Ryuuan Kamei & Fujou Ran
Morning
Rashomon Gashi
Without any objections from Kamei, Ran begins.
He mutters an incantation under his breath, and the air around the alley becomes thick. Kuikkou starts at that, though Kamei doesn’t. Kamei, after all, can’t really see anything, though he can tell from Kuikkou’s reaction that something had been casted. The air begins to shimmer, and not from the summer heat. Something like smoke begins to emerge from the body—
And dissipates as fast as it came, fading into nothingness, leaving behind nothing but the echoes of a voice. The summoning failed to evoke a spirit.
5 mp spent
Not that this was so bad, so to speak, though it certainly was strange. Summoning spirits depended heavily on said spirit’s cause of death— a murder victim, for example, would likely retain a grudge that bound them to the earth. In a normal situation, that should’ve made the spirit summonable. But instead, it failed.
Why, then, would this man die without an anchor? That’s the question this poses. It raises as many questions as it answers. Perhaps he was killed before he understood what happened. Perhaps his soul was damaged in some way, that prevented its anchor. Perhaps he had actually accepted his death. Whatever happened, you’re left with more questions.
Though now, you recall, that you heard a voice. Even Kamei heard it. Just fragments of thoughts, perhaps this man’s last words.
“—re you lost? Whose are y—”
“—pretty little thing, you know—”
“—u think you’re going?”
And it disappears. All you’re left with was the absence of a spirit to anchor, and fragment’s of a man’s last words.
Fujou Ran
For a moment, nothing. And then you feel a familiar feeling was over you, and you instinctively run prana through your circuits. The sensation leaves as fast as it came, and you turn, and sees a familiar face.
That cursed child, huh? Asakami Shinsui, another agent of the Association. Strange of him to come out here to the flower towns; honestly, you don’t know if you’re afraid or morbidly curious as to how his affliction would mix with this sort of lot. Hopefully, though, he won’t stay for long for it to take hold. He raises a hand in greeting, and walks on over.
Behind him, you notice, seems to be a young girl following him, moving surreptitiously as if not wanting to be seen.
Ryuuan Kamei
You aren’t quite sure what just happened. The guy muttered something, Kuikkou looked surprised and taken aback at it al, you heard some strange voices, and then it was over, leaving you with nothing much. Kuikkou seems to notice your confusion, and speaks to you in a hushed voice.
“This man, here; he’s a magus. An spirit-medium.”
Your recognize the term, vaguely. You weren’t too well-verse in magi and their ways, though it still strikes you as odd. All the mediums you’ve heard of were women.
Well, that didn’t matter too much anyway. Kuikkou explains to you the situation about the spirits— more specifically, that there was nothing to anchor. Not an error on the caster’s part, but an anomaly of the death itself.
Before she can say much more, the two of you notice Ran’s attention diverted. You see another man approach your group, a young man with pale hair. An associate of Ran’s, you assume, considering the familiarity with which they treat each other.
Something in your left hand stirs, and disappears as quick as it came. The murderous impulse, again? No, it’s something different. As you stare at the young man, you feel something. It whispers within you. An unfamiliar feeling You find yourself wishing to possess this man before you.
Kuze Yuzuha
Morning
Rashomon Gashi
You follow the boy without incident.
The crowd somewhat obscures you from his notice. Either that, or he’s too preoccupied to notice your trailing of him. Indeed, from what you could see of his face he seemed troubled. Not fear like the residents here, but something else. You couldn’t discern his feelings. You didn’t know either, why you were following him. Something about him piqued your curiosity, and it grew stronger still.
You notice, as you trail him, the spiritual signature of a spell in the air. It lingers for moments, and then disappears. It came from the direction of the Rashomon Gashi. You shudder. It has that tell-tale taint of the dead.
Somehow still undetected, you follow him all the way to Rakka-ya. The crowd there is thinner , with several samurai and law enforcers gathered about the alleyway. Among them, several figures stand out.
The boy you were following greets them with a wave, and heads on over. The thinning of the crowd gives you pause; you’re not sure if you can follow him further without being discovered. From here, you can see three other distinctive figures. A man with a dreamy expression, in the garb of a government official. A courtesan in flowered robes, speaking to a man beside her. And a fierce-looking man, whose mere presence instinctively made you fear. The owner of the Rakka-ya.