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Post by Isamu Ito on Jun 20, 2011 17:17:56 GMT -5
With a hiss, he let go of the girl and limped a few short steps away from her, a pins and needle feeling running down his leg. Why did girls always do that? Always right in the damn shin, and always right where it ends up hurting the worst. Isamu sent a glare at the girl. "What in the hell is your problem?! I just asked a few questions! My GOD. Do you treat everyone this way or just the handsome ones? If your face doesn't turn away the guys, your attitude will." The last bit was mumbled, a bitter tone to his voice. The only good thing that had come out of tonight was- no wait, nothing that could be considered 'good' had happened. Why couldn't one day be remotely normal?
Still, at least he had discovered that this Tomoko could indeed see whatever in the hell that thing was (he wasn't too interested or worried about remembering it was a damn poltergeist. A spirit was a spirit to him, and rubbing his face into what it really was wouldn't do much good), which meant that he was at least one step closer to finding the damn thing. That was only one of his questions answered. She hadn't answered the question he had about fire. Dammit. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't see the damn thing and acting like bait was the last thing he wanted to do, Isamu would have ditched her moments ago.
"What." Asking anyone for help was something Isamu never did. Even now he had never once asked this girl for help, merely asked her questions. Going and talking to someone while knowing the word 'help' had been used to mention them to him would not sit well. Already he was rethinking his decision about whether or not to use this girl to find the poltergeist. He didn't have a problem with others, but if they were anything like this girl, Isamu was sure he'd end up storming off before anything productive could be done. Just another reason he was reluctant to go with this girl to the, what, shrine? They still had those? Better yet, this city had one?
Poltergeist. Home. Poltergeist. Home. Aw, fuck it. He was already late in heading home. A little more time spent away only meant less time he actually had to spend there. "Fine. Whatever. Shrine." This damn thing had better be worth it. Being dragged around the city wasn't how he wanted to spend his nights, granted he really didn't have anything better to do than try to beat that dammed rpg he had bought a few months back. Maybe that would be a better way to spend his night, but no. He had to follow this through. After he beat the thing or whatever, then he would go home and spend hours taking out whatever frustration remained on the little digital enemies.
"You going to show the way, or what? I don't have all night."
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Post by Tomoko Hashimoto on Jun 20, 2011 20:50:07 GMT -5
"I don't need to show you shit," she mumbled. Turning on her heel, she stomped back to her home, still barefoot. She didn't check to see if Isamu was following.
Tomoko wasn't really one for asking for help either, but if she wanted to find the poltergeist, she was going to need someone who could track its spiritual energy. In this case, that would be her grandmother. And Tomoko would stab herself in the eye before letting Isamu know that's who she was going to rely on. It would ruin any credibility she had. In any case, she needed to check in back at home. Her mother was probably worried sick - Tomoko had been gone on her five-minute errand for almost an hour.
It took less than two minutes to reach the shrine. It was off by itself, the nearest house a good 500 feet away. The shrine was almost its own block. It had been built when Tomoko's grandmother had first moved to South Isle, a good eighty thousand freakin' years ago (that is, in the 1930's), and there had been more land at that time. It was surrounded by trees and was, really, quite beautiful. At night, however, it looked ghostly and more than a little spooky. Hanging from the top of the shrine ceiling were several paper charms and wards - ghosts and malicious spirits could not enter the area surrounding. In fact, nothing bearing ill will could come inside. Tomoko couldn't wait until she, too, knew how to write protective seals. She could name several people that she wouldn't mind keeping away (as she thought this, she tried not to look back at Isaru). The charms fluttered slightly as Isaru passed, something Tomoko thought was strange, but she filed that in the back of her mind and made a mental note to ask her mother if she could tell what Isaru was. Tomoko was going to find out, whether he liked it or not.
The whole area was divided into two - on one side, the shrine. Tomoko always felt calmer when she saw it, whether it was the miko training or the fact that it was so peaceful. On the other side was her house, built in the traditional Japanese style. It was quite small compared to the large area that the shrine took up - the shrine was the centerpiece, the more important building. It was a little piece of history, which was why it had stayed around for so long. They got quite a few visitors because of that. Her house took up a corner, and she made a beeline for it.
Tomoko walked up to the door of her house, but paused before she went inside. She turned to Isamu. "You stay out here." She opened the door and, right before she closed it behind her, added, "And don't touch anything."
She was usually fairly trusting, but strange boys with tails and blue glowy-ness that refused to answer her questions weren't exactly high on her list of respectable people.
Tomoko would never have admitted it, but she mostly didn't want him to see/eat her dinner. She was fucking starving.
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Post by Isamu Ito on Jun 21, 2011 9:06:11 GMT -5
She was the one who had mentioned a shrine and getting help, so why was she being the snappy one?! Isamu sneered at her, but didn't have a snappy remark to toss back, settling with giving a little snort and trailing behind her. This was killing him, tearing his apart inside. Having gone so low as to ask for help, even if he wasn't the one actually asking, and having to follow around this insane girl was pushing his pride and ego down farther than he would have liked. At the same time, his stubbornness wouldn't let him leave without showing that damn spirit poltergeist ghost thing that it had picked a fight with the wrong guy.
With a slouch, his tail whipping behind him, Isamu took his damn sweet time. He was only glad that wherever they were going was apparently close enough to not take much time to reach. The shrine was larger than he would have thought, and more extravogant looking, as well. Isamu had never actually seen a shrine before besides some of the smaller ones forgotten in the forest, and had never paid close enough attention to notice the details. He looked around, swinging his head from side to side, his pace slowing only a little as he tried to look at it all. The charms hanging from the shrine caught his attention, and Isamu vaguely wondered if they worked. Weren't they supposed to keep out evil spirits or something? His tail had slowed to a sway, flicking occasionally as he found something interesting to look at and ponder about.
Noticing that his ever polite and courteous host was making her way over to a little shove shoved in a corner, Isamu picked up his pace to catch up with her, blinking down at Tomoko as she demanded- not ask!- that he remain outside. On top of that, not touch anything. "This junked up old place?" he stop back, hopefully loud enough for her to hear. "There's nothing worth touching!"
He turned his back to the door, grumbling under his breath once more. "This better not take long." Waiting had never been one of his strong suits, and it showed as he took there, beginning to fidget only after a few seconds of standing. Sitting did nothing to help either, as he took to watching his tail flick, playing with a leaf that had been on the ground. It was only a few seconds of that before he sighed, resting an elbow on his knee, and his chin in his hand. If he had remembered to bring his PSP with him, then at least he'd have something to do, but having not planned on taking a little detour on his way home he hadn't thought of it. Isamu was regretting that, and planning on bringing the handheld system with him wherever he went from that point on.
Glacing up, he looked in the direction of the shrine. He hadn't gotten too good of a look earlier, and, seeing as how only a mere minute or two had passed since Tomoko had disappeared inside the house, not knowing how long he would be left alone out here, the boy debated getting up and examining it more closely. It wasn't as if he would be all that far away or even off the property.
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Post by Tomoko Hashimoto on Jun 22, 2011 13:53:25 GMT -5
Tomoko slid the door open a crack, yelling, "My shrine is not junked up!!" Before slamming it. She stomped into the kitchen, muttering curses under her breath. This halted when she saw her mother and her grandmother sitting at a low Japanese table. Both were wearing traditional Japanese clothing, simple white robes. Tomoko cleared her throat and said, in an obviously fake casual voice, "Hey guys, what's happenin'?"
The effect was instantaneous. Tomoko's mother rushed over to her and began asking questions - "Are you all right? Are you hurt? Do you feel okay? ...What happened to your shoes?" - and, never faltering in her questioning, drew her daughter into a tight hug.
Tomoko sighed, rolling her eyes and patting her mother on the back. "Mom, I'm fine."
Tomoko's mother, Rieka, was not a beauty. She had an elegance to her that didn't come from physical looks - her face was lined, and she had very plain features. She was as tall as her daughter, who was only about 5'7", and wore her hair in a short, black bob. She had bad teeth, and disliked smiling with her mouth open, but her kindness and her incredibly sweet disposition made her pretty. Tomoko often wondered if her mother could say "no" to anything, or if she could truly be mean.
It was with great care and manouvering that Tomoko finally untangled herself from her mother's embrace. She made a beeline to the fridge, exclaiming in delight when she saw there was still yakitori left over. She grabbed a skewer and began picking the chicken off with her fingers.
"Tomo, for heaven's sake!"
"Look, mom, I'm starving." She chewed thoughtfully, going over to sit in between her mother and grandmother. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume you know there;s a polergeist about."
Her grandmother took a sip of tea. Risa Hashimoto was one of those old, Japanese grandmothers who always seemed to be drinking tea. She was staunchly traditional, and she and Tomo often butted heads over protocol and rituals. She looked younger than her 89 years - she took good care of herself, and sat tall and proud. She chuckled. "Tomo, what kind of exorcists would we be if we couldn't feel the spiritual energy from a small poltergeist?"
Tomo gave her a look. "That was small? Could've fooled me," she muttered.
Her mother looked anguished. "I wish we could have told you, but it's custom for every exorcist to face her first poltergeist on her own." She smiled. "I remember my first poltergeist. I was only a little younger than you-"
Her grandmother pursed her lips and interrupted Reika. "You didn't exorcise it fully, Tomoko."
It wasn't a statement, but a question and an accusation. Both women stared at the youngest Hashimoto girl. For a moment, the only sound was Tomoko's chewing. Tomoko swallowed the last of the chicken self-conciouslly. "Grandma, it wasn't my fault! There was this boy-"
Her grandmother raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Tomoko! I'm disappointed! Flirting instead of working-"
"NO! I wasn't flirting! Look, he was on fire!"
"Is that what the kids call it these days?" Risa smiled like a dirty old man, exchanging a look with Reika, who shyly covered a smile with a hand.
"NO! Grandma! Literally! Listen-" Tomoko gave her mother and grandmother a brief but detailed account of the poltergeist and the strange boy she had met, omitting the cursing. And the fact that she couldn't remember the last bit of the chant. She'd get to that later.
"- So I need you guys to help me find it," she finished. "And, if possible, tell me what this guy is."
Her grandmother gave her a shocked look. "Tomo! He's out in the yard? Is that any way to treat a guest?"
Her mother piped up. "Is he hungry? Would he like food? Tomoko, saving someone from a ghost doesn't mean you can forgo all of your manners! Go invite him in!"
Tomoko shook her head. "He's fine out there, really! I promise, he doesn't want anything!" But she caught the looks of her family, and sighed loudly. "FINE. But if he even looks at my yakitori I will kill him, and you can't stop me." She stood up angrily, stomping outside.
Reika turned to her mother as soon as Tomoko had left the house. "What do you think about this, mother?"
Risa Hashimoto took another sip of tea. "I just hope he's cute."
Tomoko had the foresight to pull on a pair of lace-up shoes, and had switched her jacket for a sweatshirt in anticipation of the chase ahead. When she got outside, she didn't see Isamu where she had left him. She hadn't expected him to stay, and she would gladly be rid of him, but it was a mixed bag. She hoped he had run home so she didn't have to deal with him, but she hoped he was nearby so she could figure out what the hell was up with his tail. "He better not have touched anything," she muttered, walking towards the shrine to look for him.
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Post by Isamu Ito on Jun 23, 2011 3:07:32 GMT -5
It didn't take long for him to mull over the tought and come to a conclusion. Curiosity had gotten the better of Isamu, and looking at the shrine seemed like a better waste of his time than just sitting around waiting for god knew how long. Giving the shrine a short stare, hestitated only a moment, looking over his shoulder at the door, straining to try to hear something beyond it that might signal the return of whats-her-face. Not hearing anything worthwhile, Isamu slunk to his feet, jamming his hands into his pockets and pretty much sauntering over to the main area of the shrine. For a moment he wondered how he had never noticed it before. The place was large enough to be noticeable. Then again. despite having tromped this general direction a few times, he had never paid the surrounding buildings that much attention.
He walked to the front of the shrine, stopping to turn his head from one side to the other, getting a good look at what he could see of it. Paper charms or some shit hanging from the ceiling, place made from wood or something. Isamu had never paid that much attention to what his mom said about it, and he had been moved to South Isle at too young of an age to remember his time spent in Japan. If those were charms, and if what Tomoko said about her being an exorcist were true, would they work on the chimera and him? He raised a hand, as if to test the theory before letting his arm drop. Probably not the smartest thing to test. Not with that nagging voice in the back of his head.
'Being a bit careful, are we~?' purred the chimera in amusement. 'That's not like you.' The boy could pactually see the smug smirk plastered across the part-cat's incorporeal form.
"Shut up," Isamu growled in return.
'Did I strike a nerve~? Oh, poor little Isamu.' this was exactly the reason Isamu wished he could deck the chimera right in it's furry face. 'Why are you accepting her help, anyway? You could easily take that thing on your own. Standing here twiddling your thumbs is getting you nowhere.'
Isamu kept quiet for a moment. "As much as I hate to admit it, I can't see that thing. It's not a creature. If I can't see it, how can I find it to get rid of it?"
'And so you trust her?'
"I'm using her ability to see the damn thing. Trust has nothing to do with it," he scoffed. Isamu stretched his arms up, letting them drop back to his sides before he gave the shrine another look over. Despite all this and his hesitation earlier, he couldn't say he fully believed in the power of exorcists and exorcisms. However, she could see them. That much he was at least sure of.
Footsteps caught his attention. Isamu looked over, spotting the girl he had been with earlier. "About damn time. Get your so-called help?"
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Post by Tomoko Hashimoto on Jun 23, 2011 13:09:51 GMT -5
As Tomoko drew nearer, she could hear snippits of conversation drifting toward her. It sounded like Isamu was talking to himself - something that irked her. How dare he act all weird about her talking to ghosts when he mumbled to himself like a crazy person!
"I told you not to touch anything!" Tomoko said accusingly as she drew near. "Those wards are fragile. They keep evil out. Mess with them, and we'll have ghosts all over the fucking place." She gave him a look. "I don't need some monkey boy getting me in trouble." And, because she couldn't help herself, she added, "I wish they'd work on you."
With extreme hesitation, she answered his question. "About the help...my family wants you to come inside and they want to know if you're hungry." She said it with distaste, so it was perfectly clear that she couldn't care less if he was hungry or not. "Um. My grandmother wants to ask you some questions," she mumbled. It was obvious that she was running back to her family for help. If Isamu made fun of her, she was going to punch him in the face. Although Tomoko wasn't a fan of relying on others, she knew that Sherlock Holmes would have been nothing without Watson to help, and Nancy Drew would have had a much shorter career without her friends George and Bess. Every detective needed people to fall back on sometimes. Even if those people were old and annoying and family.
She stood awkwardly, hands shoved in her sweatshirt pocket, shifting her weight between feet. "Who were you talking to?" She asked. "I heard you talking, kind of." She gave him a curious look, one that said plainly that she was going to hound him about everything until he broke down and told her. Isamu was the main mystery here, and being in other people's business was nearly a hobby of the young Aisan woman.
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Post by Isamu Ito on Jun 24, 2011 0:14:51 GMT -5
This girl was just begging to get smacked. Isamu was sure he could feel his eye twitching a bit as she accused him of touching something. What exactly he wasn't so sure. Whatever. It didn't matter. Giving a short, "Tsk," he shoved his hands in his pockets, a normal sign that he was irritated. "I didn't touch a goddamn thing. Like I said before, there's nothing worth touching." Were wards or charms or whatever the hell they were really that fragile? Seemed stupid considering they were supposed to keep out ghosts or something. "I didn't touch your stupid wards." They didn't work on him? He was hesitated over nothing, then.
"Your...family..." She had dragged him all the way here to get help from her family? Wasn't she supposed to be the hot shot exorcist? Yet, she was asking help from her family? Any shred of respect Isamu might have had for Tomoko went down the drain. What in the hell were some old people past their prime supposed to do to help? Wave their arms and limp after the poltergeist like some B-rated horror flick distractions? Nothing about this day was getting any better.
Snickering echoed through his mind. 'How much can you use her abilities if she goes begging for help from her family?'
The cat and this girl were really pushing his limits tonight. Work had done wonders to calm him down from earlier, but now? He couldn't go back to the garage, and home would only proceed to make things ten times worse. Isamu was stuck between a rock and a hard place. this annoying girl and whatever the hell was spewing from her mouth at this point, or home. Considering the fact that Tomoko's grandma was, according to the girl, going to start another fun round of 'Annoy the Isamu, home wasn't sounding too bad.
Food, on the other hand, was a sweet calling. Food from a complete stranger, however, was not. And more goddamn questions! Did this girl ever shut up!? "My aunt," he answered shortly, giving a complete lie with a bored look. "Screw this. Some help your help turned out to be." Isamu didn't know what he was going to do, but he'd deal with it when it came up. Turning his back to Tomoko, and giving another little, "Tsk," he headed for the street. Home was only his final destination, and Isamu didn't plan on heading directly there, but any place was better than a place where he was being questioned endlessly.
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Post by Tomoko Hashimoto on Jun 24, 2011 1:14:33 GMT -5
Tomoko watched him leave, glaring the entire time. When he reached the street and was out of her sight, she smacked herself in the forehead. "Stupid," she muttered. "I knew it. Asking for help was stupid." She could feel her face turn hot from embarrassment, shame settling in thick. She had asked for help because she needed to find the - no. She stopped herself.
She was done with justifying her actions. She was done with being talked down to. And most of all, she was done with this ghost. Acting spontaneously and on a bit of rage, she walked the opposite way that Isamu had headed, past her house, past the shrine. She reached the street, turned left, and continued on. She'd prove that she could do it. She'd exorcise this ghost without her family, without anyone's help. She'd find it on her own. The same genes ran through her - if her mother and grandmother could sense the poltergeist from the house, Tomoko could find it a few blocks away. She just needed to concentrate. She wouldn't allow anyone to say that she wasn't good at what she did. She'd show him. She'd show everyone.
She walked until she was a good three blocks away from the shrine, down a back alley and out of the way of traffic. She closed her eyes, and concentrated on her breathing. She didn't need her grandmother to teach her how to do anything. She'd figure it out on her own. Breathe in, breathe out. She let her mind wander, let her senses do what they did best. She stayed still, listening and feeling.
At first, there was nothing. She felt dull and a bit silly. But something...no, it was working. She concentrated on that strange feeling. It was like walking into a house you knew was uninhabited, but hearing impossible noises of movement that made clear you weren't alone. Something was coming closer. Tomoko couldn't hide the glee she felt. I figured it out, she thought triumphantly. I did it!
It neared Tomoko. She could feel the chill it gave off, the tell-tale sign. There was a huge amount of spiritual energy at the end of the alley, much closer and stronger than it had been when she first sensed the poltergeist. It swirled around Tomoko's mind like smoke. She smiled. "Gotcha," she whispered. This had been easier than she had thought.
She opened her eyes, and instantly wished she hadn't.
One poltergeist is horrible. Two is unimaginably terrifying.
Tomoko was frozen in spot. Two sets of unblinking black eyes stared at her. She hadn't found the poltergeist - it had found her, and it had brought backup. She could tell right away which one was the partially exorcised one. It looked more ragged, like it had been dragged through bracken, and charred from where Isamu had burnt it. The other one was depressingly shiny new.
The first poltergeist made a choking, snuffling noise. Tomoko felt like ice had replaced her blood. It was laughing.
Tomoko screamed at the moment they lunged forward, and the movement seemed to unfreeze her. Tomoko backed up quickly - too quickly. She knocked into two trash bins, upsetting them and her balance. She didn't stop, scrambling over the dirt and broken glass and gravel backwards and away. She bumped into a n empty box, and got to her feet clumsily but quickly. Heart thudding in her ears, she sprinted out of the alley. She ran harder than she had ever ran in her life - if only her P.E. teacher could see her now, she reflected bitterly.
The poltergeists weren't slowed by the fallen trash cans - they simply walked over, stretching their long legs. They didn't run. They knew she'd tire quickly. The poltergeist had evened the odds in its favor. It was clever.
Tomoko was a slow runner, but fear gave her a burst of speed. Unfortunately, it was a temporary burst. Tomoko could feel her side seize up, getting an ache already. She ducked into a doorway, panting heavily, trying to catch her breath. She could feel the two poltergeists come closer. She didn't dare look back, but sat down behind a large crate in the black of a shadow. Hopefully, she was obscured and hidden - the shadow erased her presence completely. It might have only been a minute, but it was the longest minute of her life. She could hear the soft footsteps of the poltergeists, feel them snuffling as they searched for her. She was still, painfully still, as quiet as the grave. They were so close, she could have touched them.
Slowly - so slowly! - the spiritual pressure lessened. Tomoko realized she wasn't breathing. She gulped in air as quietly as she could. After a long, long moment had passed, she twisted and pushed herself up against the wall, slowly inching up to check if the coast was clear.
She had almost expected to see the bone-white skull of the poltergeist, but there was nobody there. She slumped back down, feeling incredibly sick.
Worst. Night. Ever.
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Post by Isamu Ito on Jun 29, 2011 7:06:01 GMT -5
Shoulders hunched forward, an unmistakable air of irritation around him, Isamu stomped down the street, glaring at everything in front of him and kicking little pebbles and loose gravel. Stupid broad. He didn't need her help, and he sure as hell didn't need her cray family's help. He'd figure it out on his own. Somehow. "Goddammit," he growled, kicking a water bottle into an alley, and scaring a cat that was shifting through the trash. Wandering around town would do him little good, even more so if some idiot decided to call the cops. The last thing he needed was being escorted home by someone with a badge again.
'Figure something out in that brilliant mind of yours~?' the chimera chuckled, sarcasm dripping from his voice. 'Or are you still brooding over that girl? Don't worry. Not everyone can be the charmer I am~ It takes a certain amount of skill and a certain amount of charm, both of which you, unfortunately, lack.'
"Do you ever shut up?" Isamu snapped, not at all in the mood to deal with the feline's taunting. The only time the chimera ever spoke up was when the damn thing knew it would piss him off.
'Not when you're in a mood like this. You gave up the one lead you had to track down that poltergeist because your ego didn't want to face the possible idea of someone asking questions that point towards your past. So, instead, you chose to leave in a huff and aimlessly wander around the city searching for something you can't see. Am I close~?'
The boy remained silent. The chimera was dead on, and it annoyed him to no end. "'I'm so sorry, oh great and powerful chimera. I was wrong to have ever doubted your magnificent mind. You're right. I should go endure hours of pointless questions and be at the mercy of people I don't even know just for the possibility of tracking down that ghost thing that almost squeezed the goddamn air out of my lungs'" His words were filled with sarcasm, his tone of voice showing just how displeased he was, and how far off the chimera was if he was waiting for something of the sort. "I'm not an idiot. I know my chances of finding it on my own are low-"
Before he could continue, a scream pierced through the night. Isamu froze, looking over his shoulder. "What in the-" It was female, that's what he figured from the pitch. The hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood on end. On top of that...
'Sounded like that new friend of yours~ I wonder if she met up with that poltergeist again?'
For a moment, the boy just stared over his shoulder. It had nothing to do with him. Whatever happened to her, it wasn't something that involved him. They weren't friends. They were nothing more than people who had happened to meet each other and fall under a similar want to find the poltergeist. But somewhere deep down behind that bad attitude Isamu wasn't a bad kid. He had standards, as twisted as they were, and leaving someone he knew was in trouble wasn't on that list. Besides, she might have ran into the poltergeist, and that would be a good thing for the boy.
"Fucking dammit," he hissed, turning on his heel and bolting down the street towards where the scream came from. It would take too long to search from the ground. Turning down an alley, he scaled a fire escape to take to the rooftops, using his increased jumping ability to leap from one low building to the other. Thankfully the buildings in this part of the city weren't very tall, a few stories at most. It made searching easier as he occasionally stopped to look for the girl.
His search was proving fruitless, and he grew more and more willing to give up the chase the longer it dragged on until finally he spotted something, a face with long dark hair peeking around a doorframe. Isamu dropped from the two story building across the street, wincing at the shock that ran up his legs. He stormed across the street, resting one arm on the doorframe and leaning on it, looking down at the girl with a raised eyebrow. "Having fun?" After a short moment, he rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. He was giong to regret this, he knew it. "You're not hurt, right?" Another short moment and he added, "Wouldn't want my ticket to finding that poltergeist thing unable to do it's job."
A chuckle. 'Smooth there, boy'.
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Post by Tomoko Hashimoto on Jul 3, 2011 1:10:19 GMT -5
Tomoko was so tensed up, waiting for the ghosts to return, that she nearly jumped out of her skin when something dropped heavily in her line of sight. For a moment, she thought it was the poltergeist, and she stooped lower to grab a sizable rock. She was testing it's weight in her hand (too light) when an unfortunately familiar voice hit her ears. She didn't even try to disguise her disgusted face. Instead, she stood up and dusted the grit and rubble off her knees with her free hand.
"No, I am not having fun," Tomoko snapped. "Go fuck yourself," she added as a bonus, free of charge. The use of the pronoun "it" had not escaped her. She didn't ease up on the potential weapon in her hand, but she did slip it in her jacket pocket. It was sort of pointy at one end, like an arrowhead and she felt better having the small weight - it was comforting, although she knew full well a rock would be no use against a ghost.
Hands now free, she crossed her arms and gave Isamu a snooty look. "So, you realized you couldn't find the ghosts and came crawling back to me, huh?" She didn't bother to hide the triumph in her voice here, either. Truth be told, she was bad at hiding anything in general - why start here? Her high-and-mighty attitude abated for a moment, and her shoulders sagged. "Oh. Yeah. By the way, it's ghosts. GhostS. Plural."
There was an awkward pause.
"By no fault of my own, just so you know," she added quickly. "I think..." she became more thoughtful. "The first ghost went for backup, so it's probably a good bet that they've been working together from the start." She brought one hand up to cup her chin, thinking hard, now in full detective mode. "Working together..." she mumbled. "They must have died together, or they wouldn't be so close now..."
It wasn't unheard of, to see two poltergeists together, although extremely rare. It was frightening, in any case. The only reason Tomoko was so calm was that now, she didn't need to outrun the ghosts. All she had to do was outrun Isamu.
She was secretly glad he was there in the alley with her, though - and flattered that he had come to look for her. Of course he'd need her expert skills. Hah. Men. But now the playing field had evened out - two against two. Stupid Monkey Boy and Attractive and Wonderful Amazing Detective Exorcist of Awesomeness (self-granted title) vs. Poltergeist A and Poltergeist B.
"How did you glow all blue before? Can you do that again?" She asked, cutting to the chase. It was effective, whatever it was. It would certainly buy her time to repeat the prayer again. She was about 97% sure that the prayer would do both poltergeists in at the same time. In the 3% chance it didn't, she'd have to repeat it all over again. And that would be difficult to do if her arms were being forcibly separated from her body.
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Post by Isamu Ito on Jul 4, 2011 21:13:07 GMT -5
Good to know he had left such an impression to get a face like that. Isamu snorted, narrowing his eyes at the girl. Was sarcasm so hard to understand these days? Ir was she that stressed out? He was willing to bet a bit of both, or she missed him so damn much she couldn't contain her relief and ended up forced to resort to insults to show her gratitude. He couldn't hide another little snort and a half smirk at the thought. It had helped him feel a bit better. "What, a little ghost too much trouble for one exorcist? I thought you were supposed to be good at this, or something."
And there went the attitude. The smirk fell and he gave her a little glare. "No, I heard this girly-ass scream and thought someone worthwhile might need some help. Looks like I was dead wrong." Her shoulders sagged and for a moment, Isamu felt bad, rubbing the back of his neck again and glancing away from Tomoko. On top of that, there was more than one of the damn things running around now. Great. Karma was seriously trying to punish him for something, he could just feel it.
She was rambling, and Isamu listened, though looked far from it, focusing on nothing imparticular. Working together, back up, it sounded dangerous, and the idea made him grin. The city was dull, the same boring routine with the same boring days and the same boring people, but this. This was exciting. Isamu wasn't too keen on being on the receiving end of any attack, but he was confident he could handle himself. Well, as long as Tomoko did her job and mentioned where the poltergeists were. He could do the work, she could stand back and stay out of the way. It was a perfect set up.
'Becoming a little too trusting, aren't we~?'
Damn the cat. His grin fell, and he shoved both hands back into his pockets. "Eh?" Glow all blue...? Oh. The fire. Isamu shrugged. "'I guess." That had been his plan. It might not be as effective, seeing as how the heat around him wouldn't be as strong, but he could attack with the actual flames, couldn't he? Isamu vaguely remembered horror films stating that ghosts couldn't be really harmed by physical objects or some shit like that, but something had worked earlier. He was quick to chalk it up to his skill and power and not something that the girl did. Ego at it's finest.
"This is how it's going down. I fight, you stay out of the way and tell me where they are. Got it?" Chances were she'd be pissed and try to argue with him about it, but Isamu didn't care. He wasn't going to stay on the sidelines, and what in the hell could she do? She called herself an exorcist, but she hadn't done crap to the damn thing the first time (or that he knew of, anyway).
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Post by Tomoko Hashimoto on Jul 5, 2011 1:52:10 GMT -5
Tomoko glowered at Isamu. "I AM good at this! A-and I didn't scream! That was the ghost. One of them. Because I chased them away." She tried to appear confident, but the words sounded feeble and weak to her ears. She could feel her face begin to burn from embarrassment, and the young exorcist hoped the night was dark enough to hide the sudden coloring.
And who the hell made him in charge of the attack? She opened her mouth to object, but stopped herself before she began to argue. Tomoko really didn't want to fight the poltergeists hand-to-hand. It would be much better for Isamu to attack them up front, and for her to say the prayer from further away. Less chance of physical injury, anyways. And Tomoko really enjoyed not getting hurt. She wrestled with her common sense for a moment, desperately wanting to tell him off (or at least call him names).
"I guess," she said finally, grudgingly agreeing to the plan. "But just so you know, you're the distraction. Whatever you're doing, it only hurts them. It can't "kill" 'em." Tomoko used air quotations around the word "kill" to emphasize the point. "You're going to have to believe that neither of us is going to be able to do this alone." She made a face, as if the words leaving her mouth tasted bad. She looked him square in the eye. She wanted to make one thing clear before she began to search for the ghosts.
"I don't like you, and I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual, but you have got to lose the doucheyness for a second. Just do your blue flame thing, I'll hit it with the exorcism stuff, and then we can walk away and never speak to each other again. Hard to do that when you're being a bitch," She said tonelessly. "Just shush and listen to what I say, okay?"
With that, she turned and walked out of the alley. A breeze was blowing from the sea, and the air smelled like salt. Tomoko closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to send out feelers like before. She hoped Isamu wouldn't start talking - that would ruin whatever focus she had. Tomoko took a deep breath. She could sort of feel Isamu behind her, wavering and flicking strangely. Probably something to do with that tail, she thought vaguely. She moved on. The ghosts couldn't have walked very far. They didn't seem to be in much hurry. She concentrated harder, slipping deeper into whatever it was. Meditation, perhaps. It was harder to sense the ghosts this time. They had been almost on top of her the first try, and the distance meant the strange coldness was not nearly as easy to catch. But now that she knew what she was looking for, it would only be a matter of time.
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Post by Isamu Ito on Jul 7, 2011 0:16:10 GMT -5
He raised a questioning brow at the girl, obviously not believing her little tale. "Chased it away. Riiiight." Could ghosts even scream? He knew, through the use of television and horror movies, that they could make sounds or something if caught on tape. Isamu had never paid that much attention to any big screen, and anything on ghosts he had seen was vague and hazy now. Invisible, moves things, tendency to try to kill/scare people, he had general 'knowledge', if one could even call it that.
Half expecting her to argue, his pride swelled when she agreed to his plan. Her little speech after went in one ear and out the other. No matter how she worded it to make herself feel better, they were following his plan. A smirk pulled at his lips. Though, her little talk about him being unable to actually kill the damn thing made that fall and a small glare to show again. Teamwork. Isamu wasn't big on it. Relying on someone else, especially someone he didn't know, wasn't for him, and when he was supposed to, whether for school or for work, he did his own thing or took charge. Being in a situation where he had to rely on someone... Simply, he wasn't looking forward to it.
Giving an irritated, "Tsk!" he looked away from Tomoko, starting to think again. Or, that was the plan until he heard her start talking again, turning to glance back at her and being a bit caught off guard at her stare. Isamu blinked. Doucheyness? What. Was he really being that much of a dick? Well, whatever. They were doing what he had said, and that was all that mattered. He was more than willing to leave her to her own devices after this was done and over with. He had never planned on seeing her again after their first encounter. Once was more than enough.
Something clicked in what she had said. Isamu trailed after her, pausing behind her and flicking Tomoko on the back of the head. "Hey, Sherlock, one problem with your thinking. How am I supposed to fight something I can't see? You're the only one here who can see them, as much as it pains me to admit. That's the 'you tell me where they are' bit. Get it?" He flicked her again, not realizing or even caring that he was interrupting her concentration. After that, he turned and walked around her, leaning against the wall of a building with his hands placed behind his head. His tail flicked at his ankles as he waited for Tomoko to either start walking or do something.
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Post by Tomoko Hashimoto on Jul 8, 2011 15:41:49 GMT -5
Tomoko spun around and tried to smack Isamu's hands away angrily. "Will. You. Shut. The. Fuck. Up?!?? You won't be able to hit shit if I can't find the fucking things first!"
She actually stomped her foot on the pavement, like a five year old, hands clenched into fists. "What is your mental defect? Do you like fucking with everything? All I'm trying to do is save this stupid town from getting ripped apart by stupid ghosts, and all you do is bitch at me! Do you like making my life a-" She broke off, suddenly. Where was it she had read that poltergeists fed off negative energy? Maybe she was just making that up, but right now, it was a good idea - if Tomoko couldn't find the ghosts, she'd bring them to her! She began again, now purposefully trying to piss off Isamu. Negative energy, noise, whatever it took. Just as long as the poltergeists found them.
"I should just quit while I'm ahead," she said in the snottiest voice she could muster. "Not like anything I say will go though that thick monkey head of yours!" She crossed her arms and squinted at him. "Actually, you're the stupidest peson I have ever met! You're obnoxious, and, and dumb, and I don't even know why I bothered asking you for help! I should have gotten Lassie. She probably smells better, at least!!"
Tomoko hoped he'd rise to the bait. If he stomped off in a ragequit, she was nowhere. For the first time in her life, Tomoko found herself trying to make a boy insult her loudly in the name of protecting the town.
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Post by Isamu Ito on Jul 10, 2011 23:46:42 GMT -5
An annoyed short left Isamu as her hand whacked his away. The bitch. All he was doing was pointing out an obvious flaw in what she had said. She didn't need to get all snippy at him. "Well, excuuuuuuse me, princess!" he snapped, glaring at the girl once again. "If you're so uptight over people pointing out flaws in your brilliant strategy then think the goddamn thing through before opening your big mouth! Don't get fucking pissy with me just because I pointed out one little thing!" Goddamn, what was her problem?!
And she just kept going. Isamu started at her with half a look of disbelief and half a look of annoyance. What in the fuck...? Where the hell had all that come from?! Isamu knew he wasn't the easiest person to get along with (it had been mentioned to his face on more than one occasion), but did she really have that small of a patience? Better yet, what in the hell was she talking about! Obnoxious? Dumb? She didn't know who the hell she was talking about. And Lassie? A dog would be shit all help against anything.
Isamu grit his teeth, an annoyed growl growing in his throat. He pushed off of the wall, clenching his fists at his sides, and giving her the nastiest glare he could. Every part of him felt insulted, and he wasn't one to turn and leave when there was an insult war to be won, and pride to be defended. "What the fuck is your problem! To think I was worried about you. You'd do the world a favor by dropping dead by the side of the road! I bet you can't see shit, acting all high and mighty when you're nothing more than an attention grabbing bitch!"
To say he was furious would be an understatement. Isamu was throwing his hands in the air, yelling up a storm as he paced around, ranting to himself more than to the girl at this point. "I can't believe I'm even still out here! Home would be god knows how many times better than being out here on some goddamned wild goose chase!" He didn't mean it the last part, at least, just spouting out whatever came to mind by this point. He huffed, stopping in his rant and glaring at her again, digging his hands in his pockets and hunching his shoulders. Another irritated, "Tsk," and he looked away from her. "Forget this."
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