Prelude wrote:
The face of the bandit leader looked like it had been painted on the canvas of life by a painter who decided to smear out the paint in anger at the last minute, leaving it all to dry as it were. His face looked like it was melting, his skin continuously shifting on the surface yet never falling out of the edges that gave it actually shape. At least, that's how it looked like in the eyes of the Yokai in the middle of the bandits. The girl's psychosis had a way of playing tricks her perceptions of the world but to everyone else the man's face looked shaven and sharp. The strong jaw line, the piercing eyes of a hawk. The man was the leader for a reason. Ambitious, determined.
He had taken the girl under his wings, acting much like a father over the unusually beautiful creature. Like is often the case, a beautiful young girl in the middle of adult men often becomes the target of forbidden, lecherous thoughts crawling up from the crevices of Man's dark mind even if all is said in jest. But aside from the occasional exaggerated attention and persistent need to be embraced or have her hair caressed, the leader threatened to kill anyone dumb enough to try something funny. And all of them knew... This was not said in jest.
So it was that the Yokai grew up among bandits, now sitting in their middle to pick up their conversation.
"Tonight's going to be good.", the leader said, "This is going to be the haul of the month."
The men would grin, some would nod. A drink would be lifted in toast for good measure.
"Yeah, that man's loaded. Pockets full of ryo. Rumours have it if he loses a treasure chest he'd not even care. Makes so much in a single week he'd not even feel it."
"We'll make him feel it alright.", another chimed in under loud laughter. "Rob him of his chariots every time he passes by."
The leader would stand up and raise his goblet of wine, calling Akari to his side. She'd quietly obey, feeling his strong arm draping over her shoulder in a soft but steady embrace. As if she was his own daughter.
"Akari. Today's your first raid and it's going to be memorable. You'll be given the honours to keep that fat oaf busy while we deal with his guards. Feel free to express your artistry to your heart's content, child."
The crowd cheered for her. Joyful ambition. Acceptance. But Akari wanted to crawl under a rock by sheer discomfort. Such attention made her feel horrible, the girl preferring to stay in the shadows to escape any sort of acknowledgement of her existence. Not because the group had ever mistreated her, just... because. She could feel panic well up despite looking forward to unleash the terrors of her own mind upon a hapless victim, and crawled away from under his embrace. He'd let her be, watching from the corner of her eyes how she quickly created a full meter distance between the two of them. Mentally the leader would sigh, simply not understanding why she disliked being surrounded at this point, but on the surface he'd simply grin.
"Make it a masterful piece of art."
She'd nod. Nothing more. Not leaving the chance to uncomfortable silences, the bandit leader would continue to rouse the men as he expected the signal anytime now. Preparations would be made, anticipating the coming raid. Akari would take her headless bear, watching how its grey fur formed another pattern of symbols. Never did they hold anything of value. Just symbols in a language that made no sense. A language that only existed in her own mind, as if her psychosis tried to communicate with her in its own way.
Then came the real signal.
Then came the raid. The bandits moved in. Seven men, one little girl. All running towards the guarded chariot that was forced to a halt by a tree stump. A simple but efficient strategy. The men charged in to meet the resistance. Akari shuffled forward to her prey, left to her own. Embracing her own world. As if the whole world around her fell away, it looked like the chaos of the battle wasn't being registered. Arrows intended for the men flew by her unopposed in their trajectory. She'd reach the chariot, open the door and step in to sit on the couch opposing the man. A mixture of fear and confusion crossed his face, the man not anticipating a little girl to step inside. She didn't even look at him, eyes looking down with that sad expression of hers. Slow seconds ticked away. Seconds of complete silence.
"Imperfect World", she whispered just as he was about to open his mouth, her eyes gaining a dark red tint as her doujutsu activated and drew the man's gaze into her mind's nightmare.
The chariot started to melt as she had spoken the words. Surrealism. The door bending under an absent heat. The merchant panicked as he looked around, torn between escaping the chariot through the disappearing doors and staying put as he feared both the orders given by his guards and the visible effects of the heat. The girl that stepped inside looked different too. The celestial beauty revealing black pools of demonic power, her aura as inhumanely splendid as it was dark. Still not meeting his gaze, a malefic smile would appear on her face and with it the wood of the chariot seemed to push the window of the doors into a Cheshire cat's smile. He knew now. She was the devil in disguise. The man understood that all his corrupted business deals, his bribing and black mailing into power was what had lured her in. The devil had come to claim his soul as price for what he had taken from the world.
"I-I'm not ready! Please, give me some more time..."
But she said nothing. The smiling windows would droop into a frown of despair momentarily before they vanished, taking his chances to escape with them. All there was now was a slowly melting box of wood that would soon claim his life as it smothered him.
A fist would hit her hard in the face, breaking her concentration. He'd form hand seals and strike the man in front of her. Genjutsu Kai. She'd look at him in confusion. Why was the guard even alive? Where were the bandits? His angry glare would freeze her in place.
"What's the meaning of this, Yokai?"
She looked at him in confusion. He spoke to her as if she was not meant to do this. The puzzled look on her face mellowed his attitude just a little as he understood she was genuine about her confusion.
"Were you sent by your clan or are you doing this on your own accord?"
She still didn't get it. Clan? Own accord? Had he not seen her with the bandits? Was he misunderstanding the whole deal? Her persistent silence would irk him.
"You know what, never mind this. I'll be bringing you in."
Then all went black as the man knocked her out with a single strike...
Memories I
Ulfric- Posts : 168
Join date : 2018-09-12
Character File
Skills & Elements: Nin, Fuin -- Earth
Class: D
Ryo:
Ulfric- Posts : 168
Join date : 2018-09-12
Character File
Skills & Elements: Nin, Fuin -- Earth
Class: D
Ryo:
With a swollen cheek and a pout on her face, Akari was sitting on a chair on the other side of the desk. Her hands were bound behind her back and onto the chair, the perfect bind for an untrained kid as her. She was no shinobi, unlike the man sitting on the other side of the desk. A frown of annoyance, deep brown eyes looking down on her rife with disappointment. He too was seated, arms crossed in front of a dossier. The interrogation of a caught culprit. Her, that no good kid torturing merchants during a raid.
"Your name?"
She'd only pout at him, turning her head in defiance until his thunderous voice boomed through the room as he repeated the question. She jumped up, wincing, trying hard to not to burst into tears.
"A-Akari"
"No last name?"
"Yominikui."
He casually lifted the flap of the dossier before him. A blank sheet. Just her picture, no information. The reason for his annoyance. To him, she was clearly one of the Yokai that had settled in Kumogakure but the Kumogakure forces held not the slightest of information about her. He scribbled her name on the paper. Too many blank fields to his liking.
"Age?"
She vehemently refused answering again and the man lifted an eyebrow. Wincing at the thought of being yelled at again, she spoke up.
"I don't know"
"What do you mean, I don't know?"
Her head drooped as she heard him complain about her reply. She couldn't help it though. She had been raised by bandits and left to her own at a later point. Birthdays had not been part of her life.
"I. Don't. Know", she repeated her answer.
"Fine. Where do you live?"
"In the forest."
"Why aren't you with your kin?"
"My kin?"
Her confused expression left little to doubt that she had no idea what he was talking about. She was a monster by herself. There were no others like her as far as she knew.
"The Yokai, kid."
"What's a Yokai?"
"Are you kidding me?"
She shot him daggers, puffing up her cheek again.
"The Yokai are humanoids, with horns. Some are pale, black eyed, frail looking and have wings. Just like you."
Akari wasn't sure what to do with that information. Did she had to be happy that she was not alone any longer? Not the only monster? Or did she had to shrug her shoulder since they were not part of her life?
"I'll see one of those visits you sooner or later. In the meantime, let's proceed. You obviously used genjutsu, what else do you know?"
"Genjutsu?"
"Don't act dumb."
"I'm not acting!", she shouted, growing tired of him questioning every of her answer. He sighed deeply.
"You did something to the merchant, did you not?"
"Maybe...", she said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
"Your face says enough. What you did to him was genjutsu. You caught his mind in an illusion."
"You don't even know what I did."
"People caught in a genjutsu have glazed eyes, like they are dreaming. That's how we can tell."
The yokai blinked. Was that really happening when she projected her nightmares? If such was the case, she understood why other bandits had been able to scold or beat her for sharing her surreal vision. It had eventually taught her to use her genjutsu when no one was around so as to remain undisturbed. Thinking about it... They were alone now.
"I see.", she said. "So as long as no one else is around I'll be fine."
Before he realised what she had meant, her genjutsu had trapped him as the 'galaxy' of stars in her black pools gleamed red and projected her 'Imperfect World' technique. The door and the table would melt away, leaving him trapped forever with the demonic kid he was interrogating. For a moment he'd look about him, confusion visible as he tried to figure out what was happening but his experienced mind quickly pieced the puzzle together. The surrealism would shatter as the shinobi interrogator Kai'd himself out of the genjutsu.
"You...", from across the table, his hand would hit her cheek hard, colouring it red in the process. "Such childish tricks won't work."
Tears welled up from her eyes in response to the pain, the blue flames inherent to her active doujutsu licking the tears away and evaporating them in the process.
"You are definitely a yokai."
And with those words he'd stand up and leave the room.
"Your name?"
She'd only pout at him, turning her head in defiance until his thunderous voice boomed through the room as he repeated the question. She jumped up, wincing, trying hard to not to burst into tears.
"A-Akari"
"No last name?"
"Yominikui."
He casually lifted the flap of the dossier before him. A blank sheet. Just her picture, no information. The reason for his annoyance. To him, she was clearly one of the Yokai that had settled in Kumogakure but the Kumogakure forces held not the slightest of information about her. He scribbled her name on the paper. Too many blank fields to his liking.
"Age?"
She vehemently refused answering again and the man lifted an eyebrow. Wincing at the thought of being yelled at again, she spoke up.
"I don't know"
"What do you mean, I don't know?"
Her head drooped as she heard him complain about her reply. She couldn't help it though. She had been raised by bandits and left to her own at a later point. Birthdays had not been part of her life.
"I. Don't. Know", she repeated her answer.
"Fine. Where do you live?"
"In the forest."
"Why aren't you with your kin?"
"My kin?"
Her confused expression left little to doubt that she had no idea what he was talking about. She was a monster by herself. There were no others like her as far as she knew.
"The Yokai, kid."
"What's a Yokai?"
"Are you kidding me?"
She shot him daggers, puffing up her cheek again.
"The Yokai are humanoids, with horns. Some are pale, black eyed, frail looking and have wings. Just like you."
Akari wasn't sure what to do with that information. Did she had to be happy that she was not alone any longer? Not the only monster? Or did she had to shrug her shoulder since they were not part of her life?
"I'll see one of those visits you sooner or later. In the meantime, let's proceed. You obviously used genjutsu, what else do you know?"
"Genjutsu?"
"Don't act dumb."
"I'm not acting!", she shouted, growing tired of him questioning every of her answer. He sighed deeply.
"You did something to the merchant, did you not?"
"Maybe...", she said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
"Your face says enough. What you did to him was genjutsu. You caught his mind in an illusion."
"You don't even know what I did."
"People caught in a genjutsu have glazed eyes, like they are dreaming. That's how we can tell."
The yokai blinked. Was that really happening when she projected her nightmares? If such was the case, she understood why other bandits had been able to scold or beat her for sharing her surreal vision. It had eventually taught her to use her genjutsu when no one was around so as to remain undisturbed. Thinking about it... They were alone now.
"I see.", she said. "So as long as no one else is around I'll be fine."
Before he realised what she had meant, her genjutsu had trapped him as the 'galaxy' of stars in her black pools gleamed red and projected her 'Imperfect World' technique. The door and the table would melt away, leaving him trapped forever with the demonic kid he was interrogating. For a moment he'd look about him, confusion visible as he tried to figure out what was happening but his experienced mind quickly pieced the puzzle together. The surrealism would shatter as the shinobi interrogator Kai'd himself out of the genjutsu.
"You...", from across the table, his hand would hit her cheek hard, colouring it red in the process. "Such childish tricks won't work."
Tears welled up from her eyes in response to the pain, the blue flames inherent to her active doujutsu licking the tears away and evaporating them in the process.
"You are definitely a yokai."
And with those words he'd stand up and leave the room.
Ulfric- Posts : 168
Join date : 2018-09-12
Character File
Skills & Elements: Nin, Fuin -- Earth
Class: D
Ryo:
A couple of hours had passed when a tall man entered the room. Lithe, dressed in regal robes, the man was of a different stature than the interrogator she had met first. The black horns curling around his face, the eternity captured in those black eyes, his snow white skin. The way his skin pretty much stuck to his bones, leaving him the image of a gaunt monstrosity was so striking that the child's idea of escaping as soon as the door opened had melted like snow under the sun.
The door closed behind him and regally he took his place on the seat opposite to hers, noticing instantly she had untied her hands out of the ropes that had bound her. Saying nothing of it, his gaze would glide over her body to seize her up before they rested on the curious and uncertain expression her face revealed.
"Ten years, at most."
"W-what?"
"You can't be older than ten years."
His fingers entwined with each other, hands resting on the table. The yokai expressed a calm aura that seemed to absorb all warmth around him, leaving only the morbid chill of the void to be experienced.
"I heard they found you in the forest all by yourself. How did you end there, Akari?"
"I was born there."
"What an unfortunate fate. You must have felt lonely."
She could feel tears prick up again. Lonely was the right word, but not even half of what she had felt throughout the years.
"As you can see, you are not the only person looking the way you do. Our kin are called yokai. We are of demonic heritage, our monstrous appearance remembering the terrors humans have suffered in their darkest times."
"So what?"
He'd pause a moment, his sharp mind analysing her and understanding quickly she held little interest in what was.
"Not one for lore, I see. What I mean to say is, there is a lot of potential within you. If you wish I can show you the hidden power of your eyes, teach you how to properly develop them and offer you the opportunity to reach new heights in your chosen abilities. You'd live with us in the compound, no longer alone and shunned."
"I-I don't know...", she said. The nine year old kid had a dire need to be guided and feel safe under the protective wing of someone else, but it was too good to be true. She distrusted the elder image of her own appearance, the shinobi with the ability to break her torment and the small room she was trapped in.
"What if I showed you where we lived first? Then you can decide for yourself. Is that an acceptable offer?"
"And if I don't want to stay...?"
"I'd find it unfortunate to lose one of our own but if you'd prefer to a life of solitude in the forest there is little I can do to stop you."
Putting it like that... Akari averted her gaze, not really wanting to return to loneliness yet neither did she feel comfortable being among strangers that willingly welcomed her the way this man did.
"Promise?"
"You have my word."
Seeing no losses nor restrictions any longer, she'd nod in acceptance to his offer and as such he wrapped his long, spindly arm around her shoulder. The long sleeves of his robes covered her like a cloak, the two stepping outside the room.
"Let's go home then."
[EXIT]
Learning: Imperfect World (D-rank)
The door closed behind him and regally he took his place on the seat opposite to hers, noticing instantly she had untied her hands out of the ropes that had bound her. Saying nothing of it, his gaze would glide over her body to seize her up before they rested on the curious and uncertain expression her face revealed.
"Ten years, at most."
"W-what?"
"You can't be older than ten years."
His fingers entwined with each other, hands resting on the table. The yokai expressed a calm aura that seemed to absorb all warmth around him, leaving only the morbid chill of the void to be experienced.
"I heard they found you in the forest all by yourself. How did you end there, Akari?"
"I was born there."
"What an unfortunate fate. You must have felt lonely."
She could feel tears prick up again. Lonely was the right word, but not even half of what she had felt throughout the years.
"As you can see, you are not the only person looking the way you do. Our kin are called yokai. We are of demonic heritage, our monstrous appearance remembering the terrors humans have suffered in their darkest times."
"So what?"
He'd pause a moment, his sharp mind analysing her and understanding quickly she held little interest in what was.
"Not one for lore, I see. What I mean to say is, there is a lot of potential within you. If you wish I can show you the hidden power of your eyes, teach you how to properly develop them and offer you the opportunity to reach new heights in your chosen abilities. You'd live with us in the compound, no longer alone and shunned."
"I-I don't know...", she said. The nine year old kid had a dire need to be guided and feel safe under the protective wing of someone else, but it was too good to be true. She distrusted the elder image of her own appearance, the shinobi with the ability to break her torment and the small room she was trapped in.
"What if I showed you where we lived first? Then you can decide for yourself. Is that an acceptable offer?"
"And if I don't want to stay...?"
"I'd find it unfortunate to lose one of our own but if you'd prefer to a life of solitude in the forest there is little I can do to stop you."
Putting it like that... Akari averted her gaze, not really wanting to return to loneliness yet neither did she feel comfortable being among strangers that willingly welcomed her the way this man did.
"Promise?"
"You have my word."
Seeing no losses nor restrictions any longer, she'd nod in acceptance to his offer and as such he wrapped his long, spindly arm around her shoulder. The long sleeves of his robes covered her like a cloak, the two stepping outside the room.
"Let's go home then."
[EXIT]
Learning: Imperfect World (D-rank)