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Fantasy EMOTIONS LIKE TWISTING VINES | private |

Signs Of Love - Persona 4 OST

As light as his burden felt now, Haru's body only begged to differ. Sharp pains shooting through not only his bad leg, but his good one as well, his feet protesting at the pressure of his own weight. In all honesty, Haru perhaps was unused to pushing himself physically so hard, especially considering it had been three years since his body was even in such dire straits. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, causing his head to spin as he forced down the urge to vomit, sucking in deep breaths and slowly exhaling. I should have ate before I left. A tiny regret he held, but once that he could rectify later, preparations were needed first... even if the harsh sun did little to improve his deteriorating health. There was a heaviness, unnaturally so in his limbs, one that he thought would have eased with him getting some more rest during the night, however it remained the same - drained of energy, of vigor.

Nonetheless, he held onto his stubbornness, not allowing himself to show much of his unnatural gait, with the smallest of steps that he would place one in front of the other. Soon, his destination lay in wait, and with it the man had let a heavy sigh of relief to pass his lips. The man's eyes shifted to the fabric bag he'd snatched up before he would forget, the one containing Mitsuko's hairpin, a determined set coming to his jaw as he raised his head and began to walk into the bustling village. Sell the hairpin, obtain passage. Those were his goals, and so he would set out to do them to the best of his ability. From merchants strolling within the dirt streets, to people calling at passersby to take a look at precious goods put on display, the sight had caused a pleasant hum to leave Haru's lips. It was a familiar sight, although certainly not on the same scale as the major cities, in particular the Jade Empire's capital... but it was a sight to warm his heart. The people that Mai-Jing loved, who she always would smile upon were living peaceful, fulfilling lives. I'm glad. If only... ah..

He immediately stamped down on the thought before it could progress further. He didn't want to be reminded of the monster that his cursed eyes had shown him, what the gentle and loving woman that had been Mai-Jing actually was. Haru denied that vision, choosing it omit it, for that was not the Mai-Jing he knew, or rather the Mai-Jing he thought he knew. She was a kind, loving and compassionate woman, and he'd be damned if that memory would be soured by a monster's face. No, even if she was a monster... he loved her anyway. The thoughts made his warm heart darken, sinking within his chest as his steps slowed. Why was he thinking about the dead now? There was... no point. His lips pressed together, bitterness swarming within his heart that he would force itself to sink down, deep down until he could no longer feel it, until it was buried till he could no longer feel the bitter tinge, until he could move forward again. And move forward he did, the man approaching stall by stall, a smile painted upon his exhausted face as compliments flowed over a silver tongue, though perhaps aided by the Seer plucking at threads of the future that the people before him were fated to encounter.

Eventually, Haru had found a man willing enough to buy the extravagant hairpin off of his hands, although what better luck than the very stall having sold hairpins of all shapes and sizes. As a heavy pouch of coins was pressed into the Seer's relieved and thin hands, ruby eyes would settle upon a hairpin near him, a rather common pin indeed. The hairpin itself was gold in coloration, with an intricate design of the Phoenix coiled about the edge of the pin, wings extended as if in the midst of gathering wind to take flight. Is it around that time already? Normally, the phoenix would be plastered over just about anything, in particular when the devoted people would begin to perform festivals and celebrations, and in particular it would be around this time that Haru would be performing sacred rites within the temple, and eventually for the royal court... something that he secretly hated of course. The proceedings had been so dreadfully boring, and the ceremonial robes he wore would always be uncomfortable, itchy and heavy. For once, he was a bit grateful that he wouldn't have to suffer through such dreadfully boring rituals.

He turned his head, smiling at the man before him as he was about to say a quiet farewell... but his eyes was drawn to the pin again. Conflict raged within his heart as he thought, Well it isn't expensive, it's not like it'll make or break our funds. We have enough to reach the next town and perhaps a few towns after that with the amount of coin we have... but, maybe she wouldn't want it. It'll be something unnecessary, and it's not as if I'm obligated to get her anything! His lips turned down in a sharp frown, But... she is sick, and she took care of me when I was unconscious, she did also give me this bracelet too. Maybe I could...? His shoulders sagged, giving into the impulse as he cleared his throat, pointing to the phoenix hairpin, a soft smile crossing his face, "I would like to buy that."
...​
Haru had lingered within the marketplace as noon had settled, taking it upon himself to read fortunes for passersby for extra coin to make up for the hairpin he had bought on impulse, the pin feeling particularly heavy as he felt regret swell within his chest. Why did he buy it? It's not as if he particularly was fond of Mitsuko, certainly never that! No, it was... a gift of appreciation! Yes, that was what he would go with... though that didn't seem so convincing now did it? His mind swirled with the chaos of embarrassment as he felt tempted to just hide the hairpin, pretend that he'd never bought the accursed thing, but he didn't have time to ponder it for too long as the sight of the farmer had settled in his sitting position, causing the Seer to expel the distracting thoughts as he forced himself to rush over, his mind void of the problem he had made for himself as he neared the farmer, flashing a coin before the man's eyes as he began to recount the sorry tale he had told the elderly woman; his wife was ill and needed to be taken to the nearest town, that he would pay for passage to the next town as needed. Of course, the promise of coin and Haru's rather haggard appearance seemed to be enough convincing that the man needed which made Haru nearly collapse in relief, with the reassurance that he would wait for Haru to return with his ill 'wife'.

It was exhausting to draw upon so many different threads of fate for an extended period of time, even if the man certainly got paid a decent amount for his foresight... it left him mentally drained. She owes me so much for this.
...​
The path back seemed to take longer, as the sun seemed to sap most of the energy that was quickly draining out of Haru's limbs, the man not taking his usual precaution to hide his agony. After all, the pathway was empty, and once again aside from the pouch of heavy coins he was carefully concealing, the hairpin in particular caused him to stop as he took the object out, glaring at it in annoyance. The wings of the hairpin reflected a brilliant orange in the noon skies above him, with the gold glistening appealingly as well. It made him almost embarrassed to look at it, why did the people even make such things? It wasn't as if he was some.. some... role model or anything. It really was an embarrassment as he looked aside, checking twice, even thrice to make sure no one was approaching. Once assured that no one was coming to even interrupt, or see, Haru's hands clasped the hairpin close to his chest, ruby eyes closing as he reached cautiously for the Phoenix slumbering within his form. A cautious prodding at first, which resulted in nothing, causing a huff to leave the man's lips as he forcibly grabbed at the power slumbering deep within.

Pain immediately struck him, his knees buckling as the breath felt like it was being ripped from his lungs as the power, weak as it was flowed from the skin of his fingers and with sluggish warmth had settled within the pin, little flickers of flame dancing to life as he struggled to form his words in a form of blessings, in the midst of his agony. "May thine life... be blessed by sacred... flames. May i-illness... never haunt thee.." He could taste blood, his body trembling as he sucked in a sharp breath, "...beloved... child..." The flow of the blessing had ended, the flames dying just as quick, however the orange of the pin held a mystical glow if one would peer closely at it, a soft and comforting warmth permanently embedded within the hairpin, making it truly a blessed and sacred item... even if Haru felt like he was two steps away from dying as a faint trickle of blood had managed to drip past his lips, causing the man to hastily rub it away upon a ruined sleeve, feeling the Phoenix beginning to slumber within him once more, although far more quieter than before, causing a pit to form within the man's stomach. Something is wrong. That much was obvious, but the man struggled once more to his feet, cursing at himself for being so impulsive. Why the hell did he even put himself through so much pain for this woman? Pain in the ass.
...​
Haru's staggering steps could be heard as he finally had reached the house belonging to the elderly woman, his legs feeling as if they were fit to give out, stomach twisting in hunger and limbs feeling far more heavy than before as he grunted, moving toward where he heard movement as he had checked the shoji to the room Mitsuko had been in hesitantly, though seeing her not there had caused worry to settle within him, prompting the man to follow where he felt the flow of wind coming from, "Mitsuko...?" Her name had started off strong on his tongue, as he could see her familiar shape, but the reason it died was perhaps the shock that went through him from head to toe as he gazed upon the woman, crimson eyes comically wide, body frozen as if the man had been suddenly glued to the spot.

The black kimono she wore appeared as if the night sky itself had wrapped around her form, the softness of the breeze as it caressed her hair, her lovely face void of the make up that the palace would typically paint her in. Youthful, soft and reserved, a sheer contrast from how she would dress. To say Haru's heart had skipped a beat was perhaps an understatement, for not only did it skip a single beat within his chest, it instead had sped up as if he'd had run from the village all the way there. Pretty... she's pretty. The admission of that thought had fully pushed to the forefront of his mind, redness coming to his pale cheeks as he seemed quite speechless, "..Pretty..." Only for him to suddenly becoming quite aware of the hairpin that he had clutched within his hand, and the unintentional word that had slipped past his lips, immediately causing the man to put his hands behind his back quickly, like that of a child trying to hide something. Why the hell did I buy this?!

Panicking, he was panicking. He'll never hear the end of this, he'll never get her to stop talking about this. What if she rejected it? After he had poured his own power into it... perhaps it would be a waste? Well, he certainly wouldn't want her to be pressured to accepting it for she didn't need to. After all, she was under no obligation to accept it! They were companions, nothing more, nothing less. He wasn't even her friend, and certainly never her lover... Ah, why did he even think of that cursed word! Never! Never! Never in a million years!

As his mind was reeling, his face seemed to only be burning a deeper shade of crimson as he finally shuffled forward toward her, looking away from her, a nervous clearing of his throat as he knelt behind her and presented the warm hairpin, the soft glow of the orange wings being certainly appealing to the eyes, a blessing resting upon the hairpin, one that certainly could be felt. "I-I got this for you, f-for your health so you'll... recover.. soon.." In this moment, more than ever before the man seemed like his age, awkward in adolescence and stumbling over his words. Like a boy before a pretty girl, an endearing sight for once as the Seer still didn't seem willing to look directly at her, feeling more regret on getting the hairpin considering she looked like... well, looked so appealing to his own eyes. Damn it.
 

787
Kanamori no Mitsuko
Vocab:

Theme: こどものせかい- Kotringo
The two women shared their opinions and knowledge on various subjects, from the political state of the different empires to how you would best avoid infusing your clothes with the stench of ginkgo nuts when preparing them. The addon of how to circumvent the nut's blister-inducing surface and generally just death at all upon consumption a passing detail. The elderly lady revealed that she had in her later years started to learn the art of pressure point massage with her husband as an unwilling participant in her experiments. She also told the basic principles of it and offered to teach Mitsuko if they ended up staying for a longer time. And a part of the brunette wanted to. Considered it in the fleeting daydreams that had once seemed so far off but were now within her grasp if she willed it.

The story about the farmer's wife once again surfacing in her mind as they spoke. The elderly lady appeared happy after all, even had aspirations of one day operating a massage business from home to aid the stiff farmers in their daily endeavours. It could have been. In another universe, perhaps she was. In this universe, however, any such thought was quickly dispelled by the image of the Seer and a noncommittal smile to the musings of a future that would never come to pass. Apparently, the elderly lady had never gotten around to having kids and if she had she said that 'She would have liked a daughter like Mitsuko and a son like Haru'. Indeed, daydreams they were. Gone and passing with the reality of the setting sun.

A hearth to the warm feelings that were exchanged between two open hearts. Smouldered in gold, red and orange along the line that connected the two on the backdrop of the horizon. The floor creaked in the background, and Mitsuko glanced askance for but the briefest of seconds. Backlit by the glow of sunset in a flaming contour to her dark figure as her eyes greeted the Seer's return in an equally surprised expression to his own.

"Oh-you're back?" Though said expression soon settled, features lulled back into the tender smile and creasing behind eyes from before his arrival. The cinereous gaze dipped to his leg and lips parted once more, meaning to ask how his venture had fared. Did it hurt a lot? Had he eaten? All sorts of trivial worries and matters dying on the tip of her tongue at the unexpected interruption from the man.

"..Pretty..."

What? The world was a spinning picture of red, thundering heartbeats and breaths trembling over slacked jaws. Had she heard wrong? She must have. Or- the little voice in her head said- you remind him of her in this outfit. Ah, her heart settled in her throat in a lump. One that she swallowed back down in a bitter bridling of lips into an arc of visual joy. Wary and supported by clenched jaws. The kimono suddenly felt itchy where it sat upon her skin, the overlaps searing at the transcending touch. Once again, she felt naked. Missed the protective barrier of her gloves that had once separated her from the world.

But even if she had the gloves, she would not be able to avoid the look on his face. Such a lively shade of red that most definitely mirrored the blood that pumped through his veins in a quickened pulse. Mitsuko wondered, as she observed his boyish antics, how many times the previous Empress had witnessed this exact expression. Those exact nervous little fidgets that made it seem like there was no rhythm or rhyme to his existence. Only a shrill falsetto that peaked in crimson eyes, awkwardly averted, and the breath that hitched in his throat and needed clearing out.

Her gaze drifted to his trembling lips, then the hands presented in front of her. It was really quite a lovely melody, one that baulked against her own widening eyes upon the sight of the golden hairpin. "For me...?" Once again, her throat bobbed with something between despair and hope. Once again, her heart quivered at the tip of her finger that gently danced along the swirling lines of the depicted phoenix. Her heart swelling with every bulging wave and deflating on every slope.

To the onlooker, they probably looked like a couple that was still trying to overcome the embarrassment of public displays of affection. A picture of all adolescent naivety in the tell-tale signs of hands that accidentally grazed in shy smiles and blushes that chased racing heartbeats over cheeks. Mitsuko placed her hand over his, something incomprehensible stirring behind the beaming eyes and lips that thinned to reveal enamel. "Thank you," Even while trying to deny it as she may, she could not claim that she was not happy.

For this was the second gift she had ever received. Even if the sentiment might have been meant for someone else. Someone that prompted strange urges to appear in chaste glances and the thumb that caressed the side of the man's hand. Mitsuko shifted forward, a familiar devilish gleam to the way her face dimpled in a squint and grin "Then will you put it on for me, love?". The brunette turned around, withdrew her hand to instead sweep the few loose strands on her nape aside as she craned it into full view for the Seer.

The old lady merely smiled at the scene and scrambled to her feet in a grunt and a half. "I will go prepare dinner then, please join us you two. We would be delighted to have you." She grabbed the peeled pod basket from the floor and made way for the kitchen. Left the two youths behind on the balcony in their stalemate.

"This is the second time someone has ever given me anything. I will treasure it." She allowed her lids to close to focus on his ghosting presence behind her. Told herself that somewhere along the road he had felt bad for her having to sell the beautiful hairpin and that was why he had suddenly acted out of the norm. She briefly considered supplying him with this version of events. To relieve him of the pressure of explaining. But the way her throat snared shut at the slightest intention made it impossible to. Perhaps she even did not want to make it easier for him. Perhaps, that gnawing feeling at the back of her mind enjoyed seeing him struggle. Because if nothing else, he found her annoying. At least during those times there was no one else that he could think of. So she did not grant him mercy. Instead prodded him further "Don't worry, it's only a get well gift is it not? Though it is quite easy to misunderstand when you're blushing so cutely".

 
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Beautiful Memories - Inuyasha OST

Haru felt rooted to where he knelt, afraid to look her in the eyes, embarrassed at him retrieving anything at all for her. He shouldn't have done so, he should have left the hair pin behind, he should have... well, all thoughts of "should have" had vanished within the Seer's maelstrom of panicked thoughts as he heard her voice, raised in perhaps disbelief at his foolish action. His lips parted immediately, to come up with some vehement excuse, to cover up the impulse he'd felt even buying such a gift for her, but it all died on his tongue as he turned his gaze to meet her own and the two words of gratitude that silenced him.

"Thank you"

He almost couldn't believe his ears, judging from his silence that followed as her hand had come into contact with his outstretched palm, although the weight of the hairpin did little to distract him from the tingling sensation that sparked to life wherever her hand would meet his own. It made him nervous, uncomfortable, but the tingling only seemed to intensify with her smile. Her smile was lovely, causing the man to suck in a breath, holding the air within his chest as if too terrified to let it slip past his stunned expression. In this moment, for the first time did the empress that he had claimed that he hated, or felt annoyed by... she shone before his eyes. A lovely, beautiful woman in her happiness, her joy that caused his heart to skip another beat... and then another. How had he not noticed before? She did not shine the same as Mai-Jing, for that was an impossibility in his own mind. But, Mitsuko was lovely, just as beautiful although having her own charm.

Then the moment was ruined.

Haru's expression was quick to turn into a scowl at the devilish smile that was quick to cross her face, his blushing face intensifying at her teasing him, her moving forward toward him only prompted him to lean away, annoyance flaring to life as he mentally groaned. Of course, why would she not bring up their current convenient lie? Not that it would have matter either way, a part of him was grateful that she had ruined the moment when she did. It felt too tender, too warm and certainly not an atmosphere that he would want to create with the likes of her. She was not Mai-Jing, never would she be, and this caused his scowl to deepen as he grumbled in a frustrated breath, "Why did I even bother?" His crimson eyes flared with irritation as she had turned her back to him, his ire reflecting in flexing hands, curled into tight fists, but had sighed as he said in an annoyed tone, lowered so only she could hear, "Keep it up, love, and I'd might just have to strangle you." Ugh, just calling her that felt so utterly wrong. He almost wished to vomit on the spot, what had gotten into him earlier? You are a fool.

Despite his harsh words, the Seer's hands had came up to gently caress the skin upon the nape of her neck, thin fingers clasping the thin bit of fabric he'd used to tie her hair in the first place, allowing the soft waves of her hair to fall free. With it, part of him had allowed himself to notice how soft her hair was, his fingers carefully threading through the locks of hair as he carefully would place the dark brown waves in bun, eventually securing the phoenix hairpin within her hair, the wings of the pin had glowed softly in response, a tingle of satisfaction running through him as he could see the enchantment beginning to flare to life. Although, the effects of the pin would be hardly noticeable, just a comforting warmth only to ebb away as quick as it would come, but he took comfort in the fact that perhaps what little energy he had left would aid her, protect her. Though, his attention shifted to the old woman as she had invited them to dinner, causing a tinge of guilt to flare within the Seer's stomach. She was certainly a nice woman, he felt a bit awful for deceiving her, but the prospect of food had caused his stomach to give an audible growl, reminding him once more that he was starving. A sigh left his lips as he scoot away from Mitsuko, seeming more interested in his hands clasped before him, his fingers nervously fidgeting as the redness had yet to fade from his cheeks.

Then Mitsuko had to dig again, causing Haru's defenses to flare up as the man whipped his head to face her, indignance rising within his chest as he closed the distance, "Hah?! F-first of all, I'm not cute!" He bristled, anger causing his cheeks to puff up as his crimson eyes blazed, the redness intensifying as he hissed, "S-secondly, yes! It is a get well gift! I made sure I blessed it so... ah.." He trailed off, now realizing the blood on his sleeve could be seen in his current position, making the man immediately hide the sleeve from sight, his face still quite red as he sighed, his shoulders slumping as he could feel the weight of exhaustion catching up to him, "...I was worried about you. I-I just want you be p-protected, because there's no telling what will happen from here onward." Guilt tinged his words, causing the Seer to awkwardly rub the back of his neck with a hand, as he grumbled to hide his previously tender words, "And I don't want to be put in anymore weird situations with you. Last night was enough as it is." I don't think I will be able to take that again. Yes, the perfect excuse. It wasn't as if he was interested in her, certainly not! His heart would not beat for another, he would never betray his precious Mai-Jing, never! The guilt within his heart had ebbed away slightly, causing the man to release another sigh though it seemed like he had calmed down a little to think a bit more clearly.

She said she'll treasure it... H-Humph, it's not as if I care! Haru had chosen not to comment on her earlier words, that this was the second gift she'd been given. The man had crossed his arms over his chest, merely staring anywhere but at Mitsuko, the red tinge having yet to die upon the man's rather stubbornly set face. But, if one could look close enough, Haru was trying to fight the smile that was trying to touch his lips. I-It doesn't make me happy at all! Certainly not! I-I'm not... no, I'm not happy! Joy swelled within his heart, causing him now to turn away so that his back was now facing her, panicking as his facial muscles were rebelling against his thoughts filled with adamant refusal at such happiness. I'm not happy. The lie repeated in his mind, but a smile had finally fought its way on his face that he was desperately trying to hide, a tender joy in his expression as if unable to contain it within his soul. Truly, the man wasn't honest with himself, especially his emotions in this moment in time. He shouldn't be happy that his gift was received, especially by the likes of Mitsuko. But... he couldn't help it.
 

787
Kanamori no Mitsuko
Vocab:

Theme: Colour- Paniyolo
The dark figure that was Mitsuko only stirred occasionally in giggles and soft hums to the stuttering and self-defensive words. Like a shadow that manoeuvred around a flickering light, knees withdrawing into her arm to compress her determination. She remembered the first time she had ever received a gift. The dagger that she had kept on her person ever since. Had she reacted like this back then? Mitsuko could not recall if she had. It was strange, considering everything else came to mind. The slightly cloudy weather, the distinct stench of coal dust and molten iron that hung in the air inside the blacksmith shop- earth and fire, tumbling to overthrow her in heatwaves and dust tickling her nose. Hayate's sooty face that had cracked up in a row of pearly whites upon his presentation of the dagger: 'For you, to protect yourself with' and her doe eyed blinking. He had looked happy at the time, proud of his creation.

The Seer's hands traced over her neck and her lips stretched taut on her face. The fingers that weaved through her locks in grazing touches the kind to light fireflies under her skin. Inexplicably warm and transient but enough to chase away the dark in sunset spots on her cheeks. Mitsuko dug her head deeper into the sleeve of her arm and surfaced on the other side, collected again as she shifted around. The hairpin continued to emit a gentle warmth in the absence of Haru's fingers and she found herself touching it absentmindedly. "You blessed it?" Her eyebrow quirked curiously at his statement and the quick shielding of the man's arm caught her gaze in a glance. Red. It suddenly struck her that she had never seen the man utilise his powers after the event at the castle. Perhaps he had overexerted himself back then and any attempt to invoke it now was proving difficult.

The brunette's forehead contracted in lines of knitted brows. Don't think it. Mitsuko sidled up to the man on all three, a suspicious look on her face as she craned her head down as if trying to catch him off guard in an unconscious slip of a twitch or something. "Hmm..." She raised her head, mused a contemplating hum as she leaned from one side to the other. Chased after the smile that eventually surfaced on the Seer's face and that spread to her own in a tender snort. "I don't know...You look kinda happy right now while thinking of that strange situation," Mitsuko stroked her chin and squinted as she settled back in a position of crossed legs "Kinda suspicious if you ask me".

Did it matter what his intentions had been? Nothing would change the irrefutable fact that she was the Empress and he, the Seer. To think anything else would be a transgression on her part. Her hand slumped against his pileum and gave it a brief rustle before she rose to her feet. Quick to make her getaway before Haru would inevitably explode again. "Don't worry too much on my part," She halted in her steps as the picture of the red splotch on his sleeve drifted back into attention "-I'll be fine so don't overexert yourself".

As if she knew that she was asking a lot of him she laughed, subdued and perhaps a little weary. "I'll try to not be as much of a handful, with that said I'm going to rest for a while before dinner." Mitsuko raised her hand in a dismissive wave and rounded the corner to return to her room. Sunk down on the futon on her back in a displacement of all air from her body in floppy limbs. Her eyes focused listlessly on an indentation in the ceiling at first then rolled over to the side with the rest of her as she curled up.

To want to protect something, possibly the scariest sentiment of them all. To be worthy of protection, Mitsuko clenched the dagger hidden under the futon- a more difficult task than one might imagine.

In Mitsuko's absence, the old lady prepared and laid the table for the four inhabitants of the house. Only to find the young lady dead asleep again in the wrappings of the cover. 'She must've been more tired than she let on' was the conclusion drawn at that and the woman did not bother to wake her up. Instead set aside some dishes for later and served those that were still awake. Night came soundlessly, the buzzing of cicadas exchanged for that of the wind tumbling over the walls. In the flickering light of the lantern in her room, the brunette struggled to free herself from the confines of her clothing. A sudden flash of heat tormenting her in glassy skin and shallow breaths.

In reality, she was only trying to take off the outer layer of the kimono. Intended to wear the white inner one as sleep garments. This might not have been as obvious for anyone who walked in on her though.
 
Act on Instinct - Catherine OST [for the latter half of the post]

Indignation rose in the chest of the man, snapping in embarrassment, "A-absolutely not!" For him, a man of the cloth, a man of the sacred Phoenix to ever consider a woman such as she in such a manner, entertain the thought - it would be shameful! He did not desire her in such a way, his smile was certainly not for that reason; and he wasn't smiling! Or at least, he was screaming within his mind that he wasn't smiling when the traitorous smile had crept upon his face regardless, already having been spotted by Mitsuko much to his great shame. He'd been about to duck away from her, to retreat away from sight to hide his shame, when she had placed a hand on his head and caused the man to freeze. This was the second time she had done such a thing, though his hair was tightly bound underneath the flimsy fabric he had tied securely about his head, his crimson eyes had widened in surprise as he went as still as a statue.

It was a brief touch, but he could still feel the weight of her hand upon his head as she had moved from him, the smile having faded and an odd expression had crossed his face. Not quite anger, but not quite happiness either. A mixture of the two emotions perhaps, raging in conflict upon the Seer's reddened face. Don't. The thought rang in his mind, causing bile to rise slowly in the back of his throat as Mitsuko had so easily requested for him to not worry so much on her behalf, that it was fine for him not to overexert himself. How could he acknowledge such a request? Did she not realize that any time, her feeble spark of life could be snatched away if he did not take every precaution possible? If he relaxed his guard, for just a single second and allowed for illness, or any dangers to take her... he'll be alone again. As much as he found her companionship so far to be vexing and strange, he didn't desire for her to die, just like this sentiment had followed him from before within the palace. He never desired her death, no matter how much he may or may not dislike her.

You're asking me for something impossible. Those words nearly slipped past his lips as he looked up, seeing her retreat from his sight, his expression masked once before in neutrality, splotches of redness that had crossed his face slowly ebbed away. "Alright." He responded, seeing her dismissive wave as he turned his head and stared out into the skies, a chill running up and down his spine. That's right, if he was alone again, he'll only have the maddened Phoenix as his companion, and as much as Mitsuko was quite the oddity, confused and vexed him in ways he didn't think possible, she was still someone that grounded him to this cruel, unforgiving world. A bit of warmth of a mortal companion that so far offered to carry his burdens with him, the mortal that dared to treat him slightly normally, and had dared to slap him when he requested for his own demise. Yes, the odd woman who acted so unconventionally and truly got under his skin, he didn't want her to leave him in the darkness that he was trying his best to ignore, to push away as it sunk into his bones, his flesh, his heart. I can't acknowledge that. I'm sorry.
...​
Night was quick to swallow up the skies, and Haru didn't hesitate to fill his empty belly with as much food as he possibly could manage to stomach. Although, Haru had never been one to take food lightly, he had to admit during the three years he'd been pampered by the palace, the man had forgotten what it had been like to starve. Of course, he knew better than to absolute gorge himself on the meal, not desiring to throw up the food in question, but he almost felt tempted to eat until his stomach bulged - however the Seer had resisted the urge, taking a relatively modest helping, though his eyes did occasionally stray to the room where Mitsuko lay. She must be exhausted. Worry wormed its way within his heart, the man's expression dropping down into a distracted frown. Did the fever return? Was his blessing not strong enough to help her? These thoughts swarmed within his mind, causing the man to finally lose his appetite, though he politely sat with the elderly couple, engaging with mindless conversation, his crimson eyes straying repeatedly to the closed shoji during the conversation until he could feel his anxiety beginning to grow out of control. I need to check.

After all, it was dark outside, and he reasoned that it wouldn't be too odd for him to retire for the night. With warm food in his stomach, the man could feel his limbs being even more so heavy than before, and the pain that lanced through his legs and feet with every movement he made was a definite concern. After gathering himself together for one last push, in hopes to check on Mitsuko before sleeping himself, a polite 'goodnight' had slipped past his lips, accompanied by words of appreciation for the meal as Haru had stood, grimacing at the pain that caused his legs to buckle in protest, containing his limping and unsteady steps as he approached the shoji door, his fingers gripping the edge of the shoji as he pushed, his exhaustion making his movements slightly slow as his eyes shifted to look at where he assumed Mitsuko would be asleep; every intention to perhaps check if her body was still in the clutches of fever only to see the very same woman who was struggling to take off her kimono.

The very air seemed to rip from Haru's lungs as heat flooded through his body. The poor Seer of course didn't know what in the world Mitsuko was doing, or even why. But, his brain seemed to have trouble keeping up with his body, for the man had wordlessly closed the shoji door, standing in silence for a few moments before he retreated from the shoji and promptly began walking in a random direction. The look on his face quickly was becoming overcome with a vibrant red, embarrassment flooding him from head to toe. What the hell is wrong with that woman!? His jaw clenched, both anger and embarrassment continuing to swirl within his body until his irritation at the situation won out. Why did these situations keep happening with her? Was the universe conspiring against him? Did she want to torment him?!

A sharp exhale left him as he limped back to the shoji, irritation as plan as day upon his face. But, if Haru was being reasonable, this situation wasn't her fault and he was the one that suddenly barged in, but the Seer's temperament had already flared, exhaustion perhaps making his mood slightly more foul. Doesn't she know that she needs to be more careful? Even if I have no intentions of doing anything with her- I mean it's not like I- aughh! Haru's hands came up to the sides of his head, agonizing over his thoughts swirling within his mind, his face burning a fiercer shade. Stop thinking! Just go in, and just... lay down in the corner! Right, pretend she's not there and nothing happened! She won't say anything if you do that, right? Right?! Somehow, Haru wasn't too convinced as he whispered under his breath, "Why couldn't it be anyone, literally anyone else?" Then, the man grabbed the shoji door again as he pushed it open, slipping inside as his eyes seemed adamant on looking anywhere but Mitsuko, the man's face an all too suspicious and dark shade of red as he closed the shoji door behind him, his back to her as he seemed frozen in his spot, but in truth the man's mind was swirling again with conflicting thoughts that almost made him desire to simply lay down and die. Stop thinking! Stop thinking!

In all too comically stiff steps, Haru had shuffled over to one of the far corners of the room, laying down upon the wooden floor although perhaps a bit too hard as the man released a grunt of pain, his hip flaring with agony though he stubbornly kept his eyes on the far wall, his back hunched over as sweat trickled down his temple. Obviously, a very fake sign of sleeping that he was trying to portray, his teeth biting down on his tongue as he seemed all too keen on still not looking at Mitsuko, even if his mind was racing much to his dismay. He was still an adolescent boy after all, it was bound for the usually composed Seer to feel completely at odds with himself in such a moment as this, and with how much his face was burning a bright red, teasing him would be all too easy as his thoughts were now becoming quite venomous within his own mind, all circling around how much he hated Mitsuko in this moment in time. Misplaced anger for certain, but his embarrassment was flaring up such odd behavior to begin with.
 

805
Kanamori no Mitsuko
Vocab:
Wakizashi- A shorter version of a katana but not neccessarily only shorter, can also be forged in different styles and ways from the katana.
Tanto- The tantō is a dagger, but is used as a knife. The blade is single or double edged with a length between 15 and 30 cm (1 Japanese shaku). The tantō was designed primarily as a stabbing weapon, but the edge can be used for slashing as well.

Theme: 恋とはどんなもの？- ARIA THE ANIMATION
Hot. She was hot. It was as if the last remains of the fever were trying to find its way out of her. In skin that brushed scalding against the constraints of her clothes, more like ropes holding the last of her decency together in how it twisted itself around her. Then the shoji doors slid open, let in a stream of light that prompted her head to whip around towards the spotlight. Mitsuko managed to catch the glimpse of crimson eyes flashing in the dark before the shoji shut once more. Had he seen her? The brunette examined her dishevelled self and then thought of how quick the man had been to close the door. Ah, he had probably misunderstood. Something that was more a normal occurrence nowadays than not. She shrugged out of the outer kimono, folded it carefully and laid it in place beside the futon.

Truly, what a troublesome child. The ends of her lips tugged upwards in a sympathetic smile. Between the two of them, though, she was probably the weird one. The girl who held no caution for how she was perceived nor seemed to care about her modesty as a woman. Body far too mature and experienced to be in the spring of her twenties. His words back from the teahouse echoed anew in her head: "Physical maturity, little sun". Physical indeed, since she had been worrying over something so inconsequential as being an afterthought in the man's head. A copy, a replacement, an impo-

The floor squeaked on the other side of the shoji and she pretended to have gone back to sleep on the futon. A skulking figure and tiptoeing footsteps being observed from the corner of cinereous eyes. Her forehead puckered up in stages, one wrinkle at a time at the Seer's elaborate show of lying down on the spot furthest away. He was less than smooth and graceful, body buckled down into a curl in the popping of his joints and a final exclamation of pain in a grunt. His effort to avoid her was obvious and Mitsuko had, somewhere along the process, found herself rolling her eyes at the scene. A twinge of irritation in the brows that twitched and the hand that clenched the covers in response to the return of silence.

Mitsuko had intended to go back to sleep, to ignore the man. Possibly out of an unwillingness to start up a new argument, possibly because the sour taste in her mouth made her inclined to. She twisted and turned a couple of times, sighed then kicked the covers off.

Her feet descended in a soft pitter-patter across the floor, the sound lapped up by the rustle of fabric as Mitsuko crouched down beside him. Her silhouette loomed silently over the man in the flickering light of the lantern. The gentle glow giving the features of unblinking eyes and pursed lips a veil of tiredness in its jaundice hues and shadows layered in the untouched crevices. An urge to poke the man twitched in the listless hand as her gaze took in the sight of pale skin and beaded perspiration and she sighed. "I can't convince you to lie down on the futon can I?" The brunette bridled the electric impulses by occupying her palm with her chin, elbow supported on her crouched knee.

She lowered her voice to a mumble as she continued "Truly, you're too stubborn for your own good". The brunette turned her head, scanned the room and then seemingly left the man on the floor. A minute passed perhaps, there was the sound of something opening then closing and then she was back. This time accompanied by a blanket that overflowed from the clutch of her arm and trailed after on the floor. Clenched between her teeth she held a pillow, the latter wordlessly dropped on the Seer's face once she was hovering above him again.

Mitsuko held steady on one corner of the blanket and whipped her arm out in a cloak of fabric. The blanket floating into place over the anticipated angry contortions of Haru's face and subduing any complaints in a murmur of crinkling.

"-I'm not naked by the way. I just took off the outer kimono. I still got a white one under." Her departing whisper of words before she returned to the futon and crawled under the covers once more. Left an arm's reach of unoccupied space behind her just in case the Seer would get an incursion to join her. Not something she was expecting, however, as she drew a final heave of her chest before she closed her eyes and drifted off.

Morning arrived in the blink of an eye, the brunette out of bed first this time in renewed vigour. Back in her old clothes as she gratefully shovelled yesterday's leftovers down her throat while the old lady rambled on about the upcoming festivals. Perked up at the mention of a sword-play performance when she suddenly remembered that she was unarmed. She could not use the bow and arrow that was still fastened to the horse and a full-length sword was out of the question due to its weight. Speaking of the horse, had the Seer even brought it to the house? She clenched and unclenched her hand thoughtfully a few times. A wakizashi or tanto, however, would probably not be impossible to wield one-handed.

The brunette thanked them for the food and took her leave, intended to return to the room to inform the Seer of her plans. Her hand ghosted over the hairpin, a bit curious if the sudden surge of energy was due to the blessing. Mitsuko pushed the shoji doors open.

"Haru-"
 
Gentle Madman - Persona 5 OST

The silence was perhaps the worst part. This was what the Seer had decided in his stubborn position, refusing to turn his head as he stared stubbornly at the darkness upon the far wall, though his ears heard her shuffling movements which made his imagination begin to spiral out of control. Perspiration trickled down his forehead, crimson eyes closing tightly as she had neared him. I'm not looking. I'm not looking- Her voice echoed above him, louder which caused him to flinch as he hastily shook his head, back and forth adamantly as he squeezed his eyes shut tighter. Now, she had the audacity to ask him to share a futon with her? Was she insane? Did she think perhaps she was safe because he was a man of the cloth? What was wrong with her mind? These questions flared to life one after another, his brain certainly misinterpreting her words, reddened coloration causing even the back of his neck and ears to turn quite the adorable shade of pink as he heard her utter that 'he was too stubborn for his own good'. Too stubborn for what, exactly?!

Panic flared within his chest, heart hammering rapidly as he heard her footsteps leave his side, prompting tense and coiled muscles to relax... only for anxiety to build as he heard the sounds of something dragging. W-was she dragging the futon to him? What was she doing?! This finally had caused Haru to react, rolling on his back, his lips parting in the beginnings of a fluster 'wait', but much to his surprise a blanket had been dropped upon his face, obscuring his view as he went still, her words causing shock to settle within him. Ah. He had misunderstood, this caused the man's face to blaze an even deeper shade of red. Oh, how ashamed he was of his wandering thoughts, wait... why did he feel... disappointed? Disgust coiled in his gut as the man's hands gripped the blanket, immediately pulling it from his face as he turned his head away so that she could certainly not see the conflicting emotions coiling within his eyes. The last thing he needed was to encourage unneeded behavior, which he put in a mental note to begin meditating when he could to cleanse himself of these.. impure thoughts. It wasn't as if he wanted to even see her in any sort of undress, to touch her soft skin, to explore the contours of each well crafted curve, to once again see sweat upon her flesh, how it gleamed appealingly to his eyes, to feel her warm- Stop thinking! Ah!

"I-I see." His weak and stumbling reply came, certainly seeming a bit miffed as he shoved the blanket off of him, stubbornly resisting from joining her underneath the futon. Never mind Mitsuko being a threat, he was a threat to his own self, his own chastity! Even acknowledging the male impulses going through him was quite... embarrassing, as he would never conduct himself in such a shameful manner, least of all with her. Perhaps, this was a result from him being away from the temple? Yes, certainly. Never mind that he found Mitsuko to be quite beautiful earlier, never mind that he enjoyed the sight of her smile, none of these things mattered! Sleep! Sleep! The man was uncharacteristically silent at this point, normally Haru would have reacted to her in the beginnings of an argument, calling her all sorts of 'fool', and 'idiot', and his favorite nickname 'sow', but right now the man was running through sacred rites within his head again, squirming as far away from her to ignore her presence; eventually resulting in the man eventually passing out under the stress he was imposing upon himself.
...​
Within unconsciousness, Haru would drift, falling deep within the darkness of his mind. What he had been ignoring had slowly grasped at his mind, soft whispers of long departed souls ringing within the confines of his own head. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound would come, heat intensifying around his body as his head craned around within the pitch blackness... then there was a light. Many lights, too many lights for him to count, all glowing with a crimson glow that cut through the darkness, as he heard the Phoenix's whisper: "Why do you not send us to oblivion? Why do you persist to prolong our torment - your torment?" Haru could feel a trickle of liquid down his back, causing him to look behind him, eyes widening in horror as he looked upon the twisted Phoenix once more, body contorted in his past lives' broken selves, his legs losing strength as he gazed into the empty eye sockets of the disgusting monster as it lowered its head to him, blood dripping free past the Phoenix's beak as it cooed, "Do you not wish to join us? Do you not wish to last forever, and ever with us? Come, Haru. Come! Come!" A cacophony of wails, men and women both began to chant that accursed word, 'Come', over and over, as more crimson eyes began to appear from the darkness, surrounding him, their red eyes bleeding coloration to pool upon the pitch floor, he could feel the stickiness of their blood, the stench of rot filling his nose as Haru struggled to move.

But he could not move, they wouldn't let him.

Skeleton arms grabbed at his arms and legs, a panicked breath leaving him as the Phoenix raised its head, broken and fleshy wings raising above its head as it let out a maddened cry, gargling laughter, "No need to struggle! No more life! No more! No more! I will not allow it! Perish, perish with me! Love me everlasting, until you can no longer breathe! No longer think!" The blood slowly began to creep up to his chest, seeping into his clothes, burning at his skin as his panicked breathing only resulted into screaming, "No! No! I have to-!" The Phoenix's neck snapped, a sickening sound as its head hung loosely from a swaying body, and yet the beak of the monster kept speaking, "She'll betray you like all of us. It will never change, never change! Fate! Fate!"

"All she's using you is for your flesh. Just like Mai-Jing, just like all of our lovers before! Time and time again, you will end up at the same conclusion." Haru's terrified breathing increased as the Phoenix cooed, "A reminder, a reminder! For you, blessed soul I shall remind you! Our torment, our pain!" The blood now was at Haru's neck, rapidly over taking him as a skeletal hand gripped his head, pulling it underneath the quickly rising crimson, wrenched into the sea of Seer's blood, the air being ripped from his lungs as the Phoenix cooed, her madness taunting him, "Remember."

Another scream, though muffled by the blood that flowed into his lungs, his nose could be felt as the agony, the suffering had returned tenfold, his body flailing as the biting, the ripping and tearing begun once more. Hands plunged into his flesh, exposing his precious insides only to tear the bloody organs away from him, slow and methodical, sadistic as he could hear the wet chewing as teeth plunged and tore. Stop! Please! His throat felt raw, painful as a lover's lips had pressed against the soft skin, only for teeth to follow, his body torn again and again as he could see skeletal shapes in the dark blood that covered everything before his eyes, and then he could feel them plunking, tearing his eyes from their sockets. A scream gargled past his lips, flailing in agony as the sensation repeated. Again and again, and again.

No escape. No escape. No escape. No escape.
...​
Haru did not wake before Mitsuko had, the man's consciousness tormenting him once more, though when he finally did wake, Haru had lain on the wooden floors, trembling from head to toe as the sensation of torment didn't leave him. His throat closed as he sniffled, a low and keening whine leaving his lips as he stared at the wall. No escape. No escape. No escape. No escape. He slowly sat upward, looking at his own limbs as if they were alien to him. Wasn't he bleeding? Didn't they feast? No, they probably would come back again. A low laugh left his lips, his hands coming to his head, trapped in between laughing and sobbing. What a fool he was! To dare try to run from the truth, that he was nothing more that a buffet waiting to be ripped apart, that his life was truly meaningless! Protect anyone?! Assist anyone?! Who was he to even think such thoughts!

"Biting... biting... biting.." Ah, the pain was back, the pain he'd ignored for so long was coming back to him as the man had crawled his way into a corner, away from the empty futon as if the corner could protect him from the phantom biting and tearing. His maddened laughter left his lips, eyes staring at truly nothingness as the could hear the Phoenix within his mind, repeating for him to remember. That was right, he was destined to be betrayed again, so what was the point of struggling? Ah, Mitsuko... she probably knew the whole time, didn't she? Was she leading him into a trap? Would he have to experience that horrid end again? The thought made his smile grow, saliva dripping past trembling lips as he cradled himself, rocking back and forth. Would she find pleasure in his pain? To laugh at his agony? Would he be useful to her that way? His head slammed against his knees as tears flowed down his cheeks, smile fading as he whimpered, "No.. no no no... I don't..." I don't want to be eaten. Please.... not again. Not again. Not again...

Then the shoji doors opened, causing the Seer's head to snap upward, eyes wide as he spotted Mitsuko. Terror swelled within his chest as his lips trembled, "Stay..." His throat felt like it was closing, hallucinations of the men and women who had tormented him seemed to take her place, lovers and strangers all flashing before his eyes as he pushed himself further in the corner, "Stay away... S-stay away..." He repeated the words, his unconstrained terror intensifying as his hands came to his head, curling in a defensive position as if he was expecting to be struck.. or worse. "P-please... n-not again... a-anything but that.. p-please... s-stay a-away..." Maddened words, stringing together in an incomprehensible chain, but his terror was real, eyes staring at nothingness as his pleas for her to stay away had dropped into whispers, "No escape, no escape, no escape..." Once again, the cracks was showing within the Seer's mind, unraveling at the seams that he had tried so desperately to hide, to hold himself together. His body still was screaming in agony, although not from the phantom biting and tearing he was still experiencing, but also from the days he put pressure on his legs and pushed his body to the limit. "...H-help me... i-it hurts.... I'm.. s-scared..." His mind was adrift between the waking world and the world that awaited him within his mind, his plea for help a pitiful whine, terrified beyond thinking anymore as he curled up tighter in his defensive ball as if to protect himself from anyone who dared approach him.
 

805
Kanamori no Mitsuko
Vocab:

Theme: Yume Nikki - Dark World
Mitsuko did not know what she had expected to see upon sliding open the shoji door. Perhaps the Seer, still stubbornly curled up under the cover she had supplied him with the day before. Refusing to face her in his temper tantrum. Or perhaps she had expected to find him still asleep, unguarded from her curious eyes that would most definitely sneak a peek of the peaceful face she had grown used to during those seven days. What she had not expected was this, this shell of the person she thought she knew.

His crimson eyes were pinned wide open in a stirred and bug-eyed look, eyeballs straining out of their recesses. Any attempts to speak were a struggle of forming a coherent sentence in between chattering teeth and the hands that shielded his head. As soon as he caught sight of her, he had scooted away further into the chosen corner of safety and was now begging her to not come closer. Mitsuko's face faltered and everything stopped.

Her steps, her breaths, the clinking of porcelain from the kitchen, the cicadas that buzzed outside- "Haru." Her heart clenched in her chest as the name passed her lips, soft and brittle as if afraid the mere air that was expelled might shatter the man. Like a dandelion, thousand little seeds bound to scatter at the slightest hint of a touch. Time unwinded again in legs, slowly folding under Mitsuko to lower her to the Seer's level. "Haru- focus on my voice. Do you know where you are?" She gestured in a deliberately unhurried and large arc, making sure to always keep her hands within eyesight. Tried to get his gaze to acknowledge the shoji doors, the painting of a quote that hung on the wall, the beddings and the closet she had rummaged through yesterday.

The brunette patted the blanket he had abandoned in his fear. "You see this?" Her voice was low and modulated "You slept here yesterday". Mitsuko pointed towards her own futon then herself "-I slept over there yesterday". The look on her face was calm, like the unwavering surface of a still lake. Her eyes, however, could not disguise the pained recognition of his symptoms. Because she had seen this once before and a long time ago on the face of someone familiar. On the face of a much younger copy of her.

The trembling, the endlessly spinning thoughts, nails scratching against her head- or rather from the inside her head. The stench of something akin to burning flesh and rotting eggs that she could not escape no matter how much she whipped her head around. Scratch, scratch, scratch. A percussive sound that built up in strength behind her eyes. Skin flaking off in translucent scraps under the edge. The weight of the blade in her hands, swinging and swinging and swinging until her arms started to ache. Scratch, scratch, scratch. She could feel something wet rubbing against her fingertips. The slam of the shoji door sliding shut. Scratch- her silhouette wavered in the reflection of the dagger, clutched between her hands. The horrified face of Hayate on the other end of it.

Mitsuko gathered her breath and inched closer to the Seer. "You're awake Haru. Concentrate on your breathing. Stay in the present," Her hand grasped at her chest "Tell me- where does it hurt? Can you show me with your hands?".
 
Angry Soul [Kikyo's Theme Cover] - Inuyasha OST

The shifting figure was saying words, drawing his attention to the room, yet no matter how it tried to direct his attention, all he saw were the traitors. Each and every single traitor shifting before his eyes in her place, a taunting sneer upon a face that only whispered lies to him. Stay away, stay away... The panicked thought resounded in his mind as a terrified sound caught in the man's throat as Mitsuko dared to inch closer to him, causing the man's feet to try and push himself further in the corner he was desperately trying to squeeze himself into, his breathing coming quick as crimson eyes merely stared at her with undisguised terror. Stay away! Stay away from me! Liar, deceiver! His hands clutched at the fabric clinging about his head, nails digging and tearing at the fabric, teeth baring at her as his terror mounted. For a single moment, her shape settled into Eizan's, the man appearing how he once had in the memories that Haru had uncovered, the taunting smile upon his face, eyes gleaming in delight as Haru struggled to breathe, beginning to hyperventilate.

"S-stay away... s-stay away..." The terrified man whispered, his crimson eyes darting around the room desperately as if attempting to find escape. Escape, escape. Run. But, there was nowhere to run, nowhere for him to hide. Where could he go? Where? Where?! His eyes landed on Mitsuko again, struggling to focus through his terror as her form shifted again before his confused and horrified eyes, only to see Mai-Jing, a cruel hallucination, a fault of perhaps the Phoenix's maddened soul beginning to put a veil over Haru's eyes. For a moment, his breath stopped in his chest as his hands fell away from his face, the former empress's serene face being gentle, her lips parted only for a cruel smile to take its place, eyes gleaming with a cold light he had seen in countless lives time and time again. A truth that was taunting him, causing his terror to mount tenfold as his body didn't feel as if he could move. He didn't want to feel the pain again, he didn't want to feel it. Please, please leave me...

His eyes closed, causing the Seer to desperately rub at his eyes with his hands, though her final words caused Haru to laugh, a broken laugh as he snarled at her, "Do you think me a fool, that you don't know?!" The terrified anger was slowly rising in his chest, though now that he allowed his eyes to finally land on her again, his breathing quick as the Phoenix's words cooed in his mind, "She'll betray you like all of us... All she's using you is for your flesh..." Ah, yes he could finally see Mitsuko, the wavering shapes and strangers, lovers who once made him trust them, people who he thought he could put his faith in... all resulted in such a disgusting and vile death, over and over again; they had vanished and left Mitsuko in their place. He wasn't going to be fooled again, not by her, not by anyone. Though, this defensive thought was only a result of countless years of horrid memories swelling and corrupting his mind, overwhelming any of the memories that he had with her so far. Yes, the terror in his eyes was directly fully at Mitsuko, as if she were a monster.

"..You'll betray me... like they have done time and time again..." The whispered voice that left him was weak, broken and small as tears sprung to his maddened eyes, anguish deep within the crimson depths, "Stay away. S-stay away!" Haru's breathing intensified again as his eyes flashed to the closet. An escape. He could hide. Without hesitation, the man had pitifully began to rush toward the closet, his feet crying out in agony, legs trembling in pain as he ripped open the closet and promptly closed it behind him with a slam to separate himself from her, although it certainly was a cramped space, he didn't care. His sobbing could be heard from within, broken and fearful, "..Not again... not again... please... please..." The words made no sense as a low groan of agony left his lips, feeling the phantom pain flare upon his flesh, feeling their teeth ripping into him. It hurts, it hurts. Someone help. Help me.

But it was useless to cry out for help, because no one would. No one did then, and no one would now. He wouldn't allow it, the Phoenix wouldn't allow it. He was to suffer an eternity of such madness, a punishment for opening his heart and mind to his previous lives, a punishment for simply living. Another sob left his lips as he cowered as deep within the closet as he could go, "...I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." Desperately apologizing to phantoms of people that were not there, phantoms that tore at his body and delighted in his torment. If he apologized, maybe they would forgive him, allow him to rest, allow him to finally be free of his torment. "I'm.. sorry... u-ugh..." Another pained grunt left him as he could feel fingers reaching for his insides, tearing them apart anew as he gasped for air, tears streaming down his reddened cheeks as he sobbed, curling in a tight ball once more, beginning to rock his body back and forth as he endured. For that was all he could do, as the tide of agony drowned him again and again.

His mind was unraveling, the pain becoming more intense within the waking world as his sounds of pain could be heard within the closed closet, broken only by his sobs as he whispered broken apologies to empty air. And still they ripped, still they tore and once they were done... they repeated. His body was weakening, though it was a trick of the mind as he could feel each death repeat itself, and each time there would be new faces to taunt him, new faces to torment him. New faces, but still the same wicked, twisted souls that the Phoenix - he loved. A bitter choke of laughter passed his lips as he covered his head with his hands, "..T-traitors... l-liars..." He struggled to breathe, throat straining as he tried to quiet his laughter and pain down, the chaos of his mind having not forgotten that she was near. She would hurt him, continue the dreaded cycle over and over again. Just like the others, just like Eizan, just like Mai-Jing would have wanted. "Betrayers... t-traitors... l-liars..." He whispered those words as he continued to cradle his head in his hands, his hot tears burning against his skin; too far gone to be recovered at least for now.
 

805
Kanamori no Mitsuko
Vocab:

Theme: 【作業用BGM】心が優しくなる音楽～ロングver ～【夏目友人帳】first and second song for later part of the post
Her actions and words seemed all for nought or even had the reverse effect than intended, as the Seer suddenly snapped at her. Prompted the brunette to recoil and lose her composure in a brief flash of widened eyes upon the look he gave her. This...was also something she had seen once before. In the moments' before blade met flesh and love turned to hate. Before the realisation, sliced off at the neck, had caught up with the mind and articulated the phenomenon of all the blood that had drained from the veins: "She was a monster". Mitsuko settled back on her folded knees, clenched jaws choking back any remaining words in a trembling inhale and exhale.

His words did not register at the moment but they would later along with the night when he had transformed. His statement "Any other visions I've seen since are unrelated, unimportant at best" cementing the fact that he had seen something back then. Something that had changed him and left him scrambling for the scattered pieces of himself in its aftermath. For now, she was defeated. A picture of pain bundled up at the edges of squinting eyes and lips pulled taut in a grim line as the man fled from her.

Would things have been different if she had been her? Would she have been able to reach him? Clutch his trembling form in her arm and bridge the gaps of his broken facade- meld it back together in the warmth emitted from her embrace and graze his tear-streaked cheeks in the sunshine that always came after the rain? Her nails dug into the matted fabric of the kimono, attempted to recreate the twisting pain that plagued her chest from within. A snort was wrenched out of the lungs that had so precariously held her breath steady during the exchange and something cracked inside of her. Slowly and irreversibly in the hand that untangled itself from her collar and sunk to the floor.

It was a useless thought since it would never come to be. All she could do was- the crinkled eyes glanced at the black folded pile of yesterday's tender memories. "I'll come back later." Her voice resounded softly through the shut doors of the closet and there was the sound of shuffling. Of feet pushing her hunched form up from the floor into her usual relaxed stance of slumped shoulders and then of the shoji door, sliding close with a gentle knock.

All kinds of thoughts swirled in her head as Mitsuko made her way back to the kitchen. The brunette proclaiming her presence to the back of the old lady with an awkward cough. "Uh, so-" She absentmindedly rubbed the nape of her neck "My husband isn't feeling very well today. I would appreciate it if you could keep an eye on him and just...make sure he doesn't get hurt". The elderly woman seemed a bit taken aback at first, eyeing her worriedly as if trying to assess if they were going through some marriage problems. Keenly aware of what the look the lady was giving her meant, Mitsuko let out a nervous titter. "Ah no, it's nothing like that. Just his leg acting up." So do not try to force him out of the closet.

On her way out Mitsuko wondered, though, if it would have been good for someone else to talk to him. Someone other than her, that was.

Her first stop of the day was to fetch the horse from the grove, seeing as the Seer had quite expectedly not bothered to bring it to the house. Half of her was convinced it was an act of vengeance for the 'riding accident'. The other was too busy scratching her head over the discovery that the horse had, also quite expectedly, not stayed put. A conundrum and dilemma indeed the brunette concluded after a short saunter around the grove's parasols of foliage. A reprieve from the blazing summer sun that was becoming more tantalising by the second in the perspiration trickling down her back. The dark colour scheme of her clothes was not helping either, Mitsuko confirmed in the hand that fanned her collar in the lack of breezes.

Fortunately, she did not have to walk far for any potential witnesses as the bypassing road was the sole path to the village. Home to travellers and inhabitants alike in its transportation of crops and livelihoods. A pair of tattered work hands came ambling, identified through the tools they carried on their backs, and Mitsuko took the opportunity to stop them. "Have you seen a black horse nearby? Possibly with a bow and arrow attached to the saddle?" The men had exchanged a pair of dubious looks between each other, probably questioning silently why a lone woman was asking them about a horse. Regardless of their suspicions the younger man, a lad of tanned skin and black ruffled hair, spoke up. "Yeah, it's grazing on the fields of old Junichi east of the village." The way her stomach lurched was a bad omen.

Quite justified so, she would find out as the horse was indeed in the process of uprooting the nearest lettuce field. If they had not had company she would have been impressed with the stallion's progress, an abundance of half-eaten lettuce heads scattered at its hooves. In the current time though, Mitsuko was way too busy trying to drag the horse away by the reins. The presumed owner of the fields running at them in a screaming tantrum and swinging pitchfork.

"I'll give you apples if you come with me!" Apparently, the horse was smart enough to memorise that the enunciation of apples meant 'good' and it perked up at the mention. Allowed her to hastily crawl onto its back before galloping away from the farmer's angrily stomping figure in the back.

Thinking it better to not bring the horse into the village in case it would be recognised as the culprit of other field raids, she tied it up behind some trees. The stallion sported a rather comically angry expression in slicked ears as if it had recognised that it had been cheated. "Later." The brunette assured it in a few pats to the shoulder. The stallion snorted at her and a few spits of saliva launched from the nostrils to hit her cheeks. Mitsuko wiped them off with the sleeve of her kimono, "-Nice, thank you". This is why I prefer mares over stallions, she cursed the horse behind its back as she strolled off to the village.

Thinking it better to not bring the horse into the village in case it would be recognised as the culprit of other field raids, she tied it up behind some trees. The stallion sported a rather comically angry expression in slicked ears as if it had recognised that it had been cheated. "Later." The brunette assured it in a few pats to the shoulder. The stallion snorted at her and a few spits of saliva launched from the nostrils to hit her cheeks. Mitsuko wiped them off with the sleeve of her kimono, "-Nice, thank you". This is why I prefer mares over stallions, she cursed the horse behind its back as she strolled off to the village.

The village was quaint yet still lively, roads and houses cramped together to make for a busy sight. From jewellery to spices, assembled like the colours on a palette in their baskets- to people making today's grocery run to take home and present as dinner that very night. For a moment she had forgotten the world that existed outside of the court and the house. When Mitsuko thought about it, it had realistically only been a few days since she was dethroned and had her life turned upside down.

News that had, at last, reached the village in the chorus of hushed whispers and loud condemnations. "The woman must have gone mad I tell you! To order the execution of all her ministers-" "Apparently she kidnapped the Seer as well," "-That's what you get for putting a minor noble's daughter on the throne". Ah, she had almost forgotten the narrative Hayate had spun for her background as the Empress. A former mercenary would be too conspicuous, too brutish for an Empress that had to garner the people's affection. Instead, she had been painted as the daughter of a minor lord that been hit unfairly by the rules enforced by the former Empress.

Mitsuko could not blame them for their ignorance but neither could she stay to listen to the rest of the gossip- her expression already straining against the neutral facade she had put up. The brunette quickly pulled someone aside to ask for directions to the blacksmith shop and turned off the road.

The blacksmith lived in a rundown shed of a building, squeezed in between two other houses. From the outside it hardly looked occupied, the boards had turned dark from years of exposure to moisture and the paper on the shoji doors had holes in it. The smoke that belched out from the top of the crooked roof indicated otherwise, though, and Mitsuko gave the planks beside the door a light knock.

No response, the brunette whipped her head around once to scan the area and then slid the shoji open. "Hello- anyone home?" Maybe she should have asked that before she entered. By the time she was over the threshold, however, she was already lost to the swords lined up on the walls.
 
Snowy (Genocide) - Undertale OST

Hiccupping breaths, and painful flinches was all that Haru had been reduced to. In the midst of his crazed words, muttering of liars and traitors, he heard her voice on the other side of the closet door. She'll be back later. This only resulted in more emotional distress as the man inhaled, his broken sobs being a desperate plea to leave him. Do not return, do not come near. Traitors. Traitors. Liars. These words he knew were true, they had to be true; otherwise why else would be be feeling this pain, this torment? Although he could not see anyone physically before his eyes, he knew he was still being devoured, flesh ripped from bone, muscles punctured by teeth, his blood spilling free from his own body, not a single part of himself left. He could feel pain within his eyes, although intensified from the amount of tears spilling forth from him - did they desire to pluck his eyes from his skull? Like all the other lives before him? "Please... s-s-s..." His tongue felt heavy within his mouth, hiccupping as he rocked himself back and forth, throat feeling tight in his terror as he tried to comfort himself... but it would do little good.

Haru would remain within the confines of his dark prison for perhaps an hour longer, until the nibbling and biting had subsided to the point he could move without much pain. His mind felt clouded, confused as his head craned back, peering at the light leaking into his hiding place, eyes puffy and red, burning and aching as he raised a hand and pushed. For the little strength that remained within his body, the door gave way and sent the man spilling to the wooden floor, landing heavily upon his side as a grunt of pain left him, pain lancing up his leg as he stared blankly at nothingness for awhile. The room was silent, and his mind had finally fallen silent again, leaving him empty and exhausted. If he had the will to move, Haru probably would have pushed himself from the floor to at least settle within the futon that was mere feet away, to snuggle within the blankets and cover himself in darkness, to sleep and never have to wake again. But, if he did sleep, would he have to face that creature again? The Phoenix in all of its twisted, demented glory, whispering nothing but its agony that he didn't want to feel again. The thought made him more distressed, causing the man to grab at his own head, fingers crossing over the little rips he'd made earlier which had finally caused his facial expression to twitch. When had he done that?

I'm... tired.. His eyes slid to the firmly closed shoji, forcing himself upward as his hip protested in pain, legs trembling underneath him as he could now hear footsteps approaching. The first, fearful reaction was to hide again. Maybe, whoever was coming to get him desired to only hurt him? Even if the thought was absurd considering where he was, but Haru felt his muscles tensing up, bringing with it fresh agony as his puffy, hollowed eyes would only gaze upon the shoji screen slowly opening, revealing a kind, wrinkled face. It was familiar, making Haru's blank expression twist for a second, trying to concentrate through the dense fog within his mind as the familiar face had appeared surprised at his haggard appearance, only to grow alarmingly sympathetic toward him. Gentle and understanding, calm and patient. He could feel tears beginning to sting anew at his eyes, as if he were a scared child, feeling a swell of words beginning to crawl and swell within his throat. Haru almost wanted to cry, to scream about his frustration, his rage, his pain. To express the constant pressure of the darkness he'd been forced to shoulder, to scream that he didn't want to live, that his very life was only to be sacrificed anyways, thrown away over and over again. That he, himself was a useless and pitiful creature that desired only silence, serene silence. To admit... he was scared, that he hated his gifts, that he hated everything about himself.

But, Haru was not a child, nor would he allow himself to sink deep in his misery with this stranger in his eyes. His trembling form no doubt looked quite pitiful, hollow eyes staring now emptily at the woman as she had spoken, age making her voice a bit more tender to his ears, "Would you help me wash some beets?" The question was so normal, so utterly mundane that he would have wanted to laugh. It was an effort to chase away the darkness swelling in Haru's eyes, work that certainly wasn't difficult so that he could set to focus upon his hands. Haru's head nodded stiffly, resulting in the Seer struggling to his feet, legs and feet beginning to truly rip through him with stabbing agony as he lumbered slowly over to the elderly woman, eyes looking at her with not much interest if at all. His mind was far too warped to even attempt to replicate the friendly demeanor he'd clung to desperately during the day before, now seeming like he was merely going through the motions, like a puppet being forced to drag wooden limbs in response to some string. It was a hollow feeling, an empty one, only interrupted by more pain from his legs, his knees nearly giving out underneath him as he followed the elderly woman's footsteps, a neat basket of beets already had been set out as if in preparation for both of them to arrive.

His eyes caught the sight of water, placed aside in another bowl which made him approach, sitting apart from the elderly woman, skin prickling with unease as he peered with unmasked distrust at her as she had quite innocently began washing some of the beets herself. After observing her actions for perhaps a bit longer than necessary, Haru would follow suit and replicate the motions though his eyes peered downcast at what he was doing, his shoulder slumped as he was allowing the awkward silence to settle and elongate between the two, not willing to break it since his own mind was still trying to surface. The gentle sloshing of the water as he rolled the dirtied beets within it had soothed his nerves, as doing something with his hands had gradually chased away the chill of discomfort, though certainly it was not all fully gone at the very least his breathing had come under control, heart rate slowing as the phantom nibbling was merely an afterthought. Even if the old woman would have spoken to him, Haru highly doubted that he would answer, for his mind was adrift, sinking into thoughts of merely nothing but being numb.

"How is your leg?" The question caused Haru to abruptly stop, his puffy eyes shifting to look at the elderly woman, though she didn't meet his gaze, merely continuing to set upon the task she'd given them both for the time being. The Seer's eyes dropped back down to the dirtied beet he had in his hand, his lips parting at first to attempt to respond, closing then once he'd cleared his throat, he said quietly, "It's... fine." A lie, but his leg was far from his concern at this moment in time, even if the leg was currently shaking from the pressure he was putting on the poor limb as it certainly had been pushed past his usual limits. No doubt the scar that marred the crooked leg was inflamed, painfully so by now, though the Seer could withstand it. It wasn't as if it had never gotten this bad before.
 

805
Kanamori no Mitsuko
Vocab:
Uchigatana- The blade length of the uchigatana during the 16th century is said to have been from 60 cm to no more than 70 cm, with a stout sugata, a steep saki-zori, and it could be used as a one handed sword due to its thin kasane (thickness) and short tang (nakago) making it relatively light.[9]
Theme: Aruarian dance- Samurai Champloo ost
Mitsuko wished she could say that there is no beauty to be found in death, but there was. From the carefully folded metal, layers upon layers of liquid stars bleeding out in silver over a midnight canvas. To the woven handle that grounded the sliver of the sky to the earth in steady palms. Her breath hitched in her throat and her fingers rose to dance along with the swirling patterns on the side of the blade. Like waves that fragmented the surface of still land in a lulling ocean. Mitsuko inhaled the stale air of the blacksmith shop, the air settling in the tender features of a smile on her lips and a nostalgic twinkle in her eyes. It smelled like coal and dirt and iron, like fire and like-

"Have you gotten lost lass?" A gruff voice assaulted her from behind and pulled her out of her daze like state. The brunette turned on her heels to gaze into the dim backrooms of the building and lo and behold, the contours of a figure emerged. Swarthy from smoke and wearing a leather apron. Mitsuko withdrew her hand to conceal it behind her back as she clutched the uncooperative arm. "No, I'm in fact here for a sword," the man cocked a brow and she cocked one back "-A wakizashi to be more exact. On the shorter side". The man looked to be between his 50s and 60s. Face melted downwards in wrinkles under the pressure of time and with white hairs scattered sparsely over the sides of his pileum. He eyed her warily up and down then dismissively waved her off "I don't have time for jokes, lass. Got my hands full supplying those pretenders already, I don't need another one".

If she had not been used to this kind of treatment, then she would have probably been discouraged by the back that she now found herself trying to convince. In her experience, however, and instead of mulling over his words, she sensed an opportunity in there. A glimmer of hope in his displeasure over the 'pretenders'. Mitsuko trailed after his departing figure to the actual forge. "Pretenders..." She repeated thoughtfully as her thoughts drifted to what the old lady had cited this morning "You mean the swordplay performers?". The man scoffed and stirred the smouldering coals in the open forge. "So you do know about them," He gave her a stinky side-eye, the silence louder than the words he had actually articulated.

He was tired and was already starting to crack from having to deal with a presence he deemed grating. Was Mitsuko more grating than the performers though? That remained to be seen and proved. "So, if someone came along and they proved to be a real swordsman," She cleared her throat "-Or swordswoman...would you supply them then?". The look on his face was dubious at best and incredulous at worst. Her? A swordsman? His gaze shifted back and forth from her form to the hammer. Seemingly torn between his morals of not sending her out to get hurt and just getting rid of her. He drew a pronounced sigh upon having reached a conclusion. "Sure, sure I would and for free too," The blacksmith snorted, clearly believing that he would not be forced to make good on his promise.

On the other hand, those words were all Mitsuko needed to hear. She saluted him and went on her way, intending to seek these performers out. The word on the street was that they had all lounged up in a nearby restaurant to wreak havoc and indeed. As soon as she arrived through the doors their less than courteous manners were made clear to her. Their harassment of the female servers for more sake and grabby hands enough to raise a brow from the brunette.

She scanned the establishment, a rather simple layout of low seated tables and a red colour scheme, found a kitchen towel lying abandoned on a nearby table and grabbed it when no one was looking. The white cloth was wrapped around the lower part of her face and she approached the boisterous men. Disrupted the rowdy conversations much to a varied display of chagrin on their faces. "Gentlemen," Mitsuko modulated her voice a pitch deeper than her usual one "I've heard a great deal about you in town and would like to ascertain whether or not the rumours are true".

Their eyes darted from one to another until one of the men took the initiative. "What rumours?" The typical samurai lookalike leaned back in his seat and puffed out his chest. The brunette perked up and opened her arm out wide "-Well if your skills are as great as they all claim, of course!". She beamed and winked "Ah, perhaps you need more time to practice your dance moves, however. Surely, your repertoire of swordsman imitation is as impressive as it is big". It took the men perhaps a duration of ten seconds to all crawl to their feet and stumble threateningly towards her. All of which Mitsuko took in anticipated stride and shrunk back. "Now now, gentlemen! Let's at least take this outside." She did not neglect to catch the worried looks on the servers that exhaled in relief at her statement.

The men did not seem as keen, however, until she mentioned that the street would make for a bigger scene in their beating of her. So there they were, five bulking figures towering over her. Again, they seemed to prefer the use of fists over any sword they might have on hand. One of the bald men grabbed her collar and lifted her up. "Oi oi...will you not show your superiority with your sword skills?" Mitsuko waved her hands in front and gestured at the small crowd that had formed around them "Give these good folks a little sneak peek on what they have to look forward to!".

The man released her mid-air and she landed on the ground with a thud and half a wobble. Brutes, she inhaled through her nose and exhaled through her mouth then screwed her face up into the smile from before. Launched at her face came a sword in its sheath. Mitsuko caught it with her hand and weighed it in her palm. Indeed too heavy to be swinging willy nilly with one hand. In her current predicament she did not have much of a choice, though. Seeing as the man had already brandished his katana.

She let the scabbard slide off to the ground, fingers clasped around the hilt. What a familiar and yet foreign feeling at the same time. Mitsuko tried to redistribute the uneven weight on her feet. Drew them into position with one further back as if prepared to sprint off. The man scoffed at her one-handed approach, thinking it was another insult. In reality, it should have made him nervous about what was to come.

It all ended in the flash of an eye. The man brought his sword down horizontally towards her and she had braced herself to take the hit. Only to change the angle as the blades met and let his slide off to the side while she danced around it. Spun once and in the next second her sword was at his throat, mere centimetres from cutting off his head sideways. The other men went down in a similar fashion, one tripped and the other disarmed by a hit with the hilt to the wrist. Mitsuko bowed to the applauding crowd and with one of the men as her (unwilling) witness, she returned to the blacksmith shop.

"I would like that sword now, perhaps add an uchigatana as well?".

By the time she returned to the horse, the sun had already started to set. As promised she tossed it one apple which the stallion caught between his teeth. On her waistband hung two swords and under her arm was a basket of treats. The brunette climbed the horse with ease and took the reins between her teeth to which the stallion started to move.

To say that she was home was a bit inaccurate but also in a way true. The anticipation prickled along the back of her legs as she stepped into the house and her stomach lurched uneasily for every threshold she passed. The final one seeming more like a pitfall from where she stood, rocking on her feet back and forth on the other side of the shoji doors. A gentle splash of water could be discerned in the silence as well as two voices. Mitsuko's face relaxed at the second revelation, noting that the Seer was up at the very least. But would it remain so when she revealed herself? He thought she would betray him. He despised the very sight of her- he thought her a monster. But was that truly aimed at her?

Her hand tightened around the basket as she recalled his words from the teahouse. It had been misdirected hatred- he had felt guilty. For failing the previous Empress. Even if this turned out to not be misdirected Mitsuko had to believe it- because what else could she do? The shoji doors were carefully slid open and through the crack, a face appeared. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the sombre figure of the Seer before she averted it. Trained it on the old lady instead as she croaked an unsure "Am I bothering?". The old lady shook her head but Mitsuko found herself looking at the Seer anyway for secondary confirmation. Still hesitating on the threshold in bated breath. Her cheeks were a bit dirty and the lower hem of her clothes had been dipped in mud. The lady's efforts to clean her, all gone in the hair that sprouted in unruly strands in its updo.
 
Midna's Lament - Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess OST

The splashing of water echoed within the Seer's ears as his fingers steadily washed away the dirt from the red surface, mind falling into the emptiness awaiting him. The silence did little to comfort him, but perhaps it was the only thing that he could properly adjust to in this moment, not desiring to speak, not desiring to look upon the elderly woman beside him. A whisper settled within the back of his mind again, causing chills to crawl down his back, resulting in some perspiration to dot his forehead, "Traitors, liars. All of them." He closed his eyes tightly, willing for the sinister whisper to cease, his body tensing as if expecting the avalanche of pain to fall upon him, to drown him again... but that was when the shoji creaked open behind him.

His breath caught in his chest, fingers trembling upon the beet that he had within his grasp, the vegetable falling with an eerily loud splash into the water before him as her voice rang out, uncertain in tone, yet echoing loudly within his own mind. "Go away." Hostility rang within the Phoenix's voice, defensiveness rising within his heart as he slowly turned his head to look at Mitsuko; an emptiness remaining within his face only dropping into surprise once he saw the state she was in, shattering temporarily the hallucination that threatened to overtake him. Her face was peppered with dirt, and her clothes were splattered - at least at the hem - with mud. Her hair was a disarray, causing the faintest of twitches to touch the Seer's empty face as he dropped his crimson eyes to the floors. Then his mind finally registered her question, a question she'd directed to the elderly woman it seemed... but also himself.

"Betrayer." The voice hissed in his mind, causing the man to tightly close his eyes, trying to block out the whispers that was quickly beginning to raise in tone. "No." The empty response finally left his lips, lacking much vigor or his usual distain. Haru, if he were probably feeling normal or in his right mind would have snapped at her for her returning dirty, to track mud over the floors. Wasn't she a woman? Why didn't she take care of herself better? Or the most likely question would have been; did she get herself into trouble? Deep down, the Seer already knew that last question was certain, she probably had. But, perhaps that would be expected if he wasn't with her, supervising her as he still looked upon her as an unruly child. Physical maturity only, but lacking in thinking... at least in his opinion if he was whole of mind.

But he wasn't.

The cracks within his mind widened, snapping further as flashes from his previous lives danced before his eyes again, clouding his vision of where he was, or what he'd been doing. Once again, his damp hands rubbed at crimson eyes that now certainly looked dead, empty as he finally struggled to get to his feet, having abandoned the beet within the bowl to bob and float within the water, feeling a question expression cross the elderly woman's face as Haru's legs trembled underneath him, staggering as he approached the cracked shoji, his eyes although focused on Mitsuko only peered through her, as if she were no longer there. As he drew closer, he paused before her, crimson gaze finally focusing on her once more, taking in a breath as he said quietly, "...Tired.." That was all he had to say, a simple word to excuse himself as his hand grasped hold of the shoji, pulling it open fully as he limped past her, struggling within his awkward gait as he approached their shared room, disappearing within.

Once he had secluded himself within the room, his legs had gave out underneath him, unable to support his weight any longer. The pain was agonizing, the thud of his body hitting the floor causing ripples of more agony to settle within his legs as he struggled to bring breath into his lungs, gritting his teeth against the pain. Haru's body crawled past the abandoned futon, settling himself in his corner that he'd previously been in which prompted the man to once more with shaky hands to inspect his bad leg, though he couldn't say he felt nothing more than apathy as he saw the reddened scar beginning to be tinged with purple, his leg trembling as his fingers brushed over the old wound. Even if the pain was intense, aching, throbbing pain... his mind only reminded him that he'd experienced worse. This was nothing. Tired..

He closed his eyes as he sigh left his lips, rolling the hakama's pant leg down, the back of his head hitting the wall as the Phoenix's words echoed repeatedly, insistently within his mind, "Liars, betrayers. All... all.." His thin fingers came up to the sides of his head as he whispered, his voice straining with frustration, "Shut up already.." Was it enough that he couldn't tell the difference between reality and his mind earlier? Wasn't it enough that he'd experienced six thousand years of agony repeatedly? He just wanted silence, but perhaps the Phoenix desired to drag him down with it? A bitter laugh left his lips... ah, did this certainly mean that he was his worst enemy? Indeed, that was perhaps the truth, the more he attempted to separate himself from the Phoenix's influence, the more he was denying that this disgusting creature wasn't him. But, it was. Such rage, such pain... lashing out at everything and everyone, desiring only for its own death, that was him... as much in this moment he didn't want it to be so.

"Shut up.." He whispered again, his knees drawing close to his chest as he stared at empty air. Did it truly matter if Mitsuko was destined to betray him? That thought echoed through his own mind, a contrast to the Phoenix's sinister whispers. But, then again... maybe he'd lashed out at an innocent woman that knew nothing? The brief thought was accompanied by her face when he'd snapped at her, causing the man to shake his head as he whispered, "..I'm sorry.." An apology that was direction perhaps at her. After all, he was useless to her right now, but when had he been useful before? All of his ancient past lives had been only used as sacrifices, for that was as far as their usefulness went. To be used by a disgusting, clinging crowd that ripped and tore at exposed flesh, to be used to their pleasure until death would finally release him from torment. Useless, no matter if Mitsuko had assured him that he was of some use, he knew better. The Phoenix knew better.

Eventually, his thoughts caused Haru to curl in on himself again, although he did not cry. He couldn't squeeze out another tear if he wanted to, merely staring at the nearest wall as he didn't speak, legs trembling and fingers clenched into tight fists. The Seer didn't know what he was waiting for, or even if he was waiting for anything at all. He just... didn't know. When did he ever truly know? Tired. I'm tired...
 

805
Kanamori no Mitsuko
Vocab:

Theme: Kiki's delivery service - Umi no mieru machi piano
Their eyes met, her wavering ones and his matted. More like day and night than ever in the hopeful tremble of light that baulked against his barrier of night in hollow pupils. The world slowed down at the trembling tip of an inhale and resumed again in lids that broke the invisible bond between them. Mitsuko could feel the tension dissipate from her locked in place arms and shoulders- a soundless process of deflating against the door frame. For but a brief second had her face twitched with something akin to relief upon his words. The hint of a smile in the eyes that squinted off to the side. Then it had faltered once more, gaze tracing worriedly over the lines of quivering limbs that willed his figure off the floor.

Once more, she stiffed. Once more she clenched the basket against her chest until she could feel her thundering heartbeats resonate through it. Weaved sticks and obscured thorns embedding themselves against the back of her hand and ribs in a prickling sensation. His feet halted in front of her and Mitsuko met his eyes once more. Wondered if she should say something- "How's your leg?" "Are you feeling better?" "I'm sorry if I did something wrong- please don't leave me" when all and any words died on the tongue that pressed to the roof of her mouth.

"...Tired.."

Yes, of course, he was. The brunette exhaled against the door frame, air wrenching itself out of the lungs until nothing remained but pressure against her throat. A choking feeling that grew to numb all other senses in the sleeves that just barely brushed and the waft of jasmine that stroked her face. Awkward, everything was awkward. From the way, the floor creaked under her shifting weight in a whine to the uncertain cough that called her attention to the older lady. She should not have come back.

The thought was so quick, a passing conclusion in the flash of a lopsided grimace and yet. Yet it struck her hard in the aftermath of a telling tremor that screwed her lips into a purse and averted her gaze. She wanted to sink through the floor, bury herself in the ground six feet under this world that rejected her and never have to see daylight again. Instead, she had a bottle of oil pressed against her chest and the basket stolen in a quick sweep. Mitsuko blinked, owlishly at the oil bottle and then the woman. The old lady nodded tersely and rolled her lips together as she waited for Mitsuko to grab the bottle upon which she immediately grabbed the brunette's hips. Steered her around and towards the bedroom that she had been sharing with the man for two past days.

Mitsuko had no chance to protest or stop the lady as her feet slid over the floor in its hesitation to use force against the elderly. In the end, she stood there, an unmoving statue in front of the shoji doors that seemed cemented shut. The disbelief settled in and was replaced by fear and she finally turned around on her heel in a stuttering inhale. "W-Wait a second-" a bit too late, however, as the old lady yanked the shoji doors open and then pushed her stumbling over the threshold. The door dragged shut again before her nose before she had a chance to even utter 'Stop'.

The brunette shrunk in on herself where she had taken root in the floor. An invisible weight draped over hunched shoulders and a curving spine. Her hand clutched the bottle a little tighter and she breathed in. Gulped down the hesitation and spun around in a new braced neutral facade. "I'm going to try a treatment on your leg because we need to leave soon." Her voice sounded disingenuous even to herself in its forced flat tone. Mitsuko stepped forward, once then twice and then let her feet lead her all the way in a march. The way she hovered above the man looked a little rigid. Perhaps even a bit threatening in the mechanical feel to it as she crouched down and placed the bottle on the floor.

"I know you hate it when I touch you, so just scream or kick me when you've had enough." She paused, stony expression softening in a glance at Haru's face before she reached out towards the hem of his hakama. Pulled it up without a brush to his skin and staggered at the sight of the inflamed scar. Her brows knitted unconsciously and hung heavy above the eyes that grazed the wound in a regretful look. This was her fault, was it not? She had pushed him to take care of her even when she hurt him with her stunts and jokes. Always making him uncomfortable, always being a burden.

Mitsuko bit down on her lower lip and let a shaky finger ghost along the purple line that reminded her of her own inked skin. A tender gesture that juxtaposed her earlier forceful demeanour. Suddenly she looked quite unsure where she sat in front of the man. Quite pathetic in the way she hesitated to cross the line and pick up the pieces of her carefree facade. The brunette coated her hand in the oil and then slapped it onto the leg in all too hurried movement. Gaze quick to dart up to gauge Haru's response as she did and teeth clenched in anticipation.
 
The sound of the shoji abruptly sliding open had caught Haru's attention, forcing the man out of his drifting thoughts, a rigidness to his spine soon following as he hastily forced himself to sit up straight, eyes landing on Mitsuko. A sour taste settled upon his tongue, with the Phoenix's sinister whispers becoming more agitated with her presence much to his dismay. Shut up. The angry thought flared in his mind as Mitsuko had seemed... smaller, or as if she didn't want to be in the room herself. He couldn't much blame her, due to his rather unsettling display earlier and even now. When she had finally turned on her heel to face him, her words took a few seconds to register in his mind, which drew him back to a thought he would have expressed earlier: she had gotten into some trouble when he wasn't with her. His expression soured immediately, a bit of life beginning to spark behind previously apathetic features, a tint of a scowl of disapproval touching his lips... only for it to fade just as quickly as if he couldn't be bothered to lecture her. For what was the use?

Her movements unsettled him as she drew near, mechanical and stiff, with her towering above him it took perhaps all of his concentration to not allow himself to delve into panic. She was just going to treat his leg, it was as simple as that... even if he didn't want her touching him. Not a single second would pass where he wouldn't have his eyes on her, a certain wariness flaring to life in the rubies that followed her slow progress as she crouched before him, a slow tension settling within his body as his heart raced, perhaps not in anticipation but more likely being fear. Yes, he feared her, though it was no fault of her own. A trick of his scattered mind, beginning to drift between reality and fiction once more as he struggled to stay focused on her alone, reminding himself that this person was Mitsuko, his ally... for now. Paranoia settled within his fluttering heart as his eyes flashed to the oil bottle she had, visibly showing his displeasure with grasping the hem of his hakama by the daggers he was now glaring at her, despite not quite feeling himself, he didn't like the sudden familiarity she was using with him, even if it would be necessary.

His leg twitched involuntarily at the lightest touch, sucking in a sharp breath of agony as pain flared to life underneath the reddish-purple scar. It throbbed, it hurt... and yet he reasoned within his mind that he shouldn't complain, his eyes not daring to meet Mitsuko's as he watched her hand's movements... only for the pain to flare as her now oil-coated hand had slapped against the skin of the scar, causing a hiss of agony to rip Haru's mind fully away from the whisperings in his mind, "What the hell are you doing?!" Life thrummed in the now furious eyes that glared in unmasked hostility and agony at the woman in front of him. It was one thing to desire to help, but it was a whole other situation when she didn't seem to have the common sense to approach his injury with delicacy. A grunt of agony left past his clenched jaw, "Damn it.." His chest heaved, struggling to regain his composure as his leg only seemed to have increased in the trembling due to her less than stellar first approach, though the man did not strike her. No, even if he desired nothing more than to strangle her at this moment in time, at the least he was grateful for the rather painful distraction.

A few seconds had ticked by, prompting the Seer to finally relax his muscles that had coiled due to the pain, a heavy exhale leaving past his lips as he settled back against the wall, grumbling with irritation, "I can still feel... pain you.. idiot.." A huff of breath left him, though he wasn't discouraging her from continuing, eyes still not yet meeting her own although it had fallen back into one of his usual expressions: disapproving and irritated. However, the light that had previously flared to life in his moment of fury had now vanished, dead and empty eyes staring at nothingness. It was a tense silence that would follow his angry outburst, but eventually he'd spoken, "...I'm.. sorry. For earlier." The anger had vanished in his tone, a rare apology to leave the proud Seer's lips. His jaw clenched, teeth grinding against each other as he didn't think he could properly begin to explain what had happened, eventually settling on the awkward, "I just... wasn't feeling like myself. I didn't mean.. well I.." He hesitated, a moment of struggling had seized him to try and put together the scrambled pieces of his mind to formulate the sentences of his apology. How could he even begin? Did he even want to explain anything to her? Could he bear explaining everything? Or would he crack underneath the pressure?

Or would she even believe him?

Haru's arms crossed his chest, fingers clenching tightly into his ragged kimono as the darkness in his eyes only served to grow, his struggling becoming more present upon his face with agitated twitches that flared to life within his now drained appearance.
 

805
Kanamori no Mitsuko
Vocab:

Theme: 나무 - 카더가든
Haru's skin was hot under her palm, Mitsuko's hand was cold against his scar and the pain soared tingling through them both. A strange satisfaction settling in the fingers that anchored themselves to the Seer in his hurt and sudden surge of energy. Of personality- of him, the man whose nagging she had gotten used to. No more dismissive eyes that peered right through her but actually at her in their anger. A familiar look of bunched skin and twinkling ruby eyes. What the hell was she doing indeed. Mitsuko did not even know the answer herself but cocked an assured eyebrow anyway. "Was just checking." The words came out more snarky than she intended them. More of a sulking child than she believed herself to be. Was she sulking? The corner of her lips twitched at the revelation and rejected the notion in the lines that formed between her brows.

She could not be. Because how could she? He was suffering, clearly so. From both the stress she had inflicted on his bad leg and some other matter that she did not know. Another matter, she could not see as clearly as the inflamed scar in its flaring anger. Another matter she could not touch like how she let her fingers slide over the once open wound. Softly, tenderly as if she was mourning its existence. Wished she could wipe it off his canvas with her tips. Fingerprints like little pads of sandpaper that would shave the bad memories off and leave a new clean slate behind.

The man squirmed above her and Mitsuko flinched at the enunciation of an apology. Wondered if this was the first time he had ever apologised to her. Probably, she concluded. Observed his hesitation in renewed confidence fuelled by a strange relief. She felt her shoulders lift in their crouched state, rolled them back with a heavy release of breath and squeezed his leg as he trailed off. Watched the shadows consume the light in his eyes once more and pressed a little harder. Began to work her fingers over the invisible knots to release them and smooth over them. She could not erase the overpaints on her own but perhaps she could lay the groundwork for it. Loosen the false colours up in a dissolving touch to let the man himself wipe them away.

"I know." Her gaze flickered down to her hand. "-Or well I don't know but-" she admitted in the breath after and inhaled "-But I believe you". Because I wouldn't know what to do if you lied- the cinereous eyes looked up at the man once more through thick lashes. A look that said little more than 'I trust you' and little less than 'I trust myself to trust you'. Which was, all in all, a rather meaningless thing. Something that would not matter if the subject she directed it at did not believe it himself. The brunette chuckled inwardly as she found it all quite ironic really.

Relationships were a little like religion, you had to believe in them for them to be real and the moment you stopped- they did too. She had told him to believe in her, so she had to. As long as he showed the slightest sliver of hope, she would cling to it and chase for it. What was she even thinking? Mitsuko's hand worked itself up to his knee, slid under it to rake her nails softly along the calf.

"Does it have to do with what happened at the castle?" Her voice was unusually hoarse. Strained against the lump in her throat and to stay afloat over the uncertainty that lurched in her stomach "Did you see something back then?".
 
Divine Beast Vah Ruta (Dungeon) - Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild OST

Little grunts left his lips as he felt her fingers lightly dance along his wound, the scar flaring with agony with each touch, each light graze. It almost made him move his leg away, desiring for the discomfort to stop as in little squirms and slight flinches did the Seer show his discomfort, only resulting in a sharp sound of pain as she had squeezed his leg, drawing him from the darkness that beckoned and attempted to pull his head underneath again. "A-at least be a bit more gentle- ugh.." Another huff of pain as she had begun to work her fingers into the old injury, each stab of pain resulting in more exhales of agony, his leg trembling and protesting as if begging for him to make the pain stop. However, Haru had persisted, forcing himself to withstand the agony. This was nothing, he could take it... even if he certainly wasn't the happiest at this moment in time with her hands upon his skin. Even if he felt pain with her fingers pressing into his leg, the tingling sensation that he'd felt before with her had returned as her fingertips glided over heated skin. He hated it. He despised it.

Her response however, was not anticipated, causing the Seer's expression to look surprised and distract him from the uncomfortable tingling. She... believed in him? His lips pressed into a tight line, the lump forming in his throat feeling difficult to swallow past as he had released a sigh of relief that he didn't know that he was holding back. However, as he met her gaze, the message reflected there within her eyes had made such relief die slowly in his chest, to a single fragment that remained. Of course, such trust was only because they had each other at this moment in time. There was no one else to trust, no one else to attempt to put faith in. Not that he was expecting any differently, for it would be foolish for this woman to put her whole faith in one such as he, the man who had nearly left her to fend for herself... who had nearly abandoned her and hadn't spoken a single word to her about it. His lips pressed in a tight line, wondering if he had even a single fragment of trust in this woman... his feelings of course were complicated. On one hand, this woman had taken Mai-Jing from him, made him taste the bitter draught of failure, but on the other she had saved him when he had been spiraling out of control under the Phoenix's madness, took care of him, and had chased away his loneliness when Mai-Jing was no longer with him. The very same woman that claimed that she saw him as lonely, and that she was lonely as well.

This was the same woman who within her weak claim to become Empress once more, had then requested for him to stay at her side because she was afraid of the dark, that she didn't want to be alone. And she was the same woman he had pushed himself for to his limits, whether this was out of guilt for him nearly leaving her on her own or not.. he couldn't say. Did he look upon her in a positive light? ...He didn't know. The emotions flickering to life as he looked at her was hard to decipher, though he settled upon the fact that she reminded him so much of an unruly child that he couldn't abandon no matter how hard he tried, because it was his responsibility to watch her so she wouldn't get herself into trouble. Perhaps that was as far as his trust went for her, but whether he trusted her enough to not end up like the countless of traitors before his own lifetime... well, he didn't know if he would push it that far.

The tingling along his leg trailed through to his hip, though he now was finding the pain slightly more tolerable, his painful breaths earlier had eased as his mind pondered over the woman before him... only to feel her hand upon his knee, her nails against his calf. The surge of heat and panic that over took him was so utterly violent as the Phoenix recoiled within his own mind, causing flashes of memories to surge before his eyes. With inhuman speed, Haru's hand had moved, grabbing her wrist tightly with thin fingers, his crimson eyes wild and haunted as his breath was quick within his chest, almost as if he was trapped within a memory, the moment follow was tense... only for him to move her hand back and away from further progressing in its journey, his thin fingers trembling as he sucked in a sharp breath to draw him back into reality. A boundary having been placed again, even if she only had pure intentions he couldn't bring himself to dislodge the phantom feeling of many eyes upon him again, burning into his skin, their hands- Don't think about it.

Haru slowly released her hand from his surprisingly tight grip, settling back into passivity as he spoke, his tone tense, "Don't do that." Verbally expressing another boundary, only the knees down. The panic that flared in his eyes however wasn't normal, and the sweat that had made an appearance upon his pale skin reeked of terror, terror that was both his and not his. And then she asked, finally asked the question.

It made the Seer tense, his lips parting as they quivered, eyes feeling as if they were burning... only to close them as he chuckled, "...Did I see something? ..I can only answer with; when do I don't?" The bitterness that overtook his tone was unrestrained as he seemed... uncomfortable, vulnerable. This reflected in the depths of his eyes, the shadows of torment, of pain beginning to overtook them, "..I saw you die, before we got to the teahouse," He admitted that first truth, a slow and hesitant admission, "...And I was to die with you. When I had asked you, why did you desire to become empress, you... surprised me with your answer." The words slowly began to flow, unable to stop himself as the burden leaked from his lips, his nails biting into his arms, "You desired to survive. And so, when we went our separate ways that evening I determined I would do everything in my power to prevent that future, that I wouldn't fail. I couldn't fail. Not again."

"I spent... hours searching through the temples archives, for anything to save you. Anything at all, and when I thought there was nothing I could do... a voice spoke to me." His lips twitched up in a bitter smile, "The Phoenix, beckoned me to follow. That... statue, the golden statue of it, have you ever wondered what was behind it? Have you ever wondered...?" He trailed off, breath shuddering in his chest, trembling starting anew as his crimson eyes darkened further, as if all the life had been sucked out of it, phantom pain beginning to flare upon his skin, ripping at his body again as he nearly could remember the smell, the blood... so much blood, so many maggots. "There was a chamber coated with blood, and my... their... no, our eyes from previous lives I've lived were on display like trophies." He chuckled, a maddened sound leaving past his lips as his mind was being dragged back.

"And then, I whispered... we whispered... 'Thine eyes bear witness to thine forsaken past'..." His body trembled, "And oh... did I see... I saw everything, felt everything. Every broken heart, every wail, every cry for help! Everything! Everything!" His hands came to clutch at his head, tears that he didn't thought he had beginning to spring to his eyes, "Six thousand years... six thousand years of torment! Of pain! All my previous lives, all those Seers... every single one! Man, woman... it didn't matter, they tricked me every single damned time. M-my loved ones, my beloved..." He choked on a sob, hysteria within his eyes leaking a stream of agonized tears, "They all brought me to that damned chamber, time and time again to sacrifice me for the greater good! To use me for their pleasure, only to rip me apart! Do you know how it feels to be ripped apart! Fucked while you're bleeding out, trying to live, trying to breathe?! Bitten, torn, stabbed, every single part of you displayed for their eyes and no matter how much you cry for help, no one comes!"

His breath trembled in his chest, "...But... every time, no matter which life I relived... I could never bring myself to hate them. I love them... love them... love them..." Haru's lips trembled as he chuckled, a disgusting sound now to his own ears, tears streaming endlessly as he finally lifted his head, a heartbroken smile upon his face, "...My fate would have been the same. Mai-Jing.. she..." He trailed off, the horrid future that never came to pass had flared before his eyes as he lowered his eyes to the floor again, "She would have done the same. She's a monster, just like the rest... and she would have delighted in my agony, my torment..." His fingers clenched into tight fists as choked on his tears, "..And I can only ask myself... my previous lives, why? Was I not good enough? Did I not prove myself t-to be good enough? No matter what I did, no matter how hard I tried for them... all I got was this pain.. this agony.."

"..But, it doesn't matter, does it?" The question was whispered, his smile leaving his face as he struggled to hold back sobs, a broken and hunched over figure as he sucked in a sharp breath, "Divine flesh is all they desire, nothing more. Foresight is merely a bonus, for all mortals desire is to live forever... and I granted it so many times... such disgusting souls they are that I love so dearly.." He pushed his hands to his head then, body trembling from head to toe, bitterness swelling in his chest, reflecting his own hate and frustration, love and desire with the Phoenix he was as he whispered, "I don't know what I had seen in humanity to subject myself to this torment..." A bitterness, a hatred tinged those words as his crimson eyes filled with darkness had flickered with anguish, "What did I do? What did I do?" The mournful question passed his lips as his tears continued to flow, "I.. just wanted them.. to be happy..." All the traitors flickered in and out of his mind's eye, "I... just wanted them... t-to be loved... so why? Why do this to me?" The madness swelled, coiling around the cracks within his mind, the Phoenix's sinister whisper, her keening cry echoing in his mind with his words, "Why? Why? Why? Beloved? Dearest? Why betray me? Why do you hurt me? Why? I love you. I love you..."
 

805
Kanamori no Mitsuko
Vocab:

Theme: Toshifumi Hinata- Menuet
She moulded her hand to his goosebumps, tiny little bubbles on the surface of the canvas that validated her existence. That he felt her and saw her even if it was just through the incarnate. A raw kind of desire that Mitsuko undertook in a gulp and fixated eyes. Savoured the little twists of the impassivity on his face, the huffs and the gasps that were drawn under the tips of her fingers. If she dug deeper if she could go further would she be able to draw more than exclamations for air from those lips? Would she be able to reach under his skin and see the feelings that lingered underneath?

Her hand was halted in an iron grip, glassy skin and stirred eyes accompanying it. The pressure broke the brunette out of her daze, found her speechless in repeatedly parting and closing lips as her eyes blinked the daydreams away. Mitsuko straightened in her seat, whipped her focus back to the confessions that flowed one after another out of the man's mouth. Of the teahouse, of how he had seen her die, how they had died and his determination to not let it come to fruition. A maddening tale of secrets kept hidden by blinding riches and scriptures twisted to serve man's greed. She envisioned it in her mind, followed him through the shoji doors to the audience chamber where their reclined figures rested.

A carefree display of enjoying tea and playing games under the watchful eye of the golden statue behind. The statue itself rumbled to life by an invisible force that pushed it out of the way. Revealed a room of four walls like the inside of one's guts. Red and with eyeballs rolling through, stacked on one another in a tower that was razed by Haru's trembling fists. The strings of red refracting into the former empress on the stairs once again. An eerily smiling marionette that began to fall apart the joints, threads spilling out from her fingers to the Seer rocking in his misery.

And even though it was disgusting, even though her heart clenched at the sight of the man, no the boy, in such disarray she could not condemn it. Not in the muscles that tightened in her face nor in the eyes that finally broke away to regard a hole in the floor. Because what had she not done to ensure her own survival? Had she not lied? Betrayed and cheated? Killed and tortured? Had she not rejoiced in his pain earlier? Even if it was just to feel seen. Her hand started trembling along with the Seer and Mitsuko found herself wondering if it was reverberations of his pain. His suffering that made her stomach lurch and his brittle voice that ran shrill in the air that resounded through her head in a low pounding.

Her skin crawled and prickled imperceptibly over the surfaces of contact. Echoed in shivers up her arm that told her to let go. Filthy. Filthy. She was filthy. How far would she have gone- what would she not have done to be good enough? Ah, the scene from the morning replayed in her head. The one of Haru's terrified expression that had overlapped with Hayate's. Mitsuko held on to the leg, albeit below his knee as requested. A simple gesture that earned a sneer from the woman as she tried to find the right words to console him. To tell him that she was not one of them.

Silence. Stunted and unchanging in its frozen season of budding flowers. They would never blossom to their full potential but neither would they wither. What a comfortable place. So untethered by expectations. She closed her eyes and her younger self appeared. Always running, always chasing after the contours of a back that would never turn to face her. The realisation hit her that they were like her and so her lips moved to mouth the words she had never known.

"It wasn't your fault." Her hand released from the leg to uncertainly wrap around his shoulder. Snake around towards his back as she rose on her knees and pressed him against her from the side. Mitsuko swallowed hard and offered her chest for him to lean his head on. "Whatever they did, it wasn't your fault." Her voice lowered to a rumble and a whisper, emotions betrayed by the quivers of her hitching breath "You're a good child and I'm sorry they didn't see that. Sorry that I didn't understand sooner. I'm here now. I'll listen to you, protect you".

Maybe he should have kicked her off when he had the chance. Maybe he should have grasped for her throat, fingers pressing into her skin, crushing her pharynx and larynx alike as she wheezed. Perhaps that was what she had wanted. Ah, she was such an idiot. Such an undeserving, selfish idiot. Sorry, I'm so sorry.
 
Last edited:
Emotion (Pokemon Black & White) Remix - Mewmore

Haru was frozen in his suffering, the agony, the pain. It overflowed, consuming his mind, overflowing through cracks within his heart - his soul. It burned, ached and brought nothing with it but never ending sorrow, weeping with agony as the betrayers would never give heed to his pain. Destined to be sacrificed, destined to be thrown away, undeserving on humanity that the Phoenix loved with all of its heart. Such compassion had been taken advantage of, such empathy had been twisted until nothing remained but a broken husk, begging for the warmth of love, the warmth of a spring that would never come, or a winter that would bury the body forever to never be touched again. The madness, swirling and swelling, building within his chest and spilling out in broken sobs past his lips, he could no longer contain it no matter how much he desired to. Through his river of tears, he could not properly see Mitsuko, only feel where her now trembling hand had rested upon his leg... and then it moved.

This caused him to tense, body quivering in shock as her touch traveled to a thin, quivering shoulder that almost ripped away from her touch, her warmth. His mind, drifting between reality and the past had anticipated a painful tearing, one that would come with nails biting into flesh, ripping away at the thin outer layer of skin to make him suffer, to make him bleed. But, before he could react, she had assured him, although uncertain whether her words were lies or not - that it wasn't his fault. His sobbing, quivering breaths had caught in his chest, stilled in his throat as disbelief filled his heart, his head resting upon her chest as she offered it to him. When... had been the last time he'd been held so tenderly? A brief memory of Honomi, his dearest mother had only done so in his early childhood, a comforting time. His tears flowed afresh, sobs settling within his throat as he tried at first to cover his mouth to prevent himself from crying more, though Mitsuko's warmth and her words, betraying her own emotions had fully made the man surrender to her comforting embrace.

"Beloved... beloved..." Anguished, and hopeful words echoed within his ears, shifting within her grasp as the man's arms wrapped around her tightly as if she were a lifeline. His thin body pressed tightly against her own, drawing her as close as he could as her warmth burned him... and he cried. His anguish, his sorrow flowed from him as his fingers clutched at her back, digging into the fabric as if terrified she would leave, that if he would let go, she would vanish and leave him alone. He didn't wish to be alone, not right now. Not when she had spoken kind words that he'd never thought he would have wanted to hear for so very, very long. Though, it did not spark hope within him, it had allowed the man some relief of the pressure, the torment. The fact that someone finally knew, that he wasn't alone in his cursed knowledge, that he was being comforted like the scared child he actually was... it did more for him than he thought possible.

"..Liar..." He whimpered, sniffling through his tears as he held tightly to her, a weak accusation in the midst of his drowning, his anguish. How could he believe her? Six thousand years of torment told him otherwise, that he was setting himself up to be thrown away, to be beaten and broken. "...L-liar.." He whimpered again as his head head yet to move, his breathing shaking and quivering in his chest as he struggled to slow his breathing, calm his racing heart. And yet, one part of him dared... maybe this wasn't a lie? She'll protect him? She'll listen to him? For how long? How long would her loyalty last? The woman that he felt nothing but confusing emotions toward, the woman that he was convinced she was lying to him to make him feel better... why should he trust her, his unlikely companion? After she'd thrown him into the downward slide to led him to his inevitable awakening to his torment, after she had taken the monster away from him... how could he trust her?

"...Even if it is a lie... I want to believe it... I want to believe you..." The words slipped past his lips before he could put much thought to it. How odd they were indeed, if he wasn't currently sinking in his sorrows, he would have been embarrassed, pushed her away, perhaps even would have kicked her earlier for her boldness. But now, when his mind was still vulnerable, when he was still allowing her to see the emotions he was holding so tightly within him... he would allow her to see this wretched side of himself. A final witness, the only one left to show his pain to. He whispered quietly, "One... final time..." A declaration to himself, and the ancient beast residing inside of his body. One final time he would give humanity a chance, one final time before he was allow himself to fully allow the darkness to sink into him, drown him and take him. Hold on, one more time. One last time, for six thousand years was too much.

As his heartbeat slowed, breathing slowing to a normal pattern, tears halting as he sniffed, fingers unlatching from her kimono, his heart aching but feeling slightly lighter within his chest; even though his eyes were quite puffy and reddened from all the crying he'd been doing as he finally allowed himself to tear away from the embrace, grimacing at the pain now settling within his eyes. It ached, and it was quite frankly an annoying pain as he turned away from her, using the sleeves of his kimono to brush hastily at the tear streaks upon his reddened face, pulling himself together to close the opening gaps. The moment they shared was over, Haru wanted it to be so, for they didn't have the luxury of lingering. Their destination awaited them, and his pain no matter how great would need to be pushed aside.

"T-this never happened." His voice was firm, though raw from sobbing as his eyes finally turned to face her, even if his expression was showing signs of vulnerability, the man was now beginning to feel embarrassment and shame. Shame that he actually cried in the arms of this woman, the woman he knew not how to properly deal with. The same woman he thought of as an unruly child. He lowered his gaze to the floor, an exhausted sigh leaving his lips as he shook his head in exasperation, grunting as his pained leg brought his attention back to it. Yes, this moment would be forgotten in this room, buried in the deep recesses of his heart to never be brought up again. He would not permit her to draw close to him again, he would not allow her to embrace him again for their relationship would be distant as allies, as it was supposed to be. As it should be. However, his mind chastised him, desiring for more of her comfort, more of her touch. It soothed him, made him feel just the slightest bit warm... but it shouldn't have happened, and he wouldn't allow it to occur again.

His crimson eyes, although reddened and puffy had shifted to Mitsuko's arm, the one that had remained limp, the one that he'd noticed but never had tried to talk to her about, to show concern. He hesitated, visibly seeming to struggle for a few seconds before he finally gave in, crawling a bit closer to Mitsuko as he hesitantly reached out and touched the limp arm, "Is.. your arm still..?" His question trailed off, shifting to meet her gaze as he was now quite closer to her once more. Although he assured himself that thinking of his companion's physical health was necessary, that it was a normal thing to do after she'd spent so much time to attend to his woes; perhaps he was just in his own roundabout way attempting to return the favor. A bit of life restored to a broken shell, his eyes now focused solely upon her once more, the ruby eyes questioning as he gazed into hers, "..Is it still not well?" The second question came a bit quieter, a bit more somber. From the closeness between them where he currently was, he could slightly feel her breath upon his skin, though perhaps this was agitated due to the dampness of all the tears he'd shed. Of course, the Seer had only her physical wellbeing in mind, if they were to travel, he wanted to know if there was anything holding her back.

The journey was the only thing on his mind aside from the mental scars he bore, and perhaps he was being a bit more innocent in that aspect as his unusual proximity to her wasn't normal, not with the usual disdain he would treat her with. His eyebrows furrowed as his gaze shifted back down to the arm in question, his touch hesitant upon it as he was questioning if he could spare a bit more of his strength to her, even if he was quite frankly dangerously low on such spiritual strength.
 

805
Kanamori no Mitsuko
Vocab:

Theme: Mitsukiyo ost- A place to rest
In her arms, the divine god and the proud Seer crumbled. In his arms she let her muscles sag and become loose. The crevices between them melding together in flesh pressed against flesh that felt every ounce of each other. It was the embrace of a cocoon, butterflies lulled back into the safety of walls that protected them from the outside. A vortex in the space of life, emotions etherized in the whimpers and words that bled out in soft duvet over her black hole. Mitsuko swallowed it all, gulped it down in the arm that held him securely and savoured it in the fingertips that squeezed his shoulder.

It felt so natural to give in to this desire. To rekindle the weak accusations with a soft smile of her own, not unlike a mother that feigned ignorance. Ignorance for her own weariness in the face of her daughter's timid gaze. Her mother's hands descended on her eyes once more, lids heavier than before as she allowed them to seal up the remaining emotions. Trembles and oscillations of her breaths alike ebbing out in a soft rhythm against the boy and a cradle that lingered just long enough. Enough to distract her from the emptiness inside but not enough to echo it. Any and all desires once again under the wraps of an enigmatic quirk on her lips.

They untangled and Mitsuko let it happen, watched him pick up the loose threads in the bracing of a new facade. A familiar sight and one she found herself replicating. "Aye aye sir," Her hand twitched in an urge to ruffle his head, cement his status as the younger one but something at the back of her head told her not to. A faint memory of another boundary that had been drawn, so she refrained. Instead watched him approach her arm in the slightest of a curious arch to her brow.

How careful he was, how obvious he was in deflecting the conversation from his own woes. Or was that her? The figure that observed him impassively in half-lidded cinereous eyes that averted from his sentiment. The warmth of his touch lost to the beginning of her petrification in withered muscles and unresponsive nerves. "I suppose so," She was toneless in the face of her injury, a strange kind of apathy that translated to the hand that covered Haru's on her arm and removed it. "My guess would be that some nerves have been damaged thus the state," Mitsuko dipped her gaze to the unmoving fingers, trying to will them into motion to no avail.

It had been pushed to the back of her mind until now, secondary to whatever took place with the Seer. Injuries were to her, a normal occurrence. Something to be expected in her line of service and the pain something she had gotten used to. She looked to the ceiling, a flicker of thoughtfulness on her face in pursed lips. "-Well, it isn't a big deal really," Mitsuko rose to her feet, perhaps in an attempt to distance herself from the Seer's sympathy. She shrugged lopsidedly and the swords dangled on her waist "I'm ambidextrous anyway so it won't hinder me".

Yes, even if it proved to be permanent she would overcome it. Like always. As long as she could still walk, as long as she could still swing her sword it was all perfectly fine. Her hand trailed to the hairpin on her head, its soft glow reassuring her in a flash of a smirk. "Oh!" The brunette suddenly exclaimed and marched off for the doors "Wait here, I got something". She made her exit, strolled leisurely off into the house and back to the room where the old lady had been. As expected and maybe unexpected she had remained there, washing the remaining beets.

The dark eyes greeted her silently, gaze darting from her relaxed expression to the swords. Ah, Mitsuko moved consciously to cover them up. A sudden strain of worry appearing in a frown. If the people of the town had heard of the commotion at the castle then it would be foolish to assume that their hosts had not. She gulped, uncertain whether to make an excuse or await the lady's response first. To her surprise, however, the elderly woman merely smiled and went to fetch the basket from wherever she had stored it away. Perhaps she was still reminded of the story, the peasant and the noblewoman for there was something sombre in the way she handed her the basket.

Her words of 'a future full of hardships' ringing more true than ever in the silence between them. Where they stood though, they seemed to be beyond words. The looks exchanged telling both all they needed to know. "Allow us to provide you two dinner one last time before you leave," Their hands grazed as Mitsuko took hold of the basket and she nodded obediently. The warm fuzzy feeling that filled her, spreading to stretch her smile further into a toothy beam "Yeah, thank you".

The brunette returned to their shared room in glee, plopped down beside the Seer as she presented the basket in front. "They didn't have anything else on hand when I asked to take them with me but-" She scoffed at the memory of the server's regretful charades. When she opened the basket there was a treasure to be discovered, however, in the form of mochis. "Nostalgic is it not? Well, we are missing the comfort of the teahouse but it will be kinda hard to go into the village now," Mitsuko picked up one of the mochis in her hand and held it up to Haru "-Cheers". Back to her image of an unruly child, grin always at hand and eyes twinkling through the dusting of grime.
 
Home - Undertale OST
Ancient Shackles (Pandaemonium Boss Theme) - FFXIV OST [second half of the post c: ]

Haru frowned at her response, a flash of worry beginning to flow across previously tumultuous eyes as his hand was removed and she soon would rise to her feet, putting a distance that he would allow between them as to dislodge himself from attempting to further worry himself over her arm. He opened his lips to protest, to say that it wasn't alright for her to simply leave it be, that he could help, that he... thought he could help her rather. But, before he could bother, he stopped himself allowing himself to release yet another sigh, although this time tinged with annoyance. "If you insist." A bit displeased, but he couldn't help but cast another lingering glance at the limp arm, his frown ever present upon his face though he settled back in a more comfortable position, his hands resting upon his lap only to raise an eyebrow at her sudden exclamation. She got something? This made Haru's eyes dropped to her hip as she had turned to leave, taking note of the newly acquired weapons which he gave a silent bit of approval, though as she disappeared from sight the man dropped his gaze back to the floor, primarily his leg as he cautiously rolled the hakama's hem back down to conceal the old wound, though it still ached and certainly had been agitated by Mitsuko's less than gentle touches earlier, at the very least he was appreciative of her good intentions.

His ears picked up the muffled sound of voices, though he could not hear what they were saying from his position within the room, he only knew it was Mitsuko conversing with the old woman. Strange how he found the sound of Mitsuko's voice in particular to be less grating upon his own ears, causing the man to roll his eyes. Any annoyance he'd fostered toward her had resurfaced, replacing the softer and kinder emotions that was attempting to wiggle its way to grab his attention as he crossed his arms, mind flowing back to her appearance. He wasn't foolish enough to discard the fact that she had gotten herself into trouble, and now his mind was fretfully going through the many possibilities that she could have done, his clearer mind beginning to grow more and more annoyed as he put a hand to his head, a familiar stress line beginning to appear between furrowed brows as perhaps his imagination was worsening the possibilities a bit too much than what she'd actually done - which was bad enough on its own - but he had no idea until she had opened the shoji once more, his eyes settling upon the suspicious basket she had under her arm and watched her progress with wary eyes as she plopped down on the floor near him.

As she revealed the basket full of mochi, a frown was quick to follow as he moodily turned his glare upon the grinning face across from him, covered in dirt and mischief sparkling within her eyes. Her words did little to calm him as he hissed then, unable to stop himself from the beginnings of his nagging, certainly back to his old self. "What did you do out there anyways? 'Kind of hard to go back into the village now'... damn it, the one time I take my eyes off of you and you manage to get yourself into trouble." He heaved an angry breath, a scowl fully crossing his now livid features, "You're not a child, Mitsuko, I shouldn't have to supervise you, especially considering... never mind. I'm probably wasting my breath anyways." An angry click of teeth had followed, irritated despite the mochi being given as an offering, clearly the Seer being annoyed would be a given, but a more reasonable side to him had caused the man to reluctantly relax a bit, grumbling a few more complaints under his breath as he begrudgingly picked up a mochi and began to hesitantly eat it, a fault of his empty stomach otherwise the man would have stubbornly refused out of his own anger.

Regardless of his annoyance that had overtaken him, the memories of the teahouse seemed so distant to him now that it almost felt as if it were a dream, faded away. The first time he had a true conversation with Mitsuko, where he learned slightly more about her, and she about him. It wasn't a bad memory, far from it, but the negative memories had overshadowed the simplicity of that moment, and his mind had focused on the stress he'd held fretting about the horrid future he had seen rather than the pleasant feeling of her companionship that he was being forced to allow now. Gradually, Haru's tense features had relaxed with each bite of the mochi, soothed by the taste on his tongue and allowing his high strung emotions to ebb and settle into calm. But, even as calm as he was, the man had shifted his gaze a few times to Mitsuko's face, each glance becoming slightly more annoyed than the last only for him to eventually say, "You really should clean the dirt off your face, you look ridiculous."
...​
Deep within the earth underneath the Jade palace, beneath the golden statue of the Phoenix, beneath the gilded halls of nobility and the ignorant masses, rage as hot as molten lava surged from the heart of the white-robed man. Ten days and still there was no word of their runaway Phoenix or the fool that had ripped him from their grasp. Incompetent fools, all of them. He breathed in the smell of jasmine incense, the cloying perfume masking the smell of fresh blood as his eyes shifted over the chanting souls before him, an open casket burning before ancient bones which hummed in the pitch black darkness of power that had not yet left the empty husk half buried within ancient caverns. The ancient beast's skull in particular glowed with a gold hue, miasma flowing from the cracks within the massive skull as it flowed, guided by the chanting priests to the casket which was quickly becoming consumed by vibrant flames turning gradually gold with the directed flow. The jasmine incense was becoming overpowering as the waves of miasma intensified, flowing past Eizan's face grimly set as the howling would follow, ripping at his robes, cutting at his skin as the chanting of the priests had reached a crescendo; an ancient tongue that had been lost to time flowing free from rapidly moving lips, arms raised upward, open wounds flowing down flayed and damaged arms, beseeching the dead ancient for the little power it had left clinging to a body bereft of soul, of life.

The heat was unbearable, the ancient cavern's floor trembling underneath Eizan's feet as he slowly approached the ritual circle, his hand reaching within the heavy press of a pouch hidden within his robes, calloused fingers curling around the pouch in question; graveyard soil, mixed with rotten, broken flesh. As the chanting rang within his ears, the man had closed his eyes for a single second, feeling the blessed Phoenix's energies that still thrived within him beginning to flow into the pouch; sparing parts and pieces of precious divinity that he would never reclaim. But, with this option, he was certain he'll receive all that he'd lost and more - a willing tradeoff. Certainty in his movements, the man then tossed the pouch into the burning casket's flames as he could almost hear a cry upon the blistering winds, and yet as soon as the pouch had burned, as soon as the miasma had flowed into the fires... everything had stopped.

Sounds of the chanting abruptly halted, the priest's as if cords had been cut to their living bodies had slumped to the floor, and he could see; their souls being ripped from the confines of willing servants flowing into the closed casket that now the outside had been blackened, singed beyond repair, beyond recognition. The body within had received its first taste of souls, a beckoning to the world of the living. Eizan slowly approached the casket, dark eyes sparking with some hope as his voice now rang out in the darkness of the ancient cavern, "Will you not arise? Arise to serve, arise to fulfill your purpose?" His questions seemed to receive no response from the still closed casket... until he heard a rattling, a scratching like nails against the burned surface. A twisted, slow smile crossed his previously hopeful face as his hands, without hesitation had broken away the brittle, burnt wood to reveal the naked, clay body that had been hidden lovingly crafted by willing servants, more specifically her willing servants, handmaidens who had attended to her when she still held life in her body, her human body that had been discarded and casted out as useless until Eizan could once again see her usefulness, a pawn to use to get back his rightful feast. A woman that mirrored him in every behavior, a woman that truly chased after his own heart. Useful and willing to fulfill her role, even when he had prematurely cast her aside for another pawn that had caught his attention - until she had bit his hand and took what was rightfully his away from him.

The clay body stirred, the woman's eyes opening slowly as the souls stirred within the hollow body, prompting the puppet to rise, face only showing apathy as her hands reached out, clutching at Eizan's robes. The man's hand had moved to lightly brush again the waves of dark brown hair, threaded between his fingers as the souls were slowly bestowing upon the clay body a mere mockery of the woman she had once been, as soft as ever as her clay chest had begun to stir in the beginnings of breathing as her head shifted up to look at Eizan, "Welcome back, you have another duty you must fulfill. One that I'm sure you will enjoy." There was a flash of excitement that flowed in the apathetic face at his words, a grin crossing Eizan's in return, "Yes, yes. Your beloved pet had escaped," He paused as her fingers clenched into his robes, shaking with anger, a possessiveness that he'd encouraged in her when she was still living, a hunger that he fanned the flames of for so very long, carefully crafting the perfect mirror image of himself.

"Now, now. It is your duty to bring him back... alive, I care not how you go about treating him, or even if he's a little bruised. As long as he clings to life, just enough so we can feast, you may do as you wish. Enjoy yourself, and allow me to remedy my mistake through this offer." The clay face twitched, smile slowly growing upon twitching lips slowly regaining color, clay surface becoming skin and filling with the deceased beast's warmth as joy overtook a gentle face that beamed up at Eizan, agreeing in silence, wholeheartedly to his offer. A monster that was too eager to sink a drooling mouth into unaware prey, which reflected in the smile that Eizan now returned to his daughter, one of many of his progeny, one he'd thrown away in a miscalculated bid. One who he was to throw upon the Phoenix's trail to draw the wayward beast back, an all too obvious bait that he knew would work. Three years of devotion would not simply be cast away, this was what he was now bidding on, for the Phoenix could be manipulated, the beast relying far too much on its soft heart to whoever it chose as its object of affection. And Haru he knew was deeply in love with this monster he'd created, this monster that desired nothing more than to break the naive boy into little pieces.

"Good girl, my adorable Mai-Jing." He cooed, his fingers sliding to the sides of her warm face, her brown eyes still sparkling with her excitement as she struggled to speak, coming out in small indistinct sounds until finally she whispered, "...I'll... delight... in his... pain.. it was the one.. thing I wanted..." Eizan patted her head, the young woman's gentle face further softening under his light and gentle touch, "Very good. You've not forgotten your desires." I was counting on that more than anything, it would not do if I had a blank slate. He'll surely be lured back, surely. A tinge of his fear he had swallowed down had threatened to rise again, coiling within the man's chest as if to draw him to face the slow aging process that was beginning to become undone with each passing day. Time was not on his side, days without finding the Phoenix was not acceptable, could not be tolerated. Not now, not ever.
 

805
Kanamori no Mitsuko
Vocab:

Theme: Kamisama Hajimemashite ost -Shinji to Bengaku... Nisoku no Waraji
She was losing focus. Becoming someone unlike herself. Or was she merely just reverting to what she had always been? Loneliness scared her, being without purpose as well. But what scared her more was the strange desires that had stirred up in her since the beginning of this journey. Or had they been there all along? He was an irregularity for sure, had always been. That was also what made him dangerous. Mitsuko recalled the memory of her mother and took a deep breath.

She observed the man banter in both speech and movements. The little twitches of annoyance a childish dance that she led in chuckles. She would prod him and he would react, she would yank his hand and he would follow stumbling after her. A spin here and a dip there, sometimes active in her vocal initiation and sometimes inactive- just let her body language work. It was comfortable, predictable even. Perhaps to a fault in the way, Mitsuko's ashen eyes drifted to his hand and unconsciously clasped her own around the limp arm. "Well- what can I say, if people want to make life difficult for you, they will. I was merely reacting to it," She shrugged, a hint of a grin dangling off her lips. The expression expelled in the next mochi she stuffed inside her mouth.

The brunette silently began to plan out their journey in her head as the man sulked. She would have to take his injury into consideration for how much ground they would be able to cover. Not to mention the horse was also a factor in that. Mitsuko stroked her chin absentmindedly as she recalled its peculiar personality and penchant for trouble. Not much unlike herself. A charming trait indeed but that could prove troublesome if the stallion suddenly decided to take them hostage in the middle of a clash with their pursuers. She snorted, thought that maybe the Seer had been right in abandoning it. Or maybe he had just simply forgotten?

She peeped a glance at his features, in disarray after his breakdowns and similar to a maiden that had just lost her virginity in his rosy accents. Puffy eyes and swollen lips the telltale signs of a woman's disappointment in the arrangement. Now that she thought about it the Seer was yet a virgin was he not? Mitsuko sprawled herself out on the floor on her back and screwed her face into a comically sad display of downturned lips and knitted brows. "How tragic..." She pushed out a sob and turned her back towards the Seer. Would this man ever learn how to please a woman? Or would he become just another reprobate soul? His nagging did not exactly help his cause. How lucky he was that he had someone willing to help him out.

"I will clean it after this," She rolled around, suddenly all exposed canines "-But you are right, I'm not a child. I'm a woman". "-And if you're not inclined otherwise is it not in your best interest to try to please me? I can not imagine that anyone else would bear with your mean comments," Mitsuko threw her arm over her eyes in a distraught moan "How else will you learn to find a partner? Indeed, I am gracious in my mercy". From closed eyes flashed a one-eyed smile "With that said I am also gracious in my hospitality. Since you insist that I clean myself, why don't you join me? I heard from the old lady that they have a nice bathtub ~".

In truth, Mitsuko quite liked the smell of the grime. It had the scent of nature, a musky comforting scent of dirt and wood and strangely leather. It smelled like...home. Like the thick forest that surrounded the mansion and the earth after a downpour. Water drawing new rivers over the landscape from the slopes of the mountains. The north. She shut her eyes once more. Would they hear about this? Her failed attempt at becoming Empress? A lump started to form in her throat and she pushed the thoughts out of her head.

Tomorrow they would leave for West again. The brunette propped herself up on her hand and rose to her feet. Popped any stiff joints in a quick roll of her head. "So- you coming?" Mitsuko smirked over her shoulder and pouted "Or do I have to go alone?". Haru was probably ready to take back the statement about her not being a child.
 
Kairiki Doujo - Kantanagatari OST

An eyebrow quirked questioningly at Mitsuko's rather comical facial expression, followed by the mock sob which made for more irritation to flare in the Seer's chest as he released an annoyed sigh, a twitching of an eye showing his displeasure as he spoke in a scathing, irritated tone after she'd spoken, "Whatever you're thinking, I'd rather you'd stop now while you're ahead." After all, knowing her it's nothing good. He didn't even want to entertain whatever thought had crossed Mitsuko's mind in her rather overexaggerated reactions to the man merely sitting eating mochi, and if he did know, Haru would have promptly given her a well deserved punch for her uncouth and inappropriate thoughts. He was the Seer after all, one of the sacred beasts by extension, to think of him as a mere mortal man even if he didn't mind it, was also at the same time quite insulting.

His eyes dropped to the mochi, picking up another after he'd neatly finished his first, putting the mochi to his lips about to take another clean bite, only for Mitsuko's sentence to make the Seer roll his eyes, hand dropping immediately to his lap. "Please you? Why the hell should I please someone that acts like you?" Another annoyed quip, but not quite as biting as his other ones. Of course, he rolled his eyes again as she had spoken about his mean comments, retorting just as quick, "They are well deserved for someone such as you. I can conduct myself just fine in other company, you however," He scowled, embarrassment causing him to turn his head from her, "You are an oddity, someone that I had the misfortune of being associated with. Truly, fate seems to be trying to torment me." He didn't truly think too bad of her at this moment in time, finding her tolerable and slightly more trustworthy than he had seen of her before, but it didn't mean that his ill tempered quips would cease. Mitsuko always brought such an irritated and yet more spirited side to him.

Of course with her comment about him finding a partner, this made Haru shake his head in annoyance at her, "Do you not know that I swore an oath? There is no one else in this world that I can possibly be interested in, your mercy is not needed little sun. That being said- what?" He broke off, the latter half of her sentence only drawing an expression of absolute disbelief as he ran the sentence over and over in his mind, resulting in his face that had been annoyed falling into apathy as he took a moment to process it, process it again, and run it through over and over to be certain of her words. Eventually, Haru's face tinged with pink, the pink splotches coming across his cheeks as the man had glared at her, the light to his eyes unamused with her antics.

"I would say I'm surprised at your conduct, but at this point I would have to expect your inappropriate behavior," Haru had turned to begin to nibble again at the mochi in his hand, seemingly unaffected by her behavior. After all, he'd been tormented by her earlier and had seen enough of her that as long as she was fully clothed before him, getting a genuine reaction from him wouldn't be easy. Plus, with his all too recent breakdown to keep in mind, Haru's emotions felt subdued and quite frankly he was exhausted. At her offer in having him come along, or her having to go alone, the Seer sighed, his shoulders slumping as he pinched the bridge of his nose as he struggled to contain himself from having to yell at her. It's not worth the trouble. It's what she wants anyways.

This resulted in Haru finally shifting his head to look at her pouting face from where he sat on the floor, smiling although the smile was icy, "You really are like an annoying child, aren't you?" The crimson depths of his eyes sparked with his irritation as he forced himself to remain as serene as possible, "Do you need someone to accompany you to bathe? My, my, I thought you were a grown woman?" His smile faded, slowly dipping into a scowl, the heat of anger flowing through his veins, "There's a limit to how much of a fool you can be. Do not forget, I am still a man, a man who doesn't. like. you." He added emphasis on his last words, allowing the words to hang in the air between them only to turn his head and waved his hand dismissively at her, feeling a bit pleased with himself to cover his racing heart and distracting thoughts within the back of his mind.

"Your unwanted advances are not appreciated. Please, get that through your thick skull already." He huffed in irritation, after all he certainly didn't desire to see her bare flesh! Not at all! Not someone as devoted to another as he, certainly! Certainly... Stop thinking. Haru suspiciously had turned away from Mitsuko then, his back facing her as he could feel his face beginning to flow with heat, once more waving his hand dismissively at the woman as if to tell her to hurry up and leave him in peace, but if one could look at his face, the man's pale skin had been ignited a vibrant crimson, a quickness to his breathing as his heart was pounding, imagination running wild much to his dismay. Please, stop thinking! Damn that woman! So quick to bounce between his previous gentler mood to her, only to turn and snap at her in the next, and now was trying to quickly bury these disgustingly lewd thoughts in his mind. He did not desire Mitsuko, not in the slightest! His heart only belonged to Mai-Jing, and she would be the only woman he would allow to-

Stop t-thinking! Ah, now his mind was filled with nothing but Mai-Jing. Had he been so suppressed for so long? Was he as depraved as... her? No! He refused, he would not allow himself to be pulled along in the depths of filth that Mitsuko insisted on spewing. Keep it together Haru. Recite the ancient rites again, where was I the last time..? Ah, yes verse 314...
 

805
Kanamori no Mitsuko
Vocab:

Theme: Isle of Songs- Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword OST
Mitsuko rolled her eyes at his retort to her claim of being a grown woman. The words touché resting in the quick bump of brows and the hand she propped on her waist. "If you don't like me, there should be no problem right?" The brunette leaned down to try and sneak a peek at his obscured face "Or are you saying that you 'might' lose control regardless?". She chuckled at the vision of the man trying to assert dominance or act seductive. While it was a fun scenario to imagine, it was not very likely to happen. As it seemed that Haru had sworn himself off all and any pleasure. Which also begged the question if he also refrained from self-pleasure.

The thought crossed her mind in a curious pout and a low hum. As it were that she was already on her way, however, Mitsuko settled with a last quip and wink as she took off her swords, put them to rest against the wall. "Don't worry I get it. I'm a woman that's hard to resist," She threw her head back and waltzed for the shoji doors "Well, off I go then lettuce. Don't miss me too much".

Intent on not letting the man get the last word she quickly made her exit and shut the shoji doors behind her. A soundless sigh that had been lying in wait for quite some time now the full stop to the jovial attitude. Mitsuko dropped her shoulders and face in one swoop and returned to the old lady to inform her of her plans. With a cloth in hand and a fresh white kimono, she stepped into the supposed bathroom. A small shack that had been added to the house's original structure.

The floor was made out of stone, little pebbles that formed a pattern akin to a puzzle and that stretched halfway up the walls. Above knee level, the stone walls transitioned into wood and the wood, in turn, culminated in one big gridded window at the furthest end. The soaking tub right below it in its steaming glory. This lady, Mitsuko snorted at the preparations that had been made for her. Expression, nonetheless, tender as she undressed and sat down on the footstool. She grabbed a bristled brush and dipped it in the bucket beside her, started to brush off the dirt and mirth from the day's adventures.

Bit by bit she felt her muscles relax, the exhaustion finally settling in a slumped posture. "I don't even remember my own mother doing something like this..." The brunette cracked a lacklustre smile over the realisation and dumped the bucket over herself in a stream of ice. Mitsuko shuddered violently at the sudden temperature change and quickly tiptoed to the tub to submerge herself in it. The warm water enclosed her body and spilt over the brim as her weight pushed it up. Waves soon stilled in her lack of movements and a peaceful hum.

Leave tomorrow, she repeated in her head. Would the pursuers know they had been here? Mitsuko heaved a sigh and turned her gaze to the window that displayed the quickly darkening sky. Not unlike the blushes that spread across her own skin in reaction to the heat. She sunk deeper into the water but let her nose hover above the surface. Her thoughts drifted to the familiar face of her childhood friend. Hayate...was he okay? What would happen to him now that he was alone at court? Would they come for revenge? Finish him off as she had failed to? Mitsuko reached up to touch the hairpin, eyes narrowing as she did. "Betrayal huh..." Her lips twitched in their sombre disposition and her frown weighed grave over half-lidded eyes.

She could not compare herself to them. Mitsuko tugged the hairpin out of her hair and let it fall freely. Earthen hues reminiscent of nature itself, death and life weaved into her visuals in the saying from ashes to ashes and dust to dust. The woman who had never been allowed to be a girl curled up in the water, her reflection a fragile picture of trembling lips.

The silence was heavy. Don't think. Her head dipped under the warm surface.

After the bath, she was given a more plain kimono to wear while her own was being washed. Mitsuko shrugged into it, a dark blue one with a motif of white irises embroidered on it. For now, she should ask the Seer about where they should stop next. Plan ahead in terms of money and lodging. Speaking of money- she remembered as she ambled through the house that the Seer had been to the city as well. Turned in that hairpin of hers. Depending on how much they had gotten from that, they would be secure for a while. Should they avoid the big roads and go for the smaller ones? They would make them less likely to be found but the terrain could be difficult for the man. If the horse had to climb stonefalls...Mitsuko shook her head deep in thought.

The brunette knocked on the wood beside the shoji door to their room and slid it open after a waiting a second or two. "Ready for dinner?" She leaned against the door frame.
 
Beneath the Mask - Persona 5 OST

Haru's face would turn as Mitsuko drew near, facing away from her as if to desperately hide his skin now painted a dark crimson. However, her words struck a nerve as he snapped angrily back at her, "Y-you-" But, unfortunately for him Mitsuko had already left, preventing the man from getting in a single word otherwise, the man having turned around staring angrily at the closed shoji, breathing now quickened with his anger as he snarled, "Damn you!" Of course, the flare of anger was much appreciated, even if the Seer would never admit it. Any thoughts of inappropriate nature had been replaced with an endless stream of angry curses and furious grumbles. Eventually, this resulted in the quite angry Seer to sit and fume, his arms crossed as he hissed between clenched teeth, "She doesn't get it, does she? Irritating sow." He hissed his ever favorite nickname for her, more low grumbling passing his lips as if to vent to a nonexistent audience his woes, his anger.

Even if he didn't like her, putting himself in a situation where he would be in any form of undress before her would be highly inappropriate, for she was not even his lover, not even close. Never would he put his hands on a woman he did not love, did not share a deeper connection with, for it would be yet again another betrayal against his own principals regardless of how his youthful body seemed to desire to do so. He huffed out another breath, a more somber expression crossing his face as the redness to his skin had begun to slowly ebb away and cool, his mind trailing to the monster, the one woman he desired, the one woman he tried desperately to forget what she would have done. Mai-Jing, if only she was here with him... if only... He closed his eyes, misery swelling in his heart as he whispered, "Why couldn't you be here instead?" Inviting a monster to rip at his flesh, inviting a monster that would only betray him to come to him once more, how much of a fool was he? Yes, he was truly even more foolish than Mitsuko, to want a woman who would only greet him with lies, who would only throw him into death. But, his heart couldn't help but still yearn for the departed soul, wanting nothing more than to hold her, to feel her warmth underneath his fingers. Even if it was all a lie, even if she would slaughter him, he just wanted to...

Haru's eyes opened again, another miserable sigh leaving his lips. Now was not the time, for she would always be departed to the land of the dead, a place he could not reach unless he would follow. Duty called, chaining him to Mitsuko, forcing him to continue marching forward despite his desperate wishes to be with his beloved Mai-Jing. Whatever love he had for the woman would have to die with her, to protect himself, to save himself from further torment. And even as his logical mind was trying to push it through his head that it was useless for him to still cling to a phantom that would have destroyed him, still his heart bled for the woman, further making the Seer seem to have quite the sorrowful expression upon his face as he gazed blankly at the wooden floors, the mochi he'd picked up earlier having been returned to the basket, uneaten. He lost his appetite, grief surging within his stomach, settling within his chest as it clawed at his heart. Why did he constantly do this to himself?

The knocking on the shoji hadn't made the Seer stir from his grief, as if locked into his misery until Mitsuko's voice pierced the silence. This made the man finally stir, his facial expression being swift to change as if he didn't wish for her to see his unfiltered sorrow as he'd shown enough for that day, and perhaps a lifetime. His expression grew somewhat annoyed seeing her again, judging from the frown that touched his lips as her teasing earlier certainly hadn't been forgiven yet, the Seer grunting as he rose to his feet, the pain making him wobble for a few seconds only for him to regain his balance as he limped over to Mitsuko, casting a rather frigid glare at her before he passed her without a word. Yes, the Seer was still quite angry with her, resulting in the man now giving her the cold shoulder, finding his words was probably useless at this point in time. At least she looks presentable. That single thought was the only one that showed a tinge of silent approval, but otherwise Haru remained tight-lipped and eerily silent, uncharacteristic of his anger that typically would result in the man snapping at her with foul insults and angry rebuttals. No, instead he decided icy silence would be her just reward, daring to taunt him in a such a way earlier... how dare she?!
 
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