spoken to earlier, so she didn't entertain that possibility with much consideration.

"But... if you're hearing that our employer has been making a splash, that's probably a good thing, isn't it?" Kabuki asked; she almost didn't, because she was becoming exhausted with coming to terms about how little she knew. "That means she's been visiting around and gaining more supporters. At the very least, we should be able to force them to stop the execution, shouldn't we? After that... I have no idea what happens," she admitted again, staring down at her own bosom. The tall navi wanted to persuade them that justice was worth fighting for, but what was the use? What was 'justice' in this situation? Upsetting the status quo just so that more navis ended up dying to open warfare? Continuing to live with a system so rife with corruption that innocents were executed, so senseless that a man had been forced to jump sides and fight his own allies, then denouncing his current employment as sinful as well? There didn't seem to be any good option... Unless, of course, Uprising saw the big picture and knew that this one small victory would mean much more. That was really the only hope she could cling to at this point. Kabuki resolved that if she managed to reunite with her employer later in the night, she was going to have all of this explained to her clearly so that she could, at the very least, stop being a fool in the dark.

Divina was expecting any number of reactions, but a sudden hug from Kabuki wasn't one of them. The adamant denial did make her feel a bit better, though. "Okay, that's...less objectionable. ...Can you loosen your grip? Please?" But before the other female Navi could respond, Joel transported them to another spot in the building. She kinda wondered how he managed to pull that off...

From there, she decided to remain quiet as he went on. She hardly appreciated the shots to her character, but she didn't tune him out after it. The part about 'having his sword' made her roll her eyes; she didn't want swords for this. She only wanted voices. But as he kept going, it made her realize that what she'd known about the struggle was only the tip of the iceberg. The depths to which the houses sunk were more vast than she had imagined. It made her heart sink to know such a thing had gone on for so long, and she didn't even know a thing about it. But if anything, it only strengthened her opinion. She wasn't taking it lightly. His comparison of it to a rape made her clutch her staff tightly, fighting off an urge to bonk him on the head with it. THAT was making light of a serious issue.

Kabuki's question had lingered for a bit. Right before the matron arrived, the goddess Navi felt it deserved an answer. "It is tragic...but not just in the way he's portraying it."

With that, the matron, as she had been called, warped in, immediately shutting her underling up. Divina was mildly grateful, as he wasn't giving her a chance to get a word in edgewise. She, on the other hand, actually wanted to hear their side. Kabuki spoke up first, while she herself remained quiet, trying to recall all the events that had transpired. Once the floor was hers, she stepped forward. "Very well. I'll fill you in on everything that's happened thus far."

And so she did. She went on about everything that she could remember: the initial request, the briefing with Uprising, the bringing in of a few of her own followers to help, deciding on the red bannered area due to looking like it had the most people, getting into the private area, the plan of strip kabuki, the aftermath...she went into as much detail on each as she could. After finishing, she took a deep breath, and continued. She was far from done.

"Truthfully, from the beginning, I had some misgivings about our employer. One doesn't cultivate the sort of image she does without there being some meaning for it. Ideally, she knew as little about this whole mess as we did...but I'm starting to wonder. She assured me that this wouldn't result in bloodshed, and yet, if she knew anything about the area, she would know that's nearly impossible. The goal of Kabuki and I has, from the start, simply been to save the SPs. That has not changed through all of this. And yet, I have to wonder whether that's the goal of the one who charged us with it. Ironic, isn't it?" Using this incident as an excuse to get the houses to destroy each other...she wasn't putting that past her. And that, above all else, could not be allowed to happen.

"...With all that said, there's one thing I'd like to ask, and I believe you're more qualified to answer it than anyone else we've encountered so far. ...Why do the houses feel that power and money is worth such violence? It's clearly valued above the happiness of your clients, or else you all wouldn't be getting into scuffles that carry the potential to bring them harm. I...I just can't understand that. If everyone's guests are enjoying themselves, why is that not enough?" There were so many things she wanted answers to...but at the moment, that was atop her list, and she might actually get a proper response to it.

As the two women explained themselves, the matron of Koushoku listened, and watched. Her features remained calm and reserved, but her eyes flicked back and forth between them, weighing carefully with a shrewdness that suggested long experience dancing in such webs of intrigue. She held her silence through both of their explanations, and then simply watched them both for another minute longer, thinking. It was one of those long, deafening types of silence that seemed to last far longer than it actually did, but when she finally spoke her voice sounded... strangely delighted.

"Well... Perhaps you are servants of Seishin seeking our downfall covertly, and perhaps you are their agents, but hold a genuine interest in succeeding with this plan of yours, and yet your lord and lady were too uncertain to allow their own house to take the lead. Perhaps you truly are, as you say, without any links at all, and here simply for having been employed by this girl that my eyes and ears tell me of. When one reflects, it no longer matters which you are; the dice are already spinning across the table. Let us see how they fall." with a smile that would look more at home in a bedroom than an interrogation, the lady stood from her table and reached one hand out across it towards the still kneeling KenmoeteMan. In the silence, he had calmed himself, though he hadn't dismissed his sword yet. In all likelihood, he kept it out now in the interests of protecting his matron from the interlopers, than for the sake of his own passions. When she reached out, he stood and accepted it with his own, head bowed.

"Kenmoete... I have decided upon your punishment for your failures today. Had your judgement of these women been more discerning, you might have prevented the events that have now been set in motion. However, the events themselves may not be wholly to our detriment, and so your punishment is this: Go now to the green house, and beg audience with the lord and lady of Seishin. They will not be in a position to refuse you in this moment. When they do, you will confirm to them that our house wishes to oppose the execution due to take place tomorrow morning, and thank them graciously for their support in this. Assure them that their gesture of good faith strengthens the ties between our houses, and that when we emerge triumphant, they will be welcome to share in the adulations of the people that follow." Her grin returned, showing teeth now. "After you have said this to them, I would have you ask a request of them, on behalf of Koushoku: Tell them that our opposition may only succeed if the blinds are drawn back from the crimes of Kōzuke, and ask that they speak with their own patrons on this matter, just as we have done with ours. They will not be able to refuse the request after such a well witnessed announcement of support. I expect you to read their reaction and report back to me. When you return, you will tell me if their support of us was genuinely motivated, by chance, or if they were, indeed, the architects. Go." She withdrew her hand and Kenmote crossed one over his chest, before disappearing from the room in a bolt of red light without any further words.

Alone with the two now, she regarded each of them in turn, then stepped around the desk, making for the door.
"Follow." She raised one hand as she stood in front of the door, beckoning over her shoulder for them. The door seemed to open of its own accord as she walked through, and realistically there didn't seem to be too much choice in the matter but for them all to go along together.

As it turned out, they were actually more or less on ground level, and a single house-decorated hallway led them back out to the main lobby. As the matron strode through the area she didn't pay any heed to the other employees still going about their day to day business of running a bath-house-cum-massage parlour-cum-brothel. By the front counter, though, 'Eve' flinched and tried to duck behind her fellow desk girl when she saw her boss escorting the two women she'd secretly free-passed. The motion drew the matron's eye, briefly, but she didn't slow, or do any more than curl one corner of her mouth in a grin. Like as not she had just assumed the answer to how Divina and Kabuki had gotten into the function in the first place. Even so, she led them out through the doors of the establishment and back into the balmy Yoka air.
Evening was fast approaching. The torches were not lit yet, but dusk was very near. They had, at best, another half hour. Their guide and captor led them to the top of the hill, where the circle containing the great houses could be seen.

"I do not know for certain how much truth you are telling me, and how much fabrication, but I have an instinct for judging people, and I think that you are probably being truthful. If nothing else, your story is far too foolish to be believed otherwise." She paused, hands on hips as she looked around. Across the district, the murmur of voices and laughter had grown, and, unlike when they had first arrived, it was easy to see figures moving to and fro between the greater majority of the buildings.
"Here in a place where tourists rarely come, we find ourselves now inundated with foreigners, all tyring to tell the locales a story about underhanded deeds taking place in their own home. It stretches belief. I would not believe it, if I did not know the story to be true. My eyes and ears tell me that these foreigners visit every hose, ever hovel, every shack; any building or residence or home link that might contain even a single person, and they are going there. All except the houses showing alignment with Kōzuke. They also tell me that this girl, the one you say is your employer... they say that she alone is visiting any minor house or home that bears the purple, extolling the same story, and making her own call to stand." Here she glanced back over her shoulder to find eyes on either woman.

"Peaceful protest she says, of course. A rallying of the people's voices... but she has apparently met resistance in many places, as I'm sure she must have known she would. Places where the men present didn't take kindly to a single girl alone trying to tell them that their house of choice was evil, and to rebel against them." She paused for a moment, looking to see if any expression or reaction betrayed either woman, before her smile came back. "They also tell me that wherever unfriendly meetings have threatened violence, she has, alone, quite savagely subdued any that sought to lay hand on her. She hasn't deleted anyone, but has offered ultimatums wherever violence has found her so far: "to add their voice to the voice of the people, or to fall silent in the face of travesty" is the phrase my eyes and ears have repeated the most. It seems she is determined to acquire the visible support she wants, even if it is not, at first, supporting. I wonder what either of you might think of that?" She shrugged after asking, quite content to leave the question at rhetoric. As she did, a breeze passed through the area, lifting the muggy warmth for a moment, like a breath of fresh air, and the matron resettled her shawl.

"I should apologise for Kenmoete. He is as loyal as he is passionate, and he bears much grief. When I saved the lives of the Taiyōtamashī retainers, many of them did not thank me for it, but Kenmoete understood what I was doing, and why. He bears his condemnation proudly, and knows that most other houses, in conquest, would not have spared their foe thus." She turned now, looking back at Divina in particular. "You asked why we struggle so? I think perhaps you mistake what goes on, at least a little. I begin to believe more and more that you truly are outsiders in this, so, let me answer you." She drew a deep breath, apparently wondering where to begin. Time was ticking, but at least, as a small mercy, this woman seemed quite capable of getting to the point of things quickly when she wanted to.

"The houses that vie for dominance here are all very old. What they struggle for is influence in the region, and the lion's share of the local patronage to their springs and houses. Yes, affluence and power are the desires of every house, however, we do not endanger any of the local peoples." her eyes dropped for a moment. "Or we try very hard not to. They are the innocent aphids numerous around the feet of fighting lady-birds. None of us wish to harm or endanger them at all. Yet obscurity and shame are things often feared more than death itself, here, and so even as we keep the darker sides of our houses hidden from the eyes of the people that live here, we must still keep our knives sharp at all times. Even many of the public house's employees aren't embroiled in the hidden vendettas that go on, let along the common people. Mostly the treachery and the power plays go through the house servants and retainers, and the family members themselves, and through them, the influence of one victory or another spreads into the ways in which the houses themselves operate." Shaking her head softly she paced along the ridge, eyes flicking down to watch people moving back and forth. Some were already beginning to mill around near the steps of the main Kōzuke bath-house, the it wasn't time yet.

"No house can trust all the others to remain content with their share of the people's patronage, without vying for more; friendly competition on the surface swiftly grows less friendly the longer it goes on, and when one house's influence begins to falter, they cannot do else but resort to darker tactics to regain their client base, when the only alternative is to fade into obscurity and disappear. So it was for Kōzuke once; they were small, and on the verge of failing, but their house, and in particular their patriarch, is very skilled at exploiting the code of honourable conduct that binds us all, and some time ago they used this to first bind their fates to the most powerful house of the time, and then, bit by bit, take it over, one honourable death or noble sacrifice at a time. There is nothing left of the black house, Tsukigin. No member of its family now survives, and Kōzuke rules the people and assets that were once theirs." Turning back once more her head tilted.

"Saving face is something they are quite deft at, and so I must think one of two things: either your employer has stumbled unknowingly on a tactic that may indeed work to our advantage... or else she is shrewder than I would credit an outsider with being. One house or two facing down their decision like this would be suicide... but you are right that, if a large enough number of the common, unaffiliated local people were to turn out as well, they would be forced to make a 'concession', as a show of how generous and magnanimous they are. It is a knife's edge on which way it might go, admittedly, but there is every chance that, they will agree to 'spare' the lives of those SPs, if they think it might be seen as a generous act, and win them more popularity amongst the locals. Doing so destabilises them in relation to the other houses; going back on any decree will do that, but they might just see it as their best option. This could actually work." She folded her arms, tapping her fingers.

"The one detail I don't see yet is exactly what your friend gets out of this. I am too old to believe she came here, as an outsider, found out about these events, somehow, and started all this to save them, simply out of a desire to save a few random lives that she knew nothing about before then. I want to know what she's planning, so you can be sure that I'll be watching. Koushoku will stand. Our people and our patrons both will be there, when the torches are lit." Her predatory grin returned. "This could still go badly for us, but I begin to feel excited. I wouldn't miss this for the world." With a short, sultry laugh, she turned to walk back down the hill, strolling past the other two women. She stopped after a step or two, and spoke, though she didn't look back at them.

"You're both free to go, and continue your work, if that is truly what you mean to do. I don't think you have long left, myself, but I can spare a moment longer, if two foolish outsiders need to know anything more about the hornet's nest they are kicking." She waited, still with her back turned and facing towards her own house, either for the two women to be on their way, or else to ask or answer further.

Divina had continued her trend of expressing the same sentiments as Kabuki in a more straightforward way, sparing no detail about their adventure so far and the identity of their employer. Kabuki supposed that would be alright, since, after all, secrecy was doing nothing but hurting them so far. A part of her also wanted to see if there would be any particular reaction to Uprising's name; there was a chance she was someone who had a history with the bathhouse politics and was maneuvering them for specific purposes, after all. Still, the actress' overall impression was that they could trust her employer; she tended to assume the best about people until their actions proved otherwise. Once Divina had finished, however, Kabuki found no specific reaction from the house matron in regards to Uprising's name, which meant that their employer was likely an outsider in this situation after all. Kabuki ended up wondering the same thing as her friend: just what was Uprising's motivation in all of this? Perhaps she'd just been misguided and thought that fixing this situation was as easy as they had seen it being.

The matron had a lot of business to attend to even as she spoke to them: she sent KenmoeteMan on a mission of his own, then escorted them back outside. On the way down, Kabuki nearly gave a well-meaning wave to Eve to show that no harm had been done, but thought the better of it, seeing as Eve didn't seem to want to acknowledge her actions on this. Kabuki figured that, given what the consequences of their being let up might ultimately be, she didn't blame the front desk girl. She instead kept her attention focused on the matron as she walked, keeping her head tilted down and her hands inside the folded sleeves of her pink robe.

Regardless of how else she felt, Kabuki had to acknowledge that she was quite happy to be back outside the house. If the matron was indeed watching Kabuki's expression, she'd find that it held a constant, small frown and wide pink eyes, as she listened wordlessly. At this point, the best thing she could do was absorb more information; there was no point talking back, because she couldn't trust her own opinions, and their was no way to betray hidden inner thoughts, because the matron pretty much knew the whole story now. "I suppose I can understand how the 'shadow-war' started a little better now. After all, I've seen a lot of performance troupes go under around the Yoka area myself. I guess the situation's a bit different, since what remains isn't terribly profitable and it's not a large profit pie they're battling over, but it's true that they get their hands dirty fighting one another at times. I guess the difference is that they can't exactly put flaming swords on their hands or summon bombs out of thin air," she laughed, although, like a lot of things she'd tried to lighten up using laughter, the topic wasn't very funny on reflection. "But it's no surprise that a desire for wealth would be the instigator here."

The matron's words made it sound like perhaps Uprising was going about this in a smart way after all, even if it had meant throwing Kabuki and Divina into the deep-end without much of a life-jacket to do so. She supposed she couldn't complain, seeing as it sounded like at least the net outcome would be sort of like justice, if not quite as perfect an ending as she'd hoped. Lives would be saved, in the short term at least, and only the future could tell what would happen after that. Of course, it also creeped Kabuki out to see the matron so excited about knowing that the gears were turning on the lethal machine that was this bathhouse war, but Kabuki also supposed that she wasn't surprised to see that. One couldn't live as a house head in this kind of environment if they had no appetite for this sort of thing, not to mention expertise in it. "A-Ah! Don't worry. I'll be happy to just interact with the hornet's nest a bit more carefully, now that I understand that it is, in fact, a hornet's nest," she chuckled, still not able to summon back much of her fiery redness just yet. "I appreciate all of your help! Now we'll just use what little time we have left tooooo..."

Before she could slink away, her operator startled her, making his sudden re-entrance to the conversation. "Oh! Who is that woman? Is she also going to strip?" he asked, far too audibly. "I won't object, if it's for the good of our mission!"

"Ha ha ha! That stupid Brother of mine! He's er... He hasn't been paying attention!" Kabuki laughed awkwardly. "A GOOO~FING JOOOKE~STAR, he is!"

Yoshitsune clearly took no delight in being made fun of or being loudly branded a goofing jokester. "What? Nay, I was just earnestly commenting that I eagerly look forward to her taking all of her clothes off. For the sake of our mission," he repeated, sounding serious while being a pervert.

"Ha ha ha! Idiot Brother! Shut up, now!" Kabuki giggled, muting her operator. "Pay her no mind, Miss Matron, Ma'am! I'll be going now! Let's go, Divina!" The actress clutched her pink robe tightly around herself while scampering away from the red house, not wanting to know whether she'd just drawn the mistress' ire or not.

"Kabuki, your clothes are different too. Did.. Did you already take them off earlier? While I wasn't looking?!" Yoshitsune cried, clasping his hands to his bowl-cut hair. "Aaagh! Y-You need to take them off again, then! I need to ascertain whether you did it in a way that will appropriately aid our cause the first time! Do it exactly the same way, so I can see it!"

"Brother, we've fulfilled our quotient of being fools already today. Please, be quiet now," Kabuki muttered, pulling her robe tighter at the chest and blushing, while also pouting. It was likely clear to Divina that she was pissed that he hadn't been paying attention the first time. Once they were a good enough distance away from Koushoku, Divina's ally would readdress the issue of how to use their scant remaining time with her goddess companion. "We haven't got a lot of time left, but we have ample time to scope out another house, if you like, just to see what the situation is. We may be able to do some good while we're there, but... well, let's try not to do anything to make enemies... We might not have enough time to set things straight before we have to leave, after all," Kabuki reasoned. "Perhaps the blue house? Their house, while not as large as purple or green, is rather TRE~MEN~DOUS all the same, compared to bathhouses with which I have experience! It implies that they might have some influence over all of this themselves." With that house advertising their low rates, there were a few distinct stereotypes that she could imagine, in order from most to least flattering. One: that the people of the house were interested in helping the poor, as evidenced by their low rates, and would be happy to give freely of themselves if they could assist the unfortunate. Two: that the people of the house were desperate and doing the only thing they could legally do to keep business, with the residing guests being those who hold tightly to their money and their own possessions. Three, that the inn was cheap as a transitory stop for tourists, meaning that the people inside would be uninvested in the political war in general, meaning they'd have no reason to help at all and would really just see any request as an inconvenience towards their holiday.

Or, of course, the inn could just have a history of economy rooms, having nothing to do with their political lean or general attitude of their guests. That was also possible.

Hopefully, the two could make their way quickly to the next house and get at least a cursory investigation, which might allow them to see if the effects of the chaos they'd caused or the message Uprising had spread had reached that far already. Kabuki gave a small sneeze as she pondered and Divina discussed, wrapping her arms tighter around herself and hunching her shoulders. She felt a little vulnerable and shivered in spite of the steamy atmosphere, standing around in only the thin pink robe. Nothing would show through, but still, it was worth her remembering that she wasn't wearing anything at all beneath it this time.

After a very uncomfortable silence, the matron started speaking again. Her idea of punishment proved surprisingly light...more like running an errand. Divina inwardly let out a sigh of relief, happy that he wasn't going to suffer for her own ignorance and s...wait, what? Great, now she was starting to sound like this matron. She shouldn't feel bad for just trying to do the right thing. And yet...

Her thoughts were interrupted by being requested to come with the house's big wig. Given that the other choice was to stay there, there wasn't much choice but to obey. As it turned out, they were just a short walk to the lobby. She was a little surprised it wasn't more...hidden, for lack of a better term. 'Eve' didn't seem happy that the two of them were with her boss, but she tried to give her a small, reassuring smile that everything was going to be okay. It just didn't sit well with her to see someone like that and not do anything to comfort them. Besides, it didn't seem like a huge stretch for the matron to figure out how they got into the party to begin with. No sense in acting like it didn't happen, in that case.

The goddess Navi was a bit more alarmed at the time, as the outside gave her a rough indicator as to how much they had left, and it wasn't all that much. They'd spent longer in there than she thought...then again, they managed to get two houses worth of support from just one visit so it arguably evened out. As for the area itself, it seemed more...lively, than it was before. She found it soothing, almost. A part of the Net full of Navis SHOULD be vibrant and noisy.

Almost from the onset, the matron's words puzzled Divina. She called her followers foreigners, but she was pretty sure most of the ones that had come were Electopian...or did she mean that anyone not from this area was a foreigner? If that was the case, she couldn't help but wonder if all this place needed was some more exposure from the outside. A reminder that there was more to life than their closed off world.

As the topic switched to Uprising, the goddess could feel herself getting more and more worried about her employer. And, a little angry. "She did that? She promised me there would be no bloodshed...but if what you say is true, she's gone back on her word. And that she's going so far to force people to come to her side...that's just a non-lethal version of what we're trying to prevent. Of course, certain people would say that what we just did was that, but I would disagree. Though not knowing the intricacies of this area didn't help, I'd argue it was as much of a product of the local politics as what we did. You can always choose what you do, after all. It's just that sometimes, none of your choices are all that appealing."

The matron's explanation of the warring did nothing to set Divina's mind at ease. To her, even when said eloquently, it seemed as petty as when she first heard it. ...Actually, come to think about it, she technically didn't actually say why. And unless there was a real world component to all this, it wasn't like the original reasons faded into history or anything. After all, how old could these houses be if they were completely virtual? A maximum of 50 years, give or take? Something told her she still wasn't getting the full story here. She really wanted to dive deeper into that, but she just didn't have the time at this point. Maybe some other time.

Speaking of which, while she didn't know what was going on in Uprising's head, she wasn't entirely convinced that her ultimate motives weren't altruistic. "Is that so hard to believe, that there are people who do good simply for the sake of doing good? Take the so-called foreigners you spoke, aka some of my followers. They're not getting paid. They don't even think that their actions today will get them a free pass into heaven. They simply have an earnest wish in their hearts to save people, and believe that this cause that I brought to their attention is the right thing to do. That's all that's motivating them, and yet they're working as hard as I am."

And with that, the two Navis were free to go on their merry way. The matron's last remarks, however, made her smile. Even though it wasn't likely that it was a compliment, she couldn't help but feel like it was, in an odd way. "I can't speak for Kabuki, but I think I'm good on the knowledge front...for now, at least. But allow me to say one thing. You may consider us fools, delving into matters beyond our ken, and in a way you may be right. But perhaps, at this point in time, that is exactly what this area of the warring houses needs!" She rose into the air, preparing to float off with her friend...but then said friend's operator spoke up. She just rolled her eyes at it, though as the other Navi ran off, she decided to add her own comment on the matter. "You'll have to forgive her operator. He, uh...apparently isn't used to talking to women other than his Navi!" That was about as eloquently as she could put it, anyway. "But anyway, thank you for giving your support to this cause. I'm sorry if the methods we used put you in a position you didn't care for, but...I believe that lives trump petty politics any day, and that, at least, hasn't wavered in my heart once. Now, if you'll excuse us..." She gave a small curtsy, before turning around and hovered off with Kabuki.

It seemed the local Navi had an idea on what to do, and upon hearing it, it was actually a pretty good one. "Yes, we need to do whatever we can, even if we don't have much time left. The one question is, where should we go?" Turned out that had an answer, as well. "It's as good a place as any. Plus, if we can somehow get their aid, we'll have the primary colors of light. Surely, that would be a wonderful sign!" Even she didn't really believe what she just said...just a little light humor before they went serious again.

As they headed for their destination, the sneeze drew Divina's attention to Kabuki. She almost looked...cold. "You're not used to wearing that little clothing, are you? I guess it doesn't bother me much since this is all I normally wear! Truthfully, the only thing I have underneath this dress is a pair of panties, with the sides modified so you can't see them through the slits on my sides!" Unknown to the goddess, Kabuki already knew a bit about that last part. "Needless to say, I'm not too fond of colder places. Why, if I so much as took a step in Sharo Area, I'd probably instantly turn into a goddess-icle!" Still, she didn't like to see anyone be cold...ah, she knew how she could help. She raised her staff, and pointed the head a bit above the other Navi's head, and formed a ball of light. It wasn't particularly bright, but that wasn't the point. Instead, it shone down on the actress, to provide some extra warmth. It was about all she could do...unless she wanted to go all monokini (and she didn't), she couldn't really take anything off and give it to her.

As one might have expected, the matron of Koushoku took Divina's chattering with a cool silence, listening to her while at the same time keeping her back turned from them, as though she were 'just leaving'. The interjections from Yoshitsune actually managed to bring a soft chuckle from her, amused by his tactless ineptitude. Amusing too, apparently, did she find Divina's reaction to learning of her employer's actions and at the last, she turned her head back just enough to offer the slightest curl of a smile and a single raised eyebrow to the goddess.

"I do not have the luxury of believing in the existence of altruism, young lady. It is a pretty concept, but nothing more. Everything that everyone ever does is always motivated by something... even if that something is the desire to be seen as being a good person by others. I wish you both best of luck, though." With that, she looked forward again and continued down the hill, returning to her own house. They might see her again, when the torches were lit, but for now, the pair were on their own.

Even so, it didn't take them very long to agree on a course of action, and shortly the two were heading towards the Blue house... while discussing fashion? At any rate, they had ample time to sort out clothing advice and potentially even talk strategy on the walk over to the blue house, depending on how quickly they went. One or two of the navis they passed waved to Divina shyly as they scurried towards other smaller houses, and on the whole, the feeling of something in the air was beginning to pick up. The land itself seemed knew something was going to go down, and soon.

The establishment they finally stood in front of was clearly bedecked in various shades of deep blue, but this decoration was almost matched by the sheer weight of advertising material it also sported. A great many spoke variously in bold fonts about the various packages they offered, and what fantastic value they were; large numbers with lines struck through them alongside far more reasonable values were everywhere, often encased in spiky splash-bubbles and accompanied by what was really too many exclamation points.

On the whole, the house appeared to offer traditional sauna, steam and bathing facilities, but also advertised a luxurious bar, a great many professional massage options, and the availability of private rooms. From the outside, one could tell their facilities did, indeed, include fairly extensive outdoor and indoor options, with the former blocked from view by a high fence, which was not wasted as a space for more advertisement.

If the ladies dared to step inside, they'd find the air heavy with a cloying incense and an almost smoky feel to the atmosphere. Blue remained the dominant theme here as much as red had in Koushoku, but the lighting was deliberately dark. The entry hall was actually fairly small, considering the visual size of the establishment from the outside, housing little in the way of comfort, save a few blue-leaved plants in the corners and the simple reception counter. Doors led away in each direction, but before the girls had any real time to get their bearings or pick a path, they were approached by a small, weedy navi with a wizened look. He was dressed in a long blue robe and had long, thin moustaches that drooped almost to his waist. Still holding his hands clasped together and hidden in the joined sleeves of his robe, he bowed deep and low to them.

"Greetings and welcome honoured guests. Welcome to the hidden jewel of Musabo House. Please, please, make yourselves comfortable, our only wish is to do your bidding." If that were so, of course, he probably would have stopped talking; his voice was obsequious and a little oily. Instead, he continued right on, bowing a second time. "Musabo cares most about your wants, your needs. If you've come to get away from your lives, Musabo will hold and comfort you. If you come for romantic or forbidden meetings, Musabo will keep your secrets. Just tell us what you need, and Musabo will serve you." Of course, he didn't wait for either of them to actually make a request, but instead pressed on earnestly with what was likely, by this point, a quite expected sales pitch.

"Perhaps you'd like to soak in our secluded thermal springs for an hour or two? I'd be happy to show you the baths and make sure you're both completely at ease.. Entry is a mere 200 zenny per person! Or maybe you wish to experience our refreshing and revitalising steam rooms? All the benefits of steam and entry to the chambers is a mere 150 per person!" He waved one hand back and to his left, indicating the doors that, apparently, led to the saunas, steam rooms and other thermal suite activities, before putting his sleeve back together again and bowing once more.

"Or perhaps I could interest you in the services of our professional massage therapists? We have so many different treatments and session styles to choose from, and can offer male or female masseuses, whichever you prefer. For female clients we currently have a special offer for full-body shiatsu treatment! Our professionals would love to demonstrate their wonderful finger techniques to you both!" He moved a little, waving with his other hand in another direction and stepping ever so slightly to the side to give a better view of the exit he was referring to. Another unnecessarily low bow later, the little man ploughed on.

"Perhaps you'd like to hire a room? Or maybe you merely would like to enjoy our bar lounge for a time?" He shuffled around to their other side as he spoke, seemingly wringing his hands within the deep sleeves of his robe. "Whatever you'd like, honoured ladies, Musabo guarantees complete satisfaction!" Finally he stopped, looking up with his eyes darting back and forth between them. Unlike Koushoku house, this establishment sounded... well... quiet. No-one else had entered the lobby while the little man pitched to them, and no sounds could be heard coming from beyond any of the doorways.

Kabuki shook her head, causing her over-sized hair to trail in a hypnotic motion. "On the contrary! I would have been quite surprised if our employer had been able to handle those areas without some kind of violence. After all, we knew going into this that the purple house was full of violent people," the tall, dark navi reminded her friend. "Regardless of whether or not they had the capacity for altruism, she informed us beforehand that she was going to have to deal with them herself and that we should stay away from them. I don't think any of us could have gotten close to them without armed resistance. She probably doesn't have any choice but to use force to defend herself, if she's in those places." That really was a point that neither Divina nor the matron was particularly intent upon pushing, so she dropped it. Kabuki kept her mouth shut as Divina talked about the inherent goodness of her religion and its followers; she believed in people's capacity for freely giving of themselves as well, but she didn't know that she exactly believed in that many people doing good on a regular basis without any expectation of a reward. Seeing that many people devoted to selfless good, excluding even ego as a motive, would be bizarre, even in the world of plays and fiction.

The mood lightened up as they left the matron and headed towards what would likely be their last chance to do some good before they were left to the results. Divina offered Kabuki far more information than she needed about the specific workings of her underwear, although Yoshitsune looked like he was appreciating the reminder. Kabuki appreciated the goddess' quickness in changing off of that topic, but appreciated the additional warmth of the spotlight more... although, it did awkwardly make her think of her stripshow earlier. She didn't think she was going to be able to wipe that from her mind any time soon. "ARR~I~GA~TOU! Let's proceed!" she exclaimed hopping onto one leg and swinging her hair around herself, as if the light wasn't drawing enough attention to her already. She probably ought to cut down on the excessive motions until she managed to replace her underwear... every mie was another chance for a wardrobe malfunction.

The kabuki actor was momentarily contemplative when they entered the next bath-house, for two reasons. Firstly, the atmosphere wasn't quite as she'd imagined and raised a lot of new questions, ones which begged the imagination for answers. Secondly, she thought that the man who'd come to introduce himself seemed somehow familiar... "Where have I heard of a shady, short old man with a long mustache and blue clothing?" she thought to herself, pressing her fist to her chin. "I think it was in the news..." Unable to recall the story from memory, she dismissed the suspicion from her mind... Well, some of the suspicion. The guy didn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence, with his sales-pitch voice and his talk about secrets. "Furthermore... why does everyone think that Divina and I are a couple?! Do we really look that way? I wonder..."

How she looked to others wasn't important right now; what was important for Kabuki was figuring out how to wrangle this into something that would be beneficial for the mission. The truth of the matter was that this was a less than ideal spot for several reasons, chief amongst them the fact that they had no money. Of almost equal concern was the secluded nature of each of the offerings, which made it sound like the only people they were likely to meet with would be the staff. Further down the list, there was the fact that "a shiatsu special for females only" sounded pretty darn shady. As the man went on and on, Kabuki began to think that he'd never come to a real, viable option for the two of them, namely something that they could slide out of quickly and without having to pay anything. Out of all of the options available, only one was really an option for the two of them... "I'd like to start at the bar!" she announced, sounding somewhat unsure of herself despite the volume. After all, she had no real preference for bars, especially ones in eerily quiet bathhouses. A massage would probably be a lot more pleasant, if not a bit creepier... but such were the trials of a penniless woman.

As Divina floated along the road, she noted that a couple of Navis were waving at her. As far as she could tell, they didn't seem to be followers of hers. She smiled and waved back to them, not being one to come across as a distant goddess either way. A turn back to Kabuki, however, stifled it a bit, as it hit her that her constant posing was probably a bad thing right now. "Um, Kabuki? I'm glad you're feeling better now, but maybe you should dial it back on your namesake's poses for a bit? One wrong move and, well...you get the idea."

Upon arriving at the blue house, Divina noted that the decor of the area was less color based, and more advertisement based. There didn't seem to be a single spot she could shine a light on, and have it not touch a single ad. It was pretty easy to tell that money was on the mind of the ones in charge of this house...like, comedically obvious. It was actually a little refreshing to her; there was no duplicity here, they just wanted your money, and were willing to do all sorts of things to get it. She could appreciate that sort of upfrontness.

...Or she could've, if the Navi that showed up didn't send her creep alarm blaring. She silently listened to the pitch, which seemed somewhat rehearsed. It was worth noting that there didn't seem to be all that many people around, as aside from the three of them, there was no trace of any other Navis here. To her there was only one real way to approach this, especially given the lack of time. And, regrettably, it wasn't what Kabuki had just said. She was going to have to overrule her here, and just flat out say it. Especially after their red house adventures, she had no patience for anything other than just flat out saying it. "Truthfully, we're not here for services today. We're here to drum up support for the rally to save the SPs from...the purple house!" She couldn't think of the name, but it wasn't really important to her pitch. Besides, it ended up making it sound a little more dramatic. "At least two of the other houses have already thrown their hats into the ring. How about making it three? It'd look really bad if everyone else ended up being there and you guys weren't, I'm sure." A soft jab to the other Navi's business sense, and she then awaited an answer.

Eager to listen and please, at least on the surface, the little old man's oily smile didn't falter; not as Kabuki opted to go to the bar, nor even as Divina decided not to beat around the bush and cut straight to business. What did happen, however, was that he visibly began to wring and dry wash his hands inside the joined sleeves of his robe, bowing to them again as though that would somehow make it better. His eyes darted back and forth between the two, though they settled at last on Divina, since her request was clearly the more serious of the two.

"Ah, that is difficult, very difficult, honoured ladies." He bobbed again, hands still wringing. "I humbly must say I don't know anything about SPs or Kōzuke, I am just here to greet honoured guests and help them decide how best we might serve them. Please, let me show you our facilities. I'm sure, if you walk through all we have to offer, you will want to stay here with Musabo for some time." Ducking his head and looking back and forth between Divina and Kabuki as he tried to find a way to fit what they wanted into something that also worked for him, and his house.

"And then, I could take you to see the masters of our house. Surely they will know how best Musabo might serve you both? Yes?" The obsequious bowing and dry-washing didn't let up as he fumbled for a compromise, and it seemed that he was probably going to stay with them, now that it was clear they weren't here to spend. "I'm sure the masters will be able to help you, yes? I can begin the tour right away, if it would please you both..." Whether it was determination to get sales, or simply dedication to his job, or both, the little man seemed quite adamant, in his hand-wringing, servile way, that he would be able to convince them of something. On the other hand, he had said he'd take them to the house heads, if hey went along with his tour...

Kabuki listened to Divina with a pensive expression and black hair, but ended with an aghast frown and red hair. "SHI~MA~TAAA! I will have to be careful not to overdo it!" she agreed, clutching her robe tightly around herself. Inwardly, Yoshitsune cursed Divina, which was probably some form of blasphemy against her religion if taken literally. Somehow, though, Divina could imagine that her partner would probably forget that warning before the end of the night. Posing seemed to come pretty naturally to Kabuki, like a nervous habit.

Once the two were inside, she attempted to lay out a better-than-nothing plan. She was overruled with authority, however, as many might be when attempting to speak contrary to a goddess. Her blank, pink eyes widened and she held her mouth into a confused grin, cutting her words short and breaking into a slight sweat despite her chilliness. "I think Divina's the type that might end up saying her own thoughts in a play rather than sticking to a character's script," she thought to herself, now wringing her own hands, as if imitating their host. The guys in the last bath-house hadn't been too happy once they'd caught onto the pair's intentions and she was worried that the same situation was about to play out again...

...Fortunately, it played out better than Kabuki had expected, at least for all she could see. Sure, the guy looked nervous, but at least he wasn't claiming that "the blood of innocents was on their hands" or anything of that sort. Amazingly, even now, he still seemed to want to sell them something, which she actually thought was admirable, in a way. Of course, it was admirable in a professional way, which was not exactly in line with the way she wanted it to be admirable. She'd have preferred it be admirable in a fashion that was both heroic and, more importantly, expedient. In another stroke of good luck, the man suggested they go right to the top of the mountain, which was good; actually, getting to speak with the heads was a lot better than she'd figured they'd be able to do in their short time here. "AAAR~III~GA~TOU! That's quite helpful! They'll definitely want to hear about this, especially if justice is in their hearts! Or... the public good! I'm certain that's in their hearts!" Kabuki exclaimed, doing another pose in spite of herself: she held her legs in a wide bow and clasped both the palms of her hands together in a reverant gesture, nestled at her breast. The robe just barely reserved the decency of her most private areas, as the front split wasn't quite low enough to reveal anything. "Onward, for the public good! Oh, and if you don't mind, the abridged version of the tour, please... We are quite short on time. Justice, as I mentioned before!"

One bad feeling did persist in Kabuki, however... If the sales force was this motivated to get them to stay or try out the facilities, this focused on getting at least a little cash out of them... Then what kind of people must the proprietors of the establishment be like? She had a hunch she wasn't getting out of this situation without owing somebody something.

"Yep! Just be careful!" Divina was glad that Kabuki realized the potential gravity of her situation, but...somehow, she had a feeling her request was like telling a human not to breathe. Sooner or later, their body just wasn't going to allow them to do it anymore. But, even a goddess could only do so much.

------------

The blue house Navi's response was a mixed bag for her. On one hand, they didn't have time to take the grand tour. On the other, he did offer them a meeting with the house head. Decisions......well, once again, she was going to have to overrule her mission partner. If there was more time, the tour wouldn't be a problem...but they had less than 30 minutes to convince the house's masters to help. ...Wait, masters? Plural? Yeah, they might need every second they could get for this. "I have a better idea. For now, you simply take us to your masters. Then, after our business over at Kozuke is completed, I'll come back with some of my followers, and we'll all take the tour at whatever pace you desire. I think about two dozen of them came here when I sent out the call, and if they were able to take several hours out to help, I'm sure they won't mind staying a little longer to hear your sales pitch out. How does that sound? You give up on two Navis now, and get a score of them later." Her one worry was that he might think it was a trick...though it wasn't, of course. So long as he believed her, she'd come back afterward, without a complaint. Still, she could always sweeten the pot a bit... "And one of the followers that came...he's a NormalNavi, with a pink scarf, and a thick Netopian accent. He's loaded. His operator came across a huge inheritance recently, you see, and...well, I don't have to tell you the whole story here. Just look up Lumière Martin, and you'll see that I'm not lying about that. And if you look outside, you'll see the Navi scurrying about. And I can guarantee you he'll be coming along on the tour." There was literally nothing she could ask him to do that he wouldn't immediately agree to. It made her wonder sometimes if he had a life outside of the faith...

If the little old man was at all surprised, intrigued, or really put off in nay way, by the precarious nature of Kabuki's wardrobe, he gave no sign of it. Even so, he did seem to focus his attention more upon the actress now. Though he continued to look back and forth between the two while wringing his hands and bowing his head, it was ultimately to Kabuki that he spoke... perhaps, within the two women's apparent disagreement, he had opted to pay most heed to the one that was more willing to let him lead them around the facilities. Or maybe he did just like the cleavage.

"Of course, of course, honoured guests. We will go at once; please let me guide you through our house to the presence of our masters!" He backed off a few paces, towards one of the doorways, bowing low again as he faced them, then gestured with both hands, beckoning them forward.

"Since haste is your wish, house Musabo wants only to accommodate: I will take you by the most direct route to our esteemed masters, of course. Perhaps even a small glance as we pass will ensure that you will be most eager to return with your other friends later in the evening, when your other concerns no longer bother you. House Musabo will be greatly honoured to help you relax and recover after whatever trials you face before returning to our sheltering roof!" So, if he wasn't directly accepting Divina's bargain, he certainly wasn't about to pass up the offer of more business later on. As it was, they seemed to be more or less in agreement since he'd promised to, at the very least, take them by the direct route, so it was with a refreshingly quick pace that he led the pair from the entry chamber.

Something strange happened as they passed through the archway after their greeter-turned-guide; the cloying scent of incense vanished immediately, as though it couldn't pass beyond, and instead they found themselves in a slightly humid, warm atmosphere. The carpet was replaced with equally blue decorative tiling, and the drapes with blue-stained sealed wood fixtures, but the most noticeable difference was, in fact, the sound. While the greeting hall had been almost silent, one step through the arch felt rather like removing ear-muffs: the sounds of hissing steam and running water were chief, but amongst these background sounds there was a quiet hum of several conversations, and the occasional sounds of people moving about languidly. A quiet music track played underneath everything else, slow and soothing, and not of any immediately identifiable instrument. It was almost meditative, in a way.

The area they were passing into, and swiftly through, looked to be part of the steam rooms that he had mentioned before; the walkway curved as it went, but every few paces and on both sides the railing parted into steps that would allow a visitor to step off, and either slip into one of the enclosed springs, or simply enjoy the steamy humidity on one of the many conveniently seat-shaped rocks that adorned the faux-natural room environment. There were a moderate handful of navis, all female, enjoying the facilities here; not crowded or busy, but not empty either. One or two glanced up as the girls were led through, but most didn't pay any heed.

"We are currently passing through our primary steam suite, honoured ladies. We have three chambers like this one; male, female and mixed. The basic steam rooms are kept at a comfortable humidity, but we also have more specialised rooms that cater to those wishing for a more thorough session, which reach as high as eighty percent!" Strangely, he kept his voice down and didn't slow his pace leading them through the room, and yet, it was still quite possible to hear the enthusiastic exclamation point on his words.

It only took a short while to reach the far end of the room, where their guide led them through another archway. Once again, the setting change was immediate and striking. It had to be one of the benefits of net physics that allowed such easy separation of atmospheres, sounds and facilities, without having to have any visible barriers on the doorways. This area was much more similar to the entry hall, with rich carpet and plush drapes, except there here, there appeared to be some sort of locker-room and item collection point on the right hand side, and a steep staircase on the left. Two other archways exited the area besides the way they had come, but their guide was already moving them along towards the stairs.

There was a young female navi at the claim counter holding a towel and swimsuit bundle on one hand, while clutching at a sealed prism crystal that presumably contained her other possessions in the other. She was frowning worriedly at the house employee manning the counter opposite her.

"But... I didn't even... I mean, I had to, just to... augh... you can't seriously charge me for that!" More than anything her voice was incredulous, but the employee remained firm, if apologetic, explaining in a quiet voice that it was all on the sign beside him for anyone to read. Said sign was a tall, slim placard that was mostly obscured by a decorative blue plant, and seemed to be full to overflowing with a great deal of rather fine printing.

There was little time for Kabuki or Divina to take in the situation, however, as their guide was rapidly attempting to lead them onward up the stairs.
"This way, this way honoured guests. You wish to meet with the masters swiftly, do you not? Please follow me." Another bow, and more gentle hand waving followed as he sought to keep them both close behind him.

It seemed that no matter what concessions Kabuki was willing to make in favor of the blue house's greeter, Divina was ready with wise, but strict, divine intervention, proposing a second, more mission-oriented set of terms. Kabuki's hair was standing on end at the thought of them getting into another worker-to-hero confrontation, but Divina's suggestions still had a way of working out... or, they would, but the salesmen chose not to go along with them this time. She'd stick her foot in her mouth, but that would risk another costly wardrobe malfunction. Now, instead of grinning in a placating way at their host, she found herself doing the same at her partner, hoping that a lightning bolt wasn't going to smite her down for opposing the will of the goddess, as it sometimes would in certain other toga-related mythology.

Anyways, all in all, it seemed like the situation wasn't so bad: they were still moving through rather quickly and, supposedly, right towards the masters of the house. For a good while, it looked like they were going to make it through the place without encountering anything really shady. However, once they came upon a disgruntled customer and a suspiciously hidden set of house rules (which Kabuki had no time to decipher herself), she began to understand that at least one unscrupulous practice was probably going on: exploiting customers on technicalities. Still, if they came out of this place without seeing anything worse than that, she still felt that the blue house had the moral high ground compared to purple, which would make them fine allies. Ripping people off was highly preferable to killing them. On the other hand, Kabuki hoped that the blue house tour guide didn't hold Divina to her promise of sending in all her followers... if so, the combined sum treasury of the goddess' faithfuls' cash was about to take a serious hit.

The actress navi would ask their host a few questions or perhaps stop to see if there was some way to help the girl being fleeced at the counter, but she knew that either pursuit would take time they didn't have. "Of course, of course! We enjoy the brisk pace of the tour and look forward to reaching the destination!" she answered simply, clapping her hands. The fact that her hair and every line of her body wasn't emitting red light proved that she probably wasn't as enthusiastic as she sounded, to those who knew her. Well, that and the fact that she wasn't dramatically rolling the inflection of each of her sentences like in a kabuki show.

Fortunately for Kabuki, Divina wasn't much for smiting. Instead, she simply hopped up on the side of her staff, and floated along. The steam area actually felt rather nice to her...too bad they were too busy to stop for a moment and enjoy it. The next area was more eyebrow raising, as evidenced by the goddess Navi raising an eyebrow. Suspicious seemed like an understatement. "You should really consider moving that plant. The way it is now, it makes you look shady or something." She'd normally have said more than that, but her time limit prevented her from doing so...for now. It looked like they were taking the direct route to the heads, so it seemed she'd be coming back with some of her followers. She could speak up more then.

But as they were (presumably) headed for the masters of the house, her thoughts returned to the fact that there was more than one. Would they be in agreement on everything? Polar opposites? A mix of the two? And would they be like the matron of the red house? Or something else entirely? She couldn't help but wonder...but she'd know soon enough regardless. All she could do was keep moving. And their 'tour guide' seemed awfully eager for her to do just that. "...Of course. Lead the way, if you would!" A look at her partner in missioning made it quite clear to her that she wasn't as psyched up as she was trying to sound. And even that was lacking, since she wasn't drawing out her words as she seemed to do when she was genuinely excited. "A little nervous, Kabuki? Don't worry, everything will be just fine!" Just...don't overcompensate by setting your robe on fire or something. She might not have said it out loud, but boy, was she thinking it as they proceeded...

With the press of time clearly on both women's mind, they only managed to spare passing sympathy for the girl at the change counter as they complied with their guide's apparent wish to hurry them past the scene. While Divina was charitable enough to assume that the placement of the obscuring foliage was an accident, the little old man leading them didn't even acknowledge the comment, instead shepherding the two up the stairs and away until the other woman's distressed and agitated pleading faded abruptly from hearing as they passed beyond the limits of the room.

The floor above was a continuation of the lower floors comfortable opulence, although this landing held more stairs on the opposite side, and passageways leading to the left and right. As they crossed the floor, the little old man turned back to face them, though he continued to walk backwards slowly, leading them on.

"On this floor, honoured guests, you can see our gym facilities! They offer a welcoming environment to entry-level first-timers, and seasoned training enthusiasts alike! If you decide to return after your audience, the arch to your left will take you there!" He gestured with his right hand as he spoke, waving to the passage in question. It was hard to see very much, but a good handful of the visible gym equipment was being used in some fashion, though the greater portion of it stood unoccupied. It seemed Musabo made heavy use of their interstitial sound dampeners, since one would have expected to hear sound from the gym, this close, and yet nothing came through the archway. As their guide continued to cross the floor with small backward steps, he continued, somehow managing to retain his oily smile even as he spoke. "On your right, are our meditation rooms! There are many rooms suitable for seating anywhere from one to five, and offer perfect silence, or a wide selection of soothing meditational musics, whatever is wanted!" His other hand waved out in the other direction, to the other archway, but by this point his slowed back-walking had reached the stairs again and he turned back around.

"Ah but for now, we must move on. This way, honoured ladies. Perhaps you will want to return here later, after you've met our most honoured patrons." Without any further delay, he led them on, quickly again, up the next flight for stairs. These ones curled around and deposited the trio at a landing that created a more intimidatingly formal feeling. There were no side passages here, and only a broad blue carpet leading forward, over an otherwise polished wood floor, to a large set of double doors with two blue-clad male navis standing attention at either side. They looked sternly at the wizened tour-guide, but seemed not to even see Divina and Kabuki. Their guide bowed low to the two door-guards, spreading both hands wide.

"These two honoured guests have requested the privileged of an audience with our most honoured patrons. I have brought them here with all haste that we might accommodate their wishes." He remained bowed, with his eyes lowered and his arms out, until the two guards nodded once, then reached over to pull the doors open. Once the way was clear, he stood upright again, and walked forward without any further looks towards Kabuki and Divina, though it seemed clear enough that they should follow. The doors shut behind them just as firmly.

The chamber they were brought into was only very dimly lit. The dark décor seemed almost black in the poor light, but what they could make out was strangely stark. The thick carpet had ended at the doorway, leaving the floor of this chamber polish and stained wood; it was stained a dark colour, probably blue, but it was hard to tell without better light. It looked as though the room was mostly square, and the only light came from small candle-lights in each corner. There were none of the luxuriant drapes adorning the walls here, just plain, blank panelling. The far side of the room held a raised dock, divided into three uniform section, and created something of an interrogation panel to look up at, for whomever was unlucky enough to be standing directly before it. In this case, that would be Kabuki, Divina and their guide.

In the three raised positions, though it was hard to make out detail, sat three equally old-looking men, each dressed in rich blue robes, with black threadwork picking out the details. They were mostly grey-haired and easily as wizened as the employee standing before them, and each stared down at the trio with unreadable expressions.

Their guide offered his lowest bow yet, stooping until he very nearly touched the ground, with his arms spread low and wide. As he assumed the honourific, he subtly gestured that Kabuki and Divina probably ought to do the same. Either way, though, the silence stretched for many long seconds.

"Who comes before us?"
"Why do they come?"
"How do they serve?"

The questions came one after the other in firm voices; old, yet surprisingly strong, one from each of the ancient men staring down at them. The ladies' guide didn't rise from his bow as he answered.

"Most honourable and honoured patrons. I bring these two women before you at their request. They have spoken of matters political, my lords, and make claim to great haste." Again another long silence.

"We will listen."
"We will hear."
"We will judge." Each spoke in turn again, before all three turned their eyes directly to the guide.
"Leave us!" This last was delivered by all three in unison, and their chaperon rose from his bow enough to take the few steps backwards to the doors and let himself out.

This left Divina and Kabuki alone with the house heads, and another long silence. Unless either woman decided to launch right into it, a few seconds would pass before they spoke again.

"Who do you represent?"
"Who do you serve?"
"The questions are different and their colours will stain all else you have to say."

"Speak without deceit, then tell us why you have come!" As before, this last was delivered in unison, rather than one at a time. Unlike the Koushoku Matron's personal touch, or Seishin's raw enthusiasm, this was an entirely different meeting of powers.

"Me, nervous? No such thing! A hero has no fear," Kabuki reassured her ally, giving a big grin that seemed more authentic, even if it was born from misplaced overconfidence in one's self. After that, she mostly kept quiet for the rest of the tour, besides trying to appease her guide with the occassional "Mm hm!" "I see!" or "Ah ha!" It was a pretty short tour, all things considered, but the actress felt like it went on for hours, due to how antsy she was to quickly accomplish their task with no further distractions. When the group came upon two guards in front of a very important seeming doorway, she decided to follow the tour-guide's lead and bow as well. In the past she'd found that generally, it was a good rule of thumb that if everyone else was bowing, even if you're not quite sure why, it was a good idea to go with the flow, so as not to risk offense. In fact, especially if you're not certain why you're supposed to bow. Here, she had to suspect it was to show proper thanks for being allowed an audience with the house patrons.

The hall led to a single large room that was decorated like something out of a supernatural martial arts movie that she remembered watching once, in her down time... therefore, she couldn't shake the feeling that the room was going to be a shadowy feudal lord here who needed to be faced in a dramatic samurai battle. That turned out not to be the case: not only were there three guys, but, while creepy, they weren't exactly emanating blood-lust. It occurred to her strange that all four of the higher-ups she'd seen so far were old folks, seeing as older navis were somewhat rare in the world of the net; after all, few people had any reason to appear aged when it was equally as simple to appear young and spry. Then again, she supposed it gave them all a look of wisdom and authority, which was probably what they were going for. Their host bowed again, this time in an exaggerated motion that she'd have thought was parody if she hadn't seen him doing it respectfully. Still, Kabuki was perfectly happy to keep up appearances, so she bowed after him in short order. The only problem was that, in doing so, she gave the trio another nearly full glance down the open collar of her robe, again seeming as though, at any point, a motion too fast or otherwise uncoordinated would cause her to spill out of the garment.

The guide answered most of their questions for them, which she didn't mind either, so long as those answered remained truthful. Kabuki figured that the tone for their conversation ought to remain truth, especially as the old fellows stressed the importance of speaking "without deceit." This made her wonder if the house patrons were already aware of their antics in the red house. If so, it could be a good thing, showing that they were already partially aware of the situation and that this would be quick. On the other hand, it could be a bad thing, showing that, while they understood what had happened, they were hesitant to join in on the cause. For now, however, she'd have to continue under the assumption that they understood none of it. The guys had given Kabuki and her ally two questions and made it clear that both required an answer. "My name is Kabuki and this is Divina. We are here representing Uprising, our employer who seeks a peaceful resolution to the matter of innocent SPs, scheduled to be executed later today at the hands of the purple house. While we are employed by Uprising, ultimately, we serve JU~STICE! JU~STICE and HAAAR~MO~NY!" she explained, whipping her hair about herself in her best mie available while remaining bowed. Many might wonder why she deemed this the appropriate time to go into theatrics, but really, it was all habit. "Our goal is the best resolution of this event, one that will yield the best results for those innocent and oppressed! Although at every turn we meet PUPP~ET MAS~TAAARS, we endeavor to cast aside their strings and work towards true JU~STICE! To that end, we ask that you lend us the aid of your household, to participate in Uprising's demonstration against the execution, which should be beginning... in just a few MIII~NUUUTES!"

Hopefully she hadn't rambled longer than they wanted. She was somewhat concerned that they'd be offended by her answering a question they hadn't really asked, but she'd have to wait and see. The actress turned up her inset pink eyes while keeping her head bowed, but was unable to see anything besides the elevated station, atop which the three were presumably still positioned.

"I...see." It wasn't that Divina didn't think Kabuki was sincere. Far from it. She just wondered if a mortal, even one that identified themself as a hero, shouldn't be at least a little afraid, if only because they were, well, mortal. But she shook the thought off as unimportant right now, and continued along on the tour. In the end, the employee was pretty much true to his word, the tour definitely being on the short side. As they reached what was presumably the door to the masters' chamber, both guide and visitor bowed...but not goddess. It made her look a bit silly as she simply hovered there...

And on in they went. Her initial reaction was...well, it was kinda dark. Her initial reaction was to use her powers to light the place up, but then again, it was probably set up just the way the house heads wanted it, so it'd be a bit rude on her part. Speaking of them, there they were, right in front of them. They were a little hard to make out, but it was clear they were designed to be old men. Actually, now that she thought about it, she wondered if people thought she was a bit on the elderly side since her hair was silver, not gray. It probably wouldn't be a huge stretch for a regular Navi to make that mistake. Then again, she otherwise looked like a young woman, so it'd be a stretch...hmm? Oh, right, display of respect, even though she didn't have much respect for the system. Unlike the others, she didn't bow, instead doing a curtsy with the front of her dress.

After a pause, the masters broke the silence like a rock through glass, which visibly startled Divina a little. The darkness did mask it quite a bit, at least. After a moment, their guide took his leave, leaving the ladies alone with them. There was another pause, but the goddess remained silent. She had a feeling that the moment she spoke up, they were going to burst out another trio of questions. So instead, she waited for those questions. Kabuki beat her to the punch, but she didn't particularly disagree with her answers. But she didn't completely agree with it..."That's the gist of it, but admittedly, based on what I've heard, there's reason to throw the purity of our employer's purpose into doubt. We, however, despite being employed to do so, simply wish to save those SPs. Frankly, I really don't care if I see a single red cent for doing this, so long as we achieve our goal."

"But anyway, yes, we'd be very grateful if your house would attend the rally to force the purple house to free them. Both red and green have already pledged their support, and others are working to bring even more there. I can assure you that you won't be standing alone here. But time is of the essence...we only had about 30 minutes when we came in, and I'm not sure how much time has passed since. We would truly be grateful if you'd join in the metaphorical fight. Just, note that it's not the literal kind. This is a purely peaceful rally." All right, that was about all she could add. Now to await the response...

The, ah, slightly less obsequies mannerisms of a certain goddess managed to draw unhappy glares, first from their guide, and then later from the three old men before her, but for a relief, they didn't pass comment. It seemed as though the moment had passed, at any rate, once the talking actually began.

Kabuki took first rites for explaining their case, with something approaching her usual dramatic flair, though all she received in return were a trio of exceptionally harsh, almost withering glares. They might have been genuinely displeased by her theatrics, or they could possibly just be weighing her tale, and would have looked like that no matter how she delivered it. Whatever the case, they certainly didn't look any less grim as she went on.

When Divina joined in to add her own confirmation and extra details, three sets of eyes flicked the minute distance to glare at her instead. Aside from the shifting of their attention, the three masters hadn't moved; barely so much as a twitch of facial muscles, save what was needed to talk, or to glare. There was a calculated narrowing of their collective eyes as the goddess threw some doubt on the character of their employer, but no more was given away than that. The last of the two women's words hung in the air before the silence of the large, dark room pressed in again, and the three masters stared down at them. After what seemed like an age, but was only a few seconds, they spoke once more.

"You name no house that you represent, and so you claim to represent none."
"You name an employer who is also unknown to us, and so you claim to speak only for foreign forces."
"And yet..." The third speaker paused, drawing a long breath. "You speak also of matters known only to the great houses in this region."

"Subtle Matters."
"Secret Matters."
"Sensitive Matters."
"Matters of which no outsider would know!" In keeping with their style, the final line was delivered in unison by all three. It was a clear declaration of suspicion, but they didn't appear to mean to take it any further than that.

Instead, there was a longer wait as each master in turn drew in, and let out a long, slow, deeply dissatisfied-sounding breath, before they continued. Aside from the sound of their own voices, the weight of the silence in the room felt almost tangibly heavy; perhaps it was designed that way to deliberately give more force and presence to their speech?

"You claim to serve a concept as vague and subjective as the tides."
"The programs you speak of have done murder, in taking their revenge."
"Does not your justice demand their punishment? Yet you would spare them, and forgive them. How exactly is that Just?"

For once, they left relatively little pause, most likely because they didn't intend to give either woman a chance to begin answering just yet. Instead, the first began to speak again, almost as soon as the last one's words had faded from the air.

"The prostitutes would save them; they crave only flesh."
"They will use any flesh that they can turn to their own service."
"They hope to claim the programs for their own; they would make fine assassins."

"The spirit-mongers would save them; they crave association with anything good."
"They will claim any positive trait comes of the spirit, and any spirit with positive traits, is like them."
"They hope to claim the programs for their own; the bond of spirit they share would look good in green."

"The elitists do not act. What have they to gain?"
"They stand apart; they take pride in not getting involved."
"They have no interest in the programs; they see nothing to gain by saving them, and so they will not."

"Why should Honourable Musabo involve itself in this?"
"What stand we to gain, that is of interest to our house, from such a venture?"
"Of what benefit is saving these programs, to us?"

It was anyone's guess as to whether their descriptions of the other houses' motives came from actual knowledge, or simply guesses from experience, and what they knew of the other houses in the area. Either way, the lines were delivered with the firmness of ultimate truth, at least from the perspective of those speaking.

Kabuki narrowed her eyes at the mention of the revenge murder perpetrated by those they were attempting to protect. She couldn't speak up just yet, both due to courtesy toward (and the brevity demanded by) her hosts, the limit of time, and the likelihood that her thoughts didn't align with those of her partner's. "Justice is not always an eye for an eye... but those who perpetrate evil often find themselves visited by such cruelty as well. The offenders are not blameless and I will not mourn them," she thought to herself, although she immediately doubted her conviction. After all, at every turn, she was reminded of how little she know of the whole situation. For all she knew, the SPs themselves were the guiltiest party in all of this and the one they'd killed had been innocent. The shadowy politics of these bathhouses made her think that she was really blessed that, while similarly rivaling one another, the theaters she'd lived in all her life weren't willing to kill each others' troupe members. At times, they seemed stuck in the past, unambitious, and frankly brainless... But was far preferable to the sum-zero, under-the-table dealings going on here.

The blue house leaders seemed to be well aware of what each other house was thinking. Kabuki imagined that worked both ways: the other houses likely would have their own, probably unflattering, views of the blue house's assumed stance in all of this and whatever they surmised would probably be correct. The actress was actually happy to hear it all laid out, because, while not promising in terms of justice being served, it did make the situation much clearer: each of the houses was ultimately scheming towards its own advantage. From what she'd seen tonight, she had no reason to doubt the truth of that conclusion. On the other hand, she'd also learned that discussing all of the politics just in terms of "houses," even if the houses themselves had not realized it, was too limited. Each house had individual workers with their own motivations and some with long histories in the fight, ones with reasons far more important than the color they wore. While she knew that she herself couldn't wrap her head around a tenth of what was happening here, she suspected there were factors in play that the higher ups missed from their perches. While each of them outmaneuvered what they knew of each other, it would be the ones outside that sphere of influence who acted as the x factors that tipped the scales: strangers like Divina and Kabuki, simple servants like Eve, unknowns who might not understand the ramifications of their actions.

Kabuki thought she had a clear enough answer to the question the three men had posed. "I'm sure you've heard a lot about justice in your lifetimes and I sense that immaterial concepts like that don't mean much to you. That's fair, even if I feel oppositely. If not justice, then think about this in terms of simple numbers... All five of you houses split the pie of pull in this region. Inherently, it's a finite resource, and the strength of one comes at a cost to another. That's the way corporations sharing a customer base work, even if mitigated by alliances and so forth. Now, I make another assumption, but I assume you would prefer not to be the house in a position of 'good enough.' You probably want to control as much of the pie as possible, right? So consider this: if the purple house's status lowers, than the status of at least one house will rise, but more likely, all of those who joined against the purple house. If you stay neutral, you're no different than those elitists you mentioned. The red house, as well as potentially the green will grow, while you gain nothing. One or two houses will now share that bigger piece of the pie, while you remain contented with the piece you already control. I understand patience is a virtue, of course," she explained, although she could sense that Divina probably wouldn't agree with her. From what she knew of Divina, the goddess would probably stand upright and tell the old codgers to stop with the politics already. She had a feeling, however, that these three men were so rooted in politics that demanding they yield would be about like arguing politics with a friend over coffee. The only way to reel them in would be to play their game. And, from what she'd seen on her way up, she knew that what she was guessing was correct: these guys didn't want a regular-sized piece of the pie. If they did, they'd put their rules out where everyone could see them, yielding to basic standards of customer service. No, they wanted every penny. She would continue to play to that. "Uprising has set events into motion that ensure the purple house loses face here; the red house matron confirmed that's the way the winds are shifting when we spoke to her earlier. With that happening, you stand only to gain by throwing your hat in here. As businessmen, you know that passing up an opportunity is as good as throwing away wealth. Would you CAST A~SIDE YOUR WEALTH? Stuck playing catchup with the other houses again? Or will you join the stage of a new game on E~QUAL FOOT~ING, welcoming in customers who see you as a force of justice? You may not like justice, but others do. You can use that, can't you?"

The actress thought to herself that this mission would make good inspiration for a new play script... if it wasn't so depressing, fraught with opportunistic, self-serving motivations ingrained through histories of violence and power-grabbing. And if she omitted the part where she'd stripped naked in front of an audience, of course. "Lastly, you need assurance that the 'pie' will be affected by all of this. After all, customers may have no perception of what any of this really means; there might not really be any power shift here. I can assure you, there will be. Our employer, Uprising, is aptly named. For better or for worse... she will be vocal. The people will hear something. She's gone to too much effort thus far to let the night pass without upsetting the powers that be. It falls to you to capitalize and, in doing so, also serve our cause... which is, hopefully, one of justice." The whole group could talk about that some more, but, as she'd expressed earlier, she really doubted that they cared much about the justice or injustice of the matter, even if they took Kabuki and Divina to task over it.

"Correct." That was about all Divina could get in, in response to the heads' first remarks. She remained silent for the remainder, mostly unable to get a word in edgewise even though she wanted to. Afterward, she took a deep breath, preparing to make a speech...but Kabuki beat her to the punch. She didn't really like the political ploy, but trying to speak to the red house's emotions didn't go over that well. It definitely wouldn't work here. Really, it was the only option that had a real shot of working.

That said, she hadn't addressed the part about their rebuttal of their justice. It might help if she clarified her own thoughts on the matter. "True justice cannot be delivered by the victims. Their eyes and minds are clouded by sadness and anger. And no matter the crime, death only begets death. It cannot be allowed. If the deeds of the SPs have warranted punishment, they should be punished, of course. In that regard, they should not be spared. But as is, this will only continue the endless cycle of tragedy..."

"But I'm sure you could care less about that. If you care more about money, then Kabuki's right. At least one house will come away with egg on its face. If no one bothered to visit White, that'll make them look bad by not coming. Which leaves you. People remember acts of kindness, especially when it comes from those not particularly known for it. You have the chance to make yourselves look extremely good by doing what in the grand scheme is very little. I suggest not wasting such a golden opportunity."

...When she stopped and thought about what she was doing, the goddess Navi couldn't help but feel a bit depressed. She preached against exactly the sort of thing she had just talked about...and yet here she was, telling these three to do just that. Then again, not all sins were created equal. And there was none worse than taking a life. The SPs would have to answer for what they had done, true, but like she said before, the punishment of death was one that could not, and should not, be permitted. And as long as Purple had them, there was no guarantee that they were safe...