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Moist. That was the best word to describe that night. The air was moist, warm...sticky. As per usual for a tepid summer's night in Kantō region. Chōsei village had a strange knack of recieving these uncomfortable nights. Not helped in the slightest by the mysterious fog that had rolled in and made things far worse. At this time of night, many of the villagers had turned in. A few were either out having a drink before they headed home or tending to the fields.

Few dared to stay out too long, espsecially with the odd occurances going on. From missing farm equipment to fields being planted in strange new patterns...or even new colours. Some ranging from strange pranks to life-destroying messes. Worse yet were rumors of the strange mask-wearing beings, some of which were said to peer into your very soul, or seduce you and steal your soul.

The acrid winds blew harder, a warm breeze gusting into the bed chamber of a sleeping couple. A husband and his wife, tired after a long day of work had been asleep for at least three hours at this point. Both covered up, curled up tightly and in perfect comfort. Ignorant of the fact that something else lurked within their home. The husband stirred, turning onto his back and opening his eyes, his gaze almost instantly halting upon a standing shadow within the hallway.

At first it was almost impossible to distinguish from the rest of the darkness. It stood tall, a light white tinge coming off it and the warm breeze venting into the room seemingly coming from it. But then, it moved. Stepping forward, it had become a lot more clearly defined. A girl, no older then twenty, no younger then seventeen. Long, thin white hair reached all the way down to her waist, her face obscured by a white and red kabuki mask. It's shape that of a kyuubi, quite an eerie visage to see in the middle of the night. His eyes lay flat upon her, gazing almost mesmerized , her body clad in a pale white yukata with blue trimmed tassels extending from within it's sleeves reaching down to the ground. No weapons upon her, though her presence was rather surprising, it certainly was not threatening. To him, this was either a dream or something beyond his control. He simply could not wake himself up fast enough to do anything about it. Judging by her looks, they matched the mysterious masked assailants that had been seen wandering about.
She soon loomed over him, one arm crossed over her bosom whilst the other lay upon her shoulder.

"You have no reason to fear...I have come for something that was once my own." she spoke, her voice wispy and low, muffled just enough by her mask to avoid waking up his spouse. The last thing she wanted was to start up a panic. She preferred the silent treatment.

He knew what she was after. It had been passed own his family line for centuries, their only valuable item. Their family sword. He often kept it close at hand, in case he had to defend his family and now this person was there to take it away. His hand reached aside , groggily slapping the air until he caught something peaking from underneath the nearby floor board. His fingers wrapped around his sword's grip, her voice cutting him off.

"Please...do not threaten me. " she whispered, slowly reaching out towards him, a slim hand with long, delicate fingers reached out towards him as she spoke, seemingly with more intent behind her voice. "You could be ridding your world of such a beautiful thing. One that transcends flesh. And you hate destroying such things..." she turned her hand, gesturing towards the woman next to him "Your night is long, and you should appreciate the beauty in your life. Go to it."

Whatever that was, it was working. The man simply stared at the woman for another minute before turning to his wife, almost as if he were entranced. As he busied himself with affections that barely grazed her heavy sleep, she slowly made her way towards the hidden katana and pulled it quietly from under the floorboard. Slipping it out, she moved away from them, heading to leave the home.

A sword...typical that it took this form after so many years. She had to stop taking those awful pledges before she asked everyone she knew to give her her personal possessions back. As the woman stepped out of the home and slid it's canvas door closed behind her, she peered down at the blade in her grasp. Her head turned right and then left, assuring herself that she was alone before running her fingers over the metal, which shone a bright white, almost like it was ablaze with moonlight.

As it did, it's form distorted, almost completely changing in the span of an instant into the form of a white and blue fan. It's craftsmanship was exquisite,the woo itself almost blanched white and a single pattern repeated several time along it's surface. Índō...

Another simple task completed. She moved to test it by fanning herself, turning sharply to her right to keep moving, as if she had simply been passing by...she ventured towards the road leading out of the village and to the nearby forest.

(Just letting you know now, I won't be able to match your length of post. I'm sorry, please forgive me if you think I write too little. :'( )

Archer was laying on a tree branch, for it had gotten dark and a fog had rolled in. He was returning to his faraway homeland after training in magic.

(I don't really know what else to put, not much has happened yet...)

(Thank you for being so understanding. :') I honestly have basically a terrible skill level of writing, I just hate writing, so I already know I suck at it. XP And honestly, your post size does overwhelm me a little, but only because I know I can't match. I love to read, so please, keep writing. It's amazing. I just want to RP, because I have come to love it. I think my writing skill will increase with the more I RP. Also, I'll continue on with my side of the RP now.)

Archer sat up quickly, sensing a presence coming into the forest from the village. He vanished, reappearing in the bushes next to the path into the forest. He saw a girl a little bit older than him walking his way. 'It's dark, why is she going into the forest? I can't let her go alone, but I don't want to scare her.' he thought to himself. As she got closer to him, he melted into the ground by way of the shadows. When she passed, he started to follow.

((Alrighty then. Putting it that way, I see no reason why not to continue! I'll just try to regulate my post size to be a bit more managable. After all, size doesn't matter. Tis the content.))

Something was moving. Kasumi could feel it. Magic had an interesting way of rippling around a spirit, so whilst she couldn't pinpoint it's origin, it's wake was almost unmistakably there. She continued walking calmly, moving on for almost a mile in total silence, without even breaking her stride. Finally that stride broke in a split second.

She'd hardly finished her step before her form suddenly burst alight with blue flames, the winds around her picking up and causing them to roar to life. In that brief flash of fire, something shot out of where she used to be. For she was gone, with naught in her place. Not a single trickle of ash or remainder of clothing. Instead, rushing off into the greenery was a single grey and white fox, moving at the twitchy speeds you'd expect such an animal to move at, aided by the wind literally sweeping it away, allowing it to run on air and leap from tree to tree.

Unless stopped, it would not halt it's course until it reached a small lake, at which point it leapt and landed close to it's bank, paws scraping into the soil, five tails unfurling behind it. It turned around, attempting to face it's pursuer. That is , if he chose to keep following.

(Thank you for understanding, it means a lot to me. )

Archer followed the fox, knowing that the girl he was following was now this fox. 'Well, at least I know that she can take care of herself. I wonder if she would be willing to teach me how to do that...' he thought to himself. He followed the fox to a lake, when he noticed it turn around and unfurl it's five tails. 'So does she know she was followed?' Archer made a wide half-circle around her, staying downwind just in case. He made it into the water directly behind her, coming up as if he was a spirit of the lake. 'So much for secrecy.' he thought. "Hello"

That did it. He'd startled her more then she was expecting. Even the sudden nature of the magical ripple made her almost jump out of her fur. In this case - literally! Up she jumped, her body turned by a strong wind current, her tails flaring up in an audible sizzle before a loud clash could be heard.

Five bolts of blue electricity shot out of her tails, striking the water around him and just barely missing him. It seemed less intentional and more of a natural reaction to having the everunliving crap scared out of her. She landed on all fours, her gaze set upon him, eyes glowing a visible white glow and the wind gathering around her defensively. If the glowing blue eyes, oddly wispy fur and strange magical powers weren't enough of an indication that this wasn't a creature of this world, then likely the fact she changed forms in a burst of blue fire was a good hint!

"Is it...in your nature to follow lone women on the roads? I was under the impression that was the prelude to improper depravities!"

She spoke, with a voice and yet without moving her lips. For she spoke with the tongue of a human in the form of an animal.

NOw it was a dead giveaway.

Archer knelt on the water. "If by nature to follow lone women on roads you mean gentlemanly duties, then yes. I was worried since it was dark and you were traveling alone. But then I saw you shape-shift. I then knew you could take care of yourself. But I continued to follow you, hoping to find a place to ask you to teach me to do that without scaring you. Like knocking on the door of your house an hour after you went in, for example. But you noticed me, how?" Archer asked, getting up.

"A knock on a door would trigger the subconcious reaction to know that it is a guest, or suspect someone has come to visit. Following someone this clumsily gives them the impression that a raging animal is trying to hunt them down. Or in your case, jump up behind them. You should be aware that creatures from beyond are sensative to any form of anomalous abilities or magic. " She lectured as she stepped towards him, slowly stepping onto the water and seemingly walking upon the surface, little white pads of light forming underneat her paws.

"Think of that as your first lesson, my mortal friend. Do not think that twisting an act into a favorable light makes it favorable to others." she seemed to stop next to him, settling down upon her rump and peering up at him, tails flicking slowly.

"So, here you are. Asking for lessons from a silly old thing like myself. A wise choice, my clan is well known for it's wisdom and I have heard we make fine conversation. But I'm a little...picky when it comes to students. I have had a few...stinkers in the last few decades. So the question now falls. Why should I teach you? And just what do you think I am?" if she could perk a brow, she would. Instead she settled for tilting her head and peering up at him, those bright eyes filled with curiousity and wonder.

"Well first off, my first guess as to what you are was going to be a woman who can shape-shift, but with all that you just said, I'm going to go with some magical being. And as to why you should teach me, my answer is simply, I don't know. I'm even asking myself, 'Why should I learn this skill under her? I can already shadow travel, so why do I need to know this?'. Again, the answer is simply, I don't know." Archer said, jumping high into the air, did a flip, and landed on a log on the shore.

"Then really, my dear mortal, you can see why I am reluctant. Why teach a student with no ambition? Why impart knowledge onto one that does not even know the simple answer of 'why do I want to know'? Some people might call you ignorant for calling your limited shadow magic 'enough'. I think the one holding the tools is the one that can excell their quality. " she continued to preach, moving to step up to shore and simply shake what little droplets of water met her off.

"And one that isn't familiar with kémōnō-youkaí. I'm not sure if I should feel relieved or insulted. Then again , my kind try not to make themselves too well known. Not that it matters. I can disguise myself again later." she seemed to sway her form from side to side, cooing almost whimsically to herself, like a lost child.

"Maybe I can try something new...like an old man...or a blind woman. Or perhaps someone's clothes. Can't locate all of these relics without a good disguise." she murmured, ears pinning back "Ah...but that is really my business. I believe you have your answer, as I now have mine."

"My shadow travel is of the high skill level, I can get anywhere through the shadows quietly." Archer explained. He saw a fish swimming 15 feet from the shore, and feeling hungry, pulled a bow out, seemingly from nowhere. He pulled the sting back, an arrow forming as he did. He took aim, and released the arrow, pinning the fish to the ground. He dropped the bow, which vanished as it fell, and jumped to where the fish was. He pulled it out and walked back to shore, pulling the arrow out as he walked. When he got to shore, he sat down and started to eat the fish.

The creature observed him quietly, hardly twitching at his actions before she would huff and roll her eyes at his antics.

"Yes, highly skilled...and wonderful at wasting life simply to demonstrate." she hopped up onto her feet, pacing around for a moment "If you have confident in your skills, friend, then by all means have confidence in your skills. Sadly , kemono-be takes drive and desire to learn. More so then simple shadow magic."

Standing up onto all fours, she'd begun to saunter her way towards the nearby path she'd taken to reach the road, cooing back to him as she moved along with more then a little bit of bounce to her step. "May it serve you well!" she called. Her attention span seemed eratic on first glance. She'd hardly stayed focused on him for more then a few moments and even during her speech , she seemed to have been gazing around as if something were buzzing around her.

"Hey, real quick. Can you cook this for me? I didn't plan on eating just yet, but the fish just looked so good and it was right there. As for that 'showing-off', I'm sorry if that was what you thought of it. I was simply catching my dinner. And finally, as for that 'simple shadow magic'" Archer said, holding the fish in his mouth, stood up, pulled out his bow and shot an arrow at the ground. As it made contact with the ground, it melted into the shadows. Suddenly, a fish shot out of the water with an arrow sticking out of it landed at Archer's feet. "You can have that one if you want." he said.

(Also, I won't be able to reply until later. I'm going to Six Flags. If you post while I'm gone, that would be nice. This way I can reply when I get back. )

"I am not your cook." she stated flatly, stepping towards him and peering down at the fish. In truth, she needed no food. I mean - in reality she had no stomach.

She never really hungered, she never really needed to sleep nor even rest. But it was against her people's nature to turn down a gift, so she slowly turned tail and made her way back to him, peering at the fish curiously as she slowly bent her head dow nand took it within her jaws. Rather then bite down upon it and eat it up, she clenched it tightly, the fish seemingly shattering into small white fragments, which flowed into her, the flesh sagging and decaying before his very eyes and the fish soon became a pile of bones upon the ground.

"You are trying to impress me." she added with equally as much flatness, before she would lick her chops clean. "If you think I know nothing of your magic and it's limits in relation to other forms of magic then you really, really do not know what I am. I mastered that form of magic two hundred years ago. I prefer to keep my magic ready for when I need it." she quipped.

With that, she peered over to his fish, unable to help but grin to herself as she would speak to it.

"Isn't that right, Fishy?"

Should Archer actually observe, it would seem as if the fish twitched within his mouth, tilting it's head up and speaking, even moving it's lips. "Damn right you do. And you look fabulous when you do it."

"So kind. I'm starting to feel bad about your horrible slaughter, but the circle of life has to go on."

"It's okay. I've got relatives waiting for me within the spirit world. Besides, I've decided to become a lobster."

And with that bit of an odd display, the fish within his mouth would seemingly twist and change, expanding into a small, admittedly authentic lobster. Small enough to still fit inside of his mouth.

"Now, as thanks I could give you an entire four course dinner. The catch is everything will have an arrow in it. Small or big. It depends on which is funnier. I personally enjoy a nice warm breeze, it tastes a little like tofu...yet, not as good as the real deal."

"Huh, so even the fish here can shape-shift." Archer said quietly. "Now as for that four course dinner, I'll pass. It'll all go bad by the end of the week, and it would seem like I didn't even put a dent in the amount." he said, laughing a little. Suddenly his expression got serious. "If you really have mastered it, you would of known that you could quickly lose me. Every shadow traveler knows that you can't chase another shadow traveler, because you can't see them. So that means one of two things. One, you didn't really master it, trying to trick me. Or two, you have mastered it, but didn't escape on purpose. Which, if the second is true, leads me to think that you wanted something, whether it be information or something else." Archer paused for a moment to finish the last of his meal. "So, which is it? One or two?"

"The fish shapeshift if I order them to." she explained, slowly rising as she took his serious expression quite serious herself, stepping towards him as she would peer into his eyes "Shadows die under the light. The light dies under my shadow. The winds blow if I say they blow, the squalls scream if I say they scream, and the typhoons rive if I order them to rive. I am many things, friend, but a lier I am not. My kind are forbidden to lie when asked something. It is against our nature. I do not fear you nor do I see any reason to escape."

Long winded (hurhur, geddit?) as that was, she soon found herself turning her back to him, tails flicked up as she was clearly offended.

"I am simply here because you offered me something to nourish myself. And because you seemed to be interested in learning. As a scholar it is my duty to teach the uneducated and give them knowledge to further themselves. But by all means, if you really are this ambivolent I can simply leave you alone to your ignorance. It is your choice. Show respect and drive - and you will be thought magic spoken of only in legend. Or simply go on your way, take your fish and enjoy your walk. I have a quest to partake in of great personal importance."

(I geddit. XP )

"If that is what it was, with the whole not fearing me thing nor seeing a reason to escape, then why did you turn to face me?" Archer asked. "And I might just follow you, as I have nothing else to do." he said, finishing his dinner. "I also have a random question, it's been bugging me for a bit now. How long did it take you to master shadow traveling?" he asked, laying down.

"So many questions and so many demands for such a lazy man." she scoffed, her body encased by a warm prismatic glow as she changed her form, taking the same one that he'd seen travelling along the road not too long ago.

"None that help me. Look. I am giving you a fair judgement out of good faith. But I'm afraid this game ends here. I have better things to do then to then be talked down to by a child." she dusted herself off for a moment - after all, some things did transfer between forms - and soon turned to set off. "But this isn't your quest to follow me on. You haven't earned that right yet. Until then...interfere and I will have to punish you for your own good."

"Who said anything about me interfering? I'm just a shadow." Archer said, melting into the ground. He popped his head up in her shadow. "And nobody needs to give me rights to something that requires no rights, such as curiosity." he said, 'swimming' in her shadow. "And one more thing, I am not lazy. I'm just quiet most of the time." he added, submerging the bottom half of his head into the ground.