Welcome to The Closet Cult!

[Curst Saden]

Jun, still in shock, was not entirely suprised to hear Bella praise the cat for waking him. Good girl....wake up...ooohh woman you are sick! Slightly shivering he got up and tired to shut the door so he could get changed, only to have it burst open and knock him backward. As he reeled from the jolt Siobhan forced her way through the door, knife in hand, shouting "What's wrong? Who be screamin' so loud through the bulkheads?!"

"God, what are you crazy?" Jun snapped. "I'm fine! False alarm, just, just a..."

"Just a what?" Siobhan asked. "Don't you be lippin' off at me!"

"Bella's cat scared me, all right?!" Jun said. "I appreciate your concern. Now will you please let me get changed?"

Siobhan gave him a mischevious look and left his room. Griping and groaning, Jun shut the door and began to get changed.

Siobhan reached the kitchen. Turning to Bella she said "So, what the bloody hell was that all about? Something about a cat?"

[Synn1985]

Looks up from her book as Siobhan enters the kitchen. "Oh I neglected to mention I have a kitten." Points to Bao who is eating her breakfast next to the table. "Her name is Bao and for some strange reason mr chicken is terrified of her. She scared him this morning." Get ready quick I want to be out of here in a half hour at the absolute most." Yells to Jun. "Hey are you eating before we go planet side or are your wits not quite with you?!" He better not keep us waiting.

[Curst Saden]

"No I don't mind the kitty." she bent down to scratch the cat on the head. "I don't see how Junni can be scared of her but whatever."

Just then Jun walked into the kitchen, dressed and ready to go. "Morning ladies. Sorry about the outburst, I just get uncomfortable around..." he caught sight of Bao and tried to supress a shudder. "So...what's for breakfast?"

[Synn1985]

To Siobhan "I have no idea"

Sees Jun walk in. "Eggs are on the stove along with biscuts and gravy."

____________________________________________________________________
They finish up breakfast.

"Okay everyone time to go." Grabs the rest of her weapons and leads everyone off ship. Starts to walk towards Kensao's place. "So do you think your uncle will recognize you?

[pinkhusky]

soibhan chuckled a bit giving the kitten one last litle scratch behind the ears as she walked off the ship with bella giving the boy a good friendly punch in the arm he was such a sissy scard of a flippin cat "ah ill have to be chetchin up with ya guys later i got some shoppin to do is there any thing u guys need me to pick up while im away?" she asked counting some monye hse had with her she frowned a bit mm not much but it'll do she thought to her slef

[Curst Saden]

Jun grunted as Siobhan punched him. He gave her an annoyed look and then turned to Bella. "Yeah, he should reconize me. It's been about, oh, five years? Something like that? I don't know, I don't remember...well if he doesn't reconize us, we most certainly will reconize him. He's got this long beard, wears this old chinese robe with a punch of patches sewn into it, and nine out of ten times he's smoking some kind of hooka. But he's a little nuts. And paranoid. Don't be suprised if he goes kung-fu the second we meet him." For that reason, Juntao was only half-excited to see his uncle. "I'm not sure if he has the...no don't tell me...Mona Lisa! Ha! If he has the painting it'll be a bitch to get it away from him. If he doesn't have it, he's sure to know something about it..."

[Synn1985]

"There is nothing I really need that I wouldn't have to look at myself so we'll just see you there." Locks her ship as they all get out. Hmm I really don't know this chick too well but I wonder if she has enough for the clothing Takes fifty credits out of her boot. "Hey Siobhan take this I hope it helps"
Turns to Jun "well this should be an interesting meeting." Really hopes Kensao doesn't have the Mona Lisa because based on his reputation they would never be able to get their hands on it if he did. "WOW you finally got the name right!"
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After about one and a half hours of walking they can see Kensao's place. Wow it wasn't as far as i thought it would be. Don't know if that is good or bad. Takes a deep breath as they approach. (all in chinese) "Nihao Kensao my name is Belladonna this is my first mate Jun, your nephew, we are seeking information on the Mona Lisa and were notified you would be a good person to inquire information may we talk?"

[Curst Saden]

Siohban's eyes were drawn to the fifty credits. No way! she wanted the money, but old diciplines told her to be respectful. "Thank you." she said, accepting the money. "I'll see you later." She then walked toward the market.

______________

Kensao sat in a chair on the porch of his place, his arms clasped around his chest. He seemed to be sleeping, until Bella finished her piece. He slowly opened his eyes. They were old and ambery. Quickly they flickered to Jun and slightly widened. "Juntao?" he asked. Continuing in Chinese, he said "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Hey Uncle Ken." Jun replied, seemingly unfazed by the rude greeting. "Long time no see. Moms' gonna kill you for not visiting." he smiled.

"Your mother is a fool to let you go riding around with some half-experienced...eh...who is this again?"

"Belladonna," Jun said "captain of the Purple Sphinx."

"You teenagers and your rediculous names!"

"Teenagers! Uncle we're not...oh we're getting side-tracked. Do you know anything about the painting?"

Ken's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What painting?"

"You know, the Mo...oh god no...nonono I forgot it again! Damn it!" he slapped his leg frustratingly.

Ken grunted. "Both of you come inside." he led the two into his house. It was dimly lit, save for the flickering of candels and a very old lightbulb in the ceiling that threatened to burn out. The house was essentially had a kitchen, which was clean, a bed room, which was messy, a living area with a table, which was also messy, and a guest room. And a small bathroom. Shoving a bunch of papers and books off the table, Ken said "So, can I get you kids something to drink?"

[Synn1985]

As they are following Kensao into his house Belladonna gives Jun a dirty look for forgetting the name of the painting. Well there goes my semi intelligence idea i guess his remembering earlier was a fluke. Cringes when she sees some of the books hit the floor. they will be all right they will be all right. In reply to Kensao (continuing in chinese) "We would gladly accept some tea. Sir we are here because we heard you had some information on the Mona Lisa. Would you be willing to share it with us?"

[Curst Saden]

Jun gave her a dirty look back and shrugged, whispering "It was not a fluke! Don't you call me semi-intelligent!" He then slapped his hand to his mouth in terror. Oh shit! Gosse! If he finds out he'll kill me! Kensao was not fond of Jun's ability. Any sign of such activity in the old man's presence could invite disaster.

Kensao looked back to the two guests, eyeing them suspiciously. "You say something, Jun?"

"Nope." Jun said, trying to sound casual.

Ken grunted again. He bowed his head and fetched a tea kettle, which was already boiling on the stove. He brought it to the table and then fetched two cups, pouring the two a cup. Finally he sat down, sighing with relief. "Aaaahhh, now the painting you seek, the Mona Lisa, is a very old relic. Painted by a great artist on the old Earth, I believe his name was Leo, or Leonardo...something of that sort." He rose from his chair and began to circle the table, his hands folded behind is back. "There are many who would kill for such a painting, and not just because of it's historical value. You see, after the humans fled Earth, it is said that a man who took the painting with him inscribed a great secret on the back of it. A secret the Alliance would kill to have. Tell me, do you seek the painting just for the image of a woman or do you want this great secret?" He smiled in that maniacal way that always gave Jun chills.

[Synn1985]

Assuming Jun hears this Fine then i will continue to think you have no intelligence how about that? Belladonna's eyes go wide when she hears about the possibility of the secret. "Sir I have studied many facts about the Mona Lisa I live for knowledge and since I heard about it I wanted to see it for myself. The fact there is a great secret on the back only means it truly needs to be protected from those who would wish to harm it."

[Curst Saden]

Kensao wiggled his eyebrows as he listened to Bella. "I could not agree more, my dear." He replied. "Unfortunately for you, it is I who is that protective force. You see, I'll tell you the truth. I've got it. Right now. Don't ask how I got it, it's a controversial story. And if you think you can just fly in here and take it from me...hehe you're mistaken."

Suddenly he pushed a button on his watch. The creaky floor below Bella and Jun's chair's opened up into a trap door and they fell down a chute, a good seven or eight foot drop. "Sorry Nephew. Buisness is buisness. I'll let you have the painting, if you can find your way out. Hawhawhawhahwaaaaa!"

The door sealed shut, turning the world around them black.

Jun growled, cursing in Chinese as he struggled to get up. "Bella, you ok? I should've known he would do something like that." Damn uncle I'm gonna kill him when I get out of here!

[Synn1985]

Fuck!! That insane mongral! (replies in chinese) "I'm okay nothing is broken... Cover your mouth for a minute" Covers her mouth and waits for five seconds while Jun covers his as well. Throws down one of her poison bottles it illuminates everything in a pale bluish colour. "I always have one of those just in case. We can breath now it is only a little deadly at first." Looks around and gathers everything in. Sees an anomoly in the far corner of the room and runs towards it. "Hmm this can either lead to a way out or certain death lets check everything in the room first." Starts going over EVERYTHING carefully.

[Curst Saden]

"Wait, wha..." Jun barely had time to cover his mouth before Bella smashed the vial. When it was safe he lowered his hands, looking around the lit room. "Shiny..." he said. Then he shook his head and focused on the matter at hand. "My uncle always has to do something complicated. Hell, you should've seen what he made my mom do to get her gift on her birthday one year..."

Slowly he approached the anomoly, looking around for anything suspicious. "I'm pretty sure it's just a door..." cautiously he extended his arm through the doorway and back. "Ok, nothing there...I think..."

Suddenly an echoing sound was detected nearby, like a faint rapping of metal on metal. "I'll go a few feet to the left...make sure it's ok..."

________________

Unknown to Bella and Jun, Kensao was watching them on camera the whole time, cackling to himsef. "Hawhawhaw I haven't had this much fun in a while..."

His transmitter nearby suddenly beeped. Suspiciously he staggared to it and activated the screen. A man in elegant robes appeared. "Have you still got it, old man?"

"Yes, and I've decided to give it to someone else!" Ken snapped. "Go away!"

"That wasn't part of our agreement!"

"Too damn bad!" Ken then turned the transmitter off, but he knew that wouldn't be the last of it....

[Synn1985]

"Okay you do that.." Looks to the right for a bit. After going about 18 paces sees something odd on the floor. No.. It couldn't be that simple... Takes out another one of her vials I am so glad I always have these on me. takes the stopper out and puts a drop on the odd.. thing on the floor. Watches as it lights up all around her into some sort of assorted puzzle like thing. Notices there are many different symbols on the ground they are all older but not completely unknown. It looks like I found a key to something... "Jun get over here I think this is the key to getting out just don't step on any of the symbols I'm pretty sure they are literal." Recognizes an old symbol for fire and tosses a small bead. Right when the bead hits the symbol a column of fire blazes up. "Yep they are literal." The old man is interstingly cunning.

[Curst Saden]

"Symbols? What symb...WHOA!" Jun flinched at the sight of the flames. "Damn he's clever...and crazy!" Jun looked down and saw he was about to step on a symbol that looked like a man getting impaled. "Ho damn!" He jumped again, making sure he'd step on safe ground. "Ok, we'll just have to go carefully..." God I can't beleive he'd be willing to kill his own nephew...wait that's actually not entirely inconcievable....

Cautiously he walked past Bella's poison-light, looking at the various symbols. He saw one that looked like a door opening. "Hmm, I wonder..." he stepped on it and a side-door in the wall opened. He turned to Bella "Wanna go that way?"

[Synn1985]

Laughs while watching Jun's face as he tries not to step on anything that could be deadly. "I agree this is pretty clever I'll have to keep it in mind the mechanics of this isn't that hard." Looks at the door. Well only one way to find out where it goes. "Sure lets go through it." Opens the door and walks through into the bright sun light that makes her eyes water a little as they adjust. Looks around and sees the old man's house. Turns to Jun. "Well I guess we made it out shall we go back up to the house?"

[Curst Saden]

Cautiously Jun walked into the open air. "Well...that was easy...too easy...and I'm not going to be happy if you rig my room to blast flames at me!" He gave her a fake-angry look and then turned to the house. "Ok, let's be carefuOHMYSWEETJESUS!!!"

Jun couldn't breathe. He fell backward and tried to crab-walk away but he was too scared to move. "Not you! NOT YOU!" He then screamed in Chinese "GO AWAY! LEAVE ME BE! LEAVE ME BE!"

Jun owed his hysterical outbreak to a hideous cat that had emerged from the bushes. Tall, twenty pounds, seemingly half bobcat, the beast was an ugly and disturbing sight. Its face appeared to be deformed. It was missing patches of fur and had a fat tumor dangling off it's neck. Carefully the cat arced it's back and hissed, which just made Jun scream louder.