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Post by Uesugi Norimasa on Dec 17, 2012 2:42:55 GMT -5
"But I thought you said possessions every week?" He said with a small grin. "Why not ghosts?" She seemed nervous though, he thought, as if she were trying to convince herself. He glanced back when she did, noticing that the way they came in was no longer visible. He looked back to the markings on the ground. 'No turning back now, I'd never find my way out.'
He blinked, mildly surprised at what she said next. "Betrothed to the Emperor, you think?" He gave a small laugh and shook his head. "Name's Hieda Kazuki... But of all the people I could have bumped into. To think, I could be talking so informally with the future Empress right now."
"Say, is it getting colder in here?" He could feel it, the presence was drawing closer. He glanced around cautiously, then at Tsuru. She was sweating now. "Are you all right? ...Look, I don't mean to frighten you or anything, but you should probably know that there is a spirit here somewhere. I can, well, sense it. It's getting closer. Or we're getting closer. Either way."
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Post by tsuru on Dec 17, 2012 16:41:57 GMT -5
“Humans are easily corruptible; that’s why some demons take advantage of that. And unlike demons, ghosts are easily warded away by purification or banishment spells. We only ever had one ghost possession, by a living person, and the possessed woman died. We seem to have a lot of supernatural nonsense happening here.” Tsuru grumbled. Tsuru wasn’t scared about the ghost herself but the punishment she would dish out for being a relative to the one who killed her. The young girl shivered and breathed out white vapours; it was getting colder but at least the red markings were still there.
“Political climates change hourly within court; I could be betrothed to a noble or even a Daimyo. I wish high majesty wouldn’t delay our wedding.” As Tsuru said that, she turned around to see a pale woman behind Hieda, caressing him like a lover. The young girl stood still with her mouth agape with terror.
“Hieda-dono…Behind y-you.”
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Post by Uesugi Norimasa on Dec 18, 2012 2:04:00 GMT -5
"It's a big place, with a lot of history. Not surprising supernatural activity crops up from time to time. The onmyōji in the capital must be busy." Kazuki commented as they walked along. "Oh? Well, I hope it works out for you and the Emperor... Or daimyo, as the case may be." He wasn't sure how he personally felt about arranged marriages, but such was the way of the upper classes. He was going to ask if she was content with that lot in life, but was interrupted by a tingling down his spine and the look on Tsuru's face. He could feel the spirit's cold embrace, and shivered a bit.
"Fujitsubo-sama, I assume?" He said calmly, stepping away from the ghost and turning to face her. Her long hair was wild and unkempt. She was dressed in a fine white burial kimono, but it faded to nothing where her legs should have been. Like other ghosts, she floated in the air. Hanging around her were a couple ghostly orbs around her, hitodama, parts of her soul.
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Post by tsuru on Dec 20, 2012 5:27:20 GMT -5
“Oh ho ho, the little wench can see me now eh? How amusing!” The ghost of Fujitsubo exclaimed, hiding her laughing mouth behind her sleeve. Tsuru was, at the same time, awed and terrified of the apparition in front of her. The ghost was as beautiful now as she must have been in life but the bloodstains on her body had marred that. The ghost placed a finger on Hieda’s chin playfully and licked her lips.
“I hadn’t seen a beautiful man like you in such a long time~” Before she could do anything else, Tsuru grabbed her companions wrist and ran for it, the fear giving her adrenaline.
“I take it back! Ghosts exist and now we gotta run!” She almost screamed out, frantically searching the semi darkness for the way out.
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Post by Uesugi Norimasa on Dec 21, 2012 20:21:55 GMT -5
Kazuki didn't visibly react as the spirit touched him again. She was incorporeal, so he didn't physically feel the finger itself, but did feel the chill on his face. He was not afraid of her though. This was not the first ghost he had encountered. "Sorry," he shrugged, "but I don't think it'd work out between us. You being dead, and me not dead."
Before he could say more, Tsuru had taken him by the hand and they were running. "Hey, wait. We should try to talk with her." He had no real power over ghosts, other than the ability to communicate with them. He couldn't actively banish or exorcise them. But sometimes his words, and acting on their behalf to settle unfinished business, was enough. "You know, see what she wants, if there's a way to make amends or pacify her spirit, so she can rest in peace."
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Post by tsuru on Dec 21, 2012 20:43:31 GMT -5
“Are you crazy?! The only thing she probably wants is a good lay around! No thanks, I am not staying around for that!” The young girl screamed out, her face blushing; her mother taught her what goes on between a man and a woman (with Tales of Genji to help out) but she never experienced it herself. Tsuru tripped over her robe and fell onto the wooden floor, flat on her face.
“Ow~” The girl exclaimed, touching her red nose. She looked at the lantern on the wall and was relieved that they were still on the right trail.
“I’ll just ask my father to exorcise the place; I mean, she was a woman from my family.” Tsuru muttered. Despite the woman’s illicit affairs in life, she felt sorry for her; Fujitsubo did not deserve such a fate.
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Post by Uesugi Norimasa on Dec 22, 2012 0:24:02 GMT -5
"Maybe we could find a male ghost for her..." He muttered to himself jokingly as they ran. "Hey," he called out, "Be careful in that outfit, or you mig-... Nevermind." This was the second time he had seen her trip on her robes, he thought with vague amusement. It looked pretty, but what a cumbersome outfit all those layers must form.
He wasn't sure, but he thought he heard a snicker from Fujitsubo when Tsuru tripped. Looking over his shoulder, back down the hallway, he saw that the ghost was floating toward them at a leisurely pace. He turned back to Tsuru. "Hey, are you all right?" He asked, extending a hand to help her up. "How much further is the exit, anyway?" He wondered whether or not Fujitsubo's ghost could leave the confines of this maze-like wing, where she had died.
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Post by tsuru on Dec 22, 2012 4:04:54 GMT -5
“ I'm fine don’t worry!” Tsuru said, feeling tears at the corners of her eyes. She took Hieda’s hand and stood up, patting the dust off her robes. The girl got infuriated with her outfit and decided to take off the robes altogether, leaving only a white shirt and red hakama pants. Just imagine miko or priestess clothing and that’s what it looks like.
“The exit shouldn't be so far, I mean, feel that?” Tsuru felt the breeze from outside in the corridor; it was a lukewarm breeze of spring. They were close to getting out.
“Besides, Fujitsubo-dono can’t get out, she’s trapped here.” Tsuru said, eyeing the ghost from a safe distance. She was scared that the woman might possess her body and seduce her male companion. She wished that it didn't come to that.
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Post by Uesugi Norimasa on Dec 22, 2012 21:21:55 GMT -5
For the sake of her pride, Kazuki pretended not to notice the tears on her face as he helped her up. He didn't blame her for shedding more layers. It was surely much easier to escape from ghosts when you could run without tripping.
"Hm?" Now that she mentioned it, he did feel a breeze, and not the chilly, ghostly kind. He looked back at Fujitsubo, who was drawing ever closer. "All right, that's what I was thinking too. Most ghosts linger near where they died." He had initially intended to leave the palace and be on his wandering way, but now he considering staying and trying to deal with Fujitsubo. But his companion was visibly unsettled, and so it would probably be better to get Tsuru to a safer place first. "Let's get out of here for now." He motioned for her to lead the way, intending to put himself between her and the spirit.
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Post by tsuru on Dec 25, 2012 21:31:13 GMT -5
Tsuru wondered as she walked, how to get back to the Imperial Palace without the short cut. With Fujitsubo now visible, who knows what the ghost had in mind for the young girl? Possession wasn't far fetched and Fujitsubo did not seem malicious enough to kill her; she could have done that ages ago. The girl finally reached a small door and slowly opened it, revealing a field with Sakura blossoms. They were finally out.
“Oh finally!” The girl exclaimed, running outside. She closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air, smiling. Tsuru looked around her surroundings; going back to the Palace without the short cut would take half the day; already someone would of noticed her extended absence.
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Post by Uesugi Norimasa on Dec 27, 2012 3:09:05 GMT -5
"Huuuh?" He blinked, staring out at the field of blossoms. He looked back at where they had come from, glad to have gotten away from the ghost unscathed. But he was surprised that they were someways outside of the palace already, and had been under the impression that she was leading him to the palace's main gates. He had lost all sense of direction in the maze, and didn't realize how far they had traveled. He wondered where they were exactly.
"That was an interesting short cut." He laughed. For a moment he stood quietly, enjoying the sight and fragrance of the field's flowers. But then he said, "What now?" His swords, which he had inherited from his father, were still stored at the palace gates. He had to back for them. Plus, he wouldn't have felt right leaving Tsuru alone out here. She couldn't go back through the tunnel, not with the ghost. "I can accompany you back, Lady Tsuru, if you wish."
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