[Ishikawa Ren]

     Was it so cold back home? Droplets pelted off Ren's black raincoat, then melded into the slicked road. Ren looked up from the puddle to see a world of blues and blacks and whites. So unlike his hometown.

     Today, there would be a festival there. It was one of the few days that Ren allowed himself to be almost-sad. Locked inside his head was an image of that warm, candle-lit wooden table - the corners rubbed smooth by decades of constant use. There were greens on the plates, yellows and oranges, the oh-so-rare meat, and smiles all around.

     Yet it wasn't a tragic sadness: Ren knew he'd always have that moment. His family would always be there, waiting for him. He simply had to distract himself today, and to focus on the goal that'd let him see them more often - work hard, harder than he'd ever thought he could, until he was in a place where he could do as he pleased.

     And so he, once more, came to stand outside the Takeda compound's warm-colored doors. With all his recent visits, it was soon becoming a home away from home. He swept his wet hair aside and put on his best smile.

takeda sadako | 200 words

[takeda sadako]

KILLING YOUR IDOLS IS A CHORE

Getting a whole handle on the Devil Bringer was so fucking close Sadako could taste it. In that scrap with Taro—the one that she elected not to remember in too much detail, based on how it had ended—she’d very nearly gotten a handle on the transformation, keeping the surge of chakra contained to just her arm for a good while before her control let slip and the Cursed Transformation (spooky!) enveloped her in a vibrant yellow aura. The trick, she was coming to realize, was emotional control. No matter how disciplined she kept her body, if her temper was running high, the transformation would slip out of control. And while she’d gotten better about reigning in her reactions to her fits of rage—if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all—that didn’t change the hard reality that her brand of fierce, reactionary anger was too wild to reign in. She didn’t know what to do. Uncle Sanosuke had helped as much as he could, but she wasn’t gonna bother the Amelord with dumb kid shit. Auntie Yui wasn’t a shinobi and didn’t have the kekkei genkai, she was no help. The Preceptors didn’t think she should be messing with the transformation at all, given how prone she was to the cursed form. They thought she should wait years. But she didn’t have years. Going out for a run always helped to clear her head, get her storming up solutions for her problems, so she laced up her sandals and put on her jacket and slipped out into the pounding rain. Her hair was getting long, the once-bluntly cropped bob now brushing its shaggy ends against her shoulders, her bangs falling long and loose into her eyes. As she left the compound, though, ready to tear through Amegakure’s streets in a meditative haze, she just barely twisted out of the way of bumping into Ren. She blinked, wide-eyed, embarrassed shock flickering over her features for a fraction of a moment before she schooled herself into a sullen neutrality. He’d been coming by more and more frequently lately, and somewhere in the back of her mind she’d thought maybe it had been to see her, but then she’d found out that Uncle had made him his new assistant. She was inexplicably angry with Ren, and knew that wasn’t fair, but didn’t dissect the feeling further. "Hey,” she said, sharp and brusque, quite like the way she’d spoken to him at the start of their first meeting: a far cry from the comparatively warmer conduct she’d shown him at the end. "Lord Sixth’s place is at the far end of the compound. Don’t get lost.”

Ishikawa Ren -- 444

LAIKA OF THQ

[Ishikawa Ren]

     Ren tried not to furrow his brow. Any other day, he'd have been just as jovial as he always was. Yet he wasn't having an altogether great time at the moment - he was just as susceptible to that as anyone else. He was irritated by the fact that no matter how much time he spent with Sadako, she always seemed to come back to how she had acted when they first met. Usually, he would have just shrugged it off unbothered...

     Maybe it was the occasion, maybe it was the increased workload as the Lord's assistant, or maybe it was just the unceasing rain on what should've been a happy day, but he was stressed. "I'm not here for him!" Ren snapped.

     He would've felt abashed, but he didn't feel much like apologizing. "Not today. I came for a spar." His usual smile was more of a straight line now. "With you." he said flatly. Perhaps his overreaction hadn't been fair, but he felt she hadn't been fair to him. He was only trying to help her, after all. The reason he even came here had long since stopped being solely for his own growth.

     He motioned his head in the direction of the dojo. He felt he could use an outlet for his stress, by punching and kicking and being unfair, and didn't want to be denied.

takeda sadako | 228 words

[takeda sadako]

KILLING YOUR IDOLS IS A CHORE

Every other time she’d seen Ren, he’d been—pleasant, good-natured, everything bad or mean that came his way rolling off his back like so much rainwater. Sadako included. She knew she—well, she knew she wasn’t the greatest person to be around, and wasn’t stupid enough to try to deny that. Most people just didn’t get her, or weren’t willing to try. Ren generally seemed willing to try. He’d never lost his patience with her or snapped at her even when she was meaner than she meant to be or her words came out sharp or she lashed out when he didn’t deserve it. He’d been kind to her when she didn’t deserve it. Today he snapped at her. For a moment Sadako just stared at him, eyes widening, looking like a puppy that had just been whapped on the nose for chewing up someone’s shoes. What he was saying and how he was saying it wasn’t lining up; she couldn’t make the jigsaw pieces fit together in her mind. He wanted to see her, but he was angry with her? He wanted a spar, but she was annoying him? What was his fucking problem? When people decided they were done with her they were just done, not showing up at her gate to rudely demand a sparring session. She shoved her fists into her jacket pockets, gaze sliding off to the side. "I have plans,” she complained. "I was going for a run. Who pissed in your cereal?” But she went towards the dojo at the incline of his head anyway. The swell of anger that always seemed to dog her steps went away when she was with Ren, most of the time. Now it ballooned as if making up for lost time, hot and oil-slick with resentment for making her think that someone might have genuinely liked her.

Ishikawa Ren -- 308

LAIKA OF THQ

[Ishikawa Ren]

     He didn't move at first. Just stared at her as she walked away, slightly shaking his head before trodding off behind her while pinching the bridge of his nose. He wasn't the kind to continue on after he'd already snapped, so he just stayed quiet and bottled the anger up.

     When they entered the dojo he slid his katana down to the ground and took the moment where his back was turned to her to 'compose' himself. He rubbed his eyes and sighed. Of course, he liked Sadako well enough. But today only seemed to get worse and worse. He resolved to just keep his mouth shut as much as he could. Save himself a little from tossing and turning tomorrow night over what he had said.

     Ren unbuckled his various pouches and tossed them on the floor. Hot in here, he thought. Somebody must've been keeping a fire going. He had half a mind to just tell Sadako off and sit in front of it for the rest of the day, but he knew he'd regret that later - not least when Lord Sixth found out. He stripped his raincoat off, then heaped his white shirt on top of that too.

     He stretched out, muscles clearly visible under the simple mesh undershirt he wore. His skin was still largely unmarred by scars, and a fair color a little less tan than he had been a year ago. He turned around to face Sadako as he pushed his damp hair back and out of the way. It was a little longer now as well, but still shorter than hers.

     His eyes had the faintest trace of sleep deprivation under them, a mellow darkening. He took his stance, flat line of his mouth only slightly upturned at one end, eyes only looking at her limbs. He said nothing.

takeda sadako | 306 words

[takeda sadako]

KILLING YOUR IDOLS IS A CHORE

Ren dropped his equipment and stripped without saying a word, down to just his pants and mesh undershirt: his torso was on clear display, making Sadako avert her gaze, a tinge of pink staining her cheeks despite her dogged irritation. Taro, Ren—now that she’d had her first kiss (and a lot of other ill-advised firsts), even as bloody and messy as it was, she was horrified to realize that the fluttery, sickening feeling she got in her gut when she caught a sideways look at Ren’s back or the feathery swoop of his hair over his dark eyes was attraction. Vulnerability, plain and simple, for someone who didn’t actually give a shit about her. Sadako took off her jacket, toed off her shoes before entering the dojo, cracked her neck and knuckles and popped her shoulders. Her mouth was a flat line, her eyes narrowed, annoyance rolling off her in ways. He wanted a spar? Fine. Molding her chakra in her right arm, Sadako tightly clenched her fist, and a spectral arm erupted over her limb in a burst of vibrant yellow chakra flowing from knuckles to shoulder. She felt like she was putting herself on a leash: complete control, unyielding discipline keeping her from slipping back into the regressed cursed transformation while still maintaining the selfish, irrational desire to see Ren’s teeth hit the floor. She lunged forward to engage Ren in melee, keeping her movements tight and targeted; a far cry from the relaxed, playful training session they’d had so recently.

Ishikawa Ren -- 253

LAIKA OF THQ

SPOILER: Click to show

- sadako angy bc a boy doesn't like her back
- this isn't toxic or weird at all
- taking some SA training liberties & having Sadako use the B-rank 'proper' arm transformation, but she hasn't figured out that it needs handseals yet and her control over it is super tenuous, especially when she's already pissed

NAME: Akuma Sakenomi ( 悪魔酒飲み ) [Devil Bringer]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium, Low Drain
CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu/Taijutsu
ELEMENT: N/A
HANDSEALS: 4
REQUIREMENT: Devil’s Soul
DESCRIPTION:

The true power of the Takeda clan, and a transformation only achieved by the stronger members within the clan. This power transforms the right forearm and hand of the user. The transformation acts as a physical manifestation of the clans demonic power. After a Takedas' first successful transformation all that is needed to transform the arm now is 4 handseals and a tight clenching of the right fist. This arm possesses superhuman strength, which it can also manifest through a larger, spectral arm. Like the previous transformation, this form increases the physical power of the user based on its current strength. However, the strength of the user is only increased within the limits of that one arm, in return its power outmatches that of its predecessor. Unlike its predecessor though, the amount of drainage this transformation has on ones chakra is minimal, given that the user must be in complete control while using this transformation. The Devil Bringer is highly durable, and with its physical strength can be highly effective at blocking attacks, giving the user advantages against their opponents in hand to hand combat. The Devil Bringer can also be highly effective in sword combat, enhancing the strength of the weapon when utilizing the right hand as a means of attack. Its increase in strength can be used to further empower the strength and durability of the blade. The user of this technique should remain cautious of their negative emotions as any major slip up could result in the transformation regressing to Akuma Tamashī | 悪魔魂 | Devil's Soul

Non-Specialized ➠ Primary Buki - Tai Str
Secondary Buki - Tai Str ➠ Sole Buki - Tai Str
Primary Buki - Tai Str ➠ 1 Rank Increase With Sole Buki - Tai Str
Sole Buki - Tai Str ➠ 2 Rank Increase With Sole Buki - Tai Str

[Ishikawa Ren]

     Ren put his reflexes to the test - dodging every blow he could, making an effort to avoid the bright yellow chakra that wrapped her arm. Left, left, right. On the backfoot, he had to content himself with just avoiding getting hit with that.

     For the most part, those honed reaction times allowed him to do just that - yet Sadako was no slouch at Taijutsu. Near miss here, near miss there - then a glancing blow.

     Ren winced with a grimace. It hadn't felt like a glancing blow - not at all. More like she'd socked him full force. He'd hate to see what a full hit would feel like - but his fear of pain was far less today. He was just interested in hitting something.

     He tempered the desire, continuing to keep his distance and either dodge or deflect. It didn't so bad when it was just the latter, but the idea of blocking one of those blows sounded like a tremendously bad idea. So he continued playing it safe, as much as he could.

     Yet impatience won eventually, when he pounced on a less-than-ideal opening. He darted in to her right, threw a heavy left hook straight for her face. The movement left his side entirely exposed, just asking for a retaliatory strike.

takeda sadako | 212 words

[takeda sadako]

KILLING YOUR IDOLS IS A CHORE

Ren’s reaction times had improved markedly from their last training session, that much was immediately obvious. Sadako pushed harder, went faster—she was close, but most of her blows were whiffs, the friction of air between her knuckles and Ren’s skin frustratingly potent. When she finally landed a hit, it didn’t feel like much. Strong, sure, powered up by kekkei genkai bullshit, but it felt like a cheap hit. Unearned. Sadako’s scowl deepened, her mood darkening. The spectral arm licked up to her neck, spreading slowly across her shoulder blade. She was so focused on the offensive that her guard was getting sloppy; Ren clocked her in the face, hard, slicing the inside of her cheek up against her teeth and splitting her lip. Sadako grunted with the force of it, but the pain was as background noise, a dull crackle of static that filled the empty spaces of her mind. Briefly—there and then gone, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it—the yellow aura flared up and across her chest, a surge of rage that she reigned in as quickly as it slipped its yoke. An opening, but on Ren’s left side. She ducked and slid in for a hard body shot with her un-augmented arm, following up with a sharp knee to his crotch.

Ishikawa Ren -- 210

LAIKA OF THQ

SPOILER: Click to show

NAME: Akuma Sakenomi ( 悪魔酒飲み ) [Devil Bringer]
RANK: B
CHAKRA USAGE: Medium, Low Drain
CLASSIFICATION: Bukijutsu/Taijutsu
ELEMENT: N/A
HANDSEALS: 4
REQUIREMENT: Devil’s Soul
DESCRIPTION:

The true power of the Takeda clan, and a transformation only achieved by the stronger members within the clan. This power transforms the right forearm and hand of the user. The transformation acts as a physical manifestation of the clans demonic power. After a Takedas' first successful transformation all that is needed to transform the arm now is 4 handseals and a tight clenching of the right fist. This arm possesses superhuman strength, which it can also manifest through a larger, spectral arm. Like the previous transformation, this form increases the physical power of the user based on its current strength. However, the strength of the user is only increased within the limits of that one arm, in return its power outmatches that of its predecessor. Unlike its predecessor though, the amount of drainage this transformation has on ones chakra is minimal, given that the user must be in complete control while using this transformation. The Devil Bringer is highly durable, and with its physical strength can be highly effective at blocking attacks, giving the user advantages against their opponents in hand to hand combat. The Devil Bringer can also be highly effective in sword combat, enhancing the strength of the weapon when utilizing the right hand as a means of attack. Its increase in strength can be used to further empower the strength and durability of the blade. The user of this technique should remain cautious of their negative emotions as any major slip up could result in the transformation regressing to Akuma Tamashī | 悪魔魂 | Devil's Soul

Non-Specialized ➠ Primary Buki - Tai Str
Secondary Buki - Tai Str ➠ Sole Buki - Tai Str
Primary Buki - Tai Str ➠ 1 Rank Increase With Sole Buki - Tai Str
Sole Buki - Tai Str ➠ 2 Rank Increase With Sole Buki - Tai Str

[Ishikawa Ren]

     Ren felt the smile spread across his face as the blow landed, felt the weight snap against her face. Catharsis. He felt no ill will towards her - right now, he thought of her most as a younger brother. They could both be selfish and worry about consequences later.

     He followed the blow through, twisting in place as his fist continued down off her chin. Before he had time to recover, her own smashed into his left side and dug into his organs. Pain shot up from his center as he reflexively bounded away. Sadako's knee drove up and dug into his upper thigh, shooting more pain up and down his leg.

     Hobbling away, he clutched his side and recovered from the flash of searing pain. Huffing, he let the flow of the fight and the adrenaline direct him. Ignoring the pain, he darted in and down with a sweeping low kick to throw Sadako off her feet. If it didn't topple her on the spot, he'd grab her and try to throw her to ground.

     Aiming to get in as close as possible so she wouldn't be able to strike him with as much leverage, he wondered if the coated arm would be able to do much in a grapple - he'd have to see.

Using Tree Leaf Gale, very low cost.
takeda sadako | 214 words

[takeda sadako]

Ren smiled at her. Sadako’s heart skipped a beat as she felt her stomach drop, a sickening sensation like peering off the roof of a tall building; and then Ren’s fist was scraping off her chin like a body off the pavement and she came back to herself. Vulnerability. Embarrassing. She’d missed her target, the most vulnerable area that she’d vindictively wanted to cripple him in, but she knew from experience that a shot to the soft meat of your thigh still hurt like a bitch—but it was as soon as she’d brought her leg back down that Ren was dropping to sweep at her legs. Sadako jerked out of the way, trying to hop up to avoid getting knocked to the ground, but the movement was awkwardly timed, graceless, and Ren was able to grab and ground her within the next moment. Pain ricocheted through her hip and spine as she landed with a heavy grunt, an unwelcome flashback to the damage she’d sustained at the hands of the Tangerine Wonder. Ren’s hands felt hot on her overheated, sweat-sticky skin; she flushed, first with self-conscious embarrassment, then quickly overwritten with white-hot anger at the tiny, detestable twinge of hope that had sparked in her belly. The Devil Bringer regressed. It flickered out like the wavering flame of a candle; then erupted around her body like an inferno. She didn’t have much leverage, couldn’t wind up the force she needed to hit Ren properly, but she grunted and tried to jab him with her elbow, bite at whatever scrap of skin was within reach of her gnashing teeth.

Ishikawa Ren -- 270

LAIKA OF THQ

SPOILER: Click to show

Devil's Soul is a worse, less refined version with a higher drain cost, so Sadako is gonna start getting real tired real quick

NAME: Akuma Tamashī ( 悪魔魂 ) [Devil's Soul]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low, Medium Drain
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
ELEMENT: N/A
HANDSEALS: 0
ACTIVATION: A transformation that can only be obtain through a great deal of emotional stress, with the user giving up control of such feelings in exchange for raw power. Thus activating this form.
DESCRIPTION:

A form that only few people in the Takeda manage to achieve, but within certain reason as it is regarded as more of a curse than an actual achievement. The transformation itself is often used as a way to evaluate the condition of ones emotional state by Devil Preceptors. The user becomes a slave to whichever emotion triggers it, and unlike its successors form its strength gain is universal throughout the body. However, in exchange for such power the amount of drainage the user has is higher than its successor. The user also doesn't remember much of what happened while in this transformation as they become blinded by their feelings. This form is not a prerequisite of the Devil Bringer, while its power does come from within it, this transformation itself is not required for one to achieve the the Devil Bringer spectral arm. In this form the user is covered in a shroud of colored chakra ( Of which will be the same color in all transformations once achieved ), with the color being based off the personality of the user. Their eyes also glowing with the same chakra color being emitted from them. Under circumstances of great stress and lack of emotional control this form can be activated by the user. In this form the user gains strength beyond the measures of their current physical abilities. Its power Varying depending on the current level of ones current strength meaning no one form may hold the same power as another. In this form the user fights purely with instinct, and is not to be used with a rational thought in mind. It will be played as such.

Non-Specialized ➠ Secondary Tai Str
Secondary Tai Str ➠ Primary Tai Str
Primary Tai Str ➠ Sole Tai Str
Sole Tai Str ➠ 1 Rank Increase With Sole Tai Str

[Ishikawa Ren]

     Sadako's elbow jabbed Ren in the ribs, hard. He gasped and reflexively reached out for it, bringing his center of mass closer to her. How strong doe- he thought, before being interrupted by her taking a chomp out of his shoulder. "Fuck!" he called out, recoiling.

     Blood dripped down his chest as he struggled to restrain her movements, but her sudden surge of strength meant his trying was mostly futile. Annoyed, he just slammed her in the face with a headbutt, then again. His attempts to grab her wrists seemed to just slip off. His position had already been comprised, and a shove from Sadako saw him end up on his back, simply trying to protect his face with his arms.

     "Come on!" he yelled as he tried to kick at her, or throw her off of him with his legs. But he found, at the moment, his strength was insufficient to even come close to matching hers and he simply resolved to wriggling about trying to block her blows so he wouldn't be entirely beaten into a bloody pulp.

     Ren gritted his teeth and just tried to ignore the stinging pain of his shoulder and the pounding pain of the bruises he could already feel forming from each of her strikes, biding his time until he could escape.

takeda sadako | 219 words

[takeda sadako]

Her teeth sunk into the meat of Ren’s shoulder and a bright, coppery burst of blood washed over her tongue. She spat it out onto the floor, but the brief distraction was enough time for Ren to slam his face against hers, their skulls cracking together with a sickening crunch as Sadako’s nose broke—not for the first time—and blood wept openly from her nostrils. Dazed, she tried to twist her face away but just got a second skull-crack to the temple for her efforts, and she shoved blindly at him, trying to force him off her. Rational thought might have commanded her to back off, take a few breaths, calm down—it was beyond clear at this point that she’d gone too far, that the spar Ren had come for had devolved into a nasty, petty scrap that wasn’t doing anything for either of them. But Sadako’s head was pounding, sick to her stomach with a tempest of feelings that she couldn’t pick apart cleanly enough to name, and instinct drove her forward, onward, a backslide into wild animalistic aggression from all the work she’d done to reign it in. Ren kicked at her to try to throw her off—she grunted as his heel dug into her gut, but she caught his ankle, tried to wrench it aside so she could lunge her way in to a mountain position, sitting squarely on his stomach as she relentlessly whaled on him. But her chakra was waning. As quickly as it had flared up the cursed transformation was starting to flicker out, and she had to feed it more and more chakra to be able to keep up; her focus was shot and her breaths were coming ragged and wet from her mouth. Unless she managed to get a good knockout shot in, she wouldn’t be able to maintain her dominant position for long.

Ishikawa Ren -- 313

LAIKA OF THQ

SPOILER: Click to show

Devil's Soul is a worse, less refined version with a higher drain cost, so Sadako is gonna start getting real tired real quick

NAME: Akuma Tamashī ( 悪魔魂 ) [Devil's Soul]
RANK: C
CHAKRA USAGE: Low, Medium Drain
CLASSIFICATION: Taijutsu
ELEMENT: N/A
HANDSEALS: 0
ACTIVATION: A transformation that can only be obtain through a great deal of emotional stress, with the user giving up control of such feelings in exchange for raw power. Thus activating this form.
DESCRIPTION:

A form that only few people in the Takeda manage to achieve, but within certain reason as it is regarded as more of a curse than an actual achievement. The transformation itself is often used as a way to evaluate the condition of ones emotional state by Devil Preceptors. The user becomes a slave to whichever emotion triggers it, and unlike its successors form its strength gain is universal throughout the body. However, in exchange for such power the amount of drainage the user has is higher than its successor. The user also doesn't remember much of what happened while in this transformation as they become blinded by their feelings. This form is not a prerequisite of the Devil Bringer, while its power does come from within it, this transformation itself is not required for one to achieve the the Devil Bringer spectral arm. In this form the user is covered in a shroud of colored chakra ( Of which will be the same color in all transformations once achieved ), with the color being based off the personality of the user. Their eyes also glowing with the same chakra color being emitted from them. Under circumstances of great stress and lack of emotional control this form can be activated by the user. In this form the user gains strength beyond the measures of their current physical abilities. Its power Varying depending on the current level of ones current strength meaning no one form may hold the same power as another. In this form the user fights purely with instinct, and is not to be used with a rational thought in mind. It will be played as such.

Non-Specialized ➠ Secondary Tai Str
Secondary Tai Str ➠ Primary Tai Str
Primary Tai Str ➠ Sole Tai Str
Sole Tai Str ➠ 1 Rank Increase With Sole Tai Str

[Ishikawa Ren]

     The pair scrambled for control, Ren ending up being yanked down by the ankle and Sadako firmly gaining a strong position atop his stomach. Blows clanged off his forearms as he protected his head and leaned left and right to try and escape her fists.

     Sadako's blood dripped down onto his arms and face, running down the bridge of his nose and pooling into his eyes. Cold sweat formed on his forehead as Ren grunted, trying to wipe his eyes clear with his palm - leaving himself entirely open. A hook from her left fist slammed into his jaw and sprayed the blood that'd accumulated across the mat.

     Feeling like his bones were rattling, Ren tried to shove her away with a burst of adrenaline, turn over and crawl away - his head spinning, unsure of what'd just happened, vision turned pink. He'd been close to getting knocked out and was barely holding on, wishing he'd just let his consciousness fade.

     Hands wet from sweat and blood, he tried to pick himself up but accomplished little more than getting himself on his knees, slowly recovering as he breathed heavily - completely unguarded should Sadako wish to push the advantage and kick or tackle him.

takeda sadako | 201 words

[takeda sadako]

Sadako couldn’t catch her breath, couldn’t breathe through her nose, but her heart was pounding right out of her chest and each pained breath that she dragged in through her mouth was rough and ragged. Her fist cracked against Ren’s jaw, and she wound up again to lay another one into him—but the Devil’s Soul flickered out for good. Sadako was scraping over the last of her chakra, feeling like heavy cloth dragged over broken glass. Ren shoved her off him and she tumbled to the floor, rolling onto her side and coughing up a wad of blood with a groan of pain. She tried to summon that power again, that sun-bright powerup to her arm that made her feel like she could do anything, solve any problem, vanquish any foe—but she was tapped. Her head was spinning, her face ached, her body ached in a way that she was normally good at compartmentalizing and ignoring, but the pain came home to roost in her bones and she couldn’t quite shake it free. All that anger, that pent-up frustration and doubt and rage—gone. She didn’t know where it had come from. Could barely even track why she had been angry at all. All that was left was exhaustion, topped with a thick layer of guilt; satisfaction for just how soundly she’d been able to wallop Ren, dashed with more guilt for being glad that she’d hurt him so badly. Wiping blood away from her nose (really just succeeding in smearing it across her face), Sadako staggered to her feet and heaved the soft meat of her body over to the far end of the dojo; grabbed a clean towel, grabbed a water bottle, and tossed both of them loosely in Ren’s direction, before plopping down right there on the floor. She rested her head against the wall with a thunk and closed her eyes. She’d never apologize; the words I’m sorry had never entered her vocabulary. This was as close as she could get.

Ishikawa Ren -- 340

LAIKA OF THQ

[Ishikawa Ren]

     It felt like his jaw should've shot across the room, but it was still there when he felt it with his hand while crawling away. Sadako tossed a towel and bottle of water towards him and he watched her sit down against the nearby wall. Ren grabbed them and pushed himself up, barely, and walked a few feet before collapsing against his own section of it.

     Wiping the blood from his face with the towel, he breathed heavily a few times while practically hiding behind the cloth. What the hell am I doing? Thoughts of guilt, anxiety, inadequacy, despair, rushed through his head. Was he even cut out for this line of work? He'd been ecstatic when Sanosuke had approached him to offer him the job of assistant. 'I need someone who wishes to grow as I do,' he'd said.

     But Ren didn't feel like he was growing. He felt stagnant and resentful. At who? Himself. Nearly a full grown man, physically, but mentally still a child - worse, an unfocused, unrefined child. So many interests, so many skills. Prodigy, he scoffed mentally. At wasting my damn time, maybe.

     Maybe he still could be, though. If he spent his time on what mattered. Instead he still clung onto hobbies and interests, then let himself get flustered and frustrated when he had no time for them. He pulled the towel off his face, a more solemn expression set upon it. Ren threw the blood stained thing over to Sadako.

     Part of him wanted to say something. Apologize, maybe. That part didn't want this to be last thing that happened between them before they went off to the Exams. Didn't want her to be struggling with thoughts of Does he hate me? while she watched his fights from the stands. All it would take is a simple I'm not mad at you, by the way, but maybe she no longer cared - what if she never had?

     Maybe he would come back changed. A better man, a better shinobi. A Chuunin - and one focused entirely on what needed to be done. That Ren would know what to say, and wouldn't be afraid to say it.

     But the small, vindictive part of him he'd so long been able to hide beneath a cheery smile was just barely exposed now - the comedy, the kindness, had been temporarily sheered away until the tiniest speck of black could be seen. It wanted her to wonder. Wanted her to hurt.

     Ren got up from the wall. Draining the water bottle in a greedy gulp, he threw the remnants over to where she sat, half-uncapped and leaking onto the mat. He walked over to where his shirt was - with his back faced to her - and put it on, the soon-to-be-bruises and bite mark disappearing beneath the white cloth. Grabbing his katana without a word, he threw open the doors and walked out into the rain.

takeda sadako | 485 words