Fantasy mono no aware

[Aster]

interactions: Miu A Murder Of Corviknight
mentions: none
location: Ido Falls
mood: I WANT MY BODY BACK

• Kisara ❀ Fukami •​

Instead of a response to her question, what Kisara got instead was a murmur which she barely caught. Perhaps her emotions had gotten the best of her, but Kisara could not help the hard* grip upon Miu---no, that's not right---her own hand when offered help up. Her gaze was still sharp, if not suspicious for any signs of deceit. It was hard to fault her for her behavior. After all, after surviving an attack from a yokai, meeting an ancestral god and now swapping bodies with her family's sworn enemy (forced companion thanks to the Usagi), it was a miracle Kisara could remain composed when all she wanted was to scream at the insane turn of events.

Her other hand closed in a tight fist at her side and she failed to realize just how strong Miu was. For fear of breaking her own hand, Kisara released Miu suddenly.

She could tell that Miu was just as lost as she was, and in that moment, Kisara was thankful that Ashurans like her were rather easy to read*.

"Let's get dressed first. This is ridiculous," Kisara cursed under her breath, her anger leaked out in almost a bloodthirsty manner fitting of an Ashuran. Wading out of the pool, Kisara spoke sharply to the two remaining priests. "This ceremony is over now right? Go fetch us our robes," she commanded.

While the two priests had paused a second to exchange nervous and confused looks*, they soon scurried off and returned obediently with clothes for the women to dress themselves. Kisara, silently fuming inside all this while, placed her clothes on and looked over at Miu. "When we were saying our rites of passage, I saw something strange pass by that corridor. I know this place is considered sacred to your clan but is there anything else I should know about the occult?" Kisara asked straight-forwardly. Since it has come to this, there was no point beating around the bush.*

As polite and respectful as Kisara had been forced to be with the Ashurans, letting one of them take control of her body was a personal boundary she'd never thought anyone would (or could) cross. Save for the Ashurans, Kisara would not have even allowed her own clan members intrude upon her in such an insulting way. Who knew what mayhem and ruin they could bring upon her?

That trust was simply not built yet.

[1] Kisara doesn't have the same strength control as Miu does in Miu's body... for obvious reasons.
[2] Ashurans aren't trained to hide nonverbal cues which the Fukami are trained to pick up on.
[3] Kisara is checking to see if Miu has any ties to the body swap incident

 

[Nano]

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[div class=header] ashura takara;

[div class=subheader] convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies [/div] [/div] [div class=basicsR] [div class=box] ⁠A fresh wave of regret instantly assaulted Takara the moment Takehiko’s eyes lit up with pride and joy at the mention of Kisara and Aichirou. With a stiff expression, he listened on, awkwardly silent, as the man spoke excitedly about the memories he had built with his family, whether their ties be adoptive or by blood. Rather than feel happy and share in Takehiko’s joy, only the bitter memories he believed he had long cast away returned like a plague that never knew to let up.

This difference between them had been behind the unease he had felt.

He told himself to clear his heart of envies, to never covet, and to walk his own path, yet time and time again his mind would carelessly meander towards the dangerous territory which illustrated the desires he could never dream of fulfilling. What if he hadn’t been born a burden? What if he had lived in a place where trifles like hair color didn’t matter? Or would have been better for him to have given up from the start? After all, no one could trample over someone who had never had any pride in the first place.

In the midst of his turbulent thoughts, Takehiko’s inquiry on his close family and friends became the last straw. From his first question to the last, the man had always managed to target a sore spot. It was as if the Fukami had been playing him from the start, just like the stereotype the Ashura seemed to love throwing around during their daily gossip sessions. The logical part of him agreed with the Fukami’s issued reason concerning the nature of the question, and the conversation’s flow would have naturally led to it regardless. However, any such arguments were promptly drowned out by the violent cries of his raw anger.

Takara lowered his clenched fist down to the table’s neatly lacquered surface with a barely controlled thunk. For the first time since Takehiko’s arrival, the raven head’s verdant eyes sharply narrowed into an open glare.

Hold back. You can’t lose it here. he thought to himself with teeth clenched so hard the tension was visible on the taut muscles lining his jaw.

“I’ve never seen the face of my birth mother or father, and my relationship with my adoptive mother isn’t easily understood, but you’ve likely already deduced this, haven’t you?” he said in an aggressively sharp tone which bordered the makings of a yell. “You mention ‘affiliates,’ but quite frankly, I don’t have enough time to spare on anyone else.”

The moment his final words left his mouth, Takara’s post outburst clarity led to a string of internal swearing at his lack of self-control. It felt as if he had played right into Takehiko’s hands, a sentiment which left a sour taste in his mouth. With a sigh, he unclenched the fist which had so gracelessly hit itself against the table and brought his other hand to his face in a vain attempt to casually hide his terrible expression.

“I apologize for my improper conduct and impolite speech,” he said while slowly moving his hand back to his lap. “Take it as my loss or however else you would like to settle this matter.” Unfortunately, the other party wasn’t someone he could easily offend, even if it called for a half-baked apology.

It was suffocating. [/div] [/div] [/div]

Quark

[/div] [/div]

 

[A Murder Of Corviknight]

Practically feeling the bones in Kisara’s hand grind together, Miu couldn’t help but show a wince. The misplaced Ashuran was quick to flex and shake feeling back into the (possibly bruised) hand once it was let go. After all, maybe the Fukami didn’t care, but Miu would give Kisara her body back in the condition it was forced upon her. And hopefully, the misplaced Fukami would feel inclined to provide the same courtesy to her body. A part of Miu felt bad for having doubts about the Fukami, as the other woman was amicable enough for the most part, the feeling of vulnerability and wrongness was not something that would go away by goodwill alone.

At Kisara’s question, Miu finished dressing herself(?) for the most part to gather her thoughts and childhood memories. “...Ah. I’m afraid I haven’t...” she trailed off sheepishly. The misplaced Ashura lightly shook her head as she attempted to figure out what to do with the hair pins that were given to her as well. “...I’m afraid that I never inquired further about the legends behind our ceremonies more than I needed to. Why ask when I never felt inclined towards marriage? Quite frankly, such stories were boring to listen to. I prefered to listen to our epics.” she explained with brutal honesty.

There was a scandalized sound from the priests that Miu attempted to ignore. Yet, she couldn’t help but tilt her head up at them with a grudge-filled challenge with golden eyes. She still distinctly remembered the painfully long hours of listening to a priest drone on and on about tradition and ceremony of their prestige history when she was but a small child. If it weren’t for promise of more training from her mother and father, Miu would have challenged the priest to force him torture someone else. Preferrably someone who would enjoy such torture.

With a near silent sigh, she was just giving up and tucking the hair pin into her clothes when she saw another flicker of movement just behind the priests’ shoulders. With intense focus, the misplaced Ashura barely remembered to grab her Fukami counterpart before she bolted past the priests to chase after the figure. She nearly tripped as she slapped away a priest’s arm (an attempt to stop them without disrespecting them) due to not being used to Kisara’s legs. However, she was quick to pick herself up.

In Miu's mind, just like how you can’t catch the same rabbit once you lose sight of it, they could not afford to lose sight of the culprit.

------------------​

NAME. Ashura Miu
OBJECTIVE. Catch the ghost...yokai...child...thing
MOOD. Bloodthirsty? Or just ready to hunt
NOTES. wew let me know if anything needs to be fixed there were some stuff that I added but I’m not sure if they would ruin the lore you had in mind
TAGGED. Aster | Nano | Quark

 

[Aster]

interactions: Miu A Murder Of Corviknight
mentions: none
location: Ido Falls
mood: I'm going to crush that yokai into smithereens

• Kisara ❀ Fukami •​

Kisara listened and watched, with a fierce focus and hidden repulsion, at Miu's response. It was strange... if not incredibly disturbing for Kisara to see herself speak with such honesty and clarity. Sure, she's seen herself in the mirror and had even practiced her acts before one to catch any tells which might give her attempts of deception away, but this was different. An entirely new person---an Ashuran, nonetheless---was in there. Miu was her and she was... Miu.

Giving a light shake of her head, Kisara could see that Miu was just as lost as she was. Begrudgingly, she would have to set aside her accusations. It would be unfair to pin the blame on the Ashuran princess, though this resentment had to go somewhere. Like Miu, Kisara was ready to utterly destroy the culprit who caused such a switch and since she was in an Ashuran's body... why not use the violent Ashuran means to do so?*

"Hey, wait... your hair!" Kisara yelped when she was grabbed, her priorities more on the fact that her body's appearance was unsightly. How could she just leave her hair undone like that? What was she going to do if another man saw her?* The shame she'd face when they swap back was an unnecessary worry, considering how customs in East Kai varied so greatly from the West. Just like how in West Kai, the people there did not care about hair colors or the concept of having hierarchies due to color, the people in East Kai couldn't care less about a woman having untied hair or even short hair (though it was uncommon).

But Kisara did not know that. If she didn't withhold her doubts about Miu, she would've assumed the Ashuran was purposely trying to humiliate her.

Given how she was in Miu's body, she was quite capable in keeping up and found that she did not need to exert much effort for the physical activity. Still, she was confused as to what was happening. One minute they were talking and the next, they're running blindly--?

"Are you okay?" Kisara asked, shaking her arm off from Miu's grip, but kept pace with the running... Fukami. She didn't need to risk Miu tripping again in her body. That would be far from the epitome of grace which she tried so hard to maintain and emulate. Besides, there was no way she was going to let herself* out of her sight after all. "What are we running---"

Before Kisara could even ask, she now saw what Miu had noticed: The small white figure moving quite rapidly on tiny doll legs. It was.... terrifying to say the least. Like something straight out of a horror movie. The doll was small and porcelain, but the movements were so smooth, it was as though a live child or animal was moving instead. Inside the doll's hand were two sheets of paper that seemed bigger than the doll's body. With her insanely sharp vision, Kisara spied one character on the paper being the start of her name.

Unfortunately, Kisara did not know enough about the occult to deduce anything from what she saw. All she knew was that this was, yet again, some yokai business and that this particular doll-like yokai was going to get crushed into a few pieces once Kisara got her hands on it.

[1] She's going to pulverize the yokai.
[2] It was unsightly for a Fukami royal (females) to let their hair down in front of anyone who isn't direct family or their spouse.
[3] Referring to her own body.

 

[Quark]

.

Takehiko | 武彦

An eyebrow rose in surprise and confusion, seeing Takara’s face distort into one of anger and (possible) hostility. Passive blue eyes slowly lowered towards the Ashuran’s fist on the table, then continued lingering there when Takara answered briskly.

“Hm…“, he murmured to himself, lacking springy cheer from a minute ago. His face looked deep in thought, and then was replaced by a flash of realization. “I see… I see…”

An image formed his mind. Parents possibly passed away or missing. Clear bitterness that drives him to be isolated. The unprepared or unorthodox way of answering standard marriage interview questions.

His little sister, the first in line to inherit title of the head, who had been dedicating her time and efforts all her life to be the heir… and this is the man chosen for Kisara’s husband?

If I were Mother, I would cry, he thought to himself.

Words of an apology in a quieter, strained tone broke his train of thought, and Takehiko lifted eyes back at Takara, who hid half his face behind his hand.

“No, not at all.” He shook his head simply, never losing that calming intonation in his words. “Rather, it should be me to apologize for lack of knowing … From Aichirou's observations, all I knwe for certain was your name and that you value the uchigatana you carry [1]. Now I understand your family situation a little better…”, his mood sank; perhaps Kisara already knows of this. There was no easy answer of where to proceed from here. “Unfortunate childhood stories like these are more common than I hoped…” He commented to himself distantly, looking at the surface of the tea water. A sliver of empathy seeped within him, prompting Takehiko to remind Takara of the game’s condition.

“No doubt it wouldn’t have been pleasant, but you have my sincere gratitude for your honest response, Takara-kun. We’re still exchanging by the rules of the game, so if there’s any more questions you’re uncomfortable with, please don’t hesitate to simply say so.” [2]

“Ah, two things by the way, if you don’t mind.” He suddenly remembered, friendly smile returning. “One, you needn’t worry about polite or formal speech if it’s just two of us. Secondly, I see that you grew up with different circumstances, however I do hope that when you marry Kisara that you can make some time for our small family gatherings. If possible, it’s something I hope Princess Miu would be willing as well,” he hinted. He had several reasons for mentioning about family gatherings [3], but ultimately moved on, leaving Takara to speculate for himself.

“Well then, Takara-kun, would you still like to continue the game?” [4]


Notes
[1] Aichirou had heard Takara asking if he could bring his sword along earlier that day.

[2] Takehiko is curious about Takara but he’s doesn’t want Takara forcing himself painfully to answer questions. If he cared more about simply wringing out the answer he wouldn’t bother reminding.

[3] I decided to leave it out in formal post (for "Fukami being cryptic" effect), but I can explain in OOC.

[4] Unspoken 2nd part of the question: "If you are willing to continue, then feel free to start your turn of questioning now."

[5] Tag: Takara Nano , Kisara Aster , Miu A Murder Of Corviknight

 

[A Murder Of Corviknight]

Seeing how the doll seemed to be speeding up once it noticed them chasing after it, Miu felt a bit of panic. She already felt the slight burn in Kisara’s leg muscles. So feeling the limits of Kisara’s body creeping on her, the Ashuran princess did what any reasonable Ashura would do.

“Sorry, Kisara-san.”

She kicked off one of Kisara’s zori[1], hefted the solid wooden sandal in her hand before launching it at the doll’s back.

...Only to blink when her aim hit the doll’s head instead of it’s back like she was intending to. However, she didn’t pause to dwell on matter before marching up to the fallen doll and Kisara’s zori. The misplaced Ashura peeled the stunned doll off the ground by the hair like it was a particularly disgusting carrot. She took a moment to catch her breath calmly put the zori back on Kisara’s foot (after brushing off the dirt) before eyeing the doll swinging from Kisara’s fist.

Disturbingly, the doll blinked back at her with a blank expression on its flawless face. To make matters worse, the doll seemed to realize its body wasn’t properly aligned with its head. With a sickening scraping noise of porcelain against porcelain, the doll’s body was turned to properly face Miu in Kisara’s body.

She couldn’t tell if it was Kisara’s body or her own self but the Ashuran princess felt nausea pushing up against the back of this body’s throat. Perhaps it was both, because even to Miu this doll’s actions were too uncanny and disturbing for her tastes. Still, the misplaced Ashura kept a firm grip on the doll’s hair.

Arrogantly, the doll idly brushed the dirt off its clothes and face before it glanced back up again. It did that uncanny...blinking thing again then waved the paper with Miu’s name on it at Kisara’s face in a condescending manner. “That was rude, you know. You could have broken my head with that.”

Kisara’s body twitched and gave the doll a murderous glare. It seemed...the doll didn’t understand what kind of predicament it was in.

------------------​

NAME. Ashura Miu
OBJECTIVE. Don’t crack the doll against the floor
MOOD. ...Violent?
NOTES. [1] japanese flip-flops except these are made of lacquered wood...
TAGGED. Aster | Nano | Quark

 

[Aster]

interactions: Miu A Murder Of Corviknight
mentions: none
location: Ido Temple
mood: give me 99 reasons why I shouldn't break this doll's face

• Kisara ❀ Fukami •​

It was already bad enough that "Kisara" was running down the halls with her hair undone, but it was an entirely different thing to see herself use her own shoe as a flying projectile. While the hit was made with acute precision (or at least, Kisara would've aimed for the head), the fact that such a crude action was made from her own body gave her mixed feelings. It was definitely an Ashuran thing to do, was what Kisara first thought. The act looked far too strange for a Fukami royal like her and if Kisara didn't know better---if she was an outsider looking in---she would've thought her eyes was playing tricks on her. Maybe it was a mirage.

But as "Kisara" bent down to slip her shoe back on, going as far as to dust the shoe with her bare hands, that mirage shattered.

"Ah, Miu really is an Ashuran through and through huh?" She thought bleakly.

"!!" Her own thoughts were soon snapped out of as Miu picked up the possessed doll with HER hands. Her bare hands! Oh dear gods, what if this demon doll possessed Kisara's body?! Can it do that?

Seeing it blink made her cringe in more disgust than fear. Her hand trembled in a fist, not because she was afraid, but because Kisara was really holding back from straight out punching the doll away from her. (Ashuran urges, she told herself, there's no way she would've done something so graceless in her own body). Instead, Kisara took her* unused hairpins that were in her body's pocket and with quick movements, pointed the sharp end millimeters from the doll's mouth, on the pathway trajectory of stabbing through its porcelain skull should it say another mocking word.

"A broken head will be the least of your concerns if you don't change this back," Kisara warned darkly, her red eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

With the pin too close to its mouth to speak, the doll spirit could only wave the papers in its hands at their faces. Upon closer inspection, the papers were cut to shape like human figures and on each paper, there was a name. One for Kisara and the other for Miu, each written in their own handwriting. But when would this little demon have gotten her signature? The only time she's signed anything in East Kai was when...

She was signing the marriage papers.

Kisara's expression darkened further and the bloodlust seemed to emit from her body like dark waves. Were the Ashuran priests involved in this? But what would they gain in all this? Were they really stupid enough to sacrifice their own Ashuran princess for a cheap trick? Kisara didn't want to jump to conclusions, but she was almost 90% sure that the papers in the doll's hands were cut-outs from their marriage cert.

"Undo this curse. Now." Kisara growled.

[1] Her referring to her own hairpins which Miu gave up trying to tie into her hair.

 

[Nano]

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[div class=header] ashura takara;

[div class=subheader] convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies [/div] [/div] [div class=basicsR] [div class=box] Though the hostility had cleared from his eyes, Takara remained in a vigilant state, tracking Takehiko’s every move with undisguised suspicion. Was he surprised? Thoroughly disappointed? Try as he might, the Fukami’s pensive expression revealed nothing about his state of mind. He was calm—too calm, to the point where Takara couldn’t tell if Takehiko’s words were pitying or condescending, either of which left a sour taste in his mouth as he continued to listen in silence.

Aichirou’s report regarding Takara’s cherished sword struck him as odd. He had long realized that information traveled fast amongst the trio, but he didn’t recall having ever mentioned his katana’s personal significance to either Aichirou or Kisara. The only vaguely telling sign of his attachment to his sword was his act of bringing it on this trip, but it was standard for an Ashuran to never travel unarmed, a fact that the Fukami were likely well aware of. Given that he couldn’t figure what else he had carelessly said or done to clue the enemy in on his weakness^[1], Takara instantly grew wary. Truly, the power of a Fukami’s insight was frightening.

Thus, when the white-haired Fukami inquired on his formal speech and thoughts on attending their family gatherings, a solemn “no” rolled off his tongue before he had realized it. After a brief moment of silence and an awkward cough, Takara slowly continued. “If my formality makes you uncomfortable, I shall make an attempt to speak more casually, but otherwise I may only ask for your patience and understanding. I am unaware of how it is for others, but I grew up with the notion that the only individuals whom I can afford to speak so rudely to are those unworthy of such respect.”

“In other words, I am referring to those I look down on.”

Having nothing else to hide about his attitude towards his personal relationships, Takara’s final words were stated in a gelid tone, though he was quick to rebound into a calmer state. “However, rest assured that I have nothing against fulfilling any obligations towards...family,” he said with a sliver of hesitation at the unfamiliar word, though his expression was sincere. Notwithstanding his general disdain towards his own kin and unease at the idea of marriage, he didn’t intend on making things difficult for Kisara. At the very least, he wasn’t so battlecrazed and bloodthirsty that he couldn’t agree to such a simple request.

After leaving a minute or two to listen for Takehiko’s response as well as to structure his next question, Takara turned to speak again. “Previously, I happened to overhear that your brother seems to believe that my cousin, ah, hates him, for lack of a better word. Though I am unaware of what you have been told or whether or not you have met her yet, what is your current impression of her?”

His question was asked without a hint of a mocking tone, suggesting genuine curiosity. After all, she was the person he was closest to after his adoptive mother. However, he quickly realized that his inquiry could be misunderstood as him questioning whether or not Aichirou had spoken badly of Miu before Takehiko, eliciting a frown, though he made no move to correct himself in the end. He had a feeling that hastily clarifying his intentions would only lead to further suspicion.

- - -​

[1] Takara views the things he values most as an exploitable weak point, as they can potentially be used to threaten him.
[/div] [/div] [/div]

Quark

[/div] [/div]

 

[Quark]

.

Takehiko | 武彦

Takehiko didn’t say anything further about Takara’s cautious answer. Full cooperation would be another thing he would have to patiently wait for.

“Ah, Aichirou did mention vaguely, he was worried that he might have offended her…”, Takehiko answered, then gave a light shrug. “Although, I suppose it wouldn’t be impossible (even though he is harmless). Unfortunately, my siblings and I are not familiar with a lot of Ashuran customs and practices, though I’m sure in the future the situation will get better as we learn more about your clan’s culture.”

He was certainly curious about what could have caused Aichirou to worry. But Takehiko had some delicacy, deciding best to let Princess Miu bring it up herself.

Returning his thoughts back to the actual question, he furrowed his eyebrows, and placed a hand under his chin. “As for my impression… Hm. As of this moment, I have more questions rather than an opinion on her character. Where did she grow up in? Did she also have to take the harsh survival training like you? What is her family like? What reasons does she have to accept the marriage? Did she have someone she would have fancied before this? And many more.”

“Those are just some questions I have when I think about Princess Miu. It’s like picking up a book. Besides the title name, before reading it I wouldn’t know much else.” Takehiko said. “However, you needn’t worry, Takara-kun. I don’t have any intentions to interfere or restrict your cousin’s life as an Ashuran. I think I would be a rather low-maintenance husband to attend to.”

After all, it was a simple marriage on paper.

“Although,” there was a sudden colder glint in his eyes as he stared at the tea’s surface. “that would be different if she catches the attention of the Orochi. I pray that it may never be the case.”

“I’m afraid that’s all to my very disappointing answer, please feel free to answer the same for my next question.” Takehiko looked up again at Takara, “so I’ve heard this from Aichirou. Your hair colour had changed from yesterday; what had been the cause of it?”

The questioning session was suddenly interrupted by the gentle scrape of wood against each other, and Takehiko to turn his head. It was an Ashuran priest who greeted the two.

“I have returned from the Mizuha spring. I am here to check if there is anything that I can assist in.” He lowered his head in respect. In the impulsive mood to muddle up the priest’s solemn expression, he immediately letting out a light mischievous grin. [1] “The girls passing by looked rather scared earlier,” he lied, almost too naturally, ”did something happen?”

What he expected was a stammer of confusion, instead there was a flash of horror on the priest’s face as he lifted his head. “The princesses had…?“

Takehiko’s hand that was holding the cup stiffened. As he placed down the teacup with a heavier sound from before, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Not at all, that question was merely a lie.” The friendliness from his voice replaced with a clipped tone. “Now answer me, clearly. What has happened?”

Sitting upright like the posture of an indignant military general, Takehiko continued to give a firm and hard stare down at the priest. He could see the priest’s eyebrows wrinkling with nervousness and hesitating to answer, perhaps because he was not a trusted Ashuran. However, Takehiko was not in the mood to have any Ashuran priests or servants not listening to his commands right now. As the seconds ticked by, the priest’s glance shifted towards the Ashuran prince, as though asking for permission or help.


Notes
[1] Takehiko suddenly wanting to prank the priest. Had the priest answered ‘normally’, in a confused manner, he would have just corrected and pretended that he misspoke or remembered wrong.

[2] Tag: Takara Nano , Kisara Aster , Miu A Murder Of Corviknight

 

[A Murder Of Corviknight]

Instead of looking even vaguely threatened, the doll’s frozen porcelain face somehow gave off a feeling of exasperation. It gave a huff of annoyance, muttering “No one respects their damn elders anymore” and something along the lines of, “Should have sucked it up and just slept at home.”

Before Miu could ask what the doll meant, the doll reached up and pushed the pin away from its mouth with surprising strength. It hemmed and hawed, while still swinging off of Miu’s hand by its hair, before it addressed them both. “First of all, I don’t have to do anything--”

To Miu’s discomfort, the doll’s hair completely detached from the doll, leaving her with just a fist full of hair. The doll landed surprisingly neatly on the hard dirt before it flicked its head and...regrew its hair. It then craned its neck up to look up at the two women before jumping at Miu (Kisara’s body). The Ashuran in Kisara’s body reflexively tried to swat the doll out of the air but it bounced off her hand and landed on the body’s shoulder.

“You--”

It primly settled down on Kisara’s shoulder before continuing, “I did this because I needed someone’s attention and I couldn’t find Raiva, San or even Usagi. So I thought that the nearest with strong Ashuran or Fukami blood would be my next best bet.”

“Turns out you’re all damn crazy,” it muttered under its breath.

“You violated and switched our souls,” Miu cut in with a flat tone. Who in their right minds wouldn’t be furious? At least somewhat? “How is that supposed to entice us to help you?”

The doll opened its mouth as if to argue and then closed it. “...Wait, can’t you guys tell it’s temporary? I’m not San. You can’t even tell that I’m a celestial spirit?!”

...This...is a celestial spirit? Miu squinted and turned Kisara’s head to look at the doll on Kisara’s shoulders before meeting her own body’s eyes with a face full of skepticism.

“Holy dragon spirit ley lines. What are they even teaching you youngsters these days? How am I supposed to get my body back now?!”

------------------​

NAME. Ashura Miu
OBJECTIVE. Interrogate!
MOOD. Miu is extremely skeptical and the doll is extremely bewildered
NOTES. (For myself) Doll is hosting Genbu’s soul because he got his body robbed while he was sleeping. He got his body robbed by an orochi follower. He vaguely knows where his body has been transported but he needs physical help to get it back. Genbu is Kaede’s ancestor and the one who gives his future clan its name. His physical body is currently injured so they have some time before someone decides to do fishy shit with his body. The doll body is weak af even though his spiritual power is strong.
TAGGED. Aster | Nano | Quark

 

[Aster]

interactions: Miu A Murder Of Corviknight
mentions: none
location: Ido Temple
mood: celestial spirit my ass

• Kisara ❀ Fukami •​

Celestial spirit or not, the disgust on *Kisara's face was evident. His displeasure leaked out of her in waves as she stared with narrowed eyes at the doll speaking on her shoulder. She couldn't help but agree more with Miu. Why this little creature thought pulling such a distasteful prank would lead them to aid it was a thought beyond her comprehension. Perhaps the spirit was mental.

Given her few but colorful experiences with spirits thus far, she found that they all seemed capriciously... annoying. Troublesome. A pain in the ass.

She could not even begin to imagine how much worse the fabled "Orochi" might be if the cursed doll sitting on her body's shoulder was a celestial spirit.

"This is the human realm. Why would we get involve in the spirits' matters? And get off my royal body!" Kisara huffed, moving forward to swat the doll off her shoulder; to which the doll only gracefully dodged once more, landing on its feet.

Kisara stared down, in equal amounts of skepticism. Was this really a celestial spirit? This... thing... Disappointment seemed to cloud her red eyes. A part of her had room to believe it. After all, it did address the three gods of Kai in such a casual manner*. Seeing how prideful Raiva was, Kisara doubt the goddess would allow her name to be sullied with casual speech by a low-ranked spirit---but that was mere speculation.

"Why should we help you? You said this body swap was temporary right? What do you gain in doing this?" Kisara frowned as she crossed her toned arms across her chest.

[1] Every time I type Kisara, it's safe to assume she's still in Miu's body.
[2] Whenever the priests, mortals or spirits (e.g. Motsukana) addressed any of the gods, they add -sama to it.

 

[A Murder Of Corviknight]

After making indignant (but eerie) clacking noises with its mouth, the doll harrumphed and answered with, “Let me say this again. This isn’t my actual body.”

“How else was I supposed to get your attention? This kind of spellwork is more closely linked with the jurisdiction of my skills rather than the pure strength that stems from my celestial body. If I tried to get your attention by demonstrating my main sphere of influence I would have likely drowned you and broken this stupid doll.”

Her confusion must have shown on her face because the doll looked at the two women before continuing with a long-suffering tone, “That’s not important to understand. Just know that I did choose the most sane option that demonstrated my power. You children might not be citizens of my territory but let’s say I didn’t make it a temporary spell. If the worst comes to worst and I didn’t have time to reverse it you two would have been stuck in each other’s bodies.”

“Again,” the doll harped with a stomp. “I’m not as capricious and mischievous as San.”

“...Let’s say that you’re telling the truth,” Miu started with a skeptical tone. The Ashuran fearlessly (and disrespectfully) prodded the doll with a finger as if to figure out just what about the doll could possibly be strong. A well-maintained pretty fingernail clicked against the doll a few times before the doll seemed to have enough and lightly smacked her finger away. “If you’re that powerful why can’t you get your body back yourself?”

Joints creaking, the doll sat down while hovering a few finger widths above the dirty ground. “I don’t want to exert myself only to break this fake body into pieces before I can steal my body back. I’m saying that you need to help me because my body at full strength would mean a natural disaster in the wrong hands.”

“But if you’re that strong--”

It tapped impatiently at its own knee as it interrupted her, “Why do you think I’m in Raiva’s territory instead of my own? I was weakened and injured from a fight outside of my territory and Raiva agreed to let me stay in one of her lakes to heal from my injuries before I moved onto my own. Little did I know, some rascal decided to steal my body while I was hibernating and I woke up like this. I can still sense where my body is, and even from here it smells like Orochi’s power.”

“Right now my body is still weak, so we still have time before they do whatever they think they can do with my body. You don’t have to fight my body or anything. You just need to fight and subdue the rascal that stole my body long enough to me to drop myself into my body. Once you agree I can weave up a contract and we can place you two back into your bodies before--”[1]

Though the Ashuran had many questions, she had to interrupt the doll with the most important one that she thought of since the doll implied that it was strong.

“If you’re strong and we get you your body back. Will you let me have the honor to challenge you?”

“--we head off. You can call me Genbu-sama by the way--...wait. CHILD, YOU WANT TO WHAT?!”[2]

------------------​

NAME. Ashura Miu
OBJECTIVE. Miu@Genbu: Fite me you sound strong
MOOD. fight fight fight
NOTES. [1] If you need him to explain more… The contract weaved up will have all Terms of Service. Penalty will be the usual curse or struck by lightning.
[2] Genbu: Oh holy spirit trees. This really is Raiva’s kid.
TAGGED. Aster | Nano | Quark

 

[Aster]

interactions: Miu A Murder Of Corviknight
mentions: none
location: Ido Temple
mood: celestial spirit my ass

• Kisara ❀ Fukami •​

The whole conversation was strange from start to finish but oddly enough, what the little creepy doll said made some sense.... Only Kisara did not understand why the so-called celestial spirit would in-list their help out of all people. Two young maidens about to get married... It all seemed like some poor taste joke. Her palm hit her forehead before she could realize as Miu only aided in the meaningless conversation.

"Mind you, she's talking about herself in HER body. I absolutely refuse to fight anything head-on in mine," Kisara clarified as she uncrossed her arms. "Why would you seek us for help out of everyone available? We're not versed in spirits at all and even if we do agree to help you, you'll have to wait til our engagement ceremony is over," Kisara pointed out, knowing they had one more to complete in the next few hours before they were prepped for tomorrow's final ceremony. From what she gathered after overhearing a few servants, tomorrow's task would be the most daunting of them all---which would explain why the maids have been preparing food and materials as though the four were set for a weekend excursion.

"If you really want our help... I don't just want my body back. I want a favor after all this is over," Kisara said, her eyes with a business man's resolve. "That is.... if you really are a celestial spirit like you say you are." The scoffing smirk was even more mocking upon Miu's body.

(sorry it's a short post ;; )

 

[Nano]

ashura takara;

convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies

Takara’s expression turned grim at the mention of Orochi. He had always thought of it as a mere fairytale that adults often liked to tell children in order to scare them into obedience. Evidence of his existence, however, seemed to surface all at once within the past few days. In remembrance of the incident at Ido Falls as well as Takehiko’s inquiry concerning the change in his hair color, he raised his hand to pinch at the fringe covering his forehead. Had it been a day earlier, he might have flinched at the mention of his hair, but the brief talk with Kisara had successfully settled his nerves on the matter. It was just hair color. He just had to thicken his face and ask the goddess to change it back and pray he wouldn’t get smited on the spot for his insolence.

When the two were interrupted by the priest before Takara could answer Takehiko’s question, he closed his mouth with a slightly impatient expression but nonetheless chose to listen quietly to the exchange.

At the mention of the princesses, Takara looked up with a questioning gaze. He didn’t recall panicked footfalls passing by the tearoom. Did the Fukami possess a sense of hearing even sharper than that of an Ashuran? The blanching of the priest’s face and Takehiko’s subsequent questioning, however, quickly dismissed that theory. Instead, he was enlightened on the Fukami Clan’s alarmingly passive method of forcing out information in the most unexpected of ways. Takara took mental notes. While he didn’t know if he’d ever use such tactics himself, it would still be useful knowledge for defending himself when faced with similarly crafty people.

When faced with the priest’s stiff expression, Takara merely granted the man a shrug and looked away in disinterest. Quite frankly, the situation was none of his business: Miu could take care of herself better than he could, and he had no reason to sympathize with the priest either. Even when the man persisted in attempting to either catch the Ashuran Prince’s attention or stall for time, the ravenhead continued to idly count the petals of the flowers decorating the vase to the side.

After much deliberation, the priest finally removed his eyes from Takara’s face with a baleful look, perhaps having deemed him traitorous, and reluctantly opened his mouth to speak: “There was merely a small disturbance-” However, before the rest of his words left his mouth, the priest was promptly cut off by the black-haired man.

“Wait.” Takara said, ignoring the accusatory scowl that his interruption had garnered. In a casual manner, as if he were only cutting in for the sake of a mere afterthought, his gaze slowly turned back to meet the priest’s eyes. “Though I trust in Princess Miu’s strength, I cannot say the same for a person whose culture does not revolve around martial prowess. As someone whom I am indebted to, Princess Kisara’s safety is naturally of great concern to me.” During his brief pause, the bright green hues coloring his eyes seemingly sharpened. His next words were said with a subtle hint of severity bordering threatening. “If the situation is as you say, then all is well. However, should any harm come to either of them as a result of neglecting to properly assess and report the situation, I am sure there are quite a few people who would be very disappointed.”

Given that his level of authority was still in a questionable state, Takara made sure to leverage his threat with the implication that they’d be sure to report the incident to higher powers. The Fukami were sure to retaliate if their precious princess was harmed on Ashuran territory, while the Ashura certainly weren’t keen on losing face due to a poorly constructed lie. That said, he was sure that the Fukami Prince would have mentioned it had he not spoken out about it himself. Though Takara was petty, he didn’t harbor any particularly negative feelings towards the priest. At the very least, he didn’t mind shielding the priest from garnering Takehiko’s spite. If his general observations were correct, the way in which the Fukami satisfy their grudges were likely far nastier than the typical Ashuran.

Though strong reluctance still colored his eyes, the priest slowly continued from where he had left off, this time with a few corrections. “The princesses collapsed in pain briefly at the conclusion of the ceremony, but they appeared fine a few moments later. After getting dressed, the two ran off into the woods without an explanation.” He frowned at the chaotic memory. Then, he hurriedly added, “Their whereabouts are being searched for as we speak. These grounds are sacred, so they should not encounter anything that should endanger them.”

This time, it was Takara’s turn to frown. With the humiliation of admitting defeat against a lowly scaled beast still fresh in his mind, it was difficult for him to believe that the sacred spring was entirely safe. If one youkai could slip into the blessed grounds, what said another couldn’t?

“Right,” he said in an evidently sarcastic and disbelieving tone. “Surely, no one would object to us joining in on the search?” A rhetorical question, though he made sure to turn towards Takehiko out of formality and respect for his position. “If Prince Takehiko would care to accompany me, that is.”

From behind Takehiko, Takara muttered in a lower voice, “as you said, it would be best if this incident has nothing to do with him.” His words were hopeful in nature, but his grim tone made it known that he had his doubts.

As soon as he finished what he had to say, Takara patted the side of his waist and sighed when he was yet again reminded of the absence of his sword. “Regardless, I shall return to my room first to prepare, lest I become a hindrance.”

Quark

 

[Quark]

Takehiko took no offence at Takara’s evaluation about Kisara perhaps in being more vulnerable compared to Princess Miu. “Exactly as you have said, Takara-kun,” He agreed simply before looking back at the priest with the same indignant, cold glare.

For good measure, he should remember this priest’s face.

“These grounds are sacred, so they should not encounter anything that should endanger them.”

Takehiko gave a small, scornful laugh before Takara had answered with an equally sarcastic tone. Noticing the intentions of the Ashuran prince, he gave an affirmative answer as he stood up. “Yes, I agree that would be best.” His eyes trailed down towards Takara’s hand movement. A thought of his kidnappers came to mind. “If you don’t mind, I’m of the opinion that best we don’t get separated, at least until we find both Kisara and Princess Miu.”

As Takehiko stepped out of the room, he gave one last sweeping glance at the priest. There was a warning look in his eyes before following Takara behind.

“Oh, I guess I should mention.” Takehiko suddenly spoke up in the corridor, easily switching back to his casual and friendly tone during the tea conversation earlier. “I’m won’t be extremely useful in actual combat. If I end up being a burden in such situations, I only ask you prioritize yours and Kisara’s safety. Other than that, you have my full cooperation, Takara-kun.”

… …

There was a light breeze rustling the forest leaves as the two had arrived at the edge of the forest. Hearing from the priests about the lack of any visual disturbances, Takehiko lifted the lamp in his hand a little higher to peer at the spring. The spring water was clear but from afar it looked almost black in the night.

He felt his stomach twist a little in worry. [1]

Walking next to Takara, he dropped the volume in his voice so only the Ashuran prince could hear. “Well, not sure if it’s also the first time for you, but I trust an Ashuran’s instincts more in this case. Which direction should we start?”


[1] He is likely worried that perhaps Miu and Kisara were so panicked they didn’t even have light with them when they ran into the forest.

[2] I’m going to assume that perhaps Takara or Takehiko has told the priests to stay near the spring but the two will be going to the forest themselves.

[3] Tag: Takara Nano , Kisara Aster , Miu A Murder Of Corviknight

 

[A Murder Of Corviknight]

One Genbu-possessed doll to light* the way for them and one blessing from Kisara to scout ahead a few meters ahead for safety later. Miu was quietly leaping from tree to tree while still keeping a careful ear for both danger and Kisara’s own footsteps. She made sure to rattle the tree branches as she went so the other girl knew which (unmarked) path to follow. Finally back in their own rightful bodies, the Ashuran felt light on her feet as she lept from tree to tree. She even managed to wrangle a promise, not to fight unfortunately, to have the Genbu teach his own fighting techniques.

The Ashuran was humming under her breath, her content showing in shining eyes. However, once she heard voices muffled by the trees in the woods, Miu dropped the humming to drop her head from the over of the trees. Meeting Kisara’s eyes, she shook her head at the Fukami princess and gestured for her to back up out of sight. Without prompting, Genbu quickly snuffed out his light as well. Like a protective cloak, the night settled around them as Miu waited for the voices to come closer.

However, due to the lamp that the two men carried, once they came into view, Miu realized that the two were her cousin and Kisara’s brother. With gleaming eyes, the Ashuran swung herself down from her perch right in front of the two. Carelessly unaware that her wayward ponytail swung wildly along with her, or how she appeared to the two men, Miu hung upside down from the tree and called back to Kisara with a pleased yet composed expression on her face.

“Kisara-san, it’s just your brother and my cousin. ...It looks like we won’t have to go back to fetch them anymore.”

------------------​

NAME. Ashura Miu
OBJECTIVE. ????
MOOD. Pleased as punch (considering their situation)
NOTES. The light is very dim.
TAGGED. Aster | Nano | Quark

 

[Aster]

interactions: Miu A Murder Of Corviknight
mentions: none
location: Ido Temple
mood: celestial spirit my ass

• Kisara ❀ Fukami •​

Kisara could not help but find it ironic how the Cleansing ceremony had completely missed its mark now that the two princesses were wandering in the forests with a cursed doll as their guide. She knew that the first thing she'd want to do upon returning was to take another bath, though with these time restraints, she wondered just how likely she'd get what she desired. Maybe she should've called Takehiko to help.

A quiet sigh left her as she thought back to the events leading up to now. Caught up by the genbu and Miu's pace, Kisara had came out with less preparation than she'd like.

At the very least, she thought to herself, I'm back in my own body.

The thought of Miu moving from tree to tree like a monkey in Kisara's body gave her goosebumps and the Fukami began to sympathize more with the genbu she was following.

Having made quite an assessment on Miu and her strange personality, Kisara could only sigh after the boys reacted to the ravenhead's sudden appearance. "Miu-san, I think appearing to them like that will likely startle them badly," she replied politely, as though she was already used to the strange behavior.

With Miu, Kisara began to understand how the Ashuran rumors came to be...

"But Brother Takehiko, Takara-san, what are you two doing out here?" she asked as the lamp was re-lit and held closer to their faces.

 

[Nano]

ashura takara;

convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies

Takara responded with a curt nod when he received Takehiko’s affirmative that they should search for the missing princesses together. As they made their departure from the tearoom, the ravenhead didn’t miss the cutting gaze that his temporary companion sent the priest’s way. Ah, it appeared that he had failed to draw the man’s attention away from the priest. In any case, it was no longer any of his business. If the Fukami decided to sharpen his metaphorical knives as retribution, the priest would simply have to man up to his mistakes.

After a word of agreement to affirm that he understood Takehiko’s request and a brief detour to retrieve Takara’s sword, the two were quick to arrive at the spring. True to the priest’s claims, the princesses were indeed missing, with only light dabbles of mud clinging to the grass as evidence of their departure.

“This way,” he said to Takehiko without an ounce of hesitation. Though the faint marks on the grass revealed little more than which direction the girls had headed off in, it was a good starting point. In any case, the priest’s lack of understanding on why they had rushed off into the forest made it clear that they were chasing after something rather than running away. With that being the case, finding more hints along the way shouldn’t take too much effort. He just hoped Miu hadn’t dragged Kisara along to chase after something dangerous.

Fortunately, their search didn’t take them too deep into the forest, with their targets finding them first. Though, he did secretly wish for his cousin to have chosen a more conventional way to make her appearance known.

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to do this?” Takara said while lightly tugging the tip of Miu’s ponytail twice. His expression appeared unimpressed, but careful observation would reveal an amused glint present in his eyes. As if he had recalled something funny, the smile in his eyes slowly spread to the rest of his face. With lips quirked into a wry smile, he tossed out a few mocking words barely covered up by some semblance of a reverent tone: “If you had startled someone clumsy like Arata-sama, he would have attempted to cut your neck with that hasty sword of his.”

As for whether or not the man in question would be capable of doing so, Takara was sure that they were both aware of the rather impolite answer. It was a shame, truly. Though he had good instincts and was a rare breed of genius, nature had birthed him with a hole in his brain while nurture had failed to fill it. No matter how much the clan elders scolded the so-called promising Ashuran for his lazy work ethic, his parents continued to coddle the man as if he were a three-year-old child.

Having stepped back to give Miu space to descend from her branch, Takara turned his attention from the ravenhead to Kisara.

“A priest responded strangely when Takehiko-san mentioned the two of you, so we concluded that it would be in our best interest to investigate,” he said. Seeing that the two were unharmed, Takara held back from expressing his concern and lowered his eyes towards the ground. Though Miu wasn’t the sort to mind such things, he was unaware of what topics stepped on Kisara’s pride, and unwarranted worry typically wasn’t taken well based on his past experience.

While staring at the pebbles scattered about the forest path, Takara’s gaze landed on a strange figure on the floor. With a start, he shuffled his left foot backward. “Wh-”

What is that thing?!

As if sensing his thoughts, the possessed doll rattled its head and neck violently to show its ire. Somehow feeling vaguely threatened by an unlucky presence, Takara held back the uncharacteristic urge to send the doll flying with a kick.

“Who might your new companion be?” he finally asked after failing to find anything better to say.

Quark A Murder Of Corviknight Aster

 

[Aster]

interactions: Miu A Murder Of Corviknight Takara Nano Takehiko Quark
mentions: none
location: Forest
mood: are we there yet

• Kisara ❀ Fukami •​

The exchange between Takara and Miu spoke volumes on their relationship, correcting Kisara's initial assumption that her arranged partner was someone estranged from the clan (unfortunately, Kisara would learn that this fact still remained true and that there were few in the Ashuran clan who made the exception; Miu being one of them). Seeing how he was capable of something akin to an affectionate jest gave her something to ponder on later when she's alone.

Who was Arata and why would he cut another Ashuran's neck for climbing a tree? Were all Ashurans so hasty with strange behavior?

Taking a better look at the darken-haired male, another question assaulted her. Was such a genuine smile something she could bring upon Takara's face?

While Kisara lacked no confidence in her own charisma and self-esteem, the answer to that question remained painfully uncertain. The lack of concern he showed stung just a small fraction of her pride more than her affections. Logically, she understood that she warranted no concern from someone she barely knew---engaged or not; but a part of her still argued that given the events they had gone through in the day itself, surely the dangers they've faced warranted her some care from the man.

With an internal sigh, Kisara focused her attentions on Takehiko. At the very least, she knew her brother cared for her as much as she did for him. "Did you two come out here alone?" she asked, but then turned to Takehiko with a fraction of a frown. "It's dangerous here," she warned him with concern, her eyes skimming for any signs of a weapon on him, or anything he could use as self-defense, really.

Seeing Takara flinch in the corner of her eye, Kisara had to sigh when the possessed doll acted out in such a creepy manner. She had to commend him for not outright attacking it or screaming at first sight. "Our companion," Kisara repeated, merely using the term for lack of better words, "Is a genbu-spirit. Miu and I promised to help it return to its original body."

She spared a glance at the wooden doll. It looked hasty to continue on and Kisara couldn't blame it. Spending just a few moments in Miu's body made her happy to be back in her own. She mentally shuddered at what would've happened to her frame had Miu dwelled longer.

"We're almost there. Hurry," the Genbu urged, moving forward once more on its wooden legs.