genessia | (no subject)

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Who: Luke and Koishi...and about a week later, Luke and Satsuki
When: October 2nd (Luke + Koishi); October 8th (Luke + Satsuki)
Where: Genessia, Luke's flat (Luke + Koishi); Nova City, Guardian's Office (Luke + Satsuki)
What: Luke realizes something isn't quite right with the Satori sisters. At first, he thinks maybe Koishi is getting sick, but a little research into what methods might make a youkai get better reveals that he has other concerns to address.

A Quiet Afternoon [Genessia City, Luke's apartment, Oct 2]

It wasn't really uncommon that Koishi would spend time in Luke's flat. If she was in Genessia and he was home from the tea shop, it wasn't unusual that he'd invite her over for some tea and puzzles. Or, tea for the both of them and puzzles for him and time with Suna for both of them.

But today, his friend seemed...unlike herself. Sitting at the kitchen table and doodling along the edge of the page of a puzzle he couldn't focus on. The drawing of the hat and accompanying squiggly line was vaguely reminiscent of Koishi and her tentacles. With a sigh, he glances up at Koishi, carefully placing his pencil atop his notebook and wrapping his fingers around his cup of tea.

Rather than her typical cheerful self, Koishi seems withdrawn. Sleepy. Worn out. It's not like her, and it worries him. It bothers him.

"Um...Koishi?" Luke sighs. "Are...um, are you all right?"

An Uneasy Atmosphere [Nova City Guardian Office, Oct 8]

It's been quite a while since Luke's traipsed all the way to Nova City and Satsuki's proper Guardian's office. He avoids doing so as much as possible, primarily as it reminds him of his unexpected unemployment--but today, he had no choice. The conversation he needed to have with Satsuki was far too important to have over the phone, and he needed to see her in person.

So here the apprentice is, clearly uncomfortable, standing nervously in the lobby, clutching a library book close to his chest. Luke is typically presentable, but today he seems worn down, exhausted and anxious and altogether a nervous wreck, dark circles under his eyes and shoulders sagging. He taps his fingers against the book in his arms, blinking.

Satori youkai...he thought he'd just look up and see what Koishi might need to get better if she was sick. And so he'd gone to he library and checked out a book about youkai and started reading. But then more he'd read, the more he'd thought he should have left well enough alone. And then--

Monsters and devils and youkai eat people, Koishi had told him. Most of us are carnivorous or omnivorous and human is just another thing to hunt...but at the same time just because my sister and I don't hunt humans doesn't mean that all satori youkai are safe to be around.

When he'd put that conversation and the information in the book together on October third, he'd been wide awake. Every night. Desperate to find something to prove that he'd figured wrong. Five sleepless days later and here he is, an exhausted nervous wreck, waiting to tell Satsuki what he thinks he's figured out. "I...I really need to talk to Miss Kiryuin. I know she's busy, but...but it's important."

It's the tiniest hiccup that belies the tears he's barely able to contain as he pleads with the woman sitting at the front desk, raising his voice just slightly. "It's...it's almost an em--I mean, it's...it will be an emergency if we don't do something soon..."

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Koishi certainly wasn't acting herself. She was sipping her tea, but she had scarcely touched the cookies set out, ignoring them in favor of another tactile metal puzzle. She was normally very good at them but she seemed to be having a bit of trouble focusing... Not that really was anything new, but normally it was because she was getting distracted. Her third eye was resting in her lap, arteries draped more around her ankles as opposed to floating as they should.

She paused and blinked, looking up at Luke. "Mm?" Her eyes were darker? No, dimmer. And meeting her gaze caused a strange sensation. Almost like vertigo, but only for a moment. "Ah, I'm okay." She didn't really seem okay, but, then again, she couldn't lie directly. "Cracked in blue sliding along each other and chilly." She looked back down at the puzzle quickly. "Creeping black lines. Creep, creep, slow, and stop. And then its all gone. But where?"

She glanced back up at him once, turning her gaze quickly back down... She sighed softly, setting the puzzle aside after another moment, reaching up to rub her left eye with the back of her wrist.

"They all crack and fall and roll just out of reach."

Luke has gotten better at understanding Koishi's riddle-speak. Exponentially so, at that--he treated her unusual turn if phrase like a puzzle and took time to parse out what she was trying to say, and he was proud of the fact that far more often than not he understood her. But this he doesn't understand, not one bit.

Even worse, the moment she caught his gaze, he completely lost his train of thought, overtaken by vertigo. It passed instantly when Koishi looked sway but it was a surprisingly familiar feeling...he just wasn't sure from where.

"...um."

Luke glances at the untouched cookies. He adds an additional artery to the drawing on his paper and puts the flower on the doodle-Koishi's hat. "You don't seem so ok."

He peers at her from the table, hands on his knees, frowning. "I can call Miss Satori if you're getting sick..."

She shook her head, frowning down at the table. She seemed very focused on something, tracing a nail lightly along the table, making a pattern. She wasn't really showing symptoms of a normal sickness. but then again she hadn't been anywhere near this bad a few hours ago.

"It's all gone. Sis' too. Carefully saved and carefully hidden but now there isn't any... Shattered and broken bits found round and round. No help. None at all." She shifted her hand and drummed her nails once on the table.

"It's like before. Before we found our home in Gensokyo. Sis did so well cultivating them. Changing their minds. The people all over and far away. It worked then. Why not now? It should work now... With even more here and there..."

She swallowed and raised her head, closing her eyes for a long moment and taking a deep, slow breath. She faded some from his perception but she sounded more focused. "...I'm sorry. I'm making no sense. I'm not really trying to... I'm tired..."

Edited 2015-10-13 15:53 (UTC)

Luke sat quietly, taking in what Koishi said and ultimately deciding he still had no idea what she was going on about.

All gone, like before in Gensokyo. The people all over and far away--Luke remembered Koishi telling him months ago that Satori had stayed in and away from the humans in their world, for years and years and years, because humans were afraid of them. Because she didn't like being hated. Because she was afraid of humans. But with that in mind, Luke thought that people here in Genessia were fairly tolerant of the two sisters. Even though he himself was a big uncomfortable around Satori it was more her attitude than her youkai background. It seemed like there should be a link here, like this should be important and fit into some bigger picture, but it doesn't quite do so and he's not sure what to do other than keep listening.

He sets down his pencil, trying to meet Koishi's gaze. He notes, then, that she keeps her gaze away from him, closing her eyes. "If you're really tired, maybe you need to go home to sleep. I'll make sure you get home okay, if you're so sleepy."

So sleepy--he can hardly see her. Luke scrubs his eyes with his sleeve, frowning. Something, something isn't right. It is in fact not just not right but dreadfully wrong--and he has to do something.

"It's... Not that kind of tired." She was still clear, her eye raising in the corner of his mind. Now that it was visible it helped him focus, sharpening her, though her presence left an odd weight in his mind. Like changing altitude and pressure. Not painful; just a bit uncomfortable.

"It's not really something that can be helped either. A moment of weakness... It just snuck up on me. I'll be fine... Heh. You'd think after a century even a broken youkai could learn to self-monitor." Even her clear speech wasn't making much sense. Like she picked up in the middle of a thought. A deep breath, her eye closing as she let her focus go. She faded completely for a moment before swimming into focus again.

"Not even the faintest trace, plinking long round until every well runs dry." She was clutching her stomach. "Luuuke you're stormy. Don't be stormy. Your hat doesn't work well for that. It will get soggy." Shakily, Koishi rose to her feet, holding the corner of the table for a moment. "You should go do human things. Important things." She still wasn't looking at him.

She reached down and took two spheres off her belt, placing them on the table. Pokeballs containing both Ivysaur and Gallade. "Company, please. With Suna too." A weak smile.

"Quiet and settle and everything will be fine. Bones, bones, bones. Dot, dot, here, there." She walked to the window, bumping her forehead against it, managing to catch her hat before it fell. She blinked, staring at the frame before unlatching and opening the window. Her whole body coiled and faded. Luke couldn't see her actually take off, but a moment later her presence left the room.

Edited 2015-10-21 11:57 (UTC)

Luke may not be aware, or perhaps had forgotten in his worry, but the minority of humanoids about the office of course were familiar with Luke. He used to be the assistant of Satsuki after all, and a tiny kid rushing about the office doing this and that was the kind of cute that's impossible to forget.

The secretary gave the young one a puzzled look at first. Emergency or not there were procedures; so the dilemna is let Luke in and risk getting in trouble, or bother Satsuki for permission and get into trouble. Neither option really looked good.

Thankfully Satsuki was aware that Luke was arriving. Perhaps it's best not to ask how. Either way there is a distinct clack of her heel as she steps from one of the elevation lifts, with her hands behind her back. "It is rare you stop by the Headquarters off-schedule." she comments aloud. "Shall we speak in my office?"

One could almost hear the sigh of relief from the secretary.

Luckily for the secretary as well, Luke was easily persuaded into waiting--he had himself in such a state that he could hardly work up the energy to protest more than he already had. Thankfully Satsuki appeared shortly thereafter and all of his bluster deflated. Luke shrank behind the desk, fearful of getting into trouble for showing up unannounced, visibly recoiling from both Satsuki and the humanoid secretary (with whom he had been friends in the past, ironically enough.)

But Satsuki didn't seem irritated with him, just curious as to his visit. Luke readjusts the book in his hands and blinks at her, rubbing his eyes tiredly. There are no tears--he more looks like an overexhausted student during finals week.

"I'm sorry for not calling first."

I was afraid if I called I'd panic and say everything over the phone is what he's really thinking and what his slightly disheveled appearance suggests. "I should have..."

Thankfully with age comes wisdom, or something like that. The Guardian has a few years on the apprentice and she realizes that him trekking all the way to the office meant that the topic at hand needed to be discussed in person and in private. He nods weakly when she suggests that they talk in her office and follows in nervous silence as they return to the lift.

As they pass the secretary, it finally hits him. He definitely knows her. "Oh...um. Hi, Miss Millie. I'm sorry."

First off, once Mechanical Intelligent office LIaison, Executive secretary is addressed by name, lights behind her iris' flicker. It's a happy flicker, not one of an android about to self destruct, honest. It's always nice to be recognized!

"We can discuss apologies later," Satsuki replies as she guides Luke to the lift by her side. She's just satisfied that Luke came to her about the issue rather than try to fix it himself. Progress is a wonderful thing indeed. "I take it the news has something to do with that book? Though before you answer that; how long have you been awake? Your appearance is disasterous."

It won't take them very long to reach their destionation. They would likely reach it just as he answered, the entrance revealed by doors to her office sliding open.

Edited 2015-10-16 20:55 (UTC)

Away from ~~prying~~ recording ears, Luke sighs. "I...was nervous if I called I'd accidentally say everything on the phone. I know they aren't always completely secure."

Unspoken: this needs to be kept private.

Once in Satsuki's office, his shoulders sink further as he settles in his seat across from the Guardian. Exhausted, he sets the heavy book next to him, tiredly rubbing his eyes.

"A few days. Every time I fall asleep, um..." He swallows. It's hard to admit that you're having nightmares, especially to one Satsuki Kiryuin. "I don't look that bad, do I?"

Probably not--but he does look far more exhausted than any fourteen year old has any right to be.

Edited 2015-10-16 21:29 (UTC)

A few days? Is that even acceptable for a boy his age? .. Satsuki really doesn't know, but her gut tells her she's probably going to need to knock the boy out after this.

And she'll do it, too. Maybe. Perhaps she should gather more information first. After the two are seated, she makes a gesture with her hand, soundproofing the room.

"You appear as if you have not slept for a few days, but we can discuss the details afterward." Satsuki confirmed with her usual frown. It's been a while since anyone has come to her with an intelligence report, and she kind of missed it. At least she hopes it's an intelligence report. More specifically, intel from someone of her trusted circle. "What news do you have to report?"

Pity that Luke doesn't see this as an intelligence report--though he'll present it like one anyway, he rather sees it more like asking Satsuki for help. Or even more appropriately to fix a problem he cannot.

He rubs his eyes again, trying to fight back the exhaustion. The bits of sleep that he has gotten over the last few days--an hour here, two hours there, thirty minutes then--just haven't been enough and have definitely not been restful.

"Koishi seemed sick at my flat and I thought I would look up what you can do to help a youkai get better, since I figured it probably wouldn't be the same. She told me before she left that it wasn't sick like I was thinking--it was different. Koishi said not to worry, but she was acting so funny I was worried anyway..."

Luke takes the book he'd placed on the floor and sets it on the low table between them. It's been marked in several places with bookmarks, a piece of note paper sticking out. Before continuing, he also opens his small brown bag and takes out his notebook, placing that on the table too.

"I...don't think Koishi is sick."

Luke hesitates. He flips through the notebook until he finds the page he wants. He opens the text to the first bookmarked page, uncertain. "I think she's hungry. But not hungry like we get hungry, because that's different. Hungry for something else--"

Here he falters, covering his face in his hands. "I didn't...I wasn't really sure at first. But all the books I found say the same thing. And she said so too, at the hot spring a few months ago..."

"Monsters and youkai eat people." Of course he'd remember the conversation word for word--it had happened so shortly after Haise had bitten him, had happened because Haise had bitten him. It's no wonder he's upset. "She said she and Miss Satori don't hunt humans. But if they aren't hunting humans and they aren't eating them...then wouldn't they just be starving?!"

Edited (Gthtgh what is spelling and making sense. Let's try again) 2015-10-20 07:37 (UTC)

Oh, Luke. Satsuki should have known that, sooner or later, he was going to read up on the Satori species. As Luke speaks to her, he'll probably notice that the young lady doesn't look the slightest bit shocked. On the other hand, that's likely normal.

She does appear interested, though, and nods her head on occasion. "You are quite worried for Komeiji." she replies in an almost pleased tone. She's really glad the two get along so well. "That is an excellent question, but I find it difficult to believe that the spirits would bring youkai here to starve them. What would be the point in that?"

"That said, it would appear the sisters have yet to discover a solution and that is.. Problematic." Satsuki is aiming to step very carefully around this subject. She'd never forget the incident with Haise and, frankly, she'd prefer to throw him off the track he's heading in.

Edited 2015-10-20 21:28 (UTC)

"Of--of course I am! She was acting so odd. Looking at her made me dizzy sometimes, too. It's weird to explain, but I knew it wasn't Koishi being..." He pauses. Is there a polite way to phrase this? "...well. Koishi sometimes can be a little bit strange. But it wasn't like her usual odd."

Luke has lost a lot of his childish innocence in his time here. While in the past he might have agreed with Satsuki and perhaps more importantly allowed himself to be lead off track, this time he's bound and determined to stay on topic. It will not be easy to convince him of the benevolence of the local spirits and will likely be even harder to derail him from his current train of thought.

Let Satsuki never forget that she had fired Luke for being just a bit too persistent for his own good.

"Why? They let Haise starve." The answer surprises even him with its bluntness, and Luke shrinks in his seat, color draining from his face as he wraps his right arm over his left protectively.

When the immediate shock wears off, he presses on, swallowing. "There has to be something we can do to h-help." Luke finally meets Satsuki's gaze, silently begging her to have an answer. "It's just that I can't think of anything except..."

"I think I understand what you mean; I have seen her in strange states before myself."

'They let Haise starve'.

"No, Haise let Haise starve," Satsuki replied with an annoyed edge to her tone. "The spirits are guilty of many things, but that is most certainly not one of them. If anything Genessia makes things too simple; so simple that people get the idea that when something is not just handed to them, then the spirits are to blame. Do not ever follow that line of thinking, Luke, for your own sake."

A moment of silence follows. But merely a moment.

"That said, I am confident that there is something we can do to help the Komeiji sisters. I am willing to assist in this matter, but it will require a little more research on our end. May I borrow your book?" Beat. "What did you have in mind?"

Luke is so tired. He lets go of his arm, reaching carefully for the book he'd borrowed from the library and painstakingly reviewed, turning it around and pushing it across the table towards Satsuki. The notebook is pushed in her direction as well, a pause taken only to rub his eyes again.

"I took this one from the library. There were others but this one had the most information."

The Hour of Meeting Evil Spirits has a title that probably hasn't helped Luke's anxieties but beggars can't be choosers. He needed the information and this is what he found. "I read a few of the other books first, so this one made sense."

He stops to think, choosing his words very carefully before pressing on.

"The people that are from Genessia, that...live here, always? I don't think--even though when you d-die here it isn't permanent--I don't think those people will count. The spirits that came in when the barrier broke a few months ago left them alone. Like...they didn't even matter. Didn't count."

Once again, Luke is drawing to a conclusion that scares him. Which is why he's shown up in Satsuki's office unannounced, a literal nervous wreck. "Would that mean the only humans that would work would be people l-like..." his hands are shaking, so instead of leaving them sitting on the table he pulls them into his lap. "...does that mean that the only people that would h-help them get better are p-people l-like us?"

"I want to find a w-way to help that doesn't hurt anyone but what if there isn't one?"

Edited 2015-10-21 00:00 (UTC)

"While it is good to prepare for the worst, our priority should be in gathering as many solutions as we can." Satsuki replies. Still, it is extremely interesting how Luke's thought process has become. She's certain he wouldn't have said anything like that a year ago, but then again perhaps it's just because of his current state of mind? It's extremely interesting. "It has been a while since I have seen Komeiji come to think of it." she tries paging the satori via her device, to see if she's nearby.

"What I could tell you is that if there were no other option, that would likely result in a major divide."

Luke nods slowly.

"Other food won't work either. It has to be, um..." He trails off. You get the point, Satsuki.

Now that she has his notebook and the book, he rests an elbow on the table and his chin on his palm, yawning. "Maybe people can donate. From the hospital. When you have something taken out--"

The apprentice shivers and covers his face, but not before the color drains from it. "I'm sorry, Miss Kiryuin. F-for one thing, this is for eating...it's about eating people. And then thinking about this stuff too much--doctors and hospitals and all of that--kind of makes me queasy all by itself."

The phone was answered in the middle of the fourth ring, the audio fuzzy as wind brushed past the speaker. She was flying or at the very least somewhere very high up. "Hello...? Miss White? Circling cracks rippling around..." The wind shifted significantly.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around..." There was a significant pause. Koishi might have said something but the wind was too strong.

"-eed my help Miss White?"

Satsuki raises a hand to her chin. Yes, she does get the point, but wow. No wonder the boy isn't sleeping with such a morbid subject on his mind, not to mention related to one of his closest companions. "Understandable; it is a more or less a taboo subject."

"There is no task for you today, we'd like to speak with you for a moment."

Then back to Luke. "Those are possibilities, but I think we will have to think outside of the box for a solution that is a bit more under our control. Surely I possess enough resources to find it."

That's it. There. Those are the magic words. Satsuki knows what to do. Or, rather, she's got the confidence that she can figure out what to do. And there, Luke deflates. He'd been stuck in a feedback loop--like stuck on the same puzzle for a week at a time, not able to come up with a different solution.

"Thank you Miss Kiryuin. I knew you'd have an idea. I couldn't--"

He shivers, yawns, overexhaustion winning over his usual desire to behave like a gentleman. "...couldn't think of anything else. Didn't know what else to do. And I didn't want..." another pause. A stifled yawn, and he rubs his eyes again. The more tired he is, the more of a toddler avoiding their nap he becomes.

"Koishi's my friend and I had to find a way to help her."

"I'll be right there Miss White." And with that the phone went quiet

Apparently she had been very close. As if on cue when Luke spoke there was a light rapping at the window, the little youkai hovering smoothly just outside. She opened it after several more raps, drifting inside and landing softly.

She seemed better than when Luke saw her last... Or at least she seemed more alert. Her shoulders were slumped and her eyes were dimmer than they usually were. She was also more reserved but she seemed to be attempting to muster the energy she usually had... with little success.

"Oh! Luke!" She did genuinely brighten then, bounding over to him, the artery over her left shoulder looping into a heart. When she wasn't floating it became apparent just how short she was.

"I know; and you have done your part admirably." Satsuki crosses her arms and a perhaps surprisingly radiant smile is revealed to the young teen. "You have improved considerably over the year, Luke. I am very proud of you."

Though it gradually falls to a more neutral expression following the knock, she didn't expect the koiball so soon, but she won't complain either. Her lip twitches in response to her usual (for the most part) energetic greeting to Luke. "Mind his balance, Komeiji, it has been a very long couple of days for him. How has your sister been the last few days?"

The reaction genuinely surprises him, and Luke glances up, eyes wide and slightly startled. Luke was obviously not expecting such a reaction. Even exhausted, he can't help the small and proud smile. "Miss Kiryuin?"

He's surprised to see Koishi so quickly. And walking! Luke doesn't hear Satsuki's warning to the youkai, or the question--he just shoots the Guardian a glance to suggest that this is a bit of the behavior he meant. Though he had to admit...

"Koishi! You look like you feel a little better...Here, here, here--sit!" The apprentice moves from his seat across from Satsuki to give the spot to Koishi, settling on the floor beside the pillow, crossing his legs beneath him. He forces himself to sit up straight, to focus and not look or seem or even feel as sleepy--Koishi would know.

Koishi didn't sit though. Not really. Ignoring Satsuki's warming she hopped up into the chair, kneeling and leaning forward. She reached out... and nabbed Luke's hat, swapping it with her own.

"Luuuke. You have icicles. You should bundle up warm and lay down so they all melt away. Then the cherry blossoms can bloom again! Careful though. The icicles are very sharp!"

Well that's one way to tell someone that they should get some sleep, despite Luke's best efforts to not be found out.

"Are Ivysaur and Gallade behaving? I'm sorry for leaving them suddenly but I was dizzy-swirls-locked in a vice curled around with grinding teeth. So I wanted them to have some fun."

Finally she turned to Satsuki, resituating herself in the chair. She was still kneeling though and it gave her some much needed height. "And we're all here together. Can we get some ice cream Miss White? Strawberry? With cracklies on top?"

Though her voice and demeanor seemed just fine, the sheer fact she was still sitting down was worrying. Koishi had never been one to sit still for more than a few moments at best when excited. And even when she was still it was generally because she was invading someone's personal space and couldn't get any closer anyway.

Satsuki, of course, recognizes the difference rather quickly. What she can't tell is how much time she has to get to the bottom of it.

"Another time." to the ice cream idea. "I wanted to see you, as well as ask if it would be possible to meet with both you and your sister in the next couple of days."

A note to all present: Koishi Komeiji is the only person to muss with his hat.

Luke's fingers fiddle with the brim of Koishi's hat as she prattles, carefully watching her unusual demeanor. Her speech isn't so different, but everything else...

"Ivysaur and Gallade are behaving just fine." He yawns, just slightly, trying to catch it behind his sleeve so it isn't noticable. "Do you feel better Koishi? I...I mean really feel better."

Koishi blinked, looking over at Luke. There was the slightest hesitation but her smile grew, eyes brightening a little bit. She seemed better at least but...

"I am. Thank you for asking Luke. I'm not all better yet though, but please don't worry about me... I was thinking I might hibernate the rest of the winter. I don't really want to because I don't want to miss New Years but a lot of youkai hibernate through the when things chill and crack and blue. Satori don't usually but it might help." A pause. "And I don't really want to leave Sis alone. She can't hibernate because she takes care of the pets."

She turned to Satsuki next, looking a little puzzled. "Meet? You're always welcomed at Chireiden Miss White. You can talk to me about it though. Or just give sis a call. It's kind of a long way to go if you can't fly."

Noted. Satsuki's learned her lesson. At least unless one day Luke's hat goes rogue and tries to eat people, then all bets are off.

Hibernation is an option? That's interesting, though it only seems to be a temporary solution as they'd be back in square one once she awoke. "Luke and I were discovering alternate solutions. Some have come to mind but I will need some time to determine their longevity. But perhaps calling her would be better."

A sigh passes her lips, thoughtful in nature. "Luke, I will take things from here. You could the opposite room to sleep in if that would be convenient."

Edited 2015-10-26 21:33 (UTC)

Luke blinks, eyes bleary and exhausted. He doesn't want to leave, not when the problem isn't solved. Not when Koishi still isn't herself.

Also, they had just discussed letting Koishi and Satori eat people parts removed during surgery. He's not going to sleep well now.

"Ah--um," his nervousness is probably easy for Satsuki to see and Koishi to sense. "May I stay? ...Just a bit longer?"

Familiar faces? Safe space?

"Alternate...?" Though Koishi's expression didn't change, her eyes dimmed significantly. No one had actually told her what they were talking about... Though she wasn't stupid. She could take a guess from the context. "Ah... Miss White. It's okay. It's not really something you can help with. I mean you can but it's not really something..." She pursed her lips a little bit.

"Youkai are just odd. You don't have to help out at all. It's just a satori... thing... well more than a satori thing. A lot of us are like this but-" She shook her head. "It's not really a human problem with a human solution. So please don't worry about it, okay? It wont cause any trouble. I promise."

She looked quickly to Luke. "And you can stay or go if you want. I don't mind either way. Also, don't worry about me either Luke. Okay? I... Umm..." She couldn't lie.

"Oh!" She clapped, brightening again. "Luke! Sis and I are working on a new pin for you. Since you don't have any innate magic. This way you'll be able to practice flying even when I'm not there to help..."

Satsuki responded to Luke with a nod. She didn't really mind having him around, but she also can't help but feel he's going to tip over any moment now.

The satori's hesitance isn't unexpected; after all it's an extremely awkward subject on both sides. But as she thought about it, it was entirely possible that whatever information she found in the book might not be completely accurate to actual youkai physiology. It's just lore after all. Or.. Something.

And when in the world did Luke want to learn how to fly? "I am aware that I do not have to, but I wish to all the same." There's a lot that Koishi's done for her, most which have helped her advance her plans, others far more personal. "So any information you could provide about your eating habits would be helpful. For example, Luke suggested limbs that had to be surgically removed. Would something like that work? Are human diseases a concern for youkai?"

Luke is quiet and then, entirely out of turn:

"No! Koishi--n-no! I don't want...that's not--"

Man, he is really tired.

"It's not okay! It isn't okay! We're your friends! We--I want to help!" Luke fidgets, fiddling with Koishi's hat again, his voice dropping. "I went to the library. When you went home, not feeling well. And I read lots of books, about youkai. And I read about satori youkai, and I remembered what you said when Haise..."

He rubs his eyes, hesitant, uncertain, before blurting: "You're my friend! I don't want you to starve just 'cause it's not something we want to talk about!"

Luke can feel all five eyes in the room on him (Koishi's third eye really ought not to count but it's directed his way and as such he'll count it just the same.) He lets out a shaking sigh. "...sorry. I didn't mean to yell. It's just...please, Koishi. Please tell us how we can help."

Koishi... Hadn't really expected to be able to change the subject. But at least she had tried. She shrank back some under the two humans gaze, looking from one to the other, her third eye, opened quite a bit, resting limply in her lap. Okay, so they knew exactly what was wrong. She wanted to disappear, and she probably could if she tried, but it wouldn't be easy with them focused so intently on her.

She looked at Luke, tensing a little from his outburst. "Luke I..." She licked her lips, glancing from Satsuki and back to him. "I should have expected you'd do something like this at some point. Humans are... Curious. In both senses of the word." Her sclera had darkened, the green glow standing out far more than it had any right to, though her left eye was flickering. A result of the nerve damage on that side no doubt. If they were going to talk about monstrous things then she had no issue with dropping her human guise a bit. It might deter them some and would lessen the tap on both her power and focus.

Besides, if they were a bit spooked she would feel better. Physically anyway. She didn't like scaring her friends.

"This isn't something I would normally discuss with humans, because you can't help. Not without hurting yourselves, mentally or physically." She hesitated, taking a breath. "As for your suggestion, Satsuki, it wouldn't work. The people here aren't real. They don't have enough of what we need for the... quantity you're suggesting. Though that's assuming the limb came from someone without an amulet. Though keep in mind, different parts work better than others. There is a reason 心 (kokoro) is so important to us." She met Satsuki's gaze for only a moment. Hopefully the Japanese would spare Luke from that unpleasant tidbit.

"As for eating habits, what is there to tell? My sister and I don't hunt humans. We haven't for over a century. My sister prefers more abstract nourishment. Though my... injury has removed that as an option for me. So I scavenged. Mind you, these were real humans, not imitations. A few bone and marrow was plenty for me. My power made it easy to steal from other youkai. Other times I've been invited to sit down for a meal. It also helped that our home was tailored to keeping youkai from starving, providing a variety of emotional energies and thoughts and spiriting away humans for those who needed something more visceral."

She picked up her eye, massaging it gently with her thumbs. "I would like to see this book, if you still have it. There's a lot that humans write about youkai that is completely false or fabricated. I'm mostly carnivorous... or supposed to be. But I'm not-" She paused. "-well I can't say 'I'm not a monster,' because I am. But I don't seek to cause others suffering for the sake of it."

Edited (tweak) 2015-10-27 00:54 (UTC)

Satsuki's brows furrowed, but otherwise her expression didn't shift all that much- Luke was probably looking back and forth between her and Koishi constantly- But even without Luke's presence her expression probably wouldn't match the on-edge feeling that forms in her stomach. The urge to resist a shudder is practically overwhelming.

And yet a part of her is absolutely fascinated by this information. As Koishi said, what's written in books is most likely false or incorrectly interpreted. "I have not had the chance to read it myself." she said as she gestured to the book in question by her side on the table. There's also a bit of annoyance in being told that she can't help. The Guardian would be the judge of that.

"It does not surprise me that hunting is a regular occurrence in your world, but I was under the impression that your decision to cease the hunting of humans had happened after you had arrived in Genessia. But it was long before then?" She raises a brow. "How?"

Koishi reached over and took the book from the table. Her appearance was gradually slipping further and further, her left eye going out completely. Though as inhuman as it was she was keeping her presence in check. The changes were merely physical, though it was no less disturbing as black lines crept down her cheek.

"How...? We starved, scavenged, and sought other means of nourishment. I'm guessing you mean 'why,' which is... a bit harder to describe to a human, though I think you'll understand... It's not a matter of morality, but one of civility. Youkai are simple creatures. Most of us are greedy and selfish and primal in our desires. I said before that listening to a sentient mind die is unpleasant but... Not unpleasant for the reasons you might think. Everything about 'the hunt' is thrilling and having such a great abundance of passion and fear directed at us in a mind's final moments is..." She trailed off. "But at the same time, it brings out the worst in us. And I, personally, don't like seeing every human I come across as nothing but a walking slab of meat."

"That, and we burn through our energy faster. It's hard to self-check with a mindset that keeps our bodies primed for fight or flight. Some youkai enjoy this, and I can't speak for all satori, but sis and I decided that being a part of a heavily flesh-eating species able to think beyond ourselves shouldn't be squandered by momentary pleasures. Besides, I like having human friends." She was smiling now, perhaps a bit more disturbing than intended considering her current state. Not to mention the corners of her third eye had split again, a few drops of blood falling to the floor.

"... Lights!" A clap. "If you're that interested by this Miss White, you should talk to sis. She's dry and waving with... ink-turns and buckled..." The little youkai snapped out of it just as quickly, shaking her head, her form wavering. She looked down at the book, opening it quickly and flipping through the pages.

"Either way, sis and I have no intention of starving. A small group of humans have been harassing the dragons again in Fayren. If we can't find something reliable within the next few weeks, we'll fix two problems at once. It's better than waiting until things develop beyond fatigue and lack of focus. And one legitimate hunt isn't enough turn us feral."

Luke has never been afraid of Koishi. Not really afraid, not the sort of afraid that tightens in your chest and makes it hard to breathe. Now, though, as the conversation progresses, he's shrinking further and further into himself, squishing himself away from the table. He had never really been afraid of Koishi...until now.

It's a good thing the two adults are still talking--and it's in moments like this that Luke remembers that Koishi very much is an adult--and otherwise ignoring him as the color drains from him face, fear clouding his focus. Listening to a sentient mind die is unpleasant... It's not a matter of morality, but one of civility... Having such a great abundance of passion and fear directed at us in a mind's final moments is...

That's not a good shade of pale, almost paper white, sickly, the sort where you tell someone to sit if they're standing. The hands that have played with Koishi's hat fall still, watching nervously thechanges in her physical form. Black lines down her face, left eye vanished.
So much nope
.
Ultimately, the apprentice ends up digging his nails into his legs, hands shaking, his gaze flitting between Satsuki and Koishi, still looking for guidance.

Edited (Tweaks ) 2015-10-27 08:55 (UTC)

Satsuki's brows furrow as she listens to Koishi and the more she hears, the more she realizes what an absolutely horrible idea it was to have Luke around.

That said she indeed understands; or perhaps it's less that she understands and more that she's misunderstanding for that gradual transformation makes the Guardian think less about Koishi and more about her mother and it's distracting. And rather than experience fear, she starts to feel anger. Recognized as irrational, of course as it isn't Koishi's fault what she is and, for a moment, she has to wonder if it her mother's fault that she's the way she is. Well.. Obviously it can't be compared, for various reasons.

... Right?

Either way, Ragyo is not one that Satsuki wants to sympathize with.

"That will be sufficient, Komeiji." is her reply, "If a single hunt is not enough to turn you feral, then what is the meaning of the episode you just displayed?"

Koishi paused, blinking once and tilting her head. "Episode...?" Her third eye closed half way, her own dimming slightly, her gaze traveling up. A pause, shaking her head to clear it. The black lines around her eye receded some though several more began to snake down from her scar.

"Ah. I can change my for back if... It's not that bad is it?" A bit more of the childlike cadence had returned to her tone. "Miss White! It's a big effort to keep my appearance fully human when I'm low on strength." That and the small amount of fear was helping her keep focused. "Also I want you to know I'm serious. I'm not human. I like humans. I try to leave good and positive impressions on humans. But I'm not one. I don't mind being treated as one most of the time but right now I want you to treat me as I am because it's important for you not to be fooled by your perception."

She gave a huff. "And if you met a feral youkai you would know. Civil youkai can have very inhuman features. My powers and mental state are still lines and rippling under a glow! And it would take a lot of consistent hunting to devolve to a state where that changed. My mind is not so fragile that I would hurt my friends just because I'm hungry." Of course that didn't mean she kept herself from getting lost in the thrill when appropriate. But still!

She flinched, her left eye closing. She removed Luke's hat with a trembling hand, gently rubbing the scar above her temple, her body twitching a little, the black lines shifting, dissolving, and appearing haphazardly. "The nerve damage is really visible like this I suppose. It's probably strange to see for a human." Strange probably isn't the best word for it. "I don't know why it does that. It prickles, even when its not visible to you. And sometimes the blood vessels in my eye break and it gets hard to see."

She dropped her hand, blinking. Her left eye glowed faintly for several moments before going out again. She looked genuinely guilty, though the effect was somewhat ruined by her still monstrous features. She glanced at Luke once. "... I'm sorry. I know I'm frightening but I didn't mean to scare you that much. I'm me and I'll always be me. I can shift back, but I can't promise I'll remain aware. It's easier to block emotional reflections and remain lucid when I'm not focusing on my appearance."

Edited (adding a little bit.) 2015-10-28 00:44 (UTC)

Who is speechless? This apprentice, who is still sitting in something akin to abject horror. As the lines trailing away from Koishi's eye shift, flicker, recede and return, Luke flinches away further without awareness. He moves himself closer to the edge of the desk, away from Koishi, closer to the empty area where nobody sat. In a perfect world, he'd simply get up and hide behind Satsuki, but he refused to do such a thing--Koishi was still his friend.

Even if, at the moment, he was terrified of her.

A changed appearance wouldn't fix the fear that settled in his stomach.

"Miss Kiryuin?" His voice is a miniscule squeak, cracking. His hands are shaking as he reaches for the sunhat atop his head, and he nervously removes it and places it on the table. It's rare the apprentice goes without a hat, so the absence of one speaks quite a bit to his fear in the situation.

Hesitant, his gaze flicks to Koishi. His eyes linger there for just a moment before he rubs his eyes, a stray strand of hair falling into his face. He keeps both palms pressed against his eyes. "I'm sorry--I c-can't h-h--" his words catch on a nervous hiccup, tight with the control of refusing to cry, and he shudders. Haise's physical form and tone and word choice had all changed too, right before he'd eaten a chunk of Luke's arm. It's really no surprise that this is where Luke makes a connection that scares him. "C-can't h-help it."

Edited 2015-10-28 02:43 (UTC)

Koishi paused, turning her full attention to Luke as he removed the hat. There wasn't any pressure. It wasn't difficult to meet or hold her gaze. She just... had scary eyes. Her expression changed subtly, looking away from Luke and then back to him. She hesitated for a moment before putting the book back on Satsuki's desk. She hadn't really gotten a chance to look through it but that would have to wait.

"It's okay Luke. I'll change back now. I'm sorry. I don't drop my guise in front of humans much. I forgot how scary I seem. It's funny how important appearances are to you guys... Humans are so funny." Taking a deep breath, the little satori's brow knit in focus, her form wavering quite a bit as her less human features changed one by one. Her hands changed subtly, as did her jaw and teeth. It had been subtle but her entire structure had changed. Her jaw tightened, visibly flinching as she opened her eyes. Her left was still dark, but the lines were gone, the youkai swaying a little bit, dazed. She made a small sound, rubbing her left eye, the glow slowly returning when she dropped her hand, though the sclera remained black.

"It's fuzzy again... But that's fine. I'm fine. See? Luke?" She turned to him proper, putting on her best smile, though it was strained. Her third eye was shaking, sitting in her lap, her arteries limp and draped around her, shoulders slumped. Shifting her form back seemed much harder than leting it go. Or maybe it was just how rapidly she had done it. "It's all the same still, even when I look different. Creeping up and over and sculpted with fingers and claws. All with the same base. Okay?" She was leveling out very slowly as her left eye gradually cleared and brightened, though she still seemed exhausted. "Luuuke... Hey." She leaned forward some, her power was slowly settling, her outline sharpening, though it probably wouldn't last. "See?"

A pause. "I'm sorry I can't help calm you... But when I feel better we can go flying again. And I'll try not to scare you anymore. Even by accident, okay?" She was practically translucent. "You can wear Mister Hat too. If you'd like."

"Humans tend to fear things they do not understand, that much is true." Satsuki replies with her arms crossed. Really, Satsuki is aggravated with herself. If Inumuta were here, he surely wouldn't have let Koishi wander about without gathering as much data as possible. It was her guise that, for the most part, let the Guardian allow herself to go on misinformed.

"But simply revering your appearance will not help this time, Komeiji. Luke is going to need some time.. Time to let this all process so that he can accept you for who you are. His feelings for you, I am certain, are not in any danger of vanishing." Satsuki glances to Luke and, in a rather rare moment of affection, set a gentle hand atop his head. But only for a moment.

"And nor will our goal change." ... "I will not deny that things have become complicated. But I assure you that I do not regret our relationship either, and I do not possess any desire for you to hide your appearance from me. I have never operated in that manner, and that is part of why that transformation confused me."

Edited 2015-10-28 23:05 (UTC)

As Koishi leaned towards him, he peeked at her form through his fingers, brown eyes watching her quite warily. Somehow Luke almost found her reverted form just as bad; the drooping arteries and slumped shoulders.

His own shoulders sank. "M's-sorry. I....I'm s-sorry K-Koishi--"

His voice is tight still, laced with fear and unshed tears, wavering as he speaks. "I c-can't...I can't help it. S-sorry, sorry--"

With Satsuki's hand atop his head, the apprentice crumples. Without the brim of his hat to use as cover, a clear but quick view of tears is visible before he buries his face in the bend of his elbow. Even still, the occasional quiet sniffle is audible.

"I st-still want t-t'be your friend."

"I understand. It's good for humans to show caution around things they don't understand. If you don't understand something you don't know if it will hurt you and humans are very finite creatures."

She was wavering a lot, straightening up for a moment and taking a deep breath, managing to refine her focus for a little longer. Her physical form had finally settled

"Luke you're too nice to me. It's... Don't you know all the stories? About wicked youkai tricking humans? We're not amanojaku but satori aren't a very nice species either!" Perhaps she had expected to be scolded. Or at least not forgiven so easily. "I mean- I'm nice. But just... Be really really careful, okay? Be brave and careful. You're good at that already but it's good to hear it sometimes." It was hard to tell if her half reasoned thoughts were a result of her exhaustion, worry, or if she was simply at a loss. At least she wasn't speaking in riddles.

"And Miss White? You don't have to tell half truths. You say you don't mind but you prefer it if I retain familiarity. Humans always find this form more comfortable. So I'll try to ask permission next time, okay?" Unless they were in battle. She can't really help it then.

Satsuki squints as Koishi gets her wavering under control- It's a bit of a habit that she hadn't been able to adjust to yet. Still with the youkai's response, she just can't help but raise a brow. "There are several behavioral acts I 'prefer' from you, Komeiji. That you acknowledge this particular one is annoying."

Poor Luke. Maybe he'll find that note amusing.

He sniffles, face still tucked in the crook of his elbow. Any humor he might have found in Satsuki's response is lost on him, entirely--he's instead too focused on collecting himself. The lack of sleep over last few days makes it exponentially more difficult.

The low desk is close enough that he folds his arms atop it, resting his forehead against them, shoulders still shaking just slightly.

Altogether Luke has a lot of things he needs to say. That Koishi had reminded him before to take care with those of a different species. That he'd been told once before that human was meat to hunt just like deer or cow. He wanted to tell Satsuki that they really hadn't solved the problem all that much, too. And he wanted to ask why Koishi had changed--if she knew and understood how unsettling it could be, why did she allow her physical guise to change? A part of him wondered, uncomfortably, if Koishi had wanted to scare them.

Instead, all he can squeak out is: "I'm r-really t-tired, Miss Kiryuin."

Edited (SPELLING WORDS WHY) 2015-11-05 01:53 (UTC)

"Well... Most things I can't retain direct conscious control over... Miss White..." Koishi looked like she was about ready to vanish but refrained. "Besides, it would be bad for your image to walk around with someone who looked like a monster. So don't worry too much, okay?" The sisters' other forms might be worth investigating further, but now was certainly not the time for it. Later, once they've regained their strength.

Koishi looked over to Luke, watching him quietly. They would have a lot to talk about later. Once he was rested and less frightened. There was a small hesitation on the satori's part before she reached over to the human. Her hand hovered inches above his hair, her eyes brightening, outline sharpening as she focused. Satsuki was probably able to feel the edge of it; a weight settling on her mind, smothering her emotions and making her thoughts sluggish. It made her sleepy... and just as quickly it lifted, Koishi drawing her hand back. It was very rare to see the little satori use her more focused and intentional psychic abilities. It was one thing for her sister to talk about her her mental strength, it was another to be reminded first hand.

At least Luke was fast asleep.

"... I wanted to make sure. His dreams will be quiet, but he'll rest well. At least for tonight." The little youkai stood, unsteady on her feet for a moment and nearly invisible. She had spent a lot more energy than she had gotten back. "You can move him without waking him. At least for now. When it wears off a little it will be harder." She shook her head. "He's such a clever little human. I still don't understand why you fired him. Even if he is kind of nosy, that's what makes him so good at what he does.

Picking up her hat, she returned it to its proper place. "I'm near my limit. I need to go eat and sleep Miss White. And I would rather have the comfort of a plate and soft bed instead of catching rabbits and then sleeping in a tree. We can talk more later though. I promise."

She crossed the room to the window and opened it once more, pausing for a moment and simply letting the breeze in. "Have a good evening Miss White. And make sure Luke gets the rest he needs, okay?" Placing a boot up on the window's sill she launched herself into the air, vanishing instantly.

Bad for her image? Satsuki has to admit it is rather adorable, and even comforting to some extent that Koishi would be worried about such things. Perhaps Koishi is right, but as far as the Guardian is concerned, it wouldn't damage in her political image in Nova City- in fact she's confident it would only help her.

Of course it's entirely possible she's wrong on that note.

She's about to tell Luke there is a resting quarters nearby, but before that moment came, he's out like a light. Her brows furrow for a moment, but she ends up shaking her head as she looks back to Koishi. "Be safe, Komeiji. We shall speak again soon."

And then silence. Satsuki is lost in thought for a moment, then heads over to the closets to get her futon- She had intended to have Luke use the resting room, but perhaps it'd be better to keep him close. So long as he's quite. Once he's tucked in, brushes a hand through her hair with a sigh.

As he used to be, Luke was a hindrance in my line of work. What she allowed to happen to Gamagoori weighs heavily on her mind to this day and if she had let something similar happen to that untrained boy.. Surely it would have broken her. She would have never predicted that he'd end up taking such a different path, though. It's both a pleasant surprise and a disappointment.

On the other hand, priorities. She needs to start looking for options, pronto.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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Tea Shop Oct. 2nd

Re: Tea Shop Oct. 2nd

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I named your robo-secretary for you. I also wrote this tag 4 times I think

You're too good for me

♡

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