Starring:
Kiyoshi, Kiji
Date: June 20, 2015
Summary:
With the assistance of the second eldest Moto brother, a test is preformed to both find out, and if possible, remove whatever it is blocking Kiji's memory. In part, the test is successful….
"Bloody Pursuit - Toxic Remedy"
Kirigakure - Residential District
A few hours have passed since Kiyoshi left Kiji's apartment in search of his brother. Since then, the younger of the three Moto brothers has traversed much of Kirigakure, hunting high and low. He did not search low enough, as it turned out. In fact, his instincts kept nudging him in that direction, but he ignored them, embarrassment keeping him from acknowledging the path that needed taking until no other option remained left…
Assuming Kiji did not sense the brothers approach, She would more than certainly hear the elders loud mouthed complaints growing closer to her door. This is soon followed by some growling on the Kirryu's part, but no further reprimand. Either at the door or after calling for Kiyoshi to enter, Kiji is greeted by the sight of a moss-haired giant pinching the ear of his slighter and brown-haired counter part.
Kiji did sense them coming and had gone to the door to let them in. She looked slightly nervous but her eyes wnt purple as she saw how Kiyoshi had his brother 'in hand'. She blinked several times then nodded her head politely to the brother. Truth be told, she was nervous to meet Kiyoshi's family. Would they approve? She wasn't exactly A-list material in her opinion.
She had the manners to have had water heating while Kyoshi was gone though so she motioned to her small living room and the sofa there for then to sit. Meanwhile she went to the kitchenette and brought out cups and tea. Kiyoshi would of course scent her nervousness, but she was also tired. She'd tried not to think about the whole thing while he was away but that made it even harder not to think about it! Finally she brought the brothers tea, setting it on the coffee table. "Hello…"
The wait may not have been all that long, but Kiyoshi grew nervous until Kiji opened the door. At least, he was pretty sure it was Kiji. Paranoia nearly led him to doing something unsavory, to say the least. Surumu caught the look fortunately, and jabbed at the taller man's side. Although he lacked the physical strength to do any real harm, the contact /was/ noticeable enough to give Kiyoshi a start, then shake clear the haze that came over him. Surumu breathed a sigh of relief, then walked on, following Kiji into the living room while giving his brother a lingering look in passing.
Disoriented, Kiyoshi quietly follows after and plops down on the sofa. The duo sat in silence. One, out of rare respect of the other, and the other due to heavy thoughts. "Hm? Oh! RIght, Sorry! So, so sorry. Didn't mean to ignore you there, especially in your own place at all. And to do that after wanting to see for the longest whose been occupying my brother for so long too. Ugh! For shame!" Is Surumu's rather dramatic reply, complete with flamboyant gestures. "… Ohhh, where are my manners!? Moto Surumu," He says, and if Kiji doesn't stop him, the Shimizu's hand is brought close for a quick peck.
Kiji noted Kiyoshi's odd behavior but kept quiet about it. For the moment anyway. Surumu's flamboyant nature and words made her tilt her head, eyes purple before she looked to Kiyoshi like she expected an explanation. It was in that moment of distraction that Kiji's hand was captured by Surumu and kissed. The Shimizu turned red, blushing an looked take aback for a second. Then he turnedto peer at Kiyoshi again, wondering if the giant was going to be upset. In any case, she turned back to Surumu. "Shimizu Kiji…. So.. you know about seals?"
Surumu follows Kiji's gaze and smirks. Kiyoshi — far too used to his brother's antics than what would've been preferred — simply bowed his head, closed his eyes, and sighed heavily in exasperation. When they open again a half-hearted glare is leveled upon the 'elder brother'. While the warning had been a light-hearted one, Surumu knew well of his brother's territorial nature, and so merely settled back into his seat, chuckling softly.
"Yep! Among a few other things that I'd be—" Kiyoshi growls. "Would've been more than happy to share with you, but… I'm afraid I cannot. I can however say that yes, I know a thing about seals… Which I'm guessing now is why I am here." Surumu says, disappointed by the sound of his tone.
Kiji flicked her eyes back and forth between the two, the irritation from Kiyoshi, not gone unnoticed. Kiji reached over and poked her mate in the knee lightly with a sot expression. Te she turned to Sumuru as he spoke of knowing about seals. Kiji bit her lip, eyes down before looking back up at him. "Well.. we won't know if it's a seal.. I just.. if I try to remember that day my head feels like it might explode…." She looks concerned, half afraid of what might be found. It might be better not to remember at all.. No. No that couldn't be right. She turned suddenly deep blue eyes on Surumu then. "What do you need to know or.. or do?" One of her arms rested on her knee just beow her skirt, her and brushing Kiyoshi's kne, wanting to feel contact from him somehow.
Kiyoshi eases up on Surumu after the poke, if albiet grudgingly. He still kept a firm eye on his brother. Surumu seemed unaffected by his younger brother scrutiny once Kiji began explaining things. The more easy-going side of the elder Moto slips away, leaving behind a more serious persona that scrutinized the girl. If experience has taught the Shimizu anything, it is picking up on when those probes went deeper than just a look.
"What I need… is for you to come closer for me." He says softly before shifting from one hand sign to the next, forming a thirteen chain that ends with his holding his wrist with one hand while the palm of the other faced upward. "The Kanji for 'Dominion' emblazons itself there, glow wavering as if it were a flame. Kiyoshi stayed silent, expression hardening for a moment at the sight of the seal, then softening as Kiji brushed against him again. He reached out blindly until he felt her hand, and held onto to it firmly.
Despite a number of questions coming to mind, Kiyoshi remains silently.
Kiji watched the two of them, squeezing Kiyoshi's hand lightly when he took hers. She knew this upset him and wished there was something she could do for him, but for now the best thing was to figure out what happened that sunday. Surumu's tone made her wary but she swallowed it and moved to sit on the sofa between Kiyoshi and Surumu so she was closer to both of them. The long string of hand signs and the intricate way Surumu wove his chakra into that kanji on his palm was fascinating to the sensor.
Surumu had paid no initial mind to the two's show of support. Truthfully, he couldn't even if he wanted to, seeing as how his position was too poor for it. He did on the other hand noted her spirit's return, and found himself grinning despite himself. "This may hurt a little, but do not worry, I'll stop the procedure… You have to know that if your memory loss is really due to a seal, the cost of retrieving them may prove fatal." Kiyoshi's eyes widen considerably at the news. Knowing his brother as he did, Surumu kept his eyes locked sharply on Kiji's own, measuring any changes she may have undergone.
Once he received the go ahead from Kiji, Surumu would hold his palm just an inch away from Kiji's forehead. What happens next is the very opposite of mind numbing, as a blood red seal blazes into existence, inflicting nothing short then a world of pain.
Kiji didn't look upset or bothered by the statement that it might hurt to find the memories or unlock them. She nodded. "Short of killing me do what you need to." Meruin would not be happy if she were killed after all. Her had in Kiyoshi's squeezed lightly, a show of support for him and a sign that she would be ok. She was determined to keep her reaction to any pain down so as to not upset him further. But when Surumu held his hand in front of her forehead and that blood seal showed itsel on her skin she sudenly couldn't breathe. Her body tightened and she grit her teeth, eyes squeezing shut tightly. As it cntinued, she gasped for air before letting out a relatively small cry of pain, but for Kiji, it was strange for her to show any reaction to pain. Even when she'd been impale she hadn't really cried out. She couldn't help but to tighten her grip n Kiyoshi's hand….
Sweat began to already surface above Surumu's brow as he held his hand in place. Something was wrong. He understood it the moment his hand did not make contact with Kiji's forehead first, but finding his voice or thinking of anything but pressing on was all but impossible for the elder Moto. Kiyoshi had tried to watch impassively. The endeavour was taken in folly. Seeing her in pain is something the Kirryu wanted nothing to do with. Not again, and not ever. Fangs are buried into flesh as the Kirryu held back trying to end the ritual prematurely.
Meanwhile, as time progresses, the seal grew brighter and began to grow, centimeter by center meter. As it grew, so did the pain without any results to show for it. If anything, to Kiji it would almost feel as if she were slowly being stripped of something; of memories.
Surumu almost doesn't stop in time to keep Kiji's oldest memories, the first to be threatened from being wholly devoured by the seal.
Kiji was overcome by the sensations. Pain and .. losing something.. She felt like she was starting to fade, her eyes growing dull and grey, she ended up back against the back of the sofa panting as the seal grew slowly over the skin of her face. She let out a sharper sounding cry just before Surumu stop what he was doing.
As soon as he stopped, her tensed body suddenly went limp, panting heavily, sweat covering her skin as she tried to recover. Her head was still hurting badly but at least that white hot pain was gone for the moment… It took her several more moments to figure out that something felt… strange… about the memories that had begun to fade…. She couldn't quite put her finger on it though. "Wh..what happened…?"
Dark eyes grow wide, then narrow sharply as their owner whipped his head about to glare fiercely at Surumu. The elder Moto never catches the almost murderous look from the younger, his focus far too strained at the time, before ultimately releasing the seal. Phantom pain from the seal would dog Kiji for several long moments. As for the seal itself however, it fades out of existence, larger than before but not threat to Kiji for the time being.
"Whoever… did this to… you aren't to be taken… lightly." Surumu says breathy and absently, eyes focused intently upon the palm of his hand. Kiyoshi stands up sharply, nearly flipping the table and yanking Kiji in his haste to rise. "Fix it." He growls out. To which, Surumu replies only with silence and a long steady look before shanking his head grimly at the younger Moto; inciting the giant further…
Kiji flinched as Kiyoshi was suddenly on his feet. She felt like she wanted to fall asleep but the pain wouldn't let her… She wouldn't let her either. The pain just wouldnt stop completely, almost as though the marks had been carved into her bones. Surumu's breathless speech made her close her eyes. Kiji stayed that way for long enough to make one or both think she might have passed out. But then Kiyoshi insisted Surumu 'fix it' and she had to try and move, tried to reach for him. She knew instinctively what that silece meant. "Something's wrong… It.. must not be a normal seal. Kiyoshi…" She opened her eyes again, looking up at him, eyes still greyish but with a hint of blue as well. "He…he's trying…"
Surumu met his brother's gaze, imploring him to see reason. The elder might've been more demanding had the seal not drained him as much as it did, but reality was reality. Joints popped in Kiyoshi's free hand as it is curled into a tight fist at his side. Before his rage can build into some sort of violent action, Kiji's words wash over him like a cold bucket of water. The moss-haired man inclines his head, unable to say anything to either of them. Surumu appeared wary at first, but ultimately looked to Kiji as he spoke again.
"Tried… I'm sorry, Kiji. I wanted to meet you under better circumstances, and if not that then at least have been of help, but… This seal array is beyond me. We… We need to take this up the Mizukage or.. someone else. Someone even more experienced than—"
"Later," Kiyoshi cuts in, tone quiet but firm. Surumu almost presses the matter. After glancing in Kiji's direction however, the elder Moto nodded grimly. "Later.." He parrots. "It might be difficult, but try to get some rest while you can. I'll look into a few folks I knew from way back when to see if they might be of some help. Kiyoshi-…" Surumu regards his brother from the corner of his eyes. "Take care of her, alright." The suggestion earns a snort, though not one filled with hostility. Surumu would rise soon after, throw a bright smile at Kiji, then take his leave of the place, leaving the two to alone. Kiyoshi returns to his seat, air rushing from his lung the moment he plops down.
Kiji watched Kiyoshi closely as she stayed on the couch, getting her own breath back. She met Surumu's eyes when he began to speak. His apology made her reach out and pat him on the arm. "Thank you…. for your attempt. It gave us.. something anyway." They could socialize another time. And soon enough Surumu's gone and Kiyoshi plopped back down beside her.
Kiji turned and curled up against his side, closing her eyes once again. Se stayed quiet for a long while…. Finally she lifted her hand and rests it against Kiyoshi's chest. "I'm sorry. We'll figure something out. Okay? I.. I'll be okay."
As Kiji curled up against his side, Kiyoshi lifts an arm, then drapes it around her. He does nothing to break the silence that arises between them. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but it beat one of the alternatives too it. Besides, the Kirryu needed the time to cool off for awhile. When Kiji speaks up, Kiyoshi now calm gaze fell upon her. Wordlessly, he sinks further into the coach and closes his eyes. He didn't have the will to speak any more, but he clutched her to his side, acknowledging her assurance and replying with an agreement.
Regardless, of how much or little his heart truly believed in them…
