Re: The Road Few Travelled [Mura, Sabriel]

Tue May 21, 2024 9:52 am

The Road Few Travelled [Mura, Sabriel] - Page 2 BzY1waL

MURA EKASHIBA

… He watched her next actions very intently. There was a slim chance that the whole ‘desire’ aspect was just some sick joke, and that her real aspect was something along the lines of ‘succubus’ or ‘trickster’ who was going to throw him for a hellish ride for desiring something like that from her. At this rate, he just expected the worst…

Something he wasn’t… no… he didn’t mean to be like this. He wasn’t like this before, was he? He used to have a much brighter onlook to life…

But she replied favorably to the request. Put her things down, and left her stock-covered, soft lap completely… open? Was that the word? Either way, the pull was magnetic at this rate – Mura’s head easily found its way towards her, gently resting on- warm. Warm. Soft, silky and warm. How could something be so brutally… pleasantly warm? Who on earth was she?

Did God send down an Arrancar to help cheer him up or something? Did Veralia enjoy this warmth? Why didn’t it feel weird at all? What the fuck was even going on?

“…” She just had to mention Harukami’s appearance… well, from this close, that broken sword did draw curious eyes to it rather easily, “Someone… accidently broke it. We were testing our skills, and an accident occurred. Nobody got hurt, except Harukami…”

“Hmmh… hmh? Hmh, hmh? And whose gracious fault could that possibly be? May you please answ- y-you know what? You know what? I can’t- I can see it from here…” Kyūken interrupted, slowly approaching with venomous words of utter spite, but the sight of his broken sword visibly pained him enough to ward him back to his own corners. “You’d think that a seasoned swordsman knew how to maintain his own blades, let alone others…”

“… And I’ve been… dealing with that for a while,” Mura added, sighing strongly as his veins just refused to grow any bigger, “Not like we all just got a swordsmith ready to accept requests these days. It’s not the middle ages anymore-“

“Fix it yourse- oh, no, no, stop, Musashi, stop… bad for your health…”

“… Y’know, he hasn’t been any better before the accident. A real charmer, this one,” Mura sarcastically remarked Kyūken’s character – a fucking letdown of a supposed legend. The founder of his dojo back in Kyōto was an absolute asshat, what a surprise.

Kyūken returned to his shadows, far away from the other two. Mura rolled his head, letting his neck fully warm up to the comfort of her lap while glaring straight up towards her. “I sometimes regret helping him out back then…”

END POST

Tue May 21, 2024 11:37 am

The Road Few Travelled [Mura, Sabriel] - Page 2 SsMLBbB

SABRIEL VENTRESS

Listening intently to his tale, not to mention the back and forth between Mura and whatever his companion was. She was rather surprised that he would be hanging around with such a spirit and frankly Sabriel was a little perplexed by the relationship between the two. It almost appeared to be of a similar nature to a Shinigami and their Zanpakuto but there seemed to be a dissonance, not to mention the fact that he did not have the same pressure that a Shinigami possessed. It was unique, as all high spec humans tended to have when it came to spiritual pressure.

“It may be somewhat of a lost art but there are still mastersmiths out there, no? Particularly in this region of the world. I would have thought that Asia would have been the perfect place to find who you need. If not, then perhaps you should seek out one of the organisations that are familiar with such things? You do not have the pressure of a Quincy but maybe the Vandenreich would help if you made a deal with them?” Sabriel answered, giving him the only advice she could give him on the topic.

“Maybe they can help you with him as well.” She soon enough added, referring to the other voice that was clearly bothering Mura. "He sounds like a complete pain in the backside.”

There was clearly more to the story and Sabriel smiled once more, encouraging him onwards. “How come you had to help him out? What trouble did he get himself in?”

DEVILISH DESIRES

Wed May 22, 2024 9:54 am

MURA EKASHIBA

”There… are some around. I know that, at least… but it’s not just finding them, it’s the whole process,” Mura complained even further, “Even if I found one… how much would it cost? I’m not exactly wealthy…”

Yeah, he could maybe ask Akira for help. He seemed like a damn millionaire lately – just traveling around random places, owning a mansion where he just dropped the guy in from time to time, had his own library- yeah, should be… should be easy, right? Just ask… you dingus. Stop being so stubborn, just… ask…

Fuck…

“The Vandenreich… yeah, I was suggested to join them recently. Seems like my best option,” he admitted, remembering Stella’s words back from his hometown. The Vandenreich were by all means a globally influential organization, and they seemed like a viable place to find his own standing beyond his dojo. Staying here… and harboring his own problems… just wouldn’t do anymore. He owed the Head Master so much more than that.

“…” Mentioning that damn ghost made Mura’s lungs hasten, his breath skewer, and his eyes redden, but he didn’t let it get to him. He didn’t let that… disappointment get to him. “Tell. Me. About. It. He doesn’t deserve half the praise history gave him-“

“YOU SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!!!”

“Found some random gravestone in Tibet, and he was just floating there. Asked me to help bring him his sword… this sword. Guess where I found it?” Mura didn’t hold back his displeasure from that whole ordeal – finding out that Harukami was in a damn museum, telling the cu- I mean ghost that it was pretty much impossible for him to steal from a museum, watching Kyūken’s terrified fit of panic almost physically change him… screams, man. Mura was pretty much intimidated by Kyūken’s inhuman rants to do his bidding, not wanting to see what he was turning into…

And now… he was stuck with him.

“No good deed goes unpunished… he thinks he’s soooooo special and prominent, and yet he’s been nothing but an unbearable shitbag- I should’ve just ignored him! Maybe then, I would’ve just traveled back to Japan, never went into hiding, never went to that temple, and never lost my fucking arm or the best years in my life…”

END POST

Wed May 22, 2024 1:31 pm

SABRIEL VENTRESS

It was not a pleasant state of affairs and Sabriel was sympathetic to his plight. To have performed a good deed, only to be punished for it. To the Arrancar, it sounded exactly as Mura had described it but she was uncertain as to exactly how she could help with such things. He needed an exorcist or Shinigami from what she could tell and Sabriel did not have the abilities to send the spirit onto the afterlife. If she attacked the grumpy figure, there was no way that it was going to go to Soul Society.

Still, he had already started telling the story and so it was only fair that he finished. If that would help him bring him any measure of comfort then she would listen. After a brief pause, she would ask. “Just who is he anyway? You talk about him as though he is some kind of mythical person or deity. That is certainly not the impression that I am getting from him.” The impression she was getting could only be described as a loud mouthed and impatient teenager.

As she spoke, she would gently strike his hair, attempting to give him a little comfort. Sabriel had always been rather skilled with her hands and while she had not yet reverted to type, if he looked at her closely, he might just notice a hint of desire in her eyes. He was a handsome man and it was difficult for her to keep focused on the matter at hand.

DEVILISH DESIRES

Thu May 23, 2024 12:35 pm

MURA EKASHIBA

”Oh…” Mura was gonna immediately reveal to her who Kyūken was, but he fell silent when she began stroking his hair. Her silky, tickly fingers made electric waves travel through his head, skull, brain, spine, and it heated up his self. He felt like ice cream under the heat of the sun. Even her eyes… they looked a little… wanting? Whatever it was called, he sort of found them very attractive. There was some… sexy vibes behind them, for lack of a better word.

“… He-h-hehe, sorry… feels good,” he excused himself, complimenting her efforts until now. They must’ve looked like some newly cooked couple to others, despite only having met for the first time today. Lie was so odd, lately. “Have you ever heard about Miyamoto Musashi?” he asked her, feeling like context wasn’t needed – yup, that was him. That prick over there – a historical figure. A rōnin who challenged many others over 700 years ago, and here he was, being a sore. He died somewhere in China, where Mura found his ghost floating around.

“He doesn’t… live up to the name. Not anymore.”

But forget all about him. Mura felt so relaxed that he had to express his content: “This is really nice… I should’ve met someone like you sooner. I could get used to this…”

END POST

Thu May 23, 2024 3:12 pm

SABRIEL VENTRESS

Since he enjoyed what she was doing, Sabriel continued, not caring much for what anyone else thought besides him. Yes, the desires of all those affected her but once she had her focus set on someone, they tended to become the priority. No one else around them had the depth of misery and unhappiness that Mura had, which was more than enough to keep Sabriel exactly where she was. Just raising his spirits a little would be enough and if that could be accomplished by earning a scornful look from passers by then so be it. No doubt they were simply jealous of the fact they were not worth her attention.

Chuckling at his words, she would reply. “Unfortunately, I rarely ever decide who I meet and when, I simply follow where my will and instinct takes me. I have trekked across this world more times than I count, doing exactly what I am doing now. Bringing a touch of light to someone’s dark world. Odd for an Arrancar to say, I know but my aspect is an unusual one and helps me to stand out from the crowd. Where most of my kind seek death and destruction, I seek…something more.”

Returning the conversation back to him, she would politely continue with. “This Miyamoto Musashi is the spirit following you around?

DEVILISH DESIRES

Sun May 26, 2024 10:21 am

MURA EKASHIBA

Imagine having traversed the entire world multiple times. That wasn’t something that Mura could ever relate to – even if he got to live to his 100s, to say that he’d travelled everywhere… was still fantasy to him. And yet, hadn’t he witnessed wilder things occur lately? The world of spirits, Hollows and Arrancar, and the elusive Shinigami in the near future…

“Allegedly. I mean, that’s what he says he is… and it’s apparently his sword-“

“I know what you’re thinking, you little rat – I DID NOT LIE TO YOU! Ah- do you get off of pushing my nerves? Is this entertaining to you?”

Kyūken and his rants died out quickly. To be completely honest… there was a slim chance that he wasn’t actually Miyamoto Musashi. Who knew? It could’ve just been a random, Chinese braindead ghost who assumed the identity of Musashi, then tricked Mura into becoming a burg- nah, he didn’t even want to imagine that possibility.

… Mura began to feel his thoughts run rampant deep within his skull. A taint of embarrassment rose, too, fully realizing the sensation that arose – he should probably get off now… but he didn’t want to. Rather, he couldn’t. He finally felt so relaxed and delighted, why end it? The fact that such a gorgeous babe just up and offered her company to him so… carelessly, so direct and indifferent to circumstances or first impressions, was magical.

…

At one point, Mura had fallen asleep. His peaceful expression deep in slumber, not letting anything in the world bother him for the time being. That left Kyūken to float into the scene again, albeit slowly and cautiously. Even as a mere plus, his whole body language was starkly contrasting Mura’s – he looked as if constantly on guard, untrusting of any gazes thrown his way, and inhumanly alert. Annoyed, stressed, beat and worn were good adjectives to adorn his face, but beyond that, he was definitely a swordsman from the past.

“…” It was as if just looking at Mura frustrated Kyūken to a degree, but… there was a slight hint of sadness mixed with all the bottled-up anger. Pluses… often had unfinished business, after all. Maybe it was connected to that. “Does it surprise you? He, a swordsman like me, so clearly bruised by mortal combat… has brought so much shame to my name. And instead of remedying that, here he is, sleeping in your lap like a toddler free of worries. I can’t stand it… he was supposed to be the strongest, yet look at him! My art’s successor can’t be that- NGGGGH!”

Kyūken somehow angered himself enough to turn his entire back away from the sight of it, clenching his ghastly fist tightly. This was one can of worms of a plus to deal with. "And yet… you, too, see something in him. Akira, Stella, even that brawlet European boxer, you all see it- am I missing something?"

END POST

Sun May 26, 2024 2:06 pm

SABRIEL VENTRESS

Turning her gaze towards the ghostly presence, Sabriel would muse for a bit about how best to respond to him. The spirit was clearly an arrogant and self absorbed individual, which the Arrancar found slightly repulsive. Confidence she could get behind but such sheer egomania was something else entirely. She felt rather sympathetic towards Mura for having to put up with the foul creature and as the words came to her, her tone was not quite as friendly as it had been while talking to Mura.

“He is still in the process of learning, yes? You are judging him as though he has already mastered this style of yours. He is still a young man, finding his way in the world and I find it ridiculous that you are comparing him to an individual with decades of experience. Mura is not a master yet but given the time and experience, he may just become what you so badly wish him to be. Why do you continue to haunt him anyway? What is it that you so badly want from him that prevents you from moving on?” There was an edge to her tone as she added. “Or do you wish him to become the strongest because it was something you were unable to be in your lifetime?”

Scowling for a moment, she would say. “I do not trust you and I sincerely hope that Mura does not either. All you seem to be doing is leading him on a path of destruction. Look at what you have already done to him. He is already suffering so greatly because of your influence.”

DEVILISH DESIRES

Mon May 27, 2024 3:49 pm

MURA EKASHIBA

How did the thoughts run in the head of such a selfish being?

Probably something along the lines of… him? Learning? He mastered Niten Muryū already, hadn’t he? The techniques he possessed… wasn’t he already at Kyūken’s… level?

No! It couldn’t be! Kyūken was powerful back then – no match went unwon. And Mura knew his dearest techniques to boot, and he could perform them well! So why’d she refer to him as yet to master it? It kept implying that Kyūken… wasn’t nearly as powerful as he’d always thought.

The thought visibly shook him to his core. Even Sabriel could see through it – despite his boasting, his ego and arrogance… he wasn’t the strongest? Surely? But all that he achieved, what was it for? How did it end, then? It’d been centuries, had he already forgotten?!

“You mean to tell me… I’m holding him back? If not for me, he would’ve never made it out of Tibet alive!”

The idea itself implied more than what Kyūken feared most. He was a liability to Mura’s true development, a stunt in his growth that he never asked for. Kyūken didn’t know true strength and power that this age presented – from angels above to those on Earth slaying demons, wisps and phantoms taking the faces of men and women while commanding the elements, and the masked and unmasked who established their lives as ever-changing as the direction of the wind.

To even think that Kyūken… Musashi… and his legendary strength… just didn’t belong here… he refused to. He couldn’t even look at Sabriel anymore, but it was clear as day – her words got to him. Badly. It physically hurt him as he floated away, so frustrated that he didn’t even know what to say back to her. I’m holding him back? I’m holding him back?! If not for me, he would’ve never come this far! The mountains of Tibet would’ve eaten him up if I didn’t teach him everything I could! Such ingratitude… how am I supposed to tolerate it?!

…

“Is he gone?” Mura asked, “… As long as I have his stupid sword, all I can do is tolerate his presence. I think I’ve gotten good at blocking his voice out, though.”

… That was all there was to it. Touching the lump that used to be his arm, Mura’s face soured. “There’s a lot I can’t take back… but I’ve learned to deal with it. I guess I’m similar to him, in a way – as much as I hate it.”

END POST

Tue May 28, 2024 10:23 am

SABRIEL VENTRESS

“You are rather different to him or at least I believe so.” Sabriel replied, smiling again now that Mura was back in control of the situation. “He is driven by ego, arrogance and selfishness whereas you are not. There is a humility to you that he lacks and I believe that is just what might cause him to be so unpleasant to you. I do not know if he had always been like that or whether it developed over time but it is clear that he is jealous of the qualities that you have and he does not.”

Pausing, she would start to stroke his hair again, her eyes briefly looking over his well toned form before looking back at him. “As unpleasant as he is to be around, I think that you have a perfect example of what not to be as you go about your life. Learn from his example and do your utmost not to become what he is. He refuses to acknowledge and learn from his mistakes, stuck in a past that is now only remembered in his own head.”

“Stand up to him, question him, take the reins of the situation. That is the only real way to handle the situation until you find a way to rid yourself of him.” She added after further thought.

DEVILISH DESIRES