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Post by Cydonia921 on Jun 26, 2020 22:39:58 GMT -6
Sleep.
Wouldn’t that be a pleasantry?
The very thing that she deprived her of every night? Never allowing her a moment to let her mind relax. Always one eye open, one eye shut, forever tormented by the kitsune that had traded her these… abilities in exchange for her sanity, family, and wellbeing. The most that would happen would be laying down in the cot until the blissful void took her to sleep before the crow awakens everyone, the cycle beginning anew. Always living on the thin thread of sanity.
Devoe seemed too concerned with her for his own good. The more that he stayed away from Akiko, the better it would be for Kozakura. Adjusting the blade, she huffed, and tilted her head up. At the very least, she had to make sure that no one suspected her of anything.
There was a strike of lightning, the sheer intensity shocking Kozakura to her core. The sound cracked through the air, illuminating the area as well. But that hadn’t been what frightened her the most. Her hair raised on end as her entire body had been crushed underneath the weight of this sudden aura. Stomach churning, her sheath clattered on the ground as she gripped it with a tight vice, the urge to vomit coming across her.
Her head had already began to hurt from everything happening, on top of the lack of sleep. The pain in her right arm had begun to seethe again, as if it had erupted into flames. Just like that dreaded night so long ago. Muttering under her breath, Kozakura could barely utter out comprehensive strings of words.
“N-Na… Nami-“
Hand flattening against her mouth, Kozakura heaved. Her eyes watered, but one thing concerned her most of all, above everything else.
Namiko was… whimpering.
Audibly whimpering. Her arm trembled, gripping the sheath tightly. No, it wasn’t her own will that was gripping it. Her breath trembled, and a familiar feeling crossed her in the very recesses of her mind. So long ago, but so familiar.
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Nov 27, 2020 3:46:58 GMT -6
Devoe didn't say anything for a long time. Deep in thought, perhaps, or looking around and the rain was masking the sound. Either way, Satoshi's world was nothing until Devoe started commenting that it was rather late. It's true, he pondered, These conditions are not the best, particularly for someone who can't really navigate all that well. So what advantage does the prey have that makes these conditions-
At that moment Satoshi's world went from nothing to everything all at once. Thunder shook the earth, startling the blind man considerably and causing him to nearly fall for real from shock. As it was he stumbled as the earth shook and only caught himself with the aid of his staff. He smelled the air. He would have noticed if the storm was all that bad, wouldn't he? He'd thought to take shelter, but he hadn't thought the storm was this bad.
"Tell me about the lightning," he said, still rattled from the sudden cacaphony, "Is the storm that bad or is something going on?"
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Post by yooom on Dec 24, 2020 19:27:07 GMT -6
Devoe was talking about how late it was, and Hikaru nodded quickly. He was more than happy to get out of this awful, wet night. The rain might have let up a little, but to say it was still uncomfortable would have been quite the understatement.
Then, without the slightest warning, the darkness vanished. Bright, white light blazed through the damp air for a single shining second, blinding Hikaru, who instinctively raised the fan in front of his face, shielding himself only slightly from the sheer brightness of the bolt of lightning that seemed to have hit almost directly on top of them.
The group reacted instantly. Devoe dove to the ground, protecting his head. The priestess, Akiko, drew back slightly, but her gaze was resolute, her fingers locking around the sheath of her sword, ready to fight whatever might have arrived. Hikaru almost marveled at her, but then he saw the priestess’s face. A hand over her mouth. Her face looking mortified...fearful. It was rather discouraging, to say the least, Hikaru had hoped to put some hope into her. As for Hikaru himself, he found himself crouching, skirting slightly back, his fan still raised.
All the group had reacted, that is, save Satoshi, who perked up a moment later. Hikaru jumped, surprised by his tone. There was a slight twinge of shell shock, but he sounded quite conversational. At his question, Hikaru turned his gaze skyward, even if he already knew the answer to the blind man’s question.
“No, not so bad. But...what do you mean by something going on?” He asked, turning back to Satoshi, his head cocked.
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Post by Mini on Jan 11, 2021 20:07:25 GMT -6
The horrendous roar of the thunderclap frightened a large flock of birds out of the treetops not too far from where the group had come to pause in their pursuit. Screeching in terror, the birds flew the opposite direction of the noise as fast as their feathery wings could take them. A few seconds later, a startled young deer went charging through the brush not too far off from the four soggy travelers. The deer didn't even seem to register the humans as it frantically ran by. It was in a full-blown panic, and its only thought was to RUN away from the danger as fast as possible. Following shortly after the deer came three wild boars, also growling and squealing and running as fast as their stubby legs could carry them. Several other small forest animals could be heard farther off in the distance - all of them squealing, whining, croaking, or growling in terror as they all ran away from where the lightning bolt looked as if it had struck.
Devoe had just started to find the strength to stand back up when he heard Akiko gag and dry heave next to him. The sound made bile rise in the back of his throat. That was one of the very few things he just couldn't stomach. He shut his eyes, whispered a prayer, and breathed out a loud sigh of relief when he didn't hear any of the other unspeakable sounds he imagined he might be shortly hearing. Murders, blood, hunting a killer, and now this freak thunder and lightning storm? The poor girl was whimpering incoherently. Maybe all of this was too much for a simple princess. Grimacing, he walked over to her side and gently put a hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, it's all right," he whispered, sounding surprisingly reassuring and gentle.
Thankfully, Satoshi and Hikaru seemed no worse for wear. He turned to face both of them, a stern look on his face. "I think what Satoshi means, Hikaru, is 'was that lightning natural?' And I'm inclined to say no it most certainly was not."
Confident that Akiko was well enough that she wasn't going to faint or throw up for the next few moments, he gave her shoulder one final little squeeze for support before walking closer to the other two. He took his hat off once more to shake some of the rain off of it as he thought out loud. "It's not warm enough for thunder and lightning, for starters, and this storm hasn't been bad enough to warrant weather like that. It's not even the rainy season. Sure, it's been heavy rain and a bit of wind on and off, but this isn't that kind of a storm. The animals are afraid, too, and all of them went the opposite direction of the way we're headed... which, coincidentally, is also the direction our killer fled. I don't know about you, but I don't believe in coincidence."
He skillfully flipped his hat back up onto his head while at the same time sliding his bow off his shoulder. In another quick move, he grabbed an arrow from his sheath. "I'm going on ahead. You all are welcome to stay with me or head back to the village. I think, from this point forward, it's safe to assume that we're dealing with some kind of monster. Demon, half-demon, ogre, kitsune, djinn - it could be anything, honestly. Knowing that, I won't fault any of you for turning back."
Devoe didn't wait to hear what anyone else decided to do. He simply began slowly and quietly moving forward. The rain was letting up, which was a blessing, but it was still cold, dark, and damp out. The forest felt too quiet - probably because every animal in a ten-mile radius had just went running the polar opposite direction of where Devoe was walking. He had to press on, though, with or without the aid of the strange group that had followed him out here.
It was only by sheer, dumb luck that he caught sight of the first of the ancient stone lanterns. He nearly walked right by it, but something on the ground caught his eye. A small, muddy footprint. He knelt down carefully to examine it. It looked similar to the ones they had tracked coming this way earlier. "There's a muddy footprint here. It's small, like the others. It has to be fresh, for the rain not to have washed it away. The forest kind of swallows it up, but it looks like there's evidence of some kind of ancient stone monuments headed down into a small sort of grove," Devoe said quietly. "Could lead to some long-forgotten shrine or temple or ancient settlement. The vines and moss and stuff are really thick. It doesn't look like anyone has passed this way with the intent to tend for things in a long time."
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Post by Cydonia921 on Jan 16, 2021 23:24:27 GMT -6
Whimpering and sniveling, Kozakura felt weak in the face of such terror. Raising her hand to bite her thumb, she tried her best to not cry. Letting her tears fall would be tantamount to admitting defeat, but she hadn’t expected this. Her free hand clutched onto the sheath tightly, the questions, responses, and the outside world melted around her. Clenching her eyes shut, she wondered what she could do. If there was anything that she could do.
“Oh my dear, meek Kozakura. Whatever happened to that day when you asked me for help? Why must you be so hesitant now?”
The voice permeated in her mind, and it was like time stood still. When she opened her eyes again, it was warm. She paused, gasped, and fell onto her butt. The water splashed around her, yet her clothes were not only dried, but were resistant. Her hand pressed against the surface of the lake, and she sighed.
Trees rose above her, circling around the lake, with only the moon high above the center. The beam of moonlight illuminated everything in a pale light, and Kozakura shivered.
She knew this place. She had been here before. Her heart sank to its deepest depths as she tried her best to get up. Her eyes swiveled around her, whimpering as a familiar feeling crossed her. Was it fear? Suspicion? Anxiety? It was difficult to tell, but she recalled the last time this happened.
“Kozakura. Tsk tsk.”
Soft pats from the central moonlight permeated through the lake. Echoing along the trees as Kozakura locked eyes with her.
Fur as white as snow. Blue paint drawn up in lines along her arms. A lantern hanging upon her waist, and a pack behind her, filled with various herbs. Azure lights scattered around her, the Kitsune approached, a malicious grin already stretching from ear to ear.
Impulsively, she reached for her katana. Her hands scrambled, but something broke inside of her when she saw the sheath on the Kitsune’s side, scraping against the surface of the lake. Biting her lip, Kozakura grimaced.
“Are you so weak so as to fall prey to whomever is out there? Do you forget who you are a part of?”
Twenty paces away, the Kitsune smirked, covering her mouth with a paw. “Now now, no need to look at me with such contempt. Must you forget that we are the same, you and I?”
“Why bring me here? I thought we agreed to never come back here when I’m in the middle of a crowd.”
“Aw, and here I was expecting a warm greeting from my dear, dear Kozakura.” Clasping a hand on the blade’s hilt, she laughed a hollow laugh, which sent chills down Kozakura’s spine. After catching her breath, which exhumed out of her with a pale, sapphire mist, the Kitsune stayed where she was. Never moving, her eyes as pale as ice as she tilted her head. “You’re too weak. Allow me to do the work.”
“No.”
Cackling, she drew the blade. The water parted before her, and Kozakura felt herself tumble down to the lakebed. The water slowed, turning to ice as the Kitsune stood above her.
“That wasn’t a question, my servant. And you would do well to not disagree or argue with me in the future.” Holding the blade horizontally over the open air, she twisted it back and forth, the mere sight of it imposing to Kozakura. With a flick of the blade, the water began to trickle back down, drenching the young woman as it began to fill up the crevice.
“Now sleep. I will take care of this from here.”
“You can’t do this! I won’t let you!”
Smacking her lips, the Kitsune shook her head. “Oh look at you. Thinking you can oppose me. That’s so adorable.” Sheathing the blade, she spoke softly, but it still reached Kozakura as the water bubbled around her. Enveloping her. Before drowning her. “Now, Namiko will make the entrance.” She waved mockingly at Kozakura as she struggled to get up.
“Have a good night, my dear. I assure you your body will be intact in the morning.”
Then nothing.
…
“Hey, it’s all right.”
The voice was gentle. Surprisingly so considering the man it came from. Yet it disgusted her. Was this really the man that Kozakura was speaking to all this time? A man that smelled of sake and seemed to know more than he was letting on?
Pathetic.
Slapping his hand away, she stood up. She kept her head down. The trembling ceased. She sucked in a deep breath of fresh air, saturated with the rain that was pouring down. Smirking, she allowed herself to feel the rain weighing down her hair. The cloth sticking to her frame. Her feet sinking into the muddy forest floor.
It felt good to be back.
“Please refrain from touching me.” Her voice was cold and curt. She turned to face the other two people accompanying her, and sized them up.
One was blind. The other was but a child. She was certain that he had said something she had missed, but it mattered not. She raised her hands to her chest, cracking her knuckles as she stretched them out away from her. If there was one thing she admired about being in a human body, it had to definitely be the unique sensations that came across her.
“What are you two gawking at? Let’s go.”
Her eyes flashed with the color of ice on the river.
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Jan 28, 2021 23:05:54 GMT -6
"I think, from this point forward, it's safe to assume that we're dealing with some kind of monster. Demon, half-demon, ogre, kitsune, djinn - it could be anything, honestly. Knowing that, I won't fault any of you for turning back."
That would be the smart thing to do. His presence in this group was already peculiar. What would a blind merchant have to offer against such a creature? Maybe nothing. Maybe this had all been a waste of time. Or maybe not. Satoshi was not, after all, a mere blind merchant. The trade that put coins in his purse was not the trade that he'd been born to pursue. He couldn't turn away. Not now. But how to make them believe that a merchant wouldn't run?
That's when something changed. He couldn't say what, really. But suddenly the priestess was cold and curt in her words. This was a departure from her previous manner, but there were a thousand reasons why a person's demeanor would change suddenly. Particularly after what Devoe was certain was unnatural lightning betokening the presence of a monstrous entity of some kind.
"In case you hadn't noticed, my dear priestess," he said evenly, playing for time as much as anything, "I'm not exactly fit to lead this group along the path. I do agree that inspecting the shrine or whatever we're heading toward is prudent, but I still need to wait for someone to follow."
Yes, that's it. A helpless blind merchant. If no one else is turning back, how could a blind man find his way safely to town alone?
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Post by yooom on Feb 23, 2021 21:15:42 GMT -6
Some kind of monster...Hikaru swallowed at the thought, but it was only slightly out of fear. Hikaru had had his share of encounters with the otherworldly, the magical. He hadn’t exactly come out of it unscathed, not by a long shot but, at this point, he knew what to expect, more or less. He readied himself for the fight, gripping the fan a little tighter. Yami’s voice came to him a moment later.
It’s killed many times before, don’t be too hasty.
Devoe, who’d been readying himself to go, had paused, gazing down at a small footprint. Too small. No way an ogre or some monstrous beast was leaving behind such dainty prints. Of course, that wasn’t to say whoever left behind wasn’t a dangerous creature themselves. Just that she was small. And of course, judging by such small boots, it was almost certainly a girl.
Looks about your size, Hikaru.
Hikaru scoffed, feeling his face blush ever so slightly, as he turned away from the footprint, gazing up the path Devoe had pointed out. A long forgotten shrine or temple, that was a possibility. It was also possible that she was leading them to some nest of demons. Though, with how difficult these tracks were to spot, it didn’t seem like she was expecting to be tracked. Perhaps they were going to get lucky.
He was about to say as much, when he felt an explosion of fear radiate from right behind him. He leapt backwards instinctively, whipping the fan open, and holding it in front of his chest like a shield, his eyes poking out from the top, scanning the trees for the creature that seemed to have just materialized. And yet, the woods seemed...quiet. They still seemed alone. Which had to mean.
Akiko spoke, her words sharp, and Hikaru’s eyes widened. Yami had warned him that a demon had been close back at the inn, Hikaru had sensed it himself. Could it have possibly been…
He squinted at the priestess for a moment, trying to gauge her, see the slightest indication of who she really was, his gaze shifting to her robes, looking for some indication that they had been won in a fight, or something that might suggest that they weren’t truly hers. For how could a priestess also be a demon? His eyes shifted down a little further towards her shoes. No chance those were the same prints Devoe had spotted. Which, Hikaru realized, his heart starting to race, meant that there were at least two demonic presences in this town. Demons in front of him, demons behind him.
Be careful.
Yes, but the murderer was getting away. They’d already lost so much time. She’d killed before, and Hikaru was sure she would again. There was nothing to suggest the two WEREN’T working together, he supposed, but...there wasn’t anything to suggest they were, either.
Hikaru gripped the fan a little tighter still, raising it. “See you at the top then,” he said, with a smirk to Akiko, as he brought the fan down. There was a loud hiss from the fan for a split second, and then a blast of wind sent Hikaru zipping upwards and backwards, sending the youth flying up the path. He was lucky enough that the path was more or less straight, there wasn’t exactly a good way to aim Yami’s power. On the other hand, if there was a demon lurking about in the trees, or better yet, traversing through the branches, they were about to get the shock of their life.
The slight problem with taking off in this manner was that Hikaru couldn’t even see where he was going. As such, he was taken aback when his back smashed into something hard. Whatever it was, he went shattering straight through it, and took a several foot fall out of the air to land most inelegantly on his back. Hikaru’s vision went fuzzy for a split second and he blinked, laying there on the ground for a second.It took him a moment to realize that the object he’d smashed through was an ancient torii gate. The paint had long faded, the wood rotted. He groaned, rolling onto his side, taking in his new surroundings. It appeared to be just as Devoe had said, a long-forgotten shrine. It was quiet, overgrown, but the details of the curious location were lost to Hikaru as he noticed the slumped, human figure a few feet from him. He let out a yelp, leaping to his feet, backing away from him, instantly raising the fan again. It took him a moment for his usual sense to catch up with him, but when he did...he wasn’t even sure what it was he sensed. It was a far cry from the demon he’d detected by the group, that was for sure. It was human but….not entirely human.
“You sense that?” Alone, save the mystery figure, he was able to speak, in a quiet murmur, to Yami. Yami said nothing, doubtless as confused and taken aback by whatever this creature was as Hikaru himself.
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Post by Mini on Mar 3, 2021 22:19:25 GMT -6
Devoe stood and watched as Hikaru suddenly went sailing by overhead... aimed backwards. The archer had gone on ahead and had missed most of whatever had transpired between his peers (ugh, why was he thinking of them that way?), but he hadn't expected to see the teen do whatever that even was. Where had this enthusiasm been earlier? Where had the ability to sail through the air come from? Wouldn't that have been a very helpful thing to know before the lot of them went tromping off through the woods on foot?
As if that wasn't bad enough, the priestess also chose that moment to skulk on ahead as well. Alone. Wait, did that mean...
Devoe turned around and saw the poor, blind merchant simply standing there, his head turned in the general wrong direction of where the others had gone. Grumbling a string of curses that would make even a sailor blush, Devoe retracted his footsteps and went back to fetch Satoshi. Why on earth had the blind man even followed them? If Devoe would have been a meaner man, he would have just left him there, stranded in the woods.
"Great, reliable group of something-somethings we make, eh?" he sighed once he was within earshot. His mind lingered on the priestess. Her mood had soured faster than a glass of milk left out on a hot summer's night. Devoe wondered what had set her off? Women. So capricious.
"Guess you're with me since Boy Wonder literally just launched himself through the air and Priestess Mood Swing just stormed off after him. Right, well, obviously watch your... uhh... just be careful going forward from here. It's a bit uphill and overgrown. Lots of loose stones and roots and stuff," he warned, waiting to see just how much help Satoshi would need to move forward before pressing on.
After making their way along the path, Devoe was surprised to see the wreckage of what had once been a grand, resplendent torii gate that welcomed all onto the hallowed grounds of the shrine. "Huh. That's weird. The torii gate looks like someone punched it," he commented as he stood looking around at what awaited them.
What was left of the shrine was weather-worn and covered in thick layers of moss. The outside of the shrine hadn't withstood the test of time much better. Thick vines grew over much of the structure. The wood was warped and decaying in many spots. The stone base of the shrine looked as if it had once born a hand-carved messages, but whatever it was had long since been worn away.
Nestled this far back in the woods, Devoe wondered just what the shrine had been built in honor of. He knew stories of ancient guardians, nature spirits, and local kami. If he had time to really sit and ponder, he might have come up with something, but as he got within a few feet of the entrance, he finally noticed several things at once.
1. There was a trail of blood droplets leading into the main area of the shrine. 2. There were more small, muddy boot prints leading into the main area of the shrine. 3. The wood debris from the smashed torii gate were fresh - this had just happened. 4. Hikaru was standing in a defensive pose, clutching his fan as if his life depended on it. 5. There were wood chippings stuck to Hikaru's hair - Mystery of the Utterly Destroyed Torii Gate Solved! 6. There was a small lump of a person wearing a very tattered cloak collapsed just inside the shrine.
There was a small lump of a person wearing a very tattered cloak collapsed just inside the shrine.
In a flash, Devoe had an arrow knocked in his bow, aimed directly at the figure. "There's a possible body over there, right in the entryway," he whispered to Satoshi. "Not moving." He stood and waited, but the figure didn't move. They were lying on their back, but their cloak and hood covered most of their body.
After waiting several long seconds, Devoe decided to take action. He crept cautiously closer to the entrance into the shrine. "Hello? ... Are you dead?" he asked, now just inches away from the figure. There was no answer.
Devoe sniffed. Why did it smell like something was burning in here? He glanced up and noticed that part of the roof directly above where the figure was lying looked as if it had caught on fire recently. There was a large hole in the roof, but it was hard to tell how long it had been there. Bits of the wood around the hole were charred black. Wait... that thunder and lightning bolt from earlier... could it have possible have come from here? From whoever or whatever this was? His apprehension quickly melted to fear as he noticed the very large bloodstain on the figure's torso. They wore a dark blue kosode and traveling pants that were ripped to shreds. Devoe saw several knicks and scratches on their legs, and obviously there was something going on that was causing all that blood to seep through their garment. "Oof. That is a lot of blood. They ain't moving," he grimaced. "I wonder if..." He knelt down and carefully flipped the hood off of their head with the tip of his bow.
Beneath the hood was a young, skinny, very pale girl who looked no older than Hikaru. Her body looked normal enough - no obvious claws, no pointed teeth, no third eyeball on her forehead, no tail or anything like that. However, she had... very pink hair. Vibrant, bright pink hair had fallen loose from a braid, and wet strands were plastered to her skin. A small cut above her left eyebrow was slowly oozing blood down her cheek. Most of her lower body was splattered in mud. One of her boots had a hole in it, and Devoe could see a dirty toe poking out of it. What looked like part of an ancient scroll covered in bloody fingerprints was tucked into the pocket of her cloak. She wore a belt, but Devoe didn't spy any obvious weapons on her.
Traveling cloak. Small build. Pink hair.
Could this waif of a girl possibly be--
She whimpered softly as a cold raindrop hit her in the forehead.
Devoe swore loudly as he dropped down to his knees next to the young girl, instantly taking a handful of her muddy cloak to press tightly against where she seemed to be bleeding the most from. "'Oi, she's alive! And hurt! Bleeding! But-- pink hair-- she can't be-- Argh! Someone, look around for a weapon. A katana. Specifically a katana. Or keep an eye out for-- I mean, I don't think it-- Water! We need water! And... Who has bandages? Or something we can use as bandages? This girl is gonna bleed to death if we don't do something, and quick!"
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Post by Cydonia921 on Jul 28, 2021 18:04:07 GMT -6
“… I still need to wait for someone to follow.”
Scoffing, Namiko had already turned her heels away from Satoshi, taking the opportunity to slink forward. The rain felt good on human flesh, unlike in her demonic form where it served only to annoy her. The way that she had to compose herself, at least to keep attention on the downlow, seemed to fall to the wayside as the enticement of discovering who, or what, this other entity is. The presence was almost giving her a peculiar sort of thrill, the likes of which she hadn’t enjoyed in quite some time.
Walking through the woods, towards the ruined steps, her eyes managed to catch a glimpse at Hikaru. She had suspected there was something peculiar about the boy, and now she had confirmation: he could fly. Albeit poorly. When he slammed into the torii gate up above, she bit her tongue. Her shoulders heaved momentarily, doing her best to stifle the laugh that was cropping up within the bottom of her belly. Finally, she ascended the steps, thinking to herself all the while.
How long had it been since she took over Kozakura’s body? A year? Two years? Time was meaningless to her, so what was a long time for a mortal was but a mere blink of an eye for her. Devoe took off faster than her as she conserved her energy, bringing Satoshi with him. When they rushed past, she narrowed her eyes, the temptation to give into her bloodlust in full swing at that instant. But, she also knew that doing so would attract attention to the guise of Akiko. The priestess…
The priestess~
Now that she was in the back, making her way up towards the gate, a wide, malicious grin spread across her face. The way that the woman begged for her life after her arm got lobbed off. Or the intense stare she had when the blade was raised. Kozakura, as much as she protested about being bound to Namiko, had no right to say that that wasn’t her fault. She even reveled when her teeth sunk into her flesh... But perhaps that was herself getting greedy about finally tasting human flesh. Either way...
She acted first.
Deep down, Namiko felt, she wanted it. The power that came with being fused with her. Of the unnatural abilities that came with it. Sensing demons, better vision, and a better understanding of her surroundings. Alongside, of course, being able to sprint faster to knock their adversaries off guard. All of these abilities compounded to make Kozakura a formidable foe, even when she wasn’t possessed.
When she finally got to the top of the stairs, Namiko paused, observing the sight of Devoe already going to work on helping this girl, asking for water, bandages, and the such. She scoffed, and directed her attention to the surrounding area they stood in. Noticing that the shrine was charred, she could smell the lingering scent of smoke billowing through the area. It was abhorrent.
Finally, she turned her attention to the girl that Devoe was over, hearing him barking orders on ways to stabilize this girl. Staring down this peculiar human, Namiko stepped forward, locking her gaze onto the pink hair. Arching her brow, she noticed something strange.
This wasn’t the source of the demonic aura.
Immediately, her excitement peeled back into an intense bout of anxiety, coupled with dread. The notion that this wasn’t the source of it all disappointed her to a degree that couldn’t be calculated. The thrill of the hunt was left with this empty bitterness. Kneeling down before the girl, she glanced at Devoe, and spoke quietly.
“I have bandages.”
She did her best to keep her anger in check. If that meant playing the role of the ‘oh so great’ Akiko, if only for a little bit longer, then that is fine in her book. Slipping her pack from her side, Namiko knew this kit thoroughly. The amount of people she had killed in the many years of her life had the beneficial side effect of understanding how to not only play a role, but also a pleasantly thorough knowledge of medicine, foods, and various other stuff that people left behind.
As she brought out the bandages, handing it to Devoe, her hand quivered with unbridled rage. This wasn’t her hunt.
Yet there was something strange about this girl.
And she was curious to see what it was.
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Aug 13, 2021 15:16:44 GMT -6
Life, it is sometimes said, is a series of moments. While not all that noticeable in the immediate sense, there were evenings like this one where the transitions between moments were sudden and jarring. In life's first moment following his comment that he needed someone to follow, Devoe sighed and returned for him, making a throwaway comment or two about the odd group of individuals they were and how the path ahead wasn't smooth and easy. Satoshi didn't care much about the man's assessment of the group or his fumbling over words to try to be respectful. He was the kind of person that made operating in the world easier for Satoshi, but ultimately he only felt obligated to provide such goodwill as would keep the relationship moving along smoothly. Goodwill like the polite smile he gave in return that showed appreciation without desiring to waste anyone's time with unnecessary platitudes. He did appreciate Devoe's refraining from touching him. Some people saw a blind person and assumed that they were helpless without someone physically guiding them. It was helpful in a lot of ways, to be sure, but he was not as helpless as he looked. The sound of Devoe's words and footsteps was all Satoshi needed in order to navigate up the slope.
Life's second moment came quickly and harshly. The priestess Akiko started approaching the shrine as well but did so accompanied by a feeling Satoshi's instincts recognized as a threat. He adjusted his grip on his staff, preparing himself to react quickly when the attack came, but just as quickly as the feeling came on it was gone. What was it that had set him off? Was it related to the priestess? Questions upon questions. He would have to be on his guard, but what else was new.
The moment following was less confusing but no less tense. The sound of Devoe drawing his bow, talk of a body. It took real will not to advance on the body before Devoe did. The sighted bowman was cautious, investigating the situation and concluding very suddenly that the figure was still alive and calling for bandages. The priestess came forth and spoke quietly, indicating that she had some medical supplies. Hardly out of character for a priestess, but the very very subtle undertone that caught Satoshi's trained ear was. Maybe she was just focused on the situation at hand, the need for healing arts chasing pleasant things away to be replaced with cold professionalism. He couldn't be sure but he could swear he heard the smallest hint of frustration in her voice. Definitely something to keep in mind.
And that led us all to this moment. Devoe was focused on saving the injured girl, but had briefly asked that everyone search around for a katana. Did he suspect that this girl was somehow involved? At the very least the curious smell in the air suggested that the unnatural lightning from earlier struck around here. He couldn't be helpful with the medical situation (at least not without raising questions) so he instead started walking softly around the place, investigating with cathis staff held just off the ground so it would only catch things sticking up from the ground. Each time it tapped lightly against something he would touch it carefully to investigate it. As the bandaging and suchlike continued Satoshi discovered such exciting things as the existence of someone lying on the ground surrounded by a couple people that didn't appreciate being disturbed by his blind person navigational abilities and the existence of an altar in a shrine. Riveting stuff. Poking around some rubble from what had happened to the roof did yield something, however. He was gingerly investigating it when he heard a sound he wasn't expecting. The medical situation was not quiet so he had to bend down and check with his hands, but when his left hand grasped something that was not part of any roof he'd ever encountered.
"I found something!" he called, understanding that it would be a moment before anyone stopped by. That was all just as well, however, because it would take him a moment to extract the katana from the debris under which it had been partially buried. He tried to restrain himself as he inspected it, drawing it very slightly to inspect the edge. Both on the base of the blade and on the grip itself there was some kind of substance, a little sticky. He very carefully brought it to his mouth to confirm his suspicion and decided to amend his declaration.
"Blood. Mixed with some mud, likely from a lake or river. Someone look at this for me."
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Post by yooom on Aug 21, 2021 20:40:39 GMT -6
Hikaru stepped closer, tentatively, towards the person-sized lump on the soaked stones of the ruined temple’s floor. As he drew nearer, he was able to take in what exactly he was looking at, and his breath caught in his throat.
It was a girl, broken body laying across the stones, growing red from the blood pooling around her middle. He inched closer, dimly aware of the others arriving, catching up after he’d blasted off towards where they suspected their potential murderer had escaped. That thought was a very distant memory now, as Hikaru frowned, still frozen at her side, taking in her appearance. Lurid pink locks of hair stuck to her face, saturated with rain, not unlike Hikaru’s own, woodchip-strewn hair. She was the only person Hikaru had seen yet with even worse kept clothes than his own, mud caked right across half of her robes, mingled with her own blood. It was a bizarre and awful picture.The image was instantly seared into Hikaru’s mind, but he couldn’t draw his eyes away from it...away from her.
Luckily for the girl, whoever she was, Devoe rushed to her side, taking charge of her precarious condition, calling out for bandages, which the priestess luckily provided. Hikaru stepped backwards, out of his way, though he still stared as the older man began attending to her injuries. He winced slightly as he pressed hard against her slashed skin. Hikaru’s eyes widened as he realized, a split second before Devoe shouted it out, that the girl was still alive. Although, if Devoe wasn’t vastly more talented than Hikaru had initially pegged him, it wouldn’t last for long. And yet, even with that thought, Hikaru couldn’t move. Couldn’t bring himself to take a step closer to her, or further away, or to do anything but just...watch. It was a horrible feeling of helplessness, and one that was terribly familiar to him.
A shout from Satoshi *finally* jerked him out of his stupor, and he turned quickly, finally able to break eye contact with the grisly sight of the mangled girl, and took off at a jog the few paces between Satoshi and himself.
He went skidding to a halt at another bizarre image. Satoshi, tasting what had seemed like a truly sickening mixture of blood and mud, which the man confirmed a moment later. Hikaru felt disgusted, and revelled in it; it was a far easier feeling to reconcile than the horrible feelings that had shot through him when he’d seen the body. He blinked hard, as the body came back to her mind, and he knelt beside the katana, wiggling it slightly to get it out of where it had gotten lodged. With a little maneuvering it was free, and Hikaru investigated the blade a little closer. It was a rather old looking weapon, on the small side, still in its light blue wrapping, though the color was hard to tell under the mud that indeed coated the weapon’s covering. He swallowed, tracing a thumb over the hilt, and noticing a second too late that the mud there was speckled with blood. “How, um,” he began, turning to Satoshi. “How can you tell where it’s from a lake or a river, and not just mud from the rain?” he asked, his tone quite sincere.
He paused for a moment, and slid the blade a foot or so from the sheath, examining it. Sure enough, the blade was red with blood, just as he’d expected. He paused, scrutinizing the blade despite the sick feeling in his throat at it. It took him a moment to notice the letters etched into the metal of the blade. He frowned, cocking his head, drawing it a little further from the blade, for it was nothing like he’d ever seen before. The blade itself wasn’t much to speak of, not new, not especially refined...though it certainly was sharp enough to be deadly, he was sure. That sick feeling came back, and he swallowed, listening for the sounds of Devoe, Akiko, and what he prayed would be the sounds of the recovering injured girl.
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Post by Mini on Sept 3, 2021 18:16:41 GMT -6
For reasons unbeknownst to the group at present, Devoe had a rather impressive amount of first aid knowledge at his direct disposal. He had made sure to apply pressure directly to the worst of the pink-haired girl's wounds and kept it on as Akiko knelt down and handed him some bandages. He muttered a thank you, not paying any particular attention to just how oddly crestfallen the priestess looked. He noticed her hands quivering, but he was otherwise distracted and thought nothing of it. Must be the cold and wet weather, or maybe the sight of so much blood. Maybe this was the first such wound the young priestess had seen in her day. In a rural, quiet, backwater village like this, Devoe figured that the worst injury that would come in might be a farm-related injury - a sliced arm here, a burnt hand there.
These were fighting injuries.
As Devoe deftly worked to stop the worst of the bleeding, he noticed scrapes and cuts on the girl's hands and arms that were fairly consistent with self-defense - signs that she had been trying to prevent someone from attacking her, most likely with a pointy object. He was about to mention this to Akiko when the blind man shouted something behind him. He found something... blood? Blood mixed with something?
Did... Did he just lick blood?
An involuntary shudder ran through Devoe. He grimaced. Without turning around, Devoe wasn't quite sure what it was that had been found, and he wasn't too sure he wanted to turn around. It sounded like Hikaru went over to investigate. Good. That would distract the boy from this ghastly sight... unless whatever was over there was worse.
"Look here, Akiko. What do you make of these wounds?" he asked softly as he gingerly lifted one of the girl's pale arms up and slid her sleeve up a bit to show off her scrapes, cuts, and nicks.
The second the girl's sleeve was rolled up, her eyes flew open. For just a moment, her eyes seemed to be glowing a bright, vivid, crystalline, aqua-blue hue. The air suddenly felt heavy and full of static, like the feeling rolled in shortly before a terrible storm. Her eyes locked first onto Akiko, then flashed over to Devoe.
"Who-- Wha--" Her eyes flipped back to Akiko. She screamed at the sight of the priestess looming over her. "Get away from me!" she shrieked loudly, yanking her arm free from Devoe. Rolls of bandages went flying everywhere as she flipped herself over with very surprising dexterity and endurance, seemingly determined to get as far away from both Devoe and Akiko as possible. She stumbled back onto her feet and backed into the raised altar behind her, her eyes wide and alarmed as a rabbit cornered by a hungry fox. She kept her gaze fixed mostly on the priestess.
Devoe tried to "Whoa, whoa, hey, it's okay, just calm down and--"
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" she screamed, holding her hands out towards both Devoe and Akiko. A few very tense moments passed, but nothing at all happened. The girl looked down at her open hands and let fly a very unladylike few choice words. Her eyes whipped around the room. They lingered for just a moment on Satoshi, but then she saw Hikaru. The boy holding the sword. She ran towards him, stumbling a bit, and then for some very odd reason threw herself behind him as if expecting the young boy to protect her from the others in the room.
"D-Don't let them near me, please!" she whispered frantically. "I don't know who you people are or what is going on but you're the only one who looks trustworthy! Please, please, d-don't let them hurt me! I'm unarmed, anyway! Only a... a coward would attack an unarmed girl!"
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Post by Cydonia921 on Sept 12, 2021 18:19:12 GMT -6
The blind man licked something and proclaimed that it was blood.
The boy observed a newfound blade that had been raked from the mud.
The man tended to this girl’s wounds.
None of these details escaped Namiko as she narrowed her eyes. Calming herself, the rage began to settle into the pits of her stomach, leaving her quite cold. The rain suddenly felt chilled, pounding against her clothing and exposed flesh. Sighing, she watched as he tended to the wounds that this strange girl had. It frustrated her, but she wasn’t going to let that get to her and give up the ruse. She had to play it safe. If only for now, so she can sate her bloodlust later.
“Look here, Akiko. What do you make of these wounds?”
It took her a moment to process that he was speaking to her. Flicking her eyes in the direction of the arm, Namiko recognized these as self-defense. It was the same kind of wounds that she inflicted on the true Akiko before lobbing off her arm. Her heart rose at the thought of that scene. The blood soaking the snow. The priestess laying there, crying and begging for mercy as she loomed over her. The resulting feast-
Everything fell sideways. This strange girl woke up, flinging herself away and around, desperate to get as far as possible. She threw herself behind Hikaru, all the while appearing to be both flustered, confused, and angry.
Sighing, Namiko stood up, and gazed at her from the side. Placing a hand upon her hip, she evaluated this peculiar girl, silently. There were several hints, but none of those made sense if there hadn’t been an accompanying demonic presence.
Firstly, she had a scroll in her pocket. It was something that she had noticed while bringing out the bandages. What it could have been, she wasn’t sure.
Secondly, her eyes flashed the same color as her own. Again, no presence within her, so possession was out of the question. But this, coupled with her suddenly springing to life after such substantial wounds, seemed the most intriguing to her. What could it have been?
Grimacing, a dour gaze flashed across her eyes, before she shut them, paused, and calmed herself.
“Girl, I believe that you are mistaken. We-“, she motioned with her hands. “-have only just arrived here.” She hated implicating her with this crew, but what other choice was there? Skirting her hand over her own blade, she had a peculiar feeling strike her that she should hide it from her sight. Folding the sleeve over it, once she was satisfied with it, she continued.
“Could you elaborate on what occurred? Was there a demon? A man?”
Slowly, her hopes grew. Perhaps a hunt could still occur tonight.
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Post by Nitari Windrider on Sept 16, 2021 0:28:44 GMT -6
(Stealing Cydonia's opening style. It's sweet and I'm lazy. Props)
A boy questioned his expertise, but not in the category of tasting blood.
A priestess exhibited a strange reaction to a girl's wounds.
The bowman was present, but not occupying himself with anything Satoshi would consider all that urgent.
A girl came suddenly to very enthusiastic life.
That last was by far the one that occupied his attention the most. Dwarfing absolutely everything else about the scene was the girl coming to consciousness, making sounds that reminded Satoshi of other times in his life, then fled behind the boy holding the bloody sword with mud that was not from the rain and this shrine thank you very much. An odd choice of refuge. An especially odd choice considering that when they entered Devoe had initially thought she was dead, later noted that she required medical attention, and hadn't passed much time since asking the priestess for assistance. The girl was likely...
Satoshi reached out with his staff and thrust at his estimation of where her chest should be, aiming to knock her off balance and onto the floor.
"Stay down, girl. If a blind man can knock you to the floor you're in no shape to be this active. Pick someone and let them look at your wounds before you make them worse."
Punctuating that statement, he let his staff thump on the ground as he returned it to its role as a walking stick.
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Post by yooom on Oct 11, 2021 8:16:37 GMT -6
Hikaru was still examining the bloody blade when there was a very sharp, high-pitched shriek that came from the center of the room. For a split second he thought it was Akiko in a moment of uncharacteristic horror at the bloody scene she had approached a moment earlier. His head jerked up a second later, in time to see a gaudy blast of pink shoot past him. A moment later the very energetic girl was cowering behind him, begging for him to keep the rest of them away from her. He turned to the others, bemused, only to be sharply chided by Yami.
*Don’t turn your back on her. She’s the one person here who might be the killer!*
Hikaru turned back, so that he was half facing her, half facing the rest of the group. The others’ reactions were...strange, to say the least. Perhaps admirably, very little shock or surprise registered on any of their faces. Akiko spoke to the girl quite plainly, as if it was perfectly ordinary for someone to jump up from a pool of their own blood and be physically capable of running about. Hikaru’s best guess was that the girl was running on pure adrenaline alone. Which meant that she probably didn’t have long before she was back on the ground, with even less blood than before.
Something went slashing in Hikaru’s direction, and he instinctively raised the sword in his hand to block the blow. It wasn’t exactly a skillful parry; he was holding the blade by its sheath for one, and attempting to block with the hilt. Moreover, the attack wasn’t even aimed at him, and, while he intercepted it, the thick handle banging noisily against the wood, he didn’t quite keep it from reaching its target of the girl, though he did manage to deflect a lot of the momentum, the knock turning into more of a tap as it passed by him. It took him a moment to realize that it was Satoshi who had attempted to strike the girl, with considerable force, considering she was in so delicate a position. He gave him a warning look, wincing a second later as he remembered that Satoshi could not see his expression, before piping up, in what he hoped was an assertive but soothing voice.
“Now now, let’s all take a moment here,” he said, turning away from the rest of them to fix his attention on the girl. “You are quite injured. I assure you that no one here has harmed you, or wishes to harm you. Please, take a seat and we can make sure you’re all right, um...I’m sorry, might I have your name?” he added hastily.
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