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 Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2012 9:29 pm
~Yakushima [Kirijo Summer Home]~
A Villa located on the beaches of Japan's southernmost island, the Kirijo Summer Home is located within a convenient proximity to the the Jyomon Tree and the sea. Able to be reached by boat, with a dock specifically reserved for the Kirijo Group's personal yachts, it is truly a home in the lap of luxury for Japan's most famous corporate family.
Mitsuru Kirijo, CEO of the Kirijo Group, often comes here when taking time away from work, and often hosts her friends, even if she is not present to host them.
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Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2014 7:50 am
Munakata Kei, the Deadly Nightshade of the Human Weapons Unit
"...I'm not simply a man who kills for no reason. Because the sun is warm, I'll kill you. Because the sand feels good, I'll kill you. Because the wind is cool, I'll kill you..."[Location: Kei and Kaori's Hideout - Ergo Research Scientist's Abandoned Summer Home, Far Side of the Island from the Kirijo Summer Estate]
Evening was beginning to dawn on the island of Yakushima; through the trees a cool wind blew that eased the heat of the dying sun still beating down upon the pale skin of those who had made the island their home. To the back of one young man in particular the thick trees that made up the heart of the island were waving gently in the breeze; before him the sun slowly faded into the distance and began dipping towards the horizon, the colors exploding into a panorama of beauty that would have made even the most uptight artist grip his brush a little more purposefully. And beneath the young man the sand, warm and inviting as always, gave way pleasantly as he rested upon it. His legs were curled in upon one another, black pants occasionally speckled with white grains of sand, and above the pants the pale skin of his abs rippled faintly, unfettered by the gentle breeze brushing and tickling across them. Toned arms with trained, murderous hands left killer's fingers resting motionless over the patella on either knee; following the trail of his long arms up to his face would reveal a youthful and handsome...one might even say beautiful face with closed eyes and a controlled, gentle expression upon his lips. Black hair framed his face and lowered itself upon his back in his signature style, but for all of the rippling tension in his muscles there was a relaxed, motionless ease about him.
He was in meditation...careful, practiced meditation exorcising all of the demons that plagued him, the thoughts that haunted him...it was as if he sought to purge the very violent essence from within him. It was a ritual that he followed nigh-religiously, controlled meditation in the mornings and the evenings, watching the sun rise and set as often as he could. But it wasn't simply an exercise; this place, this secluded world to which they had exiled themselves for their safety and sanity, it was lovely...the sights, the feelings, the sounds...they filled him with a sense of calm and ease that he had never known in his life. There was so much about him that remained a coil tightly wound, ready to spring to deadly action at any moment, but here...in this place...with this girl reluctantly settled in beside him...he felt almost as though he were something more than a weapon. He felt...whole...not quite peaceful, but...human?
And she was the one who made him that way...
"You don't have to stay out here, Kaori," his voice pierced the air calmly, though there was a hint of unlikely amusement within the tone that hinted towards his knowledge she didn't like this sort of training half so much as he did...his one eye was slightly parted to spy her from the corner, and if she didn't know better...she might even think that was a hint of a smirk upon the corner of his lips at her irritation, "The noises from earlier are long gone. If it were the Human Weapons Unit, they would be here by now. And even were they lying in wait, I'd sense their killing intent long before they got here. ...Especially if it were him." He didn't need to say the name...there was only one person from the Human Weapons Unit who was a threat to the both of them, united. Even so, after all this time of living alone, undiscovered, that name...his existence...was one that haunted them. One day they'd have to face him, they knew, but for now...this peaceful life, this place...it was all that they wanted. It was all they needed.
This place...and each other.
"Go on..." he urged, smiling faintly as the sun dipped lower and the sky took on the resemblance of some color-dashed pastel painting before their eyes...and yet with all that beauty in the sky, there was nothing more incredible on this island than... "I've got first watch."
...No, some things didn't really need to be said, did they?
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Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2014 9:51 pm
Kaori Sakurazaka, the Wild Cherry Blossom of the Human Weapons Unit  Crimson eyes were focused on the coming and going of the waves over the sand and the collar of foam they left behind; the shimmering colors reflecting on the water as the sky above them changed...as the sun set for the day. There was much to admire, and much to reflect upon as the lulling crashing of the waves went on in repeat, as the salty air lightly played with their hair... and for a little while, Kaori Sakurazaka had done just that. She wasn't against the meditation methods of her companion...and at times, she even shared them, to some extent, at least. She enjoyed the peace and quiet; and she enjoyed how it permitted her mind to wander to calmer matters and to thoughts she wanted to remember. Calm days and nights were what they had in this safe haven...and Kaori couldn't ask more. Though, just as it was easy for good thoughts to slip into her conscious mind, the darker and forlorn memories came back to her in an instant. It was in these moments that she remembered her days back with her brother, along with the questions and doubts that came with them. Was he alive? If he was alive...what would she think of her? Would they ever meet again? Would she want to? Doubts of other source haunted her now...How long before their respite last? What if the HWU found them when they were unprepared, with their guards down? The noises they had heard earlier today still plagued her, and she hadn't been able to find relaxation throughout the day. Her tensed body a proof of it.
A frown accentuated on her lips, and her companion noticed her displeasure right away. It was true that she didn't share his patience for this sort of thing, but... in the end, she always found herself accompanying him, finding she felt like a caged tigress inside their little hiding place, with nothing to do, only her worries to gnaw at her. Being with him, at least she felt some of the calm aura radiating off of him. "Hm..." A little noise that resembled a scoff escaped her lips, crimson orbs shifting to look at him without turning her head away from the shore in front of them. Eyes narrowed at the mention of the man she despised more than anything...but who she also feared was the only one who could be a real threat to the both of them. Though, a sigh escaped her, turning to face Kei with a little nod. "You are right. I guess I am a little on edge still." He always managed to keep a leveled head in any kind of situation...and if he wasn't worried...why should she?
His smile was what reassured her, along with the teasing tone in his voice and playful glint in his eyes. He knew she wasn't comfortable here, and somehow he found it amusing. And instead of angering the violet haired girl further, it only managed to bring a smirk to her lips.
"I don't feel like resting yet. I'll stay a few moments longer." Her gaze shifted back to his eyes after staring at his bare shoulder, the urge of pressing her lips to the spot too strong to resist. After a few seconds though, she let the urge take over as she did just that, as if it were nothing. "You've been sitting in that position for hours...stretching out wouldn't be bad for you."
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Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 5:02 am
Munakata Kei, the Deadly Nightshade of the Human Weapons Unit
"...I'm not simply a man who kills for no reason. Because the sun is warm, I'll kill you. Because the sand feels good, I'll kill you. Because the wind is cool, I'll kill you..."He hadn't wanted her to get the wrong idea and think that he didn't appreciate her taking the time to meditate with him and relax in the sands of their hideaway, but at the same time, it hadn't taken his own keen eyes to see that there wasn't going to be any complete relaxation for her right now...at least through the current method. When the sounds of battle on the island had reached their ears and some intense darkness started to play on his instincts, the Human Weapons Unit's former Deadly Nightshade and Wild Cherry Blossom had feared that their exile had finally come to its end. Sure, there wasn't much to do out here on the island aside from training, meditation, and beachfront recreation. He knew that she would have preferred to be somewhere more active, where she could stretch her legs more often and perhaps even get into the occasional fight or two just to make sure her skills weren't getting rusty. Even if they weren't being hunted by their old comrades (if they could be called as much), though, this exile was in his own best interest...cities, places where many people of all variations of morality lived...they were like the buffet before the eyes of the hungry. His instincts hadn't faded in all of his time in exile; the monster inside of him had only been mostly dormant, soothed by the pleasant company of his only friend who had become much more than that. But the urges still came...that little voice whispering murderous intent...the flashes of all the ways he could kill and escape this island to kill again and again and again...cities only made the urges worse. What he wanted was to find a way to be free of them...or to be so far removed from the temptation of giving in that one day, at least, they might quiet. Here, in some small part, he had found a measure of the peace that he could never fully enjoy being what he had been shaped to be...and she knew that, giving away many of the liberties that she might have had without him. It was for his sake and he knew it; he'd always know, never forget. And he had promised himself a hundred times over he'd never give her reason to change her mind.
Rather, he'd spend time as often as possible to the various methods by which he could convince her she'd made the right decision. That his friendship, his companionship, his...was all that she needed.
To that end, keeping her in his own meditation longer than necessary when it wasn't doing her all that much good would have been somewhat counterproductive. So he'd released her, though really it had always been her choice and she knew it. Still, he hadn't expected her to decide to stick around...even if the intent was merely to distract him from his meditation even longer. It seemed, however, that she'd misunderstood his open door to exit entirely. He wasn't trying to usher her off to bed just yet; far from it. He'd merely assured her that he would keep watch if she had other things in mind for the night. And if the way she leaned over and offered a small measure of physical affection was any indication, she had something else in mind at the moment. Then again, maybe it was nothing at all. Unraveling the mysteries of her surprising actions now and then was one of the more entertaining games they had to play on this island. The watch out of the corner of his eye stayed upon her as she lobbied for him to call it a day for meditation and stretch out a little. That tiny, almost-peaceful curl at the corner of his lips remained and perhaps grew even a hint more amused at the offer.
"Stretch if you want to," the killer's words were almost teasing, perhaps even the littlest bit defiant...as if playfully staying that if she had expected him to be distracted from his nightly art so easily she had been mistaken, "It's such a beautiful night out; I think I might be on the verge of achieving a zen-like enlightenment. Did you know that a philosopher once said the human mind is a black and white canvas? That we are the artists, we hold the tools, but nature provides the color. Without the beauty of the world, our canvas would remain forever dull and empty. Though for me, I think it was you that provided the color...doesn't the sky make you think of that as a prescient philosophy?" His voice was even and calm, but there was something in the curve of his lips as he turned his eyes back to the horizon that was almost...teasing? Yes, it was almost as if he was waxing lyrical and spouting some loquacious philosophy merely as a means of testing her...perhaps even provoking some kind of physical response? One could only wonder what was going on behind those eyes of his; he rarely opened up and talked this much without a purpose, however. Especially about such inanity.
Would she take the bait? One could only imagine he hoped she would...after all, the night was still quite young, and the canvas...well, it was practically bursting with color.
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Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2014 8:29 pm
Kaori Sakurazaka, the Wild Cherry Blossom of the Human Weapons Unit If she didn't know any better, Kaori would say Kei Munakata was teasing her. Eyebrows arched as words spewed out of her companion's lips, unable to resist to roll her eyes at that, even if the light-heartedness of the situation remained. "Is that so? Well, I believe you are just saying pretty words. I don't fall for pretty words, Munakata." Her shoulder pushed against his in a playful shove, before the violet haired woman stood up, dusting away the sand from her backside and thighs. "It is a beautiful night, though..." Crimson eyes shifted to look at him mirthfully, a ghost of a smirk on her lips. "And I believe...zen-like enlightenment can wait for when you are an old man." Arms went up as she stretched the muscles of her back; movements nimble as a cat. A content little sigh escaped the slightly parted lips as the arms went back to her sides limply. She was only starting her stretching though, as she bent over, her palms touching the white grains of sand and toned legs tensed. Slow, deep breaths left the lips as the violet haired young woman stood back up, her gaze turning to her companion. “Some activity won’t hurt you…” Her warm-up continued, as she stretched the muscles on her arms, a challenging smirk on her lips. "What do you say to a spar? If you win...I'll leave you to your meditation."
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Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2014 8:57 pm
Mashiro Munakata, the Holy Basil of the Future
"The ties that bind us aren't so weak.""If it's just a spar, I could fill in..." a voice suddenly chimed from just down the sandy walk, familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. It was...not unlike something they had heard before, but this specific voice was new to the both of them. That familiarity would likely set them at ease and on edge at the same time, eyes instinctively finding the source of the voice in fear that their retreat had at last been discovered by the figures of their past that pursued them. And yet...it was clear at once that this was no Kimblee, not even Kyoki the Bloodroot come to hunt them down. His smile was small, warm, and familiar all at the same time...his manner understated and distinctly, recognizably strong. His double-collared shirt seemed out of place on the beach, but provided shade to his pale skin and the crimson focus of his eyes that locked upon the two of them with a strange, emotionally-guarded and yet reflective expression. It was as if there were a world full of words that were desperate to be spoken hiding beneath the surface. Deep. That was the word to describe the pools of thought and wonder that filled his eyes as he looked upon them, but instead of betraying whatever emotion lay within entirely he simply rolled up his sleeves with practiced fingers and watched the reaction of the two Rogue Human Weapons as if anticipating something that they couldn't quite understand.
And yet the question remained...why did he look so familiar?
"It's better for him if he doesn't get worked up before bedtime, isn't it? Otherwise he'll be up later trying to purge the images of blood and death from his mind," the young man spoke again calmly, familiar, as though he knew the two of them far better than he had any right to...and the look in the eyes of the dark-haired swordsman spoke to some hidden truth in the words of the young man as well...a softness coming over him that was unusual, unbecoming...he felt...less inclined to kill? And the soft smile at the realization that the kid wore as he watched the reaction made it all the more unusual. "I might not like it the way that Anzu does, but I can keep up, if you're worried." His neck popped as he brushed away some stray dirt and...was that oil...black blood?...staining the sleeve of his white shirt and vest? It wasn't as though he was challenging her, more of an invitation...what was the saying, fighters could understand one another by crossing their fists? Was this some kind of backward introduction? His smile betrayed little, but everything about him spoke not of malice or violence...but of comfort...relief...maybe the suggestion wasn't for her at all, in the end? Maybe...it was for him? But...
"Don't be afraid," he assured her calmly, fingers flexing deftly as though he were waiting for her to launch across the distance and throw a punch any second, "You'll understand it all soon...I promise."
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Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 8:15 pm
Kaori Sakurazaka, the Wild Cherry Blossom of the Human Weapons Unit The change of mood was immediate. Kaori's head whipped away from her companion and crimson eyes located the person who had intruded in their little playful exchange. The smile on her lips disappeared, her gaze drilling into the stranger's with a dangerous look. Her body tensed in an instant, her danger senses ringing as the young man walked closer to them casually, as if they were friends from many years. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing on point, a knot tightening on her stomach at the sight of him. Something about him unsettled her in a bizarre way... as if she knew him from somewhere and she couldn't recall his name. "Who are you...?" She was on edge, that much was obvious, but still, Kaori kept herself glued to her place beside Kei. The way he looked at them gave her a strange feeling...something that made her stop from launching herself against him without a thought. He didn't seem to be looking for a fight, but the violet-haired young woman knew better than to trust anybody easily.
Things changed when the stranger spoke again, implying he knew the dark haired swordsman quite well, a dark feeling clutching on her chest. Her crimson orbs darkened, and the aura about her felt heavier. Was he sent by Kimblee to taunt them? To attack them? To bring them back into the Human Weapon Unit? He looked powerful...and he certainly looked like he knew how to fight. The conflicted feelings about the young stranger were sent to the back of her mind, protective feelings guiding her completely. She would protect their peaceful lives...and she would protect Kei with her life...and she would never let anybody harm him. In an instant she was moving,her hand grabbing at his collar and shoving him down to the sand, pinning him. "Who. ARE. you?" He wanted a fight...he would get one.
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Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2014 11:37 am
Mashiro Munakata, the Holy Basil of the Future and Munakata Kei, the Deadly Nightshade of the Human Weapons Unit
"The ties that bind us aren't so weak." "...I'm not simply a man who kills for no reason. Because you threatened Kaori, I'll kill you. Because I don't know you, I'll kill you. Because you found us, I'll kill you..." If the tension inside of Kei was unusually light looking at this person who had come to intrude upon their seclusion, he could practically feel the waves of confusion and anger radiating from the body of his companion as realization washed over her. This person knew them, knew about them, and he had to have gone out of his way to find them on this island...there was no logical reason to expect them to be here, nor was this anywhere geographically-near to the areas that had once been their haunts during their time in the Human Weapons Unit. That they had been tracked here meant that this person likely had information on them even the HWU couldn't get their hands on...it meant they had likely been following them, watching them...Kei maintained his cool enough not to draw his blade despite the itching in his hand as he gripped his sword's hilt, but he knew that in the face of such an unspoken threat Kaori was not likely to be as controlled. "Kaori..." his voice was low as he tried to warn her against action, watching the newcomer's cool facade and practice-match challenge with the analyzing eyes of a man who had long years of training in sizing up his enemies...and instincts to take that skill even further. And yet, there was nothing logical in this person, the way he revealed himself. Nothing quite added up, and he knew that...his eyes shot to Kaori at that thought and he knew that she was at her boiling point. Coiled, ready to strike like some kind of a predatory tiger, there was on way this newcomer had any idea what was about to happen...how much danger he was in...and before he had any time to warn him the tiger was already launched into her irritated pounce. Why? Why did he look so...unfazed by that look in her eye? "Wait...! Stop!"
His words fell upon deaf ears, and no sooner had they gotten out than the violet-haired girl had grabbed and launched herself down to the sand to pin the intruder...but what came next was perhaps the most surprising thing that had happened yet. As his back began to contact the sand, the boy's hips shifted and his legs crossed over the crimson-eyed weapon's front...arm locked in a submission hold that allowed him to roll through the pin and escape to a more neutral position. Releasing her arm before she had a chance to execute the expected counter and pin him again, he shifted up to his knees and rolled away backwards, coming to one knee with his eyes locked onto his attacker. His expression remained neutral...no...if anything, there was a hint of happiness? Familiarity? The Deadly Nightshade couldn't help but wonder in his surprise...wasn't that?!
"Do you recognize that move? It's yours, after all..." he spoke again calmly to his attacker, standing up straight and taking a step back in preparation for any potential follow-up attacks. His fingers moved towards his hip and fell into another familiar stance...curling as though gripping the hilt of a sword not unlike, "And this one...is his." Kei's eyes widened...was that his sword-stance?! He knew so much about them...too much...it was as though this boy hadn't just been studying them, it was almost as though he had been taught by them! So much of their styles had been self-created, after all, that it was impossible to simply learn them without... "Anzu was more like the two of you...she taught herself much more in her own way," the boy explained calmly, fingers pinning together suddenly at his 'hilt' as though pinching something very small, "But I...watched you. I wanted to be like you...confident as you...and as controlled as him. I had...I couldn't have asked for anyone better. Not for a master...not for a role model...not for..."
"Who...are you?!" surprise filled Kei's voice, his trademark control nearly slipping for a moment...and yet, instead of reaching for his weaponry and imagining the kill, there was something else entirely brewing inside of him. Curiosity...understanding...serenity? No, it couldn't be...not inside of a monster like...not inside of him. "No more riddles...or next time, I can't promise you'll escape her."
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Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 11:04 pm
Kaori Sakurazaka, the Wild Cherry Blossom of the Human Weapons Unit and Anzu Munakata, the Blood Root of the Future  A gasp escaped the violet-haired woman as her back hit the sand, being completely taken off guard with that counter move...and before she could react and counter back, the mysterious stranger had used that fraction of time of her disorientation to pull back and out of her grasp. While his crimson eyes reflected a hint of happiness...her own only showed confusion and a terrible fear, even if her expression remained impassive. There was no way he could know those moves... No possible explanation. That counter she had learnt on her own...and the stance he was now using belonged to Kei. She had never seen anybody else with that stance... so why...? How...? Eyes narrowed as he spoke...her body once again tensing as she stood back up...Fingers curled into fists and uncurled once more in a manner to keep them from shaking. The air about her darkened, a small old wound opening on the pale skin of the stranger's cheek. A warning of what could come. "I won't ask again..." the Yamazakura warned as she stood still, not moving a single muscle. She wouldn't attack again...she needed to learn more about him... to see just how much he was capable of. "Who are you...and how did you find us?"
He kept mentioning that Anzu person...and it only unsettled her even more. Somehow the name rang inside of her head...and the way the dark haired stranger talked about them made her have mixed feelings. He certainly didn't talk in a mocking tone...and when he addressed them...it was as if he did it with...respect? Admiration? And yet...the way he said he had been watching them brought goosebumps all over her skin. For how long had he been following them? Learning from them? Just how much did he know about them? "What is it that you want?"
"Mashiro! There you are!" Another voice pierced the tense silence, a young woman with snowy white hair appearing before them. For a moment she froze, realizing Mashiro, who Kaori could only guess was the dark haired young man, wasn't alone. A smirk curled the white haired woman's lips just then, the weariness slipping off her face in an instant. "Oh, so you found them! I thought I'd never see you again...Mom...Dad..."
" ...What?" Where they delusional? Where they mocking them?
"Wait... Mom looks like she's about to kill you. You did tell them, right?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 9:15 am
Mashiro Munakata, the Holy Basil of the Future and Munakata Kei, the Deadly Nightshade of the Human Weapons Unit
"The ties that bind us aren't so weak." "...I'm not simply a man who kills for no reason. Because I don't know you, I'll kill you. Because I don't trust you, I'll kill you. Because you are my children, I'll..." He could feel her rage building, her uncertainty...it was a feeling both familiar and chilling, though for reasons other than a direct fear of the woman in front of him. The newcomer's chill came from a darker place, buried somewhere in his memories of a different version of her in a place that was more his own...a world that was his own. Her uncertainty then had always been bad news for their family, and when she or their father let their emotions slip from that mask they liked to wear for the children they had loved so dearly, Mashiro could always see and Anzu could always sense that something terrible was going to happen...like their home being found or the path through the Corrupted being a little too thick to get through without fighting. This, however, was different, and he had to remind himself of that fact to avoid the cold sweat that might have broken out upon his skin otherwise. He knew that she was a deadly woman when she needed to be, and that by approaching them so cryptically he was testing their patience and risking an explosive reaction like the one that was building, but he needed them to understand, not just hear, the truth about who he was...who he and his sister were to the two of them. Words didn't cut it with a woman like Kaori Sakurazaka, and she sure as Hell wasn't going to let herself be duped without some semblance of truth apparent. This...was her truth. His moves, his father's stance, her counter...he wore her crimson eyes and his dark hair, pale countenance...he was much of the two of them blended in one, and like Anzu, the very best of what they had to offer.
He would show her...and when he told her the truth, she would understand it simply by looking within his eyes.
...
Or, Anzu might just show up and blurt it out to everyone before he got the chance to finish what he had started. Typical...it was so familiar he wanted to smile. And the look on his father's and mother's faces were priceless...which wasn't what he was going for, but no doubt it would make his sister laugh after the fact...
...
"I was working on that, Anzu," the crimson-eyed young man sighed, deadpan, and cast a weary glance in her direction, "Don't you think telling them outright might have been a bit too much of a shock? Think of how you would react in their shoes." His calm chiding was probably a familiar exchange between the two of them...and just as familiar would be the way she likely blew off the most of it and left the tedious things like that to him. If only she could have sat with their father's meditations for more than a few minutes at a time...but that was neither here nor there. Particularly when their fearsome (and young!) father was standing up from his cross-legged position and glancing at the two of them as though he expected a surprise attack at any given moment...as though he were analyzing them for the kill, debating with the darker part within him about if he could trust these people or if he should simply cut them down...his ever-lasting internal struggle, though he had always told them before that they were the only ones...that he could never kill. This father, however, was different. They had to approach cautiously...something Anzu had obviously forgotten.
"Kaori Sakurazaka, Kei Munakata...you've seen what I can do, you have heard what I know of the two of you from my own lips. You know in your hearts what I am about to say is the truth. I am Mashiro Munakata. Your son," he explained calmly, motioning first to his own heart and then to his companion, the snow-haired, badass woman who had interrupted their introductory spar, "And this is Anzu, my twin sister. Your daughter. And we have traversed the Corridor between worlds from our own ruined one with our friends...to see you again, in your world. ...I have missed you both terribly, mother...father..."
...
It felt as if the world stopped when the words broke the air for the man called 'Deadly Nightshade'. It was the confirmation of a feeling he had experienced, but could not place...that lack of the urge to...these two, who looked so much like and unlike both he and Kaori...could it even be possible that they were telling the truth?
"You...crossed over the Akarana Corridor? But only a summoner of the Yatagarasu should know how to open the door...are you saying...? No, you must be. ...Kaori, don't attack them. There's something...I believe they are telling the truth. Or a truth," his instincts told him that what they said was true, even as all logic said otherwise. Children...from the future? Did that mean that on that night, in Sapporo...or even later tonight, as he had been thinking...? He didn't know, but he wanted to...needed to...how could he explain this feeling of...serenity that the thought of them awakened inside of him? To see a face that, if he still couldn't help but picture their death at least somehow made it feel...wrong? It felt...quieted, that nagging voice inside of him that whispered for death. He wanted...needed to know why...to know the truth.
"Very well, Mashiro...Anzu..." he began slowly, feeling his fingers twitch and slowly release the hilt of his katana that he hadn't even been sure he was gripping, "Your story...I'd like to hear it from the beginning. Afterward, if I judge anything you tell me to be false, I will let Kaori finish what she's started. ...Agreed?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 6:58 pm
Kaori Sakurazaka, the Wild Cherry Blossom of the Human Weapons Unit and Anzu Munakata, the Blood Root of the Future "Because sounding like a stalking creeper reaaaaally works for them..."
The white haired woman kept talking in a teasing voice, but everything sounded like a numb buzz for Kaori. Where they actually expecting her to believe their story? And yet... it made so much sense it was terrifying. That uneasiness she had felt at the sight of this young man... He looked so much like Kei and like her combined... those eyes, that hair...his cool and calm poise...it all reminded her of Kei. And the girl reminded her of herself...but there were pieces of her companion there as well...his gaze...his smirk when he teased her....They knew so much about them...and little by little, things began to fall into place. Still, goosebumps broke up on her skin at the thought that these kids...just a few years younger than her...were actually her own blood. Their children.
Crimson gaze shifted over to bright blue orbs, and she understood they were thinking about the same thing. They were both confused, but there was something about the story that just sounded right... and perhaps that was what scared her the most. Their night together in Sapporo returned to her in that instant, and her stomach churned at the mere possibility that... she could be a mother. It was a thought that hadn't passed her mind in a hundred years. She...as she was right now, didn't want children. Didn't want them to carry the same abilities they had...their curse. She wasn't a mother, and never in her dreams she imagined she would be. And it made Kaori wonder what had happened in the future for her to change her mind...
"Besides...you were taking so long. They were ready to attack you, Mashiro. You weren't doing a good job at it." The young woman continued, snapping the violet haired Human Weapon out of her thoughts. "I can feel it too, Kei..." Her voice sounded so foreign...almost weak, and that irked Kaori more than she cared to admit. She stepped beside him, her hand itching to take his...right now, she needed his strength now more than anything. Still, she refrained...somehow, she felt she couldn't do so in front of these two.
...
It was so surreal to see her parents this young...this different. It really was exciting to see them again. How she had missed them. Yet, Anzu couldn't keep the wolfish grin from appearing at the shocked faces...at her mother's pale face. One look at her father though, and she closed her mouth, the joke she was going to make dying in her throat. This was a serious conversation...and she needed to focus. She could almost hear Mashiro chiding her about it...shaking his head, and saying she should had listened to their father during his meditation sessions so long ago... Or far away in the future. However one wanted to see it.
"Right. The beginning." Anzu grimaced, and shifted to look at Mashiro. "Well...the world where we come from isn't exactly a nice place. The Corruption destroyed almost everything... just a few survived..." Unconsciously, the white haired girl rubbed her tattooed arm in discomfort. "We knew there was no way of saving our world, but... if we returned in time and warn the people here before it happened..." she trailed off, chewing the inside of her cheek as she nodded at his brother. "You go on... You were always better with words."
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2015 1:36 pm
Inigo Tsukira Shimazu, the Shimazu Sword Sage
"Respect yourself, respect your enemy, respect your sword..."His first thought was surprise at how cool it was in the mornings; there was a thought that when you were near the beach the air was always salty, fresh, and warm. A balmy sunrise with toes digging into cool sand, sun-kissed skin shimmering in the first light of dawn. Instead, it was cool...a breeze blew in across the water that cooled his skin, warm and thinly veiled in sweat from the long walk through the forest. He had stopped to look at the impressively old trees and the fresh vegetation, Corruption nowhere to be seen in any direction, and he wondered idly..no, he knew in his heart...that once upon a time, the whole world had been like this. No, again, it was like this. Now, in this time, they were in a place where the world was safe from the Corruption (for now) and anything was possible, and this beach, with its cool water and even cooler sand beneath the surface reminded him of the differences between their time and his. Back in the future, everything was cold...electricity often failed, skylines were darkened by black Corruption and the world seemed to exist in a perpetual dark. The fires, the smoke, the panic...everybody was cold, not just on the outside but on the inside as well, to some measure. This was different...it was chilly, but the cool was welcome. And his heart beat steadily, warm inside of his chest as he neared the location tucked away in the middle of nowhere that he was certain he might find them. Nobody else, not even their friends from the future and certainly not their enemies, had known about this place. It was a secret that Anzu had once told him about, an island retreat where her parents had once hidden away from people who sought to bring the worst upon them. He could not forget the stories, and not simply for their compelling nature. He remembered them because of who had told him, and how compelling she was to his ears. And though he didn't know exactly where to find it, he knew that once he had come out of the trees to the sands and the waters of the allegedly uninhabited sector of the island's borders he was getting close.
In his heart, he could feel it closer. They had danced through the river of time, swam against the currents that threatened to pull them under time and time again, and now they would at last come out on the other side together...they could meet again, speak again, and reunite with everyone who had been left back in Inaba to wait for the next step in their plan together. There were still a few missing other than these, of course...Narue and Aeon had both gone missing, likely seeking the aid of her family in some regard. Aeon had detailed memories of the Taihaku and had learned from what Narue could tell them, but if her father or her family could give him any new information that might help him understand how to stop the Corruption inside of her, he knew the Time Wizard would make the most of it. He was eccentric, but if he could be relied on for anything it was keeping that girl safe. It was one of a very few reasons he had been able to allow her to come with them, in spite of the danger. But that would be addressed another time. There was also Sera, but he was afraid that she hadn't made it into the portal with them...tangled up in a desperate fight to save her parents, they'd had to close the portal faster than she likely could have reacted to. It was her decision...to go back when they had to move forward. He hated himself for leaving...and not just in her case, but...but they had to be sure. For themselves...for the future...for the sacrifices that every one of their mentors and protectors had made for them to get them this far. And now they were here...the past.
And here he was, a Shimazu Sword Sage walking the beaches of Yakushima. Somewhere deep inside of him he remembered a story from his Master and the mythical blacksmith whose forge was a single anvil set upon the sands of a beach somewhere, hammering away at his work with naught but a fundoshi, a fire pit, and a craftsman's hammer. If they had the materials out here, he could already feel the inspiration coming to him...feel the heat of the forge and the thrill of shaping lumps of nothing-rock into the stuff of legends. His eyes were alight with possibility when the little summer home came into view down the beach, not far away actually...its position between a few branches at the treeline hid it from prying eyes until one was practically almost on top of it. Now, he was standing out before the home and he wondered how one ought to go about this sort of thing. Mashiro had always been one of his closer and more respectful friends among their age group in the Resistance, but Anzu...well, his feelings about her were quiet and personal, though they worked together in combat better than almost any duo in their group and out of battle...that was between the two of them. Still, he had never met her family and there was no guarantee they were there inside...
...His feet had carried him halfway to the door before his eyes spotted it. It was not far from the front of the house and just a little down the beach, a station where Kei (he could guess) sharpened and forged his vast array of weapons, which he had passed on to his children (as much as he could) before they parted in his time. It was small, an anvil and a grinding wheel, a fire...it was a forge! Well, it could be re-purposed into a forge in the blink of an eye with his talent and practice, and while the need to reconnect with the Munakata twins was immediate and important, there was something alluring about that stump in the sand...the fire burning hot, the steel and wood and materials sitting beside it. He had brought a small pack of his own tools with him...and a few choice materials, all strung across his back. Should he? No, he shouldn't...
...But he couldn't resist! His Master would have cried to see him let such a lonely forge go untended!
...
The sounds of hammer on steel echoed along the sands...and within the house, perhaps, a girl might hear such a clatter and spring from her bed to see what was the matter.
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Posted: Thu Dec 31, 2015 5:29 pm
Anzu Munakata, the Blood Root of the Future
The day before had been crazy. With scavenger hunts, and raiding old bases in search of supplies...along with fights with the corrupted... Anzu Munakata was used to crazy. This though, had been another different kind. A whole new kind of crazy. Who would have thought that meeting her parents back in the past, in this new world would be quite a ride? Everyone? Oh. Well...
Still, it had been interesting seeing their faces again. That her mother had been at the edge of attacking them or running away had been...well, not as fun, but interesting enough to see. Her mother in the future had been a formidable woman. Fierce and protective like a lioness with her cubs. She had been merciless when she needed to be...and gentle with them when they had the time to relax. And well, this woman she met the day before... was different. No less fierce and scary, mind you, but... different. There was still a sense of fear and need to look behind her back in every sense. Like she needed to be careful of her every step. Anzu couldn't blame her, of course. She couldn't blame either of them. Her father though... he had taken the news a bit better. Or so it seemed. He had always been difficult to read. More so in this timeline, the white haired girl concluded. He was so young, he looked peaceful. The violet haired woman was the one to thank for that...and well, with both of them living in this little space away from everything helped him with his instincts. Back in the future... he had always struggled with that. It had been painful at times seeing him in pain, struggling...afraid of himself and what he could do. Mashiro and herself had always been there for him...and their mother had definitely helped like always, but... this Kei was...different.
Still, Anzu couldn't hide the warmth she felt at seeing them again. Even if she knew these two weren't really her parents... just seeing their faces...seeing the little expressions or habits that made them who they were, and who they became in the future... it just brought back so much memories. She was grateful for having found them...she was grateful she was together with her brother. He also looked happier, even if his more serious demeanor hid his emotions well. Anzu knew him better than anyone...and, well... it was the same in her case.
This morning, the white haired girl had woken up to find her parents gone. They were probably out looking for supplies, and arranging their thoughts on their own. She didn't question it...and as she was ready to go out and have her usual morning workout routine, a noise outside caught her attention. Eyes narrowed, poking out of the window to see someone she definitely hadn't been expecting. "Inigo?! What are you even doing here?" The girl from the future jumped out the window easily, walking over to where the swordsmith was working. "You know... it's rude to use someone else's forge without permission." she grinned, decking him on the arm playfully. "It's ...really nice to see you. I lost sight of Trip when we landed...and I found Mashiro yesterday, and my parents. Come on, I gotta introduce you! And the others?" There were matters to discuss, but...they could spare some time for idle talk, right?
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Posted: Wed Jan 27, 2016 10:24 pm
Inigo Tsukira Shimazu, the Shimazu Sword Sage
"Respect yourself, respect your enemy, respect your sword..."He could hear her footsteps before he heard her voice across the sands of the beach, coming from the trees in behind the secluded home. His lips curled faintly into a smile as he shrugged his jacket off onto a stump behind him and he continued to work, swiftly building up a sweat as he pounded at an untouched lump of steel with the nearby hammer. Already he could sense her surprise and a playful irritation, and even though it hadn't been all that long since they split up coming out of the Corridor, he knew that he had missed her brash attitude and sarcastic...charm? Finally she came out of the woods and he heard her call out to him, chiding him on using the idle forge and expressing her surprise to see him. His hammer-arm kept swinging and steel kept clashing against steel. His eyes shifted to her and he couldn't help letting her see the small smile that still remained, a small mischief reflected in his eyes. He had felt a lot better since he managed to defeat his family's old enemy on the Hilltop...and since the old man in the Shopping District had allowed him to take over the Weapon's Shop there. But this was something different, familiar. The back and forth he had with the white-haired girl was something that only existed between the two of them. And it was their shared bond which had lead him to find her here. They hadn't told just anyone about the place where they had grown up, after all. But he and Anzu had spoken about things no one else knew, like this in particular. He supposed she already figured that part out, though.
"Found you. You never were good at hiding, though," he smirked as he slammed the hammer down, his undershirt starting to soak through a little with beads of sweat as the steel began to take a familiar, long shape not unlike a sword...his skill was already on solid display, "It looked lonely...I couldn't just let it sit here, unused. Besides, I'll make something good for you guys if you wait a bit." Despite her invitation he seemed intent on finishing his work, but he was clearly pleased to see her...talking, joking a little. He did tend towards a serious disposition, but he had a mischief in him that Anzu only exacerbated. If he promised he would make something good, though, she could take that bit to the bank. Would she want to stand out here and chat with him while he did so, though? His arm slammed the hammer down again, and sparks seemed to fly. It wasn't the same as working with a demon's hide, but his Master had taught him to make miracles out of more than just a devil's hide, too. But then for just a moment his hammer stopped and he looked up at the girl, neck rolling out a kink that had started to develop. It really was good to see her...in this world...in this clear, green place. It was so unlike anywhere they had ever seen before.
"It's good to see you, Anzu," he conceded honestly in that moment, but stopped himself from saying more down that path. She wasn't really the mushy type anyway, and she knew what he would want to say, right? "I'll come in soon as I'm finished. Stay out here with me until then? This place is...nice...I don't want to go inside just yet."
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Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2016 9:34 pm
Anzu Munakata, the Blood Root of the Future
Anzu scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Tch. Took you long enough." A wolfish grin grew on her lips, eyes on his working form. Despite her words though, he had taken her by surprise. She supposed it shouldn't have had though...she had talked with Inigo about this place before. She wasn't one to share details about her past, but with Inigo, she felt like she could let go of her inhibitions and just lower her guard a bit. That he was here meant he remembered their talks and had figured she would be here in search for her parents. Well, that was good instinct, she'd give him that. "And what are you even talking about? I am great at everything I do. If I'd wanted to hide, you'd never find me." the white haired girl added confidently, winking at him, teasing.
It was easy to fall into the familiar back and forth of words with him. He was easy to talk to, his calmer personality complimenting her own brasher one quite nicely. They made a good team. At his comment about the forge looking lonely, Anzu couldn't help the little smile on her lips, shaking her head in defeat. "You are hopeless, Inigo." Despite the words, there was some fondness to her tone, and eyebrows arched in curiosity at his offer. "Oh, really now? Could you make cool gun? I am sure my dad would appreciate it." She looked at him from the corner of her eye, observing his reaction. She knew he was working on some kind of blade, and really she was just teasing...seeing what he'd say. Though...if he really put his mind on it...and knowing Inigo, he always did...Anzu was quite sure he could pull it off.
To his next words, the Munakata girl just smiled, a smile softer than her usual kind...but it was gone in a second, her characteristic grin returning. "It is a nice place, isn't it? Back home, this place was quiet and okay, compared to the rest of the world...but here...well, there's actually a soothing vibe to it, huh? With no Corruption and threats. Mom and Dad were really lucky to have found this place."
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