tampered | Log; Ongoing

Log; Ongoing

When; Shortly after Naaza's arrival
Rating; Hmm -- going to be safe and put it at PG-13 for now. Violence? Will update if things change.
Characters; Naaza and Kayura
Summary; Kayura sets out to teach Naaza about the City and set him straight on certain things.
Log;
Such preposterous words! Naaza had half the mind to wonder if the woman heard what she sounded like, the way she spoke to him. Thin lips pursed in a slight sneer, and he huffed a small breath. Ground scuffled underneath his feet, sandals shuffling as he paced right, then left, back, and forth. Waiting. Waiting. Ready to strike.

He hadn't yet donned his yoroi -- no need at the present moment -- so stood, in dark green hakama and casual brown kimono...What he had been wearing while he had been prepping for the battle to come -- before he had been snatched up and taken away here...Wherever here was. He was stuck on it being some vile illusion, quite steadfast in that opinion.

Heavy eyelids sunk in a slow blink, beady eyes narrowed at his surroundings. Such odd architecture. Darkness. Flashing lights. The skin of his nose wrinkled up. An exceedingly detailed illusion, yes...

But he wouldn't let himself be fooled.

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Every way she looked at the situation it only looked more and worse. The headache pounding away at her head was not helping the matter either. Pacing the room for a minute while the two cats mewed, watching curiously with tails high in the air, they both jumped in the air suddenly when the woman slammed her fist against the wall.

"Dammit!"

She ran her fingers through her hair, a growl of frustration passing from her lips. Naaza knew nothing of the final battle - it was as if it never happened for him at all! But it had to have - She was proof of that as it was! And yet his threatening words rang bells of familiarity. It was the old Masho that had sworn loyalty to Arago. With him like that there was no possible way she could allow him to roam the city, not without her watching. Who knew what he would do the people... well, actually, she did know. And she much rather preferred to prevent any of it from happening.

Without another word Kayura took hold of the Staff of the Ancient from it's display perch on the mantel in the apartment living room. The moment it was in her hands, she drew in a deep breath and was gone in the blink of an eye.

Had someone actually been there to blink, however, in the next blink she would have appeared once more in the heart of the City. Wherever Naaza was her best chance of finding him was to start from here. It was the prime spot for her to trace his energy.

Edited 2008-02-08 05:55 (UTC)

Naaza could be patient. Sometimes. It all really depended on what state of mind he was in -- however more often than not it was easier for him to fall to impatience. Those petty words, and where was she now? Pale hands raked through dark green hair, brushing bangs out of his face. After the gesture, his hands fell downwards to grasp the hilt of his main katana -- fingers curling about the snake-headed pommel.

He was tired of waiting, silly women. All talk and then they take their sweet time to get to you. Dark eyes narrowed, and he continued his pacing...Keeping himself moving with slow, deliberate footsteps.

He watched the cityscape around him, lips pursed into a thin line.

The crowds of people did little to detour her from her goal in mind. Muttering apologies on the occasions that she bumped into someone in her hurry her mind was on the alert for any sign of Naaza.

There were some conflicting energy signals - so many people of different powers thrived in this City, even the deities had such strong levels that it had only made her wonder if Arago could have stood a chance against them. With help from the staff as a walking stick she jumped effortlessly on the edge of the fountain to gain better view.

Naaza, where are you...

His presence was faint in the back of her mind. She gripped the staff as the rings chimed, focusing everything on finding him. He was somewhere around here... Vanishing from sight and reappearing farther from the center her eyes darted left to right, then left again. When she saw not a familiar head of green hair she was gone again and found somewhere else.

Upper jaw ground against lower, teeth gritting softly as his lips splayed into a rather displeased expression. His hands left the hilt of his sword, and adjust the kimono about his body. Waiting games, waiting games...

Naaza was not in the mood to wait, not now.

Sandals crunched against the earth beneath him, as he started to approach the circular line of buildings that made the central part of the city. Closer, and closer still -- but what was that...

A noise made him stop -- the familiar jingling of metal rings -- he couldn't forget that sound, that traitorous noise. Silly Shuten, falling to the wayside in the grasp of such a clan.

He paused -- head lowered, focusing on the noise as if to pinpoint the direction it came from. His eyes narrowed, and he gripped his sword pommel.

"Oh Kayura~ little Kayura, have you brought friends~?" He practically mumbled to himself, a small lopsided grin slowly creeping onto his features.

There.

There it was. A ping in her thoughts, a familiar feeling that made her skin crawl. The darkness she had escaped from long ago was here once more. Naaza was close by. She just knew it.

Ducking through the crowds, the rings of the Staff chiming louder than before as she moved with grace. "Naaza, you had best not have done anything.." They were words whispered to herself but still a threat that she would repeat in his presence if he dared to draw a sword against her or anyone else. And in that she knew he would.

When the pulsing energy was strong enough she vanished one final time and came to view just meters from where Naaza was.

"Oh, there you are," He mused, when she came into sight -- body weight shifting as he turned to face her...Head slowly canting to the side, heavy eyelids drooping as he squinted at her.

"Took your time, did you~? Afraid, perhaps?" He flexed his fingers slightly before curling them again around the sword hilt, grin still painted on his lips. "You've taken up that fool's staff, I see. Curious, very curious, that you would fall into the footsteps of something that fell so long ago. History repeats itself, you know..."

Nostrils flared as he inhaled softly, oh yes -- blood lust was apparent in his eyes. He had been waiting for battle before he had been taken here, and the call for it still screamed in his chest. The soft sound of metal against leather ensued as he slid the sword forward, unsheathing it slowly, inch by inch.

History was not something she wanted to dwell on at the moment. How it must have seemed, though, for anyone to see the two of them where they stood. Here she was, dressed like a normal mortal of this world and he fresh the world of the Dynasty... a sword at his disposal and an ancient relic grasped in her small hands.

"I am only going to ask this of you once, Naaza," Kayura spoke, her tone low with that hint of a threat laced within her words. "You will keep your sword sheathed and stand down."

With the wave of her hand to indicate their surroundings. "This is not our world, this is no battleground. There is no need for any sort of war here." What happened here in this city was more than enough for her. Curses and madness were packed neatly within the very structures of this places. She had no desire for anything more to cause her more grief and stress.

His free hand waved at her dismissively, head shaking slowly. "Kayura, Kayura -- I've already told you. I'm not going to fall for your little tricks." Metal sang as he unsheathed his sword the rest of the way, and held it at the ready.

No, he was too steadfast in his perception of the place to stand down now -- too taken with battle lust, and a need to spill blood -- her blood. She had never been cast in a good light in Naaza's eyes, always an enemy. He gritted his teeth and chuckled.

"No, no ... I'll not fall to this trap. Not now, not ever," His lips twisted into something akin to a wry smirk, and he lunged forward, feinting a forward slash before going for her side.

"This is no trick! I am speaking the truth!" Such pleas were better spent spoken to a brick wall, though. Even she could see what was driving him to do this - after all, the same lust had once filled her veins. The ecstasy of a battle was something she had once thrived on and here he was, following the same.

Whether any other soldier of the Dynasty would have admitted to it or not, there had been a reason behind Arago favoring her over all of his other generals. She did not need armor to prove her worth or strength to anyone. Skill alone was what brought her here. And during her months within the City she had not allowed herself to go one day with still training herself, to keep her skills to par.

"You're a fool, Naaza."

Metal colliding with steal rang out in the air, the chimes of the staff echoing when she swung the Staff in perfect time to catch the blade before it impaled her flesh. "Even though I have changed it does not mean I am blind to your usual, slow tricks."

"Hnnn." A small hiss seethed its way past his lips, nostrils flaring as he huffed an inhale, then an exhale. As his blade glanced off the staff, metal screeching, he withdrew. But not for very long. Digging his feet into the ground, body weight pressed off his heels, he lunged again. Up, down, up -- trying to confuse her, of course, get a hit in somewhere, anywhere.

His lips peeled back in a sneer, white teeth bared.

"No trick, no trick, all truth. When did you become the epitome of good, Kayura?" He seethed. Oh, sure -- it was true that Kayura could ace anyone at Arago's call without armor. But that did not win her loyalty from the doku ma sho. It simply garnished more bitterness, more hatred...

More water under a nearly flooded bridge.

It was nothing but a whirl of spinning metal and echoing chimes. Maintaining a perfectly calm expression, she was light on her feet whenever she moved to dodge an attack.

"Shu'ten - he sacrificed his life to save my own." Though to anyone else around they would have seen those multiple blades making repetitive stabs at her being. But in her eyes he was still just a tad too slow for her. With ease the Staff of the Ancient continued to effectively block the single sword each and every time.

Being the favorite of an all powerful youkai was nothing to be proud of in a world of greedy, jealous, merciless yomi and generals. There was never a day that passed during her time that she had allowed her guard down, not once. If she had anyone would easily slit her throat or pluck out her heart.

"You are only embarrassing yourself. You know well that you cannot defeat me."

It frustrated him.

Oh, it frustrated him. Every time she dodged, deftly stepped out of the way...It made a rage beat within his chest until all he could do was let out an incoherent growl. Her words did not mesh with his reality -- they clashed horribly, and made no sense at all.

"Pretty words, Kayura. Last I remember, you were sitting pretty, ready to kill the very person you claim to have saved you." He grunted, withdrew, and sprung back into the fray, sword swinging.

She had said those words, yes, but had happened a long time ago. "That is in the past now, Naaza!"

Shu'ten had sacrificed his life to free her from the demon spirit's hold. He had finally found a path to redemption but instead of living his life in that new light, he traded it for her instead. That was why she vowed to not only follow the will of Kaosu, but his as well. It was the only way she knew how to even allow herself just a sliver of forgiveness.

Now it was her turn to take the offensive - with a jerk of her wrist, it met the venom-drenched blade before it came to slice her cheek. Applying her weight against the sword to push it aside her free hand came forward, aiming to knock Naaza back with a direct blow to his chest. "I do not wish to harm you."

When the staff connected with his chest, the breath was knocked from him and he stumbled back a few feet. As she spoke, his eyes narrowed into thin slits and he tossed his head back to give a chuckle.

"You don't wish to harm me -- we're engaged in battle, little Kayura. Harm is a natural side effect," He snorted, growl twisting his features as he steadied himself and lunged in again. He wasn't about to give up -- not now. Stubbornness and an unwillingness to let go definitely shown through his actions.

To fight him she knew she would need her blades to properly subdue him. But not here, not when anyone innocent could stumble upon them. This was no curse - this was real. And it made it all the more hard to decide as narrowly dodged the incoming blade.

"You are the one who wants to battle, Naaza - not I." Those days were behind her now. To fight was to protect now, not to seek out revenge. And his words, his actions, reeked of the revenge he desired.

A small huff parted thin lips, and his eyes narrowed. "Oh, fancy that Kayura -- a pity that you've found yourself in such a situation then, that if you don't retaliate...Well. Unfortunate things could happen," His lips pursed into a bit of a grin, and he gave a wry chuckle.

A slash here, a jab there -- he kept going. Of course this a battle this continuous would eventually wear him down, but for now -- he was going to keep pushing forward.

And all she would have to do is maintain her speed and grace. Metal clashing against iron, the constant chiming of the staff echoing about them. Narrowed eyes watched as the other man swung and jabbed at her repeatedly.

Always so slow to her. It took little effort for her to dodge the oncoming advances. "Your rage blinds you still," was all she could say now lacking any sign of emotion on her face.

He snorted.

"My rage empowers me, woman," He scoffed, snake-head pommel jabbed for the side of her head. The words were still lingering on his tongue as something caught under one of his sandals--

And he tripped.

Oh. He was not pleased. A growl seethed past his lips, as he slowly peeled himself off the ground.

Had the situation not been so severe she would have stopped right where she was and laugh at the man. It was like watching a memory, almost, this whole thing. Try as he might he never could best her.

But taking this opportunity, as quick as she always was, Kayura was suddenly digging her knee into the man's back and slamming him back into the ground again face first. Swinging the the staff forward, cold metal pressed to his throat and held there with hands on either side, cutting down his air intake just enough.

"Still making the same foolish mistakes as you did before," she spoke with indifference. "Face it, Naaza - without lifting a sword I can still beat you. Now yield."

His skin practically crawled. A soft mutter slid past his lips as he was slammed into the ground, a woosh of air signifying his breath being pushed out of him. A sharp inhale was taken, and he growled.

"I would rather commit seppuku," He spat, an off-kilter chuckle rumbling from his lips.

She might have spoken truth -- but he was stubborn enough to ignore it.

There was no helping her roll her eyes. "Give it a rest. Dramatics like that were never of any use to you, even when fighting the Troopers."

Keeping the hold secure and him forced to the ground, Kayura exhaled silently to keep herself calm. None of this was making any sense at all! It was over!

"Hnn."

Eyes narrowed and stared at the ground, nostrils flared with a small snort. His weight shifted slightly, but the hold was indeed secure, and he muttered something incoherent to himself, under his breath.

"...Do what you will, Kayura," He finally mumbled, although obviously not so happy about the situation.

All of the Masho spouted such overly dramatic nonsense, she thought.

"I will not kill you," Kayura stated coolly, tightening the hold just a fraction hold. "However, you will lay down your weapon and come with me."

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Log; Ongoing

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