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 Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:01 pm
--Relentless--
"Relentless to survive, Relentless to protect -- Relentless in life."
"No. He never did comment on that. Alive by just a thread is still alive." Aza was glad her Sacrifice shared the same malicious idea, the same feeling. Even though it may not be caused by the need to prove herself, or pride, they still acted on the same ideas.
Placing her hands behind her, Aza looked towards the sky. "A storm is coming in. We should retire soon." Aza could already feel her body wanting sleep.
 Azreal chuckled, smiling as well. "I find it relaxing, actually." It was why Azreal has silky hair. Unlike many men, who comb their hair quickly, Azreal took care of his. Normally at night when he had a lot to think about. Though he had short hair, he still made sure that it was perfect. With longer hair, it required more attention. It was also a good way for him to bask in the warmth from the other, to allow his mind to focus on something else before he gave himself a headache.
For once, Azreal was enjoying the presence of another. He had often found that public life was too annoying and that his brother's presence was either too cold or to calculating. Jin's, it was relaxing and warm. Comforting even. It was a first for him, having been around cold people or noisy kids. Jin was almost like him in a way. No wonder they were part of the same team.
"Last night I do remember feeling a storm coming our way. More than likely it will rain. It would be a nice night if it rained today or a beautiful morning if it rained tonight." Rauko did comment on the fact that a storm was moving in, even though there were no reports of it on the weather channel.
His fingers kept bringing small amounts of hair to be brushed, not finding any reason to hurry. Many would think Azreal to be feminine, but he cared about looks, maybe more than he should. Jin's hair was just too nice to hurry through, and he wanted to enjoy this closeness while he had it.
--Fearless--
"To fear the name, is to fear life itself."
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Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:22 pm
"Good..." Noriko replied as she stood, dusting off the back of her shirt. "Because if I don't get some sleep soon, I may just fall over."
'Not to mention our Master scared the s**t out of me hitting Aza like that...'
"By the way," she spoke, moving Aza's hair out of the way of her face. "We should put some ice on that... before it bruises anymore."
"Either way... I like the rain." Yuujinchou commented softly before smiling a warm smile in Azreal's direction.
He didn't mind his Sacrifice taking his time. Jin usually took a good half hour to do his hair at night, making sure it was brushed and tangle free before bed. His mornings, he would admit, he should care more for it... but his hair had always been complimented at work so he never really figured he needed to put more time into it.
"Oh, that reminds me..." he spoke, looking down at his ripped sleeve. "I... vaguely remember... ripping this... myself, that is... you wouldn't happen to have some thread and a needle, would you?"
Yuujinchou could easily sew. One who wore such flowing robes had to know how to mend them, after all. Plus, he figured that it would be something easy for him to do, something that wouldn't require too much effort.
"I... I mean, not right this second that is... since..." Jin sighed slightly, feeling himself slip back into his habitual shyness. "I meant after you're finished with my hair, which to be honest... feels really nice to not have to brush it out myself right now... arigatou..."
In other words, Jin was basically saying, 'Take as long as you want because I'm in no hurry.'
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Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 11:39 pm
--Relentless--
"Relentless to survive, Relentless to protect -- Relentless in life."
"You aren't the only one." Aza stated as she stood, dusting herself off as well. Aza blinked before gently touching her cheek. She remembered how she got it, yet it still surprised her that she was able to take it like that. She always thought that Sacrifice's were the ones who could take pain without flinching.
"Yes. I might not be able to talk tomorrow due to him." One of these days Aza would be glad to see her Master gone. With what she was taught in the past, their Master was nothing like the one who was in his place before. He was far too weak to hold the title that he did, even if he had everyone running around afraid of him.
"Same here. very soothing and relaxing. Washing the world from the sin it holds.." There was another reason why Azreal loved the rain, it allowed them to escape their father. That night, the rain was coming down so heavy that their father would not even send the hounds after the escaping duo.
Oh yes, Azreal remembered Jin ripping that sleeve. He didn't quiet know why, but with everything, he had his hunches. "Yes, somewhere in this house. Probably in.. the bathroom more than likely." Azreal had needed his skin patched back together in a few places when they came home, especially on his arms. Despite being the one who got the wounds most of the time, Rauko was the one in the family who knew how to sew the best, having needed to take care of his brother many times.
"Yes. I understand. I will get it when I am done." Azreal stated softly as he continued with the hair. He would have to find another needle, which might take some time. Looking out the window, Azreal smiled. He loved the darkness, especially when lightening cracked in the distance. Chuckling, he looked back down at the task at hand. "Besides being tired and sore, how do you feel?" Azreal had yet to figure out any more information on his Fighter's condition. Especially since he didn't understand why the energy from the fight has yet to return. Then again, there was a perfectly good reason. Jin's mind isn't ready for those spells he used last night, though his body and spirit clearly were.
--Fearless--
"To fear the name, is to fear life itself."
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:46 pm
((Edited first post so it’s more correct^^)) —Devoted— Hisa let the last of her rage into her fist as it connected squarely with the punk’s nose, causing a distinctive cracking sound as he tumbled to the ground. She could feel the slickness of his blood on her knuckles and knew that she’d broken his nose. As he raised his hands weakly in defeat, a mix of ‘Boos’ and ‘Yeahs’ met Hisa’s ears, signaling that the fight was over. It was only then that she allowed herself to relax her muscles that had been tensed for the fight and stood down her offensive stance. The tightly knit circle that had been the bounds for their fight dispersed as people exchanged the money they had bet over this match. A few were worked up enough to argue over the exact amount of money their partners had wagered.
After her opponent was helped by his buddies to the alley wall, Hisa only stayed for a couple more moments to watch the transactions before quietly leaving the alley behind the gaming lounge. Kaede and several other regulars had made a handsome sum, knowing from experience that Hisa had only lost in a match once, since she had arrived that summer. She had lost at the time, because she had recklessly fought ten matches in a row, four more than her usual quota. That night, Hisa had been especially mad and had gone overboard. Remembering what had brought her there could still cause her to become angry if she was on edge.
Looking at the starry night sky, Hisa headed towards Emi’s house, feeling calmed and refreshed, but not enough to deal with her foster parents in the morning. The injuries she had sustained during her matches were beginning to throb and sting and her thoughts turned to her fights. Most people didn’t realize it, but when she fought, she was not fighting the person, but the fears they represented. Hisa had vowed many years ago to not let them devour her like her mother had. This was one of the ways she accomplished that. If she could defeat them in a match, she felt they would not overpower her in real life. That had been part of the problem the night she had lost. She had been overwhelmed by her fears, not feeling she had truly beaten them no matter how many times she had fought. Only Emi’s words had soothed her raging spirit. Her words always did.
Emi’s house came into view as Hisa went around the bend, the sky just beginning to brighten, indicating that it was morning. Suddenly realizing this, Hisa quickly whipped out her cell to look at the time. The numbers 3:17 a.m. stared back at her. She had been so focused on her fights that she had not noticed how fast time had passed. Hisa sighed, she knew Emi wouldn’t mind how early in the morning it was, but she still felt bad about it. She disliked inconveniencing people, yet she seemed to do it often.
“Open your window,” Hisa texted Emi once she was on the side walk in front of her home, “I’m in need of your medical attention.”
“Got it,” Emi texted back, “How bad are your injuries?”
“Average,” Hisa finished texting as she walked into the backyard and into Emi’s view, “Can I sleep here until I have to leave?” she switched to her stage whispering voice.
“Of course!” Emi replied stage whispering too, from the window, “Do you need a hand to climb up?”
“No,” Hisa grunted as she started to scale up the garden lattice on the side of the house. Within a couple of minutes she was through the window and into Emi’s bedroom, being careful not to make a noise. She didn’t want to wake up Emi’s mom who would surely call her foster parents to let them know where she was.
As Emi looked Hisa over, her hands fisted, worry written all over her face, “Let me go get the first aid kit,” she said visibly upset, “Sit down on the bed while you wait.”
Hisa complied and took a seat on the feather soft bed, slipping her boots off her tired feet. The bed’s comforter had pastel stripes against a black background, more girly in color than Hisa appreciated, but also showing a class of sophistication only Emi could accomplish tastefully. While she waited, Hisa soaked up the atmosphere of the room, reveling in its feel, bright and optimistic.
Emi came through the door several minutes later and promptly set the kit on the bed, opening it up. She got out the cotton swabs and the rubbing alcohol first and then the gauze, cleaning Hisa’s cuts and scrapes before applying anointment and then the bandages. Hisa knew better than to say anything while Emi worked. Doing so, could provoke her to anger and a rough handling of injuries, followed by a very vocal chewing out session. She preferred the silence to that.
When Emi was done, Hisa slipped under the covers to catch what little shut-eye she could. She had a feeling she’d need a lot of patience, if she was going to attend the school her foster parents had enrolled her in, like she had decided during her fourth fight. Hisa was asleep even before Emi returned and crawled into bed beside her. —Relentless—
“Relentless to survive, Relentless to protect— Relentless in life.”
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:25 pm
Noriko knew that she and Aza had conflicting feelings over their Master; yet both served him without fail.
"Well... once we get some ice on it, the swelling should go down." Noriko spoke, reaching up and removing Aza's hand from her cheek. "Guess we know who we were fighting now though. It certainly explains some things..."
For a few moments, Yuujinchou didn't speak. But when he did, his voice was soft, not shy, simply quiet.
"I'm confused more than anything, I think." he replied, blue eyes focusing on the lightning outside. "I don't know what happened during the fight. Not really, anyway... There are certain things I feel that happened... but it would be like..." the young man stopped, trying to figure out just how to explain everything. "Like remembering something from a past life really... you remember it, kind of, but you know you didn't do it or experience it. Though, in my case, I suppose I did..."
Jin shifted his gaze to Azreal, watching his Sacrifice with the brush for a few moments.
"I'm tired and sore, like you said... but confusion is really the only other thing I'm feeling. Honest." he added with a smile. "I don't think I've ever been this tired, really."
If only he knew the repressed memories of his own Fighter training... then he would know that he'd been even more tired than this on many occasions before now.
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:49 pm
--Relentless--
"Relentless to survive, Relentless to protect -- Relentless in life."
Serving and liking were two different matters. Sure, she was Heartless, but she believed in something. Her father taught her one rule and that rule guided her life: Never let anyone beat you. It was the only thing she remembered of her birth father and that was only because of a letter that went with her without her knowing. Her Father taught her everything else she needed to know, and he was far stricter than her Master now. She didn't even understand why she was serving him besides the fact that it was an order.
"True." She felt no pain, like a Sacrifice should, due to her childhood. "Certainly does. Yet it also tells us how to beat him."
"Yes, I understand how it feels. I had it happen to me for the majority of my life. The only problem is.. I don't know how to help you come out of it, for you to be able to get that knowledge from the past into your present state of mind." Azreal did not want to have to train this Fighter like he was as a child, or how he possibly was. It might be a major step in bringing everything back, or force the mind to hide again. Gentle and easy, that would be how he worked this problem. The only way he knew.
"I cannot help you with the confusion. I can only assist you. There are a few things that you need to do, and I can only guide you to them." Azreal was not saying this because he did not want to help, or because he wanted his Fighter to find the answers he was seeking without help, but because Azreal did not know how to help out. His own blindness was cured by mementos from the past, things that brought back what he had lost. Glancing at the books, Azreal blinked. Maybe those would be a helping answer.
"Do you know how to read Japanese calligraphy, not the one used today, but in the last two generations?" Azreal asked as he continued to brush the hair of his Fighter, lost in thought again.
--Fearless--
"To fear the name, is to fear life itself."
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 7:08 pm
"It does?" Noriko asked in confusion as they continued walking.
The further they got from that manor, the better.
"I mean, I thought we had figured out that the longer we kept him in combat, that sooner or later he wouldn't have the strength to fight. What else does it give us?"
In the silence before Azreal's question, Yuujinchou smiled softly again. "I know you'll help me however you can... but I also understand how... difficult it could be." he replied, the room lighting up from a flash of lightning outside.
Thunder boomed, hard and loud enough to shake the windows.
"If we push too hard, the answers may retreat... whereas if we don't push hard enough, they may never be found." Jin sighed, "I think... I think you should act like I don't know how to fight at all." he replied quickly. "Maybe re-learning what I should already know... will help?"
But then came that question.
A very very odd question.
"Ha... hai..." Yuujinchou replied, arching an eyebrow in obvious skepticism. "I can read it... and write it."
Though neither really brought back and good memories for the young man.
At least not now.
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 7:30 pm
--Relentless--
"Relentless to survive, Relentless to protect -- Relentless in life."
"It does." Aza stated as she thought about how to best explain it. She was taught, like Azreal, how to calculate and how to figure out the opponent before danger came her way.
"He will have the strength to fight as long as he needs to. If Gin trained him, that much is expected. He will twist our words around if given the chance, like he did today, and he will use spells that either require more energy than normal, or be smart and make us use energy for him." She knew his kind perfectly, or what Jin was when in a fight. "There is also something else. He cares for his Sacrifice more than his own safety, willing to take a chance and take care of his Sacrifice before anything else. We must keep him busy so he doesn't have time to worry about his Sacrifice, thus killing two birds with one stone."
Azreal nodded, glad that his Fighter had faith in him and that he understood the situation at hand. As the lightening flashed, Azreal looked towards the window, watching the patterns that lit up the early sky.
"Maybe. But there is a chance that the side that took over last night might take over again, so we need to be aware of that as well." There had been a few times while the twins were learning that they understood nothing one second, understood everything, and then the information that they had learned retreated. If that happened with Jin, it would take too long for him to regain everything. Then again, it might just give a clue to how his other half operated.
"Good. I think I should show you a few things today, when you are feeling better than you are now." Those books held all of the information that Azreal and Rauko knew, things that the books the kids were learning from today did not cover. It would be a good thing to teach his own Fighter what he knew, not the lies they were teaching in schools. "That is, if you want to."
--Fearless--
"To fear the name, is to fear life itself."
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:03 pm
Thunder boomed overhead, but Noriko was hardly noticing.
It would rain soon, so getting home would be the best idea...
"And how do we do that?" she asked curiously. "Think about it, Aza... if we've got the Fighter focused on the spells we're using, what can we do about the Sacrifice? Unless we cheat, it's going to be hard for you to be in two places at once."
Of course, Nori realized, she could always bring a gun to the fight and hope for an opening to shoot the Sacrifice where he stood.
"Was I dangerous?" Yuujinchou asked softly, his blue gaze focused on the hands in his lap. "I mean... dangerous to you, that is... I want to learn anything you can teach me, Azreal. So yes, I want to see these things you wish to show me... but if we are engaged in another fight..." he shook his head slightly, not enough to mess with Azreal's brushing however.
It was still dominating part of Jin's mind, to be honest.
The warmth and serenity to be found in that simple act...
"I don't want to become a danger to the one person I've sworn to protect."
(((I didn't know if Nori needed her own heading or not yet, but I made one for her and Gin)))
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:12 pm
--Relentless--
"Relentless to survive, Relentless to protect -- Relentless in life."  The thunder in the background was nice. It was imitating the war going on within this Fighter. Aza had always enjoyed rain, especially the thunder. She could get her mind off the real world and focus on the music of the storm. Sighing, Aza chuckled. "And this is why I love you. You find things in my plans that I would have missed." Aza stated as she thought about it. Jin didn't notice the fact his Sacrifice was freezing until she mentioned it. "Its not cheating when your opponent can't hear you. Remember the trick with the ice? Jin didn't notice it until I sped up the process. That is how we are going to win. Make the Fighter focus on the spells I am saying louder, allowing the ones that I whisper to go unchallenged." Azreal blinked, looking at his fighter. "You were dangerous only to our enemies. You saved me, twice actually. You risked yourself once to save me from becoming a Sacrifice Popsicle." Azreal joked softly, smiling. It was true. If the other team hadn't been as surprised as him, they would have attacked when Jin turned his back to direct his next spell to help. "You have yet to become a danger to me." But it is me who might attract danger to you. Azreal had no clue who was involved with this fight, nor did he even know if what he seen last night was true or just a fear that he had. Maybe there wasn't a war edging closer to them. {Yes, every character needs to have their own heading.}
--Fearless--
"To fear the name, is to fear life itself."
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:32 pm
Noriko frowned as the first few drops of rain hit the pavement.
She had lost track of where they were, and now, in the dark, wasn't quite sure which direction would lead them home.
But she followed Aza nevertheless.
"And here I had thought it'd be fun just to shoot the b*****d while he watched his Fighter suffer." Nori commented before smirking. "Though... you're right... unless the Sacrifice teaches him to watch for any lip movement at all..."
Yuujinchou sighed in thankful relief. "Yokatta... I was hoping that I didn't do anything to drive you away." he replied before smiling ever so slightly.
He was getting tired again, something that he knew shouldn't have been possible. And yet...
Jin didn't want to go to sleep.
He was enjoying being with Azreal, having a conversation with someone who actually cared about him... getting to know another person.
"When... when you met me, that first day... you were carrying an envelope with you. I'm a bit curious... and I was wondering, that is if you can tell me, what was it that you were guarding so closely?"
As he asked the question however, Jin turned his body so that Azreal would be able to reach all of his hair with the brush now. Granted, this meant he had nothing to lean on... which could be dangerous with how exhausted he was feeling...
But the man really tried not to think about that.
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 9:47 pm
--Relentless--
"Relentless to survive, Relentless to protect -- Relentless in life." Aza chuckled slightly as she noticed that her Sacrifice was lost. "We are almost there. Should be inside before it comes down more than this." Thanks to the fact she was always prepared, Aza was ready with an apartment, paid in full by her Master. He was ready for anything that she would need in order to complete this mission. Nori had her own home that they slept at, and since it was a bit to far to reach before the storm came down, Aza lead them silently to her own little abode. "That does sound like fun, but I would love to see the look on his face when he noticed that he had failed. Unless the Sacrifice does have the smarts to teach him that.. Hn. This will be fun!" Aza had a plan to avoid lip detection, but that would be for a later time. "If you did do something to drive me away, why would I be this close then, or Ru leaving us alone without a threat, silent or no?" Azreal chuckled, running his fingers through a part of Jin's hair, checking for the tiniest tangles. He had noticed just how tired Jin was getting, seeing it in the way his body looked. He was thankful that he was almost done. He didn't know if his Fighter would be stubborn and resist sleep, or if he would be willing to speak of sleep. Then again, he didn't want their conversation to end. He was enjoying it. "Ne? Oh, that? Its nothing. Just a package for my brother. He has yet to tell me what's its about, but I have a feeling that is from our friends." Wait. There was too much weight in it just to be something friendly. Could it be the clues that Azreal was looking for? Or was he just thinking too much for his own good? Probably the latter. Azreal watched as his Fighter shifted, laying a gentle hand on Jin's shoulder. "Thank you. I am almost done, just a few more parts to worry about." Azreal stated as he removed his hand from the shoulder, his eyes watching the movement of Jin closer now.
--Fearless--
"To fear the name, is to fear life itself."
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:03 pm
'Then we're going to Aza's... Nori thought to herself as she followed. "Hmmm... that would be a nice look on him." she smirked, before frowning suddenly. "Unless we piss him off into a murderous haze... there is that possibility."
Thus, Noriko had already decided... she was definitely bringing a gun to their next fight.
Just in case...
Strangely, Azreal's hand on his shoulder wasn't met with a muscle twitch.
Something that even surprised Jin himself once Azreal removed his hand.
It was as if he were the only person who could touch him... the only one he would let touch him.
And, strangely, Jin found that comforting in an odd way.
"Protecting a package for Rauko-san... that would warrant such a guarded posture."
It was true, he had noticed Azreal's body language from the moment he first saw him. Jin tended to notice a lot of things like that... only he was usually too shy to inquire about it, or simply let it be.
"And it's fine... really. You don't have to hurry." Yuujinchou smiled softly in response to his Sacrifice being 'almost done'. "It feels nice, to be honest." he laughed. "And if you want me to be even more honest than that... I think it's starting to lull me to sleep."
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:23 pm
--Relentless--
"Relentless to survive, Relentless to protect -- Relentless in life." "Yes. It would be a nice look on him." Aza stated as she directed them down a dirt path, off the main one, that lead deeper into the forest around them. It was wide enough for one person to walk comfortably, and was clearly worn. "Unless we get him into that state. But the fight would already be over. I have yet to find anyone that fights close range that would defeat me." Aza did notice that the Fighter had a sword on his side, just like she did. He might be a good opponent, might even be hard to defeat him if he was trained by Gin himself. "Actually. I take that back. It would be best not to piss him off into a murderous haze in any kind of fight." Azreal smiled to himself as he noticed he was able to touch Jin more without the other flinching away. That was a good sign. He needed, no wanted, Jin to be able to trust him. "I am surprised you noticed that, let alone remembered it. Yet, that is a good trait. One that I myself share." This Fighter would be a strong opponent for Rauko. Either that, or a very strong equal. It all depended on how Rauko viewed Jin, which Azreal has yet to figure out. "That, Jin, is why I want to hurry. You are tired again, and you need your rest. But I am glad that you like it." Azreal stated as he again ran his fingers through the hair, stopping right before he found a snarl and working on getting it out. He always found some when he got close to being done.
--Fearless--
"To fear the name, is to fear life itself."
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Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 10:32 pm
Smiling, Noriko watched her feet as the dust of the dirt path was kicked up slightly.
The trees were, at least, keeping them and the path from getting wet.
For now.
"It's been a while since you fought with a blade." Nori spoke up. "He had one too... might be fun to watch you cut him down with steel instead of magic."
"This is technically resting." Jin replied with a half smile. "I'm not moving around or doing anything. Just sitting here comfortably."
Well, that was true.
But resting and actually getting rest were really two different things... and he knew it.
He didn't want to be tired... to be a burden on his Sacrifice. He wanted to be able to fight just like he did with a sword. His body knew it's limitations and yet, he hadn't received a single sign that he had been nearing his breaking point.
But Azreal seemed rather worried about him, and while Jin himself wasn't overly concerned... it did give him pause.
Especially if they were to be challenged twice, one after the other.
In his current state... Jin wouldn't stand a chance.
He had to figure out why he wasn't healing. Had to come up with some reason why his body was different in a spell fight than a regular one.
His memories would hold the key, but.... in truth... Jin was afraid to open that door.
Opening such a lock... would bring those cold blue-grey eyes to the forefront.
And in all honesty, Yuujinchou wasn't sure he could deal with that right now.
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