Muika's Cabin

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"It was my greed, Lady Okura. They did not go through anyone I was used to to ask me, in fact my business shut down at least three years ago. I should have never accepted it in the first place."

She wanted to interrupt, saying it wasn't his fault he needed or wanted the money he'd been offered -- What she'd seen so far of it, it'd been a generous amount. She couldn't exactly say she wouldn't take the deal either had she been in his shoes at the time.

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"Still, I can not turn this down offer. I won't underestimate you because of your size. Your eyes earlier showed me enough, you were prepared to kill. A good servant would say that it was your job due to my debt, but I am not so forward. We can wait if its what you desire. It is your past, Lady Okura."

"Mm." She gave a small nod, it would be best to tell him later, she didn't want to put Yamato in any danger by risking the chance of telling him now and Yamato overhearing.

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"I see ...colors? It is hard to explain, so I will keep it simple. I auras of people, at least that is what I think it is. I also see the aura of living things, things that I think aren't living, and things I know never were. I can follow auras of those to their owners, if they have one, sometimes I can even see sicknesses, if it is caused by ghosts or such. I can also...see ghosts, but that has nothing to do with my powers. At least I think it doesn't."

"I can also see those things from my mother's story. As long as I pretend not to notice them, most are too stupid to bother me. I've seen them eat ghosts alive, and the screams keep me up still. I've tried looking at them through my glasses as well, and they have this weird set of colors."

"Actually, your colors remind me of them. And Yamato's. They sort of blend colors that can't be blended by our normal eyes. But yours are more organic, colored colors, while theirs are shade of monochrome and silvers. My parents had singular ones, whereas these are mottled..."

"I hope that doesn't sound crazy to you, Lady Okura. It sounds so awfully insane though. I promise I am sane!"

"I see." She replied, thinking, so he knew what those monsters were, the ones that ate ghosts and sometimes living humans at certain times. He had powers as well, while not offensive powers but still powers nonetheless.

She moved the wrist that doned the gem and chain that had been the reason for their meeting in the first place up slightly, "Powers...Monsters...Don't worry, I believe it. I can't exactly say I don't believe something when I've seen it myself." She stated, giving a small breath as the red gem dangled forwards and backwards on it's chain.

"Guess I'll also explain...or well demonstrate the importance of this later then too." She added, thinking perhaps this mottled coloring he'd spoken of helped him identify others that also held abilities beyond normal human beings, whether he was aware of it or not. If that was truly the case though, then did that mean Yamato had powers too? It wasn't just something one could come straight out and ask, if the assumption was wrong then they'd just look like insane fools.

Yamato headed back as soon as he heard Iyuki's raised voice through the forest; he assumed that it was an indication to head back, intrigued but also confused about where the conversation was going. All Yamato understood was the Iyuki saw things, including those things from his mother's story. Yamato had assumed that it was just a story before.

Yamato walked faster back to the camp and when he made it back to the clearing, and heard Iyuki better when he mentioned that Muika's and Yamato's 'colors' were like that of the monsters. Yamato felt a sudden shame and self-hatred because of that alleged similarity. He was a monster, after all, to be punished, but perhaps Iyuki was part of the key in understanding his curse.

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"Powers...Monsters...Don't worry, I believe it. I can't exactly say I don't believe something when I've seen it myself."

Yamato initially thought of Muika as overall a non-believer, but this unconditional show of faith and Iyuki's new story reset Yamato's understanding of both of these strangers. They had shared stories, but there was so much more learn about each other, but he still doubted if it would be for the best. Yamato did want to learn more about Iyuki's powers, but didn't want to risk their lives when his past, and his curse, finally caught up to him. A lot of time had passed when he bathed himself, and the way the conversation was going, it had been an intense one. They probably had many problems of their own without his own to worry about.

It had been a random encounter; Yamato had been quick to treat these two as his friends, perhaps too quickly and that he knew well. He also knew he was lonely, and weary even though his bloodlust burned like a furnace in his chest. Sometimes he dreamed about his own death, and how to best accept his fate into his creator's hands. He prayed for the curse to end and be given his creator's ultimate mercy, to forget what he had done, to be bathed in cleansing light, but the guilt and shame continued to plague him as the reasons why he could never rest in peace. Yamato started to think that maybe he would only see these two for one day. The promise of Iyuki giving him some sort of new answer for his plight was very tempting, even with all the risk involved, taking the challenges of strangers, and trusting those that might be betrayers. Iyuki said something he claimed to be crazy; could he really be making it up? They all said they were alone in the world; was being together reason enough for him to stay? Iyuki had a reason to stay with Muika; he was a servant. All he was, was a hunter passing through.

All these emotions swirled in his mind, not as rational thought, but as emotion. He didn't have to rationalize as others might do, because his heart was his home. It was instinct that drove his mind, the desire for new friendship and answers but coupled with a never-ending self-hatred.

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"Guess I'll also explain...or well demonstrate the importance of this later then too."

Yamato had not noticed the red gem until now, but now he felt cornered by circumstance like a sheep corralled by a dog. There was definitely more to this situation than he was led to believe. He wondered if it was for Iyuki's ears only; it probably was. Yamato started to shift uneasily.

"That's... That's good." His words were rushed and very informal, let out in the breath that had been held in by the weight of fear. It felt weird and odd to be having such an odd discussion like this, sitting near a fire and waiting for food to cook. There was a wild man in the woods nearby, or so Iyuki assumed, and a nice lady near the fire too. It was like this was a special place, held off from the rest of the world.

Too bad life had o come back and intrude. That gem looked like the one they had asked him to retrieve, which...made a lot more sense. If it was the source of her powers, whatever they were, it would be smart to take it back. Especially with how sneaky they were. He had no idea if they wanted just the gem or Lady Okura weakened, but either wasn't good for her.

It hadn't crossed his mind that Lady Okura and Lord Yamato might have powers too, because he couldn't see himself. However once her powers came to light, it got Iyuki thinking. Was that coloring something special? He hadn't seen it often and assumed it had something to do with personality or something else. He hadn't given it a second thought...

A smell alerted the young man and he got up to stir the soup like substance. It was a mix between broth and soup, lacking in some essential vegetables for it to be a soup but definitely more substance than a broth. However it would do.

"Lord Yamato, are you out there? The soup is done. Lady Okura, we could use bowls if you have any, or cups with spoons." It was obvious Lady Okura didn't want to talk with Lord Yamato around but Iyuki couldn't figure out why. Maybe if he asked the man some questions it could break the ice? He was curious to test his theory now.

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"That's... That's good."

"Mm." She mumbled, giving a small nod in response.

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"Lord Yamato, are you out there? The soup is done. Lady Okura, we could use bowls if you have any, or cups with spoons."

"I do." She said, standing from her place in front of the fire before turning towards her cabin.

Once inside she began pilfering through her things again, looking for what Iyuki had asked for. She managed to dig up three spoons, two bowls and a mug -- all a bit old looking, being chipped in some areas. Gathering them in her arms she headed back outside to where they would eat.

"Here, you two can have the bowls." She said, "I've never been a big eater, so I'll use the mug."

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"Lord Yamato, are you out there? The soup is done. Lady Okura, we could use bowls if you have any, or cups with spoons."

"I am here." Yamato answered simply, rather abruptly and sternly, in fact. He felt himself cornered by circumstance, but he wouldn't hide from these people. He would make himself known as a man to these people, ignoring his discomfort. He was not the killer that hid in the shadows, at least, not in this case.

As Yamato approached closer to the campfire's light as the sun finished he didn't realize that his walking had stiffened. His face appeared more stern now as well. Perhaps he was sobering up from the elation he felt with the prospect of new friends, or maybe it was his primal fear finally kicking in again.

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"I've never been a big eater, so I'll use the mug."

Yamato was never good with sizes either, in terms of volume, and didn't have a good understanding of what fair portions really meant. It was not '3 equal servings' but rather 'Yamato Miruki and Iyuki's serving' moving away from numbers. He tried to think ahead to how many servings he could have, but his lack of math skills forced him to think in this sort of way. 'As soon as the others get a new serving, I will get a new serving too.'

Yamato forced a smile as he snatched the bowl from Muika's hand. It was not his intention to act rude, but it had been so long since someone gave something to him, other than the towel. However, even when Muika handed him the towel, that was different. Again, he now felt a certain fear, an apprehension towards his new company because of what had been said between them while he was gone. He scooped some of the broth from the pot directly and tried to balance the spoon with his index and forefinger to start eating.

He was never really good with spoons; eventually his parents gave up with etiquette lessons along with his other home schooling to get him to at least grade school competence. At home, they allowed him to eat with his hands and slurp his soups. All Yamato seemed to excel at was in his work as a farmhand. Yamato reflected that although his parents said they were proud of him, he wished he wasn't so stupid, and so repulsive that not even the family pets would stay.

His work with the spoon was clumsy and he spilled more broth back into the bowl than he did in the mouth. Yamato couldn't hide the fact that he had become anxious, both over the fact that he wasn't blending in well, and that he didn't know where the situation would continue because of it.

He wanted to slam the spoon on the ground by his side, clenching it tightly like a hilt of a dagger, but refrained. He still somewhat understood the concept of property, simply that this wasn't his, the way the Akai family had indirectly taught him. He sighed deeply.

Lady Okura obviously knew how much she'd want, so rather than bother her with his own opnion, Iyuki took the bowl that was offered. After all, if she was hungry for more, it wasn't like there was too little for her to refill the cup. Still, as her new servant it was his job to make sure she had proper nutrition.

Iyuki filled his own bowl, waiting for Lord Yamato to appear and setting his spoon across the top. He watched the man approach, more than ever aware of the obvious differences between them all. Even though he was now clean, the older man still seemed like he wasn't fitting in as well. Lord Yamato's expression was one that had Iyuki worried. He didn't talk much anymore, and seemed colder than he had. They were all getting along well, and now this. Maybe Lord Yamato thought they were crazy and wanted to get away?

It was too much weight, the atmosphere now around them all. Secrets unspoken, thoughts weighing them all down... It forced Iyuki to grab his spoon and quickly start eating the soup. His movements were quite precise, not a drop spilled and the soup cooled to perfect temperature before being put into his mouth.

However, it looked like Lord Yamato couldn't or wouldn't use it correctly. He looked so frustrated that it made Iyuki give a large smile with a genuine laugh to follow. "I am sorry, I should have thought first. Your face is too grumpy right now Lord Yamato."

Iyuki's spoon was set next to him and he looked at Lord Yamato before drinking the soup straight from the bowl, wiping his face with his arm and coat. "This is much better."

Unintentionally, Muika flinched just slightly when Yamato had taken the bowl from her. Was something wrong? He seemed...colder than he had been, his smile wasn't as genuine. The only reason Muika could tell even that, was due to the mere fact of growing up around people who did practically nothing but lie and fake their smiles for a living. The guards, doctors, all of them -- they were all nothing but fake when acting towards their experimental subjects.

Once both Iyuki and Yamato had taken the bowls and filled them with their servings, Muika filled her mug.

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"I am sorry, I should have thought first. Your face is too grumpy right now Lord Yamato."

"This is much better."

Muika remained silent, taking small bites from the soup as she ate. It was good, but it'd do her no good to eat too much at once. Eating too much would just lead her to become ill and waste what she'd eaten.

She wondered momentarily if she should try to speak, then again, she didn't really know what she could say.

Iyuki's manner in response took Yamato completely off guard. What Yamato had expected was verbal abuse in terms of his behavior, or to be cast out from the circle. Yamato laughed in response, but only after a long and awkward pause. He had never seen a noble dressed person use a sleeve as a napkin before, just to cheer him up or at least make him feel like part of the group.

"Grumpy?" Yamato smiled wildly. "It must be because of my empty stomach." He then slapped his knee and placed the spoon gently at his side. He was telling the truth still; given how much he actually ate with the spoon, which was very little. He saluted Iyuki and Muika with the bowl and drank from it heartily. Wiping his mouth with his hand and forearm up to his rolled sleeves, in a way imitating Iyuki.

Muika didn't seem comfortable now, but now it Yamato felt it was his turn to try and turn the mood back around. "How's the deer Muika? Must be good because you haven't said a word."

Iyuki had to keep the smile on his face as Yamato cracked a joke about his mood. He finished his bowl before looking in the pot. There was quite a bit left, enough for at least four others to eat and get seconds and maybe thirds. He wasn't sure, other than there'd be soup tomorrow. If he did it right though, he could add vegetables and give it more nutrition... Lady Okura's larder would need filling and now that he was here it would be his job!

He had a full day of shopping ahead of him, as well as job searching. If he was going to be here for a bit, it would require a decent paying job. Those generally needed a place to stay first too, but now he was all set. This was going to work so well... Though wait, what would Yamato do? Iyuki didn't want the man to just disappear. Hm. This could be a problem.

Starting to notice Lady Okura's quietness, Iyuki decided to try and help Yamato with drawing her out. His voice rose into a fake upper crust servant accent. "The deer might be good, but this sop of a soup would never be enough to grace Her Lady's table! So, for tomorrow I shall gather only the finest vegetables to put into this poor excuse of a meal. I may even make the most wonderful, handmade with love, bread. All for my dear Master Okura."

His hand swept outward, towards Lady Okura and he tilted his head. If he hadn't felt so relaxed right now, Iyuki would probably be worrying about the reactions of the two around him. For right now, all he could think of was not having things get too tense between them all. Maybe then the other two could open up easier.

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"How's the deer Muika? Must be good because you haven't said a word."

"Ah, So-" She'd began to say, albeit quietly, before Iyuki began to speak as well.

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"The deer might be good, but this sop of a soup would never be enough to grace Her Lady's table! So, for tomorrow I shall gather only the finest vegetables to put into this poor excuse of a meal. I may even make the most wonderful, handmade with love, bread. All for my dear Master Okura."

Muika's expression changed from her normally stoic one to that of surprised embarrassment. "H....Huh?!"

Quickly she caught herself, turning her face away from the two males knowing it was red from embarrassment. She wasn't used to that overly-formal speech, wasn't used to being addressed with such titles as 'master' or 'lady.' She was anything but that in her opinion.

"S...Sorry." She replied, still facing away from them -- mentally knowing they were probably going to get a laugh out of this. "I'm...not used to talking to people." She admitted with slight embarrassment.

Bread?!

Yamato hadn't had good bread in ages... he could do without the vegetables though. Anything wild would probably suck; a personal garden would be nicer. He started to contemplate if it was possible to make a garden here.

Settling, now?

Yamato knew at some point, he couldn't stay, not with his curse and not with his past following him. He would never have a garden of his own; that was also his punishment for leaving his farm.

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"I'm...not used to talking to people."

"Don't worry." Yamato said with a grin. "I'm just starting to learn again."

Lady Okura was red and Iyuki felt bad, but the tense atmosphere's last dregs broke with her blush. It seemed like once again everyone was being friendly! He could help but chuckle at this and put the spoon in his bowl, setting them both onto the ground. The soup had tasted better from all the work he had done and though Iyuki was still hungry he felt his stomach should settle.

Both Lady Okura and Yamato were relaxed, so Iyuki felt fine poking a joke at the two. They bother were so goofy, though their pasts made sense of that... Well what little he knew though. "It feels rather awkward to be the most social person here, though normally I am quite shy. Both of you make me feel like I am a popular, well socialized person."

"Anyone else up for seconds? We have enough even to last through tomorrow, though I am still going shopping just to be sure. Also, I will put in applications since I will be staying a bit longer than expected. And I owe you, Yamato, some more items as I promised. If you two want to stay tomorrow or go with me, I would be more than happy to. Or else I can take a list with me to pick up for you two?"

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"Don't worry." Yamato said with a grin. "I'm just starting to learn again."

Giving a nod, Muika finally turned to face them again, although eyes were glued to the mug in her hands. She wasn't used to being embarrassed, then again, not having really had much social interaction in the past couple of years and even beyond that left her unused to most things.

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"It feels rather awkward to be the most social person here, though normally I am quite shy. Both of you make me feel like I am a popular, well socialized person."

"Anyone else up for seconds? We have enough even to last through tomorrow, though I am still going shopping just to be sure. Also, I will put in applications since I will be staying a bit longer than expected. And I owe you, Yamato, some more items as I promised. If you two want to stay tomorrow or go with me, I would be more than happy to. Or else I can take a list with me to pick up for you two?"

Muika shook her head, "I'm full." She stated, her fingers lightly tapping the mostly empty mug.

"I'll...I'll also go tomorrow." If she'd told him she would guard him, then it would be completely reasonable to go shopping with him tomorrow to gather food. She knew as long as they stuck to crowded areas, much to her distaste, they'd be safer -- she just had to be sure that's where they stuck when out in public.

Yamato took 'seconds' as his cue to dip the bowl in the pot for another helping, which he scarfed down quickly as the other two talked. However, the words of tomorrow sunk deeply in his chest. He was suddenly solemn again.

"I don't believe you two owe me anything else. I did not expect such good company in return for so simple a hunt. Besides, I don't even remember what I asked for anymore..."

He heard a hooting in the distance, but didn't know if the sound was different enough to be a demon owl and not just a regular one. He stood up suddenly in response. The deer carcass he left might protect them, but as long as he was here, they were in danger.

"I will depart; I'm better off sleeping alone. I'm not very good with goodbyes, so I'm not going to say them."

"Thank you Lady Okura. I shall appreciate the help carrying things back!" Iyuki was happy, one more hand to help. He planned on getting quite a bit and was worried how he'd carry it all back, all the way out here. Maybe he needed to invest in those special boxes for bicycles... It didn't come as a shock to the young man though, when Yamato decided he had to go. The man seemed like he hadn't had much company at all, even less than Lady Okura. If he needed to be alone and recuperate...well he needed to. Still... he would miss him if he went.

"I'll still get it for you Yamato. It is the least I could do to repay you for the deer meat and the entertaining night. You just need to come back or else I'll have to track you down." Iyuki's ultimatum might have been softened by his shy ruffling of his dark hair, his only way to admit he'd like to see Yamato again. It also surprised himself that he referred to the man as Yamato now, instead of adding a Lord. It felt like a nice step...

"See you tomorrow, then. Sleep well Yamato."

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"I don't believe you two owe me anything else. I did not expect such good company in return for so simple a hunt. Besides, I don't even remember what I asked for anymore..."

"I will depart; I'm better off sleeping alone. I'm not very good with goodbyes, so I'm not going to say them."

Muika looked up towards Yamato then, it felt wrong not giving him what he'd asked for earlier in exchange for the food. She started to move to stand, to see if she could go gather most of it before he departed, but she stopped once Iyuki began talking.

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"I'll still get it for you Yamato. It is the least I could do to repay you for the deer meat and the entertaining night. You just need to come back or else I'll have to track you down."

"See you tomorrow, then. Sleep well Yamato."

She nodded in response, "Mm. Sleep well..."

Not being used to giving goodbye's either, she managed to repeat Iyuki's words to Yamato. What more could she have said? Just giving a normal goodbye felt....strange, not that it was a bad strange it was just new to her.

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"I'll still get it for you Yamato. It is the least I could do to repay you for the deer meat and the entertaining night. You just need to come back or else I'll have to track you down."

Yamato had enjoyed the company, and didn't expect he could be entertaining given the chance. He had been usually on the sidelines when it came to things in Hayato, ignored to work in his family's fields. It felt good to get attention that wasn't from the fact that he was the Hayato Pet Killer. It felt wrong to just go off and suddenly leave, but that had been the plan. Just try to track me down Iyuki.

"I'll see you both tomorrow at dawn then."

With that, he ran into the forested area towards the sound he heard before, with a plan to exterminate whatever made that sound and anything else he considered to be a threat. Maybe even... get something cute to pet. A tiny celebration couldn't hurt.

Iyuki spluttered on his second bowl of soup, at the words 'see you at dawn'. Oh no, he was one of the morning people... This was going to be so sad, Iyuki really did like to sleep in. It always seemed to surprise others when he admitted to that though, seeing as he seemed like a very punctual meticulous man. They didn't seemed to realize being punctual had nothing to do with a person's wish to sleep in.

Waving with his free hand until the man disappeared into the forest, Iyuki decided that now was the time to stand and stretch. His second bowl of soup done, he held out his hand to take the mug Lady Okura had used. "I suppose it is just us two, Lady Okura? What needs doing?"

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"I'll see you both tomorrow at dawn then."

Dawn seemed alright to her, having already been used to an early to rise schedule from childhood. She wondered though, how much earlier she should get up to handle her morning hygiene, not that she was exactly comfortable handling it at all while others were staying here.

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"I suppose it is just us two, Lady Okura? What needs doing?"

Muika handed Iyuki the mug before standing up herself.

"Nothing really." She replied, turning towards the cabin. "I don't own a lot so there's never really much to do."

Once at the door, Muika stopped. "When you're ready, come inside and I'll fill you in on what you need to know."

Having said that, she went inside. Muika stood there for a moment after the door had closed, looking around at nothing in particular. She moved to her mattress then, sitting down on it and resting her back against the wall while she waited on Iyuki.

Her eyes moved to the ceiling, taking notice of the few puncture holes and some chipped wood in some areas. Some looked like they'd been repaired while others looked fairly new. She gave a breath, moving her arm up to the ceiling, the gem faintly glowing before it took a new form, a silver gauntlet that only covered her wrist to the middle of her arm.

Without much thought, she fired the retractable blade it held, firing it into the ceiling; a small bit of wood chipping off in the process. She brought back the blade, repeated the process, and brought it back once more. She managed it about three times before she shot it into the ceiling once more, this time though, when she tried to retract it she felt herself be pulled slightly.

The blade was stuck.

'Shit, not again.'

She pulled, this had happened before but not often. She did this every once in awhile, always repairing what needed fixing in the next day or so but on rare occurrences her blade decided it just wasn't going to come out without a fight.

When Yamato was clear from their sight, Yamato ran much faster through the forest, about a quarter shunpo speed to catch up with the sound of he heard before. The owl had burrowed itself in a hollow hole of the tree trunk; Yamato kicked the trunk of the tree and the owl shrieked in surprise, flying out in an attempt to escape. The hunter leaped towards it, caught it in midair and started to tumble on the ground with it firmly clasped in his bulky arms.

The owl continued to shriek as it tried frantically to claw its way out to freedom, slashing Yamato's calloused and scarred arms and chest, snapping its beak towards the hand that tried to pet it.

what the owl looks like:

Yamato tried to soothe it by making hushing sounds, but his arms clenched even tighter when the owl flapped its wings frantically in the space that his hold allowed, just like the other times when an animal struggled in his arms so he could establish control. His arms were a vice that started to crush the bones of the owl. Yamato's petting hand ignored the biting of the small animal petting backwards from the owl's forehead like one would a cat or a dog.

"You're such a cutie." The owl's resistance quickly faded as it lost consciousness from the pain, but Yamato continued to pet it as it reassured it "It's going to be okay. I'll be gentle." The feel of feathers tickled whatever nerves were left in his arms as he cuddled with the dead animal.

Iyuki grabbed all the dishes and went to the small lake or large pond. He cleaned them well before coming back and then moving the pot further away from the fire. It just needed to cool before he could do anything else with it.

He was stalling and he knew it. Iyuki didn't want to know about secret things, not really. No matter how curious he was, if things were bad he wouldn't want to be near them. He didn't have anything useful in the way of fighting, and running always felt like he was losing face by doing so. It didn't stop him from running, but... Adding all the shame up from his fleeing would kill him, he thought.

Still, with nothing left to do after he had banked the fire, washed dishes, prepared the soup for cooling, etc, Iyuki walked inside with a deep breath for courage. He found a hilarious sight though, of Lady Okura somehow stuck to the ceiling! It wasn't her, but a chain and some sort of sharp edge, however she didn't seem to be able to take off the now gauntlet and the other end was stuck in the ceiling. It looked like there were a ton of marks from similar times she had done this...whatever this was.

"Lady Okura, let me help." Without waiting for her words of consent, Iyuki wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him and giving her pulling more weight to yank it back. He wasn't sure if this would help, but to be honest he didn't want to touch the gauntlet. It felt to his eyes...sort of like his eyeglasses. Something special not to be touched. Not even the chain.

She pulled and pulled but her blade refused to budge, "Tch."

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"Lady Okura, let me help."

"Huh, what no I-" Muika's words were stopped short when she felt Iyuki wrap his arms around her and begin to pull, trying to free her of the situation. Mentally Muika's mind was blank, her face flushed scarlet as her body froze.

"Y-You don't..."

She went silent again as Iyuki continued in his attempt to free her from the ceiling.

It wasn't that she wasn't thankful that he was trying to help, she just couldn't handle being in such close proximity to him. It brought up unpleasant memories, things she wished she could forget, things that scared her.

With one final tug, the blade broke free of the ceiling, immediately retracting back into the gauntlet as they fell back, Muika felt herself land on Iyuki, immediately she rolled off of him to the side, not facing him as she brought her legs up to her chest, curling herself into a ball on the mattress.

"T......" She gave a stifled breath, clamping her eyes closed. "Thanks."

About thirty minutes later after petting the dead owl, Yamato tossed the corpse away like trash in the nearby wood, just like the other animals he had killed in the past. The pleasure had been empty, just like before. He had lost the only one that mattered in his life.

"Nen." Yamato whispered. He hugged himself to feel some sort of sensation, because his new scars weren't even painful anymore. He put his back against the tree and wondered if it really was such a good idea to prefer to be left alone in the woods when he could be at the cabin with people. More importantly, people who didn't know who he was.

Yamato stood up and looked around the forest again. He was actually considering going back. An anxiety and fear that Yamato could not quite trace conquered him. For years he hadn't really known closeness. He felt that what he could have something special with Muika and Iyuki as fellow runaways, as long as he didn't mess it up. Yamato had never killed people the same way that he did animals, but he knew he was a monster all the same. Anything he loved tended to die, either by himself or his curse. He didn't want his new friends to die...

Yamato, deciding that he couldn't sleep anyway, started to run an approximate circular perimeter far enough away from the cabin, rifle gripped tightly in his hands. The deer corpse ward might not be enough to fend away the animal demons, especially since Yamato recently committed his signature sin.

As the blade retracted, Iyuki truly tried to shift his weight so they wouldn't go flying back. Alas, he hadn't accounted for Lady Okura's weight and they landed with a loud thump, Iyuki's tailbone aching. She wasn't heavy, but she was bony even through both of their layers of clothing and as she rolled her elbow found his stomach. Its fullness only added to the pain as he rolled to his side and wrapped his arms around himself, allowing an angry whisper exploitative. "Fuck!"

It took him only moments to regain his ability to move though, and as he noticed Lady Okura's position he jumped to his feet and bent over.


"All to serve you my Lady." Iyuki dark hair fell into his face as he bowed to Lady Okura, though he almost tripped over his own feet from stepping back away from her. She was obviously upset and scared. The ache in his butt and belly from where they both had landed was ignored and he planned on holding this position until she told him otherwise.

"If we...could get onto other subjects, such as what I should be avoiding now, would that be acceptable to you, Lady Okura?"

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"If we...could get onto other subjects, such as what I should be avoiding now, would that be acceptable to you, Lady Okura?"

Ignoring his earlier outburst, Muika gave a nod, still not facing him.

'So he's avoiding it...understandable.' She though before giving a large sigh. "The people that hired you...They're part of an organization or well...I guess a better term would be underground cult known as Bell's Viper."

She was having trouble, talking about this wasn't something she was used to, but if Iyuki wanted to keep himself safe and aware he needed to know.

"They take children from off the streets, orphans that no one would notice were gone. They wouldn't be missed...Usually they're around the ages from four to six." She swallowed hard, her heart pounding heavily in her chest.

"Remember when I stopped during my story earlier?" She asked. "I lived on the streets for a few months after my father died, after that...One night I got grabbed....by them."

Finally she turned over and sat up, not yet making eye contact with Iyuki; fearing his reaction.

"When taken, the children are branded and their names are taken away from them. They go by mere numbers." Saying this, she moved her left foot to where Iyuki would be able to see the bottom, revealing the brand mark she'd previously spoken of on the ball of the foot. "I was 613."

"The children they take...are used in experiments. Drug testing...weapons testing...that kind of stuff." Another breath. "I was part of both. The loss of use in my right eye is a result of the drug testing and...." She paused, knowing there was no avoiding the subject that was Seiya, as he was the true person in charge of the job Iyuki had been given.

"During my time there...there was a doctor. Seiya Nomura was his name...During my years there, he was the only person to treat me like I wasn't just some experiment. He treated me like a human being...He was kind to me, helped me, he'd comforted me when I was sad or when I'd lost my eye...If it weren't for him I'd have likely forgotten my own name since he refused to call me by my identification number."

She released another breath, though they were becoming shaky. "He's the one that gave me this gem..." She needed to tell Iyuki...she knew she did. What had changed between her and that doctor, why he was looking for her now, why she seemed to hate him. "Soon after I turned seventeen, I was put into another weapons testing fight. During those fights, you're meant to fight to the death. If not both parties would be punished."

"I...I almost lost. My opponent was about to cut me down when Seiya stepped in...He picked me up and I lost consciousness soon after that..." She could feel the tears brimming her eyes, could feel her shoulders shaking, talking about this hurt. It hurt more than anything.

"I woke up in my room." She began to remove the chain and gem from her wrist, working her way to the fabric of the arm warmer under it to remove it as well. "I was tied up...Seiya came in and my fears vanished. I thought he was there to help me, to tell me that everything was alright and that the other adults weren't angry because I'd survived..."

She sucked in a breath, her fists clenching for a short moment before she raised her left hand out towards Iyuki after having removed her arm warmer and pushed up her sleeve, her tear filled eyes finally moving up to take in his expression as she showed him the thin scar that'd been caused by the rope around her wrist and the four smaller scars on her palm created by her own nails. "He betrayed me...The only person I ever trusted....took advantage of me...of the trust I had for him." Finally the tears spilled over, as a repressed sob escaped her.

"After....After that my power revealed itself...I used that power to escape but...I didn't get to kill him...He doesn't want the gem...He wants me."

Using the back of her right hand, she covered her eyes; embarrassed to even be seen crying...to be showing weakness in front of another.