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Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 17, 2009 19:42:35 GMT -5
"If he did or didn't have me beat was none of your concern," snarled Kimiko. "It was my battle, to win or to lose. How dare you insult me! I am not 'beat' until my heart stops bleeding!" She turned to grab some more food, but then his last comment sunk in. Her eyes glinted manically and opened wide as she turned her head to Kamui, there was an icy smile on her face, but she was not happy at all... She was very, very angry.
Chiisai seemed to realize this. He chirped and abandoned Kamui's lap, as if to tell him: "Thanks for the apple, but you're on your own."
"YOUWHAT?!" Kimiko shrieked, her voice so loud and startling that Fujikoru jumped to his feet. "YOU VILE, IMPUDENT...!"
"He said that he didn't, Kimiko-sama," Fujikoru hurriedly put in, his face pleading. "Please, don't strain yourself..." Kimiko jumped to her feet, striding right past Kamui to pick up the stick he had fashioned for her. A few more steps, and she was standing nose-to-nose with the frightened cougar-demon.
"YOU TRAITOR!" she growled, stepping back to swing the stick. Fujikoru ducked under it the first time, but her next forceful lunge slammed into his gut, sending him flying backward several yards. Kimiko fell to her knees; she had torn some of the bandages and her ribs ached fiercely. Cradling her abdomen with one arm and tossing the stick aside with the other, she slowly turned to face Kamui again. "You... you are very lucky that I'm injured," she hissed through her fangs. She felt her hips, finding that an important part of her wardrobe was missing.
"Fujikoru! Where is Isamu-kun?!" she cried, frantic.
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Post by »Kamui Syvil VII on Jan 19, 2009 6:24:51 GMT -5
"Yes, lucky. I'll count my blessings. Are ya' lookin' for this?" He reached behind him and held up a sheathed nagamaki, but he did not hand it to her. "Look," He sounded a bit more serious now, "I don't really care whether you're grateful of not, but for your own sake, stay still. I only set your leg bones a couple hours ago, so ya' should stay off it. If ya' don't, ya' could displace your bones again an' they'd have ta' be reset. That in an' of itself would be extremely painful, ya' also run the risk of various complications that could leave your leg crippled or even amputated. Ya' should stop yellin', too, unless ya' want your fractured rib ta' puncture your lung. Now, here. Eat this. It'll help with the pain." He held out some grayish brown bark, which he had scrapped from a willow tree while foraging earlier.
(Willow bark contains salicin, a synthetic version of which called "acetylsalicylic acid" is better known as aspirin. Willow bark/leaves have been used since ancient times)
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 19, 2009 7:41:48 GMT -5
Kimiko watched Kamui carefully, glaring, her eyes kept flicking between his face and her nagamaki.
"You listen to me," she growled. "Give me Isamuzuruki, or I'll rip your head from your shoulders!" She was in no mood for rationalizing now, if she ever was. Kamui's mere presence when she had woken had been enough to agitate her. But he had cooked food, bandaged her, insulted her strength, and was now giving her medical advice, as if she was incapable of handling herself. Kimiko was unable to see any kindness in his acts, just insult after insult, as if he had done these things with the sole intention of offending her. She tried to keep her breathing steady, to hide the pain that was welling up inside of her from all her movement.
Chiisai pawed at Kimiko's leg, making a soft sound. Kimiko looked down at him and her gaze instantly softened. She no longer looked like a temperamental fighter, but more like a loving mother. There was love in her eyes and her expression relaxed.
"Friend," Chiisai said.
"No," Kimiko responded in the canine's tongue, shaking her head, though her face didn't contort with anger even then. "Don't speak of what you do not understand, little one."
"Please," Chiisai begged, looking at the bark in Kamui's outstretched hand. "Friend," he repeated, looking at the half-eaten apple in Kamui's lap pointedly. Kimiko sighed, her breath staggered by the pain in her leg. Chiisai looked at her concernedly. "Hurt." He turned again to the willow bark. His big ears, big eyes, little paws, fuzzy tail... He was so adorable.
Kimiko groaned. "Fine. Stop looking at me like that." She turned to look back at Kamui. The hate was back in her eyes and even Chiisai's sweet little face couldn't stop her from glaring, but she reached out and accepted the bark, wincing as if the acceptance caused her physical pain.
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Post by »Kamui Syvil VII on Jan 19, 2009 8:48:21 GMT -5
A small grin flitted across Kamui's face as he observed the interaction between Kimiko and Chiisai. "Here." Kamui held out the nagamaki to Kimiko and the rest of the apple to Chiisai. As he did so, he twiddled his fingers and flicked his wrist, a second juicy apple appearing next to the half eaten one. He spoke casually, as if Kimiko didn't just threaten to rip his head off. "That's an interestin' weapon. Nagamaki aren't as common as naginata are. In any case, I didn't expect to see either one in this part of the world." He put his hand on the hilt of his own sword. "Vashii tells me it's a fine blade. I think it likes your Isamu."
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 19, 2009 13:16:51 GMT -5
Kimiko snatched her nagamaki out of Kamui's hand, setting it in her lap and running her fingers over its handle affectionately as she stared into the flames. Fujikoru limped to her side, holding her demonic obi. She ripped it from his grasp, set aside her Isamuzuru, and tied it around her waist. Instantly, she began glowing until she was brighter than the fire; nothing more than a white silhouette. Sparks of silver flashed around her, changing her clothing. Isamu began glowing as well, then transformed into a silver spark and vanished into her luminous form. Another spark flew forth and took shape as Kimiko ceased to glow. Her silhouette was different now; slender, with shoulder-length hair that had turned auburn. Isamu had been replaced with a folding fan and Kimiko was now wearing a beautiful, silk kimono; red at the top, fading to white at the skirt. Small yellow flowers were embroidered on the loose sleeves. The only thing that remained of the old Kimiko was the obi. Her eyes, now reddish-brown and lined in gold, turned on Kamui.
"I suppose naginata are more common," she said conversationally. In this form, she was less aggressive, more conversational. She didn't like Kamui in this form, her hatred hadn't even completely disappeared, but she could fulfill Chiisai's wishes easier this way. "More preferred. Easier to use for most." The way she said "most" made it obvious that she was talking about those she considered less skilled than herself, an arrogant statement. "Isamuzuru was a gift from my sensei." She bowed her head almost involuntarily as the word "sensei" escaped her lips. "My master," she corrected, not knowing that Kamui spoke Hagakarinese. "I am Hagakarinese, though I don't look it. My demonic heritage won't allow it." She turned her head to the side a bit, a gesture quite like Chiisai when he was curious. "Who is Vashii?" She glanced around for someone who might have made the comment. She certainly hadn't heard anyone speak. "Your wolf?" Could he talk to wolves, even? She became a bit nervous. Who else was here that she didn't know of?
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Post by »Kamui Syvil VII on Jan 20, 2009 14:05:09 GMT -5
'Ooh.' He thought to himself as he watched her transform. 'So, that's at least three forms she has. Interestin'. Most half-demons only have one form, much less three. She'll be a strong one.' "Well... I guess they're more difficult ta' wield properly, in that they're used more a sword then a simple spear. But, really, the different styles have their own intricacies" Kamui said, scratching his head, "But like swords, nagamaki require more time an' material ta' make, versus a naginata or regular spear, which is why they aren't as common." He nodded toward the wolfdog laying beside him, who was now gnawing on a deer bone, "No, this is Sakurako. The dozing piglet over yonder is Yibbles. Vashii is my sword." He again placed his hand on its hilt.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 21, 2009 11:57:29 GMT -5
"Sakurako," Kimiko repeated, meeting the wolf's icy gaze. "Daughter of the cherry blossom. Are you Hagakarinese?" She froze after she asked, looking at the hilt which Kamui's hand rested upon, as if it had just sunk in. "Wait," she said before he could answer. "Your sword... can talk?" She stared at Vashii, her eyebrows raised. She had heard tales of swords who could feel, speak, and think, as if they were beings, but she had never thought them real. "Wait," she said again, grasping her folding fan and squeezing it, since Isamuzuru was not present. "Isamuzuru can speak, too?" It was obvious she was not acting. She really had not known that Isamuzuru had a soul. Lyeva had never told her anything about the weapon and she had not had the opportunity to ask, since it had been her going-away gift. She hadn't seen Lyeva since.
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Post by »Kamui Syvil VII on Jan 21, 2009 17:25:59 GMT -5
"I'm half Hagakarinese. My mother was Hagakarinese, my father was Avalan." He explained to Kimiko. He pointed to his almond shaped eyes. Knowing what he did of foxes, he assumed she could see better now that it was night. "Vashii cannot talk with words, but can communicate with its wielder empathically. We can't say if Isamu can talk or not, but the three of us," He nodded at Sakurako, "Can sense a spark of sentience in Isamu. Did you not know yourself?"" Vashii was instinctively able to sense its own kind. Kamui, in his studies of spiritual energy, knew how to sense it in others. Sakurako also had a limited ability to do so after learning from Kamui.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 21, 2009 20:08:53 GMT -5
Kimiko seemed both shocked and distressed by what Kamui told her. She hadn't noticed his eyes before, due to the fact that she hadn't taken the time to observe him, and she didn't notice as he indicated them now. For a while, she just sat there, with her thin lips apart in awe. Finally, she closed her mouth, chewing on her bottom lip thoughtfully and staring into the flames.
For anyone who was particularly good about sensing others' body languages, personalities, and feelings, they would feel her barrier of self-confidence and pride falter. For once, she doubted her strength as a warrior. After all, there had to be a reason Isamuzuru had chosen not to communicate with her all this time. It had, in fact, been so lifeless that Kimiko had never suspected such a thing. She glanced at her hand, grasping her sensu-buki tightly, then to Kamui, then back to the flames. He had sensed its "sentience" in only a few seconds of holding it. In her half-demon form, she would have hissed, but instead, she merely bore her teeth. Of course, this looked rather funny. It was almost intimidating when she had fangs, but now there was only a perfectly human set of teeth there.
"Why?" she whispered. Then her head snapped in Kamui's direction. "Can you make him talk? It, I mean. Can you make Isamuzuru speak?" Fujikoru was crouched by the fire, chewing on some venison, but he looked very absorbed by their conversation. It took quite a bit to make Kimiko forget her hunger after using her third form, so he naturally sensed her irritation.
Chiisai, on the other hand, had busied himself with finishing the first apple and starting on the second, which was half-eaten already. He was chewing almost sluggishly now, as his tiny stomach grew full.
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Post by »Kamui Syvil VII on Jan 22, 2009 15:20:47 GMT -5
Kamui silently observed Kimiko's reaction, while his own face remained calm.He shook his head, "Like I said, I don't know if Isamu can talk, but I can't make it communicate if it doesn't want to." He shrugged. "You can jus' ask Isamu."
(Bwah! Sorry for the short reply...)
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 23, 2009 15:09:29 GMT -5
Kimiko frowned at Kamui in obvious dislike for his answer. She sat her sensu-buki down. She would ask Isamu later, when there was no one around to ponder how silly she looked talking to an inanimate object. She rolled up her sleeves and ripped off a handful of venison from a larger chunk. She brought it to her face and began tearing the thing apart with her teeth, holding it out a little and leaning forward so that any juice from it would not drip on her lovely kimono.
Fujikoru averted his gaze. He hated how she ate. She had no table manners at all, not that they had a table, anyway... He had suddenly lost his appetite. He went to fetch the water canteens.
Chiisai became full before he could finish the second apple. He sat for a moment, his stomach looking quite plump and his head becoming groggy. Then he noticed Yibbles again. Determined, Chiisai stood and began carefully pulling the apple to the little piglet.
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Post by »Kamui Syvil VII on Jan 24, 2009 2:17:39 GMT -5
He watched Kimiko eat for a moment before shrugging and tearing off a piece of meat for himself. His manners were no better then her's, as voraciously scarfed down the meat. Yibbles remained dozing, laying amidst scraps of vegetation and smooshed berries, his snout smeared with their juice. Sakurako continued to gnaw on her bone, aware of, but ignoring, the little fox. Kamui seemed fine with him and that was good enough for her.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 24, 2009 10:35:14 GMT -5
Chiisai struggled with the apple, being so small and having nothing but the lithe fox's build to lend him strength, but he finally came next to the piglet. He was going to offer the strange creature the rest of his apple, but Yibbles was unconscious. There was also the fact that he appeared to have eaten quite enough to satiate him for a while.
"Sleep?" Chiisai chirped in dismay. Perhaps he should have looked into that before he had went to the trouble of dragging an apple all that way. He yawned and curled up next to Yibbles, deciding he would make his offering as soon as the odd animal woke up. Besides, Chiisai had noticed that this little pink thing didn't have any fur and thus might be cold.
Fujikoru returned with the canteens and grimaced at Kamui. Apparently, he had no taste for manners, either. He grunted and sat down, offering Kimiko one of the canteens. She didn't even notice him; she was still tearing into the meat. It wasn't until after she had finished that bit and was reaching for another that she noticed his outstretched hand. She snatched the canteen up without offering any thanks, but Fujikoru was used to that. She chugged nearly half of it and then held it out for Kamui with one hand while she reached for some more meat with the other.
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Post by »Kamui Syvil VII on Jan 26, 2009 3:45:05 GMT -5
Kamui took the canteen and gulped down the rest of the water. "Ahh! That was refreshin'." He said, wiping his mouth on his sleeve before reaching for another skewer. "Thanks Fuji." He had picked up his name when Kimiko said it before. Sakurako looked over at the little fox as he curled up next to Yibbles before lowering her own head.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jan 28, 2009 12:47:10 GMT -5
"You're welcome," Fujikoru said shortly, setting the other canteen in his lap.
Kimiko continued stuffing her face with all the food within her reach until her hunger was at least partially satiated. Juice from meat and fruit covered her mouth and her hands were just as covered.
"Fuji," she addressed the cougar-demon. "A cloth, if you please." Fujikoru stood and went to his bag, digging through it for a moment before returning with a red cloth and handing it to Kimiko. She wiped her hands and face on it and snatched the canteen from Fujikoru, replacing it with the dirty cloth. She removed the cap and took a few swigs of the water before sighing contentedly. She put the cap back on, threw it so that it landed next to Kamui, and checked her kimono to see if she had gotten it dirty while she ate. After she was satisfied that it was clean, she folded her hands in her lap and yawned.
"Fuji, where's our next target?" she asked as she unrolled her sleeves and smoothed out the wrinkles.
"Kimiko-sama!" Fujikoru exclaimed. "Don't you think we should wait a little bit before we go searching for anymore fights? Your wounds need to heal." Kimiko glared at the cougar-demon and he was instantly sorry he had said anything.
"Since when do I take orders from you?" she growled. "Did you expect me to stay in the gnome's lands forever? It's incredibly dull here, you know." She shook her hair from her face and yawned again. Fujikoru thanked the gods that she was more tolerant in this form.
"There's been an awful lot of demon activity in that area of Avalas," Fujikoru stated reluctantly.
"Have you forgotten? I've told you a million times, Avalas is off-limits," Kimiko responded, playing with a strand of hair.
"How am I supposed to remember when you never tell me why Avalas is off-limits?" Fujikoru responded, though he tried his best to make it sound as if it wasn't a retort. Kimiko faced him and narrowed her eyes dangerously.
"My reasons are none of your concern," she hissed. Then she turned to look at the fire again, her expression smoothing out. "Fuji, our secrets can make us, and, if repeated, break us. My secrets would not only be a danger to me, but to you. We have enemies, yeah?" She yawned again, rubbing an eye with one hand.
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