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 Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 6:32 pm
[As this is a private RP, please do not post unless you are Aishiki or myself. Thank you.]
Neko yawned a little bit, his ears flattening against his red hair while he continued to walk onward. He'd been traveling for two days straight again, only stopping to rest at night when it was hard to see, and was starting to wonder if it was getting time to actually return home. What was the point in travelling right now, anyway? He'd seen this world in its entirety by now, so what was there left to see? Perhaps that was the reason he never went too far from the cities, wandering close by for the past month. ...Or maybe he was just worried over his family now that he was an actual "mother". Whatever the reason, the demon was hoping at least for one odd miracle: that he'd turn back to his real form before he returned home.
Rubbing his gold eyes a little bit, he began to take in his surroundings, not recognizing the forest he was now venturing through. The place was quaint... very serene, very quiet. His large ears could even pick up the faint sound of a creek somewhere off to his far left. At least he'd regained some of his powers since the incident two months ago... His senses were almost back to normal, and lately it was getting hard to get used to again. This was a nice change compared to Aekea, where there were machines running constantly and giving him a headache. Speaking of senses...
Neko sniffed the air a couple of times, stopping in his tracks. Something smelled like it was burning. Scanning the area, he didn't see anything on fire, but he did see a little bit of smoke close by. What was that? Taking a step in the direction of the smoke, he blinked as the little trail seemed to disappear. Flicking his tail a little bit, he stood still again until the smoke traveled back into his vision. His eyes watched the smoke, shifting down the greyish trail to find where it was coming from.
...His PANTS?!
The puzzled hanyou reached into his pocket, grasping onto the small object within. Funny... nothing felt warm. Taking his fist out, the man uncurled his fingers from around the object to reveal a small rock resting in his palm, smoke lifting into the air freely. The rock was... burning, but not?? Neko lifted his free hand to his head, rubbing at the back of his neck.
"I pick up the strangest things sometimes..." he said aloud, lifting a brow.
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 6:53 pm
She'd learned by now. When Aishiki felt this odd tug combined with the faint scent of smoke lingering in the air, it meant a Juusanshi was on the way. She padded through the forest, letting the tugging instinct lead her with absolute trust. She'd left Salvus at home for this, unsure what the conditions would be like where she was headed. She couldn't figure out why any stone would be this way...
"Hello?!" she called out, peering around the trees. "Anyone out here?"
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 6:57 pm
Neko's ears swivled and perked up as he picked up the voice, glancing in the direction it had come from. Someone else was in the forest...? The presense felt a little odd to him, but he decided not to question it. He was more focused on the stone in his hand.
"Over here!" he called out, waving his free arm into the air in hopes of catching the mysterious person's attention.
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 7:00 pm
Relaxing as a voice answered, Aishiki steeled herself before hurrying forward. This is the part I hate...
"Hello," she called, when she was within sight of Neko. She started to ask something else, then paused when she caught sight of the stone in his hand. "It IS you!"
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 7:04 pm
Neko blinked, puzzled by the reaction. It is... who? Looking to the smoking stone, his tail curled from left to right while he made the connection. She knew what this was?? Maybe she'd know how to make it stop burning, then.
"Um... somehow, you don't seem too surprised that this is... smoking," he started, instinctivly curling his fingers a little bit around the object. "Do you know what's going on?"
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 7:05 pm
"Weren't you told when you were given the stone?" Aishiki blinked. "It's a Juusanshi being summoned." She moved forward, relaxed enough since she knew what was going on at least. "May I?"
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 7:09 pm
His ears flattened against his head a little bit, still confused. Juusanshi? That's right... He'd picked up the stone not too long before he'd left. He didn't remember anyone telling him anything, however. Warily, he decided to trust the fact that she seemed to know what she was doing, and held the stone out to her.
"Forgive my ignorance," he appologized a bit quietly, "I guess I must have forgotten."
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 7:13 pm
Aishiki took the stone, examining it carefully before setting it on the forest floor. "It's been dormant for a while. Whoever's coming must not have been as ill as some." She offered him a smile. "Thank you for bonding with one of us."
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 7:22 pm
Bonding... That was a word Neko hated to use toward living creatures. He prefered to call it... parenting. Or at least guarding. Giving others a home was the least he could do after everything he'd gone through himself. Nevertheless, he took on a look of worry after she mentioned others being ill.
"May I ask... why he or she would have been sick? I don't think I quite understand..." he asked curiously, looking toward the stone now resting on the ground.
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 7:36 pm
Aishiki peered around, then picked a fallen log to sit on. "We're fighting a plague. It destroys our souls, kills us if left too long. Many of us fell to the plague before we finally figured out a way to counter it, to heal us." She leaned forward onto her arms, thoughtful. "The only way to fight it is to bond with a Gaian. The summoning process binds our souls to someone here, and somehow, that stabilizes our souls."
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 7:41 pm
Neko frowned, his tail falling limp behind himself for a moment. They were being killed by a plague? That was terrible!
"I hope... that others will find Gaians," was all he could say. "I wish there was more that I could do to help..."
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 7:43 pm
"But you're doing plenty already, just giving this one of us a chance at life," Aishiki pointed out, smiling gently. As she spoke, the smoke started growing heavier, thickening as it floated from the stone. "That means a lot."
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 7:49 pm
The man watched as the smoke grew thicker, crouching down where he was and adjusting his cape. His gold eyes looked carefully at the stone, a bit entranced as he hugged his knees gently. He was helping, right? He was doing something good. So... was that not enough for the moment?
"I'll... I'll take good care of them," he said softly, smiling a little bit. "Maybe someday, I'll try to save another, as well."
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 7:51 pm
"That... would be very good," Aishiki nodded, smiling warmly at him. "We're always looking for good people to bond to..." The smoke abruptly billowed forth, coming in a chokingly thick cloud for a moment. As it dispersed, a figure stood above the stone. 
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 8:15 pm
Neko's ears perked up as the figure appeared, turning his eyes upward toward the... man? Tiger? O-oh my... He was rather lacking in the clothing department.
He seemed dazed for a long moment, his green eyes staring off into space while his small framed body looked stiff. He was conscious, his thoughts quickly beginning to run through his mind as he tried to piece together what had happened. He was alive? He was... really alive?
Finally, his tail began to curl a little bit, the stripes blending slightly with the ones along his body. He was able to move. He could breathe, he could blink, he...
...was very naked and cold. His fair cheeks brightened a little bit as he snapped to reality, small eyes peering around curiously and cautiously.
"W... where am I...?" he finally asked, his voice rasped from a dry throat.
Neko undid the moon-shaped pin from his cloak as he stood upright, removing the black material from his shoulders and tossing it to the new man.
"Maybe a better question would be 'What's your name?'" he remarked, not sure what to tell the Juusanshi about where they currently were.
"My... name?"
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