The little blue doe laughed at the other's comment. "Some call me very brave.. some call me very stupid. " Kaoori paused, looking up at the sky in thought. Then she spoke again. "Where I'm from.. those..two-legged creatures built stone temples much like the one here. Sometimes your kind was pictured in them. They were old temples. But .. do you remember anything of that sort?"

_{Sorry about Kody suddenly vanishing. My game crashed and I can't get back in. D:}

Tracking~

Thank you for the track, Ryff! =) ♥

Even as the demoness approached, Obake remained fixated on the two deer that sat not too far ahead of him. His ears were back in concentration, his breathing shallow and his eyes glowing. When she spoke, however, he suddenly became aware of her presence and turned to look at her, seemingly unfazed by her choice of words. "I expect no one to trust me," he replied evenly, his eyes narrowed. "Though it seem you may relate to me. We are kindred spirits, demoness."

The oni snorted softly, his gaze returning to meet Crucio's own. "I know she is expecting. I would not hurt her, or child. I want to know her, but no one let me. You have nothing fear from me, this I assure." He snorted again at the last part, shaking his head slowly. "I no fear you, demoness. I not fear Death also, but I no wish to fight. If I must, then so be it. But I not be the one who start it."

(Why hello there! =D I am enjoying Umay; she is an interesting and well-played character.)

Her simple response was a surprise. The oni expected more from the demoness, but he was at least a little grateful for not being forced to waste his breath. Turning his gaze back to her, he looked her up and down carefully, noticing her curious features for the first time. She was certainly not like the other deer in the forest, appearance-wise. At least this could be one forest patron that he may bare his tusks around and not be feared for it.

When she spoke her name, Obake was taken aback. His ears pulled back curiously, and his eyes blinked from behind his mask. "Umay...a lovely name," he replied, charmed by how her eyes softened. "I am Obake," the oni added after a moment's hesitation, watching as she stood and bowed. He followed suit, giving a half-bow out of courtesy as he was wont to do.

He watched her leave silently, snorting softly in thought before settling back down upon the rock. Such a curious creature.

(You are most welcome, and thank you so much! I am very happy to hear that; I do hope that they may interact again soon. =) Also, no worries at all! It is perfectly fine, I understand. Good-night! ♥ )

The frightened tone in Kaoori's voice was disheartening to the oni, and his eyes softened. "Yes...they were here. But, it long ago. You no need to worry about them now." His eyes shifted to the side for a moment at her question, his ears sliding back in thought. "I no sure... I do not remember that life well, or what I used to be...so I not know what is best," he replied slowly, falling silent for a moment. "But if given chance, I go back to remember. This other place, it my home. I not belong here." With a sigh, his eyes returned to hers once more, and he tilted his head curiously. "Would you go back, Kaoori? Do you miss your home? Even this forest has its dangers like the place where we from."

At her immediate and disheartening response, the oni snorted softly. "Family...I know not what that is, but I hear it good thing. You lucky you have it. I glad that you safe here, that you are taken care of. Small creature like you could be hurt," he replied, the softness in his own voice surprising even himself. It was rare of him to show compassion, let alone give it.

Kaoori smiled a bit. She was indeed grateful for her family. They'd had their trials, but they'd pulled through, growing closer all the while. "I'm very glad I have them. They're the reason I'm here, from day to day. They keep me going."
Although the statement about her being hurt.. she hoped it was only a statement and not a idle threat.

"A-ah.. so many have been hurt because of me before. I couldn't ask more to be hurt because of me." And it was true. The little shika had wished many times she was stronger; many had stepped in to help her before and had been wounded on her behalf, and she couldn't stand it.

Kaoori tilted her head, closing her eyes for a moment. "That may be so.. but I feel like I can do nothing for them in return. I'm so small, not powerful. I can't protect them." Her mind flickered to her lost daughter, and she shook her head slightly to clear the thought.

"Mm, I understand.. " She noticed his eyes squeeze shut, and worried he was in sudden pain. "A-are you alright?"

Oh. My. God. ♥

THAT is sexy.
Tracking. 8D

Haha, thank you so much Dinamo! =D ♥

~

Oh, he wasn't in pain...well, not physically, anyway. She needn't worry about that. A sigh of defeat escaped him, and his eyes locked with the shika's as he respectfully inclined his head. "It kind of you to say so. I hope I remember...but at same time, I hope not. But I suppose whatever happens, happens." The oni blinked at the invitation; the little doe was just full of surprises. "I...euh. Thank you, Kaoori, for giving me chance. I happy I could see you tonight." Happy? He couldn't help but feel a little awkward with all of these positive emotions that were flooding him.

With a small cough, the oni rose to his feet and gave a half-bow. "I go now, but I bid you evening. I hope we meet again soon," he said earnestly, smiling a little from behind his mask though she wouldn't have been able to see it. Probably a good thing, too; his maw wasn't terribly pleasant to look at. He felt a little apprehensive about leaving, but Quad was here now...she should be safe. Yes, she'll be safe. The oni walked away slowly, wanting to give her enough chance to call him back if she so wished.

Sure, I don't mind at all! =)

Thank you so much; that means a lot! I would love to have Obake meet one of your characters, absolutely. ♥

No worries at all, hon! It's perfectly fine; I really don't mind having him sit around every now and then, especially when I'm multitasking. I would absolutely love to RP what happened tonight; Obake had a grand time frolicking with Kumiko, and he was definitely catching on to her flirting~ He very much enjoyed it, as awkward as he was attempting to be flirtacious also! =P

I look forward to the RP; take your time with it, no rush~ Good-night! =)

In truth, the miko could never be capable of intruding on his evening. More often than not the oni was content to keep to himself, lest he was graced with the presence of a deer whom he was charmed by. Of course, Kumiko was no exception to this, and despite having only met her a couple of times her scent entered his memory. His eyes snapped open, for he had been meditating from where he sat in the lilac patch near the ruins. The sound of dainty hooves upon grass caused his ears to swivel, and with a skip of his heartbeat he glanced around to see just who he was expecting. But wait...the miko was approaching him, rather than the other way around? It amazed him to see just how much trust the doe put into him, especially given her background.

That familiar language slipped from her lips, and the oni raised a brow from behind his mask. It sounded so natural coming from her, and he was inspired to return the gesture. "Konichiwa, miko," he murmured, surprised by how fluidly he spoke the greeting himself. This connection he felt with her was incredible, almost overwhelming. The concern in her voice, along with her words, floored Obake. Had she been worried about him? Why? Tilting his head, he replied in his deep voice, "No...I fine, miko. Not much hurt me." He added a little grin to that last part, a tiny bit of arrogance seeping through.

Tilting his head to the other side, he rose to his feet and slowly closed the distance between them. As tempting as it was to circle around her, he refrained from doing so; he certainly didn't want to scare her off. Gingerly, he leaned forward to sniff at her mask before leaning back to briefly examine her with his glowing eyes. "You, euh...I trust you been well? Not hurt, are you?" Perhaps it was a silly question, as she did not appear to be hurt. However, he was never very good at starting conversation.

Haha, why thank you! Obake is normally passive, but when a demon gets hungry...well, you can bet that a small animal is going to look mighty appetizing! =P He got discouraged when your deer ran to the Twin Gods statue because when he gets hit with a devout spell, it really smarts! He'll resort to hunting squirrels for the rest of the night. =)

By the way, I absolutely love how your deer is based on a jackalope. I would like to track her bio, if you don't mind~

As oblivious as the oni may have always seemed, seeing as how his days consisted of standing around and staring into nothing, hardly anything passed by his notice. He knew that something was wrong when the miko began to tuck her legs together, as if trying to conceal something. And then, he caught a brief glimpse: a faint scar beneath her fur. His lips curled from behind his mask, exposing his tusks although she would not have been able to see them. No, she wouldn't be able to see the expression on his face, but the glow in his eyes intensified as his blood began to boil. Who could have done this to her, this sweet and caring doe? He wanted to dig deeper...no, he shouldn't. He barely knew her, and had no right to pry.

The false smile that she forced almost saddened him. "Hrn...no, no. You no disturb me, that be impossible," he replied reassuringly, his eyes softening as he looked down at her. "I very glad you here, Kumiko. I...missed you," the oni added after a short pause. Every part of him wanted to move closer, but it also took all of him to resist. Still...she was so beautiful, even though she was a miko. His gaze shifted away for a moment, feeling embarrassed with himself.

When her eyes locked with his, he had stood frozen, simply mesmerized by her own gaze in turn. Euh...what wrong with me?, he'd think to himself. She was a miko...he should hate her! But how could he? This miko...she wasn't like any of the others he had encountered. From the first moment he saw her, despite his underlying wariness, he knew that she was different. A kind and gentle soul, willing to accept anyone no matter if they were a deer or a demon. It was almost admirable, really. Wait...admirable? Clearly he wasn't thinking like an oni, or at least not that one that he had been in his past life...but should he?

He took in the genuine smile, the flush on her cheeks. He wasn't very sure what the latter meant, but something inside of him believed that it was a good reaction. It took him a moment to realize that the miko was looking him over, and he held perfectly still as if afraid of breaking her concentration. For a moment, he wondered what she would think of him. She was so beautiful, and he...well, he'd imagine that he wasn't very desirable. How would she even react if he were to remove his mask...no, he didn't want to think about that.

Kumiko's confession was surprising to him, and he wondered if she only said it to make him feel more at ease. Then again, she did seek him out on her own time. Curious... His yellow eyes followed her movements, taking in how she could move so gracefully. A small rumble formed in the oni's throat, but he quickly cleared it away as he walked alongside her. "I surprise you alone. Your friend, the stag...he not with you? And the little black doe...not her, also?" he asked, tilting his head curiously. For whatever reason, the thought of her wandering the forest alone at this time of night was almost concerning.

(Oh, dear...no worries! I was having connection problems myself, earlier. Also, I apologize for my long responses; yours don't need to be as long as mine, I just love to write when I'm in the right mood! =D)

(Haha, perfectly understandable! I get a reasonable connection where I am, but it still randomly flubs from time to time. So if Obake happens to disappear, well, that would explain it! I absolutely don't mind them sitting around, and if anything, having Obake sitting around in general is pretty IC. And since Kumiko is sitting, well, it just gives him more of an excuse to be lazy. =P Inspiration is good! Please, don't feel pressured to have her run around in-game; I truly don't mind idling. I do it a lot in general, anyway. =) And, that is true. Even if I'm not in the best inspirational mood, my muse tends to kick in after a couple of posts. Well...hopefully!)

That tension, that electricity...oh, the oni could certainly feel it as well. He wasn't sure what to make of it, however, as he had never felt such a sensation before. Despite the odd and alien feeling it gave him, it was also pleasant and warm. And...desirable? Obake's ears began to swivel excitedly, although he struggled to maintain a calm and collected demeanor. He then couldn't help but notice that they were the only two deer around. It was almost as if they had the entire forest to themselves. The candles upon his tines flickered, casting a gentle glow on the miko. He found himself liking the way it changed the color of her fur, and the way the light caressed her face and accented her features made her appear even more beautiful...if that were even possible.

A low hum brewed in the oni's chest, his eyes fused on her form, not even bothering to look where he was walking. And then, her head was dropping, her ears pulling back insecurely as her posture slumped. Alarmed, Obake followed her gaze, and then looked at her with wide eyes as she choked out the words. The oni's heart sank; if he had known that his questions would have made her sad, then he never would have spoken them. As she stood hunched, he gingerly draped his neck across the base of her neck, his chest lightly pushing against her shoulder. "Kumiko...I sorry I upset you," he said softly, biting on his lip as he silently cursed himself. "I not pry, but...sometimes others need space. Bad things happen, but in the end, friends forgive." The oni barely even knew why he was saying these things, but he cared too much about the miko to not say them.

(I quite like the implication of the exorcism prayer. It'd be interesting if that were to happen at some point. Hm...~)

When he felt the doe's body stiffen, he froze up as well. Perhaps he was being too forward or intruding with the contact; after all, it wasn't so much instinctive as it was willing. What he was doing now, this ability to comfort, or at least try to...it was foreign to him, and yet now it was coming naturally. For a moment he contemplated backing away, but then the miko leaned into him. It took him a moment to realize that she was nuzzling into his fur, and his breath hitched. There was a time when he despised being touched; he would even become violent over it. But now, he welcomed it. He couldn't deny Kumiko, never.

As she spoke, her face buried in his fur, he stood still and listened. The miko was sad, now...defeated. When he looked down at her, he caught the shimmer of one of her tears in the moonlight, and he heart sank. "No...no cry, please," he said softly, carefully lowering himself beside her. His larger frame leaned against hers, offering all the physical support he could give. He felt so protective of her at that moment, and all he wanted was to see her smile. "No say that, Kumiko. You should not feel responsible for your friends' actions. This guilt...it unbecoming. You too hard on yourself." The oni's voice would become a little sterner, although not condescending at all.

(I am going to head off to bed in a few minutes, as it is late where I am. If you post after a leave, then I will reply to it tomorrow as soon as possible. I absolutely love Obake's and Kumiko's interactions~ =D)

(Haha, alright, no worries! Do take your time~ =) Thank you! I hope you sleep well also, if you hopefully get around to it. Insomnia's not very funny, eep. I very much look forward to your post as well, and I agree, too adorable! =D Good-night~)

For a moment the oni's eyes closed as she leaned into him, feeling her draw in closer until her weight was settled comfortably against his own bulk. He would shiver slightly as he began to feel her heartbeat against his side, her warmth seeping into his fur and skin. Realizing that his throat was dry, he attempted to swallow as he struggled to maintain his stoic visage. He hadn't been this close to a female in...well, never. He'd be lucky if he would be allowed near anyone at all, but it was usually he who kept his distance. So many foreign sensations were hitting him at once that he almost felt dizzy. And yet, it was a good kind of dizzy, somehow.

His eyes opened at the sound of her chuckle, and his ears slid forward as his thoughts were momentarily forgotten. There was that smile...and gods, the effect it had on him. From behind his mask, his lips curled softly, his eyes glowing with warmth. Even the smallest of smiles lit up her face, more-so than any candle could.

"Not so much to protect friends, no, but be there for them," he replied quietly. Laying his neck against hers, he gently drew her a little closer before shifting his weight, allowing his back legs to curl around her lower body. "To protect all friend is too much res-respon...responsibility." He'd enunciate the last word carefully, stumbling around it with his accent. "Some of us not strong enough in body, but in mind, they conquer. Like you and I. You smart, and I strong. But never do strength overcome mind," he added, tilting his head slightly. He hoped that he was making sense; even he didn't know what he rambled on about sometimes.