[Akatsuki]

❊ please don't go away ❊

There was another one! And another one! And another! Where were they all coming from?! Akatsuki understood the strife and stress that came with being hunted--always having to look over your shoulder, never knowing if you were truly safe or when you would next be attacked, but still trying to find peace and joy in life's simple moments every opportunity you got regardless. It was a never-ending fight, and she didn't believe that she would every truly find rest from this magnificent game of chase, but so long as she got her reward in the end then the fight to run and flee would forever be worth its struggle and risk.
    But now, she, the hunted, had become the hunter.
    Crouched near a river bank, the young woman was grabbing at frogs that tried to leap away from her grasp. They were slippery little things! And hopping away from her--desperate to escape! She understood--she was big and scary to the little fellas, but they were so cute and she wanted to hold them! With all their slimy skin and cute bulging eyes--little toes with bumps on the ends and big fat bellies full of flies and insects.
    And they were everywhere!
    As she waddled around on the ground, she chased after a particularly big one--though, right when she was about to grab it in her hands, it jumped onto her! Leaping onto the top of her head, the young woman couldn't help but to laugh as it then jumped away from the other side--escaping her by effectively hopping onto and over the nukenin.
    The scarred woman twisted and continued her game, enjoying playing with the wildlife while it would have her.

WORDS: XXX TAGS: @tag Blue Text - Tsuchi Branch Kyōbō Only Violet Text - Common Language

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[Oborozuki, Tano]

The sound of water had long forced Tano to sleep. Curled into a ball, the man found himself on a cool rock floor, the rushing water in front of him all but hiding him to the world. Light continued to flicker over his face, distorting as the droplets sprayed into the air. His eyes would twitch as he tightened his ball, the angry growling of an empty stomach pushing his eyes open. It had been a long time - although he had no idea how long. Senses slowly poured back into his head, bright searing light against his eyes, the taste of brine coating his lips. "Nnh." then silence, his fingers gripping against the floor as he pushed up. A pained one, as bruises came back to life, each muscle screaming as he stretched. "Been asleep too long." the man muttered to himself, stepping slowly from the waterfall-hidden cave. Stepping across stone, the man was across a small lake. With high walls of foliage, he could see nothing but wildlife for miles. For his sake, that was a good thing. Strapped across his chest was a overbearingly large sweater, stuck to his skin by the water. His pants were in a similar shape, hemp rope binding them across his waist and calves. The glimmer of steel shone from the rocks next to him, as he gathered his things. Eyes peered over the horizon carefully as he stepped towards the land, sloshing through the shallow waters. For a moment, his vision flickered, his feet stopping still as he waited. Movement? SPOILER: Click to show Unerring Presence Perhaps stemming from his personality, or from his very chakra; Tano is almost difficult for people to look at. While not entirely tried nor true, the man is almost invisible if someone isn't looking directly at him or for him. Oftentimes seeming as if he's "popping" into existence the moment he speaks. Those with sensory abilities see this differently; instead being burdened with an intense amount of unease and discomfort as they near him. Survival Expert The past five years of Tano's life have been little more than scrabbling for scraps between small pockets of peace, roaming the world whilst being hunted down and constantly tracked. From a combination of his medical training and sheer experience, he has learned nigh on every trick in the book to survive. From basic first aid to scavenging for food, he can 'make do' in almost every situation. While it might not be a particularly enjoyable existence, he will survive. 258 words || Akatsuki || who's that? over there?

[Akatsuki]

❊ please don't go away ❊

"Gotcha!" Akatsuki called in her native tongue, hands clasping around the slippery little fellow as she successfully captured the frog in her hands. It squirmed, unhappy. The white-haired woman didn't intend to keep him for long, but the little thing was so cute! And she wanted to hold it! And look closer! She smiled as she inspected the little creature in her grip, her violet eye wide with fascination until--out of her peripheral vision, she noticed something.
    It had been so still that she was surprised she'd even noticed.
    It was a young man.
    She didn't know where he'd come from. She could have sworn he wasn't there just a moment before--or had she missed him? Usually, Akatsuki was pretty aware of her surroundings, so that didn't seem likely. But, where could he have come from, then? He'd just appeared! Was he a spirit of some sort?
    Her grip on the amphibian loosened and the frog escaped her grasp--fleeing and it fell back into the water with a plop!
    He looked like death.
    Soaked to the bone, his skin was pale as if he'd just drowned. Tangled hair that probably hadn't seen a brush in a decade. His body was thin--he looked near emaciated, nearly starved to death--and his bones were showing heavily through. She could see the clear outline of his collar bones, and even the subtle ripple of his rib cage from what little of his chest was visible. His clothes were far too big for him, too. Maybe they'd fit, once upon a time. But they certainly no longer did.
    And so many scrapes, and scratches, and filth and grime.
    "Are you okay?" Akatsuki would immediately ask, after she was finished staring. She didn't mean to seem rude--but it wasn't every day she saw someone who looked so... horrifically pitiful. He looked like he needed help, and desperately. Perhaps it was fate that had brought them together, she didn't know. But her attention was no longer fixed upon the wildlife.

WORDS: XXX TAGS: @tag Blue Text - Tsuchi Branch Kyōbō Only Violet Text - Common Language

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[Oborozuki, Tano]

A warm rush of air pushed itself between tired, dry lips. Having just woken from a slumber, one might assume some level of rejuvenation - but he couldn't remember the last time he woke up well rested. More than likely, that time had never existed to begin with. It is a person. The voice inside his head was quiet, except for the few words. Everything wasn't so put together in the man's head, not yet. His movement would be swift - or swift as it could. A foot that slipped from the rock, his form turning face first into the water. A row of an arm and he would slide underneath the surface, cold and adept as ever. The water could always be home, if not for long. Kill them. There it was. The voice. Tano's fingers scrabbled against rock as he pulled himself up from the liquid, far closer to the woman than before. A few feet in front of her, he'd rise up, eyes beading across the figure grasping at frogs. His fingers twitched, wanting to grab her throat, rip the life out of her. Feel the final breath as she faded away. "What're you?" would manage it's way out instead. Take it slow. When her back is turned. You don't know what might happen. SO FUCKING KILL HER SPOILER: Click to show Unerring Presence Perhaps stemming from his personality, or from his very chakra; Tano is almost difficult for people to look at. While not entirely tried nor true, the man is almost invisible if someone isn't looking directly at him or for him. Oftentimes seeming as if he's "popping" into existence the moment he speaks. Those with sensory abilities see this differently; instead being burdened with an intense amount of unease and discomfort as they near him. Survival Expert The past five years of Tano's life have been little more than scrabbling for scraps between small pockets of peace, roaming the world whilst being hunted down and constantly tracked. From a combination of his medical training and sheer experience, he has learned nigh on every trick in the book to survive. From basic first aid to scavenging for food, he can 'make do' in almost every situation. While it might not be a particularly enjoyable existence, he will survive. 219 words || Akatsuki || aquaman

[Akatsuki]

❊ please don't go away ❊

What...? Akatsuki cocked her head to the side, slightly, her visible eye widened in confusion as she stared at the man and further took in the details of his features, putting his appearance to memory. There was something off about it, as he went through the water and eventually got to a rock nearby, standing much closer now. Still wet.
    It was... unsettling.
    Perhaps it had been a small detail, but it hadn't been unintentional. Akatsuki didn't think he had difficulty with translations like she did--most people usually spoke only in their first language, so any barriers in communicating were because they didn't know any other way. She didn't know many other people who were multilingual. So, surely, he'd chosen his words intentionally.
    But not who--like many people inquired upon meeting a stranger.
    What.
    As if she were an insect, or a specimen. It was clear that she was human--so did he mean something else? Was she a shinobi? A wanderer? Perhaps that's all he'd meant, but there was still this ominous feeling behind it. And it didn't make sense to her why he'd immediately jumped to that question.
    Was he afraid she might be something else?
    "I'm not a hunter," she spoke gently. "I am just a person. I don't want to hurt you." She cocked her head to the opposite side. She wanted to be cautious, but didn't want to grow cold. And so, she would remain friendly. But she would return the question. "What are you?" Like a child mimicking what their parent displayed. Perhaps his own answer would tell her what he'd expected from him. "Do you need help?"

WORDS: XXX TAGS: @tag Blue Text - Tsuchi Branch Kyōbō Only Violet Text - Common Language

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ