Born in flames, I have been blessed
09-22-2020, 07:41 AM
It was midday but it felt as though Hanako had stepped into a land of night and mystery. The sun barely penetrated the twisted canopy as a rolling fog surrounded Hanako, just reaching her knees as she pushed on through the mud and muck. More than anything she just wanted to turn tail and head back home, to rid herself of this filth but curiosity had well and truly gotten the better of her. It had been faint at first, a tickle in the back of her nose, but the further she ventured the stronger it became, a familiar scent she hadn’t picked up since...well it felt like forever ago.
She’d gotten better at tracking as of late, had learned to use her senses efficiently in tandem but in a place like this everything seemed to meld together. The sights, the smells and sounds were all one browny-green blur, with only the shadows to separate it all. Letting out a huff Hanako came to a standstill, her brows drawn as her tail lashed in frustration. Wherever the trail was headed she’d lost it now and maybe in the process she’d gotten herself.... Did she really have to admit it? She puffed out another sigh as she indignantly kicked a sodden stick out of the way, for all her successes as a Wraith she’d kinda fallen flat on her face this time.
09-23-2020, 07:24 PM
Hattori remained hidden in the shadows, silver eyes glinting in the darkness as he waited with baited breath. His shoulder throbbed with every shift of his muscles and his ribs felt like they’d crack at any moment. He had no formal medical training but it didn’t take a healer to realise that he was in a bad way, or at the very least in no state to get into yet another fight. But it seemed as though he had no choice in the matter, more blood would be shed regardless. With a pained hiss he lowered himself down onto his stomach and pushed himself against the gnarled roots of a tree as his ears flicked forward, listening intently to the sound of approaching footsteps. They were clumsy and careless, no doubt intended to lull him into a sense of false security. Fine, so be it.
Falling back on instinct he exploded out from the undergrowth, heavy paws kicking up mud as he collided with the pale, if not dainty form of his unwelcome shadow. Pain ricocheted through his form and the snarl that tore from his throat, despite it all, wasn’t one of fury. The pair tumbled to the ground and Hattori was quick to use his size to his advantage and pinned her with ease. He would have used his talons or horns but- well honestly he was a little surprised at how easily she was overpowered. Her attempt at defending herself was feeble at best, sloppy and panicked as though little thought or reasoning went into her actions. That should have been reason enough to pause, to take a moment to breathe and think, but the deed was almost done. There was no use in getting distracted before the dust had settled.
With his paw against her throat he slowly began to apply pressure as her legs began to kick and flail against his underbelly. His ears flicked back at the sound of her struggling wheezes, the way she writhed uselessly beneath his weight. Regardless of how it looked he took no pleasure from this, he was only doing what had to be done. To her credit she managed to aim a good whack against his ribs that made him want to throw up but he held firm, waiting for the life to die in her eyes.
Falling back on instinct he exploded out from the undergrowth, heavy paws kicking up mud as he collided with the pale, if not dainty form of his unwelcome shadow. Pain ricocheted through his form and the snarl that tore from his throat, despite it all, wasn’t one of fury. The pair tumbled to the ground and Hattori was quick to use his size to his advantage and pinned her with ease. He would have used his talons or horns but- well honestly he was a little surprised at how easily she was overpowered. Her attempt at defending herself was feeble at best, sloppy and panicked as though little thought or reasoning went into her actions. That should have been reason enough to pause, to take a moment to breathe and think, but the deed was almost done. There was no use in getting distracted before the dust had settled.
With his paw against her throat he slowly began to apply pressure as her legs began to kick and flail against his underbelly. His ears flicked back at the sound of her struggling wheezes, the way she writhed uselessly beneath his weight. Regardless of how it looked he took no pleasure from this, he was only doing what had to be done. To her credit she managed to aim a good whack against his ribs that made him want to throw up but he held firm, waiting for the life to die in her eyes.
09-24-2020, 08:14 AM
Hanako stared up at her assailant, teary eyed and breathless as the mud soaked into her fur. She didn’t even think to scream or cry out for help, it was all just so surreal that she almost wanted him to strike her again, just so she could make sure she wasn’t seeing things. Those markings, paired with his horns and talons, who else could it be? She'd recognised him right away but she couldn't tell if the same could be said for him, or if he even cared. He simply held her down with an oversized paw bearing down on her throat till her vision began to darken around the edges. Slow at first, then terrifying creep as the severity of the situation hit.
Their gazes met and an expression she could only describe as horror flashed across his face like a streak of lightning, she blinked and it was gone, replaced by a cold look of neutrality. He’d always been a hard man to read, time clearly hadn’t changed that. He grunted to himself, his grip letting up as he shifted his weight to his back paws. And then he finally let her go and Hanako could breathe again. Dragging in a wheezing breath she coughed and sputtered, her heart still racing in her chest as she shakily looked up at him. Her instincts were SCREECHING at her to run and it would have been the smart thing to do, but she knew him and the fact he’d attacked her sent her spiralling off into the void. It was a struggle to even put a name to his face, as though it was the darkest of taboos and in doing so it’d ruin the standing of the man she’d thought he was:
Hattori Hanzō.
Beyond all of that there was a lot she wanted to say but she didn’t quite have the breath for it just yet. A long moment passed as she stared down at her trembling paws, and then she finally gathered the nerve to look at him. He’d been watching her the whole time, his gaze colder than any she’d ever seen. She shivered.
"I- I thought you were going to kill me." Maybe he still would.
09-24-2020, 09:46 AM
Hattori grimaced and finally looked away. Whilst it was true he found Hanako's bubbly personality quite insufferable he'd never entertained the thought of harming her. Knowing he'd gotten this close to killing an innocent girl truly did not sit well with the shinobi, till this point his actions had been calculated and measured so the fact he'd attacked her on a hunch made him want to grit his teeth. His right eye twitched a little, a subtle hint of frustration roiling beneath the surface. The carelessness of his actions hurt more than his wounds, like many warriors his ego was a delicate thing, easily bruised, and today it had taken a right beating. When he turned to Hanako once more she flinched back and it was a struggle for him to remain neutral. Acting as though he hadn't noticed he shifted his weight off his left side and very carefully lowered himself down into a short but polite bow. When he rose he looked at her dead in the eye, his gaze unwavering and firm. An apology wouldn't mend this but it was the right place to start.
“I apologise.”Hattori then sighed, as though he was exhausted beyond words. He knew he ought to offer her some sort of explanation but he'd always been private and the thought of making his problems public knowledge was rather unpleasant, to say the least. “I believed that you were someone else, clearly I was mistaken.”
Hattori didn't think much of her beauty or value as a bride but he couldn't help but wonder about her heritage. From what he'd heard her parents were a pair of nobodies and yet she'd been marked by the koi, did she have some noble blood lingering beneath the surface or was she simply a fluke of nature? Hattori didn't know but he didn't care enough to find out either. Indifference aside he noticed the strange scents that clung to her form, she belonged to someone and perhaps escorting her back would be yet another step in making amends. He moved, the shift in his muscles slow and tentative as he mulled it all over. No rash actions this time, just his usual quiet contemplation. Her voice was croaky and her throat likely sore but he imagined she had the strength to walk on her own, that no real lasting damage had been done. Hopefully.
“It is not safe here, I shall escort you back.” Hattori dealt in absolutes and left very little room for argument, not that he thought she would. “Come.”
“I apologise.”Hattori then sighed, as though he was exhausted beyond words. He knew he ought to offer her some sort of explanation but he'd always been private and the thought of making his problems public knowledge was rather unpleasant, to say the least. “I believed that you were someone else, clearly I was mistaken.”
Hattori didn't think much of her beauty or value as a bride but he couldn't help but wonder about her heritage. From what he'd heard her parents were a pair of nobodies and yet she'd been marked by the koi, did she have some noble blood lingering beneath the surface or was she simply a fluke of nature? Hattori didn't know but he didn't care enough to find out either. Indifference aside he noticed the strange scents that clung to her form, she belonged to someone and perhaps escorting her back would be yet another step in making amends. He moved, the shift in his muscles slow and tentative as he mulled it all over. No rash actions this time, just his usual quiet contemplation. Her voice was croaky and her throat likely sore but he imagined she had the strength to walk on her own, that no real lasting damage had been done. Hopefully.
“It is not safe here, I shall escort you back.” Hattori dealt in absolutes and left very little room for argument, not that he thought she would. “Come.”