March 29, 2024, 02:15:28 AM

------------------------------------------

If you have Login Problems Use the Login in Top Menu Bar


------------------------------------------
If you have a problem registering here, Leave a msg at our FB Page >> Here.

Plz Don't use Hotmail to Register. You might not receive Activation mail. Use Other free mail provider like Gmail or Yahoo.






Poll

What Was The Best Arc?

Aika Crisis
1 (50%)
War Cloud
0 (0%)
Dawn and Dusk
0 (0%)
Satori no Akuma
0 (0%)
Himushi Redemption
0 (0%)
Letting Go
0 (0%)
Inari Standoff
1 (50%)
The Corpse's Romance
0 (0%)
The End of Osamu Ashikaga
0 (0%)
Senkumo War Stories: Book of Blossoming
0 (0%)
Senkumo War Stories: Book of Betrayal
0 (0%)
Senkumo War Stories: Book of Revenge
0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 2

Author Topic: Death By Ex-Girlfriend (Book of Revenge soon, comrades!)  (Read 194956 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline OhGodHelpMe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 992
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Death By Ex-Girlfriends: Himushi Redemption + Letting Go
« Reply #150 on: July 20, 2016, 08:06:26 PM »
Took me long enough  :ninja:

Letting Go: Old Songs Being Sung Once More
Spoiler



*WHEN YOU WERE JUST A YOUNG GIRL*

(There's a core element to Yoko, a small, but vibrant fragment of her being. Think of this: Underneath all of sternness, love, and protective attitudes, there has always been a smaller Yoko, a little girl, so to speak, who has been crying for all of these years. You must know, Yoko had always been a loner and a loser in her life.)

A certain memory flashed before Yoko's eyes. It was the memory of when she was just 12 years old, on the day before she was to turn 13. On the night before school the young Yoko, still sweet in the face and eyes, spent the evening making hand-made birthday cards to pass around at school. The Yoko of this age had her heart much more open to people than in the present. She figured people would appreciate something that was handmade, unique for every person. She had the glue, scissors, and other tools out as she completed the very last birthday card. When all was done, she leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms and yawning.

Her hair was still long and beautifully, naturally red. Though most of it was just worn down, she tied two bundles of hair at her sides into twin tails with yellow ribbons. She wore black and white pajamas, with the shirt having the Yin and Yang symbol on it, and black sleeves.



Yoko: All done!

The abrupt sound of her parents door forcefully opening startled her, and was followed up by the voices of her mother and father having an intense argument. Perhaps the most heartbreaking part about it, was that once Yoko realized it was yet another argument, she was no longer startled. Yoko Akiyama's household was never the most peaceful.

Mother: Really?! You're walking out?! Great man you are, walking out every time you lose an argument!

Father: I'm done here. No one should have to put up with you when you're like this. Not me, not your friends, and not our daughter.

Mother: So you're leaving her too?! Wow! Father of the year, everyone! You know what, just go. I don't need you, and Yoko sure as hell doesn't need you either!

Father: You need help...Manami. You have got to stop drinking like this. Look what's become of us...

Yoko slowly opened her door, just enough so she could better hear what was going on.

Manami: Get out. Maybe you can get one of those broads from work to let you sleep on their couch.

Yoko's father left the house with only his clothes, wallet, and phone. Manami was much like Yoko in looks. Yoko got her red hair from her, as well as her blue eyes. However, Manami had no shine in her face, no fire in her soul. It was washed away by the one thing that blemished an otherwise beautiful and loving woman. Manami was an alcoholic, one who often shut herself away from her family to drink in peace. She slammed her door shut, continuing to drink her demons away.

*YOKO*

*YOKO?*



Yoko snapped out of her trip to the past, pulled back by the sound of her mother's voice on the phone. Gekko and Izanami dried each others hair as a very light drizzle began to form outside.

Manami: Are you still there?

Yoko: ....How....how did you get this number?

Manami: Oh, you know, just searching through phone books. I searched up your father's old residence, and the lady you bought it from. She told me you were living there.

Yoko: Yeah...that's right.

Manami: I see. Still a daddy's girl after all these years, huh? I guess you haven't changed.

Yoko: I wouldn't know about that. Why are you calling me?

Manami sighed over the phone.

Manami: I'm back in Kyoto tomorrow. I'll be taking the train there.

Yoko: Are you moving here or something?

Manami: No. I just...

Yoko: You just?

Manami: I need to see my daughter again. That's all. I know we didn't have a very good relationship, and I'm not trying to be your mother again. But, as just two people, I want to amend some mistakes I made.

Yoko's heart was gripped by an odd sensation. It was a mix of anger, happiness, and sadness. She wanted to yell, she wanted to cry, and she wanted to laugh at the same time.

Yoko: I see. This...this is a very surprising call.

Manami: I'll be coming in tomorrow at 4 PM, at Kyoto Station. If you're not there, I suppose I'll just enjoy my time in Kyoto. But, truly, I'd like to see you again. We haven't seen each other since you were 17. So, is that okay with you?

Yoko:...Yeah...that's fine...I suppose I can at least show you around. A lot of places have changed since you left Kyoto, so you might be confused when you get here again.

Manami: Oh really? Thanks for the heads up. Your help would be much appreciated!

Yoko: So, tomorrow, 4PM, Kyoto Station?

Manami: Yeah, that's it. Maybe we can get some food while we're out and catch up.

Yoko: Yeah, sounds good...

Manami: Alright. Well, I've got to go right now. It...it was good hearing your voice, Yoko.

Yoko: Yeah...take it easy, Manami. Bye.

Manami: Bye.

*CALL ENDED*

Yoko hung up the phone and stood motionless with her back to Gekko and Izanami. With towels wrapped over their heads, the two inquired Yoko about the call.

Izanami: Yoko, who was that? That was a long talk, wasn't it?

Tsukiakari: Yeah, was it someone you know?

Yoko: Yeah, it's someone I know.

Yoko turned around.

Yoko: It was my mother.

Izanami: Your mom?!

Tsukiakari: Seriously?! Didn't she split after your father died?

Yoko: Yeah, I'm just as shocked and confused as you are. She wants to meet me tomorrow at the train station. She's returning to Kyoto.

Izanami: What are you going to do? This is so sudden!

Yoko: I may as well go see her. That's what I'll do.

Downstairs, after another 20 minutes of getting his ass kicked, Osamu was stripped down to his boxers and restrained with his belt. Amatsutsuki laid him flat on the kitchen counter like a large bird cooked to perfection.

*CAW CAW*

Osamu: Uhm...Amatsutsuki...

Amatsutsuki: Yes, pig?

Osamu: Can you, uh....can you let me go? The counter is really cold.

Amatsutsuki: Let you go? Sorry, but I can't risk you trying to molest me again. Consider this act of humiliation a mercy. If you weren't my caretaker, I would've simply cut you open by now.

Amatsutsuki brought her face just mere centimeters away from Osamu's. The eyes of a murderous, ex-criminal stared into Osamu's poor, feeble soul.

Amatsutsuki: I dare you to try and kiss me now, pig.

Osamu, the molesting mad man, actually puckered his lips and tried to kiss Amatsutsuki. He was met with a swift rolled up newspaper to the face.

Amatsutsuki: Amazing, you still haven't learned anything. How do the other girls even deal with you?

Osamu: It's a lot easier because they usually want me to do that kind of stuff to them. Why are you so difficult? You walk around the house in a shirt and panties, you cook great food, and you always smell great.

Amatsutsuki: And that's an excuse for you to go around groping women and kissing their necks without their permission?

Osamu: Permission is old fashion. Molestation is the way of the future, baby!

Osamu was met with another hit to the face with a rolled up newspaper.

Amatsutsuki: I think having a harem full of girls who have tired to molest you have ultimately made you a molester. It's like you've turned into The Rapeman.





Osamu: Hah! That's a wonderful series! Shintaro Miyawaki was a pure genius!

Amatsutsuki: My god, you need help...



Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Yoko and Tsukiakari came downstairs together, stopping when they saw Osamu tied up and stripped.

Tsukiakari: Is this some sort of rape play or something?

Amatsutsuki: It's amazing how accurate you actually are...

Yoko: Amatsu, please untie my husband so he can get his clothes back on. Osamu, you tried to come onto her again, didn't you?

Osamu: Just welcoming her into the family!

Yoko: If you have no intention of marrying her, it's cheating. That is the rule of this family.

Osamu: You're right. I'm sorry, darling. Oh, someone's at the door!

Tsukiakari: I'll get it!

Tsukiakari opened the front door, expecting a mail man or something mundane. It was a young girl, probably in her late teens, looking down on a piece of paper with directions to the house on it. She wore a blue winter coat and blue beanie with a white, fuzzy ball at the top of it. A scarf covered her neck and partially covered he mouth. Her skin was like the color of sand at the beach, her eyes were as green as tree in summer, in her hair was black, only reaching down to her breasts.

When she noticed Tsukiakari was staring her, she freaked out and nearly dropped her paper.

Tsukiakari: Who are you?

Rousoku: Uhm! M-my name is Rousoku Himawari!

The girl was clearly the soft type, nervous and gentle in her voice.

Rousoku: My apologies! Does a young man named Osamu Ashikaga live here?

Tsukiakari: Hmm? Yeah, he does, he's here right now. Are you an associate of his?

Rousoku blushed and closed her bright, green eyes.

Rousoku: I'm his ex-girlfriend, and I really need his help.

Tsukiakari: Damn it...another one....

*HOW MANY EXES DO YOU HAVE?!*

*TO BE CONTINUED*


Offline OhGodHelpMe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 992
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Death By Ex-Girlfriends: Himushi Redemption + Letting Go
« Reply #151 on: July 22, 2016, 07:13:20 PM »
Letting Go: The Distance and the Lost Memory
Spoiler



And so, yet another young woman with connection to Osamu appears at the doorstep of Yoko's residence. Rousoku nervously locked eyes with the stone-faced Tsukiakari for 30 straight seconds until Tsukiakari finally turned her head and shouted into the house.

Tsukiakari: Osamu! Osamu, get over here!

Osamu: Coming!

Amatsutsuki: Your pants are on crooked, you idiot!

Osamu: What?!

Yoko: This is partly your fault for being too rough with him, Amatsu.

Amatsutsuki: I wouldn't have to be rough if he wasn't a sexual predator!

Osamu: I'm not a sexual predator!

Rousoku: Uhmm...what's going on in there?

Tsukiakari: Don't you mind it!

Rousoku could see Osamu get hit with a frying pan to his over Tsukiakari's shoulder as he got his pants on right, as well as the terrifying yell of Amatsutsuki.

Amatsutsuki: About time you get them on right! God have mercy on your rapist soul!

Osamu: Enough, Amatsu!



Tsukiakari stepped to the side as Osamu got to the door. There was a moment right there at the doorway, as both Osamu and Rousoku realized they were meeting eyes with a long lost lover, a relic of the past. Every bit of her seemed familiar, yet changed in their ways, from her hair, to her smile, and her fashion. Time has a funny way of wrapping beautiful things differently, but still allowing us to recognize them.

*HER NERVOUS SMILE*

Rousoku: H-hi, Osamu. Do you remember me?

Osamu: Rousoku...I...wow...you look wonderful...

*HER ROSY BLUSH*

Rousoku: Really? Thank you! Y-you look great too. You got taller, didn't you? And your hair is different. It was longer the last time I saw you.

Osamu: Ah, yeah. It's kind of just big, puffy, curly lion's mane now, huh? I like it better than the long hair. How did you find me?

Rousoku clutched the paper she held.

Rousoku: Well, uhm...a man named "Cyanide" directed me to you when I asked him for help.

Tsukiakari: Cyanide? The exorcist guy who smokes a lot?

Rousoku: Yeah, that's him.

Osamu: What? How do you know who Cyanide is? Why were you seeking his help?

Rousoku: That's what I need to talk to you about.

Rousoku was invited inside and sat down at the kitchen counter, where she timidly introduced herself to the family.

Rousoku: Hello, everyone! M-my name is Rousoku Himawari. I used to go out with Osamu a long time ago. I apologize for coming here without notice.

Rousoku could feel the deathly, judgemental stares of Osamu's wives as she sat.

Yoko: Osamu, if I weren't pregnant, I'd kil-

Osamu covered Yoko's mouth and laughed.

Osamu: I know! You'd knit her a sweater because you're just so sweet, kind, and non-violent, my love! Anyway, Rousoku, this is Yoko Akiyama, she's my wife. That's Tsukiakari Senkumo, that's Amatsutsuki Sentani, and....

*IZANAMI?*

Osamu: Huh...I guess Izanami is still upstairs.

The word "wife" shook Rousoku's heart. She put on a smile that hid her inner anguish.

Rousoku: Wife? Wow, I didn't know you got married, Osamu. Congratulations. I see you have a child on the way too?

Osamu: Yep! I'm pretty excited to be a father soon. I'm sure it will be a challenge, but what isn't a challenge in life?

*HER LYING EYES*

Rousoku: I'm really happy for you, Osamu.

Osamu: So, what have you been doing all this time? It's been like 7 years since we last saw each other.

Rousoku: Just...just been sort of wandering around, really.

Osamu: Wandering?


Rousoku: Mhmm...

Osamu: Well? What about before that? Surely you've must've been doing something else, right?

Rousoku: I'm sure I was, but...I don't seem to remember any of it.

Tsukiakari: What do you mean?

Rousoku: I've been wandering for a few weeks now. Before that, I only remember laying down in my bed, but I'm not sure how long ago that was? Considering I lived in Kyushu, and now I'm somehow in Kyoto, it was probably a long time between when I was last at home, and how I ended up here.

(Memory loss?)


Tsukiakari: So that's got to do with why Cyanide directed you here, right?

Rousoku: Y-yes!

Rousoku flipped her hair with the flick of her hand. Against the gray, ambient light from the cloudy day outside pouring in through the windows, her hair looked like streaks of shadows, wildly dancing in the air.

Rousoku: I wandered and wandered until I ended up in this neighborhood, and I remembered that Osamu told me he had lived in this area before leaving Kyoto. That's when a saw a guy wearing an undone suit walking across town. Long blonde hair, light beard, smokes a lot, and where a necklace with a coin on it.

Osamu: Yep, that's Cyanide.

Rousoku: I asked him if Osamu still lived here, and he was kind enough to give me directions.

Tsukiakari: So, Cyanide doesn't actually know about your apparent memory loss?

Rousoku: Well, no. We introduced ourselves and talked a bit, but I didn't have any reason to tell him about it. I just thought I would come here first and see if Osamu really still lived here.

(Odd...how could she lose memory of such a large amount of recent time? I wonder if Cyanide can actually help us with that.)

Yoko: Young lady, do you recall suffering any injuries to the head in recent times?

Rousoku: No, not at all. I hardly ever even scratch myself.

Yoko: Hmm...well this is odd.

Osamu: If you don't have any head trauma, or any health conditions affecting your memory, then the only explanation for your sudden loss of memory between now and when you were last at home is....

Tsukiakari: Something supernatural has occurred and destroyed her memory.


Rousoku: Huh?! Supernatural?

(Gekko could be right. This could very well be some sort of supernatural phenomenon affecting her recent memory. Judging by the conversation, she can remember events and details past the point where she claims her memory blacked out. Was she cursed by something? A spirit or god, perhaps?)

Osamu: Rousoku, it may sound a little odd, so please forgive me. But the man you saw, Cyanide, he specializes in dealing with the supernatural. I've gotten a bit of help from him in the past. I believe he and another person could probably help you with your memory loss.

Rousoku: R-really? Are you sure? Shouldn't I just go to the hospital or something?

Osamu: As we just noticed, you don't have any head trauma or health conditions that would do this. I doubt the hospital would be able to find anything. It's my belief that somehow, through supernatural means, your memory has been wiped out.

Rousoku stared at Osamu with wide eyes, in complete silence.

Rousoku: Have...have you been watching too many movies?

*SHE THINKS I'M CRAZY*


Amatsutsuki: Yet another girl thinks you're a psycho.

Osamu: Of course not! I'm being serious here! I can prove the supernatural exists too! Look, Tsukiakari is a war goddess and the daughter of Amaterasu!

Tsukiakari: O-Osamu! Don't just go telling people something so sensitive!

Osamu: I'm just trying to prove a point here! Come on, just show her one of your powers or something!

Tsukiakari sighed.

Tsukiakari: Fine, whatever.

After performing a small Kuji-in sequence, Tsukiakari opened up her palm, and showed Rousoku the flame in the middle of her hand. That flame then turned to a bolt of lightning, startling her before it disappeared.

Tsukiakari: Happy?

Rousoku: I don't believe it...how did you do that?! A-are you really a war goddess?

Tsukiakari: Yep. Ever since the Warring States period.

Osamu: Do you believe me now? I'd never lie to you, Rousoku. If we seek Cyanide's help, I think he'll be able to solve why this happened to you.

Rousoku, still a little overwhelmed from seeing Tsukiakari's powers, nervously nodded her head and blushed.

Rousoku: Okay. Does he charge?

Tsukiakari: He typically only charges small amounts. Maybe like 30 yen if anything.

Rousoku: What? Why so cheap?

Osamu: Because he's a guy who knows that being too much of anything can be dangerous. Heroic, nice, or even rich. He's ambitious, but not greedy.

Rousoku: Alright. If you think he can help, I'd be happy to take the chance. Thank you, everyone! I'm in your debt.

Osamu: We can go see him right now, so let's just go ahead and get going. Yoko, can you text Shinju and tell her to meet us at the book store? She'll know where it is.

Yoko: Sure, but...Osamu...there's something I wanted to tell you too.

Osamu: Hmm? What is it, love?

Yoko: I...I'll tell you later. Just go ahead and help her.

Osamu: Is it something private? I don't mind stepping outside for a few minutes.

Yoko: It's fine, Osamu. Drop it.

Osamu: You're the one who brought it up!

Yoko: Well now I'm regretting it! Just go help your ex-lover!

Yoko stormed upstairs without even looking back at Osamu.

*CONFUSED*

Osamu: What just happened?

Tsukiakari: Marriage and pregnancy hormones just happened. Yoko got a call earlier from her mom.

Osamu: Seriously?! They haven't talked in forever!

Tsukiakari: I know. They're meeting tomorrow, to catch up I guess. She seems pretty nervous about the whole thing, and rightfully so. That's what she wanted to talk to you about.

Osamu: Damn it, I didn't even consider what she had going on...

Tsukiakari: Don't worry about it, I'll talk to her. I'm sure she's just stressed out, alright? She'll calm down and apologize later. Go ahead and help Ms. Himawari with her problem.

Osamu: Right. We'll be right back.

Tsukiakari: Osamu.

Osamu: Yeah?

Tsukiakari blushed and closed her eyes.

Tsukiakari: Just don't get into any danger, alright? If you need anything, call home. I'm still able to help you if a fight breaks out.

Osamu: Gekko...are you worrying about me?

Tsukiakari: Of course I am! You're my husband!

Rousoku: Heh?! I thought you said Yoko was your husband!

Amatsutsuki: They both are. Osamu is a Harem Hero.

*OH GOD WHY*


Osamu laughed as he grabbed Rousoku's wrist and rushed out of the house.

Osamu: Okay everyone! Thanks for scarring my ex! Gotta go now! See ya!

Now outside of the house and together on the peaceful, quiet streets of the neighborhood, Osamu and Rousoku awkwardly walked together towards Shinju's place. The autumn wind blew around the orange leaves from the trees, whizzing past their faces in an elegant dance in the air.

Osamu: So, uhh...sorry about that. The house can be a bit awkward.

Rousoku: I-it's okay! Really!

Rousoku timidly rubbed her hands together as they walked.

Rousoku: I was surprised to see how much you've changed. 7 years really makes a difference.

Osamu: Hmm? Did I change that much? I'm still Osamu in my core, right?

Rousoku: I suppose, but it seems so much harder to get close to, because everything else has changed. Your appearance, your stature, even the way you walk. You're a husband and almost a father too. The core of the Osamu I knew seems so distant now.

Osamu stopped.

Osamu: Rousoku...do you still have feelings for me?

Rousoku stayed silent, hiding her mouth beneath her scarf.

Osamu: We're both adults now, Rousoku. Answer the question. Hiding your love at this age is just childish.

Rousoku: I...

Shinju: Oi, Osamu!

*PAINT IT ORANGE*

Shinju came down the street, meeting them halfway to her house. She hugged Osamu and turned towards Rousoku. She wore a face of cute confusion, akin of a confused dog, as she tilted her head and smiled.

*CAMERA FLASH*

Shinju: So I take it this is the girl?

Osamu: Yeah. She's suffering from an odd case of memory loss. I believe it could be linked to a supernatural force rather than a medical one.

Shinju took Rousoku by the shoulders, getting uncomfortably close to her. Their lips and eyes were now next-door neighbors.

*HER PLUMP LIPS*

Shinju smiled and moved her hands from Rousoku's shoulders up to her cheeks, caressing her lips with her thumb.

Shinju: Hey kid...

Shinju got even closer. Rousoku's heart pumped like a car engine as she could feel Shinju's breath on her lips.

Shinju: Wanna mess around with the supernatural?

*CAMERA FLASH*



Rousoku's face was pure pink as Shinju pulled away and laughed.

Shinju: Haha! You looks so tense! Lighten up! My name is Shinju Miyakawa! The Shinju is written as God Tree, and Miyakawa as Shrine River. A pleasure to meet you!

Rousoku: I-I'm Rousoku Himawari. The kanji are "Candle" for Rousoku and "Sunflower" for Himawari.

Shinju: How cute and delicate!

Osamu: Shinju, I think you're scaring the poor girl...

Shinju: Nonsense! I'm just having some fun! Anyway, we're all headed to Cyanide's place, right? The book shop?

Osamu: Yeah, that's it.

Shinju: Well then? Let's be on our way!

Though at first troubled by Shinju's rather eccentric personality, she found a certain comfort in being with Osamu and someone who could help her. Still, the distance between hearts was felt, and it stirred a great sadness within her.

To Osamu's surprise, the distance between them would be greater than just that of the heart.




Offline OhGodHelpMe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 992
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Death By Ex-Girlfriends: Himushi Redemption + Letting Go
« Reply #152 on: July 24, 2016, 06:20:42 PM »
Boy I sure hope that twist was decently paced and executed  :ninja:

Letting Go: Candles and Sunflowers
Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5ALPzS0QfQ


Rousoku, Shinju, and Osamu were on their way to the bookstore together. The autumn winds were strong that day, allowing Rousoku to see Shinju's hair dance around like the flame of a candle. Shinju turned her head back towards Rousoku and smiled as her bright, orange hair wildly waved around as the wind picked up.

*CAMERA FLASH*

Shinju: Ah, I caught you staring at me, Rousoku. Am I that beautiful?

Rousoku: W-well...I mean...

Shinju spun around on the very tip of her foot like a ballerina, yet another one of Shinju's quirks she'd have to get accustomed to. In everything she did, Shinju looked to marvelous to look away.


*CAMERA FLASH*


Shinju: Ah, I see. You're feeling a little intimidated, aren't you?

Rousoku blushed and sunk her head into her scarf.

Shinju: Osamu here is surrounded by loads of beautiful women that are all very, very familiar with him, and that makes you feel uneasy. Well? Am I right? Don't try lying either, hon. Lying is a sin, you know.

Osamu: Come on, Shinju. You're scaring her.

(Perhaps I should've thought about that. Shinju is quite good at reading people. Someone like Rousoku, who telegraphs their emotions too easily, would be a big target for Shinju.)

Shinju laughed and smiled.

Shinju: Sorry about that, Rousoku. I hope I'm not pressuring you.

Rousoku: N-no, it's fine. To answer your question, you are really beautiful, Ms. Miyakawa.

Shinju: Oh! Really? Thanks! I appreciate it! The author seems to think so too!

Osamu: This is no time for meta commentary!

Shinju: Of course it is! You know, it hasn't been established yet, but my original character sheet said that I'm by the far the most gorgeous girl in the entire series! Prettier than Yoko, Isabella, Izanami, Aika, Rei, Omagatoki, Akatsuki, Kagutsuchi, Amatsutsuki, Tsukiakari, and Rousoku!

Rousoku: The author doomed us to cosmetic inferiority from the very beginning?!

Osamu: That's too cruel to be true!

Shinju closed her eyes, blushing and squirming as she imagined herself sitting on a throne with all of the other girls at her feet, worshiping her as the most beautiful woman to ever grace the planet.

*CAMERA FLASH*




Shinju: Death by Ex-Girlfriends should just be about me! Even though I'm not Osamu's ex-girlfriend and never ever plan to be!

Osamu: Shinju! Shinju, get a hold of yourself! You're being greedy and prideful! Those are both sins! You're destroying your own character dynamics!

Shinju: Come on, Osa! I'm sill human!

In reality, Shinju was trying to ease up the mood for Rousoku, and it worked. She snickered as she watched Osamu shake Shinju by her shoulders, and she felt much more comfortable around them both.



After an hour of walking, the three made it to the abandoned, occult book store. As soon as they opened the glass door, several crows flew out of the building and scattered into the gray, cloud-covered sky. Shinju was the only one who didn't seem to be scared as they flew past them.

Osamu: You okay, Rousoku?

Rousoku held her hand over her heart and took a deep breath.

Rousoku: Yeah, I'm okay.

The three entered the bookstore, Rousosku nervously so. She bumped into a stack of books by the entrance, knocking them over and scrambling to put them back in place.

Rousoku: Oh no!

Cyanide: Don't worry about the books, young lady.

Cyanide was squatting in the middle of the main library. A hole in the ceiling allowed for a ray of faint sunlight to shine down on him. There were plenty of books just thrown around, forming large piles.

*SEA OF BOOKS*


Cyanide smoked a cigarette as he watched a dead sunflower, and a candle with a weak flame. He didn't have to turn his head to know that Osamu and Shinju were there, but he did look over to see who the third person was.

Cyanide: Ah, you're the girl I saw earlier today. Rousoku, right?

Rousoku: Y-yes sir.

Osamu: Uhh...what are you doing, exactly?

Cyanide: Fortune telling, of course.

(Reminds me of that Kanji riddle from the letter a while ago...)

Cyanide: I have the crows scatter about Kyoto and bring back objects. Those objects are what determine the fortune for today. It seems they've brought back a candle and a dead sunflower.

Osamu: Wait, Rousoku's name...

Shinju: Rousoku, candle. Himawari, sunflower. It seems your crows are right on the money, Cyanide.

Rousoku: No way...did they really bring those back?!

Cyanide: Ah, so your last name is Himawari, huh? That explains the sunflower.

Cyanide stood up and exhaled the smoke from his cigarette.

Cyanide: Looks like you were supposed to come to me today. So then, what can I do for you brats?

Osamu gave Cyanide a thousand-yen bill, which he gleefully stuffed in his blazer pocket.

Osamu: Rousoku has a problem. I think it may be a supernatural phenomenon.

*ONE VERY LONG EXPLANATION LATER*

Having heard Rousoku's story, Cyanide scratched his chin as he looked around the library for books that might accurately nail the subject.

Cyanide: Ah, I see. So, you've experienced a very odd pattern of memory loss? The last thing you remember is laying down in bed in Kyushu, huh?

Rousoku: Yes sir...I'm not really sure how I ended up here. I checked my pockets for a plane ticket, to see if maybe I had traveled and not noticed, but there was no such item in my possession.

Cyanide: Odd, to lose memory of a time that was very recent. There are several volumes here written by Sekien Toriyama on the subject of paranormal memory loss. I could look through them and see which condition you seem to fall under. However, I'll have to ask that you stay here until I find the answer. I may need to run some tests on you.

Osamu: Tests?

Cyanide: Don't worry, nothing surgical or anything. They won't hurt at all.

Rousoku: I..I don't know about staying here...

Shinju: Don't worry, Rousoku! We'll stay here with you! Is that any better for you?

Rousoku timidly smiled and blushed.

Rousoku: I suppose that's fine then.

Cyanide: Excellent. Shinju, help me sort through these books, will you? Osamu, you can help too, kid.

Osamu: Stop calling me kid! We're not that far apart in age!

Once again, Osamu could see that Rousoku was smiling. Strangely, it made him smile too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqHy41e7ouU

As he went through the books with Shinju and Cyanide, hours slipping by between the dusty, delicate pages, he thought back to the brief time he knew Rousoku when he left Kyoto.

(What was it? Seven years ago I left Kyoto? When that first happened, one of the first places I went was Kyushu.)

*LOVE ON SALE IN AISLE 3*

Seven years ago, when Osamu's hair was much longer, and his face much brighter, he spent his day in Kyushu, shopping for common groceries. Right down the hall, there was a single girl in a white, spring dress, reaching for the flour. That girl was Rousoku.

(She's a little too short to get that bag of flour...)

Rousoku: Come on...just a little more...

Rousoku was able to tip the bag of flower over...right onto her face. She was knocked onto the ground with a bloody nose and stars floating above your her head. Osamu rushed over to her and knelt by her side.

Osamu: Hey, ma'am! Are you okay?!

Rousoku held her nose, taking Osamu's hand so she can get up.

Rousoku: Y-yeah, thanks. I'm sorry for the trouble...

Rousoku met eyes with Osamu, and was instantly enamored by his sharp looks, but extremely embarrassed by her own unsightly appearance.

Rousoku: Ah! Uhm...thank you for your help, mister...

Osamu: It's Osamu. Osamu Ashikaga.

Rousoku: Hah, like the shougnate!

Osamu: Yeah...everyone says that...

(Though, I really am related to the shogunate...)

Osamu handed Rousoku a tissue, which she gladly took to wipe her nose. He then reached for a bag of flour and put it in her basket. For Rousoku, it was like watching Jesus work miracles.

Osamu: There you go! You've got your flour now! Anything else you need?

Rousoku: N-n-no! Thank you very much!

Osamu: Uh, you sure? Your basket actually looks kind of full. Want me to help you carry it all out?

Rousoku: Oh gosh, you're so kind! You don't have to!

Osamu: No, please. I'd love to help!

*I REPEAT, LOVE FOR SALE IN AISLE 3*


(That was the first time we met. Just a chance meeting in a grocery store, over a bag of flour.)

It was late at night now in the bookstore. Rousoku had gone to sleep, and Osamu was only half awake. Several lit candles kept the place illuminated, as well as the moonlight shining through the hole in the roof.

Cyanide: Osamu, go ahead and get some sleep.

Osamu rubbed his eyes and saw Cyanide had gone through an entire pack of cigarettes.

Osamu: Cyanide, you've got to stop smoking so much.

Cyanide: Please, it helps me concentrate. Cigarettes are a man's best friend.

Osamu: Hey...this Sekien Toriyama guy...was he an exorcist as well?

Cyanide: Well, some rumors say he was an exorcist just like Shinju and myself. Whether or not you want to believe that is up to you. Either way, he published many good works on the demons, ghosts, and other supernatural beings. It's always the first place to look when you think you're dealing with a curse.

Osamu: I see...

Cyanide: Get some shut eye, Osamu. I should have this figured out by tomorrow.

Shinju: Nighty night, Osa.

Osamu: Yeah, goodnight. Ah, hang on a minute. I should call Yoko before I go to bed. I'll be right back.

Osamu quietly walked past the sleeping Rousoku and went out to the front steps of the bookstore. It seemed the clouds had passed by, and the moon was bright, blue, and beautiful.

https://youtu.be/w87dLLp0egE?t=9s


*CALL ANSWERED*


Yoko yawned as she spoke.

Yoko: Hey.

Osamu: Hey.

*SILENCE*


Yoko/Osamu: I'm sor-

Both of them laughed themselves half to death, until tears welled up in their eyes.

Osamu: Man, we were about to say the same thing at the same time!

Yoko: Great minds and compatible hearts think alike, don't they?

Osamu: Yeah, you're right. Hey, Yoko-

Yoko: No, no. It's on me this time. I'm sorry, Osamu. I shouldn't have yelled at you.

Osamu: Well, I wish I had asked earlier about your mom. It's tomorrow right? You're gonna go see her?

Yoko: Yeah, though I don't know what either of our reactions are going to be when we see each other.

Osamu: Yeah, I understand. What made you say yes to seeing her again?

Yoko was laying on the couch in the living room as the other girls slept upstairs. The television was on, but her eyes were closed and picturing Osamu.

Yoko: I almost said no, but for some reason, I thought of you. I thought, "What would Osamu do if he had the chance to see his Mom and Dad again?". I concluded that getting angry and saying no would just be selfish of me. Someday, my mom is going to die, just like yours did. So, I at least want to see her one more time.

Osamu: Wow. That was mature of you!

Yoko: Is that a surprise?! Am I not usually mature?!

Osamu: Not what I said! It's just, it's a hard decision. I'm proud of you.

Yoko blushed and did a mini fist-bump in the air.

Yoko: Yay! I made my husband proud! So, Osamu, how's it going along with the Rousoku girl?

Osamu: Ah, we haven't figured out the problem yet. Cyanide and Shinju are working on it, and I've been helping them.

Yoko: I see. I hope you'll be successful, like all the other times.

Osamu: Do you think I will?

Yoko: Of course. My husband is always successful.

Osamu: You really do believe in me.

Yoko: Of course I believe in you. You've made all my other dreams come true. Having a fun house, being a wife, and now a mother. It's all thanks to you.

Osamu: Yeah? How's the baby?

Yoko rubbed her swollen tummy and smiled.

Yoko: He's resting well. Ah, but we don't know if it's a "He" yet, do we?

Osamu: Nah, we'll have to find out soon.

Yoko: No, I want to keep it a surprise.

Osamu: You sure?

Yoko: Yeah!

Osamu: Alright, love. Hey, can you see the moon right now? It looks beautiful.

Yoko: I can't see it from the couch, but if I get up...

Yoko got up from the couch and peered out of the window, where she too could see the moon.

Yoko: I see it! You're right, it is beautiful.

Osamu: A lot like you.

Yoko: Osamu, stop, you're going to make me blush!

Osamu: Sorry, I just felt like I had to say it. You're a beautiful woman, Yoko.

Yoko: Osamu.

Osamu: Yeah?

Yoko: Close your eyes.

Osamu: Hmm? Why?

Yoko: Just do it, dummy.

Osamu: Alright, alright. They're closed. What now?

Yoko: The tree branches outside are swaying, so I assume you can feel the wind, right?

Osamu: Yeah, I'm outside the bookstore.

Yoko: Just listen to it for a minute. I want to listen to the same wind as you.

Osamu: Alright. Let's listen.

The song of the wind was silent, yet loud, cold, yet warm. They stayed on the phone for a few minutes, simply listening to the wind together, which seemed to whistle its own tune as it passed by. Then, after a few peaceful minutes, Yoko's voice gently rang out from the phone.

Yoko: I love you, Osamu.

Osamu: I love you too, Yoko.

Yoko: I love you more.

Osamu: No way.

Yoko: Yes way!

Osamu: Nuh uh.

Yoko: Yuh huh!

Osamu: Gosh, you're so stubborn.

Yoko: I win again, love!

Osamu: One of these days, I'll nab a victory!

Yoko: Hah! Maybe a pity victory for your poor, poor heart.

Osamu: Yeah, whatever you say.

Both of them smiled on their ends.

Yoko: Good luck, Osamu.

Osamu: Yeah, thanks. Good luck to you too. Let me know if you need anything.

Yoko: Same to you. If you need anything, just call home. We're all here waiting for you.

Osamu: Right. Well, goodnight, Yoko. And goodnight to the baby too.

Yoko: Goodnight dear. Kisses! Bye bye!

Osamu: Bye bye.

As Osamu hung up the phone, a crow landed besides him at the stairs, holding a dead sunflower in its beak. When Osamu approached the crow, it did not back away at first. It handed Osamu the sunflower and then flew off into the moonlit night.

(All day long...the crows have only been picking the dead sunflowers...)

*SHE SLEEPS IN PEACE*


Letting Go: The True Length of our Distance
Spoiler



(After that incident at the grocery store, Rousoku and I kept in touch. We started hanging out quite a bit during that summer. It was a refreshing change of pace after leaving Kyoto behind. Really, Rousoku is one of the reasons I was able to get my head back on straight.)

One day, several years into the past, Osamu and Rousoku sat on a bench at the beach, watching the summer sun gleam on the sparkling, blue water. Dozens of people were playing around in the water and on the shore, like one would expect during the summer.

Rousoku: Pretty fun, right? I told you the beach was cool! I can't believe you almost nope'd out of going!

Osamu: Yeah, that was pretty dumb of me. Thanks for convincing me.

Rousoku smiled.

Rousoku: Say, why did you leave Kyoto in the first place?

Osamu: Well, it's kind of a long story. I guess it's because I couldn't stand being around my parents anymore, and all of the weird happenings around Kyoto. I suppose I just got tired of it all and wanted to explore the world outside Kyoto. It was a good decision, since I ended up here with you.

Rousoku blushed and hung her head to try and hide it.

Rousoku: Say...Osamu...did you have a girlfriend back home?

Osamu: Not any current ones, no. Why? Is there something you want to ask me?

*SUCH A TEASE*


Rousoku: W-well, I-I...Uhm...I really enjoy the time we spend together. Meeting you also helped me enjoy life a little more. I wasn't going to the beach or doing anything like this before we met. Since I really like your company, I want more of it, so...

Osamu: Let's go out then.

Rousoku shouted out in surprise and covered her mouth. Her face was flushed and her eyes were widened.

Rousoku: You can't say something so bold so casually!

Osamu: Of course I can! I like your company, and you like mines. So, let's go out.

*HER PRECIOUS LAUGH*


Rousoku: You know, a girl would appreciate a more romantic way of asking!

Osamu: Ah, sorry. I'm not good with romance. I suppose there is something we can do though.

Rousoku: Hmm?

Osamu took Rousoku by the hand, and the two returned to the water. They went far enough so that they were both hip-deep in the ocean. Osamu held her by her hips and lower back, and the two were lost in each others eyes.

Osamu: Rousoku. Will you go out with me?

Rousoku: Yes, I'd love to...

Osamu: Alright. On the count of three, we'll dip underwater, and we'll have our first kiss. When we come back up, we'll officially be a couple.

Rousoku: I'm ready.

Osamu/Rousoku: One...two...three...

The two dipped underwater together, and indeed, the first time their lips touched was under the ocean. Away from the sound of the wind, the sound of the people, and from the whole world. Beneath the waves of the ocean, there was only Osamu and Rousoku, two people who just so happened to find each other as they ran away from their own troubles.

*LOVE UNDER THE OCEAN*


It was noon now at the bookstore. Everyone except for Cyanide had gotten a good rest after the long night. After trying multiple tests on Rousoku, Cyanide was stumped for a conclusion. He tried every exorcism coin he could, but it was all to no avail. Rousoku stood in the spotlight of sunshine in the library, wearing a crown of flowers around her head and holding a paper charm in her hands.

Rousoku: Nothing?

Cyanide: Nope, this didn't work either.

Osamu: I don't understand...could it be a medical issue after all?

Shinju: No, I think you're right on the money that this is a supernatural event. However, it appears that it isn't some sort of apparition or curse affecting Rousoku's memory.

*SHE'S ONTO SOMETHING*


Cyanide put out his cigarette as Shinju's theory caught his attention.

Cyanide: Oh, now you're onto something. Mind explaining a bit further?

Shinju: I could, but I believe it would actually be more effective to retrace Rousoku's steps. Rousoku, you said that the last thing you remember was laying in bed at home before suddenly waking up and being in Kyoto right?

Rousoku: T-that's right...

Shinju crossed her arms and stepped into the sunlight with Rousoku. Her bright orange hair seemed to glow in the sunlight.

Shinju: What about before that?

Rousoku: Before?

Shinju: Yes, do you remember anything about your life before the last time you were in Kyushu? Anything at all?

Rousoku: Well, yeah. I remember where I lived, I remember Osamu, where I worked, what I often ate, what I liked to wear...

Shinju: Good. Now then, do you remember whether you actually liked your life or not?

Rousoku Did I like my life? I remember liking it when Osamu came along. I don't think I enjoyed as much before we met.

Shinju: Then we can also assume that you didn't like it very much after Osamu left, right?

Rousoku quickly turned her nervous gaze over to Osamu, and then shied away again.

Osamu: Rousoku...

Rousoku: I don't remember the details, but I remember it being really lonely when he left. We didn't have a good break up...

Shinju: I see, so your relationship had problems.

Cyanide smiled.

Cyanide: Osamu, call Izanami. Tell her to come here, quickly.

Osamu: How come?

Cyanide: Just do it, kid.

Osamu did as he was told, texting Izanami and giving her directions.

Osamu: Alright, I just messaged her. She's pregnant though, so she can't teleport here. It might have adverse effects on the baby.

Cyanide: Ah, really? Well, that's fine. That gives us an hour. Now that Shinju has mentioned it, I think I might know what's wrong with you, Rousoku. However, I don't want to scare you, so we'll wait until Izanami gets here so we can confirm it for ourselves.

Rousoku: Really? O-okay then! Thank you, Cyanide!

Cyanide grabbed another cigarette and flicked on his lighter.

Cyanide: Kid, you really shouldn't be thanking me. If Shinju and I are right, you're going to learn a horrible thing in an hour. Speaking of which, Shinju, can I see your phone?

Shinju: What do you want with a girl's phone? I delete all the naughty photos and videos after I send them to Osamu, so you won't find any of those.

Osamu: Why do you have to tell him that?!



Shinju: Fine, take it.

Shinju tossed Cyanide the phone, and he walked off to do a bit of research.

Rousoku: When you guys said Izanami...did you mean the Shinto deity Izanami?

Shinju: Yeah. Osamu is married to her. I think she can help us with this.

Rousoku: I see, you're married to her too...

Osamu could see Rousoku was hurt by the knowledge of yet another wife.

Osamu: H-hey, don't look at me like that...

Rousoku: You really have changed, Osamu.

(I got the feeling...that statement was being used in a way that wasn't positive.)

*3,600,000 MILLISECONDS LATER*


Izanami and Cyanide entered the bookstore together. Cyanide was surprisingly considerate, opening the door for Izanami and helping her walk to the main library where everyone else was. She kept her long, black hair down, covering her shoulders and much of her back.

Izanami: Osamu! Shinju too!

Osamu: Hey there, love!

Shinju: Good to see you, Izanami. Cyanide, did you help Izanami walk here? You even put out your cigarette.

Cyanide: Of course, of course. She is pregnant after all. It's just the right thing to do to help a pregnant lady out.

Shinju: My my, how chivalrous of you.

*REFERENCES*


Izanami: So, what do you guys need? Who's this?

Rousoku: Oh! I came over to your house and met everyone, but you were upstairs, so we never got to meet. I'm Rousoku Himawari. Are you Izanami? The goddess?

Izanami: Sure am!

Rousoku: Wow! The stories all say you're a foul woman with a ghastly appearance, but you're actually super cute and beautiful!

Izanami: Oh gosh, thank you! It really helps to hear that when you're with child!

Cyanide looked towards Shinju, and Shinju nodded at him.

Cyanide: Oi, Izanami-no-Mikoto. I need to borrow your scythe for just a moment.

Izanami: My scythe? How come?

Osamu: Hey, what do you guys need the scythe for?!

Shinju: This will help us determine the root of Rousoku's problem.

Cyanide: Indeed. As I was outside researching, I've already found out what's wrong with Rousoku. I just need to see it for myself. It will only take a moment. It won't hurt her.

Rousoku: Hey, wait...what's going on? Why can't you just tell me?

Izanami: Alright, I trust you. Rousoku, these two would never hurt an innocent soul. You can trust them.

Osamu: Wait a minute!

Izanami summoned her scythe, which was quickly taken by Cyanide. In one, fluid movement, Cyanide slashed across Rousoku's stomach with the scythe, knocking her down on the floor and causing her to scream out. Osamu ran to her side as she felt for a wound on her stomach. When Osamu and Rousoku checked, they were expecting for there to be blood pouring out from her stomach, but there was nothing. Rousoku hadn't been harmed at all.

Rousoku: What is going on?! Wasn't I slashed?!

Osamu: There's no wound...you should be losing volumes of blood by now!

Izanami: No way...

Cyanide whipped out the Shinju's phone, reading aloud from a news article written six years ago, originally printed in Miyazaki prefecture, on the island of Kyushu.

Cyanide: Thankfully, we live in the age of the internet. Even locally printed newspapers can still be found online if it's posted anywhere. "On Friday, July 7th, authorities were called to the Miyazaki Leisure Apartment Complex after one resident complained of a blackish-red liquid running through his ceiling and onto his floor. Several other residents complained of a terrible odor coming from a neighboring apartment. The landlord, assisted by the police, barged into room 202, where they discovered the body of young woman, identified as Rousoku Himawari. According to authorities, judging by the state of the corpse, Rousoku had been dead for almost 3 weeks before anyone found her. The police were unable to find any connections to family or friends, which may explain why she was not found earlier. The apartment and other apartments affected by her severe state of decomposition had been evacuated for clean up crews, to rid them of any biohazards. Coroners have ruled the death of the young girl a suicide. Rousoku Himawari was only 19 years old."

Shinju: I knew it...

The revelation shocked everyone to their bones. Rousoku sat in a fetal position with her hands against her head as she began to remember the tragic situation she was in. Osamu shook where he stood.

Osamu: What...hey, come on! That's ridiculous! Rousoku is right here! She isn't dead!

Cyanide: You're half wrong, kid. Indeed, that person right there is Rousoku, but Rousoku died six years ago. I slashed her right through the stomach with Izanami's scythe, and yet, nothing happened? Do you know why? It's because her scythe can only take life from the living. It cannot vanquish those who are already dead. That's why there's no gash.

Osamu: But then, Izanami would've recognized Rousoku, right?! Wouldn't she be able to recognize the people she takes souls from?!

Shinju: No, in this case, she'd be unable to recognize her, because what we're seeing right now IS Rousoku's soul. She never passed from the earth. Essentially, she's like a ghost now. However, more accurately, she's looks an interacts with this world like an ordinary human, but she doesn't actually belong here. Her soul failed to pass from the earth because of her suicide, and the lingering regrets she must have had at the time. Earlier, I asked her if she could remember if she liked her life. She said she didn't like it before she met you, or after you left. That's how I was able to figure out she must have killed herself if she can actually remember what she thought of her life before she died. People who die suddenly don't have those memories, and so most of them can move on.

Cyanide: So, there you have it. Rousoku, you're dead. The memory loss you experienced is the time between the moment you died, and the moment you woke up in Kyoto. Now all of the barely lit candles and dead sunflowers make sense.

*HER FRIGHTFUL EYES*

Rousoku broke down and sobbed, hiding her face from everyone.

Osamu: Rousoku...

Osamu fell down on his bottom, still shocked to learn the awful truth.

Osamu: You died? You took your own life? Why? How could you do such an awful thing?

Shinuju closed her eyes to keep them from tearing up. She genuinely felt sorry for the girl. She didn't even know she was dead the whole time.

(For the first time since Isabella died...I remembered what the taste of failure was like. It was bitter. It was unwelcome.)




« Last Edit: July 24, 2016, 06:23:41 PM by OhGodHelpMe »

Offline OhGodHelpMe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 992
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Death By Ex-Girlfriends: Himushi Redemption + Letting Go
« Reply #153 on: July 26, 2016, 11:40:11 PM »
Finally, after 5 or so arcs, you all know where Yoko's All-Knowing Kiss comes from

Letting Go: A Steadily Shortening Distance
Spoiler


*BE BRAVE, DEAR ONE*

It was time. Yoko sat at the busy Kyoto train station alone, waiting for her mother to arrive. She wore mittens, a winter coat, and a scarf to cover her neck and mouth. Her hand rubbed her belly gently, as if she was comforting the baby as well. At the same time, her mind went back to the memory of her birthday when she was a child, after the night her mom and dad fought.

Despite what had happened that night, the young Yoko got up for bed, bright and early, brushed her teeth, got dressed, and marched over to school. She wouldn't let a family tiff stop her from having a good birthday. That day, as students were moving between the halls, Yoko worked hard to hand over all of cards to as many people as possible. The halls were busy, and the sun shined through the school windows onto her face and red hair.

Yoko: Here you go, thank you very much! Hey, you, take this!

*THE GIRL?*

*OH*

*YEAH, SHE'S A KIND OF ODD*


Yoko: Please accept this, thank you! Tell your sister too, she's really cool.

*SHE TENDS TO FIGHT WITH THE POPULAR GIRLS OFTEN*


Yoko: Here, just for you!

The kid she stopped now was a young Osamu, wearing the boy's school uniform and donning wavy, shoulder-length hair. He was handsome even then, for a young boy.

Osamu: Oh, it's your birthday?

Yoko: Yes...

(Osamu. I remember not liking him very much back then. I thought he looked like a girl with his long hair, and he was almost creepily nice to everyone. Despite that, he didn't have many friends. He was a lot like me.)

Osamu: Wow, did you make these yourself?! I tried doing the same thing for my birthday once but I messed them up really badly. Haha, and nobody came to my birthday anyway.

Yoko: Huh? No one came? Why? It's not because you're a pervert or anything, right?

(Oh the irony, right?)

Osamu: Of course not!

Yoko snickered.

Yoko: Here, just take it. I'd be happy if even you showed up.

Osamu: "Even you", huh...alright...

The school day came, and then it went. As soon as the bell rang, Yoko ran over to the grocery store, spending he own money on the best cupcakes she could find. She rushed in and out so fast, the clerks didn't even have time to tell her to have a nice day. When she got home, her mother was still shut in her room. She hadn't even said happy birthday to her own daughter. Yoko nervously walked up to her door, knocking twice.

Yoko: Mom? I got some cupcakes if you want any.

Manami: Not now, Yoko.

Yoko: Oh...okay. I'm going to be having a few friends over today, so it might be kind of loud near my room. Just letting you know...

The truth of that day is that, as Yoko waited on the stairs near the front door for hours, not a single soul showed up to celebrate her existence in this world. She sunk her head into her lap, both saddened and tired from waiting. Not a single cupcake was eaten, nor a single plate filled, or any wishes made.

Yoko: I was so stupid. Why did I make everyone such nice cards? I should've just saved my time. Dad's not here, and Mom won't even come out of her room...

Suddenly, the doorbell rang out. Yoko rushed to the door and opened it. The first thing she saw, with the setting sun right behind him, was a heavy-breathing and sweating Osamu.

Yoko: You really are a creep, showing up on a girl's doorstep sweaty and breathing like a rapist.

*BREATHING LIKE A RAPIST?*

Osamu: Wha...what?! I can't breathe...because...I ran all the way here...

Yoko: What? You ran here?

Osamu: Yeah! I missed the bus and my mom was busy, so I couldn't make it any other way. So, how's the party-

Osamu looked up and saw that the house was empty and quiet. He flashed a dumbfounded smile before facepalming himself and stomping the floor.

Osamu: You've got to be kidding! I missed the party?! Are all the snacks gone?! Don't tell me all the snacks are gone, I'll never forgive myself!

Yoko: No, stupid. I invited everyone but no one showed up.

Osamu: All of those pretzels, cookies, and cupcakes, gone! Wait...there...there wasn't a party? No one showed up?

Yoko: If you want to laugh at me, go ahead. It would be justified since I called you a pervert earlier.

Osamu: Of course I won't do that!

Yoko, venting her anger towards Osamu, screamed out with tearing eyes.

Yoko: Yeah?! And why not!?

Osamu: Because I know how you feel.

Yoko remembered that no one came to Osamu's party either.

Yoko: I'm sorry for screaming. I shouldn't have done that to you.

Osamu: It's okay. Hey, I'm here, and there's no reason why we can't still celebrate, right? It just means more snacks for us!

Osamu's smile, accompanied by the sunset behind him, served as two lights that shined on Yoko's heart.

(I think, if I could trace it back to a single moment, that was the first time I felt anything close to love for Osamu. And it was the moment I stopped having any sort of love for my mother.)



Snapping out of her dream to the past, Manami's train stopped right in front of Yoko. Her heart began beating faster as people poured out from the train. Her eyes looked and looked, sorting for the woman who looks just like her. The very last person to exit the train was a woman with strawberry-red hair like her own, stretching her arms and legs. She wore a pink shirt and black, leather jacket. Her eyes were blue like Yoko's. It was her. It was really Manami, still recognizable after all of those years. The only difference was that her face was just a bit more wrinkled.

Yoko stood up and approached Manami, and for the first time in a long time, the mother and the daughter met eyes. They were both shocked to see each other once more. Manami especially was visibly surprised, as her eyes were drawn by Yoko's baby bump.

Yoko: Hi.

Manami: Hey there. Wow...you really did grow up...you're taller, more beautiful...and you're having a baby too?

Yoko: Yeah, it's been a few months. You look great too.

Manami laughed.

Manami: Oh, were you expecting worse?

Yoko: Yes, honestly.

Manami: Brutally honest...well, a woman should remain youthful for as long as possible, right? It really is great to see you again, Yoko. Can I have a hug?

Yoko hesitated, but gave in and hugged her mother. It was long, and warmer than she expected.

Manami: Wow! This is pretty overwhelming! Let's get out of here and go some place more comfortable.

Yoko: Oh, yes. There's a yakitori place nearby. I'm sure you're hungry after the train ride.

Manami: Oh gosh, yes. It was unbearably uncomfortable. Yakitori sounds really good right now! The Kyoto air feels so good too!

*ALL YOU NEED IS YAKITORI*


Sitting across from each other at the restaurant on a relatively empty day, Yoko and Manami caught each other looking at the other with inspecting eyes. Manami ate a few racks of chicken and washed it down with a few mugs of beer. She was still a fantastic drinker.

Manami: Whew! Kyoto beer is still good!

Manami leaned back and smiled.

Manami: I really did miss this place. I almost forget why I even left.

Yoko, trying to stay on a healthy diet, ate a mandarin salad.

Manami: So, Yoko. Who's the father? You didn't get knocked up by some casual partner did you?

Yoko: I'm much more decent than that, Mom. One of my old classmates is the father. Osamu Ashikaga.

Manami: The Ashikaga kid?!

Yoko: He's not a kid anymore. You should see him now. We've been together for the past few years, and we're married too.

Manami: Wow, I'm surprised!

Yoko: Are you honestly surprised your daughter isn't loose?

Manami: Well, I always imagined you'd be more like me. I was quite the wildflower. My first was at 15 years old, and I was pregnant with you at 19.



Manami: Thankfully though, your father was a good man, unlike all the others. He took good care of the both of us.

Manami closed her eyes as a melancholy smile appeared on her face.

Yoko: Osamu is a good man too, protective and caring.

Manami: That's good to hear. Where is he, anyway? Can I meet him sometime?

Yoko: He's currently busy with a job, so it might take him a few days to get it sorted out. Hopefully you'll be able to see each other again.

Manami took another sip of her mug of beer.

Manami: Splendid. So then, Yoko, I must ask...

Manami's eyes opened again, twinkling with a suspicious shine.

Manami: Have you had any trouble with the supernatural?

Yoko put down her chopsticks, stunned that Manami knew about the strange people, beings, and events surrounding Kyoto.

Yoko: How did you...

Manami: Come on, why do you think you can know everything about everyone just from a kiss? The Akiyama family has been involved with gods and spirits for a long time. Kyoto especially has quite the history with the supernatural.

Yoko leaned over the table to whisper, as not to attract attention from the other patrons.

Yoko: So then...where does the kiss come from?

Manami: Ah, you really want to know?

Yoko nodded.

Manami: Okay, dear. So, as you may know, the Akiyama family is a branch of the Takeda clan. They held a close relationship back during the days of the Onin War, and subsequent Warring States until they were annihilated. Well, except for us, of course. During that era of war, there were many mothers in the Akiyama family that lost their children to famine, hunger, and war. That grief and agony tainted their souls, and because exorcism wasn't as advanced as it is now, many of them fell into that agony and became...Mu-onna. Women of Nothingness.



Yoko: Mu-onna?

Manami: They're typically vengeful spirits, bitter from losing their own children. They tend to want to protect other children, but they also try to absorb them. They were able to peer inside the souls of children to try and find information as they merged with them, as well. That's where the kiss has its roots. It's from the Mu-onna in our bloodline, and their soul-peering abilities.

Yoko: Wait a minute, so, am I part Mu-Onna?!

Manami laughed and banged the table with her fist, embarrassing Yoko in front of the other patrons.

Manami: No, you idiot! Gosh! It's just their power that passed down and mutated into the form of a kiss. You don't just inherit Mu-Onna blood though. Now, if you lost a child and were unable to handle the grief, then it might happen to you.

Yoko: Thanks for laughing...



Manami: Forgive me, darling. I just forgot how amusing your company can be! Kids really are a magical thing. Hah, no pun intended!

Yoko: That sucked.

*THANK YOU, I'M HERE ALL WEEK*


Yoko: Still, it's amazing you know that much. I've definitely come across such supernatural beings. In fact, I live with some of them.

Manami: Do I want to know?

Yoko: Probably not. You might have a heart attack. Rest assured though, they're good people.

Manami: Ah, good. I intended to pass down some of my books on the different kinds of ghosts and spirits, but I ended up giving them to an old associate and student of mine.

Yoko: You gave away family records?

Manami: Not family records. They were passed down from Toriyama Sekien. He made a few really nice works about the spirits that inhabit Kyoto and Japan at large. Maybe I can find Cyanide if he still lives here and-

Yoko: Hold on, Cyanide?! You know him?!

Manami: Eh?! Do you?!

Oh. Well this is interesting.

*ALL ABOUT YOUR MOTHER*


Offline OhGodHelpMe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 992
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Death By Ex-Girlfriends: Himushi Redemption + Letting Go
« Reply #154 on: July 29, 2016, 03:00:24 AM »
Letting Go: To Gently Break a Heart
Spoiler


Yoko: How do you know Cyanide?

Manami: How do you?

Yoko: I asked you first.

Manami sat back down, sighing amidst her defeat.

Manami: Cyanide, Cyanide, Cyanide. I met him a while back, just before I had you. It wasn't anything special, I was just supposed to give his team some information I had regarding the spirits of Kyoto. I taught him a few things about relics as well, like how do hide and safeguard them. It wasn't just him, it was his whole team. Last I heard, most of his team was wiped out about 9 years ago. So many kids were groomed to be exorcists, and so many of them died. It's why I stayed away from that occupation, especially when I had you.

Yoko: Do you know Shinju as well? Shinju Miyakawa?

Manami: Ah! The beautiful girl with the bright orange hair and blue eyes?! She was my favorite out of Cyanide's team! I've worked with her before, when she was really young. I doubt she remembers me though. Do you know her as well?

Yoko: My husband works with both of them occasionally. That's how I know them.

Manami: I see. So, even your family has to deal with the supernatural, huh?



Yoko groaned and facepalmed herself.

Yoko: What the hell is wrong with our family?

Manami laughed, chugging down the last of her beer. Their plates were empty, and their bellies were full.

Manami: What isn't wrong with our family? Ha!



The sun was setting now. Somewhere, Osamu knew that Omagatoki was bringing about the time of dusk, as was her duty. He stood in the library with Cyanide, who lit his cigarette and sat down on one of the dusty desks. The sun shined into the library through the windows at the front of the store, casting orange light straight into the building, and casting long, dark shadows from the books and window frames onto Osamu and Cyanide.

Osamu: I had no idea...how could I not have noticed?

Cyanide: Sekien Toriyama also wrote about her kind. They're officially called Shiryo, the souls of the dead. Although, for her case, the illusion of reality in her existence makes people think she's still among the living.



Osamu: What's going to happen to her? Will she stay like this forever?

Cyanide: Well...she'll always be dead, that's for certain. When it comes to wandering spirits, it's the duty of Shinju and myself to send them into the afterlife. However, in order for her to pass, you two need to talk about whatever it was that made her take her own life. Whatever that thing is, it's the reason why she didn't move on in the first place.

Osamu kept his hands in his pockets, and his eyes cast downwards.

Osamu: And then...once we do that...we send her back?

Cyanide: It would be a ritual similar to what you did with Kagutsuchi a while ago. Wandering spirits absolutely need to be sent back as soon as possible. If they linger around too long after realizing what happened to them, a multitude of problems can occur. They can turn into all sorts of other different spirits and beings, ones that are evil and harmful to humans. If that happens, we'd have to put her down. So, go and talk to her. I'll give you two weeks to get everything together. Then, we'll try sending her off.


Osamu went outside, where Rousoku was sitting on the front steps alone, watching the sun set below the horizon. He sat with her, and for several minutes, neither of them said a word. It was complete radio silence. Osamu thought of all the things he wanted to say, mostly words of self-pity and blame. But he worried if such pathetic words would only insult Rousoku.

Osamu: Why did you do it?

Osamu could only see the back of Rousoku's head, and her hair swaying to the side from the wind.

Rousoku: You were the only good thing in my life. I remember that now. You saved me from a life I hated.

Osamu: It couldn't have possibly been worth taking your life over...

Rousoku: I don't even know why I always feel so sad. I don't know what's wrong with me. I had a decent family, a decent childhood. Somewhere along the way, I just started feeling terrible, and I couldn't find joy in anything. I couldn't make friends, I couldn't find the drive to go out, and do fun things. Every day was the same dull, vague, internal suffering on repeat, over and over again.

Osamu: That...that sounds like clinical depression. Why didn't you tell me something? I would've gotten you help, a therapist, or something!

Rousoku: Do you believe the best way to treat someone who feels she isn't long for this world is to treat them as an anomaly?

Osamu was hushed.

Rousoku: I didn't want to be on anti-depressants. I didn't want a shrink. I didn't want to talk to people who were paid to listen to my problems. I wanted someone who cared, and you were the one who cared about me. Then...everything fell apart when you said you wanted to go back to Kyoto. I couldn't believe you were leaving me. You really were cruel, Osamu.

Osamu: I didn't mean to be...I never meant to hurt anybody! If I could've saved you, I would have done it in a heartbeat!

Rousoku: No you wouldn't.

Osamu: What do you mean? Of course I would!

Rousoku: You love those other girls now. They have your heart. You would save them first in the heartbeat it would take to save me.

Osamu was hushed once more. He clasped his hands and closed his eyes.

Osamu: Why do you have to say that as if it's a fault?

Rousoku shot up, stomping her foot and yelling at Osamu.

Rousoku: Because I never got to move on! I didn't get a goodbye, or closure! I never got to see you again! That's why it's so unfair! Osamu, did you love me?! Did you value you me at all?! Didn't I mean anything to you?! How you could leave me alone like that?!

Osamu: I told you what I wanted to do! Why couldn't you just be happy for me?! It took a lot of courage to come back here!

Rousoku: I was happy for you! But I wanted us to be happy together! That's what people who love each other do!

*GREED*

*BUT WHAT IS HAPPINESS?*


Osamu stood silent. It was that silence that made Rousoku start crying. Her cheeks were red, and her face glistened with tears. They came out faster than she could wipe them away.

(Who's to blame? Me? Her? Both of us? Life? Death? Is blame even appropriate? I don't know. I really, really don't know. I really did used to love her, and I'm thankful to her for getting me back on my feet, but...)

Shinju: You know...

Shinju stood at the top of the steps, her hair and peace sign necklace swaying in the wind, and the holy light of the sun gleaming off of the windows behind her.

Shinju: When baby birds are ready to fly away from the nest, they just fly. No goodbyes, no kiss farewell. The mother bird will simply come back, and they'll be gone. Then, she too will leave the nest, where it will remain until it falls apart.

Rousoku: Baby birds?

Shinju: Yeah! Osamu is a lot like that. So, don't blame him, and don't blame yourself either, because to be honest, Rousoku, you will eventually need to leave the nest that is this earth. As a wandering spirit who was supposed to pass through through to the afterlife, you do not belong here.

*HER MOURNFUL EYES*

(It was as if she was told she was terminally ill...)

Rousoku: I...I can't stay here?

Shinju, knowing silence would speak more clearly than words, did not confirm or deny the question. The wind did all of the talking as the sun's light faded behind the horizon, due to come again another day.


*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nek2YjVa7y0*

Yoko and Manami had just exited the yakitori restaurant as the sun's light disappeared. Manami rubbed her full and satisfied stomach as they walked past the busy people, cars, and buses of the city, getting closer to Yoko's neighborhood. The sky was still a cool blue, and night time would surely darken the sky in an hour.

Manami: Ah! That was great! Thank you for the meal, Yoko. I haven't had the chance to sit down and eat with someone in a while, so I'm glad it was with you.

Yoko stopped walking suddenly.

Yoko: Mother. You didn't come here just to hang out with me and tell me stories about the supernatural, did you?

Manami turned around, wearing a somber smile on her face.

Manami: I knew you'd ask soon. You were always a smart girl. No, I didn't, but it was nice. My words are sincere there.

Yoko: I don't doubt your sincerity.

Manami: Right. Of course you didn't.

Manami looked her daughter in the eyes, and lovingly, carefully, and dutifully lied to her, like a good mother knows how.

Manami: Really, I'm just here to enjoy myself. I wanted to see you too, and I've gotten to do that now. Let's hang out more in the next couple of days, yeah? And be sure to introduce me to your husband.

Yoko: You're lying to me. I know you better than anyone.

Manami: Are you so sure I'm lying? Are you, my daughter, willing to press your lips against mine to find out for sure?

Yoko: Yes, I will gladly and shamelessly make out with my mother if it means I can find out what she's lying about.

*WHAT*

Manami could feel her soul drifting out of her body from pure shock.

*DRAMATIZATION, NO REAL MANAMI'S EXPERIENCED ANY NDE'S IN THIS CHAPTER*

Manami: HEH?! Seriously!? With your own mother!? Geez, maybe you really can be more adventurous than me!

Yoko: I said IF it can help me find out what you're lying about! I wouldn't kiss you for no good reason! If there's a female version of an Oedipus Complex, I certainly do not have it!

Manami laughed herself to tears, in public, yet again, embarrassing Yoko.

Yoko: Why do you keep doing this?

Manami: I'm sorry! You're just a laugh and half! Honestly, I haven't experienced this much joy in one day like this. Thank you, Yoko. You're a blessing.

Yoko: Mom, if there was something wrong, you'd tell me, right?

Manami smiled and gave Yoko a thumb's up. Again, silence seemed to dominate the conversations of the city, as Manami walked off without saying another word. Yoko's heart was restless, but for her own sake, she brushed her hair aside and followed the dying trace of sunlight back home.


With his heart and mind torn into pieces, Osamu laid on the floor of the library, staring up at the stars in the night sky alongside Izanami. He'd randomly pick up some of the scattered books that were on the floor and hold them up before putting them back down again. Izanami, being the loving soul she was, wouldn't take her eyes off of Osamu for a second.

Izanami: Osamu...are you okay?

Osamu: Not really.

Osamu picked up more books, flipping through the pages and then putting them down again. When his hands were finally free, Izanami took hold of one and held it tightly. The two lovers then turned their eyes back up to the hole in the roof, their window to the sky.

Osamu: What do I do? She's dead and trapped here because of me...

Izanami: Don't blame yourself, Osamu. It may sound cruel, but those who take their own lives are ultimately responsible for their actions. You are not to blame. I think she's just overwhelmed with emotions, since it's been such a long time since you two have seen each other.

Osamu: Right...

Osamu wiped tears of frustration from his eyes.

Izanami: Do you still love her?

Osamu:...No...I can't say that I do. I'll always appreciate her, but...that was long ago. Rousoku loves the me that I am now, but the only reason I am the way I am now is because I loved you, Yoko, and Tsukiakari.

Izanami: I see. You'll have to find a way to tell her that.

*I DON'T KNOW HOW I'M GONNA TELL YOU*

*BUT*

*I DON'T LOVE YOU ANYMORE*


Osamu: Izanami...when was the last time we watched the stars like this?

Izanami: Hmm? Oh wow, not since around the time we met, when you'd always come by my shrine at night! We'd eat, talk, and watch the stars just like this.

Osamu: Yeah, I remember those days. It really has been a long time since then.

Izanami: Sure has. Look at us now. You're going to be a father, and I'm going to be a mother again. It's like a dream come true for me. We've been through so much, and now we're really together forever. Every single day we spend together has been like falling in love with you all over again, Osamu.

Osamu: H-hey! Isn't the guy supposed to say smooth lines like that!

Izanami: Oops! You're right, my bad! I'm doing your job!

The two laughed under the moonlight, the very first laugh of the day for Osamu. Izanami kissed Osamu's hand and guided it to her baby bump, beneath her clothes.

Izanami: This too shall pass. I know it will. And then, when it does, we'll really be a family, with children!

(I don't feel shame. When I'm around Rousoku, it's nice, but...I don't get this feeling like I do when I'm with Izanami, Yoko, or Tsukiakari. This feeling...somewhere between love and lust.)

Osamu flipped over on top of Izanami, holding her hands down against the floor. Her face flushed red as their faces got closer to each other, so close they could feel the warmth radiating off of their bodies.

Osamu: Have I ever told you I loved you, Izanami?

Izanami: A thousand times...

Osamu: Mind if I tell you once more? In our language?

Izanami: Our language? What would that be?

The language was a kiss, as deep as the craters on the moon above.

Izanami: Darn it...this was new underwear too...

Osamu: Hah! That's the green light!

Izanami smiled.

Izanami: I love you, Osa.

Osamu: I love you too, Izanami.

*WE ALL MUST LEARN*

*HOW TO GENTLY BREAK A HEART*



« Last Edit: January 29, 2017, 09:07:07 PM by OhGodHelpMe »

Offline OhGodHelpMe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 992
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Death By Ex-Girlfriends: Himushi Redemption + Letting Go
« Reply #155 on: July 31, 2016, 04:21:00 AM »
Letting Go: Lord I know, Lord I, I Know My, My Time Ain't Long
Spoiler

*A NEW DAY*

*A USUAL SELF*


(How does gain peace when they are already dead? It's a question I've asked myself over and over ever since we learned about Rousoku's fate. When I asked Shinju such a heavy question, she smiled and gave me a wise answer, same as always.)

Shinju: One simply has to have had the time to mature and accept their life in the time they were alive, of course.

Shinju stretched out her arms and yawned in front of the windows inside the library, the light of the sun glowing from outside.

*CAMERA FLASH*

Shinju: There is no peace in death if there wasn't any peace in life.


(So then...is there any hope for Rousoku? If there is, would it be wise to assume that I'm the one that can give it to her? Does she have the strength to stand on her own? Was it my sins that created the ghost of her? I don't know, I just don't know...but I should know. I ought to know. A man should always know what he ought to do. It's just...dealing with the sins of a past love can remind you how much less of a man you were for a woman.)

*THE GHOST OF HER*

Osamu and Rousoku, the living and the dead, sat across from each other at a table in the library. They gazed each other, each with slight anger and sadness in their eyes. A dead flower laid on the dusty table between them.

Rousoku: Say something.

Osamu: I don't know what to say.

Rousoku: Do you have any regrets? Was going back to Kyoto better for you than being with me?

Osamu: Why do you have to frame the question that way?

Rousoku: What's wrong with how I'm framing it?

(Her timidness and reserved speech have gone away...)

Osamu: It's loaded and you know it. It's a question reeking of defeatism. Coming back to town was one of the best decisions I've ever made, Rousoku. However, I think leaving you the way I did was one of my greatest mistakes. In that regard, I failed you. In that regard, I killed you.

Rousoku: Weren't you just scolding me about defeatism? Can't you sing to your own tune?

Osamu: It may be partially my fault that this happened to you, Rousoku, but I'm not going to spend my life being down about it.

Rousoku: What? You...are you saying it's not on your conscience?

Osamu: That's exactly what I'm saying.

*SILENCE AND SUNLIGHT*



Rousoku looked appalled.

Rousoku: You can't just absolve yourself of guilt like that!

Osamu: Why do you want me to be guilty in the first place, Rousoku? Why would you want to put that evil on me?

Rousoku: Because you deserve it!

Rousoku recoiled and covered her mouth.

Rousoku: I'm sorry...I didn't mean that...

Osamu: Rousoku...I don't know how I'm going to tell you this, so I suppose I should just say the truth. I'm...happy where I am. I'm happy with the women I'm with. I'm happy to have a family. What you did was tragic, and it hurt me to hear about it. It hurts, because I'll always have a soft place in my heart with your name on it. But bearing the guilt of your decision is unfair, because in the end, that's exactly what it was. It was your decision. If you hated your life, why didn't you try everything to fix it? Why didn't you leave that town like I left mines, go on adventures, meet new people, and fill your heart with wonderful things?

Osamu closed his woeful eyes as they began to tear up.

Osamu: Before I met you, I was convinced my life would amount to nothing. It was because of you I even had the courage to come back. Even if I leave, so what? Why couldn't you still be you? Even if we had disappeared from each other, why couldn't we have been happy under the same sky? Maybe we would've found each other again. Maybe we could've gotten letters from each other. Maybe we could've told each other amazing stories. But now we can't. Now you're dead, and I'm alive. I've grown, and you're stuck here, bound by your own short-sighted decisions.

Rousoku: You have no idea what it's like to lose someone you love that much...

Osamu: Yes I do. I know exactly what it's like. I lived through it, Rousoku! I wanted you to do the same! Live through it and come out on the other side! There's an entire life outside of just me! Why didn't you want to go see it for yourself?!

Rousoku smiled and hung her head.

Rousoku: Scolded by the man I love. How pathetic of me. Do you...do you have any love for me at all?

Osamu: I'm thankful to you and for you, Rousoku. I love you in a way that I don't ever want to see you hurt or mourn. But, I don't love you the same way I did all those years ago.

Rousoku silently cried, letting tears drip from her eyes and off of her chin.

Rousoku: I see. I understand. I guess time drove a wedge between us. I guess we weren't destined to be together forever.


Rousoku: Some people stay for a season, and others for a lifetime.

Osamu: I guess you were my summer, then. You were a beautiful summer, warm and delightful in every way. But...eventually...Fall, Winter, Spring, and a new Summer had to come around.

Rousoku: Wow...I guess I have no choice...but to just accept your feelings then, Osamu.

Osamu: That would be very much appreciated.

Rousoku tried to smile, but it kept fading away into a frown. She slowly got up from the table and walked away. Osamu could see her wiping her eyes with her sleeve, and a terrible weight of guilt burdened his heart.

(It hurt, but...it was necessary...)



That late afternoon, as the common folk began were coming home from their jobs, Manami left her hotel room, taking a stroll on the sidewalk. She took out her phone and called Yoko, her heart thumping along with her footsteps.

*CALL ANSWERED*

Yoko: Hello?

Manami: Hey, it's your mother.

Yoko: Oh, hello there. How are you doing?

Manami: Ah, I'm fine, I suppose. How about you?

Yoko: My head hurts, my body feels heavy, and I might throw up in the next few minutes. In other words, just a normal day of being pregnant. Why did you call? Could it be that you missed me, mother? If so, it's very unlike you.

Manami: Is it? I did sort of miss you, but that's not why I'm calling. You were right, I did lie to you yesterday.

Yoko: Oh? So what's the truth? You can tell me anything, you know.

Manami sat down on a bench, hesitating in her speech.

Manami: I'm sorry I did not have the courage to ask you this to your face. For that I apologize. But...will you...will you help me get clean?

Yoko: Clean? What do you mean?

Manami: Off of alcohol. Off of drugs. Clean. I don't want to do it anymore.

On the other end Yoko, remembered her mother's drinking problem, and how it tore apart their family.

Manami: I hate it, you know? Every time, you think I'll your problems will be gone if you just reach the bottom of the bottle, and they never are. Your stomach feels full, but your heart feels empty. I hated waking up and having wine before I even ate a bite of breakfast, but at the same time, I didn't know how to stop. Alcohol has been my only friend for a long time. After your father died, I tried getting sober, but it only got worse. I really...regretted making the man walk out. But when I realized I couldn't do anything about, that I couldn't apologize to him because he was dead, and to you because you were far away, I drank more. One day, I just got sick of it, and I planned to come to Kyoto. I wanted to see you. Yesterday, at the Yakitori restaurant, was the last day I wanted to touch a drop of alcohol for a while. So, for you, my only daughter, I want to be clean. I want to try and enjoy life without sedating myself all the time. I want to look in my daughter's eyes and not see any shame that I was her mother.

*SILENCE*


Manami: Yoko? You still there?

Yoko was crying on the other end.

Yoko: I always knew you drank because you hated yourself, and that you hated yourself because you drank. I always knew there was a much better person inside, but she was drowning in all the misery and alcohol. I've wanted you to be clean since I was little, Mom. Whatever you need, please let me know. I have money, lots of it. I can get you help or treatment. You can come over for a meal every once in a while if you wish, anything just for you to stop killing yourself. Because, even if you hate yourself, Mom, I'll always love you. Please, stop killing yourself, and stop hurting yourself. It hurts to see you like that, but I never knew how to get the courage to confront you about it.

Manami closed her eyes and smiled.

Manami: Yoko, dear. You just have. Thank you.

Yoko: Tomorrow, I'll come over and see you, okay?

Manami: Yeah, that sounds good.

Yoko: I love you.

Manami: I love you too, Yoko.

Yoko: Take care, Mom.

*CALL ENDED*


Tsukiakari embraced Yoko in their bedroom as she cried tears of solemn joy. There was hope that Manami could still live her life after all. Back at the library, Shinju confronted the smoking Cyanide alongside Izanami. The sun had already set, and the sky was growing darker.

Cyanide: Hmm? What is it?

Izanami: You guys intend to perform the ritual that would free Rousoku's soul, right?

Cyanide: Yep, that's what we intend to do. It's standard procedure.

Izanami: You should hurry. There's going to be an eclipse this week, so spirits of all kind will try to come out into the world while it's cloaked in darkness. They usually aren't able to cause any serious mischief, but I fear that Rousoku will be the most vulnerable target, since she's just a wandering soul. She could even become a malicious spirit herself.

Shinju: If the ritual fails in any way, she could still become a vengeful spirit. We have to be very, very careful. It would probably be best to warn her about the things that could go wrong, so that she can better work to avoid them.

Cyanide: Yeah, you're right. Damn, I really wanted Osamu to have more time. The two just had their talk today.

Shinju: When's the eclipse, Izanami?

Izanami: It should be 4 days from now.

Shinju: Damn, that's not a lot of time. We'll have to make it work though. Those two should spend the next few days making up. If they can end on a good note, there won't be any problems.

Cyanide: Yeah....this is going to be a tight one.

(Naturally, Izanami thought it would be best to confront Rousoku herself.)

Izanami knocked on the wall of the storage room, where Rousoku was sitting by the candles. Izanami politely entered in, smiling and humble. Rousoku's eyes appeared sad and empty, typical for a girl with a wounded heart.

Rousoku: You again...

Izanami: Hi! I hope I'm not disturbing you.

There was an uneasy air about Rousoku. Her cute and timid demeanor seemed to be vanishing the deeper her heartbreak. Still, the girl smiled, deceitfully so.

Rousoku: No, it's fine! Please, come in!

Izanami bowed her head and sat down.

Izanami: So, Shinju has already told you that, as a wandering spirit, you can't really stay here. Originally, she had given Osamu two weeks to square things out with you, but something has come up.

Rousoku: What does that mean?

Izanami: Well, you see, there's going to be an eclipse four days from now. Usually, during an eclipse, spirits and evil being will briefly be unleashed into the world, though they generally only have enough time to wreak very minor havoc. However, as a wandering spirit, you're at risk of being directly attacked by some of those demons, and you could even turn into one yourself.

Rousoku: It's that serious?!

Izanami: Yes, it is very serious. For your sake, I want you to make sure you're at peace with the situation between you and Osamu.



*HOW DARE SHE*




*SHE'S BASICALLY TELLING ME TO GO AWAY*

*SO SHE COULD HAVE HIM ALL TO HERSELF*





*WE'RE BOTH DEAD, YOU FOOL*

*WHAT MAKES YOU BETTER THAN ME?*




Izanami: Uh, is that okay? I know I'm asking quite a bit.

Rousoku smiled.

Rousoku: No, that's perfectly fine. I understand. I'll try my best. I promise.



*SUNFLOWERS THAT LIE WILL ALWAYS BURN IN THE SUN*



Rousoku Himawari
Spoiler




*CANDLES*




*SUNFLOWERS*



Rousoku: Rousoku Himawari. Hair color, black as night. Eyes, green. Height? I don't know...I don't really remember. Maybe around 5'6? I'm kind of short.




*AFFILIATIONS?*




Rousoku: Like, friends and family? Well...just Osamu, if he still counts.




*BEFORE?*




Rousoku: Before Osamu? I...I suppose I could tell you. Believe it or not, I did actually have friends and family before I met Osamu. However...you'd be surprised at how fast all of that melted away.




*PLEASE, TELL US*




Rousoku: O...Okay...





(Allow me to take us back to a day during the winter, when our last year of high school was just about over. There are many things I don't remember, so, perhaps I'm not the most reliable narrator, but I do remember this. Our high school was like any other high school, and I was like any other girl who had just become an adult. I remember the thick snow that covered the ground, the dry chill of the winter air, and the big, dark clouds that covered the sky.)

On this winter day after school, Rousoku ran through the halls at full speed with exciting news just waiting to escape her lips. Because the clouds blocked most of the light outside, the lights in the school were on. Finally reaching the classroom, she slammed open the door and bursted in with a massive smile.

Rousoku: Our winter trip is a go! My parents finally said yes!

(Those three sitting together around a single desk were my friends. The admittedly handsome doofus with the dirty-blonde hair and jade necklace is Chihiro. We met at the beginning of high school, and when I finally tried to address him by his first name, I pronounced it as Senjin. You could probably imagine my embarrassment as he stared at me as if I was stupid, laughed it off, and corrected me. It's written as Senjin, as in "Great Depth", but the kanji are read as Chihiro. Stupid, stupid me...)

Chihiro: Seriously?! Alright! Rousoku is in! About time! We were considering just going without you.

Rousoku: Huh?! That's so mean!

(The girl with the braided brown hair is Sayaka. She's too cute for her own good, I know. She's very shy, and you can almost see that timid quality of hers in her eyes. She always clung to me, even though I wasn't that much more outgoing than her.)





Sayaka: Chihiro! Don't say that!

Chihiro: It's like you guys never heard of a joke before...

Sayaka: If you ditch Rousoku, I'll ditch you in a ditch!




*GASP*




Chihiro: You'd never!

Rousoku: Oh no...I've become the apex of a lover's quarrel...

Amiya: Nah, Chihiro probably has a crush on the school's football coach.

Chihiro: Oh how original of you Amiya, yet another "Chihiro is totally gay guys, am I right?" joke. Go figure.

Amiya: Sit in an oven and die in it.

(I think the leader of this little group of ours was Amiya. We often called her Black Beauty because of her long, black hair. It was always curly and felt so incredibly soft! She always had to tie it in class so she wouldn't sit on the ends of her hair, but when it was all laid out, it was gorgeous! Ahem...excuse my nostalgic gushing...)

Chihiro: Ah! Tell a joke and suddenly, I'm the bad guy. Well then, since we can all go, let's go home, pack our bags, and get some early rest. Tomorrow, we conquer the hot springs!

Sayaka: Eee! I've been looking forward to this since Fall!

Amiya: Alright! I'll pick everyone up tomorrow!

Rousoku: Right! I'll be ready!

(That day, just as we planned, Amiya drove around and picked us all up from our homes, and we carpooled out of town, to a resort in the countryside that we spent all year saving up for. Even as we got out of town and started seeing more plains and distant mountains instead of busy shops and skyscrapers, the snow remained abundant and beautiful.)




*N O I R*




(We never made it to our destination.)

They were on their way, taking the long, but peaceful drive to their winter getaway. Amiya had gotten tired, and so the task of driving the rest of the way fell to Rousoku. The car was quiet, as everyone but Rousoku had fallen asleep. Even Rousoku herself was getting tired, dangerously so. It became more and more difficult for her to keep her eyes open. She'd fall asleep for several seconds at a time, only to snap out of it and fall right back again.

(Stupid, stupid Rousoku...you deserved everything that came as a result of this day)

Rousoku was ultimately unable to keep herself awake. Her foot remained on the gas pedal, accelerating the car until it skidded off of the snowy, moist road, and came violently crashing down the slope leading down to the woods. Rousoku's sudden scream awoke her friends just before the impact, when it all went silent again.


(When I came to, branches of trees were sticking through the broken windshield and windows of the car. I could feel the crunch of glass at my feet, and the warm streams of blood dripping down my face from a cut to my head.)

Her vision still fuzzy, Rousoku grabbed hold of her aching, bleeding head and called out to her friends.

Rousoku: Sayaka? Amiya? Chihiro? Is everyone okay?

(I...I couldn't even recognize them. Their distinct faces, their definitive eyes and body shapes...all of it became a mangled, bloody mess that was unrecognizable. Their faces were swollen and stuck in the moment when they'd realized they were going to die. Their eyes that once looked so beautiful looked like they were made out of worn out rubber, and the skin on their faces seemed like mere masks or movie props in horror films. I wanted to believe it was all a joke, but their scattered blood and scrambled brains were all too real. I realized..."Oh my god...I...I killed my friends...")




*NOIR*




(About a week later, their funerals were held together. Their families knew how close we all were, after all.)

The trails of smoke from the incense floated about in front of their pictures, all aligned in front of their closed caskets adorned with flowers. So many people, students, friends, and family alike all came to pay their respects, all of them, including Rousoku, donned in black.


(The whole time, I kept thinking...Sayaka's mom is crying because of me. I took away her daughter. Chihiro was an only child. His parents are too old to have another child. Amiya...Amiya surely would've been famous for her beauty and talents in art and music. I robbed the world of a future star, didn't I? Since the day of the crash, and even at the funeral...I couldn't stop shaking.)

Rousoku retreated into the bathroom by her lonesome and shaken self, weeping as she stared into the mirror. It was like an anchor was in her chest, and no amount of crying could get it out. A bandage was wrapped around her head, and white patches covered cuts on her cheek and arms. However, these were all minor injuries while her friends were all gone.

Rousoku: It's all my fault...I killed you all...and I don't even have a good reason...

(I pronounced Chihiro's name wrong...Sayaka always clung to me...and Amiya was our leader...)

The sound of the bathroom door flinging open startled Rousoku out of her crying. She laid eyes on Sayaka's heartbroken mother, who focused her eyes only on Rousoku.

Rousoku: Ms. Umeyashi...

Umeyashi said nothing as she walked up to Rousoku. Her mood and expression were too vague for Rousoku to even guess what she was going to do.

Umeyashi: Murderer...

Rousoku: Huh-

Rousoku was suddenly pushed into the mirror behind her, cracking it against her back as she fell to the floor in a state of complete shock.

Umeyashi: Why?! Why did you do it?! Why did you take my little girl!? Why did you take her friends too?!

Rousoku: Umeyashi, please, I-

Umeyashi: You're disgusting! You run away into a bathroom to cry on your own! You don't even have the guts to confront the parents that lost their children because of you! It's like you think you're the only one who's hurt! Look around you! There are dozens of people here, and all of them are crying!

(The sweet Umeyashi I knew had become so violently angry at me...and all I could do was cry.)

Rousoku: Please kill me....I can't take this! I didn't want this! I loved them! I would never hurt them! Please...I loved them! Please believe me!

Umeyashi: I don't. I never will. You're lucky you weren't thrown in jail for manslaughter. I guess that's what happens when you come from an affluent family, huh? Hah...what am I saying? What am I doing? None of this fighting will bring them back. Just get out, Rousoku. Go home.

Rousoku: I...I'm sorry...I know you won't forgive me, but please know that I'm...I'm so terribly sorry...

(My mother was a doctor, and my father was one of the best lawyers in town. Until the accident, I had a good relationship with my parents. But the thing about affluent families is that they depend so much on honor and reputation. Needless to say, the accident sullied the family name. That's why, when I came downstairs that morning...)

The first thing Rousoku saw at the front door was a suitcase. She came down, dressed only in a t-shirt and underwear. A card was attached to the handle, bearing her name on it. Rousoku Himawari. As she realized what was happening, she turned around as she felt her father's presence. Those stern, furious, and disappointed eyes told her everything she did not want to know.

Rousoku: No...Dad...don't do this!

Father: I've already decided. You do not have a say in the matter. Take whatever essentials you need if they aren't already packed and get out.

Rousoku: Father! Please, I'm begging you! You and Mom are the only two people I have left in this world! Don't kick me out like this!

Father: You don't deserve it, but I've left you some money in there as well, just enough so you can get a good place and have some financial room to look for work.

Rousoku: FATHER!

Father: Enough, Rousoku.

Rousoku's tears made it hard for her to keep her eyes open, and much too difficult to even see the wrinkles on her father's seemingly emotionless face.

Rousoku: Does Mom know?

Father: We talked about it last night. She agrees with me. Of course, she couldn't be here because she has to work. I know what happened was just an accident, but when it comes to the lives of your friends, "accident" isn't an excuse. If you were tired, you should've taken the time to rest. If the road was too slippery, perhaps you should've waited for a more opportune time, or used a different method of transportation.




*ROUGE*





Father: It isn't all your fault, and I don't think you should blame yourself. But this...this could've been prevented had all of you just been a little more cautious. This failure in judgement will reflect badly on the family if you remain here. Your mother wants more children soon, so it would be unfair of them to be subjected to scrutiny just because you tarnished our name. As such, we found it appropriate for you to leave. You're an adult now anyway.

Her Father walked away, for all that needed to be said was said clearly and boldly. Rousoku took some pants and warmer clothes from the suitcase, dressing in them by the front door. When she was all dressed, she took hold of the only thing she had left in her life, a measly little suitcase, and cooperated in her own exile.

(And so, I found myself a small apartment far away from home. It wasn't comfortable, but I managed. For the first year, I couldn't sleep at all. Every night would just result in me waking up from a nightmare, soaked in sweat and tears. I thought about dying, but for some reason, I kept on trying to live, to see an end to all of this pain. And then...it happened...)

Three years later, Rousoku was lucky enough to be shopping, and lucky enough to not be able to reach the flour in the baking aisle. Her blue, spring dress decorated her beautifully, and her hair had grown a little more like Amiya's since she left home. Her fingers managed to slide the bag of flour off the shelf and...right into her face. She was knocked right down onto the ground with a bloodied nose, a true embarrassment.




*OUCH*




Rousoku: Ow! Ahhh!!! Why do they put the heavy things at the top?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWQeAaWKELY

Osamu: Hey...Ma'am...are you alright?

(I looked and saw him...his long, wicked hair...his handsome face and worried eyes...it was like I had known him well, long before I had even met him. I met Osamu Ashikaga, my one and only love. My prayers were answered. God sent me my angel.)



*GOD*



*DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE*



*I KNOW I'VE COMMITTED A GRAVE SIN*



*BUT GOD LOVES ALL HIS CHILDREN, RIGHT?*



*SO PLEASE, FORGIVE ME*



*SEND ME LOVE, IN WHICHEVER FORM IT MAY TAKE*



*LET ME FORGIVE MYSELF*



*LET ME BE FREE*



Preface to Rousoku's Final Day
Spoiler
The ghost of her, possessing a smile as precious as the winter moon, stands before us all, emotionally naked and honest, preparing to share with us her most heartbreaking story. Her bare feet stand planted on the beach's soft, sandy ground, her toes occasionally curling as the cold kiss of the ocean greeted them, the waves sparkling with the light of the setting sun.

Rousoku: My name is Rousoku Himawari. 19 years old. An only child. Straight B student. I loved collecting seashells when I was little, and taking pictures in the garden with my mother and father. I adored puppies, but never got to own one myself. I'm...I...




*N O I R*



Rousoku: I'm sorry...I'm trying to stop myself from crying. I...I committed suicide at 19. No one cared when I died. I wanted to confront you like this, you who's reading these words that I so solemnly leave behind. I'm a hypocrite for telling you this, for daring to tell you what you can and cannot do in your life. I understand that. But I want you to listen to me as someone who has been through this.

...

Rousoku: You must never give up hope. You must never let the love you have for yourself die. Don't take your own life. You are far too precious to leave us all behind. Even if you have no one, you have yourself. You have me. You have the ghost of you, the phantom of your past selves.

She brushes aside her hair behind her ear, wrestling against the unbearable pain welling in her chest.


And so, she begins the tale of her last day. Rousoku's final day alive.

« Last Edit: January 20, 2020, 11:54:58 AM by OhGodHelpMe »

Offline OhGodHelpMe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 992
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Death By Ex-Girlfriends: Himushi Redemption + Letting Go
« Reply #156 on: August 01, 2016, 03:52:03 AM »
Letting Go: Rousoku Himawari's Final Day (Part 1)
Spoiler

https://youtube.com/watch?v=fuanpbPZFlk

That day. My final day. I awoke to the slim strips of sunlight sneaking through the gaps in my blinds and glowing on my bed and skin. My apartment was small and humble, adorned with lazily thrown about clothes and empty bottles of water. The trash can in the kitchen was overflowing, but I never had the energy to take it out. I hadn't even cooked myself anything in a while. I always ordered food or just ate out. I didn't want to cook anything anymore. Things like that just didn't matter anymore. I yawned and stretched my body out before staring off into space, watching dozens of glowing specs of dust float in the air, made visible by the shafts of light streaking through my window.

I thought...today is the last day. Today is the day I'll kill myself. I felt sadness, relief, anxiety, excitement, and fear all at once. I looked around at my kingdom of filth, my chaotic room, my balled up tissues by my bed, all representative of the state of my life. In shambles. I felt happy that I would be leaving this kingdom of filth, leaping into the nothingness of death. Or perhaps there was something after death, a heaven or a hell. Either way, I knew that anywhere would be better than here.

I sat on my bed, contemplating if I should write a note. But then I realized that I didn't have anyone left in my life. A note? A note for who? Maybe an apology to the landlord for all of the trouble of committing suicide on his property. Maybe to the people who had to collect my body, or the neighbors that would grow uncomfortable knowing their neighbor had died.

I took a deep breath through my nose and exhaled through my mouth. First thing was first. I badly wanted some water. I could tell just from the feeling of the carpet against my bare feet that I really needed to vacuum, but what did it matter? I felt like a lifeless zombie as my feet dragged me into the kitchen, and my hands did all the work to summon me a glass of cold water. For some odd reason, drinking it burned my throat. Leaning against the kitchen counter, my head was swimming with nostalgic memories of the distant past, and painful memories of the recent past.

Seven months had passed since Osamu left me. I hadn't received a call or letter from him since. He had disappeared, and knowing him, he could've been anywhere in the world. The only person I was able to confide in, the one who listened to all of my awful jokes and tragic stories, just up and left. I couldn't help but think back to our arguments, both petty and great. I could barely even remember what we argued about half the time. The other half...he always said I was unmotivated, far too timid and scared to do anything. I mourn and weep for things that have already been long lost. It takes so much energy just to get me winded up for the day.

I get it. I'm a leech, aren't I? He came into my life with the glory of an angel around him, and I sucked all of it dry.

I abruptly cut away from my memories. It may have been my last day, but there were still a few things I wanted to do. I had already bagged all of my clothes the previous night. Today, I was going to donate them. I was sure many more people could use them more than me.




*N O I R*




My god, the sun was so bright and scary. I realized I hadn't really been outside like I should've. I always made any excuse I could to avoid leaving the house, so much so that I prayed for rain in order to feel even more justified in my isolationism. I descended the stairs of my apartment building and made my way onto the sunny sidewalk of the town. A little shiver would travel from my back up to my spine as I passed by all sorts of different people, all walking with speed and gusto towards their destinations. There were so many men in suits, women in formal, but not too formal dresses, and regular folks who blended in with the scenery.

I had the bright idea of wearing all white for my last day alive, no pun intended. White jeans, a white, long sleeve thermal, and even a white hoodie, since I get cold really easily. There I was, walking with my eyes glued to my feet, trying to ignore my fellow members of society, right up until I made it three blocks down to the donation receptacle. Just like that, I wrapped my fingers around the blue, metal handle of the hatch that had been chilled by the morning air, and dropped my bag of clothes inside.

And then it struck me.

"I did a good thing today.", I whispered to myself.
"At least...I think I did."

I was suddenly pulled away from own thoughts by the shouting voice of a man calling me from across the street. You see, right across from the receptacle was a multi-store complex. One of those stores was an ice cream shop that served all kinds of ice cream in all sorts of different flavors. My eyes kept track of the smiling, clean shaven man despite the cars that rushed by on the road between us. I thought he was calling someone else at first, but he kept pointing and waving to me specifically.

"Come over here!", he shouted. "Want some free ice cream?"

Free ice cream? Every bone in my body wanted to just politely decline, but...he did go through the effort of shouting at me from across the road.

"Sure thing! I'll cross over!"

At this point, I had begun to wonder what on earth had come over me. This wasn't something I'd ever do.









I made my way over, waiting for the red light ahead to halt the free flow of traffic before crossing over. I may have been suicidal, but I wasn't going to die on the road like a wild and unlucky squirrel. I already had a general idea of how I wanted to die. However, I was also intrigued by this mysterious offer of free ice cream. The man was much taller than me, probably around six feet, and handed me a small little plastic cup filled with ice cream topped with crumbled up bits of chocolate cookies. He just...smiled and gave it to me.

"I'm giving out free ice cream to all the folks I can today since it's getting so hot out here, you know? I saw you donating clothes over there, paying it forward like a good girl. So, I thought I should pay it forward too! It's some of the richest vanilla ice cream you'll ever have, mixed in with a few coffee beans and chocolate cookie crumbs! Have it!"

In my fantasy of ideal hindsight, I'm sure I would've given an energetic reply with a flashy smile so precious you could see stars sparkle around me. But, as I painfully and realistically recall, I timidly hung my head in silence, a reaction he didn't seem to mind as he handed me the cup.

"You take care of yourself now! Enjoy your ice cream!"
"Th...Th...Thank you s-so much!"

Stupid Rousoku. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why can't you talk right under pressure? Man...but I digress. I figured, since I had it, I may as well just sit down and enjoy the ice cream. I found an outdoors table at the coffee shop down the way and decided I'd sit there. It was so cold and breezy, I could feel my hair lift and fall according to its direction. I had taken that first spoonful of the ice cream, thinking of all of the flavors at play that the man had described to me.

There was something so magical about it, something so beautifully heartbreaking, that I couldn't help but smile like a child. Every bite tasted better and felt warmer than the last as I let my eyes roam around the town, occasionally returning to the cup to see how much ice cream I had left. Wow...I ran out out of the stuff pretty fast. How many was that? Maybe ten, heaping spoonfuls?

"Ah...that was so good. What a nice guy to be giving out ice cream like that."

With all of the cars passing by the road, the swish and swoon of the trees bending to the will of the wind, and all the people who navigated through the streets, I grew a little more content with my decision. It was a beautiful sight, but it was something that just wasn't for me, something that I didn't think I really should've been a part of. But it was okay. I wasn't sad.

"Next...the bank."

Boy, do I hate the feeling of being stared at in very silent places such as the bank.









Braving through my fear of being outside for too long, I threw away my ice cream cup and made a quick walk over to the bank, which had just opened its doors for business. Upon entering and taking notice of the tranquil silence peppered only by faint whispers from the tellers to their customers, I began to wonder something. Banks, libraries, and churches. All of them have this sort of silence about them, this relaxing, soothing silence. What exactly is the connection there? Sure, all of these places require silence for them to function properly, but does that mean that humans will only shut their mouths for money, knowledge, and God? Do they put on their best act of politesse for material, abstract, and spiritual goods? Yet, when they step out of those places, the people they were inside of them just stays there.

Money, knowledge, and God...no, no. That won't do. I can't reconsider my decision for those things either. Money is nice, I suppose. Knowledge is a good thing to have, but it's so easy to fill your head with the wrong kind of knowledge. And God? Abandoned me. I felt as if I had stood at the entrance the whole time while sinking in this little philosophical, internal rant of mine. So, I got on with it and joined the other peons in line.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting some more. Am I in line for a bank, or for a firing squad?




*SAME DIFFERENCE*




"Good morning! How can I help you today", asked the nice, middle aged lady teller. Her hair was all nice and pinned up like the classic image of a 50's American woman.
"Y-yes, I'd like to...maybe...shut down my account."
"Oh dear, are you not satisfied with our service?"
"Oh no, nothing like that, It's just that I won't really be needing it anymore. It would be troublesome for you if I kept it around."
"I'm so sorry to hear. Well, I'll need to run your account to make sure there are no pre-authorized debts, pending checks, or anything like that. Would you like us to reroute your balance to your new account?"
"No, that won't be necessary. I'd like to just withdraw my balance in cash, in the biggest denominations possible."
"Alright, ma'am. Just so you know, there is a small account closing fee-"
"That's fine. Take whatever you have to."
"You got it, ma'am."

I don't know why, but closing my bank account made me sad. I guess my decision didn't really feel like it was happening until I did that. For an adult to get rid of their bank account...that's like throwing away the keys to life. It's like shedding the skin of adulthood itself. You become powerless, almost invisible without a bank account of some sort. I felt that. I felt like it was really coming to an end, this miserable life of mine. After going through the necessary steps and boring procedures, my account was officially closed.

"Well, that's it then", sighed the teller as she handed me the envelope containing my cash.
"You seem so sad about this..."
"It's always sad to see a young girl like you go."

For a moment, I thought she was talking about my plan to commit suicide. But then I sort of mentally slapped myself in my mental face. Of course she doesn't know. How could a stranger know? She'd have to be an angel in order to know that.








The sun had positioned itself higher in the cloudless, naked sky by the time I got out of there. It felt like the day was in full effect. I held onto the envelope, counting the bills to make sure I got everything I was owed, minus the closing fee, of course. As my thumb flipped through the bills, my eyes caught notice of a small, white piece of paper among them. Perhaps the receipt?

No, it was a small note that the teller had stuffed inside for me.

"Don't look so sad, Rousoku! Whatever you're going through, I wish you the best of luck!", it said.

What? The teller clearly knew me to some extent. But I...I didn't remember her? I recalled that there weren't that many tellers working at that particular bank, so I'm sure I must've had quite a few conversations with her before. But I couldn't remember her. Not her name, not the subject of previous conversations, nothing. I looked back at her through the entrance door, watching her smile as she served more and more customers. I so badly wanted to go back in and say something. Maybe a polite thank you or a goodbye. I even wrapped my fingers around the cold, steel handle of the door, trying to gather the courage to re-enter the building. In the end...I couldn't do it. In her own way, she was an angel, and I let her pass me by.





*V E R T*




Going over the short list in my head, I concluded that was all I had to do for the day. Donate the clothes. Close the bank account. In reality, I wanted to do so much more, but I didn't really have the means to do any of it. I had always dreamed of having one more conversation with my parents, but I knew they wouldn't talk to me after the shame I brought onto them. Their numbers had changed as well, so I had no method of even contacting them. I would've loved to call Osamu as well, but even he disappeared without a trace. I looked around at the other stores down the streets, wondering if, perhaps, I had any ideas for a last meal, or maybe a desert I wanted to try before I died. But after I had already had the ice cream, I felt like that desire had been satisfied.

"I guess there's nothing left to do..."

I'm sure I looked like a creep contemplating the risks and rewards of a heist, standing there in the bank's parking lot like that. It was time to leave.







Or at least, that's what I was going to do, until I saw a little girl standing on the sidewalk by herself, holding her pink cell phone to her chest as she anxiously looked around. She had such beautiful, black hair that draped over her shoulders and upper back. Her bangs were cute too! She also had these side, twin tails in the front, each one tied with rubber bands with cute cat faces on them. She was in a school uniform, a plain white shirt and blue skirt. Plus, she had her backpack with her, so I assumed she was probably heading to class. Then I thought about it a little more.

The bank is already open.

I haven't seen any other students walking around.

She looks extremely lost.

"Holy crap, she's super late for school, isn't she?! She may as well just go home!", I said to myself.

I figured I may as well approach her and get her to wherever she needed to go. She couldn't have been older than 10.

"Uhm...excuse me-"

The girl yelped in startled fear, covering her face with her phone before calming down and looking me in the eye. It was easier for me to talk to children.

"Are you lost, by any chance? Where are you headed? School, right?"

The girl shook her head disapprovingly.

"Hmm? You're not going to school? Where are you headed then?"
"Mo...Mo..."
"Mo?"
"Momma's house..."
"Oh, so you're trying to go home?"
"I don't live with her, s-so it's not really my home."

Oh man...I felt so bad. It was clear her parents had a separation of sorts, but she still loved her mother and wanted to see her. I couldn't just leave her there, right? My heart was far too big and sympathetic.

"What's your name?", I asked with a smile.
"Shiyako. Yours?"
"Rousoku. Rousoku Himawari!"
"Ah, like "Candle", right?"
"Yep!"

The girl flipped her backpack towards me, showing me her name tag. Her full name was Shiyako Ohotoke.

"Shiyako...Ohotoke?"

Her face wrinkled as if I offended her greatly.

"Ohotoke? No, that's not how you read it!"
"Seriously!?", I replied in shock, mostly directed towards my own idiocy.
"It's read as Daibutsu, like a giant statue of Buddha!"
"Oh goodness, I'm sorry! Wrong reading!"

Scratch that. Her full name was Shiyako Daibutsu.

"Well, Shiyako, if it's okay for me to call you by your first name, shall we go get some breakfast?"
"I'm not hun-" Her stomach interrupted her and proved her wrong. "Okay, let's go get some food first.










Rousoku Himawari's Final Day (Part 2)
Spoiler
The next thing I knew, I was watching Shiyako scarf down waffles drenched in maple syrup, and then washing them down with swigs of orange juice. We had decided to stop in one of the diners nearby, a nice and comfortable place with a cabin feeling to it, since most of the diner seemed to be made of polished wood with high ceilings and fake animal fur hung on the walls. The echoing clang of pots and pans could be heard throughout the diner, emanating from the kitchen. Lots of other people sat all around us, partaking in their breakfast.

A strong, brownish-orange glare coming from the wooden table lit up our faces as the sunlight flooded through the window and shined hard upon us. I never realized how many cute girls were such messy eaters, but she was pretty young, and I imagine she was extremely hungry. I didn't even realize that I had been rudely staring at her for about 10 straight minutes, mesmerized by her ability to eat so fast, as if she were a grown man.

"Wow, you must've been starving. Didn't you have any breakfast today?"

She waited a while, not wanting to speak with her mouth full.

"I didn't! I rushed out the door without grabbing a bite to eat!"
"Why would you do that?! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you know!", I said, knowing full well that I had ice cream for breakfast today.
"Because of love!"
"Love?"
"Yes, love! Love for my mother. I had been wanting to return this to her."

Shiyako rummaged around in her backpack, pulling out a rosary of glistening, red stones. The pendant bore not only the cross, but Jesus as well, paying for the sins of humanity with his blood and suffering.

"A rosary?", I curiously asked.
"My mom always kept this with her. It belonged to her grandmother and was passed down to her, apparently. She, in turn, passed it down to me, but ever since Mom and Dad split up, I haven't been able to give it back. I'm sure she needs it much more than I do."
"Why's that?"
She put down her fork and nervously clasped her hands.
"Mom...stopped praying lately. She said that the prayers don't work anymore."
"Stopped praying? Why would she do something like that?"
"It's stupid. She just gets a little sick and all of a sudden she wants to stop praying. Are adults really that irresponsible? They'll just give up one something they love because it hurts them?"

At 19 years old, I was an adult. I had an obligation to offer my limited perspective. That was something I still had to get used to, answering questions that I used to ask when I was little.

"Adults and children lead very different lives, and they're both exposed to different pressures. I think, because of that, adults have many more ways to rationalize their own surrender."
"But you're not like that, right?", she ignorantly asked. "You don't look like the kind of girl who gives up when the going gets tough!"
"No...I'm no different either.", I said, summoning an expression of disappointment and shock on her face. "I'm just as prone to surrender as anyone else. Someday, you will be too."
"No I won't! I detest people who give up when others are counting on them to keep trying! You don't have to succeed, but at least keep trying! How arrogant do you have to be to throw away your prayers as if everything is God's fault?"
"Are you angry at your mother?"
"Of course I am. Anyone who loves you will bother being angry at you for something so stupid."

I couldn't help but smile. Something about the raw purity of her heart made me so happy. I could tell that she was going to live a very nice life.

"I'm sure if we all had children like you, we'd remember what we're fighting for, Shiyako."
"Hmmm...do you have kids, Rousoku?"
"Oh, heavens no! I'm far too young!"
"How old are you?"
"19 years old. You?"
"9 years old! You're just ten years older than me!", she said with a big smile.
"When's your birthday?", I asked her with an amused grin.
"March 27th! You?"
"You can't be serious! I'm March 28th!"

I think I speak for both of us when I say that, upon discovering how close our birthdays were, we fell in love with each other.

"It's like you're my big sister! At long last, I have a big sister!"
"Quite a crazy coincidence, huh?"
"No! Not a coincidence!"

Shiyako suddenly stood up on her booth seat and took my hands into hers, gazing at me with her sparkling eyes of joy and sisterly love.

"It's fate! No, even better! It's a miracle! God made a miracle happen today, letting the two of us meet! Rejoice, Rousoku! I think this is the beginning of a beautiful, everlasting friendship!"
"Umm...Shiyako...everyone is looking at us weird..."







It seemed that our antics had attracted the silent, perplexed stares of the other patrons, which felt more like assault rifles from a firing squad aimed at our temples. She calmed herself and sat back down, continuing to eat her syrup-drenched pancakes.

"Well...at any rate...let's finish up here and get going.", she mumbled to herself with her mouth full of pancakes.

How terrible. I made a friend.





*N O I R*




Before long, we were out of there and back on the streets. The hoodie I had been wearing up until then had grown unnecessary. It was already the afternoon, so the sun's heat was bearing down on us from directly above. I removed the hoodie and tied it around my waist while Shiyako whipped out her phone, trying to find the message from her mother that contained directions to her house. I knew that if there was one thing I probably wasn't going to miss, it would be the sun and all of its fury.

Knowing that the sun was also a ticking time bomb capable of wiping out the entire galaxy upon its death, the idea of interplanetary travel seemed much more alluring than just being content with being on Earth for any longer than we, as a species, really have to. I mean, just think of how many other planets and interesting star sys-

"Hey, Rousoku, are you listening? My mother's house is this way! I think..."

Indeed, Shiyako interrupted my thoughts, but that's not to say my thoughts were very important. Yes, I should've been more concerned about getting the young girl to her mother safely, not about interplanetary travel. Stupid, stupid Rousoku.

"Let me see the address, please?"
"Oh, sure."

She showed me the message sent from her mother, as well as the address within. I immediately knew that she had pointed to the opposite direction her mother actually lived, so I pointed is in the right direction. And so, together, we began to make our way over there. She held my hand as if she really was my little sister. The sidewalk wasn't all too busy, but we were walking along a major street comprised of three lanes running East and West. With that many cars, it almost seemed like they were all talking to each other, or rather, cursing at one another with the horns acting as sensors.

Forgive my colorful imagination and retelling of these otherwise typical, urban scenes.

"Hey, Rousoku, do you believe in miracles?", she suddenly asked me.
"Miracles? Well...hard to say. I'm more inclined to just believe in coincidences, or perhaps even karma"
"Coincidences are just a more anti-climactic name for miracles, aren't they? It's the same thing, but removes the divine factor of its occurence. I'd say Karma commits the same crime!"
"Well...if you remove the Kami in "Kamiwaza", you're just left with the character for Karma, so you're actually kind of right about that. Though Karma itself is a concept sprouted from religion, it's also garnered an informal, non-spiritual meaning that is simply synonymous with fate or destiny."
"Boring. No wonder adults are always so depressed. They've taken the magic out of their own lives! Why not believe a big man in the clouds is looking out for you, or an angel saved you from getting soaked in the rain?"
"Because we can't see any of those things, probably!"
"So you'll live your life only by what your eyes can sense, huh? That's worse than just blindfolding yourself."






"Living your life only by what is most apparent to you is just awful. Aren't there things you have to think a bit more deeply about?"
"Of course there are, but it bec-"
"Ooooh look! Birds!", she suddenly shouted. She released my hand and ran ahead, scaring away a flock of pigeons off of the sidewalk. I take it the pigeons didn't quite appreciate being startled like that, but she could only giggle and grin with bliss.
"Sorry, I just had to. See? You didn't even notice those pigeons before I did, and your eyes are wide open."

I...she...she was right. But I didn't really see the importance of a flock of pigeons. Humanity has always had to deal with pigeons in cities, to the point where we consider them to be flying rats. But I did understand something else. For whatever reason, messing with pigeons made her happy. It's like she was a living ray of sunlight beamed down upon the earth, or a small gateway to the paradise of Heaven. She exuded nothing but joy in that one moment, and that was the kind of happiness she knew she had to live for.

Why is it that my eyes were wide open, and yet, I saw none of it until she pointed it out? How do you "see" that which makes you happy?

"Well, I guess you really do have a point after all", I conceded.

We continued out little walk, though she was now marching of her own accord with her hands behind her back, a little ways ahead of me.

"All of that said, the existence of miracles doesn't necessarily mean that coincidences don't exist, right? Maybe they coexist like the moon and the sun! Surely it can't be hard for an adult to just see the plain coincidences, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so. Like...hmmm...you said your birthday was on March 27th, right?"
"Sure did, what about it?"
"I just thought of something! Your first name, Shiyako. It's written with three kanji. 'Purple', 'Sunshine', and 'Child'. Twelve strokes for 'Shi', another twelve for 'Ya', and then three for 'Ko'!"

Her eyes widened in childish amazement, as if I had just blown her mind.

"You're right! 3/27 coincides with my name! Three kanji and twenty-seven strokes! That's pretty good, Rousoku! I guess you can see things that I can't as well, huh?"
"Well, it's like small, trivial details versus your larger than life attention to more subtle and important things. I think, in that sense, you're right about what you said. Maybe adults really are blind, or the may as well be. If only we could have that sweet balance. The education and objectiveness of an adult, with the joyous, positive perspective of a child."
"You're only 19, right? That's still relatively young! Don't talk like it's too late for you! If you need it, I'll help you see what you can't see by yourself! That's what sisters are for, after all."

What a pure little girl. She had given me her full heart and love on the very day I met her, just because of those few...no...I was going to say coincidences. But thinking back...I like to think she was right, and that meeting her was indeed one of those miracles.







An hour later, we were definitely close to her destination, but we decided to sit down for a bit on a bench in a small park. Our legs felt like melted butter after our long walk, but I will say that the exercise felt pretty good. We saw a lot of little kids playing on the slides and swings with their mothers, all of them wearing the same infectious smile that Shiyako did just an hour ago. As a treat, I had gotten us both some root beer, something that I hadn't had in a while.

"Whew!", she sighed after taking huge gulps from the soda can. "That's so good! Eh...don't tell my mom about this! I'm not allowed to have soda!"
I laughed and waved it off. "It's alright, it's alright. It'll be our little secret."

Shiyako then removed her backpack, opening it up and taking out a small, pink lunchbox. Two juice boxes, a sandwich cut into four, small pieces, a bag of trail mix, fruit snacks, and even a small brownie. Lucky...when I was a kid, I just got peanut butter sandwiches and a banana. Before she even took a bite of any of it, she gave two of her sandwich pieces to me. I didn't even ask for any, and she...she selflessly gave them to me.

Then she handed me one of the juice boxes, and continued giving me equal shares of whatever she had.

"I was supposed to eat all of this at school, but meals are so much better with friends."
"True, but you could've done the same thing at school, no?"
"No, not really. I...don't really have friends at school. It's a pretty lonely place. And I don't see Dad very often since he works so much, so..."
"Oh...I'm sorry, Shiyako." I said, her loneliness resonating in my heart. She smiled and shook her head.
"Don't worry about it! You're my friend, and I'm eating with you now! Let's dig in! Sorry it isn't much."
"No, it's perfectly fine."

Ah, I still remember the taste of her ham and cheese sandwiches. The ham especially was of excellent quality. You can taste a sweet, smokey flavor along with the slight spice of the mustard and the coolness of the cheese. The juice was a delightful peach flavor, the perfect refreshment after a few bites every now and then.

"Hey, Rousoku, do you have a car? I was just thinking this would've been a much easier trip if we just drove here."
"Oh...no, I don't. Actually, I'm...I'm scared of driving."
"Huh? Why's that?"

Because the last time I was behind a wheel, I crashed and killed all of my friends. But of course, I couldn't just say that.

"Just...just a phobia of mine, I guess. Like how some people are scared of spiders or tight spaces."
"Ah, I see."
"Are you scared of spiders?"
"No way! At least not tarantulas. I think they're kind of cute! I guess I'm more scared of...maybe...loneliness. I don't want to end up alone. That's why I really want Mom to take her rosary back and continue praying, even if it doesn't work out in the end."

I battled against my tongue for a moment as I prepared to cut open the issue. The curiosity was killing me.

"You said your mother was sick back at the diner. Is she-"
"Adrenal cortex cancer. It's a very rare form of cancer. She first got it four years ago, but none of us were too worried about it. It was small and mostly contained to the adrenal, so that worked greatly in her favor. But then..."
"It got worse."
"Yeah."
"What are her chances now?"
"...Not so good. The doctors told her she'd...I don't even want to say it! I don't know why she agreed to hear how much time she had left! What was the point of doing that if she was going to stop praying?"
"Maybe she wanted to know how much time she had left so she could prepare herself, and maybe even prepare you."
"I'd be better prepared if I saw her happy..."
"Have you told her that?"
She shook her head side to side.

"Maybe...you two should have a talk about it. You're her daughter, so it's not like she won't listen to your feelings. I think spending more time with you will even help her find her hope again again, and with it...her spirit."
"You really think so?"
"I know so."

There it was, that blessed smile. The smile of a child was such a precious thing. I don't think I realized that as much until that day.

"Thank god you came to me today, Rousoku."



*R O U G E*



And so, at last, our journey came to an end. After lunch, we walked just a little further past the park. Looking at the address again, I realized we stopped right in front of the correct house, the Daibutsu household. It was a rather nice house in the middle of a nice, suburban neighborhood. At had at least two floors, a garage, a small lawn and patio area, and a pretty sturdy gate around the house itself. Slanted roofs, a sand-colored paint job with white doors and window sills...it really did feel like a home from the outside.

"Whew! Alright, here we are, Shiyako! Looks like this is your stop."

I looked over to her after failing to get an immediate response. She clasped her hands together, the rosary interweaved between them both with the pendant dangling in the sunlight. She seemed incredibly nervous, scared to confront her mother, and probably scared of upsetting her. I patted her head and caressed her hair, prompting her to look up at me with her glossy eyes.

"Go on, Shiyako. Don't be afraid.", I said, almost in a whisper.

She took a few steps forward before returning her eyes to me.

"Rousoku?"
"Yeah?"
"Will I see you again?"

Of all questions...why did you have to ask that one?

"Yeah. You will.", I lied to her. "I get ice cream next to the bank every now and then."
"Really? I...I hope to see you around there again! I'm really thankful for you today. It was the most time I've spent with anyone for a while."

The girl graciously bowed to me, and I to her.

"Thank you, Big Sis."
"And thank you, Shi...Little sis."

And so, I watched her take those brave steps up to the door. She stood on her tippy toes to reach the doorbell, where she was greeted by what looked like her grandmother. She was probably taking care of her mother ever since her illness got worse. The two embraced as I watched from the sidewalk, feeling a little proud that I was able to help out. They stood with the door open for a little while as Shiyako kept pointing back over to me. Her grandmother, with her knit sweater and head of curly, grey hair, waved at me.

"Thank you for helping her find her way! Do you want to come in?"
"Oh, no! That's fine! I should be heading home now anyway, if I want to make it back before dark. Shiyako...good luck!"
"Thanks Big Sis! Oh, here! I have something for you!"

Shiyako ran out of the house with a bouquet of flowers in her arms, a sweet little bundle of red roses and blue orchids. She handed them to me as if I were a beauty pageant winner, or a monarch.

"My grandma arranges flowers for people, so you can have this bundle! Please, accept it as thanks for today."
"Oh Shiyako...this is so sweet! Thank you, dear. Now you go on and say everything you need to say. Don't-"
"Don't be scared! I know!", she said with a smile.
"Right. Goodbye then, Shiyako."

That was the last time I saw something so beautiful and innocent that it shook the very roots of my heart. Shiyako was a painfully beautiful child. She waved a final time before her grandmother closed the door, and I remembered what it was I had to do that day. I remembered that my life wasn't as joyous as Shiyako's. It never could be.

"I guess...the day is over...", I whispered to myself as the sun looked like it was ready to start its fall past the horizon.

I made my silent return home, holding the flowers Shiyako had given me closely. Most of the dying, orange sunlight had been tucked into the western corner of the sky as half of it disappeared behind the horizon, while the rest of the sky, ironically, wore a faint cloak of ghostly purple. Most of the people that populated the streets at the beginning of that day had already returned home, it seemed. As I stood in front of my apartment building, I realized that I was home too, and that I'd never leave again.




*N O I R*



Ah, my kingdom of filth drenched in darkness and the smell of sadness. There was no need in trying to turn on the lights. What was the point? With a heavy sigh, I put aside the flowers and stripped off my clothes, finally unwinding after my long day, much longer than I planned for it to be. It felt all too real. I was really going to die there, in that bed, surrounded by all of these meaningless things. I wondered how long it would be before anyone even found me. Probably not for a while, huh? No one here knows me or cares about me. That's right. There's no harm in me dying.

It wasn't even all of the suffering and sadness that really made me feel like I had to die. It was the numbness afterwards. It was the lonely nights. It was the long, unbearable days. It was the empty message boxes, the lack of any sign that anyone really cared about how I was doing. I fought to make it through what had brought me great sadness. I fought like hell to get over that and live again, but when I won that battle, there was no one waiting on the other side for me.

All that was left was an empty numbness, compounded by loneliness. And so, Rousoku Himawari would hurt no one by closing the curtains upon herself. Yes...I'll die right here.

I sat down on my bed, my hands shaking with a disorientating mix of fear, happiness, sadness, and great relief. Staring at the bottle of pills I knew I would kill myself with, I...ended up giggling.

"Life is just a comedy, isn't it? A sad, tragic, heartbreaking comedy. And at the end of every episode, the punchline is that none of it mattered. Everyone will be recast, and the show starts anew. So...it's okay to laugh."

I lied down with the bottle in my hand, staring at my ceiling with a blank expression of emotional oblivion. I began to think. Was there anything else I wanted to do?

I said nothing as my hand lied over my bellow, my fingers drearily creeping over to my sweatpants. I slid them off towards my knees just enough to make room for my hand between my legs. I thought another orgasm would be nice, so maybe I'd try masturbating one more time. It felt good at first. I rubbed and rubbed away, and as the speed increased, my moans would grow louder and louder. I'd lose myself a little more until I couldn't take it and removed my pants entirely. I sat up, and kept going, stopping only to press my fingers against my lips, drooling onto them and rubbing the saliva where it felt best.

That wet, squishy sound that you usually hear grew deafeningly loud, because, admittedly, I was incredibly wet. Rubbing was no longer enough, so I went ahead and forced in four of my fingers. My other hand found it way up my shirt, grabbing my small, aching breasts. I spit onto my fingers again, messily and almost furiously masturbating at this point. It felt...incredible. It felt like I was going to have a very, very good orgasm soon. I felt no shame in letting my moans out as loud as I wanted until that orgasmic shock traveled through my body, swaying my hips and forcing me to seal my legs shut. I lied on my side, panting as I recovered from the orgasm.

The problem with doing this, with trying to enjoy myself in any physical way...was that immediately after I was done, I'd think of Osamu. I'd think of how he used to touch me, whisper to me, cuddle with me. He was a gentle lover, and without him, I was rough, furious, and sloppy. I found it beautifully metaphorically, and tragically true. Osamu was the order in my life...and he was long gone.







I don't tell you this to excite you, but only to leave no doubt that I am expressing every true, raw, naked detail I can muster. The embarrassing bits, the sad bits, the trivial bits, and even these personal, sexual bits, I disclose to you. I tell you this as an admittance of guilt. I wanted and yearned for love, emotional and physical. I yearned for the lover I had lost. There were certain ways I wanted, even needed to be spoken to, touched, and thought of. I just wanted love, for someone to love me for who I was.

Osamu's smile infected me in the afterglow of any attempt to have just a fraction of these pleasures to myself, as if I was being punished.

"This...doesn't feel so good anymore..."

I thought some more as I lied there...was there anything else I wanted to do? After what felt like an eternity of thinking, I decided that there wasn't. I was done. It was just time to go. Stop stalling it. Thinking of Osamu like that only made me want to leave even faster, to be free of those thoughts. And so, over the course of the 20 minutes, I took all 86 pills, as if I were eating candy corn. I reached in the bottle for another, only to realize I had consumed them all.

"Here it comes...death."

I lied there, staring at my ceiling, knowing that I had passed the point of no return. My kingdom of filth, my broken ability to love myself, my insecurities, my pain, my shortcomings, all of it would fade away with death. The dying rays of sunlight tinted my entire room a shade of deep, dark pink as I closed my eyes and waited to leave this world. Karma, huh? That pesky phantom that follows us wherever we go, keeping us stuck in our karmic cycles, our tragic samsaras. I'd rather it all end so I can just reach nirvana already. Let this tired candle be blown out at last, her aroma lifting into the air beyond the sky itself.

Karma...I remembered something so important that my eyes shot open halfway. It was all they were capable of at that point. I had spoken to Shiyako about that, about Karma. I thought about it just a bit as I lied there, and I realized something. When I donated clothes, I got free ice cream in return. When I remembered the teller at the bank, I discovered the note she left for me in the envelope. When I spent the rest of the day taking Shiyako home, she not only gave me those flowers, but along the way, she gave me conversation, a new perspective, even half of her own food.

My heart fluttered with excitement...and soon after, regret. I wanted to get up, vomit out the pills I had taken, and try to live another day. I didn't want to die anymore! There was meaning! Shiyako was really hoping to see me again soon, too! She looked up to me enough to call me a big sister, so I couldn't disappoint her! But no matter what I thought, how deeply I felt about it, or how moved I was by these realizations...my body wouldn't move. I was paralyzed. It was too late to regret my decision.

I could only turn my head to those flowers, realizing all too late that those were flowers of hope and new beginnings, not for a funeral. Just as I was unable to see the joy in disturbing those pigeons, I failed to see the joy those flowers were supposed to represent. I saw them only as symbols of sadness. And now, the reality of my situation really, truly hit me.

My god...oh my god...I'm...I'm really going to....

"No...wait...please! I made a mistake!", I sobbed as my tears blurred my vision. I was unable to even move my arms to wipe them away.

Oh Shiyako...I'm so sorry. What have I done? Why did I forsake the things you were trying to teach me? You were my greatest miracle that day...and I ignored your warning. I didn't heed your teachings well enough. I saw it all too late. The light at the end of the tunnel. The hope that although the love I wanted died, in your words, I 'was only 19'. I was young. I would have the chance to love again, and when that time came, I'd feel all of the things I felt for Osamu. In you, I could've had a friend, a little sister figure. I'd relearn what it is to feel joy, to love and protect someone. I realized as I was slipping away from this life, that I could've been happy, if I had only discarded my pain for just a while longer. I would've been happy.




*REGRET*



"I don't want to die...I don't want to die...I don't..."

But as much as I sobbed, I could do nothing. Fighting my paralysis grew more and more difficult to do. I felt as if my insides were burning, my organs bursting, and my blood boiling against my veins as if it had turned into acid. I realized how painful death by overdose really was. It was like I had opened a great Pandora's Box of pain. But soon, that pain subsided as I got closer and closer to death, my eyes blacking out slowly, like a movie fading to black. Death was calling my name, and I had mistakenly called back to it.

In shameful regret, in filth, bathed only by sin and envy, I, Rousoku Himwari, aged 19...died that summer. I had successfully committed suicide. My last view was of those flowers resting on my nightstand, roses and orchids, my room cloaked in darkness, and the air heavy with the sorrow of my own invention.

Shiyako...did I ever tell you how much I loved those flowers?






-------------------------





*THE NEXT DAY*







The next morning, I awoke to find myself far away from home. Far, far away from my apartment. I don't remember how or when, but I awoke in the middle of a busy street in Kyoto, the cars passing right through my body instead of crashing into me. Of course, I hadn't known where I was yet, not until I came to you and we found out what happened to me. It's like I was just born in the heart of Kyoto, lost and dazed among all the activity there. I panicked and looked around, realizing I didn't recognize anyone or anything. And so, I got off of the road, away from blaring horns and humming engines of the cars, and joined the robotic mass of people walking up and down the sidewalks. At least that much hadn't changed between my home and Kyoto.

I recall something though. I wasn't that far from a cathedral when I woke up. The funeral bells were ringing, and I could just faintly hear the prayer of the priest from inside, using the word of God to bless the dead and comfort the living. I remember some of the words he howled to the heavens, drilling them within the souls of those who mourned their lost loved one.

"Death is but the gateway to the glory of God. Those who lived by their heart, whose souls stood taller than their shadows, they have no reason to fear its embrace. And so I ask of you, all of you who mourned and loved this woman, to open your crying eyes, and take a look at what the lord has done. Look at what he has done! Look at the glory he has shown to us! 97 years of age! 97 long, beautiful years! 97 years of breathing in the air, taking in the sights, working, loving, praying, and singing her joy to the sky. I ask you all today to not only mourn as one should, but to celebrate her life, and how long she was permitted to bless us with her existence. In death, she continues to live within us, her kindness carved into our hearts with a blade that inflicts pleasure, not just pain. Those beautiful scars become our memories of her. And while it may feel as though those memories are phantoms of their own, haunting you wherever you may go, we will all realize our blessings. Only then will we truly realize the glory of God's work."

Shiyako...I imagine she sat by the same bank we met at, waiting for me to arrive. Whenever I think of her standing there like that for hours, holding a bundle of flowers or a tray of snacks for me...I regret my decision even more.




*N O I R*



And so...that's the end of my tale, the story of my final day. I now stand before you, a ghost wrapped in the veil of shame, regret, envy, and resentment. I bear my sins upon my soul, and vengefully inflict them upon you, Osamu. And yet, at the same time, I weep. I acknowledge and repent for those sins. Perhaps we both have a lot to repent for, and to take out on each other. Our love has become a form of warfare, where our words, feelings, and stinging judgements are our weapons, our pride our walls, our arrogance our armies. We blame ourselves, blame each other, and hopefully, in the end, we can repent for it all.

So...Osamu...what can I say as I weep before you now, lost between the motions of hating and loving you? I suppose we can only start here, with this.

Your ex lover is dead.

« Last Edit: June 02, 2018, 01:39:56 PM by OhGodHelpMe »

Offline OhGodHelpMe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 992
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Death By Ex-Girlfriends: Himushi Redemption + Letting Go
« Reply #157 on: August 02, 2016, 10:41:06 PM »
Letting Go: Your Former Lover is Dead, and She Left You Sunflowers
Spoiler


When the night came, and the lights in the city could be seen in the distance, Osamu laid down on the floor of the library alone, looking up at the stars. For a reason that wasn't so odd, and wasn't so suspicious, he thought of Yoko, Tsukiakari, and their beloved home.

(Funny...I used to never want to go home during these kinds of events. If anything, I'd do my best to stay out and enjoy the thrill of dealing with this kind of stuff, the supernatural, gods and goddesses, ghosts and the dead. Fighting Amatsutsuki and being out of commission for so long really taught me not to throw my life away. And this...this just hurts. I don't want Rousoku to disappear, but what other choice does she have? Even when someone is suffering mainly from their own faults, why do I even want to risk everything to help them? Why not just go home?)

*COME HOME*

*CALL INCOMING*


Osamu: Uh...hello?

Rei: Osa!

Osamu: Hey Rei, what's up?

Rei: You've got some real nerve doing a girl that hard and then not talking to her for several days!

Osamu's face resembled that of a very saddened child who had just figured out what lemons taste like.

Osamu: Hey, come on, you asked for it.

Rei: You were like "YEAH, STAND STILL REI, I'M ALMOST DONE" and "STOP SCREAMING, REI!"

Osamu: None of that happened!

Rei: And then you just kept going at it like the wild beast you are! Just repeating WHAM after repeating WHAM

Osamu: You're painting too vivid of a picture for our readers. I must ask you to cease all activities besides for the most basic bodily functions such as breathing, heart rate, metabolism, and cognitive functions.

Rei laughed, and her voice became more gentle, as if she was taking off the mask of humor and light conversation.

Rei: Hey, you okay? Yoko told me there was a lot going on around there with you guys.

Osamu: She did, huh?

Rei: Yeah.

Osamu: I see. Well then, guess I'll be honest. I'm not really feeling to great.

Rei: Wanna talk about it?

Osamu: Yeah, that would do wonders for me.

Rei: Where are you right now?

Osamu: An abandoned bookstore, not too far from subway entrance by the market.

Rei: I'm in the area, so let's go for a walk. Meet my by the subway entrance?

Osamu: Sure, I've got some time to spare, but I have to be back in a few hours.

Rei: Why's that?

Osamu: There's a ritual I've got to handle tonight. I'll need to be back in the neighborhood and at the bowling alley by midnight.

Rei: Alright, I understand. See you soon.

Osamu: Gotcha.

*CALL ENDED*

Osamu put on his hoodie and Male symbol necklace, walking the distance to go meet Rei. It had been a while since he was down in the city, so seeing other people coming and going, laughing and dining, made him feel like he was on an alien planet full of strange creatures called "humans", who do a strange thing called "socializing".

As he walked, he was suddenly pulled into an alleyway with a hand covering his mouth. Fearing he was being mugged or possibly forced to go out with another psychopathic girl, he turned around and realized it was just Rei being Rei.

Osamu: What the hell is wrong with you?!

Rei wore a necklace with a large, silver cross as the pendant, black jeans, and a...sports bra?

(Yes, Narrator, a sports bra! In the middle of the night! Can you believe that?!)

It appears I've lost control of my characters' wardrobes.

*WE WILL BUILD A 4TH WALL*

*AND MAKE THE READERS PAY FOR IT*


Osamu: Why are you wearing a sports bra in the middle of the night?

Rei: Why not?

Osamu: Insert stupid question in Rei's next speech tag.

Rei: Why didn't the Romans just build bigger walls to stop the barbarians from invading them?

Osamu: Bingo.

Rei: W-wait, how did you do that?! It's like I was hypnotized into doing your bidding!

Osamu: Wait...really?

Osamu took a deep breath and smiled a toothy, happy grin.

Osamu: Rei will take off her sports bra and let me touch her fun bags!

(You may call this an immoral moment of weakness, but I call this "Taking a ride on a unicorn before it disappears forever". You can't say you wouldn't do the same.)

Rei blushed as she began to take off her sports bra. Osamu's eyes widened the more skin was available to his lustful gaze.

Random bloke on the street: Look, that weirdo is making some girl strip for him in the alleyway!

Osamu: Crap, run!

(And so, we bolted out of there.)

*SCENE TRANSITION*

Rei and Osamu sat by the fountain in the near-by park, away from the eyes and judgemental stares of the common folk with proper moral stances. Rei couldn't stop laughing her heart out, but Osamu wasn't too jazzed about almost being considered some sort of rapist. The flow of the water from the fountain was gentle and refreshing. It was designed much like a flower, with stone parts that curved like petals.

Rei: Oh wow, you really were scared back there!

Osamu: Keep laughing. Very funny. Ha. Ha. Here, just wear my hoodie.. You've got goosebumps, so I know you're cold.

Rei gladly put on Osamu's hoodie and sat down with him.

Rei: So, another girl, huh?

Osamu: Yeah, one I failed several years ago, before I returned to Kyoto. It's sort of a long story, but after our break up, I spent a bit more time away and then came back here. Sometime after that...she committed suicide. She's been a wandering spirit ever since. Cyanide thinks her spirit was stuck in limbo for a few years, until she re-emerged on the earth.

Rei: Wow, that must be heavy on you.

Osamu: It's not really my cross to bear. She's the one who took her own life. I accept I had my part in the outcome, but she could've decided to change her circumstances. She could've lived through whatever she was going through, but she didn't think it was worth it. She says it was chronic depression, so she couldn't help but feel empty, but I still think she should've done something. Is that mean of me?

Rei: No, I don't think so. It's tough love, but it isn't mean. I think people are in control of their own destiny. If you're not born in shackles, you can overcome anything. Whenever I think of someone who was in charge of their own destiny, I think back to Isabella, and how she refused to remain confined to a wheelchair. She refused to leave her friends in her last months of life, even if it meant she wouldn't be able to see her parents again. She fought off loneliness by going after you, and through many blessings disguised as mere coincidences, she made friends with Yoko, Izanami, and the others.

Osamu: If only she was still here. She could probably tell me and Rousoku what to do.

Rei: Yeah, I'm sure she could. She was always a fiery spirit. But, it's just us down here on this blue world, in this dark night. That means it's up to us to make her proud, and to do the right thing. Do you know what needs to be done?

Osamu: Yeah, I do.

Rei: Then do it, and do it in the best way you possibly can. If you need any help, I'm willing to lend a hand...and stick it in your pants!



Osamu: Lalalala I'm not listening, Rei! Lalalalala!

The two laughed together, and Osamu's spirit was put at ease.

Osamu: Thanks, Rei. It means a lot.

Rei: No problem, buddy.

Osamu: You know, you really are a caring person. You should be more open to people.

Rei: I'm open to everyone who deserves it. That's just the kind of girl I am.

Osamu smiled.

Osamu: Right. Not a bad way to live.

*TEXT RECEIVED*

Osamu: Ah, looks like it's almost time. Want to head back together?

Rei: You want me to come with you?

Osamu: Y-yeah...

Rei gently laid her hand in Osamu's, like a princess taking the hand of her prince.

Rei: Let's go then!

(Shinju and Cyanide were ready to make the preparations. I returned the bookstore with Rei, which neither of them seemed to mind. Having an extra pair of hands was always a good thing when it came to rituals.)

Shinju, Izanami, Cyanide, and Rousoku stepped out from the bookstore. Shinju was carrying all the needed supplies in a backpack. Rousoku took one last look back at the city below, and the lights dazzling in the distance.

Rousoku: I guess...it's time for me to go now...

Osamu wrapped his arm around her and took in the view of the city too.

Osamu: I'm sorry. The way we ended things was shortsighted and immature. But let's end it right this time. Let's properly see each other off. Some day, maybe we'll see each other in the world of death.

Rousoku began crying. Osamu didn't expect a reply from her past her tears.

Shinju: It's time to go.

Osamu: Come on, Rousoku. Let's hold hands on the way there.

(I had forgotten how nice Rousoku's hands felt...)

Her last walk through Kyoto, and on this earth, was spent holding hands with the man she devoted her heart and life to. Everyone was silent, as if they were already mourning. After a while, they made their way to the abandoned bowling alley, where Yoko had dropped off her electric lanterns.

Shinju: Ah, good! I knew she'd come through for us!

The bowling alley was cold, and the floor was covered with scattered bowling balls and pins. Cyanide helped prepare the materials, laying the white sheet on the ground and painting the kanji for "Rest" and "Heaven" on it in black ink. Still, Osamu and Rousoku held hands, perhaps even tighter now than ever.

Osamu: You know I still care for you, right?

Rousoku nodded.

Osamu: I'm sorry you didn't have a good life. But...I at least want you to have a good passing.

Rousoku: A good passing...

Cyanide: Rousoku, we're ready when you are.

Rousoku: Already?

Osamu and Rousoku stood up together, taking each, brave step closer to the sheet as one. Shinju took off her shoes for her, and she stepped onto the white sheet, woefully gazing into Osamu's eyes as the two slowly let go of each others hands. Osamu backed away, and kept his eyes on her.

Rei: Was this how it was with Kagutsuchi?

Osamu: Yeah, but somber in a different way. Kagutsuchi was saying goodbye to her only love at the time. We never had to worry about saying goodbye to Shinju herself. Mortals are different. We die, and we take our regrets with us. I just hope she isn't taking any with her.

Cyanide lit incense, clapped his hands, and prayed for the safe passage of Rousoku's soul, and peace in the afterlife. Shinju took the ashes of the incense, dipping her fingers in them and marking Rousoku's forehead and heart with it.

Shinju: May your journey through death be peaceful, and may you find rest in the land without suffering.

Rousoku closed her eyes, thinking back to the moment on the beach, when she sank beneath the ocean with Osamu, lost in a kiss that seemed to last forever.

(Rousoku: Osamu Ashikaga...you're actually a good man. I can say that's how I honestly feel.)

Shinju initiated the Kuji-in, and Rousoku was engulfed in flames that did not hurt her, nor burn her. She looked peaceful on the outside.

(Rousoku: You really are such a good man. That's why it hurts...)

Rousoku's mind was clouded with the image of Yoko, Izanami, Tsukiakari, and all of the other women in Osamu's life that had seemingly taken her position in his life. She realized how much love takes away, and how much of it really was her own fault.

(Rousoku: I don't want this...I don't want this...)

*WILL THE CANDLE HUSH ITS FLAME?*


(Rousoku: I don't want this...I don't want this...I don't want this!)

*OR WILL IT BURN US ALL?*

In that moment, the flames grew much more intense then they were supposed to be. The gentle fire that consumed Rousoku turned into a blaze.

Shinju: Cyanide! What happened?

Cyanide: I don't know!

Osamu: Rousoku!

Izanami: Shinju, extinguish the flames!

Shinju: I don't have any water! It might make the flames worse if I use the air gun!

Cyanide: I put extinguishing coins in the backpack, side pocket!

Rei immediately grabbed the backpack and found the coins. She hurriedly tossed them to Shinju as Izanami held Osamu back from the wild flames. Shinju flipped the coin into the flames, resulting in a small explosion of mist that cloaked the inside of the bowling alley. Everyone was knocked onto the ground, dazed and confused. Dozens of sunflowers gently fell onto the ground like rose petals.

Osamu stood up coughing, hardly able to see a thing.

Osamu: Is everyone okay?!

Rei: I'm good!

Osamu: Izanami?!

Izanami: I'm alright!

Osamu helped Izanami up as Cyanide and Shinju looked around. There was no trace of Rousoku anywhere.

Shinju: She's gone?

Cyanide: I'm confused...did it work? If the flames went wild like that, something must've gone wrong.

Shinju: But...I don't...Cyanide, let's go searching for her! Maybe she ended up being teleported somewhere else!

Cyanide: Right!

Osamu: Shinju, wait!

Shinju: I'll be fine! Get Izanami and Rei to safety and stay indoors! We have no idea what just happened, but the worst case scenario is that she's turned into a malicious spirit!

Osamu was stunned into silence as Shinju and Cyanide ran off to find Rousoku.

Izanami: Osamu, dear, she's right. We should go home and stay inside until they figure out what happened. It could be dangerous. We'll take Rei with us.

Rei: I appreciate it.

Osamu's eyes drifted towards the sunflowers scattered across the bowling alley.

(Rousoku...did I fail you a second time?)

*END*


*LOVE*


Letting Go: Things You Can't Be Blamed For
Spoiler
(Shinju and Cyanide didn't return until dawn. There was no sign of Rousoku anywhere. It really did feel like we failed. However, without any proof that anything else could've happened to her, we had to assume that she had passed on, and that maybe the intense flames that consumed her meant her passing, unfortunately, was not peaceful. Either way, the tale of Rousoku and I is a tale of failure on both sides. An unfortunate tragedy that did not have to happen.)



(This conflict is so troublesome...)

Osamu, Rei, and Izanami sat in the kitchen with Amatsutsuki, Tsukiakari, and Yoko early in the morning. Dejection and anxiety bit into every nerve in Osamu's body like flesh-eating parasites. His final look at Rousoku remained burned into the back of his mind like a photograph, a vengeful phantom of dead love haunting him out of his wits.

Osamu: Still no word from them...God, I hope she's okay...

Rei remained silent, clutching her arms with her hands. Her eyes were locked in their gaze of deep, empty nothingness.

Yoko hugged Osamu and kissed his forehead, moving her hand through his thick head of wavy hair. Naturally, she wanted nothing more than to console her shell shocked husband.

Yoko: Osamu...

Yoko endured the agony of her coexisting desire and inability to say something that might ease Osamu's weary mind. With all of her love and wisdom as a wife, all of her dedication to Osamu, she couldn't form any words to combat his crippling guilt. All she could do was hold him in her soft embrace.

Yoko: I'm so sorry, Osamu.

Izanami chimed in from behind the kitchen counter, her body elegantly veiled by her thin, red night gown.

Izanami: If she vanished during the ritual, we can only assume the worst.

Yoko: Izanami!

Izanami: I'm sorry, Yoko, but Osamu needs to know the gravity of the situation. We can't lie and coddle him during this time. Anything could've happened to Rousoku. She could've vanished into limbo, lost her physical form, or worse. In the event she's changed into something more harmful than her form as a wandering spirit...

Tsukiakari: We'll have to kill her.

Thrown into wide-eyed shock, Yoko nervously chuckled.

Yoko: Kill her? Kill Rousoku? It can be that serious?!

Tsukiakari: Benevolent or neutral spirits are sent away with peace, respect, and grace. It can be a very emotional experience for both the spirit, and the exorcist casting it away. Harmful spirits, however, need to be exterminated on sight. That's just standard procedure for an exorcist.

Yoko: How did this all go so wrong? I thought...I thought it would go as smoothly as Kagu's ritual...

Amatsutsuki sat on top of the kitchen counter, clasping her hands together.

Amatsutsuki: It depends on the spirit, doesn't it? Their attitude, their lingering regrets.

Izanami: Rousoku...she might not have accepted her fate when the ritual actually started. I think, at the last minute, her heart surged with unresolved feelings. Only she will ever know what those feelings were, but whether we know or not, the result is the same. The ritual was a failure.

Still hanging onto his dearest Yoko, Osamu gently cried into her chest. Mounrful flames engulfed his heart, and his tears stung his eyes like corrosive acid.

Osamu: It's all my fault...

Yoko: Hey, Osamu! Don't talk like that! We-

Osamu: It is my fault! I ruined her! I came into her life, I dared to love her, and I dared to leave her just like I left all of you! You were all fortunate enough to be able to hold it all together, but Rousoku didn't have anybody or anything! Her parents disowned her, her friends are all dead...if only I knew!

Izanami: Osamu...

Osamu: I hate myself so much.

Rei: Let's not beat ourselves up just yet, alright? We still don't know exactly what happened to her. Let's try to relax just a little bit until we get more information, and we'll take it from there. For all we know right now, she could've already passed on to a safe, peaceful place.

Izanami: I agree with Rei, Osamu. Please, let's hold off on our grief until we know of Rousoku's fate for sure.

Yoko: Osamu, my mother will be here soon. Let's get ready together, okay? We'll try to take your mind off of this until we hear back from Shinju and Cyanide.

(I had no other choice but to agree, though I felt like a manikin without a soul as I returned to our bedroom with Yoko. Nothing was left of me. Nothing but the lingering, echoing voice of Rousoku. But...for a day, at least, I could pretend that I wasn't falling apart on the inside.)




*N O I R*




The two changed their clothes side by side in the bedroom. Yoko, being his wife and long time partner, knew everything racing through Osamu's troubled mind, but a fortified wall of silence stood between them. It took what felt like an eternity for Yoko to try and tear down those walls.

Yoko: Did you love her? Rousoku, I mean.

Osamu: If I answer that, you'll just get mad.

Yoko: Maybe.

Osamu: Hah. Thought so.

Yoko: However, I'm also your wife, and I am very understanding when I have to be. Rousoku, at some point, meant something to you. It always hurts to love and lose something like that, even after years of being away from it. If you feel sad, I don't blame you, and I won't get mad at you.

Osamu's eyes strayed from the window so he couldn't see Yoko's reflection.

Osamu: I loved her, long ago. She also died long ago. If someone kills themselves, it's their own fault.

Yoko: Is that how you felt when Aika killed herself?

Osamu remembered one of his very first adventures upon returning to Kyoto, saving Aika after she had committed suicide. Yoko suddenly hugged Osamu from behind, closing her eyes with her cheek pressed firmly against his back.

Osamu: I...no...that's not...

Yoko: If you really held that belief, you would've never saved Aika. But I know you, Osamu. I know you very well. I know that if you had the chance, you would've saved Rousoku just as you saved Aika. You would've given her a brand new life, even if it costed her her memories of you. I know because you're just that kind and sweet, Osamu. That's why it hurts to hear you say things like that, because I know that's not how you feel. If anything, it's based on the fact you can't forgive yourself for letting something horrible happen to someone you once loved. And I get that. I can't be mad at that. That's the kind of spirit that filled this house with the very first iteration of our family. Me, you, Izanami, Aika, and Isabella.

Osamu shamefully covered his eyes.

Osamu: You always know the right words to say, don't you? Why was I so stupid back then? I was so careless to leave her like that!

Yoko: You can't save everyone, and that's okay. It's not your fault, Osamu.

Osamu held Yoko's hand, and the waves of sadness in his heart were calmed.

Osamu: Thank you, Yoko.







When the doorbell rang, Yoko was all ready to go with her mother, and Osamu walked with her to the door.

Osamu: Got everything? Will you be warm in that jacket?

Yoko: Aww, you're worrying about me!

Osamu: Y-yeah, what of it?!

Yoko: You're cute when you're flustered, Osa.



*WINK WINK*



Osamu opened the door, and Manami was there with a smile and her red hair flowing in the wind.

Manami: Good morning!

Yoko: Good morning, mother.

Manami: Hmm? Who's this handsome guy?

Yoko: Right, he's...he's my husband.

Osamu: Hi there, I'm Osamu Ashikaga. The "Osamu" is written as Discipline, like in Shugendo. It's nice to meet you.

Manami and Osamu hugged, and as they pulled away, Osamu could feel Manami's Mother-in-Law gaze analyzing every centimeter of Osamu's body and posture.

Manami: Wow...so you're the man who had sex with my daughter.

Osamu: Eek!

Manami: Is she good in the sack?

Yoko: Mom!

Manami: I was able to make men shudder in my prime age. You're lucky to have such a loyal woman.

(She's just as bold as he daughter!)

Osamu: Haha...y-yeah, I really am. I can see where she gets it from.

Manami: The skills in sex or the loyalty?

Osamu: Well uh...the loyalty, I suppose...







Manami's laughter struck with the surprise of lightning and permeated through the air like thunder.

Manami: Relax, relax! I'm just toying with you. You look like a very sharp young man. I wish we met earlier, but here we are. I see Yoko has a good taste for men with fine genes. My name is Manami Akiyama.

(She's into eugenics as well?!)

Osamu: It's amazing how alike you two are, even for a mother and daughter...

Manami: Is it? Since you married my daughter, I'm assuming that's a compliment. So, Osamu, we have to go now, but this moment is your chance.

Osamu: The chance for what?

Manami's eyes were just as alluring as soul-piercing as Yoko's, and just as fiercely blue.

Manami: The chance to ask your Mother-in-Law anything.

(Anything?! Is it Christmas already?!)

Osamu: Anything?! Okay, uhm...her kiss! Her all-knowing kiss! Where does it come from!?

Manami: Oooh! I just told her that story a few days ago! Here, come child, let Mama Akiyama tell you all about it!

Osamu: Yes please! I'd love to hear it!

Yoko was amazed at how well they were already getting along, despite the awkward start. After hearing the story of the Akiyama family, and the origin of the All-Knowing Kiss, Yoko and Manami prepared to depart together.

Osamu: Wow that's so cool! Sad and kind of creepy, but so cool! It was good meeting you, Manami!

Manami: Mom! You can call me Mom.

Osamu: Right. It was good meeting you, Mom. You two have fun today, and stay safe.

Yoko: Right. Love you, Osa.

Osamu: Love you too, Yoko.

Osamu went back inside, and the reunited mother and daughter were free to start their day. Snow gently fell from the clouded sky, slowly cloaking the quiet, empty neighborhood in a thin veil of white. The two of them walked down the street by themselves, towards a special place.

Manami: He's a good man. He's lucky to have you.

Yoko: No. I'm lucky to have him. Shall we get started on Step 1?

Manami: Yeah. Let's do it. I want to thank you again for helping me with this. I wish I had done this for you years before, when you were still young.

Yoko: Better late than never, mom. I'm proud of you.

*END*


« Last Edit: March 09, 2018, 06:01:12 PM by OhGodHelpMe »

Offline OhGodHelpMe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 992
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Death By Ex-Girlfriends: Himushi Redemption + Letting Go
« Reply #158 on: August 03, 2016, 06:58:44 PM »
Even a bad mother can take the first step to change her ways.

Letting Go: Every Little Thing is Gonna be Alright
Spoiler



Yoko and Manami walked hand-in-hand through the woodlands, making their way to the cemetery ahead. They hadn't held hands like that or walked anywhere together since Yoko was just a small child. The soft sound of wet grass blessed their every step as the serenity of the morning light seemed to take them to another world.

Yoko: You're blushing, Mom.

Manami's face was filled with roses blooming with happiness.

Manami: Indeed, I am. I had forgotten what your hand felt like in mine. I'm realizing how much I missed it. I'm sorry I wasn't a responsible mother until now. I let a silly thing like alcohol take me away from you. You deserved better.

Yoko: It's okay. We're here now, so that's all that matters to me.

Manami: Yes, you're right. Now there's only one person I need to make peace with.






Upon arriving at the cemetery, they looked for the tombstone of Yoko's father among all the others, bearing the names of deceased friends and lovers alike. Upon finally seeing Ryuji's tombstone, the two came to a silent stop. Manami crouched down and cleared it of snow and fallen leaves. Reading the name, date, and epitaph, Manami eyes grew gentle, mournful, and perhaps even wildly reminiscent.

Yoko: You two haven't seen each other for years.

Manami: Indeed. It's been a long, long time.

Manami held her hand over her heart.

Manami: It's funny though, because even in death, just reading his name makes my heart skip.

Yoko smiled and laid her head on Manami's shoulder.

Yoko: Good. I'm glad you still love him. Do you want some privacy?

Manami: Yeah, there are things I need to say to him by myself.

Yoko: Alright, I'll be on the bench.

When Manami could no longer hear Yoko's footsteps, she ran her fingers along the tombstone once more.



*THE SNOW, THE DEAD, AND THE LIVING*




Manami: Wow, it's been a long time. I haven't planned what to say, but I suppose these things are better if they're from the heart. I wasn't just a bad mother for Yoko, but I was a bad wife to you. A man of your caliber deserved a queen, and all I managed to give you was a drunk who never appreciated your greatness. Everything great about our daughter most certainly comes from you. Still, Ryuji, I loved you. I just didn't know how to love myself. For that, I want to ask for your forgiveness. Despite my failures, Yoko turned out to be a very successful woman. Ah, you should see her now. She's got a husband and a belly with a child in it! She's going to be a mother soon! I wonder if it will be a boy, or a girl. I wonder if it will have the same hobbies as I or Yoko, or if it will be able to eat its vegetables at a young age so it can grow strong. There are many things I wonder about the future, since it's so uncertain. However, what I do know is that our little girl is no longer a little girl. She's a woman, and she'll be fine how she is now. Not only that, but I'm making some changes too. I'm going to stop drinking. I don't want to carry my bad habits from motherhood when I'm a grandmother in a few months. Both of your girls are changing, Ryuji.

Manami took out a few sticks of incense and lit them with a lighter. She clasped her hands and closed her eyes, so she could see just a glimpse of Ryuji in her mind.

Manami: I'm getting rid of all the bad things, and I just thought I'd tell you. Thank you, Ryuji, for being the blessing I didn't deserve, but the one I needed. Some day soon, and it won't be long, we'll see each other again, and I'll make up for all the things I did. Until then, just keep watching over us.

Manami stood up and bowed, slowly walking past the wind and snow to Yoko.

Yoko: Done?

Manami took a deep breath of the cold, near-winter air.

Manami: Yeah. I'm glad I was able to come out here and talk to him. Thank you, Yoko.

Yoko: No, thank you. Shall we get going?

Manami: Yeah. On to the next step!

They were back on the snowy streets of the neighborhood, walking towards Izanami's shrine, where the Shoku Twins were staying. With every step she took with her daughter, Manami remembered what it meant to be a mother, and what it meant to love someone.

Manami: Got any names for it yet?

Yoko: Not yet. We're not even sure if it's a boy or a girl. We want to keep it a surprise.

Manami: Ah, I understand. I did the same thing with you.

Yoko: Hey, Mom...

Manami: What is it, dear?

Yoko: Does birth really hurt that much?

Manami: Well, as you may know by now, pregnancy is a lot more awful and less romantic than it's usually made out to be.



*MORNING SICKNESS PTSD FLASHBACKS*




Yoko: Oh yeah, I know...

Manami: As for the day you actually give birth, yeah, as soon as labor kicks in, it's going to hurt. As soon as you feel like you're going into labor, head straight to the hospital. From there, if you want, they can give you pain killers to make it more bearable. When you give birth, you've got to take deep breaths and push in short, strong bursts to get the baby out. You'll probably be doing it for a while before it starts to crown. You just push through the pain, no pun intended, and you'll have your baby.

Yoko: I feel like you're making it sound so much easier than it actually is.

Manami: Would you like me to scare you instead?

Yoko: No no n-

Manami flashed an evil smile.

Manami: Alright then, here we go! If the baby doesn't seem to fit through the hole, the doctors will take scissors and cut your privates a bit to make more room!



*PANIC*



Yoko covered her ears and shook her head, trying to keep the demons of childbirth away.

Yoko: Oh my god that sounds horrible! No! I won't let that happen!

Manami: After you give birth, you'll probably have stretch marks and get all fat, and your husband will stop making love to you!

Yoko: Fine then, I'll just rape him!

Manami: And every day since the child is born, you'll be waking up at 3 AM to the sound of it crying for food or a change of diapers! Say goodbye to all your dreams and aspirations, because having kids kills it all!

Yoko: Mom, stop!






The two climbed up the steps leading to Izanami's shrine, and sure enough, they saw Akatsuki and Omagatoki sitting together on the steps of the main pagoda. Akatsuki was brushing Omagatoki's hair for her when they saw Yoko and Manami come up. Omagatoki, being the cheerful one she was, got up and ran to hug Yoko.

Omagatoki: Yoko!

Yoko: Hey there, Omagatoki! You look very cute today.

Who says you can't be cute with skin as pale as death, hair as black as the reaper's cloak, and eyes of purple?

Omagatoki: Thank you! It's because Sis did a good job of brushing my hair today!

Omagatoki turned her head and screamed when she saw Manami, hiding behind Yoko's leg.

Omagatoki: Y-you again!

Manami: Oh? So you do remember me! It's been a while, hasn't it?

Yoko: I figured you guys might know each other.

Akatsuki came down the steps, bowing to Yoko and Manami with a stone-faced look.

Akatsuki: Manami Akiyama would often come to us to turn in relics brought to her by the exorcists and priests. We got to really spend time with her during a Golden Week party. She was so inebriated she ended up urinating on the shrine premises.

Manami: Haha! Good times, right?

Akatsuki: I beg to differ. I don't have to explain how disrespectful-

Manami: You're right, you don't. Save me the lecture, will you, Akatsuki?

Yoko: Hmm...but that doesn't explain why Omagatoki is so scared of her.

Omagatoki: I-I don't want to talk about it!

Akatsuki: In her inebriated state, Manami's affection for young girls reached near-sexual levels. She gave romantic kisses to Omagatoki and undid her yukata.

Yoko: Good grief, Mom!

Manami: Hey, you're not young! You're both older than me, you just look like little girls! You're perfectly legal! Besides, I was a young, horny idiot who would do it with just about anybody who loved me.

Yoko: Don't make it sound like my conception was just an accident or something...

Akatsuki: Is that an excuse? Do you think the local police department would think that?

Akatsuki held a pretend phone to her ear as she called the pretend police department with a pretend report.

Akatsuki: Hello, police? Yes, there's a drunk minor here doing very lewd, and most likely illegal things to a little girl. Oh, wait, nevermind. The little girl is actually thousands of years old. Please forgive me for the false alarm.

Stone-faced through all of it.

Akatsuki: Do you think the police would see a girl like Omagatoki and be able to know how old she actually is?

Manami: As I said, I was young and stupid. I'm sorry. I'm much older and much more responsible.

Omagatoki: I still have dreams about it!

Manami: Oo! Are they wet dreams?

Yoko: Cut it out, Mom.










Omagatoki: So, why are you here?

Manami: Well, as I said, I'm much more responsible now. I'm going to stop drinking.

Omagatoki puffed her cheeks as she tried to hold in her laughter of disbelief.

Omagatoki: You? Stop drinking? Pfffftttttt-

Manami: I'm serious! Listen, My life is about half over. The man I loved is dead, and I never got the chance to reconcile with him. I only have one daughter, and once chance to raise her, and I blew it. Soon, she'll be a mother, and that will make me a grandmother. When life slips you by and you start losing all the things that really did mean something to you, it makes you question your bad habits. Eventually, you just get so angry with yourself that you'll want to change. That's what I'm doing right now. So, yes, I am serious when I say I'm putting down the alcohol.

Akatsuki: Indeed, it is a very mature decision for you to make. So, what would you like us to do?

Manami: I've already visited Ryuji's grave and made peace with him. I came here so you can give me a quick clemency ritual. Can you do that for me?

Akatsuki: Well...you seem serious about this, and Yoko can serve as a witness. I suppose we can run a clemency ritual if that's really what you want. Come inside, I'll get everything ready.

Manami: I thank you.

Everyone entered the pagoda, using its creaky steps to get inside. Yoko sat off to the corner, watching from behind as Manami sat in front of the statue of Izanami, and took in the smell of the incense that burned by its feet. Akatsuki came out of the back with a bell, and Omagatoki carried several candles on a tray.

Akatsuki: A clemency ritual is very simple. Omagatoki will place the candles around you in a ring. Upon the sound of this bell, you are to close your eyes and pray for whatever you want clemency for. When you're done, blow out all of the candles, and I shall sound the bell once more.

Omagatoki: Then you'll bow, as if you're begging forgiveness for a severe offense. The bell will sound again, and we'll give you a charm to carry with you to ward away the desire to commit a sin.

Manami: Alright. Let's do it.

And so began the ritual. As Omagatoki carefully placed the candles in a ring around Manami, Yoko watched with melancholy eyes. Though she could only see her mother's back from where she was, there were things she wanted to say to her personally. But, perhaps, being a daughter so connected to her mother, Yoko had already known that Manami knew everything she wanted to say.



*I'M SORRY. I SHOULD'VE DONE THIS SOONER.*


*I WAS LOST FROM THE VERY BEGINNING*


*AND NEARLY LED YOU ASTRAY*




*YES, YOU GOT LOST. YES, YOU ALMOST LED ME ASTRAY TOO*


*BUT YOU FOUND YOUR WAY. YOU CAME BACK*


*LAY DOWN YOUR SINS AND FORGIVE YOURSELF*


*JUST AS I FORGIVE YOU*




*IT'S ALRIGHT NOW*


Akatsuki's bell rang in a bright tone, and so Manami begun her silent prayer. Yoko too closed her eyes, praying for her mother's well-being, sending silent, lost lost words of love and forgiveness her way. Yes, perhaps Manami already knew what she wanted to say. And even if she didn't, the love and blessings behind those words would still be behind her, no matter where she went. In the tranquil darkness of her prayer, Yoko could see herself, her mother, and her father, together one more time.



*YES, I DO BELIEVE IT'S ALRIGHT NOW*



When the ritual was over, Manami emerged wearing a beaded necklace with a stone pendant. The pendant had the kanji for "Forgiveness" carved on it. The snow was still falling gently outside, and having been in the warm pagoda for so long, the two were definitely feeling the chill now more than ever.

Manami: Brr! It's definitely winter. Thank you, Shoku Twins. It really does mean a lot to me.

Akatsuki: Of course. I hope you'll stay the course and refrain from abusive alcohol consumption.

Manami: Yeah, I will.

Omagatoki: Wow, you two really do look so much alike. It's almost scary!

Yoko: And you two look about the same as well, in case you haven't noticed.

Omagatoki: Hehe...sorry...

Manami: Well, again, thank you. It was nice seeing you two again.

Manami bent down and hugged the Shoku Twins.

Akatsuki: It was nice seeing you too. Good luck, and stay blessed.

Omagatoki: The feelings are mutual!

Manami: Well, we're off!

Manami got up and gave them the thumbs up before walking off with Yoko, who waved goodbye as she left the shrine with her mother. When they got to the foot of the hill, Yoko stopped and took out her phone.

Manami: Someone call?

Yoko: No, I just remembered something. We only have a few photos together, and they're of us when I was young. We should have more recent photos, don't you think?

Manami: I'm not really made for the camera, but sure!

The two hugged as Yoko held her phone in the air and waited for just the right moment.

Yoko: Okay, ready? On the count of three, smile! One, two-

Instead of a smile, Manami kissed Yoko's cheek when she took the picture. Yoko's face was one of blushing shock and affection.

Manami: Haha, sorry, I figured a smile would be lame. I wanted something more affectionate, you know?

Yoko could still feel the kiss on her cheek, as if her skin was savoring the sensation.

Yoko: Yeah, that's actually better anyway.

Manami: Is the final pic good? Be sure to send it to me when I leave!

Yoko took a good look at the photo, realizing that she finally had the first affectionate picture with her mother in years.

Yoko: It's perfect, Mom. It's absolutely perfect.







It was the late afternoon now. Manami agreed to walk Yoko home as the clouds began to part, and the sun shined on the melted snow that moistened the streets.

Manami: Thanks for coming with me today, Yoko. I don't think I could've done it without you.

Yoko: Of course. That's what family is for.

Manami: I'll be leaving tonight. I'm sorry my visit couldn't be longer.

Yoko: No, I understand. You have a job back home, right?

Manami: Yeah, I do.

Yoko: If you ever need money, you can call me.

Manami: I understand.

Yoko: Would you like me to go the station with you?

Manami: Nah, you've done enough. I can get there myself.

Yoko: You sure?

Manami: Always too considerate. I'm sure, darling.

Yoko smiled.

Yoko: Okay. You know, it might be difficult. What if you relapse?

Manami: I'll take a look at the picture we took, and remember why I made the decision I made today. It's not just for you, but for my grandchild too. I drank because I thought I had nothing in this world, and that I was nothing. But, looking at it every day will remind me I have you and much, much more.

Yoko held Manami's hand, and the rest of the walk was quiet and peaceful. When they got to the house, Osamu was sitting outside, looking up at the sky.

Yoko: We're back. What are you doing outside?

Osamu: Welcome home! Oh, I was just, you know, checking out the clouds. It's beautiful.

Manami: Yeah, we saw the clouds split when we were walking back. It was beautiful indeed. You look down, Osamu.



*SHE KNEW*



Osamu: Haha, well, you know...

Manami: Yoko, mind if I have a word with Osamu alone?

Yoko: Hmm? Sure. I'll go put my stuff down.

Manami sat on the sidewalk with Osamu. At first, they simply looked at the clouded sky together.

Manami: What's going through your mind? You've looked down all day.

Osamu: You wouldn't believe me if I....wait...

Manami: It's something supernatural, isn't it? Well, after hearing the story of the All-Knowing Kiss, you know that I'm no stranger to the supernatural.

Osamu: That's right...I can actually talk to you about it...

Manami nudged Osamu with her shoulder and smiled.

Manami: So, what is it?

(I told her the story of Rousoku, my return to Kyoto, and her subsequent death that I had only come to know about recently. It felt...odd. I really had someone to talk to about it outside of my family. She really understood everything.)

Manami: I see. That's tragic, Osamu. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I know what it's like to lose a love to the arms of death.

Osamu: I don't know what to do. If she's passed on, then I suppose I should be happy. But, what if she's still out there? What if she's vulnerable? What will happen if she turns into a malicious spirit?

Manami: Well, if my love's spirit was hanging around and he morphed into a evil spirit, I'd exorcise him.

Osamu: Huh?! So nonchalant about it...

Manami: Well of course! You see, Osamu, if she's still out there, and she rally does end up changing into an evil spirit, you have to exorcise her. You have to, for her sake. Evil spirits are tragic beings, often with tragic pasts behind them. They're suffering, and they need someone to relieve them of that suffering. I believe, if it ever comes down to that, sparing that person the life of an evil spirit is the most loving thing you can do.

Osamu: I...never thought of it like that.

Manami: Well, now you know. If you ever need me for anything, Osamu, you can call me. I know quite a bit about the supernatural.

Osamu smiled.

Osamu: Yeah, I think I will. Thanks, Mana- I mean, Mom.

Yoko came back out to say goodbye, rubbing her swollen belly with her hands. Manami stood up and stretched as she yawned.

Manami: Well, kids, you have fun. I've got to go. I'll visit some time for the holidays.

Osamu: Definitely, please do! If you have any more cool stories about the Akiyama family, please tell them to me!

Manami: Oh man, you are gonna love it when Christmas comes around!

Osamu: Alright!

(Take it easy on me, I loved getting read to by my own mother when I was younger, and Manami's stories are cool as hell!)

Yoko: You'll be okay? You have everything you need?

Manami: Yes, I'm all good. Thanks for worrying.

Yoko: Well then...I suppose...until next time.

Manami: Until next time, Yoko.

The two hugged one last time, and then Osamu was given a hug as well.

Manami: I love you, Yoko, and I love you too, Osamu. You both take care.

Osamu: Love you too, Mom! Get home safely!

Yoko: I love you! Bye!

Manami waved goodbye and walked back into town. The streetlights in the neighborhood came on, dimly illuminating the roads. Yoko sent the photo she took earlier to Manami's phone, and the day was over. She held the phone to her heart and smiled.

Osamu: So, did you have a good day?

Yoko: Yeah, it was a fantastic day. I think she'll be just fine. I know she will.

Later that night, as Manami rode the bus to the station, she finally saw and opened the photo sent to her on her phone. Just as she imagined, it took just one picture to warm her heart, and remind her what she had in this life. With the moon high in the sky, she too held her phone to her heart as she headed homeward.

Manami: Thank you, my beautiful daughter.

*END*

« Last Edit: September 09, 2017, 05:47:30 PM by OhGodHelpMe »

Offline OhGodHelpMe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 992
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Death By Ex-Girlfriends: Himushi Redemption + Letting Go
« Reply #159 on: August 04, 2016, 01:02:31 AM »
Letting Go: Jikininki
Spoiler

The following night was as calm as any other. The darkened sky was dominated by a full, golden moon radiating in the center of its infinite emptiness, and the jealous stars twinkled from afar, each of them competing with each other for human admiration. Shinju marched beneath the whistle of the swaying trees in the woodlands, taking the dirt path towards the graveyard. Though her feet were only dressed with sandals, a shockwave of anger permeated from her every, stomping step. Her fearsome, blue eyes didn't even blink as she focused her gaze in the direction of the graveyard, as if she already knew what she would find there.

(Love destroys everything.)



*N O I R*



Beams of angelic moonlight kiss Shinju's determined, stone face through the various openings in the trees and their dancing leaves. Even on this cold night, her ears felt hot with angry anticipation. Her stomach twisted and turned itself over as a nest of hornets buzzed around in her tightened chest.

(It is an unforgiving torrent of violence that tears our very hearts from its throne in our chests, ties our intestines in a knot, and mocks us with its deceptive illusions of peace of mind. The most wonderful thing about it? It's our own fault. It's my fault. It's the fault of Osamu Ashikaga. It's your fault too, you know. It's the sun's fault. It's the moon's fault. It's God's fault. Each and every one of us are guilty of a shared sin that binds us all. Love is just the angel that punishes us for that sin.)

Arriving at the peak of the hill overlooking the graveyard, Shinju leaned on the nearby tree for rest. After all of her time tracking down Rousoku, she knew for certain she'd find her here. The only thing she needed to know was in what form. The answer could be seen below. Many of the graves had been exhumed, and the corpses within pulled out and torn to pieces The wind served Shinju a putrescent smell that upset her nervous stomach even more, forcing her to slap her hand over her mouth.

Corpses of all conditions, fresh and colorful, old and black, bloated and green, male and female, adult and child, were all scattered about the graveyard. Only one person moved and breathed among the resting place of the dead. Rousoku Himawari. In her thin, tattered, black dress, Rousoku's body had clearly grown a bit larger. Her arms were much longer, her hair more matted and filthy, and her teeth looked like they belonged in the mouth of a demon. All of the gentleness and timorous aspects of Rousoku were gone, like an angel stripped of her halo. All that remained was a monstrous shell of the woman she once was.

Shinju: So that's what happened to you...you're a Jikininki.

A brew of vexation and disgust washed over Shinju as she watched Rousoku pull out yet another corpse from its resting place, chomping down on its bloated leg and rotten flesh. Watching a Jikininki eat felt more like watching an addict get his fix than anything else. Her next bite ripped open the corpse's gaseous, leaking belly. Most of its intestines had already turned into a putrid, gastrointestinal soup of rot and decay, a soup that Rousoku delightfully lapped up with her mouth.

Rousoku: It's so good! I love it! More! Give me more!

She proceeded to rip the head away from the body with both hands. It came off with relative ease thanks to the weakened flesh and brittle spinal cord. Not a hair remained on the head in its state of decomposition, and the tongue had grown so swollen that it stuck out like a ball gag. Rousoku's bite ripped off the facial skin of the head, revealing the brown, decayed skull beneath.

Shinju: Did you get everything you wanted, Rousoku?

Shinju's voice was close enough now that Rousoku halted her rotten feast, realizing she had been caught dining on human corpses. She slowly turned her head towards Shinju with her lips covered in black fluid. The moon's light radiated off of Shinju's skin and peace sign necklace with a blessed luminescence, but Rousoku remained in the shade and darkness of towering trees.

Shinju: Of all possible outcomes, this is the worst one.

Rousoku: Shin...ju? Is that you?

Shinju: I should be the one asking you that question. I'm surprised you're still lucid enough to talk, Rousoku.

Rousoku's shocked expression quickly darkened, and her body was stricken with the shivers. Despite her monstrous state, Rousoku still possessed the humanity to feel heartbreak, to understand the punitive heartbreak of her grotesque actions. She still possessed the capacity for sorrow that allowed her to sob before Shinju.

Rousoku: I don't want to do this...I really don't! But I have to! It tastes good, and it's the only way I can live! Please understand! Please!

Shinju: I understand very well already, Rousoku. You refused to let go of your earthly emotions when we performed that ritual. Jealousy and greed stained your soul and blemished your karmic destiny. As such, this was your punishment. You went from a wandering spirit to a Jikininki. You helplessly devour human corpses.

Rousoku looked around at the corpses littering the field, each one forcing more tears from her sunken eyes.

Rousoku: I...didn't want this...

Shinju: What DO you want, Rousoku?!

Shinju's sudden burst of anger startled the Jikininki.

Shinju: You have been so pathetically timid despite the desperation of your situation! It's as if it never really sunk into your thick skull that you died! You killed yourself! The fate of your very soul depended on that ritual and you f*cking blew it! Osamu has his own part in this, but every person has the power to save their own souls! You could've buried the hatchet with him! You could've put your past behind you, but look! You've let it corrupt you into what you are now! If you ask me, I think it's a fitting punishment, because you're really no different than how you were before! The you before consumed rot and decay with glee! You ate your own poisonous feelings, and so now, you're doomed to eat corpses!

Rousoku: Please stop! I know it's my fault! I know that now! Just...please help me! I don't want to live like this, Shinju! Please help me! I beg of you!

Shinju: Idiot...all anyone can do for you now is exorcise you. You've already passed the point of no return.

Rousoku: Exorcise me? What will happen to me?! Will I....

Shinju: No one knows, Shinju, and frankly, it's no longer our problem. Whatever happens, you'll be gone, and that's all that matters. I'm truly sorry, but harmful spirits like you must be eliminated on sight.

If it hadn't dawned on her already, the severity of her situation certainly closed in on her now. She had been given, in clear terms, a death sentence. There was no room to save her, no loophole to at least give her a nonviolent ending. Eating her own emotions much like she ate those corpses brought her to her unfortunate fate.

Rousoku: Noo...that...I'm not ready to leave! I don't want to pass on! I don't want to die again! I can't! I won't stand it!

Rousoku quickly fled the scene, fleeing on all fours like a wild animal. She moved too fast for Shinju to do anything, and she, as an exorcist, knew the dangers of letting a Jikininki roam free. She cursed under her breath as Rousoku disappeared beyond the thick trees and bushes, running in the opposite direction to take the fastest route back to the neighborhood. As she ran, she called Osamu's cell, but the ringer kept going with no answer.

Shinju: Damn it! Pick up, Osamu! You're in danger!

Osamu just so happened to be in the kitchen eating some yogurt for a midnight snack. The girls were already in deep sleep, their thinly veiled bodies and nightgowns blessed by the moonlight. It was yet another sleepless night for Osamu, one plagued with uncertainty and anxiety, with guilt and endless pondering that led him nowhere. He couldn't be bothered to answer his phone.






A knock on the door interrupted Osamu's snack, as well as his depressive trance.

Osamu: Who could it be at this hour?

He cautiously walked up to the door, but wasn't really expecting anything to happen. Looking through the peephole, he saw Shinju out of breath and covered in dirt. He opened the door, and she rushed inside, knocking him against the wall as she gripped his collar.

Osamu: Shinju?! What's going on?!

Shinju: Idiot! Didn't you hear me calling you on the phone?!

Osamu: What?! No, I didn't-

Shinju: It's like you're trying to get yourself killed! You need to stay alert at all times!

Osamu: Shinju! What is this even about?! Why are you-

Shinju: I watched her eat a human corpse like it was candy, and then she ran off! I came here to make sure you were safe first! You have a very high chance of being a target!

Osamu: What?! Who?!

Shinju: Rousoku! Who else?!

Osamu: Wait...Rousoku was eating...Shinju-

Shinju: It seems when the ritual failed, she was teleported elsewhere. Yesterday was the eclipse, but I didn't think much of it since it was cloudy. Even in cloudy weather, the effect an eclipse can have on a wandering soul is the same.

Angered by his own increasing confusion, Osamu shouted at Shinju, desperate to have the truth clarified for him.

Osamu: What is the point, Shinju?! What exactly happened to her?!

Shinju: Osamu...listen to me and stay calm. Rousoku has turned into a Jikininki.

Osamu: I...I don't know what that is...

Shinju: She's a malevolent spirit who eats the corpses of humans.

Osamu leaned against the kitchen counter, taken aback by the sudden news of Rousoku's transformation. Shinju placed her hand on his shoulder and shook him back to earth.

Shinju: Hey, don't get all weary on me now! I need you!

Osamu: I know, I know! Does this mean we'll have to...

Shinju: Yes. She'll be exorcised, and that will send her to the afterlife. It's not killing if she's already dead though. Remember that.

Osamu: R-right...



*INCOMING CALL*



*CALL ACCEPTED*



Shinju put Cyanide on speaker phone and laid her phone on the counter as she wet one of the dish rags and cleaned herself up. Osamu was still gathering himself from watching Rousoku do such an unspeakable thing.

Cyanide: Sorry I missed your call, Shinju. I just heard your voice mail. Looks like we have a terrible situation on our hands, eh?

Shinju: Yeah, we do. She was eating a corpse in the cemetery by Osamu's neighborhood. The last time we saw her, she was a wandering spirit. Now, it appears she's transformed into a Jikininki

Cyanide: Yes. I too believe that's what Rousoku has become. Jikininki is written as you may have guessed, with the kanji for "Eat", "Person" and "Ghost". Hence, it is a spirit that eats human corpses. They usually feed at night, and they'll go looking around for the freshest corpses they can find.

Shinju: Damn it, which means she's probably on the move as we speak.

Osamu: She's...going to keep eating corpses?

(Rousoku? Why? Why, of all things, is this your fate? Why is this how it all ends for you?)

Shinju: Anything else we should know, Cyanide?

Cyanide: They hide during daylight hours, and they grow more and more rabid with every corpse they eat. If she's a new Jikininki, then you should have an easy time with her. It was smart of you to secure Osamu first, Shinju.

Osamu: What? Why exactly was that smart of her? Because I could be her target?

Cyanide: Well, yes, that's a big reason. However, besides you, she has a much more likely target.

Osamu's legs grew weak with fear and sorrow.

Osamu: I don't understand! Who's a more likely target than me?

Cyanide's heavy, annoyed sigh permeated through the phone.

Cyanide: Need I remind you that you're married to a fresh, immortal corpse? Izanami, Osamu! Knowing a Jikininki's behavior, Izanami is in the most danger right now! If you don't vanquish her-

Shinju: She'll come after Izanami...and with her pregnant, she won't be able to defend herself if she's alone. Osamu, we need to get rid of Rousoku right now. Tsukiakari will watch over everyone as usual, but we're the first line of defense. We have to be the ones to vanquish her. I'm...truly sorry to drag you into this.

(...Stop your shivering, Osamu. This is your fault too, not just Rousoku's. You have a great share of blame in this. You always will. At the very least...I need to see her vanquished. I need to make sure she departs from this world, one way or another. I can never fix this monumental mistake. I can never erase this damning sin of mine. But I can take action, right here and now. Muster up your bravery...stop being afraid. Face it all head on...)

With the faint flame of resolve in his eyes, Osamu straightened his posture and calmed his erratic breath. He knew exactly what he had to do

Osamu: No, it's alright. I'll get my shoes on. I want to see her off, no matter what state she's in.

Shinju: I'm sorry...


(I had hoped that it would never come to this.)








Shinju and Osamu, partners in supernatural justice, ran up and down the streets of the neighborhood to find Rousoku, to no avail. After all their running, they stopped under a street light to catch their breath. The sounds of aimless wind and excited crickets filled the night.

Shinju: When...when I first heard her...she was crying. So, we need to listen...listen out for the sounds of crying.

Osamu: Got it...

Shinju: Are you okay? You seem awfully calm.

Osamu: I sort of...prepared myself for this. I almost half expected it. And besides...

Remembering the words of Manami, Osamu stood up and looked towards the moon.

Osamu: She's suffering like this. Ending her suffering is the most loving thing I can do.

Shinju: Very well, as long as you know what we're about to do. Any idea where she could've went?

Osamu: I think I do. Follow me.

(I just had a feeling in my heart that she would go there, a place identical to where we first became lovers. Ironically, that beach is where I used to go with Aika, and now, it was going to be where I vanquished Rousoku.)







*ONLY LOVE AND DEATH CHANGE ALL THINGS*


Rousoku sat on the beach, her eyes as black as night, and her mouth stuffed with the decapitated arm of a human corpse.  The wind swayed her hair to the side with a gentle lift, each strand casting a dancing shadow upon the infinite grains of pale sand. The waves glimmered with moonlight, washing up by her dirtied feet. 

*TURN AROUND*



Rousoku: Hmm? Oh, you're here.



*DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE?*



Rousoku: Himawari Rousoku, born in Kyushu. I'm...or, I was 19 years old.



*WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?*




Rousoku: I...don't have a choice. I'm a spirit that eats human corpses. A part of me blames Osamu, but I know...really...truly...sincerely...it's my fault.



*HOW DO YOU FEEL?*


Rousoku: I love him, but I hate him. I forgive him, but I hold a grudge against him. I don't know how to feel, or even what to feel. If I keep eating these corpses...I will no longer have to feel anything...anything at all...



*WE AWAIT THE END OF YOUR STORY*




Rousoku: Thank you. I can't wait for all of this to end either...





« Last Edit: September 10, 2017, 02:10:35 AM by OhGodHelpMe »

Offline OhGodHelpMe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 992
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Death By Ex-Girlfriends: Himushi Redemption + Letting Go
« Reply #160 on: August 04, 2016, 03:11:17 AM »
And that's the end of the Letting Go arc.  8)

Letting Go: Let it All Burn Down
Spoiler
(Perhaps nothing in this world truly matters. No matter where we go, no matter how many joyful people we surround ourselves with, no matter the love we are given to heal our festering wounds, misery still lingers. It guides your shaking hands to its soft, tear-soaked cheeks. It kisses your palm and gently licks your fingers. It calls upon you, without words, to the deepest part of your soul. It begs for your company with its longing eyes, like a lover doing anything to bring you back. In the end, we all give in. We all give up. Tonight will not be a murder. I'm sure of it, because a part of me will die with Rousoku. It feels much more like a double suicide.)

Having split up from Shinju, Osamu was forced to bear the burden of his long walk and troubled thoughts alone. With every, nervous step he took, he saw phantoms of Rousoku from the past, all of them smiling and cheering, all overflowing with child-like happiness. His heart couldn't bear to remember how Rousoku would shy her face away when she smiled while she nervously folded her hair behind her ears. He didn't want to reminisce of the adorable shock in her glittering eyes whenever she was given a surprise gift of flowers. Such thoughts were unbearable torment. Such happiness was far too sweet and far too distant to be anything but the heart torturing itself.

It was a lonely saunter down those dark, empty, Kyoto streets.



*N O I R*




Osamu's guess, much to his vexation and dismay, was spot on. He found Rousoku sitting by the water, the ocean waves drawing forth to kiss her feet and ankles. The conflict between her remaining humanity and her encroaching nature as a Jikininki resulted in her sobbing as she frantically ate away at the rotten flesh of a corpse's arm. Her sharpened teeth crunched on the bones and fingernails as burning tears raced down her cheeks, accumulating on the edge of her chin.

Osamu witnessed the heartbreaking reality with his own eyes. His former lover was a Jikininki, cursed to satisfy her hunger for the corpses of humans. Watching her take her last breath and succumb to a terminal illness would've caused him less pain. Watching her die in a horrific accident would've been less terrifying for him. Of all things that could've happened to her, it just had to be this, this awful fate. Every available emotion within him shattered into pieces. He could no longer comprehend his own sorrow or dread.

It was as if everything inside of him went numb as he began a slow, reluctant march towards Rousoku from the rear of the beach. That thin guise of courage he mustered up earlier no longer drove his steps. His ability to move and act were all surrendered to his eagerness to simply end it all, by blind conviction to see a conclusion of any kind to this sorrowful tale.

Osamu: Rousoku...

Just the faint sound of Osamu's dejected voice froze her in place. She retracted the arm from her mouth, hanging her head in shame. She refused to meet eye to eye with him.

Rousoku: Osamu. You saw me...

Osamu: Yeah. I know. I know what you are, and what you're going to do. You can't help it. You know it's shameful. You know it's the most disgusting act one can ever commit, but you can't stop. It's already becoming send nature to you.

Rousoku: I never wanted to feel this again. Once was enough, but twice?

Osamu: Feel what?

Rousoku: "I don't want to die."

(It's much too late for that...)

Her tears blinding her vision, Rousoku smiled.

Rousoku: I'm sorry, Osamu. We blamed each other for our own mistakes. I tainted you with my scorn and tempest. That wasn't right at all. That was no way for a woman to treat a man, much less for a human to treat...well, I'm not really human...anymore.

Osamu: I know.

Rousoku: Dumb Osamu...I'm trying to say I'm sorry...

Osamu: I know...

Rousoku: Please...forgive me...

Osamu: I already do, Rousoku. Still, it doesn't change anything. You know exactly why I'm here.

Rousoku: I do...but to hear you say that...that you forgive me...I think, just maybe, I can die a little happy.

Osamu: I can only hope you forgive me too, Rousoku. Everything I did to you was beyond wrong. We hurt ourselves just as much as we hurt each other, didn't we?

Rousoku: Unfortunately. Still, I can say here and now...that I love you. I always will.

Osamu: I will too. I'll always love you.

Rousoku's smile quickly vanished as her face tightened in pain. She held her hands over her chest with her eyes shut tight, as if her very heart was being torn asunder.

Osamu: Rousoku? What's wrong?!

Shinju: Get back, Osamu!

Osamu's eyes quickly snapped to Shinju, who arrived from behind. Her hand was already locked in the shape of a gun, ready to kill the Jikininki before her.

Osamu: Wait, Shinju! She's still lucid! She's still a human in her heart!

Shinju: That won't last much longer, Osamu! She's already completing her transition!

Suddenly, Rousoku's body violently tossed and twisted in the sand, her limbs shaking and undergoing spasms beyond her control. Osamu's feet scurried him backwards before he could even think. All he could do was gaze at her in heartbroken awe, forced to listen to the dissonant symphony of his ex-lover's painful screams.

(This...there has to be some way we can save her! It can't just end like this! There's still a person in there! Rousoku is still in there!)

Shinju: Osamu! I know exactly what you're thinking.

While Osamu cursed himself for shaking like a coward, Shinju remained relatively calm, her stance as strong and steady as a statue's.

Shinju: I know how painful this must be for you, but your ex-lover is no longer there. Rousoku killed herself years ago, and though we had a chance to let her pass on peacefully, our attempts were for naught. What you see before you is a monster. It's too late to save her now.

So many thoughts ricocheted around in Osamu's pulsating head. Every scenario he could think of where he tried to save Rousoku only ended the same way. Failure. Constant, repeated failure. Fate was merely cruel enough to allow Osamu to watch the last of Rousoku's humanity die in front of him.

Shinju: Osamu, watch out!

Shinju's shrieking voice pulled him out of his mental trance all too late. Rousoku dashed at him like a bullet, tackling him and rolling through the sand. Unable to even understand what just happened, Osamu's eyes were greeted with the blurred sight of Rousoku's jaws closing in on his wrist. Not an ounce of humanity or morality could be found in her now crimson, flesh craving eyes.

Osamu: Rousoku, stop!

Just as quickly as she attacked, Rousoku was blown away by a powerful, concussive force of air. She violently tumbled across the sand as Shinju rushed in, standing in front of Osamu to shield him.

Shinju: Now do you see, Osamu? There's nothing human left of her. The Rousoku you knew and loved is dead.

(It really is undeniable. Rousoku is gone...)

A different kind of sorrow embraced Osamu then. More so than the death of a person, Osamu remembered what the death of love felt like. The utter, helpless feeling of being a worthless human being numbed his entire body. The heart destroying vexation of of knowing he could've done better for himself and for her accompanied him like an obsessive ghost, all while Shinju continued her assault on Rousoku.

(I...failed...)

Osamu's own thoughts muted the sounds around him, even Rousoku's monstrous roar as she charged towards Shinju on all fours. Shinju fired at Rousoku once more, blowing off her left arm entirely. Her arm exploded into a crimson mist of blood and bone confetti, painting the sands beneath their feet in red misery. Still, Rousoku did not stop. Losing grotesque amounts of blood, she continued to entrap Shinju's neck in her vice grip, slamming her into the ground repeatedly before tossing her all the way across the beach. With some distance between them, Rousoku's arm was able to heal instantly, with the bones and muscular system repairing themselves before Osamu's very eyes. The skin of her arm did not return, and drops of blood still fell from her fingertips and elbows, staining the sand.

(There's nothing I can do...but watch her die...)



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbgKWloZ8Yw



The impetuous resilience Shinju was known for shined like an angry god in her ocean blue eyes. She was determined to bring an end to Rousoku's tragic existence.

Shinju: You poor thing. Let's finish this.

Shinju withdrew a small blade wrapped in white cloth from her poncho. Unveiling it, calligraphic engravings clearly decorated the blade.

Shinju: Come on, Rousoku! Let's send you home!

With a final roar from Rousoku, the two charged each other, their fight beginning anew. Osamu watched with teary eyes as Shinju constantly dodged Rousoku's brute force attacks, stabbing and slicing her deformed body in every area she could. The blade didn't even have to touch Rousoku's flesh in order to cut or burn her. Merely being in the presence of an unholy being made it effective. From afar, their fight seemed to be a dance of blood, sand, and agony.




*N O I R*



Their fight inched closer to the sea as Shinju narrowly evaded Rousoku's ground-cracking punch and sliced open her stomach, spraying the Jikininki's blood and unraveled intestines into the ocean. While Rousoku howled in agony, Shinju slid beneath her legs and stabbed the blade in the middle of her back, attempting to immobilize her. Emboldened by her primal rage, Rousoku turned and reached out with her long, powerful arms, taking a tight hold of Shinju's neck once more with both hands. Not even the broken Osamu could simply watch her strangle Shinju to death.

He foolishly ran towards her, tackling the Jikininki to the ground and freeing Shinju.

Osamu: Stop it, Rousoku! You have to stop!

Osamu pulled on her loosened intestines with all of his might, sending Rousoku in a daze of pain. Shinju was able to catch her breath, feeling around her stiff, tightened neck to make sure she wasn't too hurt. The marks from Rousoku's fingers and thumbs pressing into her airways remained impressed on her neck with a bright red glow.

The sudden, infuriated roar of the Jikininki shattered Osamu's morale, freezing him in place as she dug her razor sharp nails into his tender side. It was thanks to the sharpness of the nails that Osamu didn't feel much at first, but he quickly found himself taken hold of and slammed into the ground as the water gently kissed the shore.

He saw, from an upside down perspective, Rousoku's foot held over his head, prepared to crush his skull in a mighty stomp, only to be sent flying several dozen feet across the water by another powerful gust of pressured air. The Jikininki's blood drizzled over Osamu's face and clothes as he crawled back towards drier ground, holding his bleeding stab wounds.

Shinju: They're just flesh wounds. You'll be fine.

Osamu: Shinju!

Shinju: Don't worry, I'm alright. Like hell I'm going to let a Jikininki end my life like that.

With her vibrant head of orange hair in a frizzed, sand-covered mess, Shinju looked on towards the ocean with impetuous eyes. Both of them waited for any sign of life in those moon-dazzled waters, but there was no sign of Rousoku. Shinju knew all too well that assuming the death of a Jikininki without seeing the body would be a fatal mistake.

Just as her suspicions formed in her head, the entire beach was violently rocked as if caught in a powerful earthquake, and a monstrosity different from what they saw before towered out of the ocean's embrace. The Jikininki had morphed into a morbidly obese titan, with her very size allowing an all-consuming shadow to be cast upon the awestruck Shinju and Osamu. As pale as moonlight itself, Rousoku's bloated, colossal body was mostly made out of the corpses she had previously eaten, their upper bodies protruding from her fattened stomach, breasts, and face. It was as if those corpses had been melded onto her, fused with her very flesh.

The Jikininki sent its glass-breaking shrieks towards the moon as her eyes kept swelling until the fluids leaked out from underneath, eventually leading to her eyes popping like balloons. The nightmarish titan before them could no longer be thought of as Rousoku even in the slightest.

(What...what happened to her?!)

Shinju: I see. She must've devoured the blade I left in her back. Whether it was on purpose or an accident...we'll never know.

Osamu: What?! Shinju, what are you talking about?!

Shinju clasped her hands, preparing to perform the kuji-in sequence that would bring an end to this tale of misery.

Shinju: Osamu...take cover.

Shinju's hands quickly ran through the required hand signs as the Jikininki turned her blind, bloody gaze towards the shore. Her hands remained locked in the final sign, the Rin sign.

Osamu: Shinju! Please, don't!

More of the Jikininki's awful screams echoed through the night sky as a bright, blue light shined from within her eye sockets and fattened belly, as well as the eyes and mouths of all the corpses that were now part of her body. She continued to swell in size as the light within her grew even more furious, her arms too small to even reach her breasts.

And in a flash, a nightmarish, hellish flash, her entire body exploded into a crimson tidal wave of blood, confetti'd organs, and splintered bone. So massive was the explosion that it seemed that the entire coast would be drowned in her blood, flooding the streets and ground level buildings. Both Shinju and Osamu were completely overpowered by the force of the blast, and all was washed away in red, baptized by Rousoku's blood.




*R O U G E*







All that remains.

Without memory of the battle that transpired just moments ago, Rousoku awoke in her hometown in Kyushu, standing by a familiar street sign. There wasn't a cloud in the bright, sunny sky above. Just reading the name printed on the street sign sent chills to her homesick heart, beating wildly beneath her white, summer dress.

Rousoku: I know this place...I...

She immediately took off running down the residential street, recognizing all of the homes of her former friends and neighbors, the small frozen yogurt shop down the road, and the sweet chirps of the yellow-breasted chats flying from tree branch to tree branch. She almost didn't want to believe it. She could only comprehend her surroundings as a mere dream, a cruel trick being played on her by a mirage of some sort. But the warmth of the sun on her lively skin felt real. The breeze carrying the birds and whistling through the trees couldn't have felt more real. The slight crunch of the paved road beneath her sandals couldn't be from a dream.

And then, Rousoku stopped in front of one of the larger houses in the neighborhood, marked with a bright red front door. Just seeing that house summoned forth tears from her eyes as her feet seemed to move on their own, slowly taking her closer and closer to the entrance. The sweet smell of freshly blooming flowers in the front yard, welcomed her back.

She stood in front of the door with her hand held over her excited heart, trying as best as she could to catch her breath, calm her nerves, and conquer her anxiety. Her finger trembled as it slowly pressed the doorbell, sending a rather familiar chime through the interior of the home. Though she nervously waited for a response, no one came to answer her. She tried again, and after a few more minutes of waiting, there was still no answer.

Her chest feeling icy cold and her face fiery hot, Rousoku wrapped her hand around the doorknob, surprised to find the front door unlocked. She allowed herself inside, greeted only by silence. The sun shined through east windows of the house, casting their glowing squares and stripes across the childhood pictures of her and her family on the bookshelf, the dark color of the wood bouncing back onto the brighter hardwood floor.

Rousoku: Pardon me...

She gently whispered as if she was trespassing. Walking in without permission, it certainly felt like it. She couldn't help but stop and examine her childhood photos, staring at the rosy cheeked, smiling little girl in them as if she were a stranger. But then a comforting thought brought a sense of calm to her wild heart. That little girl was her. That happiness was hers.

There was just one more thing she had to see before investigating the other rooms. As she always did when she was younger, she took off her sandals and left them by the door before ascending the curved staircase. She remembered her room was down the hall to the right, the front door adorned with a crudely written "Please Knock" sign.

She approached the door and did exactly what the sign asked, knocking gently before even daring to enter.

Rousoku: Wait a minute, what am I doing? This is my room! Stupid...so stupid...

Her needless sense of alarm discarded, Rousoku entered her sunlit room with startled surprise. She distinctly remembered leaving it in a complete mess the day she was disowned by her family, but the bed was made perfectly, with every fold made with perfection. Not a wrinkle could be found on the sheets. All of her books were neatly organized on their shelves, and all of her clothes were put back where they belonged. The papers on desk were put in handy little folders rather than jumbled up in an incoherent mess she thought was 'organization'.

The true surprise in that room were the seemingly endless vases of sunflowers placed around her room, and the giant teddy bear left as a gift on her bed, a familiar peace sign necklace dangling from its neck. The teddy bear held a balloon that read two simple words, words that made all of her suffering, all of her regret, and all of her pain worth it.

"Welcome Home."

Her eyes were flushed with tears of immense sadness and even greater happiness. She had to cover her mouth with her hand to quiet the sound of her sobs and sharp breaths. Then, a gentle voice rung out from behind her.

Shinju: You're home now, Rousoku. You can rest.

She instantly recognized the voice, even if it didn't present itself in its usual projected, extroverted tone.

Rousoku: Shin-

She turned around, swearing she caught a glimpse of Shinju's bright, orange hair, but she was nowhere to be found. Instead, yet another surprise gazed at her from the doorway. A woman that looked like an older version of herself. Her face was just lightly wrinkled, and her curly hair flowed freely, gently pushed by the breeze coming from the open window. The two were completely lost in the other's gaze, their hearts quickened by the mere sight of each other.

Mother: Rousoku! You're...you're...

Tears ran down the woman's cheeks, her burning throat tightened by her cries so she couldn't speak. Rousoku could only smile with a heart as pure as sunshine. This was the moment she had always dreamed of.

Rousoku: Mama...I'm home.




*END*




Letting Go: The Phantom Vengeance
Spoiler
Rousoku's blood had violently splattered on the tall hotel buildings beyond the beach, staining the windows and white facade in furious, chaotic strokes. Her blood flooded the roads and dripped from the street lights as crows took to the air to avoid the stench, their dreadful cacophony of caws haunting the air. The ocean, still gently kissing the crimson and soaked sands of the beach, was dyed red for as far as the eye could see. The pier in the distance was entirely soaked in blood, rendering many of the signs for the shops illegible.

The moon, untouched by the scarlet shower below, shined with an unforgiving, pale blue radiance as the sound of the swishing waves of the ocean enticed Osamu's ears. Soaked in blood, he opened his eyes for the first time in what felt like hours. The very sight of the moonlight hurt his eyes. His mind was almost completely blank, devoid of any thought that could be interpreted by words. The night sky, saturated by droplets of Rousoku's vital fluids, was decorated by an obtuse, scarlet rainbow of blood standing tall over the tainted water. The intestines, limbs, and fractured bones from her former, bloated body floated upon the sea like little islands of flesh and organs, with the bones protruding from the depths of the water like washed away skyscrapers.

Osamu finally gathered the strength to sit up, realizing Rousoku's body had washed up next to him, returned to normal and devoid of life. He looked to his right and saw Shinju as well, already awake and blankly staring into the distance, captivated by the twinkling stars and monochrome rainbow. All three of them drenched in blood.

Shinju: It's done. Rousoku has passed on.

One of the eyes from Rousoku's bloated body could be noticed further down the shore, washed up like a wrecked ship. It seemed to stare relentlessly at Osamu and Shinju in bloodshot focus. Even a heart, a full, in-tact heart stood tall above the gentle waves in the distance, trying to keep itself alive with faint pumps. Forlornly, her heart continued to wash itself in a sea of salt, iron, blood, and misery, with each pump audible to Osamu and Shinju. It was deep and deafening, as if their ears were exhaling air. Half of her skull laid across the sea beneath the scarlet rainbow, aligned with the moonlit horizon. It was so frighteningly large and inhuman it could've been an island of its own, an island of skull in a sea of blood and organs.

Osamu took one more sorrowful look upon Rousoku's body, his mouth awash with the taste of salt and iron. Form and flesh had been riven into a sea of blood and a haunting, scarlet rainbow. Love and forgiveness had been ripped asunder, returning to the void nothingness that all love originates from, its ancestral form. His heart and soul, wounded and betorn, remained haunted by the phantom of Rousoku that now lingered within him.

Unsure of what to feel or think anymore, Osamu could only ball up and cry, sobbing into his lap. His wordless agony manifested itself as heartbroken howls.

Shinju: My god...what a world we live in...








(In the end, we were assured the other exorcists would clean up the unbelievable mess left in the wake of the battle. Shinju was allowed custody of Rousoku's remains. As a favor to me, she agreed to have her body cremated, and the ashes handed over to me. It was over. The tale of Rousoku had come to an unfortunate and blood soaked end, and I was left...undone.)

Osamu, Shinju, and Cyanide found themselves reconvened in the abandoned library, shafts of deep-orange sunlight streaking through the holes in the ceiling, washing the main hall in an orange shade of indirect light. They were joined by Yoko, who held her husband's hand in solemn silence. Once again, Osamu and Shinju found their bodies wrapped in bandages, with Osamu's bandage around his head and right arm the only ones visible. More lied beneath his clothes, and that went for Shinju as well.

His fingers gently caressed the edges of his male symbol necklace, dangling in the center of his black jean jacket and tie dye shirt underneath. Cyanide sat on top of two stacked book shelved laying on top of each other. One foot dangled off the edge as the other rested on top of the shelf. With a deep, heavy sigh, he lit another cigarette and scratched out his messy, blonde hair. And of course, he just wouldn't be Cyanide without his messed up, black and white suit.

Sitting beside him was Rousoku, or rather, her ashes, contained within a golden urn.

Cyanide: Regardless of the sloppiness of our little operation, the fact remains that the issue has been resolved. Rousoku, the wandering spirit turned Jikininki, has been vanquished. The Black Maria and White Saint led the clean up operation to get rid of all the blood and remains that was left in the wake of the battle, so we don't have to worry about any more evil spirits emerging from that beach.

Yoko: So that's it? It just ends like this?

Cyanide took another huff of his cigarette, closing his eyes in shame.

Cyanide: I'm sorry there's no happy ending this time. Once I discovered that she had committed suicide, I knew there was no way this was going to end in anything but misery. Osamu, perhaps you knew that too. No, in fact, I know that you know it.

(Here it comes...my much deserved lecture.)

Cyanide: Now you see how much misery you can acquire by messing with the wrong crowd. If you know what's good for you, you'll distance yourself from the supernatural. Forget you ever met me or Shinju, stop living with two goddesses, and stop leaving behind such chaos in your inattentive wake.

Shinju: Cyanide...

Cyanide: You know it's true, Shinju. Involving yourself with him was a terrible mistake. You should've went your separate ways after the Satori ordeal, but you kept in contact and grew closer. Now look what's become of you, Osamu. You look like you've just kissed the face of death itself, and your ex-lover has been reduced to ashes.

As Osamu hung his head in guilt and uncertainty, Yoko's grip around his tender hand tightened with vexation.

Yoko: That's unfair! Let's not forget that it was you who sent Rousoku to our doorstep! You sent that problem right to us!

Cyanide: I admit, in this case, I did send that problem your way. But how was I to know Rousoku was the ghost of Osamu's ex-lover that he drove to suicide years prior? None of us figured out what she was until we ran the test with Izanami's scythe.

Shinju: Then again, Osamu could never have guessed that leaving Rousoku would have such heavy consequences.

Cyanide: Is that so? He couldn't figure out that just leaving a fragile, formerly depressed girl would send her back into a spiral of misery and likely result in her suicide? Did he really not know, or did he choose not to think about it? You see, I think that the Osamu of the past preferred to run from his problems without a thought as to how it would effect those around him. I think the Osamu of the past was a coward, and his mistakes occasionally come back to haunt him. But of course, this is just my educated conjecture. What say you, hero?





*N O I R*





Yoko: How dare you!? He's been through hell and the first thing you do-

Osamu: No, he's right, Yoko.

Her furious expression softened as she turned to Osamu, noticing the missing fire and life in his drowsy, aimless eyes.

Osamu: I ran from everything back then. I ran because I was too young to know how to deal with any of it. Aika nearly lost her life because I ran from her. Rousoku died because I ran from her. I've only just recently learned how to stand and confront my problems, but Cyanide does have a point. The phantoms of the past come back to me, and they prey on my mistakes. Those mistakes have catastrophic effects on us all.

Yoko: That doesn't mean you should separate from those you love! You and Shinju make such a great team! You should stick together if you enjoy her company that much! Tsukiakari and Izanami are your wives, they would never agree to separate from you! No one who knows and loves you now would ever wish to leave you for any reason, and especially not to serve some idea of 'common good' or justice! For better or for worse, we are all in love with you! That's just how it is, Osamu. We live and die by your side, and at your command.

Cyanide softly chuckled to himself.

Cyanide: Gotta admire that undying commitment. Sometimes they seem more like eager martyrs than wives. Perhaps we're all just too tangled in our web of sins to undo any of it now. All we can do is march forward and see what the future beholds.

Putting out his cigarette, Cyanide hopped down from the bookshelves with the urn in his hands, walking over to Osamu and handing it over to him.

Cyanide: No one can give you a happy ending, but we can give you this. Rousoku's ashes. It's all there. Do as you please with it.

All that Rousoku ever was, all of her boons and shortcomings, all of her imperfections, were all made equal by fire. Ashes, in some odd way, resembled a sort of return to original form to Osamu. Nothingness, when the sum of our souls all return to zero, when the beauty of what we were before returns to ashes. He reluctantly took the urn, unsure if he should keep the ashes or spread them somewhere.

Cyanide: If there's any silver lining to any of this, it's that transitioning into a Jikininki gave her a physical body, allowing us to cremate her and have something to remember her by.

Osamu: Cyanide...what happens now? What will you do?

Cyanide: Nothing happens yet. For now, everyone can get some much needed rest. That includes you, Yoko. You shouldn't be moving around so much. It's not good for the baby.

Yoko: Neither is being around you, sleezebag. You always smell like cigarettes. Besides, I didn't want Osamu to be alone.

Shinju: You have a good family, Osamu. Maybe you should take some time to just stay home. Don't think about the ashes too much just yet. We'll figure out what to do with them.

(Rest...as if anyone could rest after that...)

Cyanide: How unfortunate. Such a young girl with her whole life ahead of her, coming to such a heartbreaking end. It makes you wonder what it was all for. What was the reason, the purpose? What morals remain after this storm of blood and carnage?

Cyanide's questions echoed through Osamu's empty self. Not a single answer emerged from his sea of thoughts. No good reason, no moral, no purpose. Rousoku was dead because of his own cowardice. As tormenting as it was, it was the only way Osamu could make sense of the tragedy of Rousoku Himawari. Perhaps, for that moment, it was the most convenient explanation, a simple black and white game of Blame.

Shinju: Before you go, Osamu, there's someone you should meet. She's an exorcist like Cyanide and myself. In all honesty, she's the one that's been dying to meet you.

Osamu: Someone I should meet? Who?

Voice: That would be me.

The guest of honor walked down the aisle of toppled bookshelves, through the spotty shafts of light breaking through the dilapidated roof. Osamu noticed, before anything else, that her right foot stepped harder than her left. The exorcist came into light, frightening Yoko with her ghastly appearance. The exorcist was none other than Lucrezia, now presenting herself before Osamu and his wife. Along with a prosthetic leg, Lucrezia held a silver cane that helped her walk. She wore a white service coat with golden buttons, the sleeve of her missing arm flapping about at her side. Beneath that, a simple, white t-shirt and white pants. Her face remained mostly bandaged, concealing all but her mouth and left eye.

Shinju: This...is Lucrezia. Like me, she's a veteran exorcist. She's dealt with many of our worst cases over the years. She's...also the one that organized the attempts on Amatsutsuki's life.

Yoko: You did all of that?!

Lucrezia giggled as she scratched the back of her head.

Lucrezia: Oh Shinju! You little tattle tale! Forgive me for all of the trouble. You see, I was trying to save Shinju by organizing the Sentani girl's demise. It's no secret that Shinju left her job unfinished, killing only the brother and sparing the sister. Regardless, let bygones be bygones. I came here to meet Osamu Ashikaga.

Lucrezia focused her gaze on the shell-shocked Osamu, her eye seemingly inspecting ever inch of his face.

Osamu: Forgive me for asking, but...your injuries...

Lucrezia: Don't fret about those. Being an exorcist does that to you. Osamu, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard all about your dangerous escapades. You saved your ex-lover from suicide in exchange for her root of suffering. Such an exchange isn't the first, but it is pretty rare. I hear you also came back from the dead after you and Tsukiakari Senkumo killed each other, and that you laid siege to Heaven alongside the war goddess and her banished father, Tsukuyomi.

Osamu: Well, I-

Lucreiza: You saw Satori Sentani's mansion first hand, survived a Shikome's curse, retrieved Mizuhame's gourd from Yomi, relieved Kagutsuchi of her curse, and now, you've slain a Jikininki.

Osamu: It's been a busy few years, yes. Am I really that famous amongst your kind?

Lucrezia: Infamous, actually.

Osamu: Oh...of course...





*N O I R*




Yoko: Umm...Lucrezia, is it? Why did you want to meet my husband? Did Amaterasu send you for something?

Lucrezia: No. I came to warn you.

Osamu: Warn me? Of what? I'm not in danger, am I?

Lucrezia: Heaven's order is on the verge of falling apart, Osamu. It's an order you've been bound to since the moment you married two goddesses. You really didn't think about the dangers of tying a union with those two, did you?

Yoko stepped forward with her hands balled into fists. Osamu placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, just enough to stop her from throwing any unnecessary punches.

Yoko: For once, can one of you smarmy exorcists properly explain yourselves instead of ridiculing my husband?! Hasn't he been through enough lately?! If I hear any more of you kicking him into the dirt, I'll put you in the dirt as well!

Osamu: Whoa, hang on, Yoko! Let's at least hear her out!

Cyanide: Feisty as always...

Yoko: Piss off, Cyanide!

Lucrezia: I'm not saying it's your fault that things are going to hell. Heaven has a history with tumultuous politics and greedy power-grabs all on its own. Take the exorcist system, for example. Its historic ancestor is the Onmyouji system, where the feudal state would employ monks to deal with supernatural problems. They were especially valuable here, in Kyoto, when it was this country's imperial capital. Amaterasu adopted this system after the Warring States period, supposedly to cleanse the land of vengeful spirits after the widespread conflict.

Shinju: Until it morphed into what it is now.

Lucrezia: Indentured servants to Heaven, children dying for a god's cause. It's all a smokescreen, you see. Osamu, you may have despised Bishamon for what he did to Tsukiakari, but he was the one of the first gods to see through Amaterasu's tricks.

Osamu: What are you getting at?

Lucrezia: I believe Amaterasu intends to shift the purpose of the exorcists from 'Heaven's Police Officers' to 'Amaterasu's Personal Army'.

Yoko: What the hell makes you so sure?

Lucrezia: I have my reasons. For one, Amaterasu seems to have revived some earnest interest in a particular, banished goddess. The deity in question hadn't surfaced for centuries until now, and yet, Amaterasu wants her head more than she wanted Bishamon's. All exorcist efforts are being refocused on the search for her, for Inari Okami. I'm sure you two have heard of it.

Cyanide: We were busy with this Jikininki job. Haven't had much time to join the search for an old fox goddess.

Shinju: Inari was suspected of high treason, wasn't she? Why do you care so much about what happens to a traitor?

Lucrezia: That's an easy question. She's a friend of mine. I harbored her for a while, but it doesn't seem like I'll be able to do much with this kind of heat on her.

Osamu: You what?! You harbored a banished goddess?!

Shinju: You should be in jail, Lucrezia! What were you thinking?!

Lucrezia: I simply thought there were too many convenient coincidences at play. A known associate of Izanami and Tsukiakari? Being accused of high treason? Not to mention that her popularity had soared over the centuries until her vanishing. She was seriously contending with Amaterasu herself for being the most revered goddess in the pantheon. With everything Izanami has done over the years, and everything Amaterasu is doing now...everything feels off. It feels like Amaterasu is amassing power, centralizing it, all in an effort to finally get rid of the thorn at her side.

Osamu: Who? Izanami? Why would Amaterasu want to get rid of her own mother so badly?

Lucrezia: ...You really don't know the history of your own wife, do you?

Yoko: Lucrezia!

Lucrezia: Right, forgive me. You prefer explanations, not taunts. Though, one can't help but taunt the sorry soul. How could you stay so willfully ignorant?

Osamu: Are you trying to say you know my wife better than I do?

Lucrezia: No, just that I know what you don't. Hell, everyone does. Why don't you just ask her? Or Tsukiakari, for that matter? At any rate, what I'm trying to tell you is this. Do not get involved in any of this anymore. Live a normal life, Osamu, a life befitting a mortal. It will save you and your family...and by extension, Shinju. That's what I care about most. If something happens to Shinju because you wanted to keep playing the hero, I will show you no mercy.

Yoko: You're threatening him?!

Lucrezia: Yes, and you as well. All I want is for you to guarantee Shinju's safety. I've sacrificed too much to see her get hurt because of a selfish degenerate like you. Things are going to get rough on their own, so I don't need you adding to it. Just do that and stay away from any more supernatural hijinks if you can, pretty please? If trouble comes and finds you, I'll excuse it, of course. However, should it be the other way around...

Osamu: Fine.

With that brief answer, Osamu took Yoko by the hand and stormed out of the dilapidated library. On the way out, Yoko stuck out her tongue and unleashed the middle finger in Lucrezia's direction. Neither of them could stand to hear another word of their threats and taunts.

Lucrezia: What a well-mannered and level-headed spouse he has.

Shinju: You were too hard on him, Lucrezia.

Cyanide: I've already lectured the kid. You could've gone a little easier on him.

Lucrezia: War clouds are swarming the heavens yet again, and you want to coddle the man that is bound to get caught up in it if he makes one wrong move. Are you really his friends? It's like you want him to die. At any rate, I suppose I could've been nicer. After all...he still needs to dispose of her ashes, doesn't he?











(The following week, we all found ourselves at the beach once more, standing before the gentle sea imbued with sunlight. Rousoku would've loved it. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. Amatsutsuki, Gekko, Yoko, Shinju, Izanami, Cyanide, and the Shoku Twins were all in solemn attendance. The entire area had been cleaned up, as if what happened to Rousoku...simply never happened at all. She was erased from the sea's memory.)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CF5eDqvHrSU


All of them stood in a column, their eyes blankly gazing away at the sparkling ocean. Though their clothes were mostly casual, they all made sure to wear black to match the darkness of the occasion, in clear contrast with the bright and sunny day. Osamu stepped forward, holding Rousoku's urn close to his chest in impenetrable silence. Osamu kept on walking down the furthest path on the pier, his shoes squeaking against the rickety wood. Everyone watched him from a distance as he removed the lid to Rousoku's urn.

Omagatoki: Shouldn't...we stay close to him?

Amatsutsuki: It's okay, dear. Osamu needs his space.





*N O I R*




The more Osamu stared at Rousoku's ashes, the more he wanted to keep them all to himself.

Osamu: Forgive me, Rousoku.

He tilted the urn towards the sea, momentarily losing himself in its sparkling beauty and blue eternity. His mind urged his hands to tilt further, to let go of Rousoku, to let her be free. What better end than to become one with the wind and ocean? But Osamu's hands withdrew from the mouth of the sea, bringing the opened urn back to his chest.

Osamu: Your story didn't deserve to end. Not like this.

Osamu dug his hand into the urn, lifting up a palm full of ashes, only to watch it all fall back in again like sand in an hourglass.

Osamu: What right do I have to scatter your pain into these forgetful waters? Will the waves whisper your name to me? Will the wind sing your lullaby and pray for your soul?

Once more, Osamu took a handful of Rousoku's ashes, holding up to his tired, weary face.

Osamu: Of course. I have no right. But you can punish me still, even in death. Your omnipresent phantom. Your vengeful specter. Choke me with your vengeance and bathe me in your sadness. I promise, I'll atone for it all. I won't let your story end in ashes. You and I will be together. Always.

And so, in his own form of mournful self-torture, Osamu devoured the ashes in his hand, eating the remains of his lover just as she ate the remains of the dead. He quickly devoured handful after handful of sorrowful ash, even as he felt the ash choke him and overwhelm his throat. This way, she would truly be with him. Always.

Tsukiakari: Osamu...OSAMU!

Yoko: Oh my god! Osamu, stop!

Gekko and Shinju raced down the pier as the others watched in shocked confusion. Ash coated Osamu's mouth and face, with some even remaining in his hair like powdered chalk. The might of Rousoku's ashes brought Osamu down to his knees, allowing the girls to quickly take away the urn. Gekko embraced the coughing and wheezing Osamu, who broke down into angry tears. He could taste all of Rousoku's neglected beauty, all of her insecurities and gentle flaws. Most of all, he would forever know the desperate thirst her ashes inflicted upon his throat.

That thirst belonged to Rousoku's heart, deprived of love and care.

(I have no happy ending to share with you. No moral, purpose, or reason. If any of that ever existed, it died and returned to ash along with Rousoku. Never forget that for as long as you live. All reason, purpose, and morals die with those you love, and it will keep happening and happening....until nothing is left. Letting go of her? It was impossible from the moment I saw her again. It will remain that way until I too join her in death.)




*END*

« Last Edit: November 06, 2018, 03:31:52 PM by OhGodHelpMe »

Offline OhGodHelpMe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 992
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Death By Ex-Girlfriends: Inari Standoff
« Reply #161 on: August 04, 2016, 05:32:11 AM »
Good god, I don't know how many chapters I wrote today. Either way, we begin a new arc (Once you come up with one, 4 more pop in your head by the time you're done).

I think this one might be more action-oriented. Here, just about half a year after dealing with Rousoku, Osamu awaits the return of Aika Mihara at the airport, expecting it to be a regular day. He was terribly wrong. After falling asleep, he awakes to find the entire airport empty, and comes across a wounded white fox with 9 tails. It is Inari Okami, goddess of foxes and fertility.

An action packed, yet tragic story about how these two found each other, and how they made their standoff against Inari's pursuers in the empty airport.

Welcome to:

Death by Ex-Girlfriend: Inari Standoff

 8) Do enjoy.

Inari Standoff: Schadenfreude
Spoiler



*START*

During the hot and miserable summer, in the middle of the city, a small, 9-tailed, white fox ran through the alleyways, knocking over boxes and trash cans as it hurried. There were several other white, 9-tailed foxes, all scattered, but headed towards the same direction. The sound of their paws rapidly beating against the ground filled the alleyways as exorcists donned in black cloaks tried desperately to follow them and catch them.

(Summer, at the airport. It was about half a year after dealing with Rousoku. Yet another supernatural phenomenon occurred, and yet another woman was at the center of it. It was a woman I had never met before.)

Osamu sat in the waiting area of the airport, which was busy and bursting with activity, chatter, laughter, and the smell of food from the food courts. He was dressed in a sky-blue, button-down shirt, with darker blue oval patches on the elbows of the shirt. The first 3 buttons were undone, exposing his Male symbol necklace against his chest. He wore white pants, fastened with a belt made of bullets. A beaded bracelet adorned his left wrist as he fluffed out his wavy lion's mane and closed his eyes for a nap.

(I originally went there to wait for Aika's arrival. She was coming back from a trip to Germany. Instead...I found myself in a whole different situation.)



The cloaked figures continued to chase after the white foxes. Their hands were precise and swift as they performed the various hand seals of Kuji-in and hurled fireballs at the foxes, managing to scorch and kill one of them. In its last moments, the fox tried desperately to get back on its feet, crying and squirming as the flames burned through its muscles, immobilizing and killing it. The other foxes continued to flee as the exorcists checked the fox they killed.

Stranger: It's not her.

Stranger 2: Damn it, keep killing them!

They continued their blood-thirsty hunt, following the foxes' trails in the direction of the airport. In the airport, Osamu was awakened by the voice of a lady on the intercoms.

Lady: Gate 6 now coming in with arrivals.

Osamu sighed and went back to sleep.


*K I T S U N E*


The five cloaked men regrouped in the alleyway when they lost the foxes beyond the gates of the airport. They huddled around each other, concealing their faces.

Stranger: Damn, looks like they ran in there.

Stranger 2: The airport? No problem. We can deal with this.

Osamu got up from his quick slumber. He still hadn't heard a word from Aika about her arrival.

Osamu: And I got here early too...

Osamu got up from his seat to go the bathroom on the 6th floor, where more and more people were leaving as they picked up their returning or arriving family and friends. As he washed his hands inside of the tiled bathroom with perfectly clean mirrors, a sudden sensation took over his body. He began to feel like he hadn't slept in five centuries, and his body sunk like an anchor in the water.

Osamu: What...what is...

Against his will, his body fell into an instant state of sleep.

(Something strange...)


*N O I R*


In his slumber, he could see the image of a white, multi-tailed fox, and he could hear the frantic, desperate voice of a woman in distress.

Woman: Someone! Anyone! Please help me!

(Something supernatural is going on here...)

From the woman's voice, Osamu could tell she was crying.

Woman: Please! Anyone! Please save me!






It was not only the sound of a crying woman, but crying foxes as well. The collective sound of agony grew louder and more deafening with every minute until Osamu just couldn't take it anymore. He awoke with a gasp on the bathroom floor, the lights flickering on and off. He rubbed the side of his head as it throbbed with pain, looking in the mirror to make sure he wasn't hurt.

Osamu: What happened? How could I have fallen asleep here?

A strange, unsettling aura filled the bathroom, as if there were demons whispering within the walls. This feeling made Osamu barge out to get some fresh air, soaking in the sunlight pouring in through the huge airport windows. He was sweating, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was behind him. Something was terribly off, and not just with the ominous feeling of dread.

No, it was worse. The entire airport, which was bustling with noise earlier, was now completely and utterly silent. Deathly silent. Osamu looked around, and saw not a single soul in the airport with him.


*RAPTURE*


Osamu walked back out to the waiting area, expecting to see or hear at least someone, but all he found were the clothes of people who were once there, not the people themselves. He looked around with cautious eyes, as he knew something was foul in Kyoto yet again. Then, he heard the woman's voice in his head once more.

Woman: Is anyone still there?! Anyone?! Please! Help me!

Osamu then heard the cry of a fox, and the rapid, thunderous footsteps of several other people. He took cover behind the wall, and was able to catch a glimpse of one of the white, 9-tailed foxes. On the other end of the wall, he saw several men in black cloaks, confused about which direction the fox went. They ended up going  in a different direction from the fox, averted from its trail. When Osamu turned his eyes to the ground, he saw small drops of blood, forming a long and intimidating crimson trail. His heart pounded faster as he decided he would follow the trail, and get himself into unspeakable danger. He speedily walked along the drops of red blood, following them wherever they took him.


As he walked, he saw more and more of the clothes and baggage that belonged to the people that seemed to suddenly be raptured away from the airport in an unexlainable phenomenon. His heart told him to turn away, to go back home while he still could, but his mind was all too curious, all too brave. The echoing sound of a trash can crashing over prompted Osamu to take cover once more as the cloaked men continued to chase down the white foxes across the way, away from the trail of blood drops.

As he continued walking, his heartbeat grew more intense, but his feet could not stop moving towards danger. As he walked by, dozens of eyes appeared on the walls, watching and blinking. Seeing them in the corner of his eye, he panicked and checked the wall himself, but the eyes had suddenly disappeared.



The trail of blood drops led him down the escalator to the 5th floor, a massive area with open space, potted plants, and food courts. He was shocked and sickened by the sight of several mutilated, dead foxes on the center floor. Their recently severed remains were soaked in a large, circular pool of blood.


DU SANG



From a bird's eye view, the scene mirrored the look of the Japanese flag. Osamu began to shake as he laid his eyes on such a gruesome, stomach twisting, nostril invading scene. He looked around once more, trying to find who or what could've possibly done this. He noticed, however, that the trail of blood drops did not stop here. They kept going, and so, he too kept going.


Osamu's head throbbed even more as he got closer and closer to finding the source of the blood trail.

Woman: Help me! Please don't let me die!

The sound of the crying woman and crying foxes continued to echo in his head. It continued to grow loud and drive him mad. He began sprinting so he could hurry and find the source, still unsure if he should just run away from it all.

Osamu: Aaaaaahhhh!!! Damn it!!!

Osamu stopped in a hallway that bridged one half of the airport with the other half. It was a hall filled with colored glass, converting the sunlight shining through the windows into colors of the rainbow for the whole length of the hallway, with the coolest colors shining further. The drops of blood led his eyes to a small, wounded fox, laying on the floor. Osamu slowly walked up to it, seeing it was still alive and breathing despite being covered in burn marks and crimson lacerations.



Osamu: What on earth are you? You're no regular fox...

Woman: Help me...

Osamu: Is that you talking to me?

Woman: Yes...please...help me...

Osamu bent down and picked up the white, 9-tailed fox. It was small enough for him to cradle in his arms.

Osamu: What are you?

Stranger: You there!

The voices of the pursuers. They had caught up to them, and now Osamu was in the mix.

Woman: Don't turn around! If you do, they'll see your face!

Osamu whispered to the fox, fearing for his life.

Osamu: What do we do?

Woman: It's okay, I will protect us.

Stranger: Unhand the fox! Now!

Right before Osamu's eyes, the fox shifted shape, turning into a woman with long, voluminous, white hair. She held Osamu's head with one hand, and aimed her other hand at the pursuers. A concussive shockwave pulsated from her palm, shattering the windows and blowing away the exorcists.

Woman: Go, through there!

(It was like I had lost control of my body...)

Osamu, without even thinking, jumped through the empty glass frames, landing on the ground of the 4th floor as the colored glass, sparkling in the sunlight, rained down upon him and the girl he carried in his arms. Now that he had a good look at her, he noticed her white hair, red eyes, and long, claw-like nails in detail. She was of light skin, and her naked body was bruised and half-covered in burn scars.

In appearance, she couldn't have been older than 30. Her hair seemed to glow like heavenly snow in the sunlight, and her very presence seemed holy as the colored glass rained around them. Her teeth too, were white and sharp like that of a fox. The most surprising thing was her thick, white, nine tails that blossomed around herself and Osamu like the petals of a lotus flower.

Woman: Young man...what is your name?

Osamu: It's...Osamu. Osamu Ashikaga. And you?

Inari: Inari. Inari Okami. Goddess of foxes and fertility.

(That was the first time I had met her. That was how the Inari Standoff started.)

*TO BE CONTINUED*

« Last Edit: April 17, 2017, 06:25:38 PM by OhGodHelpMe »

Offline OhGodHelpMe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 992
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Death By Ex-Girlfriends: Inari Standoff
« Reply #162 on: August 04, 2016, 04:49:42 PM »
Inari Standoff: Wounded Vixen
Spoiler


(I was really...holding Inari Okami in my arms...)

*SUCH BEAUTY WITHIN A VIXEN*

Inari: Boy, think fast! They're still up there!

Her voice was fit for her age, expected of a mature woman and goddess. The cloaked men had gotten back on their feet, and were prepared to hit Osamu and Inari with whatever they could.

Stranger: That's her!

Stranger 2: What about the human?!

Stranger 3: Kill him too!

Osamu took cover behind a reception desk as the cloaked men shot searing orbs of fire his way. He laid Inari down next to him, worrying himself over her wounds. The reception desk caught on fire, and it wouldn't be long before the intense, hot flames forced them to move out in the open.

Osamu: Damn it! Think, Osamu! Think!

Inari: Boy, look into my eyes.

Without thinking, he followed the order, and found himself completely captivated by her shining, red eyes. In a mere moment, Inari disappeared in a flash of light, and Osamu's eyes flickered between black and red. He fell over on the ground, grabbing his throbbing head, trying not to yell out as his body experienced pain like he had never felt before.

Inari: Boy, can you hear me?

Osamu opened his eyes, now the same color as Inari's. His body felt hot, heavy, and oddly powerful.

Osamu: What's going on?!

Inari: Forgive me, but I must use you to end this. It will be quick, I promise you.

(I had come to realize that this fox goddess had possessed my body for her own use. Every step I took was of her command. For once, I truly felt invincible)

The cloaked men jumped down from the hallway of colored glass and waited. The silence was killing them, and only the crackle of the flames consuming the desk could be heard. Then, Osamu walked out from under the desk, right into the open. The two sides entered a standoff. He showed no sense of mortal fear.

Stranger: Human, where did the woman with nine tails go? Answer me.

Only then did they notice the color of Osamu's eyes, as he smiled and flashed his fox-like teeth.

Stranger 2: She possessed him!

Osamu dashed at a speed too fast for them to even see, kicking one of the cloaked men into the wall with such force that his entire body exploded into a pool of blood and bone fragments, painting the white, reflective wall in red.


*R O U G E*


Stranger 2: Damn it! Run!

The cloaked men ran for their lives, but the possessed Osamu found it effortless to follow them. He didn't even need to run. He simply followed the footsteps of blood in a casual walk, smiling as he did so.

Inari: That's right, look at them go! Cowards! I'll make them pay for what they did to my foxes!

(I could feel all of her rage, all of her sadness, and even a bit of fear. In fact, I learned, just from being possessed by her, that fear was her driving force.)

Osamu jumped the distance between him and cloaked men, punching the second one into the ground with a killing blow that popped open his head and cratered the floor. The final cloaked man kept running, making every twist and turn he could to avoid the killing machine behind him. His eyes were wide with mortal fear, and his lungs burned under the pressure of his demand to get away as fast as possible. When he took the next turn, he came face-to-face with Osamu.

Inari: Good boy. You can rest now. I can take this one!

Inari jumped out of Osamu's body, tackling the cloaked man to the floor and eating him alive, biting at his throat and ripping open the intestines from his stomach. Osamu fell to the ground, watching as Inari ended the life of the cloaked man in such an agonizing and brutal way. His blood pooled and slowly inched itself towards Osamu. Face to face with real gore and death, his sense of fear and dread came back to him, reigniting the shivers in his spine and legs. It was almost thrilling. Inari turned her head towards Osamu, her mouth and hands stained with blood.

Osamu: Why...why did you make me do all of that?! Why did you kill him?!

Inari: I do not have the luxury of behaving with honor like a woman should. If we did not kill them, they would have killed us.

Inari stood up, spreading out her long, nine fox tails and walking towards Osamu.

(I wanted to run, but my fear anchored me to the ground...)

Inari gave Osamu a sweet smile and extended her clean hand towards him. He took it to help himself up, and the two met eyes.

Inari: Thank you, for saving me.

Osamu: Do you...do you know why everyone in the airport disappeared?

Inari: I saw them cast a spell that put everyone to sleep, then they went around mass-teleporting them away so they could empty the airport.

Inari walked with her hands behind her back, turning the other way and exposing her behind to Osamu. However, he was more enamored by her white tails.

Inari: You must've been somewhere they didn't bother checking, like the bathroom or something.

Osamu: Yeah, I was...

Inari: I see, you're lucky, human. You should leave here while you still can. They didn't get to establish your identity, so I believe you'll be able to just waltz out of here and live another day.

Osamu: I can't do that.

Inari spun around.

Inari: Why not? Don't you want to go back to your regular life? It's dangerous here.

Osamu: I didn't have a regular life in the first place. This is not the first time I've dealt with the supernatural, nor a goddess like yourself.

Inari: Oh? Is that true?

Osamu: I've brought people back from the dead, I've married two goddesses, I've stopped the world from ending, I've vanquished a Jikininki, and countless other things.

Inari crossed her arms and smiled.

Inari: Wow, such an impressive track record. What did you say your name was again?

Osamu: Osamu Ashikaga.

Inari: Ah, are you an actual descendant of the Ashikaga shogunate? It's no wonder you've been involved with the supernatural. So, what now? Are you going to stay with me? Even if you've dealt with this kind of thing before, I still believe you should go home, mortal. Those were not the last of my pursuers.

Inari kept on walking, and Osamu followed her through the airport. They went through the luggage pick up area, walking by the machines that would circulate luggage. All throughout the airport, the floors were reflective, as if waxed and polished to absolute perfection.







https://youtube.com/watch?v=w71N7MX9HcQ




Osamu: Why are you being pursued? Why would they try to kill you?

Inari: What do you know about me, mortal? Have you heard any of the legends or myths?

Osamu: No, I'm afraid I don't know that much about you.

Inari: That's no accident. The gods of today have made sure that people would slowly but surely forget about me.

Inari jumped onto one of the luggage machines, licking the blood off of her hand in a strangely erotic fashion, mixing the images of sexuality and lethality. Her burns began to heal themselves before Osamu.

Inari: Centuries ago, I was a goddess who had gained immense popularity, praise, and therefore, power. All throughout the country, people prayed to me for good agriculture, for their rice to grow abundantly, for the foxes to avoid them at night, and for their industry to be successful.





As if performing a dramatic soliloquy to an audience at a theater, Inari struck a dramatic pose as she told her story.

Inari: The gods were always vying for the hearts and minds of the people, always clamoring for power, glory, and recognition. Gods who are forgotten eventually die, alone and with no descendants. I quickly got up to the same levels of praise as gods like Bishamon, Amaterasu, and Ebisu. This is what made me such a target. And so, the gods of heaven conspired against me. They tried to kill me in battle, and they've reigned all these years believing I had died. To avoid suspicion, they allowed my shrines to stand, but they dwindled in numbers from my glory days. I've lived all this time as a banished god, forced to stay in the shadows, as if I were some sort of demon!

Osamu: So, it was another fight for power.

Inari: Yes, that's right, mortal. When they saw what I could do, and how powerful I had become, fear gripped their prideful hearts. They began using the descendants of gods as slaves who do their bidding, exorcising spirits and keeping the nation clean of evil supernatural influence. If there are still exorcists in your time, that is where they started from, after they thought they had killed me.

Osamu: Yeah, there are...



*AVARICE*



Inari: I've gotten by so far just sticking with good-willed people, who sheltered me and protected me. But unfortunately, all of them were mortals, so they all had to die some day. The gods, or at least some of the exorcists, have recently picked up on my presence. It was a mistake on my part. I could feel the effects of the decreasing number of prayers beginning to take their toll on me. I ended up at one of the Buddhist shrines near here, expecting them to show their goodwill and care for me. But humans are all selfish. Instead, they reported me to their local exorcists, and that's how I ended up here.

Osamu: So, you're on the run? Isn't there anywhere you can go?

Inari closed her eyes and smiled.

Inari: No. I believe I'm out of places to go. I've decided I will stay here, and wait for more of the exorcists. Besides, in my state, I can't run forever, or very far. This is the last stand for me. That's why I thought you should leave, because there will be more people coming here with the intent to kill me.

Inari jumped off the machine and kept walking. The two of them marched through a hallway with art on the walls, and skylights above them.


*LUCARNE*


Inari: I must look like a tragic being to you, mortal. An unfortunate woman who's down on her luck, and surely about to be exterminated. Why would you try to stay here alongside me? Or is it because I look so helpless that you want to help?

Osamu: I just...I feel like all of this is wrong. I've seen the chaos gods can wrought when they fight for power. I don't want it to continue, especially if it involves another god like yourself. But, Inari...why does eating humans help you heal?

Inari: Oh, still worried about that? There are better, less violent ways for me to heal, but being in the position I'm in, I don't have the luxury to use any other method but the most violent. I'm very sorry you had to see that.

(What she really meant by that was "get used to it"...)

Inari: Oh! This will do for now.

Inari picked up some of the clothes left behind and got herself dressed. Because of her tails, she could really only wear a shirt. She was finally at least half covered.

Inari: I do sense something extraordinary inside of you, something deep and profound. I sense bravery, and despair as well. I venture to guess that your encounters with life and the supernatural have not always been happy.

(I'm that obvious, huh?)

Inari caressed Osamu's face, rubbing his body with her tails and gazing into his wandering eyes.

Inari: I see...it seems we bear similar scars. You've lost loved ones too.

Osamu: How can you tell so easily?

Inari: It's your eyes. They're just like mine. Brilliant, but sad.





Inari: You realize that if you stay, you and I could both die here, right? Don't you have loved ones to worry about?

Osamu: I think I realize what I'm getting into, but it's just like you said. We bear the same scars. That's why I can't leave you here. Right now, I think...I think I need to be with someone who knows even greater pain than I do.

Inari bore sympathy in her eyes. It was like Osamu's pain echoed within her empty self.

Inari: Fine. I won't question you any longer. You're young, but you're old enough to make your own choices. I'm honored that you believe you can rediscover yourself within me. Maybe you can do the same for me, even though you're a mortal.

Osamu: You keep saying that, as if you have a grudge against mortals.

Inari: Of course I do.

Inari grabbed hold of Osamu' Male symbol necklace, pulling him closer. Whether it was for a kiss or a bite, Osamu did not know. He could pick up the faint smell of blood from her lips, and the warmth of her breath.

Inari: All humans are greedy in their hearts. That is a law.

(I realized then and there that she kept referring to me as "mortal", because all though I was all she could depend on, I also wasn't worthy of her trust. For her, trusting a human after being betrayed and forgotten by them was just another way to get herself killed.)

The teasing fox pulled away, continuing her walk throughout the airport.







Osamu: Inari, from my experience, gods can be just as greedy.

Inari: No one said they aren't. I'd even agree with you there. I suppose greed is also the law of heaven. So then, what happens to those who aren't greedy? We're all absorbed by those who don't know when to stop consuming. We're used as slaves, or in my case, hunted down and killed. If you want my advice, mortal, don't trust anyone.

Osamu: That seems like a miserable way to live.

Inari: It's the only way to live. That's the point. Trusting people leaves you open to so many weaknesses. Have you ever heard the story of Michael III and Basilius? It's a riveting tale.

Osamu gazed at the fox goddess with curious eyes, all too often wandering towards her tails.

Osamu: Michael and Basilius?

Inari: Michael III was the emperor of the Byzantine empire. One day, when he went out to the stables to look for a missing animal, he was saved by a peasant named Basilius, when a horse nearly trampled him. From that day forth, Michael put his trust in that man, believing him to be loyal. And he was right, for at the time, Basilius was just a peasant who couldn't possibly dream of attaining a higher status of life. The two became great friends, and in time, Basilius went from a stable boy to the emperor's advisor. He was rich, powerful in his own right, and he was given everything he asked for.





Inari: By now, the law and nature of greed nested itself with Basilius's heart. He was much more cruel and calculating than Michael ever thought. This was because Basilius was a master of concealing his intentions, of putting up smoke screens to keep people off of his trail. Manipulating some of the internal chaos within the empire, Basilius advised Michael about his cousin's plot to overthrow him. Michael, at first refused to listen to the thought of his own family member usurping his power. When evidence was brought forth that his cousin really was plotting against him and using his status as general to do it, he folded and listened to Basilius. Do you know what happened next?

Osamu: No...

Inari grabbed Osamu by the neck and held her claws up to his throat.

Inari: Basilius stabbed Michael's cousin to death during a horse race, and asked Michael's permission to take over as general. Michael, the fool of the Byzantine empire, accepted his request. He had unwittingly given Basilius the key to the military.

Osamu gulped as Inari withdrew from her threatening stance, rubbing his face with one of her tails.

Inari: One day, when Michael asked Basilius to pay back some money he had loaned him a while ago, Basilius refused. Michael was shocked. How could his best friend and most loyal servant refuse to pay him back after all he had done? And then, Michael realized the horror of his situation. He had built a monster. Basilius got a taste of power, and his taste developed into a hunger, all because of his rapid ascension into nobility. Michael realized that Basilius had control of the military, had more money than him, and had more friends in the senate than him.

Inari grabbed Osamu's hand guiding it from her breasts up to her face.

Inari: Poor Michael started drinking heavily, as he realized what he had done. One day, after a night of heavy drinking, he awoke to the sight of guards surrounding him. Basilius was there, and he ordered the guards to kill Michael. Michael watched as his friend gleefully smiled as he was being stabbed to death.

Inari put Osamu's hand to her neck, tightening his fingers around it.

Inari: Basilius proudly carried Michael's head by the hair through the streets. Michael was killed by his best friend. That is why we should be more wary of our friends than our enemies. Our friends are closer, and they know everything about us. Who's to say that they won't betray us? I was betrayed by people who once worshiped me. I thought they were my friends, my loyal followers. But they sold me out.

Inari sat down on one of the benches, her smile had disappeared.

Inari: That's why you shouldn't trust people. All throughout human history, and divine history as well, there have been nothing but traitors. Now look at me. I'm forced to stand and fight, and I just know I will die here.

Osamu: Hey, don't be so pessimistic! I've laid siege to Heaven before, so I'm sure we can handle a few exorcists if we just work together! Maybe we could even convince them to stop this madness! They're not even old enough to know why they're doing it! It's a centuries' old problem!

Inari laughed at Osamu, pointing her finger and embarrassing him.

Inari: You're hilarious, mortal! Do you do that thing you call "Stand-up Comedy"? You'd make a living!

Osamu: You...you don't have to laugh...


*DAMN FOX*


Inari closed her eyes and laid her head back.

Inari: I want to believe such nice things will happen. But they won't. They never do. We'll have to fight, or we'll be killed. That means that you're going to have to get human blood on your hands. Are you prepared for that, mortal? Can you handle that guilt? Can you handle the realization that you have already taken human life?

Osamu: That's not the same, I was being possessed!

Inari: And soon, you'll probably allow me to possess you willingly. Is that not the same as being compliant in murder?

Osamu: I...no, it's not! As far as I know, it's self defense!

Inari: Hah. "As far as I know". You really are too kind for your own good. No wonder we both have broken hearts. No wonder we lose the things we love.

Inari looked out of the window, noticing the sun was going down.

Inari: It's going to be dark soon, mortal. Let's find a good place to rest.

Osamu: Yeah, I suppose you're right.

(She loved smiling, laughing, telling stories, and teasing. But at the same time, I would catch her staring off in another direction, with a mournful look in her eyes. It was a kind of look I recognized, because I've worn it and seen it so many times. Maybe it's because I saw myself in this fox goddess that I wanted to help her, that I wanted to see her make it through this. I wanted to see that even someone like me can overcome impossible odds, and not only save herself, but someone else as well.)

*END*





« Last Edit: May 02, 2018, 03:56:00 AM by OhGodHelpMe »

Offline OhGodHelpMe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 992
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Death By Ex-Girlfriends: Inari Standoff
« Reply #163 on: August 05, 2016, 02:53:53 AM »
Damn commies

Inari Standoff: This World Shall Be Red
Spoiler


When night came, Osamu and Inari decided to sleep in the bakery shop on the 4th floor. It was a small shop, but plenty of space for the both of them, not to mention the delicious donuts, cakes, and cinnamon rolls that they were free to eat. Osamu kept the store lit with the light from his phone, and the two made makeshift beds out of the pillows and coats from other stores. Osamu lied down after his long day, but Inari sat up, brushing her tail and licking her arms.

Osamu: Aren't you tired? I would be if people were trying to kill me all day.

Inari: I am very tired, actually. However, I worry about being found in the middle of the night. I'm sure the exorcists out there know I'm here, and that I haven't left.

Osamu: What a horrible way to live...

Inari: It's the only way to live.

Inari yawned and reached over the counter to grab herself a cookie.

Inari: Say, mortal. Earlier, you mentioned marrying a few goddesses. Is that true?

Osamu: Do you think I'm lying?

Inari: No, it's happened before, mortals mating with Gods and their descendants. It's how exorcists are born, after all. Though it's traditionally believed that such a relationship is verboten, it's really necessary. If the divine and the mortals don't occasionally mate, there will be no more descendants. No more descendants means no more exorcists.

Osamu: Have you ever married a mortal before, Inari?

Inari closed her eyes to veil even the slightest hint of sorrow.

Inari: Oh yes, but that was...a long time ago.

Inari lied down besides Osamu, the light from his phone shining between them.

Osamu: Goodnight, Inari.

Inari: Goodnight, mortal.



The annoying, blood boiling sound of Osamu's JPOP ringtone went off without stop, waking him early in the morning. The orange, morning sunlight was shining directly through the vast windows of the empty airport. Not a soul lurked through those halls and terminals.

Inari: Oi, mortal, your ringtone is making my ears hurt~

Inari talked as if she was singing a cute song as she dangled Osamu's phone in front of him. Opening his eyes, he quickly snatched his phone away from her and answered the call, still half asleep and forcing himself to wake up.

Osamu: Hello?

(I should've known. As a married man, I should've known what to expect when I answered the phone. What else could it be besides for Yoko's furious, loud voice?)

Yoko: O-SA-MUUUUUU!!!!!!

Osamu had to back away from the phone so his ear drums wouldn't rupture. Even Inari curled her tail around herself, scared of whatever monstrous being could yell with such power.

Inari: What on earth is that?! Godzilla?!

(More like Bridezilla...)

Osamu: Haha...hey there...Yoko...

Yoko: Where have you been? Where are you now? Did you sleep with another girl? Oh my god, you did, didn't you! You're disgusting! Vile! A cheat! Unfaithful! You should be put to the guillotine! No, the electric chair! No, even better, you should be put in a cage and lowered into the ocean!

Osamu: Yoko, lis-

Yoko: No! No! NO!

*NO*

Yoko: I shall not listen, I shall not cry, and I shall not mourn the death of our love. I shall not think of you when I birth this child, nor shall I dream of you, nor shall I miss you, call you, text you, email you, fax you, or send you morse code! Yes, in my dramatic stages of stoic grief, I shall ignore you, block your existence out from my very psyche! I shall skip the part where I eat ice cream, all day, cry in the shower, and pleasure myself at night to the thought of you, followed by more crying! I shall remain Osa-Abstinate from now on!

*SHE GOT THAT ALL IN ONE TAKE, FOLKS*

*GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE*


Inari: Amazing...she's absolutely insane...

Osamu: Done now?

Yoko's voice calmed down and brightened up.

Yoko: Yes my love, I'm sorry. I forgive you. Kisses. However, I still expect to know exactly what happened. Why didn't you come home last night? I called Aika but she didn't pick up either. We're all very worried over here.


Osamu: Yeah, yeah I know. Listen, a lot has happened. I'm still at the airport right now, and it's completely empty.

Yoko: Empty?! An airport?! How did that happen?!

Osamu: As I said, it's a long story. I'm here with Inari Okami right now.

Yoko gasped.

Yoko: The goddess of foxes and fertility? Gekko told me she was dead!

Osamu: Yeah, so the story goes, but she's still here. She really needs some help right now, and I couldn't just refuse.

Yoko: Osamu...you sound...I don't know...down. Are you alright?

Osamu laughed and scratched the back of his head.

Osamu: Don't be silly! Everything is alright, I promise. I may be here for a little while, and it might get a little dangerous. People are after her, and it's up to me to defend her. We make a good team though, so, really, there's no worries.

Yoko: My wife instincts are telling me you're lying, but...okay. I'll trust you. Listen though, I'll call Kagutsuchi to go there and check on you since she's close to the airport. No arguing against that.

Osamu: Alright. I guess that's fine.

Yoko: It's maddening how usual this has gotten for us. Please be careful. Call me if you need anything, anything at all. Even if it's just someone to talk to or fall asleep with.

Osamu: Yeah, I know. I love you.

Yoko: I love you too.

Osamu: Bye now.

*CALL ENDED*

Osamu fell back onto his pillow, groaning as his head landed on it. Inari hung her head over Osamu's, her tails flowing behind her.

Inari: Mortal, you sounded genuinely unhappy back there. What's with that? You have a family back home, people who love you. There's no reason to be sad, right?

Osamu: I know I do, and I deeply appreciate being blessed with such a thing...

Osamu laid his arm over his eyes.

Osamu: They're just the ones I was actually able to save. There are some I've failed, and now no one even knows where Aika is. She could be dead, or hurt, and I would have no idea...

Inari: Oh, so is it the ones you couldn't save that weigh on your heart? Are there multiple? If so, I can imagine such an experience repeating itself. It would be heartbreaking indeed. Still, mortal, you have what most people in this world don't. Whatever you went through in the past, you can't hold yourself to blame. You're only human, after all.

Osamu: Only human...can a god do better?

Inari snickered.

Inari: That's a good question, mortal. So far, I've found that we fail even more often than humans. I don't know what happened to your friend, but I don't think you should let mere possibilities weigh your heart down. Possibilities are limitless, after all. Hope for the best, and be prepared for the worst.

Osamu sat up, doing his best to cast away his worries and healing scars.

Osamu: You're right. Thanks for getting my head straight. Sorry if I sounded pathetic there.

Inari stood up, stretching out her muscles and tails in all their glory.

Inari: No problem, Mortal! I can't have you feeling down while we're still in danger, can I?

Osamu: Yeah, you're right.

(I had already failed twice. Once for breaking her heart when we were young, and once for not noticing the signs of her despair around the time she killed herself. I was only able to save her because the circumstances were in my favor. But with her wrapped up in this...what's going to happen? Isabella, Rousoku, my parents...I can't let Aika go too...)


Sitting on top of one of the airplanes parked outside was a young girl in her early teens with flowing, brown hair. She wore bright blue jeans that were cut at the kneecaps, a Soviet Army coat around her shoulders like a cape, and a backpack around her shoulders. Her eyes were hazel, and the bridge of her nose was dotted with freckles. A magatama necklace swayed in the wind, and a black gas mask rested on top of her head. Besides her was a monk, wearing traditional Buddhist robes, only covering one of his shoulders. Unlike most monks, his blonde hair was fully grown out, reaching down to his hip. He wore a white bandage around his eyes and always stood in a reserved stance, peaceful and welcoming in nature.

Monk: She's in there. I can feel her immense energy.

Girl: Good, we really did come to the right place.

The girl took a bite out of a chocolate bar.

Girl: Let's raise hell.

Inside, Inari and Osamu had just eaten a few of the pastries for breakfast. Inari ventured out of the store, sniffing the air as she picked out a foul scent. Osamu washed his hands and joined her outside, curious what had her by the nose.

Osamu: What's wrong?

Inari smiled, giving Osamu the look that told him to get ready.

Inari: The next batch of exorcists seem to be here. I think I recognize these ones.

Osamu: What?! How many?!

Inari: Two, one man, one teenage girl.

(Teenage? She's so young.)

Osamu: W-what should we do?! Hide?!

Inari: Relax, Mortal. Hiding would be a useless strategy. The man is a monk with exceptional abilities in tracking divine and spiritual beings. We have no choice but to fight.

The intercoms suddenly blared on all throughout the airport, ringing with feedback at first. Osamu covered his ears, then uncovered them when the feedback died out, and the Hymn of the USSR played on the intercoms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U06jlgpMtQs


*R O U G E*


Osamu: What?! The Soviet Anthem?

Inari could only laugh, almost maniacally. Her behavior only chilled Osamu to the bone as he awaited the arrival of the next exorcists out to kill Inari. The young girl entered first, her gas mask now properly worn on her face, and the sleeves of her Soviet Army coat trailing behind her over her shoulders. She took her time going up the escalators, while the blonde monk took the elevator down to the 6th floor, beginning his search from there.

Inari: The girl is a native Russian, if I recall correctly. Her father served during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and her Grandfather before that helped in the invasion of Germany, and stormed the Reichstag. That's why she's doing all of this, the theatrical little minx.

Osamu stood speechless, his heartbeat growing louder than the bombastic hymn of the USSR.

Inari: Of course, I do believe there's actually a strategy to all of this. She's not as dumb as you'd think she is for her age. She's probably doing this so that we cannot hear her enter as she passes through doors and metal detectors, which are still operational here.

Osamu realized how valid a strategy it was, and began looking around at all the different entry points either one of them could flank them with.

Osamu: Damn it...there's no way to tell where they're coming from now!

Inari: Ahh...it appears she's already here. Look.

Osamu could see the girl slowly come up the escalators ahead, wearing her gas mask and holding two smoke grenades in her hands.

Inari: Her name as an exorcist is The Black Maria.

*THE BLACK MARIA*

Maria now stood across from Osamu and Inari. Both sides stood still, in complete silence for almost a full minute, perhaps waiting for what the other would do. Finally, the girl pulled the pins on her gas grenades and threw them at the two. Next, she pulled out a Makarov pistol and aimed it in the cloud of foul gas.

Inari: Osamu, run! She's going to ignite the gas!

Osamu was dragged by Inari as they made a desperate run for their lives.

*BANG*

*HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN*


The single bullet was enough to turn the gas into a cloud of flames, it's orange glow shining on Maria, and reflected through the eye pieces of the gas mask.

Maria: Burn, stray goddess.

*TO BE CONTINUED*



« Last Edit: February 14, 2017, 07:59:35 AM by OhGodHelpMe »

Offline OhGodHelpMe

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 992
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Death By Ex-Girlfriends: Inari Standoff
« Reply #164 on: August 05, 2016, 07:46:31 PM »
Inari Standoff: Blood is Life
Spoiler



https://youtube.com/watch?v=20dgGO7kzXM







*FLAMES*


The flames from the ignited gas dissipated, leaving behind a cloud of noxious fumes, filtered through Maria's gas mask. Osamu and Inari took cover behind a stone wall. They had barely made it out of there without being burned. Inari seemed to be excited by the fighting, as a slight smile blessed her face.

Inari: She's really trying to kill us. She doesn't seem to care there's a human in her midst!

Osamu: Why do you sound so happy?! My skin still feels hot!

Inari: Mortal, let me possess you! We'll move faster as one unit! I won't pressure your body too much!

Osamu: Damn it! Damn it!

(What do I do?! Should I just let her do it?!)

Inari: Make your decision quick, mortal! She doesn't like waiting!

Maria holstered her pistol, switching to a sawed-off shotgun and walking closer to the wall they were hiding behind. Osamu and Inari could hear her breathing through her gas mask as she inched closer, and closer, sliding shells into the two chambers of her shotgun with her thumb.

Osamu: Fine! Do it!

Inari wore a violence-loving "go time" smile.

Inari: Beautiful! That's what I wanted to hear! You're really manning up on me!

The two locked eyes, and Inari once more possessed Osamu's body. His eyes turned blood-red, and his teeth grew sharper. His very body felt hot, heavy, and most of all, stronger.

*(Good, mortal! Have I ever told you how good it feels to be inside of you?)


Osamu: Shh!

All grew silent. Osamu focused on the sound of Maria's footsteps. Suddenly, before she crossed the wall, her footsteps stopped. Osamu could clearly see her shadow, simply standing there at what felt like mere inches away.

Maria: So, are you using the human as a shield, Inari? I didn't know you were such a cowardly god.

*(Damned mortal, using guns and calling me a coward...)


Maria: I guess that's just how it's gonna have to be then, right? Will I really have to kill a human AND a god today? Oh well.

*(Here we go, mortal!)

Maria leaped over the corner, firing her shotgun at Osamu, who she successfully caught off guard. The flesh on his arms were ripped apart in an exploding, blood-spraying mess, tearing up the sleeve of his shirt and forcing him to retreat behind the other end of the wall. Maria had rolled over behind a bench, where she loaded another shell into the first chamber of her trusty shotgun as Osamu screamed in agony over his wounds behind the cover of the wall.

*(She's using flechette. It's a very messy kind of ammunition. Don't worry, mortal. If we can just get some of her blood, we'll be alright.)


Osamu's arms were covered in blood and embedded with nail fragments from the flechette round. Indeed, the ammunition was messy, overloading ever nerve in his limb with a hellish sting. He, or should we say Inari, slowly pulled the hot pieces of shrapnel out of his arm.

Osamu: It hurts...it really, really hurts...

*(What did you expect? We're being hunted. They'll stop at nothing to kill us. Humans really are unmerciful.)


Osamu: What do we do?!

*(We attack from above, of course.)


Osamu: What?!

With Inari in control, Osamu nimbly and quietly went around the other way, climbing with ease up the face of the stone wall and using it to get to the 5th floor, directly above Maria. Osamu's heightened sense of smell allowed him to pinpoint exactly where Maria was below them.

*(Perfect! Right here will do! We'll smash it!)


Osamu: Wait, what are you-

Inari forced Osamu to punch through the 5th floor with his wounded arm, destroying a small radius of the floor directly above Maria, and causing heavy debris to fall in her direction. She rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the crash of debris, but wounding her ankle in the process. Defenseless for a moment, she whipped out her pistol, expecting Inari to come out from the hole she just created. Instead, before she even noticed, Osamu went back down to the 4th floor via the stone wall, coming up behind her and throwing her down the escalators to the 3rd floor.

Osamu: Damn it, I thought you said you wouldn't pressure my body!

*(This is fine! Now she's too hurt to move! We'll go for her blood!)


Osamu leaped down from the top of the escalators to Maria, who was still writhing on the ground, hurt from her huge fall. Inari exited from Osamu's body, smugly standing over the wounded and immobilized exorcist.

Inari: Aww, look who hurt herself! Want a band-aid for your broken ribs?

Maria: Damn you!

As Maria tried to pull up her pistol, Inari clawed her fingers clean off from her hand, cutting the gun into several pieces as well. As she screamed, Inari stomped her throat, crushing her windpipe to silence her.

Inari: Now then, I'll be taking your blood. It's a shame they force the young to do this sort of thing.

Osamu: Inari, wait!

Inari looked back with a confused expression.

Osamu: She's just a child! Whatever you do, don't kill her!

Inari: Don't kill her? Are you insane? If we don't kill her, she'll come back to kill us!

Osamu: Those injuries will put her out of commission for a while!

Inari: And a priest will heal them in a night! What's your point?! I warned you to be prepared to kill you fellow human. I'm even doing you a favor by being the one to actually do it! Now, if you don't mind, I'll be taking her blood!

Osamu: Inari!

Inari bit onto Maria's wounded hand, sucking her blood to heal the last of her wounds. Her tails excitedly waved around as she drank. In a way, Inari had listened to Osamu, and only drank enough blood to heal herself and Osamu, but not enough to kill Maria immediately. With blood soaked lips and glowing, red eyes, Inari walked over to Osamu, squatting down and caressing his cheeks.

Inari: You need some too. Drink some from my lips.

Osamu: You...want me to kiss you?!

Inari: Do it, or your wounds won't heal!

*I WAS JUST ONE KISS AWAY FROM MADNESS*

*CAN I CAST AWAY MY OWN PAIN, IN EXCHANGE FOR HUMAN BLOOD?*




Osamu looked over to Maria, who was still very much alive, groaning in the agony of her lost fingers. When he turned his frightened eyes over to Inari, she had already kissed him. With the taste of human blood, Inari transferred over her healing abilities to Osamu, using it to heal the flechette wounds and seal them completely. As she pulled away, Osamu realized they both had blood on their lips.

Inari: All better now.

Inari kissed his arms, like a mother after bandaging a child's wounds.

(I...I was fed human blood? Blood from a young girl?)



Inari stood up again, laughing as Maria still struggled to get up. Osamu rubbed Maria's blood off of his lips, shaking as he did so.

(Oh god...I've really had her blood...what have I done?! Is this what Inari has to do every time to heal herself? Foxes...they're omnivores. I'm sure if things weren't like this, she could just eat some offered fruits and heal from those...but being forced into a tight spot like this makes her rely on her carnivorous side...and so, blood is what sustains her. I can't blame her for that, but...)

Osamu: Inari, please...don't kill her.

Inari: You're still going on about that, huh? Well, we got what we needed out of her, and we're both in good condition. I suppose there's no need.

Right then, Inari picked up another scent. She immediately stood in front of Osamu to guard him.

Inari: He's coming, fast!

Osamu: Who?!

Inari: The monk.


The blonde monk jumped from the 6th floor down to the 3rd, right on top of Maria. His white robes glowed in a heavenly fashion as they met with the sun's light.

Inari: Yes...he's the one they call White Saint. What a self-absorbed name.

The White Saint bandaged Maria's fingers and took off her gas mask. Blood dripped from her mouth as a result of her crushed windpipes. She had also taken a blow to the head from the fall, as blood streamed down her temple.

Saint: I'm sorry, this is because I didn't make it in time.

The White Saint turned turned his head towards Inari and Osamu.

(Bandages over the eyes? Is he blind?)

Saint: Such brutality was unnecessary for a young girl. I'd expect nothing less from a shameful goddess such as yourself.

Inari: Sorry, I fight to live, not to die. If you didn't want her getting hurt, you should've kept the girl in school. Be sure to tell your masters that the next time they think it's a splendid idea to toss a child into the ring with a goddess.

The White Saint took out a vial of Holy Water from his pocket, giving some for Maria to drink. Her windpipes were restored, but her fingers were gone for good. She coughed repeatedly, wiping blood from her mouth and furiously throwing her gas mask against the floor.

Maria: God damn it! You fox bitch!

Saint: Do you want to retreat?

Inari laughed, fanning out her tails as her laughter echoed through the airport.

Inari: Yes, go home, little girl. Go do your homework or something. Children should never be exorcists. If you ask me, exorcists shouldn't have even been created in the first place! Run along now, you've lost the fight.

Maria: Saint, stand me up.

Saint: Are you sure?

Maria: Positive.

Maria stood up with Saint's help, loading a 40mm round into her grenade launcher as Inari continued to laugh.

Osamu: Umm...Inari!

Inari's laughter ceased when she saw the grenade launcher.

Inari: No way...they're going to keep fighting?!

Maria: Try and dodge this, fox bitch!

Inari: Run!

Inari grabbed Osamu as Maria fired her round at them. The 40mm explosive detonated on impact with tremendous, wall-shaking force, blasting Inari and Osamu into the elevator shaft. They fell 4 stories down to the bottom of the elevator shaft, landing hard on the ground and surely cracking a few bones. It was dark, and most of the lights in the shaft were red. They were flicking on and off, disrupted by the explosion. Their voices echoed inside of the shaft as they coughed out the smoke in their lungs and caught their breath again.

*ROUGE*

Inari: Mortal, are you alright?

Osamu: My head! I can hardly hear anything!

Inari: It's probably shock from the explosion. It should wear off soon.

Osamu staggered up on his feet, leaning against the wall with his hand over his ear.

Inari: This wouldn't have happened if I had just killed her.

Osamu: Could you really do it?! Huh?! Kill a child?!

Inari: A child with a weapon and the guts to kill someone with it no longer has the innocence to be called a child. They're combatants at that point. That's why I hate what they've done to them, making them exorcists. That girl is just as much of a victim as I am.

Osamu: But still...doesn't a part of you hurt when you do it?!

Inari: Of course it does. I just can't afford to process that pain until after the battle is over. I have no choice.

(Her time on the run, fighting against the humans who once worshiped...has turned her into someone much more emotionally null than she should be.)

Inari: Now then, let's get out of this elevator shaft. I'll use your body to get up again. We should be able to pry open the door to the first floor.

The elevator was stationed up to the 6th floor. An ear-piercing shriek of metal and cables turned their eyes upwards. They saw Saint throwing shurikens to cut the cables suspending the elevator from the 4th floor.

Osamu: That madman is going to bring it down on top of us!

The last cable was cut, and the elevator made a freefall to the bottom, sparks trailing behind it as it descended at a speed that forced Inari to act quickly. Osamu covered his head as Inari caught the elevator on her back. The weight of it brought her to her knees, straining her muscles. Still, like Atlas carrying the world, she was able to hold the elevator, saving herself and Osamu.

Osamu: Inari?! Are you alright?!

Inari: Well...I'd be lying if I said this didn't hurt like hell! Mortal, I need your body! Put your hands on the elevator. I'll possess you, and we can send this thing up long enough so we can escape! We'll have to bust through the 1st floor!

Osamu: A-alright!

Osamu prepared to hold the elevator.

Osamu: I'm ready!

Inari possessed his body, and her strength allowed him to throw the elevator back up to the 6th floor.

Saint: They survived?!

With but a short window of time available to them, Osamu jumped up to the wall opposite of the door to the 1st floor, then vaulted off of it with his legs, breaking through the chrome, elevator door and making it out on the other side before the elevator came crashing back down again. Osamu lied down on the ground, breathing heavily as Inari cheered inside his body.

*(Whew! That's what I call teamwork! How are you feeling, mortal?)


Osamu: Exhausted!

Osamu staggered back up to his feet, wiping the dirt and dust off of his face. Saint and Maria looked down on him from the 6th floor with furious eyes, failing to have killed their target. Even Osamu was feeling the thrill. The fire of adventure burned in him, and a smug smile decorated his face.

Maria: Ohh, they're good...

Saint: Stay here, Maria. You can't use most of your arsenal with only one hand. I'll handle this.

Saint jumped over the edge, landing softly on his feet on the 1st floor before the possessed Osamu.

*(Ooo, now we get to dance with the White Saint!)


Osamu: This is getting way too crazy...

*(Ahh, but I can tell, you love it.)

Osamu smiled and held his arm in a guard position, preparing himself for the fight.

Osamu: You already know me so well, Inari.

Saint: I see. It seems you're her accomplice, not a hostage. In that case, we were right to consider killing you both.

Saint summoned a golden staff by his side. It was 2 feet taller than him, with golden charms hanging off of the top of the staff, which was shaped like a crescent moon.

Saint: Well then, let's begin.

Osamu/Inari: Give me hell!

*END*

« Last Edit: May 02, 2018, 03:53:46 AM by OhGodHelpMe »