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 Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 2:51 pm
Satisfied, Hasamoto smiled slightly, listening to Red's view on his request. Ruthless as ever, the woman was. He watched her face for a moment, as though he could see the wheels turning in her sharp mind.
"Red-dono. Slow down."
His voice was soft, but the tone was one that could cut through mountains of various thought. It was one he used when speaking with a peer who had suddenly become overwhelmed, in order to draw them back to the present situation.
"There will be time for you to work the specifics out when the time comes. The days pass at the same rate they always have, no need to rush."
While the samurai didn't really know what was going on in the kitsune's head, her expression and body tension had given some of it away. Her mind was always going, from what Kono had experienced. His katanas rattled behind him as he shifted his weight evenly between both feet and faced her fully, idly scratching at the edge of his nose.
"So....shall we continue discussing arrangements, or might I interest you in a distraction...?"
He smirked ever so slightly.
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Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 5:58 pm
"I'm afraid I don't enjoy moving slow Hasamoto. Even if the days move at the same pace, if I can do more in less time, all the better for me."
Hasamoto and Valin would likely get along very well the way the two expressed such concern for her own well being. Irritating as it was to have some man try to tell her what was best, she did in fact appreciate that they gave her the time of day.
Nonetheless, he had succeeded, even if for a moment, in turning her away from her thoughts. Ever diligent though, she returned quickly to what was on her mind silently while keeping her attention dominantly on her companion.
"I suppose a bit of sport would not harm either of us, but I have other matters that must be attended to. Perhaps another time."
Despite the decline, there was no expression on her face that betrayed any sense of disappointment or spite. Rather, she gave a curt nod, turned on her heels, and walked off into the woods slowly, with no direction as to what he should do or how he should go about doing it. Her mind had taken her elsewhere and soon, her body would too.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:10 pm
Over the months confined, troubled dreams turned to pleasant ones. And these were interrupted by a faint scratching on her hollow. Kicking her leg unconsiously, she returned the tapping with a strangely lyrical tapping that created a deep resonance within her tree. She turned into herself more, like a child who knows its time to get up, but wants to finish the last part of their fantastic dream... or simply does not want to get up.
She let out a small yip. But still refused to awaken. Then curled to sleep again.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:22 pm
"Really now, how long do you intend to make me wait on you?"
Red stood at the base of the tree, arms folded, hip sticking out, tail swaying impatiently as she waited. It wasn't enough that she knew where the girl had vanished off to, but now she had to sit here and coddle her to wake up and get some fresh air. For all the irritation she expressed, the smile on her face spoke of no sort of resentment on her part.
"Wake up and come down here. I have a gift for you."
Her hair hung low, as it always did, and her eyes glowed in the moonlight. There didn't appear to be anything in her hands though, nor anything resting by her feet. Red wasn't one to lie though. She had something somewhere.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:27 pm
Her ear twitched. Had she been decieved? She thought she heard a voice. An all too familiar voice. One that she had missed so much.
There it was again! She rose and rubbed her eyes with her paw, then looked around. She was surronded by the dark musky smell of the tree. She cried out a little and a few of the branches parted just enough for her to slip through. She peered down and saw Red. Her joy was... immeasurable. And with no other way to express it with her head stuck between the branches of a tree she had forgot to part, she cried out to Red.
'KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!'
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:41 pm
"Hold still."
Her ears had pressed against her ear at the sharp, resonating sound that exploded from the tiny vulpine's mouth, but she forgave it quickly enough. Approaching the tree, droplets of moisture clung to the branch, summoned from the high concentration of water currently hanging in the air. High humidity had its advantages. The liquid drew together between the branches and began quickly to freeze, expanding and separating the limbs as they did so. Some cracking and groaning could be heard, but as best she could, the kitsune managed not to do irreparable damage as her hands reached out and pulled the tiny creature out. Her own tail was wagging to and for behind her, despite the blank look on her face, which actually appeared softer than it normally did.
"You musn't be afraid to talk to me when you're upset."
Lifting the small fox, she planted a kiss right between her eyes, soft and delicate. She looked about, but didn't see any clothes, which didn't really surprise her. Even if they had been sitting around, the weather would have destroyed it after all this time.
She placed her lover down and began slowly to remove her outer layer of clothing; a solid green baby tee, and a pair of jeans with a hole over the left knee. Beneath this she wore a black one-piece with a low-cut back and halter strap.
"Here put these on before someone sees you."
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:52 pm
She started to cry out softly in pain, jumped from Red's arms and dashed up the tree, to the opening she had just emerged from. Then, she gently placed her head between the suffering branches and sang a slow sad song, that grew into a beautiful song full of happiness. The tree healed, closed and grew more and more magnificent with each passing note. As her song ended, she licked the branches, as a thank you for protecting and caring for her for so long.
Slowly, she climbed down, then slipped into the clothes, still in her kitsune form. She shifted her silver fur so that her paws and eartips were black. Then she shifted to her human form. The clothes were loose. That was expected since she hadn't eaten in months. But she felt energetic. It was as though the tree really did care for her and kept her alive. She looked at Red and said in all mock seriousness.
"We've really got to stop meeting like this."
It was after all her second emergence from a now sacred tree...
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 11:03 pm
"Then stop sealing yourself up."
She nudged the girl playfully, but immediately embraced the young one in her arms, a content smile barely creasing her lips. It was still hard to smile, but not impossible. There was certainly less of the girl than there once was, and though she had managed to survive, Red could not comprehend how it was possible. Her body wasn't lying in suspended animation during all that time, yet somehow managed to keep functioning at some level. It required some level of magic - or divine blessing - that she could not comprehend.
"You need breakfast and a bath."
Loosening her embrace, she took Aasritha's hand in hers and began to lead her through the woods, her mind working as always, though on pleasanter topics than usual. She did not walk overly fast, as it might be read as more demanding than intimate, but she was a bit anxious to return to the comforts of their home so that the two might catch up with one another. Moreover, more than a few housekeepers wondered where the Young Miss had vanished off to. It was the beginning of a good day, even if it was late at night.
"Why don't you tell me what you dreamed of. It must have been very nice to keep you away from me so long."
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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:28 am
"Konosuke taught you how important breath is."
She stood before two four-foot logs, both six feet away, sitting idly on the beach. Behind her were her chauffeur, her bodyguard, and her daughter; all but the latter carried a grave countenance.
"Pay attention as I cut the first log while inhaling and the second while exhaling."
No one spoke as the fingertips of her left hand grew clammy, then damp. It took less than a second for water to bead up against her skin, and she wasted no time in lifting her arm up for a chop. As spoken, her body moved into a chop, her left arm slicing down while she filled her lungs with air. The moisture in the air made a quick point of forming a connecting thread of water between her hand and the left-most log five feet away; a thread that cut clean through the wood.
After resuming and idle position, she repeated the motion, this time exhaling. Just as before, the wood was split clean in two. She turned to the party.
"Did you see the difference?"
Jared frowned, unwilling to admit that the only difference he could note was the sound of her breathing. Fortunately, Mayevelyn was a mite less afraid than he was and voiced their joint concern and confusion.
"Claudia, did you notice the difference?"
Her soft tone warmed the girl's smile as she nodded enthusiastically in affirmation.
"You used a lot more mana the first time Momma."
"That's right, dear."
Her countenance shifted as she addressed the group again.
"It's not impossible to do something wrong and still derive the same result as though you did it right. It is wasteful though. Epithany is such an adept as manipulating mana that it very rarely tires her to use even the most complex of spells. Konosuke is a master swordsman because the level of control he possesses makes his most difficult executions effortless. I have you learning from both of them for a reason."
It was hard to tell if she was just making a declaration or admonishing them for their incompetence. They remained duly silent and attentive, rather than risk her displeasure for their insolence. Neither of them found magic nearly as simple as swordsmanship, but she did not expect they would.
"Most often, learning comes from doing, not knowing. Claudia isn't better at discerning mana than you, but she does have more experience and she pays more attention. You had better start doing the same."
They both nodded with stung pride. She looked at them with unfeeling regard, and continued.
"Mayevelyn! Throw a fireball at me."
With a nod, Mayevelyn stepped forward as Red turned her back and walked over to the split logs. She picked one up and gave Mayevelyn the cue to proceed. The half-Syrian woman took three deep breaths, and on the last exhale conjured a mass of flame in her right hand and threw it square at the president.
Red answered the attack by tossing the the half log into the flame's path. The two collided and the log dropped, the fire slowing consuming it.
"Konosuke taught you that your center rests somewhere near your navel. While that is a good standard to set, bear in mind that mana channels slightly differently. Throw another Mayevelyn, but this time, breathe into your chest. Shoot from there."
She did not collect one of the three remaining logs, but isntead stood by patiently. Mayevelyn took six deep breaths, the first filling her stomach, and the last having risen into her chest. She then took three more experimental breaths to adjust to the difference. With three last breaths, she exhaled on the last, and summoned another flame. The new projectile was larger and hotter, but Red stepped out of its way and it soon starved itself out as it passed harmlessly by.
"A keen sense of awareness of your own body is just as important with magic as it is with swordplay. Epithany has told you that I'm sure. You may be novices, but you can increase your magic potential if you ingrain yourself with this self awareness.
"In the future I expect you to synchronize your magic, breathing, and centers more expertly."
They both nodded acknowledgment.
"Get your cloaks and masks. It's time for your next lesson."
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