Itazura ♠ Black Rose ♠ C-Rank ♠ Aruzati
S o I v e l i e d a n d I v e b e e n t r i c k i n g e v e r s i n c e
As requested to accomplish by the guildmaster of Black Rose, Izayuki, the kamaitachi headed towards the cherry blossom forest that was owned by their guild, to deal with a nuisance that seemed to have set up camp in Sakuramori. He was informed that it was a Shade, and he got vague information on how they worked. Not having taken any job before hand that dealt with said 'Shades', he didn't have the experience or knowledge on how they worked. They were once lost souls, the souls of humans, so even if he did have information who knew how accurate it could be to this particular one. If they were as different as humans are with one another. So really, he had no idea what he was walking into, but he didn't really mind. The situation interested the henge yokai, so he was happy to take up the job from that bakedanuki. Being a rather curious person when it came to things such as these, there wasn't perfect information on it, so it made it even more interesting. The mystery was tantalizing to the weasel, he just had to find out. Plus how hard could it be? He's dealt with quite a lot, so how bad was this Shade really? Well he would just have to find out. Trying to not think such questions. Even him, someone that has a hard time learning from his mistakes, has learned by now that jinxing was a thing that happened rather frequently. Especially when you weren't expecting it, it would come back to bite you, and it bites hard.
He lost himself in thought, by the time he finally pulled himself out of it, here he was, that large forest. It smelled sweet, the fragrant scent of the blossoms that bloomed year round on the trees. Though it was a soft smell, a lot of them all together rather clogged up the weasel's nose, so he had to rely on his other senses. Though he doubted something called a Shade, could be smelled. It was something like a ghost after all, so unless their death had something to do with a specific smell or was tied to some such, it wasn't really helpful in this situation. He's dealt with plenty of spirits, their presence lowered the temperature within the area they are in. Technology doesn't work well with them, tending to be sent on the fritz, good he didn't use such things. Being rather uncivilized with all the human ways, he wasn't one well versed in technology. He did own an ILac, but he didn't really know how to use it, so it just sat gathering dust in his room, like the rest of his room in the Silver Moon Inn. He wouldn't have went and gotten it, but he was a sucker for travelling, considering that was he was doing when he came across Black Rose. Not originally planning on joining it until he found out his dear missing friend, Seika, was there. Plus the cellular device was free, so why wouldn't he? There were no loses there, well besides the fact he had no idea how to use it, no knowledge in how to read instructions, or enough confidence to ask a guildmate. So maybe that's a loss, but he doesn't care.
With his hands in his jean pants pockets, he walked across the soft bright green grass and the pink petals of the sakura trees that fell from their flowers, with his small bare feet. His hazel gaze traveled around his surroundings, he took in another breath of the sweet scented air. He barely walked half a mile, but I guess that was enough to not be able to tell where he came from. Though he didn't really care, he wasn't one to worried for getting lost, the adventure was quite a fun experience. Even if it was just a casual walk through a rather quiet grove of beautiful trees. Though travelling wasn't his goal in this situation, he had to find this troublesome spirit. Which appeared to be hiding itself from the weasel, if he even knew he was here. So he was just headed nowhere until he got lucky and stumbled upon it, which he actually accomplished in the next few minutes.
It was peaceful, almost to peaceful, their was a slight breeze that whistled through the trees. But no animals seemed to be about, which made the itachi slightly suspicious. It seemed like everything was just, holding it's breath, the calm before the storm. Maybe he was just looking to much into it but, it seemed to be too good to be true. Then he heard a slight shuffle, he looked at towards the tree that made to noise, but nothing was there. He walked over and peered around the corner, pulling his hand from his pocket and placing it on the tree as he did so. Nothing was there, as expected, he let out a slight huff "Ello? Shaaade where are yooouu~" he said in a sing-songy way. The young looking yokai pursed his lips for a few moments, crossing his arms. Now where was that thing? Then something else made a noise, sounded distant, but when he turned his head it sounded like it was right next to him, like a cricket's sound would do. What was it though, it sounded like, like crying. Now why would you be crying out here in these delightful woods, the weasel thought to himself as he dropped his hands back to his sides. Turning around he jumped slightly, barely even a foot away from him was someone on their knees. He stepped backwards defensively, swallowing nervously, how did he not notice someone get that close to him?
Quickly wiping the shock from his face he cautiously approached the person, they wore a hood and covered themselves with their arms whilst sobbing into them. Putting a calm smile on his face he reached out his hand out to the person's shoulder "Hey why you crying?" the kamaitachi asked gently, barely able to touch their shoulder before they started to speak "I don't know, why are you?" the voice was so familiar and in the few moments as he turned his head he couldn't place it. Hazel eyes looked into his own, he yanked his hand back and jumped away from them a few feet. "Hey that's not funny" Itazura said, grinning rather nervously. The Shade stood to their feet, the black hood falling to their shoulders, showing off their dirty blond hair, orange weasel ears, and a blank look on his face and in his hazel eyes as tears flooded down from his face "Well no one's laughing, especially not you, Itazura" hearing his name spoken from what looked like his own lips, but was the spirits, sent chills down his spine. But with a confident look on his face, he placed his hand upon his hip. "I laugh plenty, plus I can see why you're such a bother to people. Well let's get rid of ya" he said with a slight giggle, crouching down slightly he unsheathed his claws.
"You would like that wouldn't you? Tearing yourself apart" the Shade said with a monotone voice, which sounded rather weird with Itazura's voice. It stood without moving, fluids continuing to flood from his face though he seemed unbothered. "Now why would I want to do that to such a pretty face?" he asked, snickering slightly afterwards. Suddenly the creature was squatted down in front of him, looking up at him "You can't lie to me, I can see through you" He slashed his claws through the thing that took his shape, but he just vanished into thin air. Appearing in a lower branch of one of the cherry blossom trees, squatting on it, his arms resting across his knees. "Wouldn't it just be easier to rid of it? I can see how you feel. You'd rather be curled in a ball right now, looking like this" they said, pointing to their face (which I guess technically was a mirror image of the itachi's). The kamaitachi whipped his head around "Now what are you talking about, I have no reason to be crying" though he knew this wasn't true, but there was no way he could just fall apart, not now.
The weasel ran towards them, jumping up in the air he slashed his claws across their chest. They hissed slightly, vanishing again, this was getting annoying. He perched on the branch the Shade was previously sitting on and he looked around. Gripping his seat with one of his hands and his uncovered toes. "I beg to differ Itazura" the monotone voice of the thing disguised as Itazura echoed through the grove. Impossible to tell where they were, his gaze shot all about. "You have a lot of reasons to be depressed, everybody that you loved or tried to love has hurt you and abandoned you." he heard a sigh underneath him, gripping tight with one hand he dropped down, slashing where he thought the Shade was. And from the sound of the hiss, he guessed right. "Your father, Hekuto? He never cared, that cat was only ever around to because he was attracted to your mother, he never even noticed you" the ayakashi let go of the branch, dropping into a squat on the ground. A grin was no longer on his face, he bit his lips closed, concentrating on trying to find it, trying to ignore it's true statements.
"Your mother? Don't get me started on her" more emotion was showing in their voice, something Itazura recognized as sadistic pleasure and taunting. "She thought you were baggage, just trash left behind from her lover, and you think the same, don't you?" they asked rhetorically. Suddenly he felt extreme pain in his shoulder, claws identical to his own stabbed on through it. He let out a yelp of pain, struggling to reach up. "All she did was hurt you, screaming at the top of her lungs at how you shouldn't even exist, ripping your insides outsides out. She was the first person to ever kill you, and you know she just continued on. Her little toy, her little punching bag" their voice was high pitched and hurt his ears, they spoke through their teeth and had a undertone of growling and shrill laughter. He held his breath, letting it out in gasps, in a mixture of trying not to yelp in pain and trying not to cry. "St-stop" he just barely stuttered out. "And you just let her, you knew you deserved it all, you hated yourself even more then she did! Hell, you still do" laughter identical to his out erupted from the corrupted Hansha's lungs. The weasel let out a scream as he lifted up his leg and kicked his torturer in his knee with quite the amount of strength. And it vanished again, it' laughter echoing through the trees. He fell to his knees, digging his long claws into the soft grass, blood from his shoulders poured out onto the ground as it soaked through his shirt. He grit his teeth, water clouding his hazel eyes, why did this thing have to repeat all this stuff to him. He already knows all this, but it hurts when somebody else says it aloud in such a taunting way.
Tightness tangled his stomach and throat, he let out an odd breath, man that really hurt. He just wanted to leave, he didn't want to continue being here, having this Shade just tell him all these things that he already knows. It hurts, he tried to force it back but tears poured out from his eyes anyways. All that he works for, his walls and walls of masks built up over the years to cover up the original problem as it just continued to grow. More and more as he continued to ignore it. The malicious voice spoke again "Yet, through all that you still tried to be the perfect little mama's boy, you loved her, you still do. Talk about Stockholm Syndrome, she's the reason you act the way you do. There is hard to find a difference between the two of you" the Hansha taunted, laughing. Struggling, the boy stood to his feet, glaring. He growled, baring his sharp fangs as he scanned his surroundings for it. "Aw, angry now aren't you? it said behind him, with incredible speed, thanks to his adrenaline, he clawed through them. Then he recoiled back from the pain of doing so. He hyperventilated, sweat, tears, and blood dripping form his skin and clothes onto the previously beautiful grass.
"I almost forgot, about your dearest, Seika isn't it?" He looked up instantly, a look in his widened eyes that was not used to being there. It appeared again, right in front of him. No fear or pain shown on the Shade's face, just pleasure and confidence in there ability to successfully break this poor weasel. Despite the fact that they looked pretty beaten up from the claw marks, wherever one was, a smoke-like substance oozed out from it. He stood up straight to fast, yelping from the pain. With ease the creature reached out and pushed him back, making him stumble a few feet before tripping and falling bluntly onto his rear end. Fear encased his face, he looked up at the blurry figure, which was blurry due to his tears clouding his vision. "She is most precious to you, your sun, your everything, the only reason you ever bothered living this screwed up life. Over a hundred years spent building a friendship and maybe something stronger and more in depth then that. Just for it to be gone" They squatted down to Itazura's level, looking straight into his eyes, lifting it's hand they snapped, making him flinch "just like that, suddenly she is an ice wall and despises you to no end. And here you are, left to suffer, holding out your love that will never be returned. So you two continue your game, taking turns in physically ripping each other apart." with a grunt and slight yell, he weakly swung his hand, cutting through the evil spirit. He crawled onto his knees and started crawling away from his previous spot. Breathing heavily and grunting as he did so, considering how much pain his shoulders were feeling by doing that.
Suddenly he was pulled back by his hood, he fell onto his his back, looking at the evil Hansha as it sat on his stomach. "So wouldn't it just be easier to end this, Itazura I'm just trying to help you" they said, faking sentiment in his tone. "Why live for someone who just wants you to die, take my advise and. Do. Just. That." they said, their voice suddenly getting harsher, an unnaturally wide grin spreading across their face that took the form of Itazura's, as they wrapped their hands around the boy's neck. Their grip tightened and he struggled to breath, making him rasp for breath. Why shouldn't he? Truth was the only thing that seemed to leave the Shade's mouth. For a bit he tried effortlessly to get him off of him, but then just, gave up and dropped his arms. Tears streamed down from his eyes, he felt his vision blur and start to see spots. But with pure adrenaline and a mix a emotions he kicked the spirit off of him, ending up in the same place it was previously.
Over top of it, hands around it's neck ready to kill it. Which would be easy with his sharp claws. Shock shown on it's face, then acceptance, then it's evil grin which it was just stealing from the boy that sat over top of them. "Fine, do it, end my haunting. But think about it, who really won here" it chuckled, then gasped for breath as he started to squeeze, though not enough to effect them to much. "I just barely scratched the surface of your problems, you're one messed up little thing" he gripped tighter, his claws pricking through the surface of it's skin, tears dropped down onto it's face. He clenched his jaws so tight, rage, sadness and confusion where on his face. "Just consider my advise, I think it would do you well." Crunch went his neck, claws poked from the bottom through to the top, peeking out. He breathed heavily, the Shade disintegrated into smoke before blending in with the shadow's of the sakura trees. He sat silently for a few minutes before leaning back, sitting on his feet and leaning on his knees. Looking forward he screamed at the top of his lungs with complete anguish, finally all the emotions caving in on him forcing him to his original form.
The weasel sat on his hind legs after screaming for a straight minute, he used his time magic to reverse his wounds, making them disappear like they were never there. Though he still felt miserable, he walked back home after finishing the spell. He was no longer crying at least, but his chest and everything that was tied to his mental torture, still felt like hell. His mind was black along with his animal expression, why did he not let himself die. It's all he wanted, did his false hope help? Who knows, he didn't, he was just tired. He didn't have enough strength to even transform back to his human form, which is always so effortless for the kamaitachi. Not that anything was wrong with his body, no he just fixed that with magic. No it was all in his head, and when he finally got out of Sakuramori and to Silver Moon Inn, home of Black Rose. He ignored anybody that tried to talk to him, and went straight to his room, finally using it for once. Itazura climbed on his bed and curled in a ball, closing his tired blue eyes, he tried to fall asleep.
W o r d C o u n t:
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