・ forest

@❛ ✧ : uzui tengen. In truth, Ahri found herself enchanted by the slayer. His charm was unlike that of any human she had come across, which was unquestionably due to the fact that he was not afraid of her.

In her lifetime, she had encountered many humans, and while she had never met them with any hostility, they were always terrified of her. She could not blame them, either. Mortals were often terrified of the unfamiliar. And Ahri, who looked just like them save for the sharp smile, eyes that pierced through their souls with shimmering gold, and the numerous tails swaying at her back, was unsettlingly abnormal. She was a beast to the human world, an unnatural creature that should not exist outside of legends. An unwelcome stranger to civilization. It was the cold and isolating truth.

There was one human, however, that did not fear her. It was a bittersweet memory from years past, long before Ahri had earned all nine of her tails. He had a kind face, a compassionate soul, and a gentle touch that offered her solace from the rest of the world before his eventual demise. Since then, the fox had never met anyone like him; nor did she believe she could ever meet anyone that came close. Although Uzui could not be any more different than that distant memory, he had shown her a kindness that reminded her so much of it. Ahri could not remember the last time she smiled so genuinely, albeit out of wariness initially.

The slayer entertained her. He was charming, beautiful, and astonishingly well-built for the average mortal. She would have believed him a god, if only he didn’t smell so strongly of his kind. Perhaps it was sheer selfishness that allayed the desire to kill him. She should, really. It was dangerous keeping a killer like him alive. There could be more of him, too. Yet, those possibilities were not enough to incite hunger nor a need for blood from the fox. She was far too entertained by his company.

“And if I do not wish to leave?” Her voice was softer this time, gaze demure. She had leaned forward until their gazes were only centimeters apart, noses nearly brushing together. A dark brow raised, and the curl on her scarlet lips whispered intrigue. “I have only just arrived at this beautiful forest. I haven’t explored everything. And I think I just found something worth staying for. At least, for a little while. But…” Feigned exasperation was expressed with a sigh and a subtle roll of her eyes as she pulled back and leaned against her hand, whilst the other tucked loose strands of dark hair behind her ear. “If you really wish to see, then how about I propose a little game? Doesn’t that sound fun? I can’t just show you everything without getting something out of it! That would be boring, wouldn’t it? And I do love a chase.” She giggled, thoroughly entertained by her own idea. “You can try to kill me, while you’re at it. I wouldn’t mind. But if you insist on keeping me alive, you can just try to catch me. I’ll even give you a reward, if you win. What was it you said? A prize? Yes! I think that would be fun. What do you say, handsome?”

@❛ ✧ : ahri. Most creatures would use his mortality as a jest of weakness. Two different playing fields that made them superior in every way above him. She however was different. There wasn’t a glimpse of disgust nor a snide remark that made him know his place in the succession of life and death between him and her. She had partaken in this foreign exchange as if she hadn’t been caught. A notable yet strategic play on her part. He’d jot that down about her kind later.

She invaded his personal space, liking his use of expression through flamboyant aesthetics as he caught another glance at her sharp teeth by prodding at her lips. The compliment sparked a sincere chuckle, smiling afterward to show his appreciation at such harmless flattery. “It confuses them. Wouldn’t you want your enemies to be confused at the sight of you?” Observant as she was, his profession came first before glamor. The jewels on his headband and the use of two-toned polish on his fingernails were all but a fragment of his true character. The character was consistent in hunting, loud in social settings, and strong in personality. “Their reactions are quite laughable when you say something unexpected that they weren’t quite hoping for.”

Maybe they had mischievous attributes in common because of the sound of her amused giggles, yet the crass choice of vernacular warmed his chest with anticipation. Uzui wanted to hear more. “Thank you for sparing me. I can confirm that you’d be in more danger than me. But, yes that’s right. Ordinary civilians do need me to keep them safe.” He fancies her mentality. Her confidence weighted light on majestic shoulders. Watching intently as her hips swayed to find a seat, the male swallowed the urge to comment on her shapely figure and joined soon after at the leisure of comfort.

A humorous scoff resonates through the air at the assumption of killing her right there and then. The fox could continue this farce of being a whimsical guest, but Uzui was knowledgeable enough to know that she also had her guard up. “It wouldn’t be a prize to kill you. However…” He lets his pondering sentence drag as a form of teasing, kissing the hand presented in front of him, “The prize would be to see how potent your powers are, Miss Ahri.”

Her given name was just as beautiful as she was. Unusual to the region that he resided in, but many things were peculiar nowadays. To confirm his suspicions of the legends told around the perimeter, he inches closer to the fairytale spirit in hopes that she’d accept his persuasive request as his tone proceeds in a tremor. “Show me what you can do and I’ll let you leave.” Ahri wasn't a threat around these parts. Although reports of sightings in the area, casualties remained at an all-time low. The slayer could pass this off as feeble gossip to headquarters while keeping her identity a mystery. In his grasp laid her dainty hand, she offered so carelessly to a man with great power. A smug smirk curls his lips. "Do you not like secrets?"

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@❛ ✧ : uzui tengen. “Ah.” This time, the smile that painted Ahri’s lips that pretty shade of red was one of recognition. The man that towered before her like a fortress in the middle of the forest was a slayer—a hunter for creatures like herself. She had a sneaking suspicion, of course; there was no other reason why he would be in the woods whilst the sun is asleep unless he was a beast himself. But he was not. Ahri smelled his mortality the moment she was made aware of his presence. Still, this discovery did not perturb her in the slightest. She found herself excited with curiosity instead.

“A slayer. That explains the getup,” she quipped with a giggle. Walking around him in a circle, she sized him up, shamelessly taking this opportunity to take in every detail of him: within that tall stature were muscles the size of her head which boasted his strength, his body covered in garments that looked like any other clothing humans wore, save for the gold rings adorning his arms and the head wrap decorated with jewels. She finished her examination by halting directly in front of him, standing just a mere foot away as her gaze lifted to meet his own. Pretty, angular, fuchsia eyes were seated below proud brows and above high cheekbones of perfect complexion. Below that, a cocksure smile. She tilted her head and grinned, briefly biting down on her bottom lip. “You’re very pretty to be a slayer, aren’t you, Mister Uzui?”

She hummed and nodded, as if confirming her own observation to be indisputable fact. She elicited another utterly amused giggle when her eyes locked with his. “I think it would be waste killing you, don’t you think? The world would be less beautiful if you weren’t around. And besides, non-slaying humans need you to keep them safe, don’t you? From monsters like me? Oh. Right.” She laughed, rolling her eyes and playfully hitting her temple with her fingers like she was reprimanding herself for forgetting. “I’m the only one.”

She then turned her back to the slayer to saunter away, hips and tail swaying, towards a log she’d sit upon with her legs crossed over the other. She leaned to the side to sit on her hip, hand planting on the wood underneath her to support her weight. Her gaze returned to him and her smile, which remained, turned coy, inviting him to join her.

“I suppose there’s no danger in telling you my name.” Despite that, she sighed, as if doing so was far too much effort. “If you were to kill me, at least someone would know my name. Better than no one knowing at all, I think.” Her lips briefly pushed out into a childish little pout that quickly made way for a mischievous smile. She then extended a delicate hand towards the mortal for him to kiss, if he would like. “Ahri. It is such a pleasure to meet you.”

@❛ ✧ : ahri. There was fleeting sorcery in the gracefulness of her movements as she engaged with the environment. The selection of vibrant flowers, the tantalizing elicit of mirthful laughter in an empty space surrounded by wilderness. A red poppy had few meanings. It symbolized deep passion, fun and love. All in which Uzui was very familiar with. Something about this interaction felt forbidden; taboo. If he had just squinted his lids close for a minute, he feared the spirit would be gone without a trace. Sprung to life from the consensus of pages, she was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen.

Clever as a fox, humans would say. The spirit probably had centuries worth of practice in engaging in conversations with mortals. She radiated off mischievous energy. Standing ground at his post, he allowed her to roam around their surroundings like a playpen. “Do you believe a man of my physique requires protection?” Not narcissistic, but proud, it amuses him to no end at how her retorts are laced with a tinge of caution. His muscles were defined and toned from the course of hardwork from consecutive training. If there was a target that needed to be discarded, he was the man for the job. He believed she could protect herself from individualistic harm as those claws she wore were sharp. A laugh raptures from his firm chest, smiling from ear to ear at the course of direction this encounter entailed.

Now, the Hashira stalks closer and grasps a hold of the fragile poppy dulled by the beauty standing in front of him in comparison.“It’s the first time a slayer of my kind has stumbled on a mystic treasure like yourself. It takes a lot more than persuasion to offer myself to a stranger so willingly.” Thankfully, she didn’t lie to him. Being in the same place at the same time was merely a coincidence and he could let her go. Except for the fact that he didn’t want to. “Tell me your name at least before you try and out my essence.”

The spirit was small, towering over her petite frame as he glanced into honeysuckle orbs. Uzui would use this method to intimidate enemies, an act of dominance. However in this case, his sense of danger diminished. He was using this tactic only to his advantage to entertain the pleasantry of her company. “Unless, you’re afraid to.”

@❛ ✧ : uzui tengen. Behind that sweet smile was a cynic that planned an escape, if need be. For she knew that the kindness this man showed her was likely an act, because the fact of the matter was that he, too, was alone. It was dark out, perhaps near the crest of the moon, and she had lived long enough to know that no mortal would venture out into the woods alone. At least, not one who valued their life. And this mortal in particular did not seem to have a care in the world, with his tall stature, broad stance, and a sense of boisterous confidence that made him look incredibly out of place against the woodland backdrop. All were details that Ahri accounted for as soon as she met that fuchsia gaze. All familiar; all a warning. But she could not let him know that she saw all of that.

So that smile only grew wider as she tore her gaze from him to spin upon her heels and walk in the opposite direction towards a nearby area in the forest that was better lit than the rest, where a bald spot in the trees above made way for the moonlight to seep through. She bent down to pick up a poppy, whose petals were as red as the markings on her cheeks. She smiled, admiring its beauty in the palm of her hand, before bringing her attention back to this strange man, smile unfaltering.

“I would argue that it’s strange that both of us are without company on this beautiful night, don’t you think?” she prodded, golden eyes meeting his with her brow raised as if to challenge him to argue. “Why is it only strange when it is a woman that’s alone? Are men not in the same danger, too?” She paused, only to let out a chuckle at her own words. “Not that I think we’re in any danger, of course. But it is late, and most wouldn’t want to venture out into unknown territory at this time.” Another pause, then a giggle. “I suppose we’re not ‘most’.”

The fox then extended her arm, offering the flower delicately cradled in her palm. However, when he voiced his query, she retracted her hand for a brief moment before another laugh escaped her. So he knew. Of course he did, he was no idiot. One look at her was enough to determine what she was. Mortals had plenty of terrible stories to tell about her kind, with pictures that served as warnings. Only, to most, she was merely a figure of legend. Uzui, as he named himself, just discovered she was not.

“A victim? Oh, no. I was just passing through.” It was not a lie. Ahri was an opportunistic hunter. It was easier that way and avoided attention. Ironic, considering she caught his. She cursed herself for her carelessness, although she knew that it would be easy to get herself out of this predicament, if need be. She hummed, as if in thought, then offered the flower to him again, its petals dull in color underneath the moon’s blue light, however no less beautiful. She smiled, this time with her fangs in full, shameless display. “Unless you’re offering yourself, handsome Uzui?”

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@❛ ✧ : ahri. He considered himself an educated man. On ailments, monsters, anatomy, death, and survival. However, this plagued him. So often would other entities be described and warded off through stories. Orally passed down through generations as lessons or bedtime stories, this mythological being was indeed real. Her tails, the enchanting way she sauntered towards his larger stature, possessed a voice that could only be described as seductive. Tengen’s mind rivets back to an old story of how these creatures could obtain anything they wanted with a wag of their tail. A nine-tailed fox or Kitsune in his native tongue.

The ideology was foreign to mention out loud. Complexity grasping a hold of the concept of such an enchantess. If she was real, who else knows what other entities are there? Though perplexed, the confusion and revelation do not show in his expression. Instead, he entertains the sweetness of the conversation by carrying on the idle chit-chat, genuinely interested in what she has to say. “Is it strange that a lovely woman as yourself is without company on this lovely night.” She was far more amusing to engage with than a bloodthirsty demon.

Though a trained slayer, he had quite the notoriety of having a silver tongue around the ladies. He would seek information out of her, her other whereabouts, and if there were more of her kind out in the forest. “Uzui.” He nobly introduces himself, faltering his hand to grasp her own to place a scant kiss on the back of her palm. The glimmering light of the moon had given him a better look at her features as he sized her up. Golden eyes, pale skin marred with red streaks that sat prettily on her cheeks, and small stature that made her unconditionally easy prey if necessary to get rid of. “Are you looking for a victim to claim, fox spirit?”

Legends were true, men could be lured to their knees by a single gaze from their beauty, but he knew exactly how to counter the charm of entrapment. It was too late to run away if she had forged an escape route and the ninja planned to make this evening worth it, death or no death. Villagers had known not to dilly-dally this late for fear of being consumed, so the forest was theirs to talk in alone. So, he releases her hand, brushing his deft fingers through the fixtures of her locks to examine her fox features closely, “If you are looking for food, I’m afraid you’re too late.” Tengen responds gallantly, his deep voice projecting into a setting that only the buzz of insects could interject.

@❛ ✧ : uzui tengen. The forest was refreshing. Even for a creature like her, who had always lived underneath the shelter of the tall trees and above pretty meadows wherein flowers kissed her feet. There was something about the forest that brought her unequivocal joy—the gentle rustle of leaves and branches whenever a wind blew past, the crunch of leaves on the ground whenever she took a step, the chirps of birds in the skies above, and the soft buzz of insects that were scattered around, working tirelessly to keep their home green and alive. Ahri, the nine-tailed fox spirit, was a nomad who had seen many forests like these, but each one was always just as beautiful as the last, if not sometimes more.

She had only recently encountered this forest on her travels. She was merely exploring, scoping out the nearby villages out of curiosity and, in truth, boredom. Despite her nature she did not intend to hunt—in truth she was not afraid of humans, she had always admired their culture and dedication for community. Despite that, she knew not to get too close. She only ever limited herself to a few mortals isolated from the rest when she’d take the opportunity to hunt. Otherwise, she was cautious and kept herself hidden in the forests she knew were relatively untouched by humanity.

But she was not cautious this time. Years of safety made her complacent. She did not check if this strange new place often had visitors. And she’d pay the price, she realized far too late, when she heard a voice call out to her from where she sat on a field of poppies. Her tails stiffened momentarily, before she soothed her beating heart and allowed her shoulders to drop. Then, she stood up and greeted the man with a smile as sweet as she knew his kind often liked.

“Gorgeous? Me?” she replied, her tone dripping with saccharine venom. Her hands were on her back as she approached him, one foot stepping in front of the other as her hips swayed in the opposite direction of her tails. “Oh, you flatter me, handsome. And..." She makes a show of looking around them, although the both of them knew there was no one else in sight. She giggled dumbly and stopped just a few feet before the mortal, who, to her surprise, was like a tower above her. Still, she maintained her composure. “Looks like it’s just us, darling. Isn’t that strange?”

@❛ ✧ : ahri. Air clean from the wilderness, it was a common night routine to patrol areas involving demon sightings. Tengen was on hour three and with intel that involved an unfamiliar creature with fox ears, it took a lot of work to stay stagnant. He was anticipating it, curious from the gossip spiraling through headquarters about the potential threat. The night was rather quiet, much to his distaste. Many knew of his reputation, his ninja-like attributes that made him stealthier than the other Hashira. In boredom, he took shelter hidden in a tree above high ground, watching the woodlike animals do their sequence of gathering food for the next day.

He sharpens his blades quietly, fushia eyes raking over any suspicious activity that conjured attention to his ears. Finally, things became interesting. He spots a woman in a kimono, much too glamorous to be around these parts as the next thing that captivated his gaze were those fox-like ears. The rumors were true, she was too feline to be human and much too pretty to be someone of this natural-born world. Sporting a wicked smile, the tall male calls out to the stranger while hiding his tools in one of the tree trunks. “Hello, gorgeous. You alone?”