when M e r c y Conquers Hate. [T][P]

[Akemi]

"Oh of course; you have the flying thing down," the girl said, sarcasm practically surging through her veins. Her eyes narrowed into malicious slits, and she looked upon his glorious countenance once more. "Don't you think it's rather the opposite?" As if mocking him hadn't been enough. Oh well- the venom her words would inject would keep him at bay, keep his soul from ever colliding with hers. "Oh, and, by the way, in my proffesional opinion as a medical kunoichi, it's not exactly normal for someone to suddenly sprout wings when they're out for a stroll."

She took a step back, towards the oncoming rush of waves. The guilt pressed on her chest like a great, ancient stone. When the safety of night came to her when this day was over, there was no doubt she would weep over the hurt she had possibly inflicted. "So unless you stop bullshitting me, I really must be on my way; besides, those things might be a sign of some kind of disease you have." Akemi did not mean for a vicious ending of her encounter with this holy being; but her heart had turned coward.

And, to make matters worse, she was an actress; her spite could not be classified as translucent. Giving him one last, final glare, the doctor moved to briskly walk past him, with as much dignity as she could muster; hopefully, he would have gawked at her hopelessly throughout her unexplained tantrum, and her pride would still be intact. He is a stranger, after all. You're doing the right thing. The raven-haired youth had put a few meters between the two of them. And then, she stopped in her tracks.

She sighed. The anger flooded from her body. Then slowly, she turned around. Head down. Kept her eyes on her shoes, but projeced her voice with an expert manipulation of her diaphram. Twiddling her fingers together guiltily, she spoke: "I don't know if you're from around here or anything, but... I'm looking for a manor. Do you think you could help me find it? Or at least... well... it gets a bit lonely at night," she admitted. Did she really just ask him to be her camping buddy? So lame, she closed her eyes in embarassment.

Hopefully he would oblige; that is, if he didn't already think of her as too much of a bitch.

[tyo]

And so began the death of a smile.

Her . . . tone; something was off about it - it had undergone a metamorphosis of sorts. No longer was it the sweet, charming song that graced my ears so soothingly. It was sharper. If her words could take on the form of something solid, they would be daggers right now; daggers being driven into my ears, and in effect my soul. The smile that she'd brought to my face was slowly diminishing as her words continued carving away at my soul.

She spoke of my wings as if they were a bloody curse - something to be feared and shunned upon, not admired. It was odd; at one point I, too, thought they were some sort of disease. And hell, for all I knew, they probably are. But they were bestowed upon me by a higher power and I would have to deal with them, whether blessing or curse. But as I pondered such things, I began to ponder something else; something regarding the legitimacy of the girls words.

I didn't buy it.

"I see . . .", I spoke, gazing slightly downward before shutting my eyes. She walked past me, as if to leave the hacked-up remains of my heart and soul in the sand behind her. "Although, it sounds to me like you're a bit jealous ~", I said, vocal emphasis on the ending of my sentence as I turned to face her. It made sense. Perhaps this girl was attempting to hide behind a shell of hurtful words. But whatever for? Perhaps she liked me - that would be cool. Unlikely though.

Perhaps my words had stirred something within her; some sort of change, maybe. She inquired about a mansion - odd, going from wings and disease to some sort of humble abode; the two subjects were practically at opposite ends of the planet. Regardless, I hadn't seen a single mansion on my flight. But perhaps -- wait. Lonely . . . at night? Red flooded my cheeks and my eyes widened, staring at her. She wanted me to keep her company through the night? Was that even a question.

"Actually I think I have seen a mansion around here . . .", I lied, glancing away, skyward, for I felt that I couldn't lie to her face like that. Regardless of the guilt that caused me to bite my lip soon thereafter, I continued. ". . . but there's no way we'll make it there before sun down. I'll . . . ummm, stay with you till the morning and . . . take you there tomorrow." I didn't want her to leave. Why? Who knew. But for some odd reason, the thought of leaving her now was . . . difficult to fathom.

Just who was this girl, and what the hell had she done to me?

[Akemi]

Such an awful liar.

Or perhaps, the difficulty was in lying to her. Nevertheless, as if his failure to keep eye contact and nervous gestures weren't enough, Akemi could feel the cold, glacial chill of his deception wash over her, coaxing goosebumps to the surface of her skin. Usually, this kind of behavior would be unforgivable, and would have already been mercilessly and ruthlessly punished. But this was the exception; the boy had agreed to be her guide. Such a fiendish angelical, stitched together with such beautiful intentions.

A smile graced her rose hued lips then, and compassion aroused once more within her spirit. Yes- he was with her. This nameless companion, this anonymous stranger was hers, albeit temporarily. And then did her previous statement fully sink in-- the night. This night. This very night, and all it's stellar brilliance would be theirs; the stars, the glorious moon, the entire empyrean nation would write out their names, and sing them in perfect harmony. The girl's soul seemed to fall, her heart filling with an unbelievable amount of passion and excitement. Tonight, she dreamed.

Her elation could not be sheltered. Rather, it shown proudly amongst a variety of her attributes. "Oh, you will?" she asked, innocence and purity returning to her voice. "Thank you," she said gratefully, relief flooding her features. She cast her gaze to the heavens. Thank you, she prayed.

Gesturing for him to come hither, Akemi once again turned on her heel, making her way toward the sand dunes further inland. Assuming that the boy had come obediantly to her side as she walked, the kunoichi glanced at him, the right side of her mouth quirking playfully. His attire was similar to her own-- black, simple... but stylish. It held a flair of his own, just like the plethora of chains and hooks on her own ensemble harbored hers. His youth suggested her was about her age, if not only a year older. Taking these observations into consideration, the beauty moved slightly closer to him.

"We're moving further inland to make camp," she said, nodding in the direction of the sand dunes. Then she gestured towards the traveling pack she carried on her back. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid I only brought one tent." She began to ascend the great masses of sand, digging her toes into the hillside as she climbed. "Not to mention it's relatively small size," she laughed at the suggestive imagery her words were creating. "You could take the tent, and I could sleep outside if you prefer," she offered.

There was no sense in scaring the boy out of his wits.

The boy? Irritated, the healer stopped at the crest of the dune, staring after her companion if he had decided to venture on to find a spot to make camp without her supervision. "Hey," she called after him. Her moment of puzzlement over, she continued down the hill. "Don't you have a name, or something?"

[tyo]

A smile. Warm and bright in all its glory. Whatever had stirred within the girl and caused her to temporarily change personas had vanished, seemingly. Such a lovely expression was copied and pasted upon my own visage; I was . . . happy. It was undeniable and unexplainable, but I was, in fact, happy. I didn't know who this girl was or where she'd come from, but I liked her.

She thanked me for . . . what again? Spending the night with her.






Wait, what? I was going to spend the night with her? Just the two of us -- alone -- through the night. "Of course.", I responded with a smile. I felt odd now; hot, sort of. Twas a feeling that was difficult to explain, but without a doubt it was brought on by the girl; this most . . . intriguing of girls. She motioned for me to follow, and I most certainly did, displaying such punctuality that I was practically at her side before she even started walking. Submerged was I, in her warm, pleasant smelling aura.

Intoxicating.

As we made our ascension, I checked out her bod observed her. Her body, much like the masterpiece of a world-renowned artist, was masterfully sculpted. Her . . . alluring curves moved in a united, rhythmic pattern, almost like a dance. She glanced at me, by which time I realized that I'd been staring with my mouth hanging open. I quickly turned away, almost cringing as I hoped that she hadn't seen me.

There was a slight silence, and then she began speaking again about camping and the relative smallness of the tent that she carried -- it would only fit one. By this time, I'd come to accept the fact that the flushes of red upon my cheeks were uncontrollable and I would just have to get used to them. One tent. Two people. One tent. Two people. Her body . . .

"You could take the tent, and I could sleep outside if you prefer"

What? Did she honestly think that I would take her tent and make her sleep outside? Honestly? My response was practically a reflex. "Oh no -- you take the tent, I'll sleep outside. It gets kind of chilly at night . . .", I said. No sooner did a slide down the side of the dune, jogging a bit as I made it to the ground. It was the right thing to do, right? A guy can't make a girl sleep outside - it was immoral!

My name. I heard her heavenly call and an inquiry about my name. I did have a name, didn't I? How had I forgotten such a fundamental bit of social etiquette; I hadn't even given her my name. I turned around to face her, gazing up at what honestly seemed like a being from a dream. "Oh -- you can call me Kon", I gave with a smile. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't give a stranger my real name. But there was nothing normal about this girl.

"What can I call you?", I called back to her.

[Akemi]

Oh no-- you take the tent, I'll sleep outside. It gets kind of chilly at night...

Akemi smiled at this. Such a gentleman, she noted. That was the ultimate quality the vixen constantly looked for in a man-- courteous, prideless, kind, and a little corny. This cute personality was bringing out a most flirtatious side of the youthful femme fetale. "Oh, does it, now? Well, then, we could just as easily share," she grinned beautifully. "You know, to keep warm?" The conclusion made perfect sense to her-- the vicious cold of night, or the welcoming warmth of a stranger's body? One would think warmth the appealing factor, no?

The delilah savored the sound of her company's rough, masculine voice, almost missing his name. But without meaning to, her mind registered it, and then-- a link. Everything clicked together at that precise moment in time. Her past, and her present, specifically. It felt as if it all had actually been worth something, after all. As if everything she had ever said or done had a reason behind it, and this was it; to propel her forward to this very evening, this time of twilight. Kon. It was cute.

He asked the same of her. "Oh," the adolescent dumbly stated. Of course he would ask her of her name. Why hadn't she already given it, especially before asking of his? All she had shown the boy of herself so far was how rude and vulgar she could be. Her mistress would not have exactly looked down on her with affectionate eyes at this moment, to say the least. The curvacious siren needed to get her manners in check. "It's Akemi," she replied, looking up from her footwork to glance at the man.

But she did not expect him to be looking back at her. Those gorgeous emerald jewels distracted her, just for a second-- a weed that had been unnacounted for. A loss of footing, flailing of the arms and the release of a shocked, high pitched scream, and the lass promptly landed on her face, her cheek meeting the earth with a hard thump. And as if that wasn't enough embarassment, gravity persuaded her to further somersault down the dune directly towards Kon, her screams never ceasing and her body suggesting no signs of stopping.

[tyo]

"SHARE?!

If there ever was a moment for my cheeks to be mistaken for brilliantly polished apples, it was now. Sharing? As a means to "stay warm"? Even these most innocent of ideas sparked all but arousing thoughts within my psyche; I was speechless thanks to such thoughts - I just stared up at her, probably looking like a dumbfounded idiot. Her name . . .

Her name was Akemi . . .

I couldn't, not even in immortality, think of a more fitting name for such a gorgeous girl. The name was elegant, strong, and full of heart; it wreaked of her essence. "Akemi . . .", I repeated to myself, taken into a world a lasting bliss by the mere mentioning of this angels name. But my world of bliss would be stricken by a lightning-bolt of discord. The heart-shattering cries of such a graceful dove could be heard from above - twas Akemi, and she was tumbling right toward me.

I acted without hesitation. I took a single, leaping step foward, and my wings flapped, ripping up the latest coating of sand from the terra. I was thrown forth like a dagger; my ascension was quite stream-lined and swift. There was an unyielding sense of determination radiating from my visage - not angry, just . . . strong-willed. I closed in on the falling girl quickly. "I've got you!", I shouted, reassuring the girl just as our bodies collided. Her momentum was transferred unto me, pulling me toward the ground. I slowed myself down though, digging my feet into the dune.

Another flap of my wings pushed us away from the sandy structure. Silence enveloped the world, save the sound of the wind rushing through my hair, past my ears. I held her, one arm across her back with my hand grabbing her shoulder and the other arm beneath her knees. She was so warm . . . and soft. It felt nice to hold her like this. Odd. My extended wings slowed my descent and I landed softly on the ground.

I knelt down with her, resting her back on my knee. I scanned her body, looking for anything badly injured; but then, what was I going to do if she was hurt. I couldn't heal, nor did I know where the nearest hospital was. I just . . . needed to know if she was alright. I gazed at her visage, the distance between our faces was no more than a foot now. At this range, every detail of her face was clear. She was even prettier up close, almost glowing.

A sandy smudge marked her cheek, the only flaw that I could find upon her countenance. I slipped my hand from beneath her knees and held it to her face. I pressed my thumb lightly to her warm, soft cheek, rubbing away the sandy residue slowly, ridding such an angelic visage of its most grainy of obscurities. "I've got you . . .", I repeated softly, our faces so close . . .

[Akemi]

... a gaurdian angel?

An amorous vigil had proved to be her valiant savior. With silent, agile movements, a heavenly force had raced to the damsel's rescue upon steel wings of fire and music, catching her in her near downfall. Eternity was the melody these wings sang forth, and fiery passion was the force dancing insanely within it's flames-- this... gaurdian angel, as the girl thought it to be, brought to her gifts of beauty, kindness, assurance, and security. Looking down on her now, holding her within it's arms, the angel asked with it's eyes...

Will you accept them?

Emerald hues widened, a spark of erotic passion igniting a storm of frantic, desperate desires within her optics. Gazing up at Kon, the apprentice realized... this had been the second time she'd completely mistaken him for an angel. Breathing out a mental sigh of relief, the genin was pulled back to reality. No endeavor of God had saved her today, no pawn of Heaven had swooped down to her rescue! No watchful eye had ever been watching her! And, this boy was no angel!

And while this notion was a false conviction that was intriguing enough to the senses... the youth had become distracted. Once more did the beatific blessing of the pure saint's face draw Akemi from her exotic thoughts, forcing her to focus every ounce of her attention upon it's focal point.

Those eyes... was it just now, did the child realize that they were mirrors of her own? Such a vibrant jade, having seemingly finished a five star soliloquy of tragic recollections... they deserved a standing ovation. Only... Akemi had held no ownership of her feet at the moment; she would have to make do with another method of applause. Should she burden this divine creature with the unforgivable offense of her touch? Oh, but his cheeks were simply begging to be burdened with her soft hand... but no! What was the highest honor a mere mortal could bestow upon a glorious lord?

Blood rushed to the child's cheeks, which made her look all the more flustered at the precise moment when her savior reached down to discard some kind of grotesque detail that had somehow found the nerve to plague her beauty.

I've got you...

Jesus! He was so close... practically, what, inches away? Akemi didn't know; her heart was pounding too hard, her breathing too short and her vision too fuzzy with distress. Dear God, she pleaded, confusion and desire churning ferociously within her delicate physique. It made her feel queasy, to the point where her ill focused sight started spinning, and her mind fell dizzy with emotion. She knew all too well of the appropriate way to show her grace to the man; honestly, how else was she supposed to start off her newest companionship? A simple thank you?

Unable to control herself any longer, Akemi leaned forward slightly, pressing her lips to his, the kiss stealing her breath away into blissful oblivion.

Please. Dramatic entrances were what the actress craved.

[tyo]

Time slowed to a crawl

I'd grown used to the unnaturally rapid beating of my heart, like a majestic drum beings pounded away at relentlessly. Its rhythmic repetition drowned out all other sounds - as if the world around had been been muted, save my heart. And then . . ! Another sound? No, it was the same sound. But it wasn't coming from me. Twas . . . Akemi? To think such an otherworldly beauty could have something so human as a heart; blasphemy. But she did. Proving to me that I wasn't dreaming -- she was real, and I was really holding her. And she was really leaning in closer . . .

Slowly. Her face closed in on mine, lips puckering at a sluggish pace. Such innocence and wonder screamed from her countenance, and I did my best to mirror the feelings that seemed to radiate from her; I didn't try too hard, but then again I didn't have to - I . . . liked this girl. At this moment, this moment frozen in time and free of the world and its problems, nothing else mattered. Nothing but Akemi. The heat coming from her royally flushed face was merging with my own; my visage having reddened a bit as well. So close . . .

I could smell her breath - so sweet and tantalizing - such a scent danced into my nostrils, and my mouth. I slowly began to shut my emerald eyes, closing them away from the world, and allowing my sense of touch to take over. I still held her soft body, securely close to mine. An unmeasurable amount of space separated our lips - I was reaching my destination at last.

The instant we touched, the most unimaginable shiver rattled down my spine and throughout my whole body. Her lips met mine, slowly, softly in a most innocent of kisses. I resisted, with every ounce of my will-power, the urge to dive into the lovely kiss too strongly. OH, how I wanted to though! The taste of her soft lips . . . like sweet dew. I loved it. I loved . . .

[Kazuma]

xx
Hm? What have we here?
- - -

Despite the fatigue of travel baring upon his shoulders, Kazuma found it impossible to simply lie down and rest. He was here, here in Wave Country, where the rumors had brought him. Rumors brought to him by a reliable source. Once already has this anonymous voice lead him to the whereabouts of his lost teammate when she fled to Suna. His conscious allowed him the small amount of trust to that same voice that lead him here.

It meant that the chance she was here was actually rather high. Too long had he sat in him home, pondering the credibility of this rumor. But now he was here and he couldn't afford to not believe. She was here, he could feel it... and closer than he thought. So he slung his supplies over his shoulder and wandered aimlessly through the land of Waves in hopes of finding one of the two lost links to his past.

It was by mere luck that he stumbled upon such a sight as this.

As a shinobi of some years of experience, there was no such thing as wandering aimlessly. Honed senses were tools of the trade and his own spread across the blackened night like an invisible blanket. Each sound was filtered, each smell was analyzed, each clump of dirt was examined critically. Voiced, unintelligible due to distance and volume, drifted toward his ears. Following the noise, one of the voices sounded... familiar.

Like a wraith, Kazuma emerged from the darkness to happen upon the scene of a young girl standing some yards away. She seemed to be talking to someone below, probably at the bottom of a steep ledge or dune. Her back to him, all he could see was her long dark hair, and all he could hear was her voice. He froze in his silent approach... what were the chances that the first being he'd happen upon in the whole country would be her?

"Akemi?"

Not a second after his usually restrained voice called her name did she tumble down the hill. Panic exploded in his chest, his legs sending his body forward before his brain registered rational thought. But her decent was faster and, as he feared, she would hit the bottom before he reached her. A nagging part of his subconscious told him to be worried that, after all this time, she would stumble down a hill. Her, a kunoichi.

Amber eyes widened as he reached the edge as they cast their gaze downward. "Akemi-eh?" Shock and confusion settled about his features as the sight of Akemi kissing someone greeted him. The boy held her in his arms possessively, yet there was a certain amount of nervousness surrounding him. And his long-lost, and now found, fellow apprentice was, for Kazuma's point of view, allowing this stranger to kiss her.

"A-Akemi?"

Shock and confusion dissolved in a wave of (ir)rationality, which quickly gave into misplaced anger and aggression. Kazuma grinned for all the wrong reasons, the corner of his mouth twitching irritably. Killing intent, surprisingly potent, leaked into the air akin to a dense fog. His usually gentle eyes flickered with something unknown as he casually walked down the steep hill, chakra aiding him.

"And who... might you be?" he asked the boy politely (and with no small amount of underlying hostility).

[lol]

[Bendero]

(dun dun dun)

[||Yuuku||]

Bandero, please keep spam to a minimum. This is a verbal warning for spamming an IC thread with OOC comments. Dont do it again.

[Akemi]

((Thank you, Yuuku. No hard feelings, Bendero ^_^ Oh and super sorry for the late, crappy, rushed post, you guys ._.))

A-Akemi?

The latter pulled back from her kiss as spontaneously as she had delved into it; that voice, it was so familiar. She opened her emerald hues, staring utterly perplexed into Kon's, which were probably just as questioning. What brave, worthless peasant possessed the ordacity to interrupt such an intimacy? To betray a siren's work is to knowingly call upon death, and death's hot, unpredictable wrath was what surged through Akemi's fragile physique, clouding her mind and ensuring the awakening of her devil's temper.

But then she sensed it, as any shinobi could; a fiery bloodlust similar to her own, thickening the air with a putrid odor. With inhuman speed, she twisted out of Kon's arms, and stood with her back to him protectively, her dainty fingers closing into tight fists as she looked upon whoever had interrupted them. This was the unworthy servant, the undeserving cockroach-- wait, was that...

"Onii-san!" A grin graced the healer's sinning lips, and pure happiness fueled her feet as she ran full speed towards Kazuma, her long lost brother. Well, it was a figurative thing. Despite the primal hostility fourishing within his catlike, amber hues, Akemi took full charge of them, looking the man straight in the eyes. "Onii-san!" she exclaimed once more, launching herself into his arms, wrapping her legs around his mid section. Burying her face into his neck, she cried, "Onii-san, I can't believe you're here! How did you get--" But then her ears pricked tentatively at the sound of the poison that coated his words, her excitement meeting an untimely demise.

And who might... you be?

The girl realized that he was directing his words at her new friend. Taking on her proper role, Akemi hopped down from her brother, standing in the way of any hostile advances from either male. "Oh, well..." the girl started to say, a scarlet blush heating her cheeks as she realized the reason for Kazuma's animosity. "This is Kon." She gestured towards the beautiful creature, a her lips sprouting skyward; she simply couldn't help but to smile when she looked at him. "And Kon," she said, gesturing back to her old friend.

"This is my brother, Kazuma."

[Kazuma]

Seeing that this was going nowhere, Kazuma closed his eyes and sighed. This wasn't exactly what he was expecting. "Whatever. Do what you will." he muttered, turn his back to them. In a flicker his was gone.

[Exit]