|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:56 am
Yuuka had returned home after the night of the full moon. She spent the following day tending to her garden as usual, but when the sun began to set, she set out for Youkai Mountain, as per Keine's instructions.
The evening passed rather uneventfully while she searched for the mysterious nocturnal Youkai and her cave, while happening upon a Kappa every hole or two. Yuuka would greet them politely, and they would return the gesture, although they would quickly hurry off afterwards. She wasn't sure if it was fear of her, or their usual timid nature.
Searching the mountain so extensively was no small feat, and Yuuka soon began to tire from flying. It was well into the night when she set down in a small, grassy clearing. The trees rustled gently in the night's cool breeze, and the moon, despite being only partially full, still casted a dull glow, mildly illuminating the darkness. Yuuka sat on a fallen tree, giving her body a chance to rest, and a moment to collect her thoughts. It became clear to her that finding this Youkai may take many days, or perhaps weeks of searching. The mountain was vast, and a cave would be easy to miss... She sighed, brushing her green hair from her face.
Not long ago, her days were dull and rather simple, tending to her garden and chasing away intruders. Who knew one particular intruder would prove to be so troubling? Slowly, Yuuka had begun to understand why she cared for Ibara so, although she would still not admit it, to herself or otherwise. Perhaps, if Yuuka could solve Ibara's past, she too could put this whole incident behind her... and forget the little Oni for good.
((SWEET MOTHER OF EXPOSITION! Whew... Oh, and if I'm moving the story along too fast, lemme know and I won't continue here until later.))
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 11:59 am
It seemed as if the fellow Kappa of the mountain had been right. A strange youkai was walking about the mountain, how unusual. In any event, youkai like this made for amazing intertaiment. Being a good tracker, a certain culprit made her way above Yuuka through a few ledges, she might be earth bound, but the glassed youkai was quite an avid climber.
Peeking over the edge she spotted Yuuka, her curious face turning into a fanged grin," My oh my, what have the tengus dragged here?" She laughed, loudly so Yuuka could spot her," I was thinking of dragging you to my cave but, I think I know who you are, and I just don't wanna die~"
The girl shifted to sit on the ledge her shovel placed over her lap," I suppose you are lookin for someone are you?" She removed her glassed momentarily, exposing her sensible, almost all white eyes," Mh...."
She replaced her glasses," Who are you looking for? If you give me a good pay, I will lead you to then~" She grinned, though, something told her it was herself Yuuka was after.
((Nope this is perfect! XD I thought you were waiting for something but this is perfect! :3 ))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:38 pm
She's making this too easy. "Indeed, I am looking for someone. Recently, a very...disgusting...rumor reached my ears, of a pair of Youkai who would lure innocent people into their cave, and to their death. Tell me, you wouldn't happen to know anything about this rumor, would you?"
Yuuka eased herself off the fallen tree and turned to face the strange Youkai, pearched above. "What was that you said, about 'dragging me to your cave'...?" She closed her parasol and planted it tip-down in the ground before her.
Could this be the Youkai she was looking for? She didn't look especially dangerous, but Yuuka knew well that looks could be decieving...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:49 pm
" Nasty rumors? Well they are rumors, only rumors~" she snickered. stretching a bit," But, yes, I have heard of those silly tales, all to well, hehehe~~"
"Oh, Another youkai exterminator?" The girl blinked, though it was probably hard to tell behind those dark glasses," Don't look like such a folk ready to fight~"
"Aaaaaaaahhhh~~~" The youkai leaned foward, tucking some hair behind her pointy ears as she hear the soft noise of the parasol hitting the ground," My, oh my, it hasn't been four days since I murdered the last fools who try to take me to hell, and there is already another one?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:31 am
"You're really making this too easy, admitting to your crimes before I even accuse you." Yuuka replied with a smile, echoing her previous thoughts.
"No, I have no intention of exterminating you...yet. Not while you still have some use to me. Although," A quick leap, and Yuuka ascended to the plataeu the strange Youkai rested upon, floating in front of her, with her parasol gripped tightly in her hand. "Exterminating you would be doing the Humans a favor, I'm sure."
She landed gently on the edge of the plataeu, standing proudly before the Youkai. "You match the description of one half of the duo who operated in these mountains. If you're the same Youkai, then you should know of an Oni by the name of 'Ibara Hinarasu'." She pointed the tip of the parasol at the woman. "If you value your disgusting existance, you'll tell me everything you know about Ibara, and your relation to her."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:23 am
"Oh please," The youkai laughed," Some humans see being born as a crime to nature. I am admitting to simple facts, if you excuse my bluntness and shamelessness."
She was too busy laughing to notice Yuuka jumping up to her plateu. "GAAH!" The youkai, flipped over, scrabbling back and holding the shovel across her hest as an extra measure. Things where getting dangerously close for her!
"And oni..?" Trying to regain her meager composure, she stood, resting her shovel across her shoulder blade, and hooking her arms over it. "Now, now, I am not a big fan of oni. I dislike them actually, the name sounds familiar but...I can't quite recall who you mean...~"
"Some minerals at my house have all the memories I need, if you are willing to come, and not kill me," She looked over the edge of her glasses," I am willing not to try anything and tell you what I know."
To be fair, the lady wanted to be home if she was killed. Not to mention, in her caves she would have a much better chance of escape with the complex tunneling she had created,"Morning is almost comming upon us, and i refuse to talk if Can't see a thing."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:38 pm
A moment passed, and Yuuka rested the parasol by her side. "Fine, I'll play your game for now. But I warn you; defy me, and the consequences will be insurmountable." She leaned closer to the woman, eyes glaring. "I am not merciful."
She straightened herself, patting her skirt flat. "Now, if you'll kindly lead the way?" Yuuka politely asked, with a smile.
Yes, she'd play the Youkai's game for now. Yuuka knew she'd have to use caution, however, as any extreme damage may callapse the cave on both of them. She would bide her time, and learn all she could from this woman...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:53 pm
"Splendid! Stay close, I don't want you getting lost~" The Youkai bowed, with mocking courtesy,"The caves are quite dangerous~"
She took the shovel and rested it on her shoulder as she led the way. The patch was bumpy but nothing tough youkais could not take. A rugged path under their feet marked their way, but, the host paid no mind to it, she hummed to herself conently as she walked. Upon reaching the cave entrance she stopped.
"Its quite dark in here, you may want to pay close attention to where I move," She smiled, removing her glasses,"Or, if you want, I will hold you hand through this~" She snickered and turn to lead the way into the cave.
Whatever tactic Yuuka used to not get lost did not bother the woman. A straight a head, then a few curves, before she stopped infront of what looked like a wall, reaching to it, she seemed to twist...a door knob?...She opened the door inwards, and went inside.
"Allow me to turn on the lights, though, it might be wise for you to close your eyes, as the lights might be too bright at the moment~" there was the noise of a match being stricked and the sizzling of fire. Then the room erupted into light, the youkai once more wearing her glasses," I prefer the dark, but some manner courtesy for my guest."
She once more snickeered moving o some shelve with various rare looking stones and such. The large room was impressing, with several materials and toolss orderly organized. And it seemed to be only the living room of sorts.
"..Ibara...Ibara....." She surveyed the shelves, plucking a purple looking stone," Ah of course of course~~"
With a grin she turned to Yuuka," WHat is it you want to know exactly, dear?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:12 pm
Using an amount of her magic, Yuuka lit the tip of her parasol, similar to how magic gathered to it during certain spells. She followed the Youkai quite closely, so as to keep her from running off. Once inside the woman's home, Yuuka had to admit to herself that she was impressed by her collection of treasures. Any normal human would lose their mind after seeing such riches.
From a cursory glance, it appeared to Yuuka that this woman assigned certain memories to certain objects. It was perhaps an odd way of thinking, but so long as she could provide information, it didn't matter.
"I already told you," Yuuka replied, crossing her arms and letting the parasol hang off her wrist. "I want to know your relation to her. What exactly did you two do during your time together? And..." she glanced off into the distance, then at the stone the Youkai held. "Why is she hated so?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:27 pm
"Oh, oh," She nodded to herself, bouncing the mineral in her hand,"So, you want to know?"
"She came to my caves not long after she was exiled, from what I know, killing another oni, then plowing through anyone in her way was not something the drunk people from underground took to kindly. She leveled the damn city, or well, the portion that got in her way in her fight before she managed to jus kill the oni she was fighting," She explained quite coolly, laughing," Stupid girl, she really didn't notice how much they had destroyed until after she was getting wrenched down."
"When she got to my cave she was badly hurt and Ibara collapse not to far into the tunnelings. I left her there, but seeing as how all she did was lay there curled in the dark, hell, it made me a bit sad," the youkai rolled the rock in her palm," After all a strong oni would be of much help in the cave, and , well, she didn't make a move! She must have wanted to die or something, I dunno, but I just snuck plates of fruit by her while she was asleep. Eventually she caught me, in one of my midnigh journeys and the like. Soooo, I let her move here."
She stopped to push her glasses," We are...what She would call friends, what I would call mere companions. You see, I can control minerals, being that an oni lives all of its life under the ground, their mineral concentration if quite high, some tweaking and it was easy to get her in a more... helpful mind set. Though, my ability can't do anything really, just kind of poke~"
"ANYWAY~" Laughing she shook her head," She was already weak enough, she was more than glad to help me, so, she staid here. I had her help me. I do that quite often, bring a few fools from outside and nudge them to help me promising them some safety."
"She was the best help I got around here," she turned to set the purpler stone back into the shelf," That oni that acted like a child, lopsided horns, that flustered look. She was very amusing."
"She still comes and visits from time to time, guess my poking got to her," she laughed once more," Silly oni, all so hopelessly weird. OH! But the best thing is just how well our abilities worked, we could have taken Gensokyo had we wanted!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:48 pm
Yuuka clenched her fist, making a series of audible 'crack's. Hearing the Youkai talk about Ibara like this infuriated her, but she restrained herself. This woman knew more, and she would tell it, if Yuuka had to tear the secrets from her flesh.
"What...exactly.. is Ibara's ability?" She asked as politely as she could, stifling her rage.
As far as she could remember, Yuuka had never seen Ibara use anything more than her brute strength, and those trinkets she wore around her waist. Unless, it had something to do with her containing the Hell Raven's bomb...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:57 pm
"She can control what the greeks call 'temperance', as I am sure you know, roughly translating to her being control peoples emotions, and to a lesser extent actions," the youkai smiled," In her good days she was able to half freeze anyone trying to run from the caves or anyone who tried to get smart. Honestly, I think she uses it more on herself, she doesn't drink. An oni that doesn't drink, believe me if you want, but thats what she does."
"Ibara is hardly an oni," the woman looked to Yuuka," She may have the body of one, but the Ten Kings she hardly acts like one."
She laughed again leaning back onto her shelf ," While I nudged at folks, she could keep them calm. Very dangerous to travellers who had fallen to our trap of a nice fireplace and two strange women willing to help. Sometimes her attitude got in the way of my plans, but she was easy enough to manipulate. It was never too big of a problem."
The youkai looked to the stone once more, her thoughts lost somewhere before she spoke again." She was so lonely, so easy to bend," A fanged and twisted grin cracked her momentarily solemn face,"It was so easy, it was not even fun."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 4:54 am
'Control....emotions....?'
These words clawed and stabbed, embedding themselves in Yuuka's mind. Everything she felt from the first day she met Ibara...could it have all been her doing? These emotions...were they fabricated? Illusions, mockeries created by a devious Oni?
"No...NO!" she cried out, as if combating her own thoughts. Gripping her parasol, she swung it full force at the strange Youkai - if it missed, it would have surely destroyed the shelves beside her. "You lie! Ibara wouldn't do these things...she would not bend to your will!"
Yuuka could feel her grip on her anger waning. This Youkai should choose her next words carefully...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 6:50 am
The Youkai lifted her shovel, and stopped Yuuka's blow. The stout woman was much stronger than she looked. She raised an eyebrow, almost bored looking. "Mh. Ibarra can restrain emotions. Don't go thinking she makes them."
She seemed to snicker once more,"Doesn't matter what you say really, she did. What? Did you think someone who doubts herself So much would have an ounce of will in her?"
"Oh please," She laughed and shook her head," All I had to do was Comment on her horns and she leveled them out. How does someone who has pride in that have any sort of backbone?"
"Just a very very strong kid if you ask me," the odd youkai looked at Yuuka," Ibara would bend to anyone's will. I just had it easier."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 3:38 pm
-Clang-
Yuuka's eyes widened when her blow was blocked so carelessly. Just what sort of power did this Youkai possess? Or perhaps, her wounds weren't as healed as she thought, hindering her own strength. "How dare you..." she said through gritted teeth. "Tell me...your name...because when I'm done with you, that's all that will remain of your disgusting existence!" With her free hand, Yuuka grabbed at the Youkai's garments, attempting to hold her.
If her wounds were indeed holding her back, she'd have to finish this quickly, before the Youkai had a chance to retaliate or flee.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
