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Post by Angel ♥ on Jun 2, 2008 16:44:47 GMT -5
Amaya knew just how to make Yasakazu act how she wanted, didn't she? Half of the time she didn't even mean to manipulate him like she did; then again he never complained so why should she bother to try and stop herself? He almost seemed keen to let her treat him like that sometimes, but Yasakazu had always been odd, but that was probably why he could put up with Amaya for more than an hour at a time. "Then stop acting like you are and just...let me rest." She pouted at him again, shifting to lay back against the cushions as she breathed out a soft sigh. She was still tingling all over from the magic, though her wounds were visably healing now, this doing nothing to replace the energy that she had wasted, but she could regain that easily enough by sleeping...she just had to wait for Jagger to get back before she could do that.
"Thank you, Zu." She murmured to him as he said that he would trust her, letting her lids dip down to cover her eyes, the slayer seeming rather comfortable where she was laid, starting to fall to sleep. Yes, she knew that he wouldn't really accept Jagger and that he was only saying that to satisfy her, but that was alright...as long as he pretended for a little while so that she didn't have to stop them from killing one another that was all she cared about. If they were at one another's throats before she had chance to sleep then the pair of them really were in trouble.
"Hummm...Jagger's taking a long time...maybe we should go look for him?" She mumbled absently, half opening an eye to look up at Yasakazu. "I doubt that you will let me out of the cottage though, will you Zu?" She grinned a little, shaking her head ever so slightly. "It's kinda chilly in here."
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jun 2, 2008 17:20:06 GMT -5
"You are correct," Yasakazu said, looking at her and noticing how beautiful she looked when she was sleepy. Perhaps he just thought she was beautiful all the time. "You're not leaving this cottage, Rain. There'll be an ambush out there waiting for you." His face seemingly lit up when she mentioned that she was cold. "Perhaps it is a bit." He was, in fact, not cold at all, but any chance to put his arms around Amaya he was bound to take. He spread them open expectantly, knowing better than to just throw them around her without warning. But a noise outside, a hissing and screaming, had him on his feet. "What in the Emperor's name is going on out there?"
Kevin was back, doing battle with the last few of the vampires that had been left behind. The scout he had killed without notice, but the others had smelled him nearing the cottage. He was covered in blood, after all. The fastest runners and weakest fighters had been left behind to watch, since they hadn't suspected Amaya would be attempting to leave before the rest had killed Kevin and returned. It was a good thing for Kevin, because he was growing rather tired, and tired meant he'd get wounded, and wounds meant he'd be cranky, and a cranky vampire under the same roof as Yasakazu Sasaki would be a bad situation indeed.
"I guess your friend is back," Yasakazu said, trying to sound happy for her but failing miserably. He just hoped she wouldn't pout her lips, bat her eyelashes, and ask him to go out there and help the vampire. What kind of slayer would he be then?
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jun 3, 2008 6:40:45 GMT -5
She gave Yasakazu a rather skeptical look as he opened his arms out, as if to ask him what the hell he was doing. Amaya had never been the most tactile of people and hugs were only done when absolutly necessary. It had been rare that her family would receive hugs, nevermind her friends. "I'm not that cold, Zu." She shook her head at him, rolling her eyes at him a little. He would just never give up, would he? At least she knew that she would always have a friend when she needed one. At least he cared about her enough to come rushing out here to save her, which was rather nice even if she wouldn't say that to him.
She looked up at the noise outside, shifting to rise to her feet carefully, not moving too quickly because she was still sore everywhere and her leg was still threatening to buckle under her. "Yes, it sounds like he's back." She smiled as she moved to half hobble over to the door and touch her hand to the locking pannel so that the door sprung open, Amaya opening it just a little to peer around the door and watch Jagger. Well, he was covered in more blood than she was! But it was obvious that he had killed because he hadn't rushed over to the cottage to try and kill her as soon as she had opened the door. At least he was alive, she had that to be thankful for.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jun 3, 2008 12:40:51 GMT -5
Yasakazu stood behind Amaya, looking out at Kevin as he fought. He examined the vampire for a while, having to admit inwardly that he was a good fighter, though he'd never say it aloud. "Odd, he moves like a slayer," he muttered more to himself than Amaya. After some further examination, he realized that Kevin had been the vampire who had been attacking her earlier. He frowned, crossed his arms over his chest, and walked back over to the cushions, feeling rather irritated and taken aback. Amaya Ashikawa was the last one he would have expected to find under these circumstances.
After Kevin had rendered the final vampire useless, he finished them off by beheading them, as he had simply severed the limbs of most of them until he had the time to complete the kill. Finally, he turned toward the cottage, but Amaya was already staring out at him. His golden eyes flickered back to green as he walked toward the house slowly.
"Reinforcements are going to take about three days to get here," he announced. "That's only if I managed to kill all of them and one didn't escape to take the news to Idaitokai. I noticed the symbol from a vampiric clan there on the back of one's neck." He stopped in front of the doorway. "And... I'm sorry." It was usually hard for Kevin to apologize, but this time he had no problem saying it. After all, it was much easier to say it when you had done something unarguably horrible, and he had came after her in a bloodrage. He remembered the last few minutes of his sanity, where they had been chanting him on, he could smell Amaya's blood, and he was trying to get to his feet...
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jun 6, 2008 12:14:07 GMT -5
INK
Amaya hadn't really noticed that, but Yasakazu was right...Jagger fought like a slayer; how strange. She had been too busy either fighting with him or fighting against him to take note of his fighting style before, but Jagger did fight remarkably like a slayer. In fact, the more Amaya watched him the more confusion crept into her mind. You see, each family of slayers have their own little flairs that characterize them in their fighting styles, and the more she watched Jagger the more she could pick out characteristics of an Ashikawa. The moved like she was used to seeing her father move, and they seemed to share the same flourishes of the sword and other similarities that were starting to annoy her. He had mentioned something about her father before though, hadn't he? Maybe he was keeping something from her... he was definatly not telling her everything. Ohhh, he had made her curious, now he would never be able to rest until he'd answered her.
She pushed the door open to let Jagger in, remaining leaning against the door frame to make sure that she stayed on her feet; Amaya wasn't too sure that her legs would be able to hold her up right now. Once he was inside the closed the door again, not really seeming cautious of Jagger at all. She understood that he hadn't been himself and she knew that he had tried to save her before his thirst had taken over; in her mind he didn't really have anything to apologise for. She smiled to him a little as he said sorry, seeming vaguly surpirsed that he had said it really. "Don't worry about it. And we should get out of here in the morning...my leg should be healed by then. I need to go back to the mansion though..." She nodded, looking up at Jagger, determination in her eyes. If they told her that she couldn't go then she would go alone. She needed to make sure that her parents were buried with honour, that was the least that she could give them.
"Oh, by the way, this is my friend Yasakazu. Zu, this is Jagger...and I think that I'm going to bed now." She nodded a little, pushing her hand back through her hair.
CHANI "Good night," Yasakazu and Jagger said in unison, though they were too busy glaring at one another to actually look at her.
Jagger sized Yasakazu up. Finely dressed under the elegant robe, no doubt. The skeptical way he eyed Jagger made him realize that Yasakazu must be a slayer. He continued studying the man for a moment, then, seeming to give up, he walked over to the cushions and plopped down.
"Now, wait a moment," Yasakazu. "Jagger isn't your real name, is it? What would your real name be?"
"No business of yours," Kevin responded coolly.
"No need to be uncivil," Yasakazu said, smiling rather fakely at the vampire. "Just curious... I'm Yasakazu Sasaki." He offered a hand to shake, as if putting on a show for Amaya and waiting for her to go to bed so that the true interrogation could commence. He had a hard time keeping that fake smile on his face as Kevin moved his head to stare as Yasakazu's hand for a moment and then turned away.
"The werewolf slayer Sasakis?" Jagger inquired off-handedly. "How interesting." Kevin had met Yasakazu's father once, through Daisuke no less. He had been a rather kind man, if not a bit arrogant. Though, that could be said of all of Daisuke's friends; it was something that infected you when you knew you had him on your side.
"And what do you find so interesting, vampire?" Yasakazu growled, having trouble keeping a steady voice. Kevin smiled.
"Nothing at all," he said plainly.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jun 6, 2008 12:38:44 GMT -5
Amaya sort of...stood to the side to watch this little show, arching her eyebrow at them as she grinned to herself. They were going to get along even worse than she had anticipated. By the way they were acting she would be lucky if she woke up in the morning and they were both still alive. Hmmm, maybe she shouldn't risk that? It might be a good idea to stay out here tonight to make sure that they didn't end up getting her house all bloody.
"Oh, you two are simply pathetic. Can you not at least pretend to get along?" She questioned, though her gaze was on Yasakazu then, pouting at him a little as if she expected him to at least be able to pretend to like Jagger. Yasakazu had always been more skilled at pretending to like people than Amaya had, she had always been too blunt for such pretending.
"Oh, fine. Zu, will you get me a blanket from my room?" She tilted her head at him, fluttering her eyelashes a little before moving to hobble back over to the seating area, half collapsing into the mountain of cushions. "It just looks like I'll have to sleep out here to make sure that you don't kill one another."
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jun 6, 2008 12:50:21 GMT -5
Kevin frowned in Amaya's direction. He hadn't stated that he disliked Yasakazu... He just didn't like anyone at all. Except Amaya, she was alright, he supposed, once you got past the fact that she could act spoiled and be rather stubborn. He had treated Yasakazu as he would treat anyone else; slayer or not.
Yasakazu sighed when Amaya pouted at him. How could he resist? But Kevin had to be interrogated - he was a vampire, for crying out loud! Yasakazu couldn't sleep knowing that... thing... was under the same roof as his beloved Amaya. Aside from all that, he was not only curious but rather irritated at the fact that Kevin seemingly had a dislike for wearing a shirt. Kevin was a threat, both to Amaya's life and Yasakazu's position. Though, he was a little more at ease knowing that Kevin wasn't very close to Amaya. She hadn't greeted him like a close friend, anyway.
"You can sleep next to me," Yasakazu suggested, his thoughts being pulled from the vampire completely at Amaya's last statement.
"Oh goodness," muttered Kevin, though it was muffled by the pillow he had slumped his face into, so Yasakazu didn't hear him. Just what I need - a love-sick puppy following Amaya around everywhere she goes, he thought silently. Probably not even a skilled fighter. Amaya and I don't need the task of babysitting along with conquering legions of vampires everywhere we go. He'd just best stay out of our way.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jun 6, 2008 13:44:38 GMT -5
Amaya nuzzled her way inbetween the cushions, shivering a little as she sighed lightly, attempting to curl up on her side but hissing through her teeth when pain flared up in her leg. Ahhh, she wasn't going to do that again. It looked like she was stuck with laying on her back, at least the cushions were comfortable. In fact, it wouldn't have mattered if it were comfortable or not, or even if Yasakazu didn't bring her a blanket, because she was exhausted and her eyes were slipping closed on their own accord. She wouldn't really have been much use at breaking them up if they started fighting anyway, but at least if she were out here Yasakazu would be too worried about waking her up to start a fight.
"Or I can sleep on my own and you can find your own space to sleep in. In fact, you could even stay in my room and I'll sleep here. There, sorted, goodnight Zu." She nodded just a little, her voice fringed with sleepy tones, the slayer yawning widely as she snuggled up where she was, still shivering that little bit.
"Hmmm, I know...but don't." She mumbled softly, opening an eye for a second to look across at Jagger. "He's a friend...just...be civil." She murmured as her eye fell closed once again, pouting to herself a little as she started to drift of to sleep. "And...thanks, you know. For saving me and all. Again. You're making a habit of that." Ah, now it was probably because she was half asleep that she had uttered such a thing, but it was a thank you none-the-less. She didn't even sound begrudged to say it, the slayer must have been getting used to Jagger's presence.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jun 6, 2008 17:08:41 GMT -5
Kevin adjusted his position on the cushions so that Amaya had more space.
Yasakazu gasped, staring at Amaya, then at Kevin, as if pointing out that she was letting a vampire sleep next to her but not him. He looked rather flustered for a moment, especially when Kevin lifted the pillow off his face just enough that he could smile spitefully at Yasakazu before turning his back on the man. Of course, Kevin was just playing on his mind, which was a wonderfully awful habit of his.
"But..." Yasakazu began.
"Don't," Kevin said so firmly that the slayer stopped in mid-sentence. "Let Amaya sleep, Sasaki, and you'd do well to get some rest, too." Yasakazu glared viciously at the vampire, but Kevin's back was on him, so it was rather pointless.
"You'll have your day," he muttered under his breath, obviously forgetting about vampiric hearing. "You'll have your day when you'll be on the same side as the rest of them and I will take your head from your shoulders."
"I look forward to it!" Kevin piped cheerfully as Yasakazu slammed the bedroom door shut behind him.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jun 6, 2008 17:21:35 GMT -5
Amaya had drifted off to sleep before Yasakazu had any chance to protest, unable to make her mind stay alert any longer. She didn't even realise that Jagger was laid next to her, if truth be told, but at least with the vampire there was less of a chance that she would wake up to him cuddling her. No, let them argue a little between themselves, Amaya just needed sleep before she could deal with them.
The darkness of sleep blanketed her thoughts, surpressing her pain and everything else until she was just blissfuly unaware of everything. The light pout remained on her lips as she breathed lightly and slowly, hardly seeming to breathe at all really. Once glance at her and you would think that she were dead with how still she was and how tranquil she seemed, as surely Amaya could not be so peaceful in life, but a second glance showed that her chest was rising and falling to a steady rhythm, a clear indicator that she was alive.
For now anyway, who knew what could happen tomorrow?
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jun 6, 2008 17:30:55 GMT -5
Kevin was exhausted and had little trouble falling asleep. He slipped into unconsciousness rather quickly and settled in comfortably. The cushions were rather nice and his mind was at ease.
Yasakazu, however, didn't get to sleep that easily. He sat in the bed, smelling the blood and sweat that Amaya hadn't had a choice but leave behind. He wondered about Kevin a great deal, for his alliance with Amaya was a very curious thing. He also worried about Amaya going to the mansion the next night, with the vampires waiting about. Perhaps he could convince her to go during the daylight, though surely they'd have spies and maybe even a few human sentries about, it was more hopeful that way. It'd be murder on him if she refused to go because Kevin wouldn't be allowed to travel with them. His nose wrinkled everytime he thought of the vampire. How obscene! An Ashikawa with the likes of him! Even choosing to sleep next to the vampire over sleeping next to a slayer. He exhaled heavily, rubbing his forehead as all these thoughts spinning about were starting to give him a headache. He did his best to spend the next few hours sleeping.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jun 7, 2008 11:28:22 GMT -5
Amaya slept silently through until around mid day, her mind sort of...jolting her awake. She had no idea what it was that woke her, maybe a nightmare that her conscious mind couldn't remember, but whatever it was it had scared her. Her eyes were wide, her breathing rather quick and her muscles tensed, thankfully Yasakazu's spell had eased the pain and got rid of the wound. She seemed ever so slightly bemused as she awoke to find herself in the main room of the cottage, only realising why she was there as her gaze fell upon Jagger. Oh yes, she was here so that he and Yasakazu didn't fight; Zu would be furious with her for sleeping there with Jagger when she had told him that he couldn't sleep by her.
She sighed as she relaxed, rubbing at her eyes before pushing her hand back through her hair, wrinkling her nose up as her fingers caught in the clotted blood. Ick, she would need to wash...maybe she could sneak off one of the hot springs that was close by and get back before they woke up. Yes, that seemed like a good idea.
She rose to her feet and stretched out, rolling her shoulders as she silently moved across the room, picking up her blades as she went. She could change when she got back...and any mortals that she ran into wouldn't be a problem. She touched her hand to the locking pannel on the door, edging the door open just enough for her to slip out.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jun 7, 2008 20:20:48 GMT -5
Kevin's body regenerated strength quickly and he normally only needed five or six hours of sleep to rest off even the hardest of days, but then again, he hadn't been forced into bloodrage for quite a while. He was also a light sleeper most days, but Amaya had been so quiet and he had been so deeply exhausted when he had went to bed that he slept right through her escape. She had chosen a good day to sneak out. If he would have been awake and she would have wanted to go bathe, he would have demanded that he come with her so he could stand guard nearby. That would mean that she would have to wait until nightfall, and there would have been arguing and yelling.
And it was a good thing that Yasakazu had been in the back room, dozing in and out of sleep as he worried for her and didn't hear her, because he, too would have demanded to come with her. He finally gave up sleeping less than a half hour after she had left, standing up and going into the main room. That's when Kevin was yanked into consciousness by a loud yell.
"WHAT?! Where is Amaya?!" Yasakazu exclaimed, looking around the cottage frantically. Kevin sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes groggily and glaring at Yasakazu.
"Amaya?" he mumbled.
"She's missing! What did you do to her?" Yasakazu turned, meeting Kevin's glare with one of his own. "I knew you weren't to be trusted."
"Hold on just a moment," Kevin said, waking up rather quickly after he had been accused. Sensing that things might turn violent, he chose to stand up. "Listen, you had better choose your battles a little better. I didn't do anything to her."
"How can you stand there caked in blood and expect to hold a good defence?" snarled Yasakazu.
"First of all, I didn't have the energy to kill anything after I returned last night," Kevin spat. "I was too tired from fighting the ambush right outside the cottage while you stayed in here with Amaya. Second of all, I've pledged my life to hers. Why would I go through all this trouble and decide to kill her tonight? Third of all, why the hell would I choose to stay in the same house as another slayer if I had killed her? Especially with you being so blatantly batty over her."
"Don't reprimand me for caring for Amaya," Yasakazu said in a quiet, but fierce, voice. It was what a lot of his friends referred to as 'the calm before the storm'. Using that voice meant that bad things were about to ensue. "Just because you don't care for anyone. Don't you dare attempt to belittle my feelings for her just because you've forgotten what it is to have a heart." Gritting his teeth, Yasakazu decided it would be best to leave before he killed the vampire. That would not make Amaya happy at all. He stomped to the door, reaching to open it, then seemingly remembered that only Amaya could unlock it. He spun on his heels and marched back into her bedroom, slamming the door shut once again.
Kevin just stood there, staring at the floor with clenched fists and his fangs piercing his lips. The thing that angered him most about what Yasakazu had said was that it was true, wasn't it? He killed innocents just so that his pathetic half-life could continue and had murdered countless men and women in his time spent as a vampire. After standing there in homicidal silence for a moment, he sat down, his hands trembling a bit with fury as he withheld the urge to further prove Yasakazu's statement by killing him.
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Post by Angel ♥ on Jun 8, 2008 16:11:15 GMT -5
Amaya was blissfully unaware of their arguement back at the cottage, glad to be out in the fresh air and sunshine without having to worry about being followed. She wasn't bothered about any mortals that the vampires had left to guard them; mortals were easily dealt with. A light smile lingered on her lips as she walked, tilting her head back to let the sunlight play over her delicate features, breathing in a lungful of the fresh air. She had almost forgotten how she enjoyed being outside like this, much prefering to be surrounded by wild life and bird song than the four walls of her cottage. Plus, being alone out here gave her a chance to think, something that she had been waiting for since they had arrive at the cottage.
A ten minute walk took her to the nearest of the hot springs, the shallow pool set next to a rock face, surrounded by lush vegetation and fragrant flowers. There was a far away look in her eyes as she undressed, making sure to lay her swords close to the edge of the pool so that she could reach them easily if needed. It wasn't below a vampire, or rather a vampire's helper, to sneak up on someone while they were bathing.
She sighed happily as she slipped into the warm water, settling to sit on a stone shelf as she hugged her knees to her chest, hair floating in the water around her. Tendrils of red slowly seaped through the clear water, the blood from her hair and body being lifted away by the water. She closed her eyes as she let her chin rest on her knees, scowling ever so slightly. She was trying to remember her parents, but the more she tried to recall the sound of their voices or their faces the more and more difficult that became, as if her memory were slipping just out of her reach. It was infuriating and depressing, Amaya finding herself crying silently before she finally gave up. She needed a picture...she just needed something from them, something concrete that couldn't fade away...something that she could carry around with her all the time.
She took her time washing away the blood, dipping her head back under the water and running her fingers through her hair to work all the clumps of blood out of it. At least she felt cleaner and a little more like herself when she clambered out of the water, sittiing at the edge of the pool in a patch of sunshine for a couple of minutes to dry off before clothing herself again and rising to her feet.
She had been gone for around an hour and a half by the time she put her hand back to the pannel on the door and slipped back into the cottage, her hair having dried in those gentle waves, shining in the sunlight once again. Her eyes were still hued with red from crying though, but she would never admit to them that she had done such a thing. Her grief was something private, something that she didn't want to share with any of them.
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Post by Chani {♥} on Jun 8, 2008 22:40:59 GMT -5
"Welcome back," Kevin muttered quietly. At the sound of the door unlocking, he had hurriedly rushed into a dark corner of the room, fearing that Amaya would forget there was a vampire in there and let in too much sunlight. After the door was closed, he settled back on the cushions silently. Yeah, and that was when the silence ended.
The bedroom door was flung open and a very flustered-looking Yasakazu stood in the doorway. He crossed his arms over his chest and walked into the room, staring at Amaya angrily.
"Oh great," Kevin said, shoving his face in his palm. "Here we go..."
"Shut up," Yasakazu spat at Kevin, then turning his face back to Amaya. "Where have you been? What have you been doing?! I woke up and no memo, no anything. You were just gone! And how long have you been out there, foolishly risking your life?"
Kevin spread his pointer and middle fingers apart so that he could peek between them. Oh, this was going to be interesting. Amaya was going to tear lover-boy a new one. His smile was hidden by his palm, but the glint in his eye was expectantly cheerful.
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