RPG: The Six Wizards

[choki]

Ouki gave Damien a long, sad look. Then she took a deep breath, smiled slightly at him, and turned her back. She walked to her bedroom, entered the room, and shut the door.

Buta, who was standing on the sideline the entire time, then walked towards Damien.
"If you want to pick a fight, don't do it in front of the ladies," said Buta in a serious tone, but all reverted back to usual nature when his stomach started growling.
"Boy oh boy, let's go for another round of drink. This time, on my tab!" said Buta as he dragged the reluctant Damien out of the house.

[FawkesthePhoenix]

****

Yuta and her friend were sitting outside a shabily wrought building at twilight. This was it. They were going to do it.
"Come on," her friend muttered, getting to his feet. "It's time."
Yuta stood up, noticing as she did so a slight rustle to her left. What was that? But there was no time to investigate, they were leaving. The muggles from which they were stealing. They filed out, one by one, until it seemed that none were left, that the building was empty. But Yuta knew better. More were sure to be still within. But she and her friend advanced all the same, stealthily slipping through the door and into the depths of the muggle hideaway.
Soon they were in the chamber of their destination; muggle security devices were dreadfully simple to get past.
"Here it is, Yutie baby, just like I said it'd be." the man gestured to a black dagger lying on a marble alter. He picked it up. The effect was immediate; muggles brandishing various weaponry with ease, ready to defend their prize to the death; Yuta's friend had be thwarted by the simplest of pressure pads. Yuta took out her wand, and began to duel.
Tens, maybe hundreds fell dead to her hand, some still clutching the triggers on their guns, but more always came. Yuta had lost sight of her friend, and her morale was slowly sinking as more and more muggles grouped around her, screaming filth and profanity that echoed up through the rafters.
And then came a different sort of cry, a different sort of spells, and all the muggles around her fell dead. Yuta could see all the way around the room again. But she didn't like what she saw. Her friend had been killed, trying to run with the dagger and leaving her to her fate. Yuta's eyes narrowed. He didn't love her, probably never had, had died trying to save his own skin while she was slowly doomed. Yuta felt the cold, hard fist of betrayal punch into her gut. She doubeld over with the pain, almost fell, until the newly-met wizard walked forward and held her up.
Yuta turned to the wizard who had saved her. "Thank you." she said, cautious and distrusting. The wizard smiled.
"You are very welcome." he said eloquently. "And you are....?" he asked, obviously expecting her to insert her name.
"Beneath your notice." Yuta said snidely, and turned to leave. He grabbed her arm, preventing her departure.
"If you had been, do you think I would've risked my butt to save you?"
Yuta pursed her lips and glared defiantly at the man.
"Yuta Tanuki. You?"
"Me? Why, I am Chi Inu."
"Pleasure."
"The pleasure is all mine."
In due time, Yuta became a part of Inu's regular company.

But she didn't trust him. Not now, not ever. She had trusted her dead friend, and look where it had got her! No one could be trusted. And so no one was. Ever. Yuta had learned her lesson on letting herself depend on someone, and would never do it again. Yutie baby, was she? Well, not anymore.

*******

Yuta came out of her memories only when Inu stalked past her following his and Damien's fight. It was a pact Inu wanted, was it? Well, he would have to find someone else to do it.
"Fool me once," she muttered, turning to follow him and give him a piece of her mind, "Shame on you." She heard Inu's door slam. "Fool me twice," she walked up and knocked raptly three times, "Shame on me." Not this time.

[salemboy]

Damien's anger slowly wore away as his muscles reverted back to normal. Now that the potion had worn off, his entire body felt like jello. Fighting Inu probably wasn't one of his brighter ideas.

But Damien wouldn't simply stand there as he was put under control. The last thing he wanted was for somebody else to control him. Not only that, but Damien didn't like it when people abused his friends. Inu's treatment of Ouki... was unjust. Damien wasn't sure why, but he felt especially protective of her. It wasn't because he loved her... no, he thought of her as a good friend.

"But what about when you kissed her?" he thought to himself.

"I was caught in the moment, that's all," he replied to himself.

"Yeah, that's why you're suddenly so protective of her. Why aren't you that kind to Yuta?" He couldn't think of an answer.

So, he conceded, "So I like her. After tonight, she probably won't talk to me. So then why am I so protective of her, if there's no chance between us?"

"Quit being so thick, moron!" his other side said angrily. "Just because you scared her tonight doesn't make her dislike you. You just need to set it straight. Try to win her back. I'm sure that she can't be 'that' angry with you."

Damien shook his head, and said, "I don't know." When he looked up, he saw Buta staring at him. Then he realized that he had said everything out loud on accident.

[Ms. Elsewhere]

Ouki walked picked up a woollen sweater (jumper) and pulled it over her head. She walked across her room, opened her bedside drawer and pulled out a package of cigarettes. She took one out and placed it between her lips. She put the package back in the drawer and pulled out a lighter that was the shape of the Eifel Tower. Pocketing the lighter, and checking that her wand was in the other pocket, she lifted the shade on her window and climbed out into the street.
She leaned against the wall, lit up and breathed deeply. She let out the smoke slowly, spiralling it by flicking her tongue. She let the rest of her breath out in a long sigh. The street was oddly quiet for... she checked her watch. Eleven thirty-three at night. But then she heard voices coming out of the alley.

"So you like her.... " it was Damien's voice. Ouki listened to every word. She smiled, and laughed quietly to herself. Buta and Damien emmerged from the alley, but they didn't see her right away. Damien's back was to Ouki, and Buta was staring at Damien like he had gone half mad. Ouki caught Buta's eye, and winked.

"Hey Damien! Talking to yourself again?" Ouki chimed. Damien turned around defensively.
"Whoa!" Ouki held her cigarette in the air. "I've had enough fighting for tonight. Where are you guys off to? I could use a drink. Those pain killers you gave me are wearing off." Ouki folded her arms across her chest, waiting for the boys to reply.

[salemboy]

Damien nervously ran his hands through his hair. "Ummmm." He couldn't believe he'd said that stuff out loud, and that Ouki'd been standing there. "I don't know where we're going. Buta just dragged me out." He felt the sweat secrete from his body. Since when had he been this nervous? Or maybe it was just embarrassment. Probably the latter. "I don't think I'll be drinking anything alcholic. I don't do well drunk, unlike you two."

[Ms. Elsewhere]

"Since when are you the moral fibre of this group??" Ouki gave Damien a playful punch on the arm, to which Damien actually winced. "Oh... Sorry. You are going to be so bruised.. for a long time." Ouki said. "You should stay off that potion, though. That stuff will strip years off your life. It's one thing for Inu to take it; his body can handle it. But a human body, not so good." Ouki looked Damien over, flicking at his torn clothing. "Look at us! Super tall.." she pointed to Buta, "Missing teeth..." she pointed to her own face, "and clothes shredded like you had a fight with a meat mincer. What a sight we are. What place is going to let us in?"

[salemboy]

"Yeah," Damien said. "You're probably right. That potion has some pretty painful aftereffects. Not only that, but it doesn't actually protect me, it just kills the pain and gives me an adrenaline rush at the same time it modifies my body. Afterwards, my body just deteriorates."

He did look down. His clothes were torn to shreds. A fight with a meat mincer fit perfectly. "I can change my clothes. But before I do, we need to think of something to do." Looking around, something caught his eye. A poster on a wall, advertising Bram Stoker's Dracula. "Hey, how about we three go see that Dracula movie. I know a real good theater. It's really nice."

"Wait," Buta said playfully. "There's a place you like that Inu hasn't demolished?"

Damien laughed. "Amazingly. There are a few places Inu doesn't know I go to. Mainly because this one is down in Fukuoka. Oh, but you two aren't allowed to tell the others, nor are you allowed to kill anybody while there. I like this place."

[Ms. Elsewhere]

"I'll get ready. But we need to organise Neko into her room first. Come on." Ouki went back inside with Buta and Damien on her heels. They quietly entered the kitchen, and when they saw that Inu had not immerged from his room, Buta lifted Neko up into his arms and carried her to her room. She looked like a child in a very deep and comfortable sleep. Ouki pulled off Neko's shoes and clothes while Buta and Damien went to their own rooms to get ready. Ouki managed to get a nightshirt onto Neko before laying her back down in her bed. The deep cuts were already healed, but white scars were still painted across her lovely stomach. Ouki walked out of the room, turned off the light and closed the door.

In her room, Ouki pulled out some clothes from her closet. The white shirt from before fell onto the floor. She smiled. She pulled off her clothes and pulled on a short black skirt and the white skirt. She reached under the bed and yanked out two long, leather boots, which she put on and laced up to her knees. Her hair was a terrible mess. She frowned in the mirror. It hung in waves down her back and over her shoulder, with deep blue streaks around her face. She redid her makeup, and then checked her mouth. Her teeth were there!
"Wow..." she said, her mouth full of her fingers, pressing at each tooth, confirming they were solid enough. She reached across the bed and grabbed her handbag and a long black jacket. She loaded her cigarettes, Paris Lighter, Lipstick, ID card, and breath mints into the handbag. She grabbed her bottle of perfume and sprayed her neck and wrists. Then she put on the long black jacket, and transfered her wand to her right sleeve, because she was left handed and it was easy to reach.
"Just in case." she told herself.
Ouki went out into the kitchen and saw it was very quiet. She paused for a moment. Where was Yuta? She decided not to worry, and shrugged as she turned to walk out the door. Time to do a bit of housekeeping. Inu just upset their whole little 'family', and it was up to Ouki to be the mediator and clear the air. Or at least help them move on from it.
Ouki stepped out of the front door as she riffled through her bag for a mint. She pulled on out and pushed it into her mouth, her finger still between her lips when she stopped dead in her tracks in shock; Damien was waiting at the bottom of the steps, and he looked... well... beautiful! Ouki pulled her finger away from her lips and stood up as quietly as she could. He had not noticed her yet, so she admired Damien a moment longer. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a white shirt with thi blue stripes. One button was undone near the top. Over top of the shirt he wore a black sweater, and on his feet were black dress shoes. He looked so attractive. His hair was combed and styled, and he had shaved. He had a cut above his right eye and his cheek was starting to bruise, but otherwise he didn't look like he'd been in a fight with a werewolf at all. Ouki chuckled to herself. At that moment, Damien looked up at her.
She smiled as their eyes connected, and then she walked right up to him, reached up to touch the cut above his eye. "You're going to need stiches for this." she fussed. Damien took her hand and pulled it to his chest, drawing her inches closer to him.
"I'll be fine." he said, his voice was a bit rough, and he looked into her eyes again. A long moment passed. Ouki was a little breathless. "You look.... really nice. No blood on that shirt tonight, I promise." Damien let his eyes fall onto Ouki's shirt and linger for a moment, before returning to her face. Then they both jumped as Buta wolf whistled from the hideaway. "Woo woo!!! All dressed up and we're going to the movies! And Dracula too! " Buta put on his best dracula voice "Ah, good efening... fang you so much for being my dinner... I mean for COMING to dinner, haw haw haw.." and he put his arm across his face like he had a cape. Ouki laughed.
"You sound like the count on Sesame street! Hahaha!!!" Ouki chuckled.
"Ah yes.. but does the count do thees to preetee ladies?" and Buta grabbed Ouki, dipped her and rubbed his face into her neck like he was a vampire. Ouki laughed because it tickled.

Ouki stepped out the front door of the hideaway as she riffled through her bag for a breathmint.

[salemboy]

Damien looked out at the mountains. In the last order of events, his heartrate had tripled. Ouki was beautiful. Everything about her, her eyes, her face, her hair. Damien couldn't believe he was so lucky, that a woman this beautiful would fall for him.

He continued looking out at the mountains. He knew the sun would rise soon. They'd have to kill a bit of time before the theater opened. But he didn't want to kill time anywhere near the hideout or a city. Hmmm, then an idea came to him. "Hey, guys. If we hurry, we could make it for the movie marathon. Three movies in a row, and it starts at midnight. We've still got some left, though. I know a great place we can kill time. Wanna go?"

[No, it's not a tree.]

[Ms. Elsewhere]

Inu was leaning against the window sill looking out into the alley. His breathing was deep and even. He was still furious. Yuta had entered the room as impossibly quietly as she always did; trully she was gifted for that. He voice broke the silence.
"You of all people should know this is not the way to do things." Yuta said boldly. Inu allowed it, given their history.
"I am not the same as that fool you ran with." he scoffed. "I know where it's true potential lies. He wanted it so he could control only you. I want it because it could give us one mind that could be a force that is unstoppable." He turned around to face Yuta. He remembered how he had saved her those years ago. How he had hand selected her and her partner to join him. How foolish the boy had been. Now he feared that Yuta would never trust anyone again. He had hoped he could bring them both into the group because from what he saw, they were in love. But the fool left Yuta for dead to save himself, and died horribly. Inu's eyes narrowed as he traced the hidden hurt behind Yuta's face. "Is it so wrong to want to protect each of you? You are the only family I have. No one, not even I, wants to be alone." He stood before Yuta now, completely vulnerable. He felt like he had reached a crossroad. In one way, he was going to leave them all and start again. He would find five others if it took him the rest of his life. And he would be stronger with them; he would kill them if they didn't agree to be bound. He realize now that these five were the last people he would ever let himself get attached to emotionally. Next time, it would be for fear and power, and not for the love of it. At the other he would plead with each of them, playing each of their games so that they consented to taking the pact. He knew that he didn't need their permission, though. Only an opportunity. That, was an option he also considered.

[FawkesthePhoenix]

Yuta knew that Inu was trying to placate her, to stifle her doubts. But she'd fallen for that once already. Never again, she'd told herself. And she didn't like to lie.
"Protect us? Is that what you want to do? You've got a funny way of showing it. I'm sure Ouki appreciates you protecting her from having teeth."
"That's a different matter." Inu replied.
"Hard to tell the difference if we have 'one mind'." Yuta's eyes narrowed. "Unstoppable, would we be? Nothing can stop us? You know the thing about unstoppable, its that nothing can stop it from falling just as easily as ascending into power." Yuta looked into Inu's eyes. "It's true that no one wants to be alone. But a bond forged of mistrust isn't the way. I'd rather be lonely by myself than feel emotionally lost in a crowd of this family, as you call it."

[Ms. Elsewhere]

Inu sighed. He had hit Ouki only to set an example. He had also been very upset that Neko had not been found. He was furious with himself, with his temper and for that fact that because he cared so much, it made him weak.
"I... I will appologise to Ouki. " he said quietly. "Perhaps you are right. It is too early. And it is for all the wrong reasons. I should know better." he stood up and walked over to his bookshelf, which was busy with books about history and war. "People have made these mistakes before, pushing people into devotion, only to be left alone in the end, defeated and alone. It is not loyalty, it is only fear." Inu clenched his fists. He wanted so much to bully them into the pact. But his heart was too soft for them. He glanced over at the window. 'Leave.' a voice pleaded within him. 'Leave or you will be trapped here forever.' Inu paused for a long moment. Then he turned to Yuta.
"So what is it for us all now? Will we run together, or will we go our seperate ways?"

[FawkesthePhoenix]

Yuta stepped closer, looking up into his eyes, holding him in her gaze.
"I will stay with you." she said, her voice level and intense. "You saved my life, and I don't like being indebted to you, or anyone." And then her face went darker, scarier, her eyes narrowing dangerously. Yuta grabbed the front of Inu's shirt and pulled his face closer to hers, her voice so low that only they could hear it. "But I will not be owned. I stay out of choice, not of guilt nor by force, and I will not hesitate to leave if I feel threatened. You'll not bully be into staying. I am not afraid of you, Chi." Yuta went on cooly, loosening her grip only slightly. "You may hold my loyalty, but my trust is much harder to earn, tested as it was by time and circumstance. But once you have it, you'll find it invaluable. And easy to lose. Keep that in mind as you peruse the venues of your ideas. Ask youself not only whether you can get my trust, but also whether you really want it."

[Ms. Elsewhere]

Inu was pleasantly surprised at Yuta's strength. He smiled to himself, savouring the moment. He was catching a glimse of the girl he had first recruited, one that was strong and full of fire. He even closed his eyes and breathed deeply just to imprint the moment to his strongest sense. As he did, his lips and nostils went oddly numb. He brought his hands up to his lips, rubbing them with his fingers and licking his fingers. His eyes flew open and he grabbed Yuta's hands.
"May I?" he said. He let go of her left hand and investigated her right. He pressed it smooth against his large palm and rubbed his fingers along her fingers until he reached her long nails. He brought them up to his face and smelled them. Then he animated her hand and ran her sharp nails along his own hand, causing a small scratch that started to bleed.
"Arg!" he spat, and fell to the floor, his hand suddenly agonising. He gripped his wrist and closed his eyes, feeling the poison trying to enter his system. It was hot seeping down his arm. He continued to grip his hand. He looked up at Yuta. "The...poison.... " he stuttered. He felt his stomach start to turn. And he remembered the blood in the eyes of the cultists and the vomit and death and horror he had left behind when he had rescued Neko. Poison. "Was it... it was you....? " And even as he realised what that meant, he was doubling over; his body was not rapidly healing like it was supposed to. He had to conciously fight to keep the poison away from his heart, where it would send it to every part of his body. He doubled over, fighting the nausea. 'This can't be happening!' he thought. He moaned. "Yuta, make it stop! Help me....... p... pleas........" and Inu cursed as he fell to the floor and started convulsing, the poison taking his nervous system, but his heart and blood were not yet conquered.

***********************************************
(I am piloting Ouki, so I'm going to write for her now.)

Ouki considered Damien's suggestion with curiousity. "Where do you want to go?" she asked Damien, a little suspiciously. "I feel like loosing myself in a few blood and gore movies. Is this place somewhere I can get food? Cause I'm hungry again." she turned and winked at Buta, who knodded approvingly.

[FawkesthePhoenix]

Yuta leaned over, at ease though her friend was dieing. "You'll tell no one." she warned him. "Not a soul. Do you understand me?"
Inu nodded, then tried to speak.
"Quiet." Yuta instructed him, and he fell silent. "There will be time later." She straightened up and raised her wand. A streak of purest silver shot from her wand, permeating into Inu's body.
"A spell of my own invention," Yuta murmured, bending down again to examine Inu, "As was the poison. Even Damien falls short of it." she smiled. "Speaking of which, I should think you'll be needing some painkillers and energy restoration." Yuta straightened up. "Damien!" she called out into the hallway.