[Log/Locked] Blind to the Future

[koishi_komeiji]

Who: Koishi and Satsuki.
What: Koishi discovers Luke is gone. Also, hunting trip.
Where: Genessia City and Fayren.
When: A few days after Luke vanishes.
Warnings: Sad. Also blood n stuff.


Those outside and especially observant might notice the little green youkai zipping around Genesia city. She was moving alarmingly quickly through the air, though, for once, she wasn't trailing her magic or filling the sky with bursts of color. She had somewhere to be. Something to check on. She would not stop for those who waved. She would not slow down. It would take someone with especially sharp eyes to see the distress etched into her features.

She eventually came to rest through the window she started from, pacing around the small apartment. Gallade greeted her but she said nothing in return, instead, taking out her phone.

Koishi's fingers were shaking as she dialed, having to hang up and try again more than once. She was silent for several moments as the line was picked up, chewing on her lip.

"Miss White?" Satsuki probably had never heard the little youkai use that tone. It shook subtly and bordered on fear but was also eerily calm. "Have you seen Luke anywhere? I came over to play and Suna and Mudkip were really hungry... They had been drinking out of the toilet too because the water dish is empty. There is a half finished puzzle on the table and this teacup has been here a really long time... Luke doesn't leave teacups out, Miss White."

Koishi's shoes tapped quietly on the floor of Luke's flat, the little youkai opening doors and cabinets, checking the fridge, moving furniture... "I flew over to the tea shop and back again and all around. I couldn't sense his thoughts or emotions anywhere. No struggle or negativity so I don't think anything really bad happened. Those kinds of emotions tend to stick to things and I would notice. I'm really good at noticing them..."

Suna yipped loudly enough to be heard over the phone, her little claws clicking on the ground. Koishi reached down and scooped her up with one arm, moving to a seat and sinking into it. Gallade hummed pensively from the other room. "I'm worried. I..." There was a long, heavy pause. "I'm very attached to Luke. I'm a youkai and he's a sweet human. Miss White? Do you know where Luke is?"

Comments

Those icons. pls YES

[koishi_komeiji]

Koishi let out a little growl, turning, and striking the animal's body in the ribs hard enough to risk cracking them. She let out a long breath, and pulled a traditional boning and skinning blade from her boot. It looked very old, though it was no less sharp as was made abundantly clear when the little youkai began to gut the animal with a steady and careful hand.

The problem began to arise once the animal was open, the little youkai having no problem using her hands to remove the viscera. She didn't actually break the ribs and pelvic bones, however, instead using several clever cuts and a rather harsh pull to detach the entire digestive tract. Most of this was simply left off to one side, though she seemed intent on keeping the liver, kidneys, and heart. She carried both with a spare tendril before doing her best to secure her grip on the animal, dragging it upwind from the discarded organs and into a more clear space.

She had actually left her bag here, not really caring about her bloody hands as she withdrew two pots, a thermos, a metal stand, and something wrapped in wax cloth and tied with twine. "... That tree next to you is Dead Miss White. Can you bring me a few branches and I'll light a fire. Humans liked cooked meat, right?"

*screams forever*

[weavemyownfate]

Well, Satsuki may not be looking, but Koishi isn't being very silent with her gutting, is she? Try as she might, she can't really tune the sound out and as such can't help but feel a bit queasy. She raises her hand to her mouth for a moment and makes a sigh-like sound.

".. Yes, that is correct," she replies. "I will return shortly."

She draws her blade and, with several quick strokes, she's able to amass a good number of thick branches. Perhaps she was supposed to do it by hand but at this point she's just filled with uncertainty. Satsuki should be able to make it through this evening. She just hope she doesn't get out of this sick.

Eventually she returns with the wood, and frowns a bit at the sight of the bloodied youkai. "This should suffice?"

Shush you're too loud :c

[koishi_komeiji]

"That works Miss White. We don't need a whole lot. Just enough." The little youkai's voice was a bit distant. She had set up the metal stand and had placed both pots on it. One was fairly standard but the other was different. It was squat with a lid. A baking pot?

Grabbing a few pieces of wood she pushed them underneath, rubbing her hands together, the blood smoking a little. She frowned and focused several sparks of flames falling onto the wood. She repeated this several times, tossing in several dead leaves and waiting as the little flame grew.

"I'm really bad with elemental magic. If Miss Moon was here we wouldn't even need wood." She stared for another long moment before scooting over and picking up the bundle tied with twine and opening it. Inside was... something interesting. finely cut meat, already mostly cooked mixed with rice, vegetables, and a variety of spices.

Using her knife again, Koishi took the heart, trimming the excess veins and arteries and slicing it carefully open. Koishi had always been adamant that she was not good at cooking, but it was clear from the way she handled the knife that she knew exactly what she was doing in terms of this meal. Before long she had removed much of the internals of the heart, fibrous tissue, leaving a... rather decent looking chunk of bright red meat.

After pausing to wipe the knife blade clean and rinse the heart with the water bottle, she used the flat to scoop the rice mixture into the heart's cavity, using a piece of the deer's flesh to tie the whole thing closed before placing the entire thing in the baking pot and adding just a little bit of water.

"It will take about twenty or twenty-five minutes to cook. So tell me when it's been that long, okay?" Looks like the heart was for Satsuki.

Koishi placed the liver and kidneys in the wax cloth, tying them up and setting them to the side for now. She used the water bottle to wash the remaining blood from her hands and face (thank goodness) before emptying the contents of the thermos into the second pot. Rose tea. It was rose tea.

She also offered Satsuki a small plate and some utensils. "You get to be a youkai too today, okay Miss White?"

[weavemyownfate]

Satsuki would have offered to make the fire, but with Koishi having that under control, she simply observes the youkai's work which actually is rather fascinating. Unsightly, but fascinating all the same.

"Twenty minutes," she repeats when asked, and glances upward for just a moment before returning her attention back to Koishi in time to accept the dishware and utensils. Though the scent of rose tea is particularly pleasant to her sense of smell and that helps settle her down a bit.

"A youkai..." she then repeats as she sets herself down to sit cross-legged. "For a place like Genessia, that would indeed be an experience worth.. Experiencing."

It isn't completely out of the question that one day she might wake up a youkai after all. "It seems you are a natural at this. The manner in which you handled the knife was rather surprising."

[koishi_komeiji]

"Maybe." Koishi looked a little melancholy again, settling into a kneeling position. "Though I think you make a better human day-to-day. It's nice to take a day to be what you are or be what you aren't. Depending on what's the norm..."

She did pause as Satsuki commented on how she handled the knife. "Oh... Sis and I are both good at it. The mountains get well below freezing. And then there are other youkai who might steal our food and humans that hunt us. We had to learn to chop up and skin our meals quickly. My head is broken but the muscle memory is still there."

She remained quiet for another few seconds, the tea was starting to steam faintly. "You know, Luke wanted me to start telling stories again. Even though I can't read minds and let the humans guide my telling. I can only tell them as I remember them... But a hunt and a meal outside in the cold without a story feels kind of sour."

She was quiet for at least another minute. The tea was starting to bubble now, ready to drink, but Koishi made no attempt to grab the pot. She was staring off to one side, eyes dim, lost in her thoughts. Her third eye was floating low, the milky white surface barely visible.

"... Miss White? Did I ever tell you about when I stopped chasing humans?"

[weavemyownfate]

".. Thank you?" Satsuki didn't really doubt she made for a better human, unlike some mothers she knew. How Koishi came to learn to cut proves an interesting tale, though the mention of Luke does make her expression more.. Somber.

Listening to another tale sounds like a very good idea as a result.

"You once told me that was the case," It was during another rather stressful time if she remembered correctly. Poor Luke. "But not in great detail. I would like to hear about it."

[koishi_komeiji]

"I'm a little out of practice but I will do my best."

Koishi snuggled down further into her furred cloak, closing her eyes and humming thoughtfully. She didn't speak; didn't move for several moments... The stillness was broken by a clap, dropping her hands to pat her knees, tapping out a soft rhythm. Her lips moving subtly to a song or poem only she could hear. She allowed her features to slip, taking a deep breath, the youkai of the unconscious focusing on satsuki with all three eyes.

She spoke in rhythm, her Japanese fluid and just shy of musical, power seeping into Satsuki's mind, seizing her thoughts and allowing emotion to bleed into her mind and wash over her in ripples. "Centuries ago, in the mountains far from the coast, a pair of flesh eaters grew conscious. The siblings were aggressive and strong, lingering memories of conflict from the decades before soaked deep in the earth and keeping their claws and fangs sharp. As the land forgot their roaming slowed, allowing them to become more than they once were. Called 'enlightened' by the humans who met them, they settled in the dip between two giants, hiding their faces and feeding on stories and emotion when their visceral needs could not be sated."

"There came a time of scarcity, growing worse every seasons' turn by the inventions of seafarers as natural risks vanished one by one. It was this that drove them to hunt further away, and it was the elder's turn to bring home human flesh from populated areas while the younger sought the meat of dumb beasts."

"A day before the older's return, the younger found a boy returning home through the mountain. Snow-blind and freezing, his distress was rousing hungry spirits and monsters. Claws already soaked in the blood of a serow, the younger approached the boy and asked if he was afraid. The boy, in return, showed great relief and gratitude. The beast was puzzled, its interest piqued. It did not matter that a monster had been first to find the boy. He only cared that he had been found."

[koishi_komeiji]

"Succumbing to its vice, the beast brought the boy out of the failing light and into its home. But only on the condition he tell it a story. Using a salve given by a river child, the younger soothed the snow-burned flesh around his eyes. It offered him boiled meat cut from the flank of its earlier prey, and settled down to listen. The boy spoke at length of his home and his family; of his work and his life. His ambitions; his loves, and the essence of humanity poured from him."

"The younger one feasted on his words without listening. The boy had earned his keep, the younger making a false promise to guide the boy to his home in the morning. As the sun rose, the last embers died, and so did the boy. The older returned to find the younger kneeling by his body, emboldened and nourished and haunted by the clarity its dreams had brought to his words. The younger defied its nature, dressed in white, and kept its promise to guide the boy back to his home."

"The village was small and easily frightened by the beast. Even with its forehead pressed to the ground they refused to approach for a long time. But when they saw his lips blue with cold and and his body in tact, they accepted the beast's claim that it did not harm him, and took the body to be buried. Emotion, sickeningly sweet, was carried home, the spoils of the experience warming and strengthening the siblings through the worst of the season. Be it blessing or curse, this act of kindness bound the younger to the grieving family... But that is a different story."

Koishi lowered her gaze slightly, her cheek twitching, moving to press the heel of her hand into her left eye. She faded a little bit, but remained stable enough, her third eye closing and lowering itself, resting on a cold, flat rock. The baking pot was starting to shudder and shake, the heart needing only a few more minutes before it was done.

[weavemyownfate]

Satsuki's gaze rested upon the pot and the fire as Koishi told the tale, and didn't seem too bothered by the effect it had upon her mind. Its certainly not something she would write to share with the future, but it is particularly fascinating how she can empathize- It wasn't too foreign, nor did it need a particularly youkai mindset though maybe that was just because of how long she had hung around the small youkai.

At its end she raises a hand to her chin, brows furrowed in a thoughtful manner. In the end, she actually is uncertain how to respond to it.

"That was well told, Koishi." Hmn. No, that isn't quite enough. "... I know you have answered this before, but... The reason you chose me. Is it the same reason you took in that boy?"

[koishi_komeiji]

"Thank you. But sis still tells it better." She was smiling though, despite her left eye not returning to normal. "I almost told it as I would to another youkai. From my own old perspective. But that wouldn't do. Stories need morals and endings and conflict. Even if this one was too true to be anything but poor."

At the question though... Koishi seemed thoughtful. "Yes and no. You approached me without fear, but I was the one who followed you. But it's also because I've already learned my lesson. The creature that took in that boy was young and stupid and had another century of hard work and growing up to do. It was nameless and hungry, with well-worn claws and scraps of cloth caught between its teeth. It had every intention of ripping that boy's throat out come morning. And why wouldn't it? It killed humans on principal. Young or old, strong or weak, armed or unarmed. And I still eat humans to this day. Or did you forget, Miss White?" She kept her tone non-threatening, her smile still quite pleasant.

"It's a real privilege to have human friends. Even if you get to be a monster today." She lowered her gaze. "Honestly Luke reminded me more of the boy. So blindingly trusting and honest. And innocent. Soft. Though I might have said 'well-marbleized' at some point... It's why I got so protective of him. I guess some human sentimentality rubbed off on me."

The pot was steaming quite a bit now. It had been long enough. Though there were handles it might be best to wrap one's hands in a cloth before trying to open it or remove it from the fire. Or perhaps Koishi had a tool for that...

[weavemyownfate]

"Forget? Situations like that are not forgotten so easily, for better or for worse," Satsuki replies with a deeper frown. While they have known one another for a long time, the fact of the matter is that Koishi has far more experience with humans than Satsuki has with youkai. She witnessed Koishi relishing Luke's fear. How truly unlikely is it that things could one day turn poorly for herself without Koishi even realizing?

Satsuki taps her thumbs together, her brows furrowed in thought. Today wasn't the first time she was a monster- But at least this time around she won't walk away from it nearly as traumatized. "I could see the comparison." It's difficult for her to open up about Luke. Or about any of her associates, present and past, really.

"The pot appears to be ready."

[koishi_komeiji]

"I suppose." Koishi just smiled, perhaps somewhat mischievously. "You do sometimes watch me eat and feel a bit unnerved. You're good at hiding it though, Miss White. So don't worry about being seen." I mean, one could hardly blame Satsuki for this. But it was still probably annoying that Koishi so readily pointed it out. At least no one else was around...

Fortunately she turned her attention to the pot. Blinking, She climbed to her feet, her body coiling and leaping quite a distance straight up. Grabbing onto a low branch, she pulled herself up onto it, looking around and selecting two branches about as large around as her thumb. She broke them off and hopped down. Curling them into loops, she used these to grasp the pot's handles and remove it from the heat as well as the lid from the pot. Nabbing the plate back from Satsuki for a moment, she reached in with her knife, spearing the heart, working it around, and finally lifting it out of the pot. It has been well cooked and smelled incredible.

Not quite done with the heart yet Koishi ran her knife down the organ lengthwise several times, cutting the meat into strips and letting the stuffing spill out on top of it and onto the dish. She offered it back to Satsuki and as soon as she took it, Koishi's third eye would visibly relax. She had been straining to stay focused to not overcook the food. Even with Satsuki acting as a timer. "Eat up Miss White. It's really good!"

It would be an interesting dish to eat considering all she had was a spoon and chopsticks. Not too difficult hopefully. The rice and meat mixture, it turned out, contained not only beef, but pork too. There was also a hint of liver, but it wasn't overpowering. The flesh of the heart itself was just a little bit tough but certainly not unpleasant. It tasted like a cut of very high quality venison, made even better by the spices used in the stuffing. Had the organ been marinated a little before being baked it would likely be far more tender.

Though Satsuki would probably be best off focusing on her food. Koishi had gone back to the carcass and was further cleaning it, removing the skin from one of the forelimbs and being careful not to rip it up. In less than a minute she had peeled back a good portion and was digging her knife into the shoulder meat, carving out a large, slightly irregular portion for herself.

"Itadakimasu!"

Right. Koishi didn't mind raw meat. Probably best to just think of it as a nature program or just not look...

Violently vomits everywhere

[weavemyownfate]

Satsuki's brows furrow and she instantly shoots Koishi a warning look in response to the first comment, with the worst part is this likely isn't going to be the last time she just blurts out things like that either.

Of course it goes without saying that Satsuki isn't particularly interested in watching Koishi work on the heart so her focus remains more focused upon the fire during that time. She can feel her face growing hot and a bead of sweat falling down the side of her face- It isn't exactly *dread* that she's feeling, but she isn't exactly looking forward to it either even if her nostrils were greeted by a pleasant enough scent.

In fact she was keeping her attention of Koishi in general, only looking to her once the plate was handed over. "Thank you." then, with the plats upon her lap, claps her hands together with a cool. "Itadakimasu."

Honestly, it doesn't look that bad, but she doesn't spend much time looking at it, and gets right into getting it over with, consuming the meat and rice as if it were a meal she had to consume a bit faster than usual. Though she really doesn't know what to make of it either. The texture isn't too offensive. It isn't completely abnormal, but she doesn't really know if she actually enjoys it either.

ew gross no pls.

[koishi_komeiji]

Maybe its more knowing what it was rather than how it actually tasted that was making it more difficult to eat. At the very least it was an organ that should probably be saved should Satsuki decide to go hunting on her own. There might be a dish more suited to her tastes. Who knows? The meat would probably do well in a hot pot actually...

"Miss White?" Koishi, don't talk with your cheeks and teeth covered in blood. "You should tell a story now. It's only fair." She took another bite, her sharpened teeth shearing easily through the meat. She did have to pause though, tilting her had and pulling a bit to rip the flesh off, chewing, and then snapping up the last bite.

It didn't help that she turned and went for more, carving from the deer's flank this time.

[weavemyownfate]

"It is impolite to speak with your mouth full," Satsuki calmly replies with her gaze, of course, remaining upon her plate. That said, it's difficult for her to place into words, but it is certainly different from drinking bitter tea.

The good news is that her stomach isn't holding a different opinion.

As for a story? Satsuki chews in silence for a moment before she replies. "Is that what you truly want? My stories come in the form of lectures, Koishi."

[koishi_komeiji]

"But my mouth isn't full..." There was blood dripping from her chin though. She jerked the knife back, carving off a piece much too large from the flank. She paused, using the knife to trim off the white fat and connective tissue from the meat, tossing them onto the fire, feeding the flames. These parts were completely inedible for a human and, though she had readily devoured them in her last piece, it seemed that even Koishi found them unappealing in taste.

"Well, yes. It's a good skill Miss White. Story telling, I mean. Being able to articulate yourself and entertain others. You'll be able to keep people's attention with not just your passion but interesting words. That way people will listen to you more readily."

And then she shoved the raw meat in her mouth again. At least she hadn't literally stuck her face into the deer's carcass.

"And if you're still worried, just tell it from your heart. It's hard when it's closed. Trust me, I know." Her third eye bobbed up and down. "But Miss White can do anything she puts her mind to."

[weavemyownfate]

"Koishi," Satsuki replies with an edge of annoyance in her tone. She isn't going to get into the 'nuh-uh' 'yeah-huh' argument this time around. She continues to eat quietly as she listens afterward, though, and for a moment considers the futility of the situation. Koishi just won't be happy until she says something will she?

With a light sigh, she sets the utensil down while she takes a moment to think. A story from the heart, huh? She knows just the thing. "Very well."

"A long time ago there was a young samurai and his fiancé who were deeply in love. One day his fiancé was walking through the forest when she suddenly was attacked and severely mauled by a tiger. No matter what the samurai did, nothing could save her- and so she died.

From the depths of his sorrow, the samurai vowed to revenge his beloved by seeking out the tiger and killing it; So he took his bow and arrow and sought out into the forest. Month after month passed as he searched for the man-eating best and, one day, the samurai saw a sleeping tiger in the distance.

Convinced it was the beast responsible for the death of his beloved, he drew his bow and took aim, and when he released the arrow it met its mark and pierced the tiger's body deeply. With another arrow drawn, he cautiously approached the motionless creature to confirm the kill, only to find his arrow stuck deeply into a striped colored stone which happened to resemble that of a sleeping tiger."

Satsuki is quiet for a moment, then continues. "After that, everyone in the village began to talk about how strong he was, because he could pierce a stone with his arrow, and people became determined to test him. However, regardless of how many times he attempted to repeat this undertaking, his arrows kept bouncing off the rock."

"This is because he now realized that his target is only a stone. In the past, his resolve had been so profound that he was actually able to physically pierce a stone with his arrow. However, now under different circumstances, he was unable to repeat the same feat."

And with that, she continued to eat, intend on cleaning the plate- Which is almost finished.

Better late than never?

[koishi_komeiji]

"Ohh..." Koishi listened with rapt attention, finally going for the pot of tea and filling both of their cups. It was extremely hot, but the chilly air and snow would soon make it drinkable.

"A story to prove the strength of will. It's inspiring to say the least. You told it quite well, Miss White." She'd heard stories like it before, but that wasn't a bad thing. If nothing else she seemed pleased. After all these stories had survived centuries.

Scooping up some snow, Koishi used it to wipe her face and hands. She picked up her tea and took a long drink, washing the blood from her teeth. "It makes sense that its the kind of story you would tell too. But there's a flaw in it all the same. You wouldn't let your knowledge that it's a stone stop you from piercing it again. Especially since strength of will's true value comes from being able to apply it to any obstacle in your way."

So it is said!

[weavemyownfate]

Koishi's praise should make Satsuki feel like smiling, but.. She doesn't. Its distracting enough to draw her attention away from the (lessening) discomfort of eating, but it really ends up just replacing it with the discomfort of said will.

Satsuki stops chewing a moment as her gaze falls downward.

"Lately, I have had my doubts." she eventually replies, "Genessia is an obstacle unlike anything I have ever imagined."

Another lost tag located!

[koishi_komeiji]

"You need to go with the flow and relax. When you do then you'll discover new ways to look at your problem. After all, Genessia may not be the stone that you need to pierce. It might be the bow or the arrow or the tiger or even the samurai. So stop doubting yourself. Please?"

This was punctuated by Koishi finishing off that large piece of deer-flank, licking her lips and fingers and sighing contentedly before again using the snow to wash off her hands.

"Would you like to keep the head or antlers as decoration Miss White?"