Chapter One: The Monarch of Solitude (P/NK, David)

Eren Destler sat in his room, and waited to be set free. Where he’d go, he could only hope, here at his family’s mansion. The noise of the riots were pervading his personal hell, sneaking in through vents and cracked windows of other rooms. His room didn’t have any windows- well, it did, but it was covered with iron bars and a thick curtain. He was the shame of his family- born with the face of a terrible monster. That was why mother dearest made him wear his mask. Unconsciously, his left hand reached up to touch the half mask on the right side of his face. It was smooth and crafted so that what lay beneath would seem like it was of ordinary proportions. Bang. Bang. Bang. The riot grew louder with each passing moment. It was almost at his family’s house-

Realization struck him like a bolt of lightning, changing his posture from slouched to firmly upright. This could be her chance to escape! She walked forward, black cloak wrapped firmly around her, and placed a pale, bony hand on the doorknob. She twisted hard as she could, but nothing happened. Damn it! It locked from the outside. She stepped back and kicked the door. It shook in its foundations but didn’t budge. So she kicked it again. And again. Finally, it swung open. She took one final glance at her room- uncomfortable grey cot, single dresser, stained carpet, completely void of personal belongings- before she wondered why she had done so in the first place. She walked out the room, and suddenly her leather boots were on a patterned tile floor. They clicked softly as she made her way down the hallway. She passed many a door and entryway. Eventually, she came to a spiral staircase, which led downwards to the first floor. But next to it lay one more locked room with a heavier door. She had been there once before- it was where her family kept their money. One picked lock later, and she was 500 ryo richer. She quickly descended down the stairs, her cloak swirling in the breeze left by the speed of her departure. But when her feet touched the bottom of the stairs, she realized she wasn’t alone. Her mother stood before her, standing proud and with straight posture. She wore a green dress of the finest fabrics, which seemed to glitter in the light, her brown hair was done up by many servants and shone. She looked well rested, the result of only sleeping in the finest of beds. Her fists clenched.

“Eren,” she spoke regally. Her head raised, meeting her in the eyes, though they lingered on her half mask. “Go back to your room.” Her body found itself turning already, facing the stairway from the sheer authority from which she spoke. Resisting, she turned back and reached her right hand up to touch the edge of her mask. Her mother flinched. Was she really that afraid that she was about to remove it? She slid the mask above her face until it rested on her forehead, and her mother fumed. “Put your mask back on and go to your room! No dinner for a week!” She shook her head defiantly.

“I do not believe you understand, mother dearest. I refuse.” And in that moment, she saw her mother phase through the five stages of grief. The sanctity of denial. The ferocity of anger. The hopefulness of bargaining. The hopelessness of depression, and finally… Acceptance. She shot forwards and grabbed her by the shoulder. Her manicured nails dug into her clothes and even further into her skin. Her other hand slapped her across the face and yanked her mask back down, the edges slicing into her nose and cheek. Eren shot backwards, pulling her mother off balance, and punched her in the jaw. The sound of impact echoed throughout the room, and all was silent for a moment. Then, she raised her fist and punched her again. A swift hook kick to the back of the knees had her mother on the ground, and a stomping kick to her mother’s stomach had her effectively defeated. “I will not longer be the shame of the family, locked up away from the rest of the world. I do hope you understand. One day, perhaps, you will learn to fear my name. Know this- I will come for you. I will find you.” she raised her hands, twisting her fingers into a seal and then pointing her index finger at her mother’s face. Casting the Ephemeral genjutsu, her mother was dropped into a world of pitch blackness. She yelped indignantly, and she smirked. “And I will hunt you down like the dog you are.”

She turned away without looking back and fled. She burst through the heavy front door and continued sprinting. Wading her way through angry crowds, much too loud and big for her taste, she made her way to the woods. Woods thickened to forest and forest thickened to jungle until she found her way out of her home country. She closed her eyes, and when he opened them, he continued walking down the road of the black market. He was a criminal now, so he might as well embrace the life. A couple of stalls lined the streets, and clay buildings loomed behind them. He tensed and untensed his shoulders. Looking around, he eyed the area for a good place to spend the night. Eventually, he came to a semi abandoned building and knocked once. Not hearing an answer, he opened the door slowly and eyed the inside. It seemed dark enough that no-one would see him, and sketchy enough that no one would bother him. That made it a perfect temporary hideaway. Stepping inside, his footsteps clicked on the rock floor. That would be very uncomfortable to sleep on… He took a single loaf of bread out of a hidden pocket and took a bite. Then, he wrapped it up and placed it back. Here, it would be wise to hide and preserve his food for as long as possible. After all, you never knew with the black market.


[WC: 1031
Total WC: 1031

Training: Ephemeral]

As it so happened, purely by coincidence of course, Kohei happened to be asleep in the very same building that Eren was approaching. He had picked this place because it was run down, and looked unused. The lack of activity meant that he would likely have greater warning if someone were to approach. Sadly, he had not had a good sleep in a long time, being on the run and doing odd jobs in the middle of the night tends to do that to a guy.

He rested, snoring gently, his body reclining on a lightly angled piece of the stone floor, his head resting on a folded coat.

Suddenly, rapidly approaching footsteps reverberated through the building, coming ever closer....

His eyes shot open. So much for the good night's sleep. Well, at least he had a better location for defense, a single doorway on the ground floor meant that he was better able to fight opponents, one at a time. If he could defend the doorway.

Of course, the footsteps approaching were barely outside the door already, no time to climb out the window on the second story. A shame he had not examined it before going to sleep. Unusually short sighted of him. He looked around, still unarmed despite all his time outside Tengakure. As the footsteps rapidly approached the door, he would fade into the shadows in one of the far corners of the room, his coat held loosely in one hand. It could serve as a blind of sorts, if necessary.

A person wearing a green dress, black cloak, and boots walked in, pausing to take a nibble from a loaf of bread.

Well.

If the enemies of Tengakure had finally cornered him, this was a truly odd way to go about things. They tended towards over the top antics, not individual people needing a little meat on their bones.

He still needed to know who she was before he could relax though. Unfortunately, the evening twilight meant that he was still slightly discernible, a mostly shapeless mass within the shadows of a far corner.

"If this is an attack, it seems rather poorly planned. Normally assassins are a bit burlier, and don't have time for supper. What brings you here? Hopefully you aren't going to purchase this place, because then I might have to leave. I would rather not have any trouble right now...."

Kohei tried to stealthily creep towards the person, after speaking. If she turned out to be trouble, then he would have to react accordingly.

"If this is an attack, it seems rather poorly planned. Normally assassins are a bit burlier, and don't have time for supper. What brings you here? Hopefully you aren't going to purchase this place, because then I might have to leave. I would rather not have any trouble right now...." A voice in the dark spoke. He tilted his head, drawing his black cloak closer over his black clothes. He reached out a single hand, index finger pointed out. He turned around in a circle slowly, attempting to identify the source of the voice.

"An attack?" he responded, amused. "Oh dear." He identified an irregular shape in the shadows, and made sure his hand was visible just in case it was the stranger. If it was, he would cast Ephemeral, and use it to cut off his potential foe's sense of sight. If not... Well. He would be in trouble. "No, I am a simple traveler seeking refuge from the elements." At this, he would slowly and quietly take a few steps to the left. "Perhaps you could stop right there in your tracks and I'll stop in mine. Then we could come to an agreement." If Kohei stopped moving closer, the genjutsu would cease, and vice versa.

"Now, how about we talk. I need a place to stay for the night, and I daresay you could use some company as a deterrent to thieves and other dangers that might lurk in the shadows." Here he would hold out his left arm to the side and give a sly smile, and perhaps a bow if Kohei were not still in a genjutsu. "What do you say?"

[WC: 276
Total WC: 1307

Training: Ephemeral]

Odd, that the recipient of Kohei's message pointed. What for, Kohei couldn't tell yet. At first he could just see that the other figure covered herself more tightly with the cloak, while extending her arm. It was only when she was not pointing at him that the sunlight remaining in the day bounced in sufficient quantities off of her finger for him to see....

Or, at least, it did.

Suddenly, his vision was a sea of black, as if someone had cut out the lights or extinguished the sun. This had to be a jutsu of some kind, or someone had performed a very unnecessary prank involving heavy black cloth and the entrance to the building. His best guess, from his time hanging around ninjas before, was that it was a ninjutsu or a genjutsu, though how and what he could not determine. Besides, he had not learned yet how to break genjutsu.

Strange that the last thing he observed was her finger, though. He would have to investigate that, either from her as the source, or in books. The latter would be tremendously inconvenient though, and as much as he was involved in village affairs previously, he was not a good interrogator. He tried. It was mostly too annoying.Victims tended to not give out useful information, and honestly, this one did not seem like she would last very long if he did use what he knew, her nonchalance notwithstanding.

Speaking of her calm, it seemed she was not here to fight. If she could discern his body properly, she would notice it relaxing as she spoke.

"Alright."

He would maintain his eventual distance then. Assuming everything else went as planned, his vision would clear. It would be pretty obvious that she had moved to the left, a bit away from him. So, the shadows had done a bad job of disguising his location, apparently. That's what he got for rushing things, and not being alert.

"Damn, its been a long time since I was in the same room as another person for more than a few minutes...." If Eren could see Kohei's face, it would be obvious he was briefly remembering prior events, not all pleasant.

"Well, if you aren't going to make trouble for me, then I don't particularly care if you stay here or not, not my shack, anyway. What brings you to these parts? Safety in numbers certainly helps, provided there is a common goal. "

He avoided asking about her health just yet, that could seem impolite. Besides, it did not seem to negatively affect her, yet. Given that he had not heard any undue sounds yet, it would seem that she had used some sort of jutsu on him. Probably not a prank, then.

"Oh?" If it was a long time since he was last in the same room as someone, he must have either been a hermit or a runaway. Judging by personality, the stranger didn't quite seem like a hermit... "Of course I will not cause you any trouble. Who do you take me for?" after being asked where he came from, though, Eren grew silent. His hands dropped to his sides, deep in thought. Slowly, a hand reached up and traced the edges of his mask. "Oh... It's a long story, one I am not inclined to share." Releasing the jutsu, he dropped down to his knees and sat on the floor. "Perhaps another time..."

Silence reigned on his end for a little bit before he spoke up. "Tell me... From where do you hail? I do not believe I heard your name." Asked Eren, musical voice ringing with curiosity. A chill wind blew through the building, and he observed his surroundings. His eyes were adjusting to the dark, and he could make out a hardwood floor, clay walls, and a few pieces of furniture covered in cloth that were pushed up against the wall. His posture changed and something seemed to shift, and when she opened her eyes she spoke once more. "I'm Eren, a humble songstress and composer. Would you like to hear a song?" If he said yes, she would continue onwards.

"Swaying and being swayed,
A lone wind cuts through
Dancing across the dawn sky
Where I think of you
In the heavens on high
Lost in the clouds
Where angels lie." Her angelic voice echoed throughout the room, reverberating on the walls and the high ceiling. If Kohei refused to listen, though, she would merely nod and close her eyes.

[WC: 294
Total WC: 1601

Training: Ephemeral]

"Sorry. Never hurts to be a little careful."

She seemed slightly annoyed at the thought that she could be a trouble maker. The mask wasn't coming off any time soon. For what specific reason, he didn't need to know yet.

Hail.

Funny that she should mention ice, but that was probably unintentional. Heck, to even the closest observer, Kohei did not look much like a Yuki clan member. Probably because he had not actually worked with Ice before.

Probably it meant nothing.

"Me? Kohei Yuki. Former Tengakure aide."

He half grumbled and half grunted. "Declared a MN for doing my job, and I still haven't figured out why the village was destroyed. Feh. Not that it matters."

His face was overcome briefly with a scowl, before reverting to his usual... frown. Just his normal expression, sadly, but the facial expression shift should be noticeable, even in the poor lighting.

She offered to sing a song.

He shrugged.

"Do as you want."

Did her attitude change? Hard to tell, so far. Either way, it mattered little to him.

He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. Sitting in a meditative position, he began to concentrate, listening carefully for noises, both from outside and in. He began consolidating his chakra, gathering it, and kneading it within his stomach.

"Don't mind me. I do this stuff often before I sleep."

Pulling out a canteen from within his jacket pocket - that must have been the hard lump he was resting on - he began to drag moisture out of the air, gathering it into the canteen. At first, he had been intending to start training a water technique he knew of, but heck, there were more practical uses for this kind of thing.

Slowly, the canteen would fill. If Eren had begun singing, it would finish filling a few long seconds after she finished, the sound forming a mellow white noise.

Well, most of it was filled, anyway. It never hurt to be polite.

Angling the canteen in her direction, he spoke. "Want a drink?"

If she was amenable, he would pass her the canteen, then sit down in a meditative position, palms up, legs crossed, index and thumbs touching, eyes closed, all of that. He would begin reaching out into the air again, this time grabbing water and rolling it into a small pin shape, expanding it as time passed, holding it together tightly until it formed the shape of a needle.

When he had finished, he let out a long breath. "Whooooooooo...."

The needle promptly transformed into a little puddle. RIP needle. Fortunately, this was intended. Baby steps at first, you know.

Fascinating... So he was a criminal for merely doing his job? She made a mental note to research this later. She crossed her legs and collapsed inwardly to a meditative state. Overall, Kohei Yuki seemed nice enough. She decided she could trust him, at least a little bit. She recalled her old room. The cheapest furniture in a household that could afford gardeners and servants, always being locked in her room... She suspected that the servants weren't allowed anywhere near her room, either. Eren Destler was really and truly the shame of her family. She shook herself and focused on her chakra reserves. She needed only the finest control to master genjutsu, and that was what she intended to have. She raised and lowered her levels rhythmically and in waves, to the point where faint glows could be seen around her hands. The catalyst for the Ephemeral jutsu. But her mind kept thinking back towards her old life, the one she had left behind. Hatred seeped fire into her veins, boiling up to a fever pitch. Only one ending would have her happy, and that was to make her family suffer. Her left hand, still coated with chakra, reached up to touch the edges of her mask, which stuck to her hand. She disabled the flow suddenly so it wouldn't come off. Damn them to hell... Which was incidentally where she'd end up if she continued along her current path.

"I am going to retire for the night. I do hope you sleep well." she spoke softly, and walked to a covered chair which she curled up on. She closed her eyes and quickly fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of hope, despair, and revenge.

[WC: 285
Total WC: 1886
Training: Ephemeral]

(Exit... Sort of? Unless David wakes me up for some reason. :P)
(Claiming 9 stat points and 1886 words to Ephemeral, the link of which is in the first post)

Well, seemed like her thirst had already been quenched for the night.

He took a swig, gulping about half of it down, then closed up the top with the cap.

A companionable silence ensued, in which Kohei the cranky began consolidating more moisture from the atmosphere. She seemed to be focusing on something - he wasn't aware of the gender fluidity after all, just a slightly surprising change in demeanor and attitude. Well, maybe she was bipolar or something. Not that it mattered much to him. Just as long as she didn't try to kill him.

Which she didn't seem to be. So he chilled out.

He had been consolidating the moisture into another needle shape. While forming it, he noticed the mask seemed to bother her more. Which was unfortunate. The mask was sort of cool in a weird way.

The needle being formed to about the size of a senbon, he poked at the floor with it.

Apparently, he was going to pass up the road to riches. If he put some dye in this needle, he could sell it and its brethren as wasteless paint brushes. Because the tip of the needle started drifting from his control as soon as it touched the surface of the floor.

Crap.

Obviously, he had to put more mental effort into this. But lazy. But, needed this training anyway.

Ok, fine.

He withdrew the water needle, while at the same time, reattaching the water he had lost to the end, reforming the broken tip of the same water needle. He tossed it into the air, feeling its weight, making sure to not let it splash into a little puddle.

It stayed intact, for the most part. Which was good. Because the next thing he did, was throw it at a wall. Hard.

Not towards Eren, though. He didn't want to give her the wrong idea.

Rather, it was towards the back of the room, in a relatively well lit area. The needle was soon visible, partially buried in the wall, quivering from the force. Or because he was having trouble holding it together, but he wasn't saying anything about that now, was he? Stubborn pride, and all.

He released the water needle, noticing that Eren now appeared to be trying to sleep.

Well, it would be polite to not make too much noise, at this time. He separated the needle into two separate entities, and then let them both dissolve into a puddle of water.

Time for a nap. After he lent her his coat, of course. She had less meat on her bones, than some dogs he had found.

(exit)

(only counting wc from the last two posts - 438+440 = 878 words towards http://naruto-role-play-rpg.forumotion.com/t23792-one-thousand-needles-of-death

claiming +4 stats)

Approved x 2.