Waking the Dead 2.0 || May 16, Shin Yamatai || Coming Home.

[icarusalsoflew]

[He had been... vague, whenever they had asked him exactly where they were going. Lenneth had known the moment he had oh-so-casually mentioned a detour now that the Hounds were done with their route. It had been in her eyes.

At least she is loyal. At least she respected him enough to say nothing.

He leads the War Hounds through a forest in the far reaches of the island, and they end up stepping out to a waterfall. A little further down, along the river, there's a beautiful house there. It's been restored to its former glory, properly furnished, renovated and modernized wherever it had to be. There's a garage, for one.

He takes just one moment out take the sight of it in, and try not to think of the ghosts. It never gets easier, coming back here, and yet...

Turning to them with a smile now.]

So. This was my old house. I think we can take a break here for now.




[OOC Notes:
+ The Shinta House is your typical traditional Japanese home from like, centuries back - furniture is all old and traditional. Yes, there are photos from lots of different life times here and there; if you want deets, lemme know. There's a garden out back, a small training hall, and a path into the forest that actually leads to the graves of his parents.
+ Feel free to make your own threads if you guys want to explore on your own and talk to each other! You're also welcome to tag Hikaru's thread, which I've put down there just because.]

Comments

Pam plz to be giving description of what training hall looks like?:D

[atlas_shrugged]

[ From where he is in the garden out back, Brigade finds his feet taking him to one of the two places which interested him the most. He takes off his shoes before stepping into the Shinta training hall ]

On it. :3

[icarusalsoflew]

[The training hall stands separate from the house itself, on the other side of a tiny stone path that diverged two ways: to the doorway of the hall, and to the forge where Hikaru's father used to smith weapons for the Storm Queen's armies. It has not changed much, but beyond the usual traditional paraphernalia, one entire wall is covered with masks. All of them come from different times, but each one is the mask of an oni-tsukai, and their only real commonality is that they are each fashioned into the face of a wolf.

Hikaru's masks, exactly 28 with space for the 29th, for every initiation he has done into his own conspiracy for every life time, and some to mark the life cycles that he was unable to be with his operatives, and others to mark the years before Zangyaku became Zangyaku. That might explain their differences in size. They were meant to fit the face that it had belonged to, no matter how old or young they had been.

Hikaru himself comes around a few minutes later, and glances first at the masks on the wall before focusing on Brig. He leans against the doorframe, folds his arms across his chest, and smiles.]

Should've figured that you'd come here.

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Brigade's been looking at the masks. Feeling the floor with his feet. Breathing in the air. ]

Of course. You know me. I understand things best through training, combat and history. All of which were, still are, here.

[ He's counted the masks on the wall. Noted their similarities. ]

This was... where you were born the first time? Yamatai, wasn't it, back then, right? And you come home to add the new mask of your new life?

[icarusalsoflew]

Yes, yes, and yes.

[Pushing off and moving in to stand at Brig's side, smiling at the masks.]

I try to follow my own rules, and undergo an initiation each time I come back. One must be a good example to one's men, after all.

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Brigade nods his respect. But finds his eyes looking for the smallest of the masks, which he thinks must have belonged to his youngest joining ] May I take this one down? [ He points to it, not presuming he's allowed to just reach out and hold it. ] How young were you when you wore this? And which life?

[icarusalsoflew]

[Ah. Well.]

I never got to. They made that after the Unseelie Court of Izanagi had some of their agents hunt me down and assassinate me. I was three years old.

[The mask is crafted less in the likeness of a wolf and more in the spirit of a wolf cub. There are four others that are about its size.

The smile is still in place. He's had practice at that.]

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Brigade is alarmed at that ] Didn't you say before you were tricked into staying? I don't remember you telling us that you'd been assassinated. [ Images of a baby being stabbed flash in Brig's mind ] Or was that another life? [ He clenches his fists. Even if the baby were an immortal that would keep coming back, it was still a baby. Brig notices four others about the same size and surmises he was killed before Awakening then too. ]

Your Warden's didn't get to you in time?

[icarusalsoflew]

It was a life long after my durance. Izanagi's memory is long, especially for creatures who manage to scorn her.

[Looking at the mask now.]

Reports say that they didn't. I don't remember much.

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Brig is straight faced, but he's sure Hikaru can tell his temper's coming to a boil inside. He'll keep it in like he always does. But it'll still be there. ] Is this Izanagi dead, already? Have you killed her? [ Brig's eyes fall on the cub masks again. Babies being stabbed are all he can see in his head ]

I'm sure our Brothers did everything they could. But I'd be glad if we took some pre-emptive action.

[icarusalsoflew]

[And it always surprises him, how easily Brig gets affected by things like this. Admittedly, as well, he's a little... touched?]

I've killed her twice already, and I've had help both times around. She isn't a concern anymore.

[Especially now that he's. Well. You know.]

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Brigade's hands relax. Just a bit. ] She can't die? [ There's just so much on the Fae. He hasn't read up enough on them. But he's working on it. ] Has she at least stopped trying to kill you? And any others? [ He thinks about Brianna. Was the Unseelie Court the same with the tree men? He feels an itch to break some evil trees. ]

[icarusalsoflew]

She has stopped, and the True Fae, in general, know better than to try anything with me now. I do have some allies among them.

[Of a sort, anyhow. Hikaru decides that it's probably a good idea to stay vague on that point. Brig wasn't going to get it, for sure.

Either that, or he'd be displeased. Heh.]

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Brigade takes it as it is and makes a mental note to pick up on that side of his reading ] I hope they're real allies. I have yet to encounter anything half-way decent about the True Fae in the Arcanum.

[ He pauses and his thoughts go to Brianna ] What court hurt Brianna? Was it Izanagi's as well?

[icarusalsoflew]

[Since he'd rather not go into details now (best not to upset the man further), he's focusing on that question. Ahaha.]

It was another Unseelie Court. Tala is taking care of the matter now, along with Lady Utsusemi.

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Brigade's face stays blank at that. There is relief but there's also the want for them to be allowed to take pro-active action. ] I hope things turn out well and if they don't, that Brianna and the War Hounds will be allowed to help in any operations you all see fit.

[ He looks back on the masks. He tries to lighten the tone, as things had gone serious really fast ] Which one was your favorite? Top 3 top-of-head if it's difficult to choose. [ Brig glances back at Hikaru, his head slightly tilted ]

[icarusalsoflew]

Hmm...

[Moving to the wall now, assessing. Then he's picking out three. All of them look like they could have belonged to a man, not a boy. The first one - black, crimson and gold - is almost demonic, the face of a wolf that brings hell down upon its enemies. The second is colored the same way as the first, but the face is angular, a little kinder. The third is completely black and bereft of any other embellishments save for a near imperceptible crimson ring around the eyes.]

Cycle 9, Cycle 24, and Cycle 27. The lifetime that I made Zangyaku, the lifetime right after Zangyaku and the Methuselah joined hands in an alliance, and... well. [Smiles.] The lifetime that I met those three blades, and told Nyx that she could go fuck herself.

[atlas_shrugged]

I hear a lot about those Blades, sir, and have been lucky enough to find a good friend in one of them. [ He thinks of Deirdra, that linefaced superwoman, and how they became fast friends. ] They changed your life? Broke some bad habits of yours?

[ He thinks on the statement about Nyx and remembers his talk with Father Aidan about her, and how he felt inside when he was told that there was some abstract being out there deciding whether things should stay or go. ] When Nyx comes back, I'll throw the finger at her with you.

[icarusalsoflew]

They did.

[Which is one of the reasons why he loved each and every single one of them. (He loved them enough to step away when he had to, and let them deal with their own things.)

Chuckling a that.]

Let's have you flip the bird at smaller targets first, eh?

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Brigade laughs at that. ]

Don't worry, I don't plan on trying to punch her [ Well, not until he got stronger. If ever he got strong enough to help with such a feat ]. I'll just throw you at her. I'm sure you'll manage. [ Even as a joke, he knows how devastating a tactic that could be in any situation. ]

[icarusalsoflew]

I don't know, she gave me a run for my money the last time.

[Smiles.]

It would be good to have you at my back, if she ever comes around in the near future.

[atlas_shrugged]

Well you're still here and she isn't. [ Brigade pushes him lightly with his forearm. ] I think that's a good sign you did a pretty damn, good job.

[ Brigade smiles. ] Don't worry, I've got your back. And I'll watch you put her in her place all over again.

[icarusalsoflew]

[If you're still here.

Perish the thought. It's mostly because nobody wants Nyx back anytime soon. If she did come back, that means that they have failed. So.]

I'll hold you to that if it happens.

[atlas_shrugged]

I'll be dead before I break that promise. [ Brig says with a laugh. ] You just make sure to kick her back to wherever she's come from so we can drink and celebrate after. I'll back you up every step of the way.

[icarusalsoflew]

Good. Now...

[Setting the masks back, smiling crookedly at Brig.]

Up for some sparring? We might as well, since the others are all doing their own things.

[atlas_shrugged]

I was wondering when you'd ask, Brother.[ Brigade thinks it and his Zangyaku mask wraps itself around his head. He still hasn't gotten used to the fact that his voice becomes a deeper metallic when he wears it. ] You can show me your father's smithy after. I would like to know his story and pay my respects at his and your first mother's grave.

[ He bows before he takes a stance and draws his shield ] But that can wait for later.