Shattering of Rose Colored Glasses [P, Kenshin]

Mon May 11, 2020 11:27 pm

Beep...Beep...Beep..Beep.BeepBeepBeep

The high pitched noise was erratic as it tracked the unconscious Mizuki’s heart rate - a clear sheen of sweat could be seen covering her forehead and her entire body was clammy to the touch - it had been over 24 hours since Mizuki had been scooped up off the ground by Kenshin’s clone resembling the face she knew best, Stark. Her memory was to be regarded as hazy at best given the amount of blood she had lost and her subsequent loss of consciousness as she was carried to the bed she now laid in. The monitors continued to beep with frantic rhythm but the form of Mizuki refused to stir to even twitch a finger in response to the horrors going on in her subconscious mind.

She was in perfect physical health actually, had been even before she had crossed the threshold into the hospital - yet she refused to wake. The images in her mind were distorted and wicked; severed heads of everyone she had dared to care about lined up in front of her like a display of her own powerlessness. The perpetrator in these nightmares was blank faced but undeniably HIM - in honesty if she was able to take herself out of her own head and analyze what she was experiencing objectively she wouldn’t have such a strong reaction… but this was different - she had been stripped of her identity.

Her body could only take so much stress, no matter how disciplined a mind was, there is only so much it will tolerate before the rush of adrenaline jolted Mizuki back into her too-still body. Eyes fluttered open in surprise as her face flushed with sudden color - weak but it was there - pushing herself tenderly up into a more upright position she looked around the room with fearful eyes before halting on the form that was passed out just to her left in the only other piece of furniture in the room. Her near fully crimson eyes widened as her mind struggled to make sense of the memories that were flooding back to her with alarming sharpness.

With slightly trembling hands she moved herself to the furthest edge of the bed she could, the sun rays of later afternoon filtering in through the lone window to streak across her face - only then highlighting the remaining traces of lilac surrounding her overly dilated pupils. They raked it’s inhuman form - much too long to sit comfortably in the chair, though it was slumped in an uncomfortable position - long tendrils of silver hair that covered most of its face and pooled around the legs of the chair, utterly white its skin covered in faded white scars…. Her shallow breath caught in her throat as two and two came together in her scrambled mind. The tremble that had taken over ceased and she now found herself getting closer to the figure.. To the true form of the only person she trusted anymore. As steady as a surgeon she reached her hand out to his face to push aside some of the hair that was covering his still face and tracing a feather light fingertip over the most pronounced scar that ran from the base of his neck across his face.

What she had thought was a sick twisted end to her encounter - an enormous monster demolishing the building that had almost been her tomb - but that wasn’t just a figment of her imagination it was… The Monster - the very one she had set out to meet had finally shown itself… and for her.
What a waste.

With this realization a dark fog seemed to roll in over Mizuki’s eyes, dampening her world to pure apathy - and as she sat back on her heels her eyes dropped down to her body and a final spike of emotion stabbed through her chest with a finality - only now did the tears fall silent and hot onto the bed… she was covered in scars, her body becoming a permanent reminder of her greatest failure.

[WC 673]

Mon May 25, 2020 1:41 am

If he was being truthful Kenshin wasn’t even sure exactly how much time had passed since he had passed out by Mizuki’s bedside, but when he awoke for the first time he felt quite… numb, and that numbness only got greater when he realised that she was still passed out from the ordeal she had gone through. Kutari… his closest ally and greatest friend… he had watched as the man tortured and mutilated Mizuki… the woman that he cared for more than perhaps anyone else, more than he had Genevieve back in Hoshigakure and perhaps even more than he did Akihana… to say that he had been feeling murderous was an underplaying what he had been feeling by a significant margin. It had taken every bit of his self control to stop him from tearing the man to pieces the second that he had dared to lay a finger upon what was his… but at the end of the day he had allowed the man to leave unchallenged, as he knew that Kutari did not act without reason… he knew that the man was still a steadfast ally and was still his friend… but most of all he knew that the man had done no lethal damage.

Logic or no… if Mizuki had died that night The Ragdoll would have killed Kutari without a second's hesitation… he would have unleashed his full power upon The Wraith and obliterated every trace of his existence from this world, his future plans be damned. And once he had done that… he would have spat in the face of death for a second time and returned Mizuki to the land of the living. It was amusing really, he had gone much further than this with Alice and Kenshin had simply watched with a small smirk on his face… and Alice was more powerful than Mizuki… So why would Kutari suspect that she was anymore important? Heh… at the end of the day… he knew that this situation was solely his fault. He had allowed Kutari to do whatever he wished, and truthfully he still didn’t TRULY regret that… The Wraith was his ally, not his subordinate… he was his own man, not a dog for The Reaper to order around… but he should have made it clear that he would prefer his allies to be left out of his cross-hairs.

But that wasn’t the only fault of The Ragdoll in this scenario and he knew it… he knew full well that he has also failed in preparing Mizuki for the future, he had failed in helping her develop both physically and mentally enough to truly handle the threats that came with the path she had chosen to walk… but no more. The Monster had not been completely idle during his time within Sunagakure, since she had reignited his spark… The Village itself was established and now he truly did have the time to dedicate to truly draw out that potential that he knew she possessed. He was no longer going to be taking it easy on her, he would be using all of the knowledge that he had gathered about her to push her above and beyond every limit she possessed every single day… all because he loved her. She may resent him for it at first, even he knew that… and there was every possibility that she may truly come to hate him… but he would bear that hatred and that heartache if it meant that she lived… he would sacrifice anything, including the relationship that they had now… if it meant that she would survive whatever the future may hold.

His mind was working at a million miles per minute, so much so that he had completely lost track of time and was even more oblivious to how much of it was passing as he simply remained seated to the left of Mizuki, his head lightly resting upon her bed as his silver eyes stared blankly at the sheets, his hair acting like curtains and keeping the rest of the room from bothering him. His chakra alone was more than enough to keep the two of them from being disturbed, as even the most green of sensors would feel the rage and hatred within the already foul energy. He missed the erratic beeping of the EKG as she awoke, along with the shifting of the bed as she moved away and then began to approach again… but he was pulled out of his thoughts when pale fingers parted his hair and lightly traced the scar of his face. There was only one person who would do such a thing… only one person that would be so unafraid of The Monster that they would willingly touch him in such a gentle and caring way… and she was the reason that he was here in the first place.

His dull silver eyes would gaze up at her blankly for a few seconds before he blinked, realisation of what he was seeing slowly dawning upon his hazy mind and returning life to his dull eyes, a smile slowly starting to spread across his face as he sat up and truly faced the figure of his chosen. That smile would quickly be replaced with a small frown and a glare as she began to cry silently… and within a few moments The Reaper would have stood from his chair, sat down upon her bed, and pulled her into his chest… his arms wrapped around her in a gentle and soft embrace. His desire to kill Kutari was rearing its head again, and the voices screaming for vengeance within him would have been deafening if he hadn’t learned how to block them out… emotions truly were fickle and illogical things, but they were no longer something that he feared, and it was all thanks to the woman crying and trembling within his arms. She had been the one that healed him… and now it was his turn to heal her.

"I'm here now Mizuki... you're safe."

WC: 1009

Sun Jun 14, 2020 4:44 pm

Arms encircled her small frame - the silent sobs of her recent disfigurement making her shoulders shake - the only indication something was wrong since she had yet to make any noise otherwise. Not just arms, trying to give her mared soul solace, but Kenshins arms granting her unprecedented comfort. The weight of his form pressed down the mattress beside her as she was brought against his chest, the streams of tears flowed with ease from the violent crimson pools - hands clenched into tight fists in her lap she did not return the embrace but instead closed her eyes and hid her face from the world.

Safe… what an idea, what a childish notion to think she was safe anywhere but in his presence… a porcelain doll formed to look like a warrior with all the same fragility. How quickly she had crumbled under the slightest bit of pressure - the cockiness she had gained from being in the protective custody of Kenshin had only done more harm for her invincible view she had of herself. No… not invincible more.. Untouchable, and that untouchability only lasted as long as he had interest in her, riding the instability of emotions. The line of thought was flying through her mind, the constant pressure and reassurance twisting with malicious intent - something was definitely off in the mind of Mizuki Ohta, something deep in her psyche had been reached and mangled in the encounter with the Wraith. Her life remained intact but what was left of Mizuki… the shifting of her perspective - thinking as herself or commenting as an observer - it was a reeling experience.

Enough.

Her form would instantly fall still under his hands and she would draw back just enough to allow her face to lean up at stare into his - her black mane of hair resembling ruffled feathers and her eyes filled with a new shadow that hadn’t been there before dimming the fire he knew her to have.Her stare looked hollow now, gone was the inferno that danced behind the crimson ring, now replaced by an arctic apathy - even as the remnants of her tears hung on the ends of her lashes and the tracks they made still lined her cheeks, she locked her emotions away and resolved herself to the only path she saw ahead of her now. Pulling back from his embrace she would look him in his eyes with grim reality saturating her own and whisper, “This will never happen again. No more leisure time. I came here to hone my abilities and I believe that time is now.” her voice was devoid of emotion and had an air of finality.

WC 442
TWC 1115

Fri Jul 03, 2020 9:01 am

The Reaper, of course, noticed immediately when the womans hands remained in her lap, his eyes flickering down for just a moment to confirm, before closing as he took note of them clenched harshly within her lap. He could feel the tumultuous emotions within her chakra, the energy extremely chaotic and unpredictable, almost like an ocean amid a storm… and truly, he could not blame her… she had believed herself to be safe within his village, and this… this had happened. He could not blame her for the sheer turbulence that she was feeling right now, and he suspected that from here on out things would certainly be changing… not simply from his efforts, but also from her own. The Ragdoll knew full well how the mind of the woman he was cradling to carefully worked… he knew that she would see this not as a sign of his failure, but as a sign of her own failure and weakness… and he knew that she would attempt to change herself based on this, likely try to conform to the beliefs that Kutari had no doubt attempted to drill into her head. But he would be damned if he allowed The Wraith to corrupt his chosen like that… the man was his ally certainly, but that didn’t mean that the two of them shared the same world-view or even the same end goals.

Kenshin would resist the urge to sigh as he felt the woman become almost eerily still… he knew from the stable beeping of the EKG that she was perfectly fine and conscious, but that in turn meant that she had come to terms with what had happened… and based on the almost dead still chakra of hers… she had made her decision. When she began to pull away The Ragdoll would not resist, and despite knowing just what to expect the completely frozen look in her eyes… that dead look, told him all he needed to know, and it took all of his self control to not snarl in unbridled rage… this was ALL HIS FAULT. Her chilling words were said with a tone he had never heard from her before, completely devoid of any and all emotion, a final statement from someone whom had given up their convictions… someone who had consigned themselves to the fate that she had avoided. Despite the words themselves being what he wanted to hear… that tone, that voice… was something that would haunt him for the rest of his days… for it was something that he recognised from himself in the past… it was how he knew that defeated gaze so well.

“You are correct… this will NEVER happen again… I will not allow it to happen a second time. I have been idle for too long, focussed too much upon building this village instead of building you and those that have chosen to follow me… and that is my mistake. The training that we have done together will be nothing compared to what you will be about to experience… I will push your body to its limits each day… I will not lie to you and say this is going to be anything other than torturous… I am going to train you until you collapse, heal you, then force you to train more. Your body will likely break, and I will heal it, and you will continue… and perhaps you may even grow to hate me because of it, but if nothing else I can promise you this Mizuki… I will break you, and then heal you… until NOBODY can break you again.” The Monster would state with an emotionless tone of his own, his grey eyes as hard as steel and his gaze unflinching as he stared into her frigid eyes.

"This is my promise to you Mizuki..."

WC: 639

Wed Jul 15, 2020 2:22 pm

The hardened gaze of Mizuki did not falter from his, she listened with a set jaw and an unbending determination - he was taking the exact stance she had hoped he would and it was finally time he stopped shielding her, and he finally knew it. Taking a deep breath she would close her eyes as she took in every declaration he made about what was to come - surely pain… so much pain - but this pain is all for her benefit. In a controlled manner he was going to break her down and build her stronger than she had ever been.. Then maybe even him in time.

Until no one can break me again… Her imagination conjured an image of herself walking through a bloodied battlefield, bodies strewn around her feet with not a single scratch on her. Is that what she wanted? Is that what she… needed.. needed to feel safe in her own skin again? Perhaps it was and if Kenshin was being honest; as he undoubtedly was being, then she would get that security again. Maybe she would use it to protect those who were as fragile as she was now… perhaps if she was able to do so her siblings wouldn’t have- Her teeth clenched as she eradicated that thought from her mind again, an obvious spike in the EKG machine being the only indication something had broken through the frigid exterior she surrounded herself in.

Twisting her body to face the edge of the bed she would tentatively place her bare feet on the floor, testing the balls of her feet with some of her weight before rising from the bed - her long black hair flowing from the bed until it hung untamed down her back. Still having not verbally acknowledged his words she moved around the room to the dresser that was placed in the adjacent corner, her scarred hands sliding over the smooth wood in an almost daze before gripping the handle and sliding the drawer open and rummaging around inside. There was an assortment of clothes, probably from previous patients so the selection wasn’t too bad but as soon as she felt the slick silk slide over her fingers she knew it was it - a full length black kimono with flowing sleeves and a black bamboo leaf pattern; she also grabbed some black gauze before shutting the drawer. Still facing away from him she slid out of the clothes she was still wearing from the incident - now full of holes - and allowed it to drop to the floor. She slid the kimono over her frame - luckily fitting her perfectly - and tied it under her bust before turning to look at him again, gauze in hand.

Her gaze found his again as she began to wrap her hands and wrists in the black gauze to further hide and of the scarring from view, only then would she speak again, “It seems we were both in the wrong. I had become so complacent that I had forgotten what I was truly here for and why. The Wraith was a wake up call… a painful one but a necessary one. It’s time to make good on this promise Kenshin, for both our sake.”

WC 537
TWC 1652

Sat Jul 25, 2020 11:15 am

Kenshin would watch silently as the woman slowly and carefully stood up on her own and made her way towards the dresser that he had placed within the room, he hadn’t helped her stand or guided her as she walked as he knew she was more than strong enough to do it on her own… and prideful enough to take such assistance as an insult. The Reaper would not bother to divert his eyes as she stripped herself down, knowing full well that she had chosen to change within his view because she didn’t mind him looking… he wouldn’t leer, but he would still allow his eyes to slowly scan over her form, starting near her ankles and rising until it focussed on the back of her hair. Heh, even in this state Mizuki was testing his resolve, teasing him and testing his limits… good, it seemed that this little incident hadn’t changed who she was, simply put a healthy dose of caution in her… at least that was what he had to tell himself, there had to be SOME positives from this, and if he didn’t focus on those he would not be able to stop himself from travelling to the Wraiths domain.

As his eyes had scanned over her toned form he had taken note of each and every one of the light scars that now covered her body. Truthfully… he usually found scars beautiful, and while the same still applied here… these were more haunting than anything, as it simply reminded him of seeing the woman he cared about so deeply lying in a pool of her own blood within the village's old library… forgotten and discarded as though she were trash. He had to say… she looked quite good in that kimono, just as he had suspected she would… and truth be told he was not surprised that it was what she had chosen… it fit her very well and it served the main purpose he knew she would want… cover as much skin as possible and hide those scars. As she closed the kimono he would stand and begin to make his way over to her, taking a simple black sash that he had purchased rather than an obi and wrapping it around her, just beneath her bust and tying it very simply behind her back. An Obi, and the traditional ways they were tied, was simply far too cumbersome for a shinobi to wear outside of very specific types of missions.

“Indeed… I was too focussed on building the village instead of building those that were allied with me, as I had foolishly believed that you and the others would be safe within these walls until I could truly focus on you… what a fool I was. Amaterasu, my apprentice, attacked in the streets and left in a coma… Kai, my right hand man, fell ill and is also in a coma… and now you, my most precious ally… attacked and left near death by the man that I had considered to be my closest friend and most valuable ally… No more.” The Ragdoll would state in a truly serious tone, his silver eyes focussed solely on hers and his face possessing none of the cordiality that she would be used to… none of the humour, none of the laxness… only a truly serious visage, with steely eyes and a very minute frown.

But the time for talk was over

Now… is the time for action.

WC: 582

[Exit]

TWC: 2230

Will make claims later

Thu Jul 30, 2020 10:13 pm

Exit Claims
1562 total words for 30 AP

123 towards finishing V7 Water Release: Water Cutting Sword previous word count from The Sneaky Cat 1000/1000
1439 towards Extra Advanced Element 1439/2000

Thu Jul 30, 2020 11:35 pm

Approved of Kenshin's Exit (separate post for claims when you're ready, you know the drill)

Approved of Mizuki's claims.

Wed Nov 18, 2020 9:27 am

*Sigh*

Yet another thread I complete forgot to make claims for...

2230 words towards skipping 1 month of Rinnegan wait time, 6542 words remaining (other 1228 words trained here)