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Post by Relairah on Sept 13, 2011 11:47:38 GMT -6
 It was night, the midst thereof. The sky was clear of any sign of future or present precipitation and thus the stars shown down brightly, twinkling and perhaps even murmuring whispered secrets to any who might have an ear tuned to their voices. It was warm, though pleasant, a light breeze starting up and dancing among the foliage. At the peak of the heavens, and brightest of all shown the full moon, reflected in the mirror around a certain creature's chest.
She sat upon a lower branch of one of the trees lining this particular field. Her fair bare feet were crossed at the ankles, her legs swinging back and forth in a slow, easy motion. One hand rested on the tree itself, her face tilted upward. She was a pretty thing, her body clearly a woman, especially enhanced by her slender features, and accented by her dress, white and hugging her neck with a 'v' shape just above her chest. Just below it was a small hand-mirror, hanging from her neck on silvery chains. Her eyes were white so that she might seem blind to a passer-by, and her long, straight hair was tied back. Visible only on her arms and face and disappearing down her neck were silver markings, curled this way and that.
Such a pleasant night. A peaceful setting. A harmless sort of feeling. Oh but the irony for the mischief which she could instigate. Nevertheless she gave no such indication now, only appeared innocent as a naive girl upon the world for the first time. There was a small human village not too far off hidden within the trees somewhere. Anyone might assume she was one of the young maidens off on her lonesome for a time. Except she clearly wasn't human...
Who knew what sort of night this could be. |
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Post by Kikuyoshi on Sept 13, 2011 23:17:37 GMT -6
Hand blown glass wind chimes rang out into the quiet of the night air, mixing with the rushing whispers from the tall blades of grass surrounding the small village. Every one of them was sleeping, stilled by the coming of night and the twilight hours it was at this moment. Innocent families mostly, groups that cared for one another and shared with one another in so many different ways.
Farmers mostly....save for one.
An outcast doing his best to fit in among the people that made up this little place; a strange face that shared no relation to anyone else around these parts and had his clothing not bore the insignia of the town, one could easily pass him for a trader or wanderer.
Gently the flaps of a white trench coat trailed behind him, snapping at his ankles while he moved otherwise silently through the town. A shadow despite the brightness of his jacket and moving with a mission of sorts out and away from the village.
His hair was tied back today, thick strands of onyx all bound neatly at the base of his neck save for a few straggling bangs. Of which continued to find their way into his face.
Somber as always, he would have been easier on the eyes if he smiled just a little. As it was, at least now he bore no look other than that of the peace of the night and the illusion that he was indeed alone... for now.
Out into the middle of nowhere he continued; wading through the tall grasses until he reached a man-made clearing of sorts. A crude zen garden...if you cared to call it that.
Either way, it was here that he slowed, and then stopped, his hands moving to either side of him and removing the coat meticulously. He folded it gently, setting it aside as though it were precious to him before he would then remove his shirt....to which this article of clothing he threw off ot the side without so much as batting an eyelash.
From his back, just at the waist now, he slowly drew out two weapons; shorter swords, one in either hand. Blue-green eyes closed as he exhaled slowly through his nose, the muscles in his arms and shoulders twitching just under the slightly scarred skin he was showing off.
With no clear cut starting signal, it would've been a surprise to see him suddenly move, his actions fluid and strong. His footing was secure despite the weird layout of the spot he had chosen, balanced up on a set of rocks. With a sweeping motion, his arms arced upward and then came down in a rush; a swooshing noise produced from slicing through the gales of air that blew so calmly tonight.
It was in this way that he practiced; the style more of a dance than anything deadly or threatening. A meditation....and his way of celebrating the night and this beautiful moon....oblivious for now of the womanly figure who sat in a tree so close by.
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Post by Relairah on Sept 15, 2011 23:29:25 GMT -6
The night was always full of surprises. This one would be no exception, it seemed. The breeze ruffled the grasses, but there was another sound disturbing the foliage, the steady motion of footsteps, though soon it died as though the person had either stopped or found different ground than dirt.
She shifted her gaze, turning from the moon toward the sound, ears twitching. She found him easily, the night sky's lights illuminating his figure. Mmm... he was a tasty looking one, or so the thought passed through her mind. She decided to remain silently for a moment, simply to observe him. Oh, it was obvious he was skilled and practiced, even disciplined one might say. His swords gleamed and sliced through the air this way and that.
“A fine night to practice one’s abilities… wouldn’t you say?” She paused, “And you are exceptional.”
A smile touched her lips, though she remained upon her branch, not feeling the need to move toward him yet. Besides, she thought the sound of her voice might startle him – if so, she wouldn’t want to be too close to the blades he wielded.
She did reach up to pull at a strand of white hair caught on her lip and push it aside, letting it fall behind her, curious for his response. |
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Post by Kikuyoshi on Sept 19, 2011 13:39:41 GMT -6
His body pivoted in a circle, strong arms bringing the blade up in a wide arc before effortlessly swinging it downward; the air slicing with a clean swoosh at the sound of another's voice.
At first he didn't respond at all, his focus on the blade in his hands as he ran two fingers along the backside of it, flipped it and returned it to it's sheath, his breath slowly exhaled through his mouth.
Only then did he lift those bright teal eyes toward the sound of somone in the trees...a place of perch that wasn't exactly uncommon at least to him when it came to finding someone.
"A fine night indeed." All senses were on alert; a pretty face didn't mean a pretty motive for being out so late. And did she know the way of the sword? Or had his footwork been nothing but a fancy dance to her? The assassin in him wanted to know more; wished to drill out information until there was no doubt she wasn't here simply for trouble.
He ignored such instincts.
"I apologize if i woke you...perhaps i should find a different place in the future to practice." His voice was gentlemanly, though his eyes were sharp to pick up on the subtle details that she wasn't exactly a villager. More information he was hungry for but refused to follow through on.
((sorry for taking a bit of time there x.x; work got rather busy ><; )) |
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Post by Relairah on Sept 19, 2011 14:47:09 GMT -6
OoC: It's all good XD I totally understand, trust me lol
iC:
Such grace and control. How he simply brought everything into his practice as one fluid motion - as if all was ordinary and he was hardly surprised by anyone else's presence.
At last, he turned his gaze upon her, and she noticed his eyes, it adding a whole new part to his appearance. She could think of many she had met in times past who would fall head over heals for those eyes. But would such be foolish without getting to know him first? Such thoughts were pushed from her mind. Petty, silly things were far from her focus and intentions.
"Not at all," she responded gently. "I was already awake. It is nice to observe someone with such skill for a change. Someone who could perhaps bite harder than they bark."
She leaped down from the branch on which she sat, the motion graceful and fluid in her own right, and landed in the grasses. "Would I be incorrect to say you have put a great amount of effort and devotion into your blades?" |
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Post by Kikuyoshi on Sept 19, 2011 15:18:22 GMT -6
Her beauty was not wasted on him; hair and markings as pale as the moonlight that sent its glow down upon them this night. Delicate. Smooth. Like snow...that was what he was reminded of. And yet he found himself not at ease with any of it....such traits had fooled him all too easily in the past.
Yet no matter his suspicions, his outward appearance remained calm, his heart rate even....though his eyes now watched her like a hawk the second her foot touched the ground.
His lip twitched in the faintest of smiles at her passing comment; her own way of digging up information. Two curious creatures in the night; it had been some time since he had delt with similar circumstances.
"I tend not to bark all that often." He couldn't say the same for a previous companion of his however, somewhat greatful in that thought that he had left him on his own.
"They say for some men, the sword they carry is an outward extension of the soul. You may consider this when you look at mine." That was all he would say on the matter for the moment; two strangers should not so casually exchange information of their weapons or style...let alone history.
And Aoshi's history was one he didn't share lightly even with close companions.
"I would ask your name," He paused, switching topics. "If you would give it?" He bent down, picking up the shirt he had tossed earlier and threw it over a bare shoulder. "As for me, Aoshi will suffice." Even among enemies, should she turn out to be one, knowing names was important. At least, he made it a point now to be important.
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Post by Relairah on Sept 19, 2011 23:12:37 GMT -6
OoC: Omg! When I read the bark comment I literally busted out laughing thinking of Tobias. Since he's based off Inuyasha and all... LOL! And then I got a random image of Inuyasha 'barking' something in my head XDD lmao!
iC:
So... he was a man of few words, then? She wasn't surprised. Everything about his demeanor suggested it. That was fine with her. Particularly at this time of night, she would much rather share the company of someone with some sort of self-reserve than someone who wouldn't shut up.
He mentioned a correlation between a sword and a soul. How ironic, she thought to herself... his talk of his soul. And of her looking into it. Ah, but they weren't anywhere near that yet. They were strangers, and with their reserve in their own right, who could truly see the other's soul, right?
She smiled once again, thinking she might respond when he changed topics. She watched him as he bent to pick up his shirt and slung it over his shoulder. Aoshi, he said. She hadn't heard the name before. But it was nice to put an identity to him. Perhaps if conversation continued, it would make things more pleasant. "Edreiah," she replied. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Aoshi."
She would move toward him easily, her movements continually graceful, as though she danced in even the simplest of ways. A pale hand was extended toward him, a formal way of the humans she had often seen. For some reason, she felt it was appropriate.
"Tell me, Aoshi. How familiar are you with the lands?" She paused. "Perhaps we might venture and learn a bit more?" What exactly she meant by that was up for him to decide - whether it was the lands or each other. In any case, she made a sweeping gesture with her arm, away from the village nearby. |
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Post by Kikuyoshi on Sept 22, 2011 13:39:34 GMT -6
The wind picked up, swishing the blades of tall grass around them to create a song of it's own. It tousled his hair to fly in front of his face as he regarded Edreiah silently, making no move to brush aside the stray strands.
She was like water and air mixed together with the way she moved....and he wondered if perhaps by the end of this if he would not suffocate and drown.
He took up her hand, barely feeling it through the callouses on his own. That alone, if she knew anything of practice and the dance of a sword, would tell her just how frequently he used the tool at his side.
Raising it in greeting, he dipped his head ever so slightly but did not take his eyes from her. Still so cautious...his instincts would not allow it.
"I have been here...a while." No sense in putting a time frame to it. He paused then, wondering how much he should tell her....that as far as traveling went, he knew more than he wanted to let on. That and to take off in the middle of the night with a strange woman....he almost smiled.
"And you Edreiah....tell me, how often is it you steal away men in the middle of the night?" He mused quietly, but bent down and threw on the long trench coat of his anyway. Hardly a man to turn down such an inviting offer.
"Lead on..."
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Post by Relairah on Sept 23, 2011 12:51:33 GMT -6
He accepted the handshake, briefly, and even that small gesture revealed something more about him. How true, indeed, that they sought to know more about the other while trying to keep themselves a secret. For now.
If he had been here a while, he perhaps knew this land as well as she did. Maybe even better. Instead, she focused on his musings. A smile decorated her lips and a slight chuckle escaped her. "It is not often I encounter men, I must say, so I suppose your answer would be hardly, if that."
Her words were true, although she failed to mention it was because she spent most of her time as a wolf. And as such, she had a much higher number of those she encountered and tried to bond a trust with. But Aoshi had used the word 'men', thus that was how she answered his question.
He told her to lead on, and thus she did, stepping easily through the grasses. Her pale dress trailed behind her, and soon she once more entered the tree line, though the field nearby was visible to them still. Even if her back turned toward him, she remained alert, her instincts aware. She didn't think he would try anything - she had given him no reason thus far to desire her death. But even so, she was a bit cautious.
"I wonder, Aoshi, if there are things which you desire," she said, glancing at him as she moved. "I suppose if one were to ask me something of that nature, I wouldn't know quite how to respond. At least right off..." |
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Post by Kikuyoshi on Oct 4, 2011 2:43:24 GMT -6
((sorry again for the wait x.x; hopefully i'll be more consistent now n.n; Thanks for being patient with me lol <3 ))
"Isn't there always something one desires?" He retorted calmly enough, his steps falling into place just behind her, watching as she moved so delicately. "If one lost the will of desire; wouldn't there be nothing left to motivate? I hardly think a goal is worth achieving without wanting to get there in the first place." To some degree....there were always things in this world that one might not care to do but found it a necessity.
He remained silent for a while after speaking however, moving through the lands with her without saying a word nor offering anything on his face to hint at what he was thinking about.
"If you want specifics....my desires are nothing short of what most men might want." At least most of them....most men, Aoshi supposed, did not lead the life he once had. Nor hold the burden of regret quite like he did.
"Why ask?" Was she a desire demon? He knew without a doubt she was hardly human. But she hardly encountered men....which contradicted the theory of her being a being of lust or desire. Curiosity kept him with her, wondering what out of this she sought. A simple companion was something he rather doubted whole heartedly.
His thoughts were jarred however when his hand reached out in a jolt, attempting to ensnare hers into stopping her from moving forward. His eyes were trained on a single spot in the grass, his free hand drawing out his blade in a single motion to drop the tip of it into the ground right before her feet and raise it back up again quick as you please. An ugly snapping sound would crack the air as a trap snapped it's jaws shut inches away from her.
He said nothing on it, rather he would release his hand from her arm assuming he had gotten a hold of it, and returned his weapon to it's proper resting place once more, shooting her a glance before he then spoke. "Forgive me for grabbing....there simply wasn't time for words...."
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Post by Relairah on Oct 4, 2011 23:15:53 GMT -6
How true his words were of the need for goals, desires, motivations in the life in order to move forward. Her face was solemn a moment, showing her contemplation. "Indeed," she said softly, "everyone has a need for drive." A reason why she had asked his. But there was more to it than that, yes. He was perceptive, though she could not read his thoughts, and thus didn't know them.
She glanced toward him once more when he spoke of specifics, although gave none in actuality. She would have pressed, but he questioned her. She smiled, "Perhaps curiosity. I suppose in truth, I could have asked it in a different manner... I-" she stopped when she felt his hand on her arm and looked forward, his movements swift and adequate. Oh, he most certainly knew what he was doing, didn't he? She silently scolded herself. Usually, she would have noticed such things in the forest. Particularly here.
It had been a very long time since such physical contact had occurred upon her person, though. Of course they had shaken hands before, but that was different. She had even felt the brush of his coat and the wind from his movements, though brief had rippled across her dress. She was surprised, yes, perhaps moreso by the brief stutter in her heart. Of course put on by the occurrence.
He released her and apologized. She shook her head, a smile once more decorating her lips. "Hardly. Such a gentleman to protect me, even at a cautious distance." She paused. "Thank you, Aoshi."
She dwelled no further on the matter, but stepped forward once more, making her way deeper into the trees. Soon, the sound of moving water echoed, and finally they would reach a small lake, the ripples glistening in the moonlight, its source a stream close by. She stopped, letting the breeze which arose dance about her figure.
She stepped forward once more, bending to tap the surface of the water with her finger and watching the effects. "It's always amazing to me, that water is not alive, but it moves. It cannot see, but it reveals truth in its reflection, though distorted by ripples. It reveals secrets of one's self. Though its depths are dark and murky, it reflects light. It can be the cause of death. But such beauty to behold." She looked up, and rose once again. "Don't you think?" she questioned, turning and meeting his gaze.
OoC: It's all good, lub XD I totally understand. Just do whatever in your own time ^^ *is all excited* lol |
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Post by Kikuyoshi on Oct 9, 2011 19:22:35 GMT -6
A cautious distance. Yes, he supposed that's what he was doing right now. Certainly he had kept others far less suspicious and possibly dangerous at the same arm's length this whole time he sought out a new life and way of living.
He only nodded at her thanks, a simple gesture mostly because he didn't want her reading too much into it. Maybe he himself didn't want to read too much into it.
Time passed lazily it seemed, the night stretching out before them with wide open arms. Leaves shook in the trees above them, his eyes flitting across their branches as though weary of what might be lurking in their depths. Nothing most likely...but then again, Edreiah had appeared within the branches of one hadn't she.
Apparently he was good at meeting people who liked to linger in branches.
The sound of rushing water caused him to tilt his head, those blue-green eyes watching curiously as she toyed with the clear flowing liquid, her words almost poetic as she let her fingers dabble.
"Like life." He replied simply, though his gaze held with the moving water and the ripples that were being cast from her fingers. His expression was unreadable, but clearly distant as his mind got swept up in the slowly churning current. "Beauty and troubling..." His voice murmured slowly.
Though he didn't stay in such a state for long, it was the snap of his trench coat in a passing breeze that made him refocus on the world and it's happenings now, a small smile flitting across his features.
"Where is it exactly you have in mind of exploring til?" Anything too far outside of the lines of the village and he might actually have to start worrying about running into faces of his past. Not to say that wouldn't be interesting.....but he hardly figured Edreiah would find his former lifestyle and possibly foes as entertaining as he might.
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Post by Relairah on Oct 11, 2011 23:25:11 GMT -6
She gazed upon his face as he spoke, reading his eyes and expression. Though he gave no indication to his emotions, his thoughts were still somewhat clear. And she was quite a perceptive being when it came to reading others. At least for the most part. She smiled back slightly, leaving his words about the water.. and life.. unanswered.
Instead, she focused on his question. "No further than this, Aoshi," she responded simply. It was true. She had meant only to come to the water source. Though she was finding herself with conflicting feelings. On one hand was her nature underlying, and on the other was her curiosity and desire to further know this man. And not by her usual method. By the method which she had observed in others so often in her years.
Perhaps she could hold off her the will of her soul for a while longer.
She stepped back slightly from the edge and gestured toward the surface. "When you look in the waters, Aoshi, what is it you see?" She paused, glancing at him briefly, and then at the waters once more.
"Many say only their reflection. Some see much deeper things. Reflections of their memories dancing before them. Ideas of desired futures... perhaps even deeper parts of themselves."
After another pause, "I see many things..." she murmured softly. |
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Post by Kikuyoshi on Oct 16, 2011 13:59:26 GMT -6
Again sorry for taking so long.....emergency came up at work, my co-manager got hit by a car and injured(she's fine and well on the way to recovery now!) and i've had to take over full management of the store, meaning right now i'm working every week pretty much 8-9 hour shifts with only one day off x.x; We're hoping it'll slow down for me around the 25, but it really depends on her condition and what she thinks she can do when she actually comes back!
He was no fool....one simply didn't drag a stranger out into the middle of nowhere and simply ask them what their opinion of said flowing water before them was. And then simply part ways?
He couldn't come up with one instance in which something like that might have happened. Everyone had their reasons for doing what they did; and Edreiah had had his nerves tingling ever since she first approached.
And what were his own reasons for going with her? A part of him that he didn't entirely wish to indulge suggested that he yearned for the life out here in the wilds once more. That he wasn't suited to be a "family" man and waste away in a small village.
And yet a part of him yearned for such a life.
Only a small flicker of hesitation would betray him in those teal eyes of his, a sliver of an indication to the turmoil and inner struggle of his soul in that passing thought. It didn't last long.
"I see renewal." He stated simply enough, his eyes cast on the moving water of the river, only to snap up to Edreiah's face. "Always moving, no matter how many times one might glance at it, they'll never actually see the same river twice. Constantly changing, shifting into something different than it was two seconds ago."
He paused, wetting his lips with his tongue, his thumb brushing against the head of the handle of his sword. "But such is a small facet to the things i see....there is no one answer for me. Possibilities are endless....and if you care to know, I'm the sort of man that doesn't like to leave any path unexplored."
He shifted, his eyes not having left her at all during his conversation. "I wonder at what it is you see....and yet if this is where it is that we travel no further together, i have no need for that answer." He dipped his head ever so slightly.
"That being said, i should thank you. Follow or linger Edreiah ...I've no more need for the village you found me in." He turned, the dramatic swoosh of his coat following after him. "Like the river, i will seek a new path."
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Post by Relairah on Oct 19, 2011 9:16:17 GMT -6
OoC: Oh snap DX well it's all good! I totally understand. Good luck and stuffs... I hope she gets better soon too... yikes e.e
iC:
She listened to every word he spoke, her ears in tune to the meaning behind them. In one way, it seemed he provided the answer as something to suffice... something to answer her without doing as she bid him. But on the other hand, it seemed perfectly honest. A true peek into his soul. He turned, as though to leave her.
She waited a moment, standing there, and finally released a sigh. "Aoshi..." she said softly. What was it about this man that was so different from others she had met? It drove her curiosity everywhere. But then again, wasn't he just the same as anyone else before her? Should she tell him just from what he had shared with her, she could see more into his soul than others might suggest? Or, should she merely carry out the will of her own soul?
On one hand, she yearned to discover what would happen should she do the latter. But this man had not wronged her nor carried out anything against her. She was not evil, and she didn't want to impose anything upon him he did not wish for himself.
He spoke of change, of endless possibilities. Yes, he was correct to assume that she had not lured him here for the mere purpose of discussing water. No, it was much deeper than that. Even by looking in the water's depths for a moment, she had glimpsed more than enough to answer the question, answer in a way he maybe didn't realize he had without words.
But what would he do? She knew he would decide for himself, wander here, there, figuring out his own purpose. But anything could tip the balance either way. Indeed... so many paths.
"What if I were to release the inner desires of your soul?" she questioned. It was soft as velvet on her lips, but the words were meant to drive an answer. "Perhaps if only for a taste of what it is you truly seek..." she ended, and waited.
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