[D7 EE] Firefall (Closed)

[Nozomi]

When the stars came out, her eyes eased a fraction and her body started to relax. Her skin didn't hurt the way it occasionally did under harsh enough light and her head no longer ached. Lord moon and the stars were enough light for her. She noticed about the same time that she was apparently leaning against Shinsei and swallowed, closing her eyes. She took the fingers currently threaded with the bracelet between their hands and deftly plucked it, starting to slid it onto his arm. "You... are not fair, do you know that?" she said softly as she put the bracelet on him.

"I barely know you. You barely know me, yet you drag things out of me without trying that I never talk to anyone about. It really isn't fair." She didn't exactly sound like she was complaining, though she did lean back a little from the closeness. It didn't feel quite right to be like that. "Ngh... you can be really stubborn, though. Usually it's an endearing quality." She kind of had a sound to her voice like she was mumbling to herself.

A close of her eyes and she was gradually getting back to herself, reaching up to slowly draw her hood back into place. "Did I do the right thing, Shinsei? We made that ... that thing scream until she gave us the name of all her allies. She told us they were here for Reiko. This Jigoku knows we're coming. Knows she is coming."

[Shinsei]

Something in Phi's early words made Shinsei smile a bit, and he was quite calm and composed as Phi sat up, taking the opportunity to do the same with some remaining grace. "Life is rarely fair. You spend it learning, gaining strength and wisdom, and then it drops someone on you who cares little about your personal barriers and seems intent to drive you to the edge of madness merely by existing beside you." He shook his head and laughed. "Yet somehow the thought of them not being around is unthinkable."

Then his expression sobered completely, as talk turned to the road ahead once more. "There is little time. Without what you did, we would not know how aware the enemy is of our intent. It is certain that we walk into a trap, but now we do so prepared instead of blind. Thank you, Phi, for what you have done for us."

[Nozomi]

She raised an eyebrow over at him, feeling the heat building in her cheeks. "I'm driving you crazy, am I?" she said, glancing over at him out of the corner of her eye as she affixed her veil in place, letting herself chuckle very slightly. "You are the single most infuriating man I have ever dealt with in some ways, you do know that don't you?" For so many reasons other than just the most obvious ones right at this instant. Not that she was actually storming off either right about then. "But I certainly do not like the idea of you not being around either."

The mood was sobering, though, and for good reason. "It's no longer really a trap now. It knows that we are coming after all. It is far more of a straight up fight, even if we do not know everything it is capable of yet." Her head shook and she frowned. "We have to be wary, though. There will be more attempts to lull us into false security. I know it.... like this place itself."

She didn't trust the idyllic nature of this place at all.

[Shinsei]

"I think we shall make a good fight of it. Jigoku may know we are coming, but may yet underestimate what we are capable of." Shinsei glanced around at their surroundings, understanding some of Phi's caution over the seemingly perfect view. But then, after a moment's contemplation, he seemed to smile, just a little bit.

"I know things." He paused briefly to enjoy the humor. "Among those things I know to appreciate beauty where it can be found, because one never knows when they'll be given the chance to appreciate it again after first experiencing it. And there is no rule of the world that says that something dangerous can't also be beautiful."

[Nozomi]

Her fingers clutched the hem of her hakama and she bowed her head for a minute. They'd been talking about something important and he just did that again. She bit back an oath, feeling a little bit annoyed, but at the same time blushing furiously now. "You... enjoy doing this to me, don't you?" Like she wasn't as guilty as he was. She'd been teasing him right back. She took a few breaths before turning and leaning i very close, her eyes locking with his as she reached up and yanked his hood back down to make sure his feature were covered. "You had better mean to take responsibility because if you keep putting thoughts in my head, I might test you to see just how serious you are."

A moment's thought, but ... it felt important. "But... uh... before I do, I should ask you a very important question. You're the only one who's been down there besides the nezumi. Is... it safe... to do things so close to that evil? And don't you dare laugh at me. I'm being absolutely serious, because there's married couples here and desperate people. They are going to do things when they finally start freaking out."

[Shinsei]

It may have ended up lost beneath the shadow of his hood, but Shinsei's eyes went a little bit wider when Phi decided to be so... direct. Shinsei wasn't a particularly ancient or young man, and men of a certain indeterminate age sometimes had undefined thoughts and urges of a particular nature. He managed a smile, then tilted his head forward, until his hooded forehead rested against the veil of hers.

"I often don't permit myself such behavior, not out of any sense of righteousness or purity as others might, but simply out of a simple distance that exists between myself and others. You seem particularly heedless of this, so I will be perfectly honest." His eyes found hers, and there was a smile in them. "The path I follow doesn't preclude certain indulgences. If you feel I should take responsibility for my actions, I would be quite pleased to do so."

There was a moment of thought about her secondary question. "A strange but reasonable question. I don't know for sure, but I would say barring the need for self defense, it's likely no more dangerous than anything else one could do in Jigoku."

[Nozomi]

She hovered there, closing her eyes, forehead against his for a moment. "When... I choose to tumble with someone, I don't mince words about it. I'm not going to promise you that you'd be the first, so that you know... That'd be a bare-faced lie." In case he gave a fig about that sort of thing. Her fingers dragged along the hem of his robe. But she wasn't in the mood to tumble right now. No matter what he was doing to screw with her head like this, she ...

Fuck it, you actually are going to have to work for this, you smug little so and so, do you get it?

"I'm not saying no... I'm not saying yes... but I'll admit, you've been getting under my skin ever since you came to me. Why? There's prettier girls, and guys for that matter." No matter what Miuna said, she didn't think of herself as being that pretty. People turned their gazes away when she met their eyes. It confused her why he said things like this to her. Why he flirted. She never understood flirtation, at all.

[Shinsei]

"It would not be my first encounter either," he said honestly. From the tone in his voice, Shinsei placed about as much stock in that as Phi did. "As for my reasoning..."

One shoulder shrugged lightly, and Shinsei met Phi's eyes without a trace of the disturbance many others had shown her in the past. "Somewhere in our discussions you began speaking to me as an equal more than simply as a strange mystic with many wisdoms to offer. Truthfully there was never much of a shrine built up around me in your mind, so it took very little to step out of it. Your questions were more personal, and many could have been answered by any person, not just by me. You even went so far as to have me ask you a question, which is particularly rare."

Something in Shinsei's eyes began to dance. "To put it simply, I enjoy your company. You treat me like any other man and I, in turn, might like to enjoy your company as any other man would."

[Nozomi]

Is that all it took? God, how long has it been since anyone treated you like a human being instead of some damned messiah who has all the answers?

She laughed a little, some of the stress bleeding off of her as she started to just relax a fraction and close her eye. "And you... never judged me. Neither to favor me because I'm good at what I do, or to think less of me. Never once." True, it had only been a few times, but some of the things she'd said? Almost anyone would judge her. Either as an asset, like Bayushi might have, or as a dangerous woman that needed to be controlled, or something odious.

"I think I prefer you as a man. You're interesting for a lowlander. Maybe I will take you up on that. Not tonight, I think." Fuck she was still too much of a wreck right now to even seriously entertain the thought, and she suspected he would understand that. "But with how much stress is going on... we might both need it before too long."

[Shinsei]

"I try not to judge as a general rule, being the subject of it so often as I am. It is a much easier accomplishment when the favor is returned so readily."

Shinsei lifted his arm, inspecting the green bracelet he now wore on it. "Before this is over... I'm inclined to agree. I think it's fair to say that both of us would tonight, but you're too far into thoughts I won't take advantage of. But that barrier likely has a limit..."

He frowned, then fixed Phi with a curious expression. "You aren't planning to wait until we're already at our destination to test out some strange theory are you?"

This was another thing Shinsei rarely got to enjoy; a sense of humor.

[Nozomi]

She snickered. "And what strange theory would that be that you're imagining me trying out? Testing if something awful happens to us mid tumble?" she teased right back at him, eyes starting to show a little mirth. "I'm not quite that patient, you should know. I doubt I could wait quite that long if I started to get into the right mood. So, you needn't worry about strange experiments."

A lean forward and she brushed a finger over his chest, a move that was a lot more affectionate than she'd been so far, her smile barely visible through the veil this close. "You're right, though... you've already helped my fears... and as long as I can control these nightmares a little, my mood might actually improve enough to think about this as less than an idea and more of a reality." There was a definite limit to how long she was going to let the fears that threatened to quiver their way to the surface again and again rule her mindset. They were debilitating and she hated them deeply.

"Though I do appreciate you not taking advantage. You... could probably get away with it, but I appreciate you not."

[Shinsei]

That small touch revealed two very interesting details about Shinsei that few others would ever be likely to learn about the man. The first is that his robes were slightly more loose on Shinsei's frame than they looked, making the man underneath somewhat more slightly built than one could expect on mere observation.

The second was that, underneath all that, were cords upon cords of tightly packed muscle. Though far from the bulk of a man like Taochusu, Shinsei appeared no less inclined towards feats of immense strength. The rock upon which he shared his seating with Phi probably gave him a little trouble to carry as his tent, more awkward than heavy.

His eyes narrowed a tiny bit, though there was more amusement in them than any other emotion. "You appreciate my consideration, and then move to touch me in such a manner? Now who's being unfair?"

[Nozomi]

Holy fuck, he's ripped...

Her eyes widened at the small touch, and she swallowed for a second. Her breathing caught as if she had not expected that to be the case, and it took her a little by surprise. A lot by surprise. He was a scholar, not some muscle-bound... that... when did he find time to ... she patted his chest once before her fingers curled up and she leaned back, laughing a very small laugh.

I think you could break some of the people in this camp...

"I am just as unfair as you," she managed with a little laugh, swallowing again. "But don't you worry. I... I won't be doing that again unless I'm willing to take responsib... have ... have you ever arm-wrestled Hida? Just, completely out of curiosity?" Because right now, she would believe him if he said he had. She might not believe he'd won, but she'd believe him if he said he'd tried.

[Shinsei]

Shinsei's eyes glittered beneath the shadows of his hood. "Wouldn't you know, he never thought to challenge me to one. Probably something to do with my scholastic focus. I'm well respected and he likely didn't want to be seen picking on me."

A smile pulled at the corners of his lips, and he shifted his posture in a way that was rather... telling. "Not all masks are worn over the face. Perhaps now you have a better idea how I'm able to carry my favorite sitting rock with such ease. A strong mind does not necessarily require a strong body, but the two are not exclusive. I see no reason why mankind should not strive to hone every aspect of themselves. Neglect for one invites neglect for all. "

Plus the look on Phi's face was priceless, even behind her veil.

[Nozomi]

"Is that a hint of pride I hear in the scholar's voice?" she managed to get out, letting herself laugh softly. She would have paid good trade to see that match, if it ever happened. The look on a god's face if a human even gave them pause, would have been impressive on its own. A pity that she missed Shinjo wailing on Satome. that would have been equally interesting in its own right. She settled her arm on top of her knee and snickered softly. "I didn't know that you had it in you. I'm actually a little impressed by that. It's very... human of you."

Well, it was also very kami of the kami to be proud, but their pride was a whole other realm on its own. "I try to keep everything sharp too. You never know when you'll need a different tool in the wilderness, though... where the hell did you train?" He couldn't be that old...

[Shinsei]

Shinsei lifted one arm, then swept it in a broad gesture around them, at everything in their vicinity. "Everywhere." He lightly balled up one hand into a fist, and brought it close for Phi to inspect. Though his palms and fingertips were rough and calloused, his knuckles were downright gnarled, covered in bumps and scars that would be inhumanly unpleasant to have pressed into one's with any considerable effort.

"Nature is the best teacher. The bark of a tree is more unyielding than flesh, and toughens the very bone beneath. Rocks are heavy, and the movement of one from any place to another takes strength. One cannot always find the time to train in a formal way, so I simply make sure that I do so informally whenever possible. In nature we can cultivate strength just as surely and swiftly as in civilization. And with that mind, one makes their training and readiness as natural as the place in which they train."

[Nozomi]

She kind of stared at those knuckles. It wasn't something that was hard to miss with her, if one had ever spoken with her. She was demanding of a potential partner only one thing. 'can they keep up with me?' It was why she generally had tumbled with hunters on the job when there was time and the will. It was why she had noticed Yamadono even if she was leaning far more to watching out for the old man's daughter as a mentor. If a man or woman couldn't keep up, they didn't have much interest to her. She'd assumed he was tougher than he looked. He'd scouted the pit. The kami trusted him. He had to be.

But that...

I don't know if I can keep up with you...

"I... would like to take some time and train with you, even a little bit, if we have it before it's too dangerous," she whispered softy, reaching out to run her calloused finger along his knuckles. Her own callouses screamed her choices of weapons. Two hard callouses on the right forefinger and middle finger, from years of firing the bow, and heavy ones along the palm, from the grip of her tonfa. This... was everywhere.

[Shinsei]

What seemed obvious from observation became what was likely a frightening revelation beneath Phi's fingertips. Bones, when broken, repaired themselves more strongly and thickly than the bone beforehand. The tiny bumps and knots of Shinsei's knuckles were the result of micro fractures, intentional breaking of his knuckles and allowing them to reknit, until the end result left each fist as hard and bumpy as a tetsubo. Getting struck by such a thing would craft new words for pain.

"I would enjoy that greatly, Phi. I think, between now and the completion of this journey, we should definitely spend time training." He put an emphasis on the last word that suggested he wasn't just referring to martial studies. "Getting one's hsnds to this point is very unpleasant, however, do be warned. It takes time and great resilience."

[Nozomi]

And certain levels of this training were not even remotely viable in their current situation. She very much doubted that he'd even notice if he punched right into one of her tonfa while they were defending her body. She was certain of it. But feeling the way he had brutalized himself to get to this point, fracturing and remolding his body, it made her breathing hitch enough. She'd forgotten some of her fears, just staring at what he'd done to himself, what was possible.

There was another level of capacity to what he displayed that was drastically different from anything she'd ever known. "No... there are levels... we can't reach here, now. I wouldn't recover in time, but we should... train. Definitely." She'd put similar emphasis on the word and swallowed. She wasn't just talking about physical training, though she was definitely talking about that as well.

[Shinsei]

"That is true, the upper limits of what a body can achieve can't be accomplished here, in such a place, or in such a short span of time. But everything helps push one toward those limits. I'm not even certain that I've reached them myself yet."

As Phi continued to marvel over his hands, one of Shinsei's fingers rose up and snuck its way beneath her veil to her cheek, affecting a very light touch despite the gruff nature of the skin itself. Shinsei's eyes held a quiet fire, calm and controlled, for now. "Mind the look in your eyes, Phi. They could inflict all sorts of damage to a man of lesser will."