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((Entering from backyard. Have Clarice's approval))

Tikaanis was actually slightly disappointed when she walked through the door to find the room was almost completely plain. Only slightly. Mostly she was relieved to walk in and not find iron maidens and other torture devices.

The orange couch was a nice touch though. It reminded the teen of nickelodeon a bit.

The door disappearing bit did cause Tika to jump a little. Suddenly she wasn't sure if she approved of this room or not. No fire exits.

[[ Entering from Backyard ]]
Bix was ready for something insane when they appeared in the room and he was immediately underwhelmed.

Huh.

Orange! One of my favorite colorssss. Mina chuckled a bit in his head and he easily dismissed it.

He was pretty sure there was a catch. He'd take a step and some hidden trap would spring on him. But at least it wasn't cold and icy. Perhaps it wasn't trapped? Maybe it was like the room of requirement from Harry Potter, except he didn't remember needing to fall into freezing icy water the first time around.

"Okay.. so.. trap the room. Skedaddle. make the demon holler." Bix cast a glance at Barth as the rest of his team appeared. He hadn't met this one when they'd visited the festival. It was better off that way. He clutched his bow, not threatening or menacing, but he hadn't yet desummoned her and he just wanted to make it known that he was ready.

"Why are you dressed like Shaggy?" He tilted his head. He had noted that the lumpy patchwork on the field had also been wearing dog ears and the giant viking guy they'd killed was wearing an ascot. Was this some thing he was missing?

"Look, you really don't have to- well if you insist, but honestly I'm not..." Barth protested as Ariane tied his claws behind his back. His shoulders sagged.

"I feel as though there's a lack of trust," Barth said, not even bothering to test the scarf.

At Bix's question, he had time for a "...Who?" before Ariane tied the scarf around his eyes and gave him a new Order.

Barth gave a strained and hissed, "...If you say so,"

HP: 29
Pendant: 1/3

"Bix - it doesn't matter how many of them there are," She frowned, "We won't be able to stop the house from dropping as many of them as it likes into this room... You can try to interrogate him - and it is a good idea to find out more about our opponent - but I doubt he would answer you truthfully. And if you wish to wish the pendent on him, what if it breaks and we need it later? Will you be responsible for it? If so, I welcome you to take it."

Sure, Clarice had given her the pendent, but she was all for it if someone else wanted the responsibility of looking about Mr Barth. She was all for not taking the blame if something does go wrong. She removed the glowing red pendent and held it out on the palm of her hand, her expression rather neutral; she really wasn't out to be a b***h. She liked Bix's suggestion - it was a smart move - it's just that she liked her own much better.

Honestly, Ariane did not really care if the last command worked or not. Again, everything had a purpose and it could be in or against their favor depending on how they plan things - Barth's answer clearly meant that the pendent had failed, and she sounded worried as she led Barth away, towards the couch, "Perhaps I should try again later."

Every hunter in her room would notice the giant grin on her lips though.

She sat Barth down on the couch before turning to her team, walking a few steps forward since turning her back to an enemy would be a bad idea, "This is what I had in mind." She gestured at herself, bringing a finger to her lips in a 'quiet' gesture before pointing two fingers at her team and then at her eyes to say 'look at me carefully'.

"We will be planting those traps on tiles across the room, on random tiles so that the enemy would be unable to see a pattern," As she said this, however, she pointed at the tiles surrounding the couch - that was her plan. To surround Barth with the trap-rigged tiles, not that the demon would realize this to warm his precious friends, "Dear Mr Barth would be here on the couch... Suggestions as to how many people should be guarding him are welcomed."

She then paused, mentally counting the number of tiles around the couch; leaving just one hunter on the couch with Barth, with traps surrounding all the tiles except for the one in front of the hunter on guard duty would take up 5 traps.

Leaving two hunters on guard duty - one on the couch and the other in front of that hunter - would take the same number of traps but that would mean less hunters on the field, and make it more obvious that there are traps about, since their formation would be odd.

"Ah, do commit to memory the location of the traps," She nodded, "If someone else has a idea as to where to put the traps, or a more efficient way of placing them, do tell."

Bix frowned at Ariane.

He didn't want the pendant. He wasn't going to spazz like Before, but he definitely didn't want it.

"You're right." She was though. He hadn't thought about the pendant breaking. He should have though. He'd slaughtered a girl and collected others pendants to escape that room and they just fried, uselessly, as soon as he'd gotten out. They definitely weren't a reliable technology. Better leave the chances to use them for later.

Maybe they would need to make that demon attack his friends? The thought made him sick, if only because he'd been there, but this was a war. Human rights weren't demon rights. Right?

He glanced at the blindfolded creature who seemed to instinctually find his way to the couch and pass out. So much for questioning.

He was in the huddle, listening intently to the plan. "Sounds good to me.We should be positioned based on weapons though. Gale and I are really only good long distance." Where would the rest of the team stand? Would they attack the rescuers as soon as they showed up? There wasn't really anywhere to hide for a sneak attack.

The room was -

Well. Empty.

There was nothing in it, save for a large, moldy looking orange couch with thick, dusty cushions pushed against one of the walls.

And Ariane attempting to hogtie their "bait." Gale eyed the demon, wondering just how well a scarf would work on something that had claws as long and sharp looking as this one. His rucksack felt heavy against his back, the metal box concealed there pressing against his spine uncomfortably.

Before was still strangely silent, which made Gale almost more apprehensive than the actual demon. He was so used to the loud, melodramatic Before that this new, cold-faced one was more than a little unnerving; Bix, as well, since the albino was nowhere near his own loud, mildly obnoxious yet still endearing self.

Bartholomew had fallen asleep - that did not seem particularly unusual, since the demon had given the impression of someone who did not like to do much more than what was necessary.

Gale's eyes slid towards Ariane, the red pendant glowing dully. The first order had not worked; Barth had answered Ariane, which meant that he could still talk, even after she had commanded him not to.

"These pendants," Gale said, his gaze cutting first from Before, then to Bix, both of whom he considered friends. Then he stopped, the words he had wanted to ask failing him, dying in his throat. The cut on his neck had dried now, the blood staining a dingy red line on his gold scarf.

<< Don't screw this up. Focus. >>

As ever, Jinhai's voice was the calm rationale in his mind. Gale closed his eyes briefly, shaking his head just a fraction, trying to clear it.

Don't get attached.

He turned to face Ariane.

"Tell me where to put these traps and I'll do it. Tika can help me.

"And if you don't want that pendant, I'll take it."