「ᴛᴀᴋᴀᴍᴀɢᴀʜᴀʀᴀ」- the path of cherry blossoms

[Mu]

// OOC // INTEREST CHECK // DISCORD
​

「TAKAMAGAHARA」
THE PATH OF CHERRY BLOSSOMS

The land of Takamagahara has always been populated with numerous youkai, sealed away from the prying eyes of humans. The beautiful, picturesque land has been closed off by a ring of cherry blossom trees, all ever in bloom and unyielding to weather and damage, for a long time. Only youkai may pass through the trees without harm, humans would find themselves unable to take even one step into the perimeter.

It's another lovely spring. the sky is a bright blue, dotted with lazy clouds. The youkai are dancing, and the cherry blossoms are... not blooming? For some odd reason, despite it being the season where the barrier would be at its strongest, the trees that have stood against time are slowly starting to die, but for what reason?

Somewhere, hidden away in the darkness, a mysterious youkai who had long since disappeared from Takamagahara reappears to do what many thought to be the impossible. Sealed underground in the Old Underworld is the great youkai Yamata-no-orochi, its body as big as a mountain and necks as long as the widest tree trunks, it was defeated long ago by the gods and sentenced to eternal repentance. With power like that, surely, the boundary could easily shatter if such a monster were to so much as to just touch it. The world beyond the barrier, the human world, remains blissfully ignorant of the rising chaos inside this secretive world.

* Expectations Cast GM NPCs Locations

• 
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• 1. To follow all of Iwaku's rules and policies, and also to treat all other players with respect. If you have any issues with each other, please sort it out through PMs or message me about it.
  
  2. That you are a INTERMEDIATE to ADVANCED writer. I would prefer a paragraph at the minimum, but quality over quantity. Nevertheless, everyone likes someone who puts in effort into their writing.
  
  3. That you post AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. I myself am a senior student, so I understand if life gets in the way of things. If you cannot meet this, please leave a note in the OOC or send me a message if you need a bit of an extension.
  
  4. That you will contribute to worldbuilding and plot development. I love it when people throw their own ideas into the pot, it makes the story more interesting. If worldbuilding is not your thing, I would appreciate it if you could be a participant in discussing the plot
  
  5. Take the initiative. There will be no posting order, so please feel free to communicate and collaborate with each other if you would like to branch off or create a subplot.
  
  6. No SMUT. Violence, gore and all that bloody goodness is alright here, no sexual content allowed. Romance is fine.
• Karasu (Yatagarasu) - @DoomyCakez
  Botan (Houou) - @Sailor Moon
  Eisei Ruru (Tsukumogami) - @Eruantien
  Eisei Ahru (Tsukumogami) - @Luma
  Norikai Kanayama (Xian) - @Sen
  Miyuki (Tsurara-onna) - @Tarieles
  Katsuma (Kitsune) - @Dante
  Koizumi (Ao Aodon) - @Aka~Kitsune
  Yun (Okuri Okami) - @SaberWolf
  Arakashi (Kodama) - @xLarius
  Kaori Furuda (Kirin) - @Rose305
  Ryuu Furuda (Uwabami) - @Rose305
  Nobuhiko Zaizen (Bakekujira) - @TheOdy23
  Shion (Kejoro) - @Aka~Kitsune
  Masahiro (Hyakume) - @Tarieles
  He Ping (Kirin) - @DoomyCakez
  Aku no Keshin (Tatarigami) - @MadKingJai™
  Yato (Gyokutou) - @Akashi
  Kiyoto Aizawa (Reiki) - @TheOdy23
  Fumiko (Gyokutou) - @xLarius
  Domyoji Kurota (Gashadokuro) - @Crow
  Lady Rokujou no Miyasundokoro (Shiryou) - @Katori
  Kagura / Mana (Maneki-neko / Nekomata) - @Akashi
  Shingetsu (Kitsune) - @Gladis
  
• Shuten-doji - Mysterious youkai who had disappeared from Takamagahara many, many years ago, only to return now with the deadly goal to unseal the barrier.
  
  Yamata-no-Orochi (Ryu) - A legendary and malicious youkai sealed away from the Yamas of the Underworld when it was slain by the god Susano-o.
  

  ---

  Doggugo (Inugami) - A inugami who is unable to take on the form of a human. He loves money above all else, and is known as the banker of Takamagahara. No matter who you are allied with, or what your motives are (even if you're a criminal), Doggugo will guard your money with his life. He also has human money on hand for exchanges.
• 
  
  
  
  Beyond the Boundary (境界を越えて) - cherry blossom forest perimeter surrounding Takamagahara on all sides in a circle.
  
  Ama-no-uki Hashi (天浮橋) - a long road reaching from the west of the border to Sakuraboshi, named after the bridge that was said to be the connector between earth and the Shinto heaven.
  
  Sakuraboshi (桜房市) - "sakura cluster city", the central location where youkai live and thrive together. It is known as the location of Miya's entertainment hub - Oodoburu (大都振る), and is a hotspot for big youkai festivals and events.
  
  • Ping's Shop (和平の店) - He Ping's special shop is located down a little path surrounded by trees just east of Sakuraboshi. His home is nearby.
  • Kuraokami's Temple (闇龗神社) - a temple located up a small hill east of Sakuraboshi, is home to many youkai priestesses who worship the god of rain and snow. It is perpeptually cold there.
  • Koizumi's House - located a small walk south-west of Sakuraboshi.
  • Dancing Lotus (舞蓮) - tea shop and theatre. Owned by Botan.
  • Doggugo's Store (ドッグゴの店) - The most loyal banker and money exchanger you'll ever meet.
  
  Okanyama (王冠山) - northern mountain ranges.
  
  • Akatsunoshi (赤ツノ市) - the home of oni-kind on the western peak. Is on top of running lava, has plenty of forges in which they make their signature iron clubs.
  • Tenchishi (天地市) - the home of the tengu on the eastern peak. It is a place full of natural hot springs, which the tengu are very proud of.
  • Gajettomēkā (ガジェットメカ) - technology reclamation and home of the Eisei twins. Found under Tenchishi on a cliff face.
    
  • Okanyama Shrine (王冠山神社) - the home of the mountain deity of Okanyama. It sits on the very top of the middle peak and should not be disturbed.
  • Norikai's Hut - home of Norikai the hermit. Found on the central peak of Okanyama, below the shrine near the middle of the ascent.
  
  The Whispering Woods (囁く森) - a big forest surrounding the base of Okanyama.
  
  • Kodama Tree (木霊の木) - a large tree that is the home of Arakashi's kodama friends. Protected and surrounded by magical charms. Although unique, surprisingly does not stand out in the forest.
  • Arakashi's Home - nicknamed 'A Leap Away', sits alone on the south-western border of the woods.
  • Fukuda Household - sits on the north-eastern outskirts of the woods
  
  Ryugukawa (龍宮川) - eastern river that seperates the east from the rest of Takamagahara.
  
  • Palace of the Dragon King (龍宮城) - found at the bottom of Ryugukawa.
  • Kicho (貴著村) - a small underwater village near the top of the river, is popular for youkai who like to swim. There are a few businesses on top to trade with.
  • Botan's House - a mansion surrounded by a beautiful garden on the east side of the northern lip of the lake.
  
  The Cursed Forest (呪われ森) - Although the Cursed Forest only accounts for the center area of the forest, it is collectively named so. A home for malicious and chaotic youkai.
  
  • Garden of Venus (ヴィーナスの庭) - a ring of maneating but beautiful looking plants that surround the more 'peaceful' outer perimeter of the forest. The only safe spot is by entering from the forest's east.
  • Fist of Fear, Touch of Death (恐怖の拳, 死の接触) - Aku's dojo, located at the heart of the Cursed Forest. Teaches martial arts and a special style of hand to hand combat known as the 'Death Touch'.
  
  Hayasaka Hill (早坂) - A hill found on the east of Takamagahara across Ryugukawa. It is completely surrounded by gravestones and acts as a burial place for youkai and humans.
  
  • Hayasakabochi (早坂墓地) - The Hayasaka Cemetery.
  • Hayasakamura (早坂村) - A village set on top of Hayasaka Hill and is home to many undead youkai.
  
  Rinkorashi (鈴湖らしい) - A huge field full of bright green valleys and meadows. It is home to a rural community and vibrant flora and fauna, as well as fresh water lakes and waterfalls.
  
  Shinkuro (芯畔) - a large upscale town, home to wealthy people, birthplace of entertainment and trend setting town. The highlight of this town is a well known inn and bathhouse, and is also the tallest building in the town.
  
  Kinmokusei (金木犀村) - southern village mostly populated by humans.
  
  Hyogo (標業) - a village home to the Mochizuki clan of the Gyokutou. Found in between Sakuraboshi and Kinmokusei.
  
  Abandoned Hell (旧地獄)- the old location of Hell, has been mostly emptied of its residents.

Allegiance and Factions Basics Unsealers The Moon

• The following are the allegiance and factions of Tamakagahara. This is a work in progress, more will be added as the plot progresses.
• Youkai are separated into three main clans or types. In general, they get along well and do not have problems with each other. These are:
  
  • The Daichi - all youkai that live on land. This includes animals that have grown old and developed mystical powers. This also includes the departed. All souls, ghosts and inanimate objects that have gained life belong in this clan, and are considered Daichi because of their ties to the earth.
  • The Oafu - the 'oarfish', a name used for all sea-dweller youkai or those who originate from the sea, considered to be messengers of the Dragon God. May or may not be true.
  • The Kyuten - the youkai of the wind. Any youkai that may fly can be classified as a Kyuten. Mostly populated by tengu.
  
  From this point onward they are sorted into clans by species. Tengu are part of the tengu clan. Oni are part of the oni clan. And within those clans, they may be smaller clans that are similar to families.
• An allegiance. Includes youkai who are for the unsealing for their own personal reasons. There is no de facto leader, although Shuten-doji was believed to be the instigator and formed the idea and the belief that the seal could be undone in the first place. There may be a race to see who is the one who free Orochi first, and infighting among youkai who are for the unsealing.
• A faction and also allegiance. Populated with gyokutou and Tsukihito (moon people), it is sacred and 'holy' place where mortal emotions are discouraged, and where this purity must be maintained. Those who inhabit it were descendants of the Jade Rabbit and the moon goddess Chang'e. As the Jade Rabbit was her subject, it is the Tsukihito who are considered royalty on the moon, though there are few of them.
  
  One of the largest gyokutou clans is the Mochizuki, who have since relocated to Takamagahara.

IT IS CURRENTLY MORNING.

 

[Akashi]

KAGURA​

It was bright in the morning, and the maneki-nekomata was ready and prepared for the day ahead. Walking down the streets of Sakuraboshi, the atmosphere around her was amazingly great. A soft but good feeling in her heart appeared from what she had seen so far. The happiness around her, the kids playing on the streets.

All she could do was smile to the people passing by. Greet them with a simple nod. Kagura was a hostess at the Dancing Lotus, working for its owner, named Botan. She liked it there, and had been working there for a century, give or take.On her way to her destination, she could see two kids in tattered clothes.

They were hiding behind a basket, gazing at a stall that had some warm food being prepped. She could see that the poor kids were hungry and had to resort to stealing in order to survive. Having stopped in her tracks, all she could do for a few moments was to glance back and forth between the food stall and the kids. 'You're going to help them, aren't you.' Rudely at that, a voice in her head spoke up.

It was none other than Mana, the nekomata inside her. "Mhm." Kagura was not swayed by Mana's words, before she eventually made it to the food stall. Standing there, she looked at the poor kids, tilting her head slightly to the side with an added smile. The kids were slightly startled, knowing they might've been caught before their attempt at stealing.

Seconds later, there was a bag with some dumplings in them. It smelled good, and they were freshly baked. Approaching the kids, she crouched down to their level. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." She began, hoping to re-assure them that she meant no ill-will towards them.

Obviously, one of the kids were standing before the other. She could see that they were both siblings if anything. The little boy was protecting his sister. "I brought you both some food." Extending the bag in her hand, she was hoping they would take it. The boy was hesitating, but eventually caved in, quickly taking the bag for themselves. "Arigato, Nee-chan." The little girl behind the boy spoke up.

"Mhm." Kagura cheerfully smiled, before she stood up. "Eat up while they're warm. That's when they taste the best." She added, before patting the little boy who was less guarded this time around. 'Are you done?' Mana interrupted, speaking to Kagura.

'Yes.. Now I am.' Kagura's kind expression did not change. She was much more at ease. "Keep protecting your little sister, alright?"

Turning around, Kagura left, and continued her way down to the Dancing Lotus. Time passed, and she was already inside. A wet cloth was in her hand. She was wiping down the dust from the tables inside.

Kagura had yet to see Yun, but knew she'd see her sooner rather than later. Moments later, Botan was inside, but so was Ahru. With her uplifting attitude as ever, she brought something with her. Even if the maneki-nekomata clearly noticed her, she decided not to interrupt. Continuing to clean the table before her, she was quickly called upon by Botan. "Hm?" She curiously wondered what it was.

The shiny object Ahru had brought with her was on a table next to Botan. Kagura approached her, and just like Botan, she was too, curious about the thing before them. Botan already started to fiddle with it, whereas she on the other hand, shifted her attention towards the tech girl.

"Ru-chan. What is this? A present?" Kagura also assumed, like Botan, that it was something for the latter. Looking at the device once more, someone else had appeared in the shop.

"Ee..." Kagura became slightly defensive. Or rather, she was somewhat shy. Being a hostess, it was quite ironic. "Karasu-san." There was something about the man in the mask that kept her guarded. Him and his shenanigans. It did not take long before he wanted the spotlight on him.

Taking the device away from Botan, she could only stand there and watch. "It's-- It's from Ru-chan." Her voice was slightly timid. Maybe guys like Karasu didn't sit well with her. However, this was not his first visit.

||| Location: The Dancing Lotus ||| Mentions: Karasu, Botan, Ahru, Yun ||| Interactions: Ahru, Botan, Karasu ||| Tagged: @DoomyCakez @Sailor Moon @Luma @SaberWolf ​

 

[junebug]

Arakashi and Miya

Location: 'A Leap Away', The Whispering Woods
Mention: Aku @MadKingJai™, Kyouko @Gladis
Kaori @Rose305, Ruru & Ahru @Eruantien & @Luma
A collab between @xLarius and @Katori ​

Arakashi was currently in the main room of 'A Leap Away' with Miya. The traditional wooden door was open, allowing a scenic view of his large garden. His 'land of greenery' had a wide variety of plants which contained a massive sakura tree in the middle with smaller flowers seeming to revolve around it. The 'path' seemed to have been naturally made to separate each of the different species.

The scent of lilacs flowed in the air, a small breeze assisting in the delivery of the fragrance. The wind chimes placed outside rang a delicate tune, the design had a kitten sitting on top of a violet tree. Along with the wind chime, he had also brought out his favorite tea set that had a lazy cat imprinted on the cups and a matching teapot which had the moon painted with pastel colored stars surrounding the moon.

The tree-spirit had a strange attachment to the idea of cats and such. Maybe it was their association to the moon which made them enticing. Arakashi rubbed his eyes, his head seeming to pound. Having the moon on his mind made him think of his lack of sleep. His dreams were taking over the hours of sleep he wanted, he hadn't been waking up as early as he used to.

"Arakashi, you were kind to allow me time to stop and rest."

He gave her a slight smile, "It was my pleasure, I didn't think you'd be up so soon though. Of course, the flowers were nagging me about getting rid of a weed that had 'trespassed' on their land." He commented before straightening his back, as a strand of white unruly hair tickled his cheek. His voice was soft, although it was burdened by the lack of energy put into each word.

Miya folded her kimono underneath her knees as she kneeled forward into the soft cushion. Her red eyes gazed at the young forest spirit, tone clear and pleasant. "How has your fan painting been? Grand, I hope. One of my ladies were wondering where I got my most recent one." She snapped open her fan and showed off Arakashi's intricacy, a golden wonder with the red leaves of a maple and cherry tree stretched across the folds. Miya wore a wide smile, proud and confident. "Kyouko says it's a new one almost every single day."

"I'm glad you like them, although with all fans you purchase I'd expect that you have an absence of space in your home. In terms of how the production of my next batch of fans is going, I'm moving much more slowly than I'd like." He frowned staring out into his garden, his gaze which had unfocused caused his sight to become slightly blurry. He returned his attention back to Miya as his frown soon reverted to a smile. "Speaking of your ladies, how have they been doing recently? Any rude customers? I'd be surprised if there weren't any."

She fanned herself and glanced out at the garden and chuckled. "They're doing well. We've had some rude customers, but Aku got rid of them quickly." The cool water glistened over the rocks and provided a strong sense of harmony in Arakashi's home. Miya set her fan down at her side. She wrapped her small hand around the ceramic cup and used her left fingers to help balance the cup as she tilted it back and let the slight bitterness of the green tea fall down her throat and gave a small sigh of content. She observed the Omoshiro and pink Azalea mature from a distance, entranced by the garden's ethereal beauty.

"Truly, this place makes me feel at peace with myself."

Arakashi chuckled, "That is what I had hoped the layout of my home would give. A loud home isn't very pleasant to return to. Which of the beauties do you favor the best? Perhaps you could help with my lack of inspiration." Miya's arrival provided a spark in his life being that he hadn't had company for a long time other than a fashionista seeming bunny. She couldn't sit still long enough to wait for the tea and dashed out. He still couldn't keep up with the younger youkai, such as Ruru and Ahru. Especially if the youth insisted on living life at top speed.

Miya turned back to Arakashi and her eyes met his own. She smiled.

"The Dogwood. It relays such a sense of renewal and rebirth. They remind me of stars."

"Is that so? Do you have a particular constellation that you favor? Or is it just the idea of the individual star that piques your interest?"

"Andromeda?" Miya laughed and pulled a stray hair away from her face. "Admittedly, I didn't pay much attention to astrology lectures. I always got bored and wanted to learn more about the world around me, not what was in the sky."

"That's fair." Arakashi remarked before closing his eyes. A sound perked his interest, because of the fact that he could hear the faint sound of a flute. "Ah, Miya you play the koto correct? Or am I mistaken?"

"Not at all. The koto is my lifeblood. I've been playing it since I was a young child. It seems someone else is quite skilled with their instrument though."

Miya stood up and glanced towards the direction of the flute and let her shoulders relax.

"Have you ever known something so beautiful?"

Arakashi shook his head before opening his eyes. "I have, but this is one of the top melodies on my list. Shall we go to visit? I suppose we're out of tea anyways." Arakashi remarked before standing up and brushing off stray tea leaves from his bright blue kimono.

"Out of tea?" She glanced down at her cup. It was empty. "I think that'd be a wonderful idea."

 

[Eru]

Eisei Ruru // 衛星 ルル​

---

---

LOCATION: Okanyama, Wayside Grove
MENTIONED: Norikai Kanayama (@Sen)

---

It was never good to linger too long in one place on the mountain, these days. Not now... and perhaps, not for a very long time. Some youkai said the danger was overstated; others, fearmongerers, continued to issue warnings about the anger of the other tribes, and the mountain deity itself.

Ruru despised them all.

She only wished to live in peace. Since being brought to life, every day of her five years in the youkai and human worlds had been a new and different adventure. Many times, things had turned out for the worse, and Ruru was left to wonder why fate looked unkindly upon them. Still, despite the odds, Ruru and Ahru had built a very nice life for themselves upon Okanyama. And yet, Ruru still wished for more. More safety; more security; more hope.

Could it be that such a fullness of her wishes would never come to pass?
Was this life not truly about the destination, but the journey?
Were these things normal to think about, or was she just a metal ball of angst and worry?

Lost in her thoughts, Ruru nearly flew into the side of a cliff before she realized her danger.
Quickly reversing in midair, she adjusted her direction, and rocketed the last few hundred meters to reach the boundary of her destination. Falling to the ground gently, Ruru walked quietly towards this lonely spot of greenery on Okanyama's ragged mountainside.

Nobody could ever explain, really, how such a place came to be. Ruru's own thoughts were that it had been blessed by the mountain deity, to bring life on a desolate place, and so it was a sacred spot. To that end, she was always sure to be respectful in the grove. She'd only visited the place a couple of times, and always felt some sort of watchful presence tingling at her nape.

As she entered the grove, passing between the branches of strangely vivid trees, Ruru couldn't help but shudder... there was something different about the place today. She closed her eyes as she walked forward slowly, trying to discern the changes in the air, the earth, and her own mind.

Maybe today, things would be set in motion that could not be undone.​

---

 

[Mu]

Norikai Kanayama | Location: Okanyama Middle Peak
​

As Norikai 'floated' towards the cause of the prickling sensation on the back of his neck, he watched as a small shadow that was once a speck grow larger and larger. It was still hard to tell who or what it was, but considering it was flying, the hermit assumed it must be a tengu from that side of the mountain. A little odd that a tengu would be so far out from their home, unless it was to pick a fight with the oni, but he could not sense any of those mountain-dwelling, club-wielding youkai either. The figure suddenly stopped over the cliff before turning another direction, lowering into the surrounding trees - going down to land - so Norikai followed suit.

What Ruru was feeling was not specific to her either. Norikai also felt that things had been very 'off' lately, as the 'modern folk' called it. It had been very peaceful lately even though he lived in the middle of what was considered a war zone. Why were both sides so quiet and for what reason? The trees remained undisturbed, the grass grew freely instead of being trampled by the oni, and the winds were smooth without being cut by the feathered strong wings of the tengu.

"Ah, it is just the sky machine girl." Ah yes, the sky machine, the strange machine that Ruru and her twin sister had been born from. A satellite, or the sky machine, which was the only thing Norikai could grasp about their previous life when they tried to explain it to him before. Why would mankind pollute the air with machinery? In fact, what was even beyond the skies, beyond the stars that glimmered in the sky every night? Sometimes, these curious things could evade even the mind of a Xian.

It would be rude if he had just turned away and left the girl, even if they were not necessarily friends. Norikai made sure never to bond too much with either side, in case he was accused of favoritism. He came in to stop fights and that was all, the tengu and the oni were no match when they were separated by the boundaries he created between them. It wouldn't hurt to stay a while, and see what she wanted with the little grove she was clearly heading towards.

"Eisei Ruru, a pleasure to see you out of your little technology shop," he greeted. Indeed, he found that place a little too... 'modern' for him. "Out for fresh air? I suggest not staying out too long, it has been far too peaceful around here and it is quite concerning."

@Eruantien​

 

[Saber]

Yun - The Dancing Lotus
@Sailor Moon @Luma @DoomyCakez @Akashi
​

When she had left the garden, Yun had gone to her room with the thought of going back to sleep, but after lying in her bed for about five minutes, she realized that that wasn't going to happen. The youkai sighed before sitting up and exiting her room once more. As she made her way downstairs, she heard Botan and Kagura speaking to someone, and then when she heard the word "puppy", she knew exactly who was there. Yun inhaled deeply before exhaling and finished descending the stairs, just in time to see the crow youkai, Karasu, holding something foreign over Botan's head.

Yun walked up quietly behind the crow and snatched the object that he was holding. "You just can't keep your hands off of anything shiny, can you?" Yun's eyebrow quirked as she examined the box carefully before looking down at Botan. "I hope you two didn't break what Ahru brought." She glanced at Karasu again and rolled her eyes. "Birds of a feather."

Ahru, who looked to be a child, always wanted to show Yun anything she'd find interesting, for some reason. She wasn't really sure why Ahru wanted to show Yun so many different things, but it was a bit intriguing at times. Though she didn't appreciate that she was called puppy. Even though Yun knew of the human world and had spent much of her earlier life there, she had never really experienced anything of the objects and artifacts that human's used to survive or entertain themselves.

"So what does this do, Ahru-chan?" Yun asked as she offered the object back to the short girl. "Can you show me?" Then she glanced around at the other three youkai that were crowded around. "Or I guess show us, since these ones are being so nosy." She then gave Ahru a more serious glare. "And please stop calling me puppy."

 

[TheOdy23]

[= Character: Kiyoto Aizawa, Location: Dancing Lotus, Mentions: Kagura @Akashi =]

"Isn't this place a little too public?" The man in green grinned at his younger companion. His new customer walked behind him as Aizawa walked inside with his boots clicking on the wooden floor.

"I like to think that the owners won't mind, good deals are made in good places my friend" His eye examined the small teahouse and sat in the left most corner from the squabbling group going over some sort of device that Kiyoto cared very little about, he motioned towards his new companion to sit with him.

Due to the group's little get together it seemed they ignored the Good Man, which sat well him as his "friend" sat down across from him.

"So, what is your payment?" The Stranger simply brought his hand to his chin, thoughtful to both the straightforwardness of the question and over what he could do with a meager servant. The younger yokai heard the rumors of a man in strange green apparel and approached him after Aizawa entered the city gates. Kiyoto would barely feint ignorance on the subject until his new customer would utter the words that amused to no end.

The boy needed to make sure his brother would be ready to travel into the cursed forest to obtain riches to get them out of debt with the Mochizuki clan and he would do anything to survive the journey. That is what amused Aizawa to no end. Most people who say they "would do anything" never understand the depths they would have to take.

"You've convinced me my boy, I only require that you spread the word to Hyogo before you go, that the Good Man is coming to town in a week's time" He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a red orb and a sack of gold coins, handing it to the boy who looked ecstatic.

"Tomorrow, you'll be able to buy the supplies you need, and this little bitty will give you strength to save yourself, I just need you to remember, if you ever get back to town you owe me one small favor, nothing to big can you do that?" He grinned wildly until it threatened to split his face as the boy nodded.

"Well then be off kiddo, you got yourself an adventure to start" His smile never faded as the kid nodded and ran off. The kid was running off to his death, his older brother was a servant of Hyogo and his position would be filled in by someone already deeply indebted to the man in green and he would have another piece of his long awaited game ready to be put into play.

His slightly laughed at his good deal and pulled out another small pouch of gold from his vest pocket, putting it on the table he then put his feet on the table and sat back comfortably.

"Pardon me, though I am a man of no importance, I would be ever grateful to getting black tea lemonade if you have it" He looked at the hostess and slightly tilted his head at her, she was hiding something dark, he could tell, it takes one to know one as it were and he grinned at that, his scarlet eyes looked as if he knew all the secrets before turning his head away waiting for service. Today was going to be fine day he could feel it.

 

[xLarius]

Fumiko
Road between Kinmokusei and Sakurabo-shi
​

She had been in a rush because after chasing after her brother for so long she'd finally caught wind of where he was! It was just a rumor and yet she still held hope. Her brother apparently lurked near 'The Dancing Lotus' or so she had been told. She had to be wary of most folks words, after chasing after many 'wild gooses' she had grown sick and tired of running in areas she had found before. She wasn't even sure if he had settled or if he was still traveling. She patted down her dress, tying her hair up into a bun with her lavender colored ribbon, fire seeming to burn in her eyes. Even though she was quite tired it wasn't anything a bit of tea couldn't fix. She was heading there anyways. After rubbing her eyes, she continued on. She stood up in an alert fashion, her hands curled up into fists,

"You'll find him today! I just know it!"

She said happily, she took out of her backpack a old painting of her family. It was a bit crinkled and had started to yellow at the tips of the paper. She frowned slightly, did he even look like this anymore? She let out a sigh it was of no use.. She quickly dismissed that thought as soon as it came. Yato was irresponsible but he wouldn't abandon her clan to ruin! She had to find him before the opening of the doors commenced though… Her father…. She looked up to the sky the sun shining brightly in the sky, she closed her eyes as the breeze passed her by, she placed one hand on her skirt, making sure it didn't fly upwards. She was wearing a fashionably acceptable messenger bag that had many 'cute' pins attached to it, although the pink color had started to fade away from the many miles that she had walked. Fumiko set the painting back into her bag as she leaped… Which wasn't very smart. Even for her. She had tried to land on her feet, but instead stumbled, underestimating how steep the hill was. Fumiko continued to roll down.

"Pfffbttt!"

She said, her eyes seeming to swirl as she finally landed, her stomach facing downwards as she flipped over, the world was spiralling.

"N-never again."

Fumiko continued to say as she frowned. She sat up, her eyes still adjusting while her ears flicked to-and-fro. She was getting out of shape. She needed to practice her leaping a bit more later. She wondered if her brother was relaxing and lazing around as usual. She took a deep breath before standing up and brushing herself off. Fumiko was currently on the road between Hyogo and Sakurabo-Shi. Or… That's what she thought…. She'd take a mochi break further up the road. Maybe she could visit… She scratched that idea. Fumiko had to hurry anyways in fear that her brother would move on. At least that was her thought until she saw a thicket of forest, it seemed unusually peaceful as a panicked smile came upon her face.

"Do I… Go through here or did I take a wrong turn somewhere….?"

She facepalmed, she had taken a left from Hyogo instead of a right! Fumiko let out a long sigh looking back to the road. It was probably too late at this point. Might as well head back to Hyogo before heading out to her next clue. She had him. Did she really want to go back only to be lectured by her father once again? She'd stay on the outskirts. She wondered if people thought she was a creeper the way she lurked sometimes. Although she didn't seem to camouflage with the rest of the city as much as she wanted. No matter what she'd get her brother to come back home! Although first she had to walk back to Hyogo. Fun. It was time for some more snooping for the determined female.​

 

[Eru]

Eisei Ruru // 衛星 ルル​

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LOCATION: Okanyama, Wayside Grove
MENTIONED: Norikai Kanayama (@Sen)

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As she began to make her way into the grove's center, Ruru suddenly stepped back and gasped, having heard a voice from behind. She turned around, a bit fearful at who it might be. Then, she caught sight of the red-horned mountain hermit.

"Norikai," Ruru breathed softly, with a hint of relief. From what she had seen and heard, the hermit was not particularly inclined to bear ill will toward anyone, apart from those causing conflict and distress. For the space of a few seconds, Ruru reached out in her mind once again. Norikai's presence felt different to her, but it was itself separate from the rest of the area. Shaking her head slightly, Ruru remembered her manners.

"Greetings to you as well, mountain hermit." Ruru made a little bow to Norikai, as he was her elder by many years. "Yes... I come here sometimes to look at the temple up above, and to feel the air as it rushes by. For some reason, this place calms me."

"You, too, are worried about the silence over Okanyama?" Ruru gave the hermit a curious look. "My sister doesn't seem to have great concern for it. She wishes I could enjoy all that Takamagahara has to offer. And, for her sake, I try to do that." She dragged her foot across the ground a little bit, scuffing at a small cluster of pebbles. "Oh, but are you doing well, Norikai Kanayama? It has indeed been some time since we last met."​

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[Luma]

Eisei Ahru

@Sailor Moon
@DoomyCakez
@Akashi
@SaberWolf
@Eruantien​

Ahru grinned as Botan showed clear signs of curiousity. Seeing as she trusted the bird lady, Ahru released her grip when asked and followed along to the nearby table as Botan fiddled with the box. She could, of course, explain it now, but the suspense and mystery were part of the appeal. So much so that Botan even called another familiar figure over.

"Oh, greetings to you too, Kitty-chan," Ahru called as Kagura approached. Ahru's expression turned a bit sour at the idea of it being a 'present' though. "I can't just give away my goodies, or baubles, erm...." she searched her mind for the right word, "oh, 'treasures,' for free. A swordmaiden needs to have some way of putting food on her table." Being spirits of a metal machine, neither of the Eisei sisters actually needed to eat, but Ahru tactfully left this fact out. She liked food.

"Ahru, show us how it works, please."

Ahru was about to step forward and explain, when the door slammed open, revealing.... oh gosh, not him. It was like every other time she came here he had to show up just after she did.

True to his nature, Karasu strode in and swiped the object right up to examine it. Pesky bird. Unfortunately for her, she failed to notice the soft click as Karasu pressed the leftmost button down, too focused on conversation. "It's another treasure from the human world. Obviously it is."

Finally, Yun showed up, and the treasure traded places once again. Grabbiest. People. Ever. Luckily, her puppy had enough tact to hand it back to her. Now that Ahru could finally see the top, she noticed the downed button, as well as the spinning film inside. Uh oh....

"Yipaaah~," Ahru made a happy, nonsensical blurting of joy.... except her mouth hadn't moved, and the sound wasn't coming from her. Instead, the noise had come from the device. "As the princess of the floral fairies, I bless you in the name o--"

Click~!

Ahru had snatched up the device and swiftly stopped the recording, causing it to automatically begin rewinding.

"That was.... my twin sister," Ahru excused, slowly calming down from the shock of the moment. Truthfully, Ahru had snuck the recorder into their room and taken the recording of her sister's sleep-talking a couple days ago cause Ahru had thought it funny. It was funny. Just not in a public place surrounded with people who didn't actually believe she had a twin sister. After all, no one here had actually seen the two together, and Ahru generally used the "My twin sister" excuse to evade embarrassing situations like this.

"Anyway," Ahru tried shoving attention away from the first example of the device, laying it down on the well-cleaned table and pressing the rightmost button, which stuck down. "By pressing this button here, the box begins to capture all of the sound near it. Then, when you press this one, it goes back in time and replays the sound again."

Ahru demonstrated this with a press of the play button. As she'd said, the sound of her voice replayed back a second time:
"By pressing this button here, the box begins to capture all of the sound near it. Then, when you press this one, it goes back in time and replays the sound again."

"It's great for taking notes, or remembering things people say. I thought Yummy could use it to catch people plotting evil schemes and stuff," Ahru stressed the new nickname to point out the fact that it wasn't Puppy. "But if you're all interested, I guess it would go to the highest bidder. Maybe we'll start.... around 10,000 yen?"

Ahru stepped back a few times to get a good view of the whole scene, her eyes relaying the image to her sister. At the same time, she mentally spoke to Ruru through their usual radio frequency.

Look at all the potential buyers. Good choice sis'! Also, you'd make a great fairy princess. Well, floral fairy princess. Anyway, how's your mountain spot? Oh, and is 10,000 yen too low to start bidding? I wasn't sure, so I'm starting kinda low.

 

[Saber]

Yun - The Dancing Lotus --> Whispering Woods
@Luma @Sailor Moon @DoomyCakez @Akashi
​

Yun tried not to twitch when Ahru had called her 'Yummy'. Though she did close her eyes and exhale slowly, she almost preferred puppy, almost. Still, Ahru was pretty much a child, so she didn't react the way she would've if another had called her that. The best thing to do really was ignore it...but Yun didn't know how well that was going to work either. Regardless of the nickname, she did watch as the small girl showed everyone how the device operated. The last time Yun had seen much of the human world besides the forest, was almost two centuries ago. They didn't have whatever Ahru was holding the last that she knew. It almost made her want to go explore the human civilization at present to see what other strange things they had.

After the demonstration was finished, though intrigued with the contraption, Yun had no use for it. Not to mention she didn't want to spend any yen on something that her ears could do just as well. "Thanks for the thought, Ahru, but I'm going to pass." She walked forward, passing Ahru and ruffling her hair as she did so. "If I ever need anything from the human world, I'll just go steal it off a traveler." Yun glanced back over her shoulder and glanced at the others that had gathered around the white haired youkai. "Maybe one of the bird brains will buy it."

Yun continued on her way then, raising her hand to wave farewell as she walked out the door. It had been a while since Yun had had any time to be alone outside of the Dancing Lotus during the day. Though she left once a month to go hunt, she did enjoy her privacy and the quiet that came with being alone. So she began making her way to the Whispering Woods, a place that she found gave her the most calming environment. Not to mention being surrounded by the forest and wildlife made her feel the safest. As she walked, she looked up at the cloudless, blue sky and sighed. It was a perfect day to spend outside, hence her earlier break in the garden to enjoy the warmth.

When Yun reached the forest, her ears immediately picked up on the sounds of the natural wildlife. The youkai relaxed as she entered and walked the trail through the trees. The sounds and scents of the forest made her miss roaming the human world as a wolf. Even though she mainly brought death and chaos to the humans she hunted, their forests were always full of life. Though recently they had started destroying their forests to build more homes or cities. Whenever Yun would hunt, she'd find more of the forests she would travel to were getting smaller and smaller.

As she walked, Yun's ears perked when she heard the faint melody of a flute coming from deeper in the forest. She tilted her head slightly and closed her eyes, trying to get a better sense of direction from which the music was coming from. When she pinpointed it, the youkai turned and started walking in that direction, curious as to who, or what was playing the instrument.

 

[envogue]

Botan
Dancing Lotus
"Botan~ You vibrantly pompous bag of feathers and glitter~"
@Akashi @Luma @SaberWolf @DoomyCakez

The sound of a lesser bird cawing and squawking their way into her fine establishment made Botan's feathers stand on end, but she simply kept her back turned, pretending as if she didn't hear a single word. Ignoring only got her so far, though. The device which she had been so deeply captivated by was snatched from her hands, and the shadow of a tall, lanky figure cast over her. She rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, turning to face the offender.

"You should know by now that buttering me up has never worked, so keep your talons off." Botan said, as Yun had just arrived on the scene. Her gaze flickered to Yun very briefly, only smirking when the recording box had once again been placed into new hands. Something had changed, as Ahru began to speak without actually moving her lips. Botan raised an eyebrow, her expression gradually shifting from curiosity to...embarrassment as the recording box played.

"Well, all my questions about your age seemed to have answers now." Botan chuckled, with a well timed wave of her fan. "Anyway, ten thousand yen is much too steep of a price, but I've never let a price tag deter me from my wants and dreams." Botan removed a hand embroidered silk coin purse hidden away in her kimono, and pulled out the desired amount. "You'll have to take it or leave it Ahru-chan, unless you want to steal Karasu's savings, then be my guest."

​

 

[Mu]

Norikai Kanayama | Location: Okanyama Middle Peak
​

"Ah, yes," the man nodded, with knowing eyes. He had seen many in this mountain before and they always seemed to either have the same motives for presenting themselves to Okanyama. Either they had business with the tengu or the oni, or they wanted to see the temple on the middle peak. Many of them weren't followers either, it was simply the grand view of such a majestic structure that seemed to capture them. Such was the charm of the god that lived there as well, if not a little grumpy sometimes. "This place calms me also, this entire mountain, when quiet, is a beautiful location to hone one's mind. The gods here protect us as well, if you do not anger them that is."

Norikai paused for a moment. "However, I also do believe too much quiet is a bad sign. It is good to know that another local feels the same - how are things on the tengu side of the mountain?" It would be nice to hear the insight of someone else living on one side rather than in the middle. It wasn't this girl that was making him feel uneasy either, so what exactly was wrong?

@Eruantien​

 

[Mu]

Location: The Cursed Forest
[spoili]Name: Ibaraki-douji
Species: Oni
Ability: To be able to cause natural disasters[/spoili]
​

"So this is the legendary dojo of the Tatarigami I always hear about." A wild looking girl, with bright yellow eyes and jagged red horns protruding from her forehead, admired the building from within the woods. Even though this place was known for being an incredibly dangerous location, the girl seemed unscathed, and no harm had come to her on her way here. On her hip, a crudely made sword in a sheath sat there, and her golden hair flared around her and danced at the lightest breeze. "What a harsh, harsh youkai - the way he treats his students... is quite interesting - I wonder how they will turn out."

She peered at the Tatarigami from the doorway, at the fresh-faced and innocent students who had yet to learn real death. How cute. She wondered what they thought about the whole thing, she had indeed heard the Tatarigami's choice words - except the first line, now that was something she did not quite agree with. Yes, the Unsealing will be the key to youkai prosperity, but certainly not under the rule of some foolish natural disaster-causing monster, oh, wait- didn't that mean they could be friends?

Not that she would ever want to be friends with someone like that... but then again, their motives seemed nicely aligned. She stepped up to knock on the door. "And a good morning to you, Aku no Keshin. I am Ibaraki-douji. What a lovely little dojo you have, I have heard a few things about it. However, it looks like I'm not very informed - what exactly do you teach...?"

@Justin​

 

[Eru]

Eisei Ruru // 衛星 ルル

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LOCATION: Okanyama, Wayside Grove
MENTIONED: Norikai Kanayama (@Sen), Eisei Ahru (@Luma)

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Nodding in reply to acknowledge the hermit's concerns, Ruru thought for a moment on how to best describe what she was sensing. "It is as if people make haste to stay in the safety of their homes, avoiding some unknown disaster that lurks out of sight, out of mind. They seem... well, weak and fearful. I don't understand why. I'm not afraid of anything upon this mountain, not even the other tribes. And yet, I think the unknown fears of the tengu are beginning to grow on me." While she was speaking, Ruru had begun to subconsciously tiptoe into a small spiral on the ground, making a little orbit around the pebbles she had placed.

Suddenly, Ruru's attention was diverted. A communication from her sister was flashing before her eyes. "My apologies, Norikai; my sister is calling. Please hold on one moment." From the hermit's view, Ruru's irises digitized into fragments and pixels, as Ahru's communication appeared to her as a flat and transparent projection upon her vision. The scene of everybody inside the teashop swam into view, along with Ahru's message in symbols.

Look at all the potential buyers. Good choice sis'! Also, you'd make a great fairy princess. Well, floral fairy princess. Anyway, how's your mountain spot? Oh, and is 10,000 yen too low to start bidding? I wasn't sure, so I'm starting kinda low.

"What in the world?" Ruru whispered under her breath, composing a reply to her twin even as she spoke.

10,000? Begin at 2,000, that's a much more reasonable price. The mountain is fine; Norikai is here today. What was that about a fairy princess? Did you find a nice garment we should buy?

Closing out the communication overlay, Ruru's eyes returned to their normal appearance, as she again spoke to the mountain hermit. "My sister sent me a message from town. It looks quite busy there today. I should probably go down there in a little bit, but I wanted to look at the shrine before I left. Do you think it's still alright to do so?"​

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