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 Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:55 am
The weirdest thing he had ever seen.
A floating ball of air, which spoke with the voice of Iri-sensei!
He had understood the the biggest part,
also the part where Jin must fly him.
At first he wanted to say what he was capable of, that he could do it himself.
But if he was to grow wings right now, he wouldn't have any energy left to fly.
So he nodded, stood on his feet while stuffing the last bits of rat in his mouth. and taking his scimitar. It wasn't too heavy to take with them, he thaught.
He walked over to Jin, ready to be taken away.
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 5:50 pm
Jin puts a hand on the boy's shoulder, preparing for the air form technique. His hand should feel warm, full of the energy Ookamimaru had earlier discovered. Jin's body is beginning to glow with the same energy.
"Alrigh' now, whate'er ya do, do nah fight it. Nah sure what'll happen, but Ah'm sure it would nah be good. So, relax, 'n enjoy yer ride."
Jin's energy floods Ookamimaru's body. It's a strange sensation, but not unpleasant. Just warm and maybe a little tingly. When the process is over with, the two of them appear to be standing there like ghosts. And then Jin summons a swift gust to take them to the Rai Dojo.
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 10:50 pm
What the...
Ookamimaru looked at his hands.
He could see right through them.
He didn't know what was happening at all.
When Iri said Jin was going to fly him, he had in mind that Jin would change in his big-red-flying-lizard-form and... just fly him there.
Ookamimaru didn't like what was happening, certainly not that they where being blown away.
He feels like he doesn't have control over his body anymore.
That kinda scared him.
He was trying to relax, and keep quiet, but on the inside, he was screeming.
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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:43 pm
The powerful winds of the Kaze Dojo hardly register in Iri's mind by now. She's too used to it. And so, she smoothly and swiftly makes her way to the dojo's front door. It opens on its own. And when Iri enters, it shuts the same way. As Iri walks to the stair case and descends into the basement, she summons air spies. They begin to dart off into the dojo and establish their own exploratory routes.
Iri finds Ookamimaru a room. The door opens like the Kaze Dojo's front entrance. After pulling back the linen, Iri lays him on the same kind of twin-sized bed that is found in most dorms. Once she's made her student comfortable, Iri crouches next to the bed and holds out her hands. A box appears, and she catches it. The box is made of white plastic, and has a red medical cross made out of electrical tape on it.
What's left of Ookamimaru's wounds have certainly had time to scab over on the flight home, so Iri isn't worried about him bleeding all over the bed. She's worried about him reopening the wounds and getting them infected. With that in mind, she takes out some cotton balls, a healing salve with aloe in it, some gauze, some bandages, and some medical tape and gets to work disinfecting and wrapping his wounds as best she can. This won't turn out very well, she knows. Iri's never been a great medic by any means.
As she tends to Ookamimaru, Iri allows Jin's air ball to take shape. His ghostly form is now on the floor, sprawled out and on his back. Also, he's back to his humanoid state. Apparently, that happens when he passes out. On Iri's command, he regains his physical form.
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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 8:32 pm
One wrapped hand twitches. Jin turns his head, and there's a sort of click as one antler meets the concrete floor. The dragon man opens his blue eyes and squints against the light of the dorm room's single CFL bulb. Wait. A bulb? Hadn't he been outside? In fact, he was in a cave, fighting something that used to be his pal Ookamimaru. And he had been in his dragon state.
Oh dear... Wha' happend ta me?
Carefully, very carefully, Jin sits up. This causes him to wince, and wincing makes him hiss a little. His left shoulder is sore. When he looks at it, he sees why. There are fang marks in the skin and muscle. Though they shouldn't have been anything, the marks are very tender and look red and swollen, as though they're already infected. Then there's his face. A hand reaches up to gently inspect the wounds. He finds one that starts above his left brow, goes between his eyes, down the side of his nose, and ends below his right eye. That had nearly blinded him. The other mark is on his left cheek, above his jaw line. A couple inches lower, and that would have been his jugular. Nice.
Sighing, Jin turns his head and looks at Iri. Then he notices Ookamimaru. He grins a little in relief, careful not to stress the scab on his cheek too much.
"Good ta see he ain't nah evil wolfie nah more." Jin winces again, then says a little slower, "Do Ah recal attackin' ya, teach?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 24, 2010 10:57 pm
The symbol still displayed on Jin's forehead,
though it didn't shine white any more, but black.
It wouldn't have any effect whatsoever.
Ookamimaru still hasn't moved a muscle, he was still in a very deep sleep.
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Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 9:41 am
Iri turns to face Jin. She quirks a brow. Til now, she hadn't noticed the symbol on his forehead was still present. Jin wouldn't like that.
"Yeah, Tobu's minions have a sort of venom that injects the victim with his energy. He uses his energy to control the victim. But he's on our side now. Turns out this whole thing was a misunderstanding. The venom's still in you, and you still have his mark, but he said there was a way to fix it. Ookamimaru will know when he wakes up."
The Fury turns to face Ookamimaru again. He's finished. Though the bandages aren't pretty, they're functional. She isn't satisfied with the job, but it'll have to do. With a sigh, Iri turns back to Jin with her box of medical supplies.
"Okay, your turn."
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Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 8:05 am
Jin doesn't say anything. He just sits there and watches Iri work on him. The scratches in his face, she can't do much about. A little healing salve will keep them clean and healthy. As for the bite marks on his shoulder, well, those are unnatural. He's not sure if aloe will help them heal or not.
Other than letting Iri take care of his wounds, Jin thinks. He never lets on to what. His blue eyes just stare at the wall opposite him, and he seems to space out.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 12:01 pm
Iri pats Jin's back, a sign that he can move. For a few moments, she concentrates on cleaning up her mess and organizing her medical kit. When she's done, the medical kit disappears like many of her belongings. She takes a second to stand between her students and think. Then she looks back down at Jin. Something seems off about him.
"You okay?"
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 12:12 pm
The dragon seems to snap out of it. He blinks, shakes his head a little, and looks up at his teacher. Something isn't quite right in his eyes, but he doesn't say anything. Instead, he gets to his feet with a slight grunt of effort.
"Do nah worry yerself 'bout it. Ah'mma go rest now. Ya got yer spies goin', righ'? Lemme know if sommat comes up."
Still feeling and looking distracted, Jin walks out of Ookamimaru's room. He'll stop by the kitchen and get something to eat. That will help his energy replenish itself. Then he'll go back to his room and crash.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 12:45 pm
Iri doesn't say anything as Jin walks out. Whatever's wrong, he'll take care of it. So far, it's just not like him to be so quiet.
The Fury sighs and looks back to Ookamimaru. She walks to his bedside and pulls the light blanket over him, bringing it up to his shoulders. The dojo's basement isn't so cold right now, but it might feel that way once his body temperature starts dropping.
Once she's sure the blanket is tightly tucked around her student, Iri walks over to the open door. She sits down next to it, relaxing with her legs crossed beneath her and her wings cushioning her back against the wall. A shiver unexpectedly runs through her. Iri looks down at herself. That's right. She had left quite a few things at the Rai Dojo. And didn't Jin leave his armor behind? Not a big deal. She'll take care of that later. In the mean time, to keep warm, she lets one wing come around to cover her arms and shoulders. Much better.
As she sits there, Iri kind of receeds into herself. She's still aware of everything, but she's looking like she's half asleep. Inside of herself, she finds the Fury. And she's looking for something else.
I think I understand what happened now. Before, I had shoved you into a corner of my existance. I all but shoved you out. And when I thought I had destroyed you, I did something else. I integrated you. Made you more a part of me.
The Fury responds, sounding curious. Yes. I didn't understand it at first, either. No one had tried it before. I thought you had ended me. But I became conscious again. Why, though? I would think it doesn't matter now. Old hat. Water under the bridge. Especially now that we seem to get along rather decently.
Iri's eyes twitch, and had she been normal, they would have narrowed. I want to know if I can do the same thing with the Air Spirit. I have an idea. I'm not sure if you'll like it, but if we're going to do much good for the Academy, your biggest source for venting your violent nature, then we need to step things up a bit.
The Fury is silent for a moment. She's thinking this over. But, when she responds, it's in Iri's favor. Alright. After about a dozen generations, we've developed a respect for one another. Really, she's not bad. But, if you want to integrate her, you'll probably find yourself changed again. I'll get her for you.
Iri gives a mental nod and physically sighs. This might be a strange experience.
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Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2010 9:26 pm
It's been a few hours now. At some point, Iri's eyes had closed. The Fury has taken her very far into her own being, much farther than Iri went to confront her violent ancestor. This is because, despite the Fury's feral nature, the Air Spirit is a much older and much more primal thing. It exists in a different form. The Fury is supernatural, and has been in existance for many, many generations, thanks to the event that ended its original form, but it is still nothing but a feral creature. The Air Spirit was already ancient when it merged with the Fury. It was a part of nature, part of the air itself, a sort of manifestation of the wind and air's essence. The Air spirit is more than feral; it's part of one of the things that make up life. And so, it exists in a much deeper part of Iri's self.
Unlike the Fury, Iri never created a place for the Air Spirit. Instead, it has created a place for itself. In her mind, Iri is standing in a forest on the side of a mountain. The trees are massive, the kind with roots that curve upward and down so high that 18 wheel trucks can easily drive under them. Mist fills the forest. Iri finds she can't see very far. There are no sounds, other than what might have been a far off flute player. It's a nice place. And Iri recognizes it. This is her home territory, but obviously many hundreds of years before her clan colonized it.
The Fury is standing beside Iri. Side by side, one can tell this is where Iri gets her looks, despite a few differences. Bloody streaks run down the Fury's face, starting at her eyes.. It isn't fresh blood. Instead, it's blood stains. The violet eyes have slits for pupils, and glow with restrained power and rage. Her nails are three inch steely claws. Fangs are visible even with her mouth shut. Iri's hair is knee-length, wavy, and very well maintained. The Fury's hair drags the forest floor, and instead of wavy, is curly, frizzy, and wild, more like an animal's mane than a woman's hair. And her wings don't have Iri's shining white feathers. They're dull and more than a little ragged. And while Iri is wearing the clothes her physical body wears, the Fury wears a sarong much like Iri used to wear.
She's here. You hear her music?
Iri nods. That's the flute player, then? Will she come talk to us?
Just give it a moment.
The song comes to an end, and the forest becomes quiet. As soon as the last echo of the song is gone, the mist stirs. It begins to pull together. Slowly, a woman forms. She wears no clothes, but has no need to, either. She is ethereal, kind of like Iri's air form. And though she has a woman's curve and figure, there are no indecent details. With one exception. Her eyes. Her eyes are violet like those of Iri and the Fury, but look nothing like their eyes. They look like jewels in a girl-shaped cloud. The woman's hair, if one would call it that, moves about her like a wispy cloud, along with curls of residual mist.
And here ends our line, Dirge. When the Air Spirit speaks, it's strange. Iri hears a voice, a very soft, feminine voice, one without a trace of an accent. But she also hears the same flute sound from before. Do you remember?
The Fury's expression softens. Something's there, behind that steely face, but she doesn't let it show.
Dirge, because I once sang the funeral dirges of men with the Sirens. So many years since I've heard my own name. And I know, Song. I remember what you said.
Song, for my voice through the trees. The sound of the flute changes. It's now a sad tune. The flute sound must be part of the Air Spirit's voice, and it betrays her emotions. Are you ready, Dirge?
Dirge nods, though she doesn't say anything. Song looks at Iri and moves forward. It's so strange, seeing her move. It's like fog is trapped in glass that moves in the shape of and like a woman.
What's going on? Iri's a little worried. Why the sadness? What are they talking about?
Don't worry, girl. This is how things are supposed to be. She told me after we integrated. You'll understand.
Iri looks to Dirge. Then she looks back to Song. The Air Spirit emits a strange, unearthly noise as she reaches out and places a hand above Iri's heart.
Things will change for your clan after this, Irianna. Tell your mother and your sister. Your father, too. His body has been destroyed, but it can be recreated. Once they've mastered their ancestors, they can show their clan. Your family will be whole again, and you can put everything into this Academy.
Iri tries to say something else, but it's too late. The forest vanishes. For a moment, Iri's standing there in a white space of nothing with her two ancestors. Then her ancestors dissipate. The Fury was already integrated, and she goes back to her part of Iri's soul. Now she feels the Air Spirit merge with her. The Fury had felt unpleasant, though part of her had known it was right. The Air Spirit, though, feels calm and warm. It's like the Fury is all of her negativity, and the Air Spirit is her positive energy. And one can't exist without the other.
The woman's eyes snap open. Without looking into a mirror, she knows what she looks like. Iri's eyes are like neon jewels. Her body consists of white mist. Then she blinks, and she's normal again. For a moment, Iri's fine. Then she feels light headed. Iri gets to her feet, which proves to be difficult. She's been sitting there for so long that her body protests. Once she's up, Iri hobbles out of Ookamimaru's room. She makes it to her own bedroom, opens the door, and walks in. She doesn't even bother to shut the door before laying on her bed. It's seconds before Iri falls asleep.
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Posted: Sun Feb 28, 2010 8:19 am
The bright white fox is standing in the field surrounding the Kaze Dojo. In the light of the sun, her fur shines silver. And the dew caught in the long hairs amplify her pelt's shine. If she were to be seen, Psyche might be mistaken for some animal spirit instead of a living creature.
As she stands there, Psyche is scanning the Kaze Dojo for energy signatures. She finds three. Two of them, she doesn't recognize. One is clearly Iri's signature. It's weak, though. When Psyche had arrived over the night, Iri had felt strong. Much stronger than when they last saw each other. And she had been in some sort of conflict, but it didn't seem as though she had had much trouble with it. Psyche does remember feeling her friend's energy spike during the night and into the early morning, sometime after the conflict. But she was asleep, and never noticed what may have drained her friend's energy. Psyche pays a little more attention to the energy signatures. All three are sleeping and recovering in some way.
Psyche gives a nod of her head. Reunions can wait. Until then, she can be hunting up some breakfast. The fox turns her nose into the air and picks up the scent of a rabbit. Containing an excited yip, she disappears into the tall grass, and begins to track down her prey.
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Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 7:07 pm
Iri turns in her sleep. She had been facing the wall against which her bed is placed. Now she's facing the doorway. A wing comes up and over to cover her bare shoulders and arms. When she can no longer keep herself asleep, Iri cracks open one violet eye. And at that time, her belly chooses to inform her that it's running on empty.
"Food..."
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Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 7:24 pm
And at that time, Psyche makes her presence known. Fur, whiskers, golden eyes, and a curious black nose suddenly fill Iri's vision. Along with a few fat rabbits.
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