ruronihs

Unsettled Spirits

Junkojuro lied next to the girl for the whole night, awake but content. As a youkai, he didn't succumb to sleep in the same way a mortal did. In a sense, he had been sleeping for over a century, and now he was finally invigorated by that prayer; it would be some time before he felt the need to sleep again. He was eager to introduce himself to the girl, to show her that her prayer was answered, and to serve her in any way she wished, but for now he simply held her close, listening to her breathing and familiarizing himself with her biorhythm. The sun peaked through the windows, landing on Junkojuro's peaceful smile, but the girl did not stir. It was not surprising, though; now that the spirits that had been harassing her were warded off, her body was probably catching up on missed sleep. Mortals were strange like that, but it just gave him all the more reason to protect her.

Finally, the girl began to stir. The smile on Junkojuro's face widened and his eyes became bright with excitement. This was the first miracle he had worked in a very long time, and even in his prime he generally did not do things on such a large scale. He hoped that everything was to her liking. He saw her eyes open; she was taking in all of his work. He couldn't tell if she was pleased or not, though. Perhaps she had been dreaming of this very shrine and couldn't tell her dream from reality. Mortals were strange like that. But then the girl did something he never expected. Screaming and panicking, it seemed she was mustering all of the strength in her frail body to keep him away. But why? He only wanted to protect her... Ah, but perhaps she didn't know that. After all, he hadn't introduced himself yet, so to her he may very well just be another vengeful spirit. He would clear up that misconception straightaway.

"Milady, please calm yourself, I mean you no harm." The girl seemed to be calm enough for him to speak, but she was demanding an explanation and had a look of utter bewilderment about her. Was this not what she had asked for? Ah, but it had been so long that he had forgotten: mortals tended not to understand miracles and often needed them explained, even after they had just asked for one. "I assure you, there is no need to be distressed. What you see before you is merely what you have asked for. Last night, I heard your prayer. You said that you wanted something to calm the spirits, so I have restored the old shrine, which has kept you safe for the night. It will not be enough on its own to calm the land, but if you become its priestess, then I can guarantee that your prayer shall be granted.

"My name is Junkojuro, the protector of this hill, the one whom this shrine was built to honor, and from this day forward..." He leaned forward and placed his hand on the girl's shoulder, confident that she would refrain from violence after that explanation. "...I shall be your personal guardian. I will teach you the ways of a priestess, protect you from any and all harm, and will serve you in any way you see fit. My life is yours to wield. Now, might I have the pleasure of knowing Milady's name so that I may properly address you?" He spoke with a calm and sincere tone, and his eyes once again shone with a bright eagerness. This day was perhaps not the happiest of the fox's life, but it was at least the best one he'd had in the past century.

Those That Walk Among Us (ruronihs&MegaraFoxfire)

Garoth gave Megumi a bright smile, glad to hear that she decided to join. "That's the spirit!" he said, giving her a friendly pat on the back. "I know sometimes it's tough getting along with strangers, and some people are still tough to get along with even once you know them..." The was a grumble in is voice as if he had somebody in particular in mind. "...but when push comes to shove, it feels good knowing that there's somebody you can trust watching your back. You'll know what I mean once they send you on some of the more dangerous missions." There had been times when Garoth thought of quitting The Guild, but that was when he was young and thought he was invincible. No, he'd had his ass saved one too many times to scoff at teamwork. "So, shall we head back?" Garoth didn't know why, but he was eager for Megumi to become a guild mate. Perhaps it was because she was his recruit; her becoming a guild member seemed to validate his decision to spare her. Or, perhaps it was because he saw so much of his own past in her. He knew what it was like to lose his parents at a young age, to live by himself, to be a lone guardian. Sure, he had friends here, but none of them had shared his own experience like Megumi.

Unbeknownst to the griffin, though, Ozaku listened from behind the trees. He didn't want to confront Garoth about the book while the wolf was there. He would certainly get flak from Ayako if he drove her away with his interrogations. Plus, if they were planning to lie about the book it would be better to question them separately and look for discrepancies. But for now... He pressed up against a tree and his clothing took on the color and texture of the bark. His simply waited in the shadows, undetectable unless one knew exactly what to look for.

Unsettled Spirits

That was a long first post, but I wanted to make a dramatic entrance. Can you tell I watch a lot of anime? lol.

Unsettled Spirits

A raggedy old fox rested at the base of a crumbling old statue at the bottom of the hill and watched the girl walk up to her house again. It had been the same girl for a while now, about one phase of the moon, so he assumed that she would be the new human living there. He didn't care though, she would leave like all the others... or perhaps she would be stubborn and get herself spirited away. He didn't understand why a human would choose that place out of all possible plots of earth to live. It was a cursed place, a sad place. He remembered when the last priest had died so many years ago. He had no heirs, and nobody wanted to take care of the place, so eventually became dilapidated. He remembered when the humans came with their machines, tore down his old home, and put one of those new box-houses where it once stood. The man who tore it down even asked for his blessing! The fox couldn't blame the spirits for getting violent. He probably would have looted the place himself if he wasn't so tired...

Yes, it had been a long time since somebody had paid him an earnest offering. Perhaps a child would walk by and throw some bread crusts at the cute little fox that knew the words "sit" and "paw." But nobody could be bothered to leave him a simple bowl of rice or piece of tofu. Of course people still prayed to him though. "Please let my marriage be happy." "Please let me do well on my test." "Please let me win the lottery." The humans had stopped paying tribute, but the had never stopped begging him for luck. Well, he was out of luck himself, so that meant they were too. Not that he'd share any of his luck with them if he had any. Even that new girl failed to pay tribute despite taking up residence on his hill. Well, perhaps she hadn't seen him; he hadn't formally introduced himself yet. But, ignorance was no excuse and whatever those spirits did to her was what she deserved.

That night, though, after all the lights went out in the box-house, the fox felt something different. Something was pulling him. It was a prayer, but it wasn't like all the other trivial pleads he had been bombarded with for the past century. This one was warm, sincere. "Please, please ease these unsettled spirits..." He couldn't remember the last time somebody had prayed for the spirits' well-being. Of course, she was praying for her well-being too, but the girl was honestly frightened. But the fox could understand why, this was a matter entirely out of her hands. That is what prayers were for. He was on his feet, trotting up the hill. "Bring the shrine back if you must, please, anything to put them at ease." She would give up her box-house for this? The fox peeked in through one of the windows and saw the girl lie down on her futon, the prayer apparently putting her mind at ease. Then, his eyes darted to the front of the house.

That angry spirit that had scared her before stood at her door. The girl thought she was safe inside, but walls were nothing to spirits. And the fox could tell that the Eyeless One was particularly restless. It would enter tonight. Perhaps it would kill the girl, perhaps it would simply decide to haunt her. However, there was nothing he could do; he was just a decrepit old fox, and that thing was a true monster. Well... there was one thing... if it was still there. He darted back to the crumbling statue and began digging furiously at its base until his paws struck glass. Yes, it was still here, and it was full of energy! he clamped down on the object and pulled out a glass ball, and then ran back to the front door, intercepting the Eyeless One's slow, menacing path. The small fox stood staunchly in front of the spirit and then let go of the glass ball, but it did not fall to the ground; rather, it hovered in place and glowed with a gentle blue light. "I will grant your prayer," the fox said, speaking for the first time in over 100 years. "I will give everything I have to grant it, and perhaps together we can put this land at ease."

The light from the orb intensified and blanketed the house, then drenched it in blue flames. The walls, the floors, everything of the house became flame, and then it twisted and grew. The floors became tatami, the doors became sliding walls, and giant red arches formed in front of the reborn shrine. Standing at the entrance was no longer a ragged old fox, but a young man with three gorgeous tails. "This is the shrine of Junkojuro!" he called out for all the spirits to hear. "No harm is to come to this place!" Then he pointed to the Eyeless One, his finger mere inches from its gaping mouth. "Begone at once!" It seemed the display was enough to thwart the creature, at least for tonight; it had not come expecting a fight. The Eyeless One turned away and disappeared into the night, and all that remained was the ambient noise of the night.

Junkojuro then entered the shrine to check on the girl. She was still sleeping, oblivious to the fantastic display that had just taken place around her. Junkojuro knelt down next to her futon, a warm smile on his face. "It may be some time before the spirits are at ease," he said in a soft voice, not loud enough to wake her. "I cannot do it alone, but if you help me, I can grant your prayer. But, for the time being..." He gently stroked the girl's hair. She was so small, even for a girl. She was certainly brave for choosing to live among such dangerous spirits. "I know why you prayed to me. You are frightened. Do not worry, I will protect you." With that, Junkojuro laid down beside her and wrapped his arm about her waist, ready to ward off any harm that may come to her, be it from spirits, her own kind, or the gods themselves.

Those That Walk Among Us (ruronihs&MegaraFoxfire)

Garoth was glad to see that Megumi was not so distraught that she couldn't cheer up by the time he arrived. "I guess that means Ayako put you up to it." He let out a small chuckle. "That old fox must have visited my village close to a dozen times before he convinced me to join. I was a stubborn one, but he was persistent and he's always had a way with words. Did he drop his classic 'maximize your altruistic potential' argument on you? That was the one that got me thinking." Garoth laughed again. He thought it would be great if Megumi joined The Guild and thought she would do well as a member, but he didn't want to pressure her to do something she didn't feel comfortable with; it was her decision to make, not anybody else's.

Ozaku walked through the aisles of the library, each meticulously trained footstep landing silently on the floor. The Wolf of the West's files were over 100 years old and were being kept in a special archive for preservation. He had instructed the librarian to deliver it to Ayako at her earliest convenience, but for now there was a certain book he wanted to have a look at that would provide a decent historic background for the meat of the information. Unfortunately, that book was gone. The one book he wanted in a library of thousands just happened to be gone. Coincidence? No, he didn't believe in those; there was a cause and a reason for everything, and when he determined that cause he would find the book. It wasn't a difficult riddle. He could tell from the dust patterns on the shelf that the book had just been taken out recently. So, who may have developed a recent interest in ancient wolf spirits besides Ayako? There was one lead: the spirit that just befriended one, Garoth. Seconds after seeing the missing book, Ozaku silently left the library in search of the Griffin.

Anyone there???(Male search)

I'm interested in the Youkai x Maiden idea you have. Playing fox spirits is a personal favorite of mine. I can see the possibility for some interesting dynamics between the characters. The fox's overprotective nature leads to him being excessively aggressive towards potential enemies while the priestess seeks more peaceful solutions. Let me know if you want to start this up.

[Casual - Advanced] Hunting the Potent and the Peculiar (ignore post count)

So, I read your description and came to the conclusion that you are an awesome person that I would like to RP with. What particularly caught my eye was your emphasis on multiple layers and contrast. I'd be interested in creating a fantasy RP. I don't have any specific ideas right now, but I'm looking for someone to brainstorm with. If we do get started, I expect to be able to post at least once per day, perhaps missing a day here or there. Would you be interested in throwing some fantasy ideas around and see what we come up with?

Seeking Passionate Casual/Advanced Writers

Well, I don't exactly have a particular premise in mind, but I was looking for somebody to brainstorm with and make a cool setting. I tend to like worlds with lots of magic and creatures in them, and I tend to draw influence from the zillions of anime I've seen, which I would say makes the tone lighter.

Those That Walk Among Us (ruronihs&MegaraFoxfire)

Ayako was a bit taken aback by Megumi's sudden departure, but at least she had the courtesy to bid him farewell. "Well, I suppose we all have our quirks, don't we Ozaku?" The man in black nodded silently as Ayako cleaned up the supplies. However, something was bothering the kitsune. What was it about the Wolf of the West -- no it was the whole pack wasn't it -- that got them exterminated? "Ozaku, bring me the file on her father and all spirits of the same race. I'd like to conduct a thorough background check before we accept her into The Guild." As soon as Ayako finished speaking, Ozaku disappeared into the shadows, although unlike Megumi, his apparent disappearance was just due to the nuances of his movement.

Garoth let out a sigh when Scarlet's eyes glazed over. He knew that look; it usually meant that he had to zip through the air to prevent some apparent misfortune from happening. Fortunately, it didn't seem too serious this time. "Well, since The Guild isn't up in arms, I guess that means she took her brand and left. We can't keep her here if she doesn't want to stay, and Malik isn't her boss just because she accepted a brand." Still, a part of Garoth thought she should have at least told him how it went. "Anyway, I guess I'd better check on her just in case. If you're hitting the books, then I'll head to the garden."

With that, a pair of shimmering wings sprouted out of his back and, with their help, he made a giant leap to the top of the wall next to a guard tower. He tapped on the window and signaled that he was heading out -- they were used to him taking off like that -- then went full griffin and soared over to the garden. As he circled from above he spotted Megumi easily, and saw that she was obviously upset about something. He immediately averted his gaze so as not to invade her privacy any further and spiraled down into a small clearing a small way away from where she was. Garoth took his mortal form and made no effort to quiet his steps as he approached; he didn't want to make her reveal any feelings that she'd rather keep to herself. "Well, The Guild didn't erupt into a chaotic frenzy when you left," he said as he walked up to her, giving her plenty of time to dry the tears that he had already seen from above. "I take it that means everything went well?"

Seeking Passionate Casual/Advanced Writers

Would you be interested in starting an original fantasy RP? I'd like to come up with a unique plot beyond the typical "warring kingdoms" or "ancient evil rising" tropes.