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 Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 9:16 am
 ใ C K R A : :x2955 // 3275 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x3390 // 3550 ใ tab ใ X P : :x39430 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x62,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ S+ Rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: Two-toned idiots base ใ
Takeda had a hard time keeping his smile when he had to answer her question. He breathed out a sigh and looked over to the room where Egawa lay lifelessly on the floor. There was no point in keeping things hidden, especially when he planned to answer all of her questions at some point regardless. "Regardless of how I feel about him, I need to keep him in pain. I'm going to send people here to sweep up the devices he placed for examination. After that, they'll be taking him back to HQ. Not only do I want to ensure the safety of those who transport him, but I don't want Egawa to forget what he made me do to him when I show up to interrogate." The way he stated it left little room for objection. It wouldn't be impossible to believe that there was a personal motivation behind Egawa's treatment, but Takeda also stopped caring about senseless violence a long time ago.
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The rest of the operation went off without a hitch. Jed's men didn't object to the orders of their boss, and they left Himawari. The town became abuzz with whispers about what could have happened, and the healing process finally started. Takeda communicated with Maelstrom through his own channels and had his pay forwarded to HQ. He also got confirmation that there were two Maelstrom units close to town for the warehouse sweep. There were still a few small requests he needed to see to before ultimately leaving the water country for good, but he wouldn't turn a blind eye to the help he could get from Kagerou for one mission in particular.
Before that, though...
While Takeda was dense in many things considering friendship or matters of the heart, he wasn't oblivious to the awkward air hanging around them. Maybe it was due to the restraint being put on display by both of them, or he was just more keen on those things when it came to Kagerou. The fact that she wasn't smiling when he saw her again earlier spoke volumes already. It could be avoided if he didn't say anything. If she brought it up first, he could deny her.
He promised her in that letter, though. That he would tell her everything, and that included whatever it was creating the awkwardness between them. It wasn't that he felt obligated or guilty. No, there were too many feelings at play for it to be something that simple. Fear, pride, anger, and shame all came together to work against him, but some small thought pierced through it all and gave him hope every time. "I can trust her." There was nobody in the world who knew him better than her, and he wasn't blind to that. She wouldn't pity him or downplay his feelings. All he needed to do was take the first step.
"Can you come with me somewhere, Kagerou? It's got nothing to do with a mission, but it's important." His eyes didn't waver from hers, but there was a weariness to his smile. Honestly, it was probably the most vulnerable expression she'd seen from the jiongu. For the first time, it looked like some part of him could shatter if she were to tell him no or ignore his request. With that kind of gravity behind what he asked her, it was unlikely for the kunoichi to mistake his intentions. There was only one thing it could be about. After she agreed, Takeda wasted no time in finding a spot for them to be alone. There was, of course, only one place he knew of in Himawari, but he brushed off the embarrassment like it was nothing.
Unlike before, he refused to sit when he crossed that bench he waited at earlier in the day. His mind was too active, and it was enough that he was able to restrain himself from pacing like a maniac. His eyes wandered around the area, to the white flowers that decided nothing would stop them from blooming to the townspeople walking further out from where they were. For such a beautiful spot, it was remarkably empty around the two of them. It was a small blessing and another sign that there was no better time to have their talk. His eyes finally cast downwards towards a cut in the sleeve of his cloak and he placed a hand over it. How much did she see? How much could he get away with hiding? Those thoughts threatened to reach the front of his mind again, but he refused to stand around idle. Not wanting to give the impression that he was distancing himself from her, he returned eye contact and spoke up.
"I think we've both waited long enough. You have questions, and I'm prepared to tell you everything. I don't want you to hold back. Ask me anything you want, Kagerou."
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 8:42 pm
  Takeda would find the green haired kunoichi at a small park, exactly where she had promised he would be able to find her, giving Takeda the room to use his channels freely and Kagerou time to handle several matters for the evening. She was speaking with a purple clad kunoichi in low murmurs when Takeda arrive, her amicable smile back to normal.
In tandem, purple and red eyes flicked to the approaching male. Well, only the owner of the purple irises glanced at Takeda. Kagerou's eyes lingered for a beat longer on the expression, feeling already without words that something wasn't right. However, she had to finish the conversation first, so she didn't spend too long before turning back to the other woman. They were of similar heights, and shared a resemblance in their faces.
"Then I'll leave the arrangements to you and Mido,"
"Mm." Mura's eyes did another flick to Takeda and then back to Kagerou. "Good luck." Then she turned. Kagerou wouldn't see the small smirk, but Takeda could have if he was quick enough to catch it before she disappeared in a shower of mist.
"Ah," Kagerou quickly turned her gaze to Takeda, and decided to not even say anything. She just gave him the brightest smile she felt like giving, which was quite bright, to make up for that expression she had made earlier. "Yeah! Sure," she agreed easily, confidently, trying to make up for the weariness in his smile and the vulnerability in his expression. She was worried for him, but she could kind of understand that him approaching her right now with an expression she'd never seen in the open meant that she was going to get the chance to worry as much as she wanted if she just waited a little longer.
The spot she saw after following Takeda surprised her a little. She wasn't a native of this town, but she had heard of the rumors of this spot. She... just assumed Takeda didn't know, though. He'd probably just taken her to an empty spot, which this spot surprisingly was for its usual popularity. Once they were settled, Kagerou taking a seat on the bench, the kunoichi attentively watched Takeda as his eyes wandered around the scenery and then finally down to the sleeve of his cloak. There was a cut there, she noticed, but she couldn't figure why he would be so conscious of that particular cut. She looked from his sleeve back up to his face, wondering over many things.
When Takeda returned eye contact, Kagerou widened her smile once more. She blinked at the manner in which he opened the conversation, but didn't miss a beat with her immediate answer, "Are you okay?". It was a weighted question, yet with no pressure behind it. Only the choice in words hinted at the burden weighing on Kagerou's mind. Her tone gave Takeda the easy opening to answer it simply and wait for her next question to further specify the details she wanted.
It seemed, no matter how many years passed, she would still be caught off-guard by Takeda's bluntness occasionally. She appreciated that.
[33 sentences]
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 10:13 pm
ใ C K R A : :x2955 // 3275 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x3390 // 3550 ใ tab ใ X P : :x39430 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x62,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ S+ Rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: A barrier to get over. ใ
Takeda's eyes widened in response to her answer. He took in a sharp breath and restrained himself from immediately lashing out in response. It was easy to perceive that answer as her not taking his words seriously, but it was Kagerou. Again and again, she became the exception. Even though it stung, it wouldn't top the regret he'd feel later for snapping at her. She read his letter and wasn't the type to forget its contents, so assuming that she undermined his question's severity wasn't the smartest move. No, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that there was plenty of weight in that answer alone.
It was also an undeniably Kagerou-like answer, so hating it was out of the picture. He was the one being strange and making things dreadful.
He exhaled slowly and softened his gaze, showing a level of restraint that could have helped considerably in his younger years. "I don't think I've been "okay" since the day I met Jack. But I think I get what you mean. I'm not okay, no. I'm probably in over my head, and I'm afraid of what's going to happen to me. I'm facing so many things that I have no power to change and I'm worried about who might get hurt in the process." It was brutally honest, but that's probably what she wanted. However, he refused to give her details. There were so many things he could have responded with, but if she decided to come up with the ultimate "Kagerou" response then he could do the same for himself.
"What I said in my message still stands, though. When you ask me, I'll tell you everything. So ask me. Though on the other hand, if you don't want to know, it's not something I'll force on you." That small smile of his came back. It was never much, but it was rare enough to make him look entirely different at times. "I should have told you earlier, but if you make me spill all of this then you're stuck with me. Can't let you run around with all my secrets unchecked. There will be no more peaceful, Takeddy-less years." He said to her, and if there was ever a sign that he was nervous it was that. The playfulness he displayed, and even calling himself that terrible name. It wasn't only a sign that he was trying to make things easier for her, but also that he was fine with toning down the severity of things. It wasn't like them for everything to be so deathly serious, something he would have missed if he lashed out at her for the question which led to the shift in mood.
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2021 3:08 am
Though the withheld disapproval of the other party put her on edge, Kagerou's earnest desire to hear his answer to her simple question kept her scarlet eyes locked onto Takeda's equally red irises. If nothing else, her steady gaze would prove that she wasn't simply making light of the situation.
Seeing the softened gaze, framed by the white-laden branches above, caused the kunoichi to start and blink, but she maintained her composure, continuing to face the Jiongu and his answers with a head-on smile. Besides, whatever minor flustered feeling she may have felt at seeing this rare side of Takeda was quickly superseded with a small pang of pain. She wanted to lower her eyes as her worried grew, but she refused. She would fully acknowledge the effort Takeda was putting towards this conversation with her, and keep her eyes on him.
Only at the very end, once he was finished, did she allow her eyes to lower. Closing her eyes she thought of the past, and... snorted, followed by a short laugh. "Hm hm, Takeda," the kunoichi laugh hummed at the irony of Takeda's last words, "If anything, all these years, wasn't your problem more like I was stuck with you than the other way around? Er... That is, up until when you suddenly disappeared off the face of the earth..." Her voice softened at each word, as she was reminded of her reason for hesitating in the first place.
"Takeda," Kagerou called again. She smiled in warning and tried calling, "Takeddy bear~" for the first time in a long, long time. He had been blunt and open with her, and it was about time for Kagerou to the same. Breathing a sigh that reshaped her smile into a softer, more thoughtful shape, Kagerou turned her head to the side to pick out and pluck a fallen white flower from the bench besides. Twirling the flower between her fingers, the kunoichi tried her best, "You aren't completely wrong to remind me about that letter. Just a little bit, for a little bit, and for silly reasons, I wasn't sure if you meant what you wrote to me... But that wasn't why I asked about your condition. It's just that, to me, your health comes before any curiosity I have. That and... Your health actually is related to what I want to ask most about." Ceasing to look at the flower, the crimson gaze raise up, past the eyes and resting pointedly on the streak of white that ran through the otherwise black hair. The smile faded as the stared focused more intensely upon that strand of white that hadn't been there before. "Takeda, I'll take your offer to mean that you're ready and your answer prior to mean that you're still willing, so I'll ask, just as you said I could in your letter. What happened?".
A steely tone and words that felt like they could physically pierce. It was not like she needed either. Takeda had already promised. Nonetheless, she couldn't hold herself back now that it had come down to asking the actual question. Anger? No, if it was anger, then she would have gone ballistic the moment she saw the guy groping around inside Takeda, and then ballistic again once she realized the curse mark ingrained in Takeda's body. Calmly as she may have acted in the face of both situations, the gravity of neither had escaped her attention. She was thoroughly upset at her own helplessness, and also had a desire. A desire to protect Takeda from whatever made him feel so helpless and confused. Both were emotions she could have kept calm if she wanted to, but somehow, right now and right here in front of Takeda, she didn't want to make that sort of effort.
[38 sentences]
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2021 6:45 am
ใ C K R A : :x2955 // 3275 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x3390 // 3550 ใ tab ใ X P : :x39430 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x62,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ S+ Rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: A barrier to get over. ใ
A small rumble rocked Takeda's body a bit as he chuckled in response to her laugh. "Yeah, really funny." He muttered lowly before she spoke, though it was all in good fun. He was just embarrassed. There was less overall tension in his features as he slowly felt more and more prepared to tell her everything. There was a bit of pain when she mentioned him dropping off the face of the earth, but it was replaced when he reaffirmed that he'd finally be telling her why.
Kagerou earnestly called his name for the second time and a strange feeling threatened to wash over him. He couldn't place it at first, then she called him that dumb pet name and it was like a sudden assault on his heart. It would have been fine for him to reject it, but no. A warm feeling spread its way through him instead, and Takeda knew it was only because he was exposing himself so much. He took his chance to turn his head and sigh when she went to twirl a flower between her fingers. There was no use in getting worked up over something so small. Takeda turned his gaze back to her when she started speaking, and he nodded when she stated her reasoning for answering the way she did. While they both had different ways of perceiving it, neither of them settled on it having bad intentions.
He carefully watched her expression and noticed that her eyes traveled above his gaze. It wasn't difficult for him to deduce where she was staring, but he was more focused on her tone and the disappearance of her smile. She didn't need to say anything else for him to understand her feelings. He wouldn't accuse her of undermining his own emotions again.
"I left the Sero years ago. Back when Arashigakure wasn't even a decided name. I was one of the first groups to help carry out supplies for our new home after Inka and the Daimyo struck their deal. We were a supply caravan with around twenty carts and well over a hundred people, but someone eventually hailed for us to stop. There was a man on the road blocking our route and in hysterics. He needed help and claimed that with all the changes going on, he couldn't get the daimyo to hear his requests. I didn't want the caravans to be held up over something I could fix on my own, so I offered to take the job. All's well that ends well, right?" He paused for a moment after that, both to prepare himself to continue and to observe Kagerou's expression. She was one of the smartest people he knew so she likely picked up on where he was going already. His arms crossed over his chest and he rocked slowly from side to side, looking past her and to the town behind her.
"The mission went off without a hitch, believe it or not. His daughter was kidnapped by a group of bandits, and I took care of them. Something was off, though. They had tech that went beyond what you'd expect from a ragtag group like that, and they seemed to be taking orders from someone that took priority even over their leader. I'm sure that sounds familiar to you. Using bandits isn't their only method, but it's their most successful one. In this case, there was a dose of poison involved with everything in that room. The weapons, traps, tech, even their blood. Eventually, I come face to face with the ringleader. A guy bigger, older, and much more annoying than Egawa. Normally I could have beaten him or escaped, but I didn't know about the poison until I was already having trouble moving. I was abducted, and nobody came looking for me because I told the caravan I'd show up on my own. That was...almost six years ago now, I think." There was another pause after he got all of his thoughts together. While that part was easy enough to recount, what came next was much harder. It had nothing to do with his memory though. It was painful to think about and downright devastating to talk about but he held his own for her sake.
"Human abductions aren't unheard of in the water country. That's something I figured out after I escaped. There's been little to no progress made on uncovering anything about who or what's involved because of bribes, assassinations, suicides, and everything in between. I can tell you that it's more than one organization. They range from madmen trying to make the next breakthrough in power to monsters who pump people full of drugs and send them into the arena to die for easy ryo. The only common ground shared between them is that no matter how they like to sugar coat it, all they do is make innocent people as strong as possible against their will and then send them out to kill or be killed by another lab rat. The result is the only thing that makes them different. Some do it for ryo or sexual release, others do it for research. In...in my case, I was purchased by a group for research after I got captured. Not hard to figure out why." Takeda raised his right hand and covered it in the black void that his tendrils came from to get his point across. His eyes narrowed as he stared into that void, expression changing to one of disdain. He blamed himself and how he was born for some time after he was captured, even if it was unreasonable. It was because he was different that he survived. If he wasn't, he would've been purchased by another team and killed after his first few fights. There was more to it, though. Other reasons why he went through a period of such strong self-loathing that he refused to see one of the few people - no, the only person who might be able to fix him.
Takeda remained silent for a moment longer before dropping his hand and moving over to the bench. He sat next to Kagerou and didn't bother putting much distance between them, which alone was a silent indicator of how much he'd come to feel comfortable around her. He knew that the things that came next in his history would be hard to manage. Instead of toughing it out, he decided to take what little comfort he could receive instead.
"Do you want me to slow down so we can talk, or should I keep going?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2021 8:57 pm
Earnestly listening, Kagerou lowered her gaze down from Takeda's hair and back to his eyes. There was no attempt to read. Only to show that she acknowledged him and his story. Her face kept still for the most part, in a neutral expression because apparently Nick is under the impression that I would always mention when Kagerou isn't smiling. The only movement was to blink and, when Takeda brought up the purpose he was captured for, to subtly bite down on her lower lip as he confirmed a guess she had since he mentioned how he had chosen to take a job alone.
So it indeed had been one of those groups that had forced such a dangerous curse onto Takeda. She didn't show any reaction or objection to Takeda for explaining something she already knew about. It was good to hear it, anyways. It told her how much he knew about that particular part of society's underbelly, and Kagerou, personally, was not proud to know of the existence of such a side to the world nor the matter in which she or her family approached it. They, the different organizations that built up the human trade economy, were innumerable, and only so much could be done about such a far-reaching dark industry. However, perhaps the lack of any reaction, particular a certain want for abject horror, would tell Takeda what Kagerou was reluctant to reveal.
However, the hardest part to hold herself back during was when Takeda looked at his own hand with that face. Upon her lap, Kagerou folded her hands tightly, so that they wouldn't get themselves in trouble. It was so tempting to reach up and try to console Takeda, open his narrowed eyes so he could start treasuring instead of disdaining himself. However, she knew. She knew after all this time and after so many long days and nights of attempts that it wouldn't be so easy. Even admitting to all of this must have been so difficult to him. Sitting upon the bench, the only thing she could offer her eyes and the time of her day, she felt helpless. All the promises and reassurances she had spewed when she was younger had fallen flat as nothing but empty words.
Takeda started to move, and Kagerou took this opportunity to drop her eyes slightly and then raise them up to the tree tops above. As she leaned back, neck craning to take in the view of the flowers kissing the blue sky, she felt Takeda's weight lower onto the bench besides her and his body heat besides her, only a few inches from touching. Her first reaction was to answer that Takeda should go at the pace he felt most comfortable at, but she thought about it for a bit and instead replied with, "I'm fine. I can take it at whatever pace you give it to me." Her head returned from the skies and she leaned to the left to close the little distance left between her and Takeda. "But you know," she added, smiling up at Takeda, "I kind of do want to say something before you start again." Her eyes lowered again, down to their target on the right side of Takeda's body. Right hand, the hand not trapped between her body and Takeda's, crossed her body and reached between the two of them to clasp the Jiongu's right wrist with slender and slightly calloused fingers. Said hand was raised to the owner's eye level. "Knowing that your body can bring danger onto you, make people want to hurt you, is never easy to accept. Then, when there's even more reason to despise it than just that... I don't know, and I won't pretend to know, but what I do know is that this hand and the tendrils within it have saved me and others more times than I can count. You could even say it's what tied us together. I mean, obviously, who you are was the biggest thing, but I can't deny that it was easier for me to trust that you would come back alright, safe, and sound. Most importantly, it's kept you alive. That's why, to me, this is a very precious hand of a very precious person." Well, before all of that, it was never the fault of Takeda's hand or any other part of his body, but that much was obvious. However, there had been so much more Kagerou had wanted to say than just that, all because she didn't want to see Takeda look at his own body with those eyes. She'd seen eyes like that before, and it had rarely ended well.
[39 sentences]
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2021 4:31 pm
ใ C K R A : :x2955 // 3275 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x3390 // 3550 ใ tab ใ X P : :x39430 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x62,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ S+ Rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: A barrier to get over. ใ
As much as he wanted to, Takeda couldn't smile in response to her efforts. He wanted to nod his head and tell her that she was right or earnestly accept that he could consider himself precious too. He wanted to feel that familiar warmth of embarrassment because of her unprovoked contact or even thank her for the kind words. All he felt instead was guilt. "Kagerou." The lone name crept out lightly from a delicate tone. It could hardly be registered above a whisper, though he wasn't trying to speak silently on purpose. It was all he could manage. He could tell that she told him what she did and comforted him out of the goodness of her heart, but he couldn't accept it. Not only was it difficult to reject her succor, but it also hurt. Not because he was depriving himself of her reassurance, that would be manageable. No. Somewhere deep down and long ago, Takeda convinced himself that if anyone could free him, it would be her. It was selfish and ignorant, but unlike anyone else, her opinion mattered to him. Then she grasped his hand, did all she could to help him, and all he could see were their faces.
"You weren't there. You didn't watch me kill them. You didn't see what they did to them because of me." His expression was pained once he finished speaking. No, more than that. He looked like a man at his wit's end. She could probably feel it then, the way his tendrils moved beneath his skin when he clenched his fist. There was a calm, and then it was like something was moving into his arm, ready to be used to hurt others. "If I accept words like yours, then what about them? Did they get taken and turned into monsters that could maybe put up a halfway decent fight because of a precious person? Sometimes they couldn't remember who they were, or they couldn't speak at all. Sometimes they begged to die, and I couldn't even give them that because their sponsors wanted further testing. They got their perfect weapon because of this precious body of mine and everyone else had to catch up for the <******** data to mean anything! Killing to survive is the life we lead as shinobi and that's fine, but this was...they lost everything because I survived. They suffered, and they're still suffering and they wouldn't be if I...It never would have happened to them if I was...if I just went and..." If Kagerou still had any lingering thoughts on why Takeda took so long to reach out to her, that should have explained it. It wasn't an understatement when he said in the letter that he was at his lowest. Not only did it show in his words and his tone, but it also revealed itself in the form of tears spilling down the sides of his face.
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 12:04 am
The quiet call for her raised complicated emotions in Kagerou. Well, more complicated than usual. However, she set all of that aside and maintained a steady course in explaining how much Takeda meant to her, how much he should mean to himself.
Then, when it came time for his reply, the wrist she held up was lowered back down between them so that she could look him directly in his eyes. Reflected clearly in those pools, she could see herself, smiling gently as she usually did. She would have tried to fix that if she hadn't recognized that glazed look right away. He saw not her, but something else that haunted him from within. Her smile faltered at the sight of those eyes. It was a sight she had hoped with all her heart that she could spare those she cared for from.
She probably could smile again. Speaking strictly in terms of what was possible, she definitely could, but at the same time, she couldn't. As she saw Takeda begin to break down before her and the continue without any signs of stopping, every part of her body froze. For as long as they could bear to, those red eyes watched calmly a deconstruction she had never once seen before. The only muscle still working was the right hand she had on his same-sided wrist. Afraid of what the sudden motion of tendrils beneath the skin would do, that hand gripped down tightly and wrapped more of her hand around the active tendrils, so that if he was going to try to hurt himself, then he would need to hurt her too.
When Takeda admitted to being at his lowest, Kagerou wasn't sure what that could mean. Clearly, something bad. He had once lost his entire family and then served for the very village that, in a way, was the reason for their demise. It wasn't the worst fate, but it was down there. However, someone like her would have never truly guessed what was really hidden behind those words. No, possibly even worse. What someone like her had done was passively wait, continue to live a happy life while Takeda... Who knew how long he had been holding this inside of himself.
The outward serenity she showed sitting in front of the breaking down Takeda was really just a lie. Her hands shook, so much so that when she brought her right hand over her left hand to hold it steady, all it would do was tell Takeda that both of her hands were shaking. As Takeda stressed his "precious body of mine," she couldn't keep on looking at him anymore. Where had Takeda been this entire time? Which facility? Was it one the Kiritani knew? Was it even, perhaps, one that might have been taken down if, instead of spending time in Arashi, she had focused on Water Country? None of these questions mattered because she had no way of knowing, but logic would not win against this deluge of emotions. She failed. Again. Again and again and again and... How many agains was it now? How many times did she have to repeat it to reach that accurate number? That awful, awful combination of helplessness and guilt filled her again, but... she quelled it.
She didn't matter. She wasn't supposed to matter, not right now. She had to say something for Takeda. Do something for Takeda. Though her eyes were turned away, she could see his face, clear as day in her peripheral vision. He was crying, and her heart hurt to see it, but that meant nothing compared to his many precious hearts .
With words failing her at first, she could only use her body to answer Takeda, and before he descended any further into his questions, she slid her slender right arm around his neck to pull him down to her body without even reconnecting eye contact. The left hand remained on Takeda's right wrist, still afraid of what it would do to him. The motion was jerky, sure to interrupt Takeda from saying the sentence that would break Kagerou to hear. The hug was awkward, different from the ones she would usually force onto Takeda. Usually, she would lean into Takeda, firstly because it was a lot easier to move her body than his unwilling brick of one and secondly because their relative heights made that the most comfortable arrangement. That second point, in particular, was becoming quite apparent now that Takeda's head was left hanging to find its own place to rest. However, no matter how awkward, she resolutely held and supported the boy in her arms for as long as he would need it.
The physical contact also calmed Kagerou down, enough for her to feel like she could control her tongue again and not just cry apologies in succession. Feeling teardrops falling from his face run down her own dry cheeks, Kagerou finished the thought for Takeda, "If you just went and... what? Make the one choice that wasn't doing what they wanted you to do? You had no control, so you could only choose between living obediently and... and so completely erasing yourself that not a speck was left to use." Her voice trembled with each syllable, but she would honestly rather say it herself than hear it said from the lips of yet another person she cared for. "I... I may have never even known if you had chosen the latter. That's kind of rude, you know?" she weakly joked, mustering an equally weak laugh, so that Takeda would rather be annoyed than start bothering himself with worrying about everything he had just laid on Kagerou. The strain of her false smile could be heard even if it couldn't be seen as she continued, "Don't get angry at me now, but thank you... for surviving. Thank you... for bearing with all of that for as long as you did." There was a pause, a moment of hesitation. Then, though she would rather pull her own teeth out, she finished, "Trust me... I... I know what goes on in those kinds of places. I know exactly what I am being thankful for." Much as she only wanted Takeda to see her good sides, she needed him to know that her words weren't empty ones even more.
[72 sentences]
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 12:31 pm
ใ C K R A : :x2955 // 3275 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x3390 // 3550 ใ tab ใ X P : :x39430 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x62,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ S+ Rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: A barrier to get over. ใ
Fire singed every corner of his mind as his thoughts became a raging inferno, getting ready to crash down and destroy every barrier he ever built. Unable to control himself any longer, Takeda prepared to tell her that he wished he died in that place. That he'd never be happy until he was certain they could never use him again. That his death was the only way to avenge everyone who died for the sake of research done in his name. It would have been a painful start to a steep downward spiral, but the arm that wrapped around his neck to pull him in managed to disrupt it. Just long enough for her to speak.
His heart ached when she said it for him. That was right. Just dying wouldn't be enough, and he knew that. Her voice was shaking with every word, and he wanted to cut her off or tell her to stop talking. It'd be easy to fight her every step of the way if he pushed her off of him, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. She'd yanked him into a hug so abruptly that it was like his body was still processing it, even though his mind was registering every word and his tears still fell unhindered. Kagerou's pained laughs and sweet words might as well have stabbed him in the chest, especially when he could picture that annoying smile she was keeping up. He wanted to tell her that it didn't matter whether or not she knew he died, but he couldn't do that either. It was really amazing that Kagerou could paralyze someone without even using chakra, even if he was the only one it worked on.
When she started to thank him, he was silently relieved that she couldn't see his face. He winced each time, and it only intensified the stinging in his eyes. "..." Takeda didn't utter a word, the only sound coming from the changes in his breathing whenever he had to swallow over the lump in his throat or deal with her onslaught on his heart. When she finished speaking, all she'd be able to feel was the slight motion of him nodding his head to show that he understood. It would have been easier for him to bask in his self-loathing if she was the type to hold back when he was vulnerable. No, she did all she could to pull him out of it, and his desire to avoid hurting her overcame the need to hurt himself.
Sitting there in silence, stuck in an awkward position because of Kagerou's impulsive hug, Takeda took some time to think. It had been a long time since he'd blown up like that, and even longer since he cried. Even when he was captured, it didn't take too long for him to accept his fate and move on. He even walked Emiko through his time in captivity, but something about Kagerou's reaction flipped a switch in him. He felt guilty about the fact that he got to see Emiko again and learn beneath her despite everything that happened, but it was a drop in the ocean compared to what he felt when the green-haired kunoichi tried to reassure him. Takeda didn't think he could decipher the reason any time soon, but he did know that he'd regret it if he didn't say something after what he put her through. Then there came the whole other issue. After all that, what could he even say? Unless...
His mind ran back to what Kagerou did every time she needed to get something across when words failed her. Certain actions that were occasionally reciprocated by Takeda but never initiated. If there was one thing it never failed at, it was getting him to understand her whole meaning. To listen to everything she said, even if her mouth didn't make a sound. "Can I have my hand back, Kagerou?" He asked, his tone much calmer than it was before, even if it still carried some rasp from the recent tears. Unfortunately, though not entirely unexpectedly, Kagerou shook her head no. While he could have teased her about it, Takeda didn't want to risk getting distracted from what he wanted to do. "Please." He asked again, and it seemed his earnest plea was enough to earn his hand back.
Takeda backed away the slightest bit. Not enough to give the impression that he didn't want her arm around him, but enough to give them some more room for what he wanted to do. He moved his right hand up as naturally as possible, which was still a little awkward considering who it was. He fought past any potential embarrassment or concern for personal space, taking a page out of her book and letting emotion guide him instead. Assuming she didn't pull back, Kagerou would find her cheek being gently held by a hand a bit more calloused than hers. His fingertips passed into her hair, and his wrist nudged her chin upwards a bit, enough for her to hopefully get the message. Maybe he treated her a bit more delicately than he should have, but it was his first time doing anything remotely like it.
Assuming she looked up in compliance with his silent request, it wouldn't take long for him to notice the remnants of his own tears on her skin. Her eyes didn't show the same signs of crying that he did, and he knew those tears of his had to fall somewhere, but he felt bad that she hadn't done anything about it yet. "I'm sorry. I should have considered your feelings before going there, but...I'm also glad that I got to tell you." He started, moving his thumb to wipe the remnants of his tears from her. It may have been wise for him to worry about his own face first, but it was of no importance to the jiongu. Not compared to what he needed to do. "I thought about horrible things when I was alone, and I even spent some time after I got out wondering if I should find a place to die, but you know better than anyone that if I really want to do something, I wouldn't be afraid. You were...more often than anything else, the reason why I'm still here today. It's because you're precious to me that I never gave up hope. Hope that I'd be able to tell you what happened one day and that you'd be able to fix me somewhere down the line. Hope that you'd still smile all the time and say the things I need to hear, even if I don't always want you to." The small smile on his face contrasted against his dried tears, and it was impossible to hide his flushed cheeks with how close they were. Once again he found himself vulnerable, though in a completely different sense.
"Thank you for staying safe long enough for me to rely on you. For staying alive and well. I don't think you know what it'd do to me if I came back and you were gone."
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 11:00 pm
The young lady had shaken her head with the same energy as a reluctant child, green hair rustling like the leaves on a summer tree, and for about the same amount of reason to. Only once Takeda asked a second time, did Kagerou realize how silly she was to be afraid that he was going to hurt himself in front of her while talking in that kind of tone.
Expecting him to pull away once she let go, she released his hand and retracted hers back to her lap. Though she didn't want to let him go, she had no right to stop him. As she thought, he did pull away, but not out of reach of her arm. He was just no longer squished into as awkward a position over her. "It's about the right distance to make eye contact," the mentally recovering kunoichi wondered, "Should I make eye contact here?". As she tried to plan her next move, a rough touch on her face surprised her out of her thoughts, a testament, if nothing else, to the trust the usually alert woman had in individual opposite of her. Kagerou shivered unintentionally as Takeda's fingers glided up her cheeks and weaved into her hair, so lightly that it was barely noticeable. The reaction was unexpected even to herself, and thus, not something she was able to make. It was her turn to be shocked into compliance as, without any resistance from her, Takeda pulled her face up for their eyes to meet. Though, evidently, she retained some semblance of awareness as those wide, wide orbs of surprise morphed faster than a blink into yet another of countless smiles.
Kagerou's immediate reply to Takeda's apology was to shake her head, but the motions of his thumb to clear away her tears stopped her mid-shake, and instead, she was busy with getting her face rubbed clean, the skin pinching and stretching here and there at the whims of the other's opposable digit, like she was some sort of child. She even closed the eye that was on the harassed side of the face, head moving side to side with Takeda's rubs. Couldn't Takeda see that his face was worse off? She wanted to complain to him about that, but he had her cornered. She couldn't very well interrupt him while he was in the middle of talking.
Pretty soon, the reason she couldn't speak became more than simply "Takeda talking," or perhaps, more accurately, it became more than "Takeda simply talking." While tear stained with eyes beginning to swell from the heavy crying moments earlier, the rare blush, ultra rare smile, and backdrop of floating flower petals gave the scene before Kagerou an almost surreal feeling. It certainly didn't help that Takeda seemed to have no idea what no idea he was saying. No, she knew he had no idea what he was saying, so bluntly placing so much importance on her. Calling someone precious was only fair when Kagerou did that. It was cheating, cheating she insisted, for Takeda to call her precious.
The rest of the message was received loud and clear, as the new burden given to her was accepted happily. Her guilt wasn't any less, but Takeda's words eased the self-loathing she had begun to feel. However, however, however... She was only one person, with one face, and one voice to express her emotions.
What that face and voice chose to do at this time, as it looked up with frozen smile at a face that was suddenly way too close and had no place looking even a tenth as attractive as it did with literal flower petals in the background, was to address what was clearly not the most important part of this exchange, but no one said the brain was smart. Kagerou weakly laughed again, but to hide a completely different emotion than the last time. There was so many other things she wanted to say, but she needed time to recover first. This couldn't be happening. It was already bad enough that Severin could do this. She couldn't let Takeda know what she was weak to.
Clearly, there was only one solution. Using the power of both hands, Kagerou covered up that bothersome face. Of course, under the pretense of cleaning up Takeda's face. "What are you saying- I mean, doing," she chided as one hand cupped Takeda's chin to keep his face in place while the other, with sleeve pulled up over the wrist, started dabbing away at the tear trails, "Well, no, I mean saying, too, now that I think about it, but first, your face is way worse off than mine." She felt the rhythm of the conversation return to her as she cared for Takeda.
"I don't know what you're thanking me for," the recovered Kagerou continued as she lowered her hands, "Of course I'd be here. I've already promised you that you wouldn't be able to get rid of me~". She gave a smile, not a frozen or mass produced one, but not completely exuberant, either. Too much had been said in these past few moments for Kagerou to smile without a care, and though Takeda looked fine now, she knew of everything that could hide behind a smile. Knowing that he was ready, at any moment, to completely eradicate himself, would haunt Kagerou. Letting him go alone had suddenly become a lot harder to do.
She moved. Not to get further away, though. Past the initial embarrassment, she was back to not minding the close quarters once more. Turning to the left, she brought one leg atop the bench, folding it in front of so that she could face Takeda comfortably. She took in one deep breath and then gave one long exhale. Then, looking him in the eye, she asked, "There's a lot more, right? I have somewhere I need to be shortly, and something I want to talk to you about, too, but we still have plenty of time for chapter two. It's just that... before we continue... can I ask you one thing?". Her smile faded out. She waited, with an earnest yet neutral expression for his agreement. When it came, she didn't smile like one would have expected her to. Continuing to solemnly read Takeda's expression, the kunoichi posed a question with great difficulty, "I know it's not always going to be possible, but the next time you start thinking horrible thoughts, please let me know. Talk to me about it. I don't care how much it will hurt or how inappropriate it will be. If I can help you even just a little bit, then don't worry about it and come to me." Though, the ease with which her voice delivered the words disguised her inner turmoil as she remembered Kumotake.
[64 sentences]
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Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:20 pm
ใ C K R A : :x2955 // 3275 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x3390 // 3550 ใ tab ใ X P : :x39430 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x62,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ S+ Rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: A barrier to get over. ใ
Takeda blinked, suddenly finding his face under attack by the hands of the person he tried to pour his heart out to. Ahh, how cruel a fate to suffer. Still, given the smiling and laughing, he was able to assume that his first attempt at embracing Kagerou succeeded. It didn't matter how horrific the words were or how many tears fell, the jiongu considered it an accomplishment if they were both able to smile after. Well, at least he tried to smile, but it was embarrassing to have her wipe him down with her sleeve. The only thing keeping him from getting her to ease off was the fact that he did something similar not too long ago. "Yeah, yeah...you know what I mean, Kagerou. Just let me be grateful." He mumbled, waiting for her to finish.
When she did, he made sure to remove his hand from her cheek. He already got across his point, which is part of why he touched her in the first place. Continuing would only make things weird, and he proceeded to set his hand back down on the bench between them.
There were quite a few things to note from there. The fact that she had plans of her own, along with another topic to bring up was news to him, but the disappearance of her smile took priority. Whatever remained of his own smile also faded out as he focused on her words. There was obviously some heft to what she had to ask, but even after sitting there and listening to her request, he found it remarkably simple to answer. "My work takes me all over the place, so it's not like I can always expect you to be there when those thoughts come around." He started, and broke eye contact after so that he could look up at the ever-blooming white flowers. It was easier to think of the past when he wasn't looking at her. The last thing he wanted to associate with that place was her, but he couldn't deny the number of times she saved him without being there. There were so many times that he wished he could talk to her, even if she couldn't do anything to help him. So of course he'd accept that request. "I'll do what I can, though. I'll write, even if you don't get my messages. Even if I'm on the other side of the world, my need to speak with you will be greater than any horrible thing I can think of. That much I can promise." The words left as if he rehearsed them a hundred times, but something stuck behind. Unexpected and dark, it was a thought that had actually reared its head before, but he never cared to pay it any mind. So many of his interactions with people led to him reassuring them and making promises, and he never cared to take things further than that. Whether it was with work or teaching, he accepted his lot and didn't ask for anything in return, expecting things to work out in his favor. It possessed his tongue though, and he found himself confronted with something foreign. Doubt. Worry. Expectation.
"Can you do the same for me?" He asked, still looking up at the flowers.
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 1:54 am
 The familiar smile returned with Takeda's agreement. If he said so, then she could believe him because Takeda did not lie, to her or anyone. Looking upon his profile as he watched the flowers, so at ease in that moment of relief that she missed the meaning behind this visual cue, her feelings surged once again. Her eyes cast down shyly, but as her emotions had returned to their usual serenity, she didn't feel any more bothered than the usual when such feelings came around.
She still worried, indubitably, and it was no easier to let him go. However, at least now he was willing to write and keep in touch. To ask any more of him would probably be too selfish.
That was why, this would have been a great place to leave off, with Takeda's promise made and Kagerou's part done. Time could not be turned back, but with this much established, it could have just been like old times, back when they were in the same squad and in constant contact with each other, when they had each other's backs and could mutually rely on the other. The same drill, different times, and though Kagerou may have desired more, she would have been content. It was all she had wished for with Severin and Nozomi, too, and more than she got from either.
And just as she relaxed in that pleasant expectation, the signs she had missed blindsided her with a single, simple, and small question.
"Can you do the same for me?"
He looked up to the bright skies above, she looked down at her shadow below, yet their emotions reflected the other's.
Doubt. Worry. Expectation.
The shimmering crimson of her eyes froze, like a glassy shell had spread across the orbs. As the question revolved around the kunoichi's head, her gaze reflected a petal that kissed the wooden bench, the dark ripples it rested upon reminding her of a river at night. She would only burden Takeda if she told. She would break his trust if she hid. This was what she feared. This was what she...
A gentle breeze blew between the two. The petal tumbled between the cracks and sunk out of sight to the space below. The young woman's muscles stiffened as she watched the fragile piece of nature fall before relaxing almost instantly. Kagerou straightened up, and with seemingly ethereal ease, she smiled brightly. It seems, she had spent too long hesitating when the answer was clear. Her voice melodic and pleasing to the ear, the kunoichi of course accepted the request, "Well, thinking about it, there really isn't anything for you to worry about for me? Still, since you asked, then yes. If there ever comes a time when I need help, I'll call for you." It was the only right thing to do.
Because she didn't need help. She was fine. Whatever she felt, she could quell and handle another time. Whatever hurt her, she would be alright given enough time. Calm, and of unnaturally steady disposition, handling emotions should be her forte. Takeda had earned her respect and trust, even given her peace of mind, for his physical resilience, but in the matters of the emotional... She would clutch those matters, which were solely hers to bear, close to her heart and treat them quietly. If she couldn't be by his side when he was out there, then the least she could do was not give him any reason to worry about her. Of course, he didn't need to worry about her in the first place. She was Kagerou, the ever-smiling. She would most certainly be fine. Everything would be most certainly okay.
[45 sentences]
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Posted: Sat Jan 09, 2021 6:06 pm
ใ C K R A : :x2955 // 3275 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x3390 // 3550 ใ tab ใ X P : :x39430 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x62,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ S+ Rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: A barrier to get over. ใ
Each passing second was another coil of darkness wrapped around his heart. Unable to stop the feeling from eating at him, his mind started recalling different parts of their conversation. When she mentioned that she knew what went on in facilities like the one he was in, the subtle expressions he silently registered, and even the earnest question he repeated back to her. Takeda concluded that she had her problems. Problems she would want to handle privately, even if she didn't expect him to do the same. Even if it hurt to know that she couldn't return the favor for him, he'd rather have that than...
"Well, thinking about it, there really isn't anything for you to worry about for me? Still, since you asked, then yes. If there ever comes a time when I need help, I'll call for you."
"..." After listening to her answer, Takeda wondered for the briefest of moments if it was wise to leave his heart so open. The response he wanted to say - that he should have said rose in his throat but died before it reached his lips. It was choked away until nothing was left except for a small seed of doubt. His sincerity stemmed from his refusal to lie or sit on readied thoughts, and it remained that way for his entire life. It was easy to stay true to that because he didn't feel any sort of connection to the people who lied to him. For it to be someone he viewed so highly...she'd either have to be telling the truth, or she was prepared to risk their friendship just to avoid asking him for help. Faced with the foreign pain that came with that realization, he tried his hardest to remove his doubt.
This is Kagerou I'm talking about. There's no way...I'm just reading too far into this. He thought, shaking his head and convincing himself until a bit of guilt built up inside. She just sat there and listened to his problems, only for him to turn around and doubt that she'd do the same for him. If she had her own secrets to keep or reasons to withhold her emotions, she could just say that. Most importantly, she knew what would happen if she lied to him. She was the Kagerou who was always there for him to rely on if he needed it, who was so versed in handling emotional matters that she couldn't possibly have the same problems. So, keeping that in mind, he moved forwards and past those lingering doubts. Yet they didn't disappear, so they instead hid in the newly-formed cracks of his indomitable sincerity.
"Must be nice. Not having anything to worry about. If that ever changes, I'll be there." He said, ending things simply instead of over-complicating things further. His eyes finally gave up on whatever they were trying to look for up above, and that gaze once more settled on Kagerou. She was smiling, of course, and he was content with that. "I'm ready to continue talking about what happened to me. I feel like you'll understand some things more, but I want to remind you of what I said in my letter first. There's no way you or anyone else could have saved me from what happened. Okay?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:48 pm
Takeda the bold. Takeda the honest. Takeda the sincere. He said he believed her, so without question, Kagerou believed in his words, and being more than happy to move to another topic, she happily accepted Takeda's simple resolution of the question.
Looking him in the eyes, the green haired woman nodded. Considering everything she had heard so far, Takeda was right. Nonetheless, her agreement only came unwillingly, a pause preceding her nod. Smiling despite her discontent, Kagerou replied, "Yes, I know, logically speaking, but the mind is not always a logical place." Kagerou dipped her head down, not to avoid Takeda's eyes, but to find his hand, which she reached for and brought between the two of them. Gripping the bigger hand tightly between both of hers, it was a different hold from not too long ago. She didn't hold it out of fear of what he would do to himself. No, this time, she held it selfishly for herself because she wanted to feel a connection with the person on the other side, reassurance that he wouldn't leave her.
It seemed that, even though she told herself she was fine and she didn't have anything to tell Takeda in the first place, a part of her knew it was otherwise. A part of her that went unacknowledged was scared.
But the only thing Kagerou realized of that part was that holding Takeda's hand in hers helped her find the next words. "Nonetheless, as I've said, don't worry about me, Takeda," the red eyes looked up again to meet the similarly shaded eyes of the Jiongu, voice lilting like a gentle stream on a peaceful day, "Whatever I hear next, I can handle it. No, more importantly, I want to hear it from you. I was useless when you needed me most. Please, let me at least share a little of your pain."
A flower had fallen down upon Takeda's hair, the pastel white standing out against the rough black. Since when? She... wasn't sure. She couldn't remember if she had seen it before reaching for Takeda's hand. She still hadn't been in the right frame of mind then, slacking in her attention of the surroundings as she worked on keeping her composure. Smiling fondly, still too burdened to giggle as she might have otherwise, the young woman reached up to pluck the flower from atop Takeda's head and perch it behind his ear instead, where the innocent white kissing his upper jaw brightened the darker red and black hues of his eyes and hair.
[26 sentences]
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Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:07 pm
ใ C K R A : :x2955 // 3275 ใ tab ใ S T M : :x3390 // 3550 ใ tab ใ X P : :x39430 ใ tab ใ ไธก : :x62,300 ใ
tab ใ Wanderer ใ tab ใ S+ Rank ใ tab ใ Jiongu ใ tab ใ Nin / Tai ใ tab ใ Theme: A barrier to get over. ใ
Staring at her for a moment, Takeda processed her answer. It...was both a yes and a no, but before he could decide on whether that was good enough for him, she was grabbing one of his hands with both of hers. Her touch forced feelings onto him that contrasted with the terrible memories resurfacing in his mind, but he hesitated before he could pull his hand back. It couldn't have been easy for her to hear what he had to say either, and she was willing to bear a piece of his pain to help him. Stripping her of what little comfort he could offer was wrong. Then, as if she could read his thoughts, she told him that she could handle whatever it was he had to say. She was willing to share his pain.
"I'll share everything with you, but worrying about you is more like an unstoppable habit of mine now. I wonder who I could've picked that up from." He teased, trying to lighten the mood just like he did before. Though any attempt he could have made was immediately dwarfed by what Kagerou did next. Even if he couldn't see what she was doing, it was easy enough to decipher everything through touch alone. Her gentle touch didn't bother the jiongu at all, but nobody had ever done anything even remotely similar to him before. The soft movements tickled, making him shake his head just the smallest bit in response. "I...um..." Assuredly stunned, Takeda could only stare at her pleased expression in silence, letting her pull her hand back without so much as a peep from him.
Just a moment ago, the feeling of her hands holding his was overwhelmed by the bleak, horrific memories he was trying to draw out. Then, somehow, Kagerou managed to achieve the opposite. It only lasted for a moment, but that gentle touch brought back memories he'd suppressed even farther down. The recollection of another affectionate touch - another loving smile that was buried until that point. The kunoichi's hand touched his again just as he snatched it back. Not solely to pull away from her, but to rub the corners of his eyes with the back of his hand before they could sting too much again. She was already carrying so much for him, and he didn't want to add that burden to the pile. Not yet. Kagerou was even more experienced than him at reading people, but he hoped she wouldn't bring it up, just like he refused to delve further into why she froze when he ruffled her hair earlier in the day. It was an issue that fell outside of their promise, as it didn't prompt horrible thoughts, it was just...difficult to confront.
"Right, so after they purchased me-" Starting to speak again, Takeda seemed to ignore that the flower was there and moved his hand back to hers - albeit awkwardly, hoping she'd take over from there. "-they threw me into fights almost immediately. They wanted to run as many tests on me as possible to get a better idea of what they purchased, but I wasn't making it easy for them. So they tossed me in a fight with a few others, and when a shinobi is told to kill or be killed it's not a difficult choice. I survived, but it was far from over. No, it was fight after fight with hardly a break between the bloodshed. I didn't have enough time to feel sorry for anyone, I just knew that I wanted to stay alive long enough for someone to find me. Eventually, someone managed to beat me. He hid in the arena and watched so many others die just to wait for a pattern or catch me when I was exhausted. Then he stabbed me right through my heart. Even if that alone isn't enough to kill me, my body reacted because of all the stress and fear. My tendrils would have torn him limb from limb if the fight wasn't called off from there, and I'm glad it didn't end like that. He became my only friend in that place." He finished with a small, sad smile, his half-lidded eyes silently giving away the ending to that story. Assuming she took his hand again when he offered it, he'd slowly run his thumb along the back of her hand while pondering what to say next. Or rather, how to say it.
"I was weak enough for them to actually sedate me after that. Examine me in my entirety. When I finally woke up, I immediately realized something was wrong. My tendrils and I...we've always been the same package. It's technically a symbiote that replaced my insides to survive, but it's been a part of me for as long as I can remember. At that moment though, and even now, it's like we're separate. I don't know how they did it, but...here." With the hand that wasn't holding hers, Takeda brought his hand up to the left side of his neck and pulled down his collar to reveal a seal. Black and prominent on his otherwise unblemished neck. A brand and a constant reminder. "There's one here, and the other one is inside of me. Then, to tie it all together, they put something else in me. They called it a 'device' but it's untraceable, and it acts as a 'lock' to the seals. It's designed to be impossible to replicate, and removing either seal without disabling or removing it would be the end of me."
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