The white haired man walked through the hallway but did not turn back into his room. His eye and right side of his face bandaged up once more, and he was now avoiding the doctors that were walking through the hallway. I've healed myself well enough.... the white haired man mused. And they have done enough... I just need to find Nino and leave.... or maybe.... The white haired man stopped walking all together and turned his head down the hallway. A light smile worked its way on his face. A ghost girl was standing there staring at him. "Sorry I didn't notice you before..." he sighed a bit with a smile. The girl seemed to jump when she realized he was addressing her.
"You can see me?" was the first question that the girl asked, and as Matsu nodded, she seemed to change shades of transparency as though unsure of what to say or do on this matter. The white haired man smiled and nodded again.
"It's alright," he answered back walking a few steps towards her and holding out a hand. "My name is Matsujun... but most people call me Matsu," he smiled lightly even more. "What is your name?"
The girl seemed hesitant to take Matsu's hand but finally reached forwards. Finding that she could touch him, the girl looked up almost surprised.
"Shamans exist on many planes..." he smiled lightly. "But my dear this world has become a battle ground..." he sighed lightly. "It is best if you move on..." With a flick of his hand, Matsu brought forth his Katana and made a calm quiet slash through the girl. Her eyes grew for a split second but then returned to normal.
"Ok...." the girl sighed. "Bye..." with that, she seemed to fade away into nothingness. Matsu stared for a minute before cupping his hand over his mouth and resisting the urge to vomit. After the moment past, Matsu found himself dizzy for half a second. My entire being hurts..... he sighed to himself. And yet and yet.... I feel... strangely alive....
"Are you alright?" a nurse asked. Mastu found that he had turned himself around and was facing one of the walls of the hallway to the point most would not recognize him.
Matsu forced himself upright and turned around with a light smile on his face. "I'm fine," he answered back. "You wouldn't happen to have any scissors would you?" he asked lightly. The nurse blinked a moment. Matsu made a point at his bandages. "The ties are too long, and it is getting in my way..." The nurse made a slow nod before turning and producing a pair of scissors. Before the nurse could say anything, Matsu took hold of them and started running down the hallway before turning into yet another bathroom and locking the door. Well this is a habit I never thought I would acquire..... Matsu grinned to himself looking down at the scissors. But... I think it might make me feel a bit more alive...... Another strange grin appeared on Matsu's face. Raising up his wrist, the white haired man held the scissor's edge towards his skin.
"You're slipping, Matsujun..." Sho's voice caused Matsu's hand to involuntarily twitch and drop the scissors. They hit the floor quietly. Matsu said nothing and didn't turn around to face the brown haired man who had easily broken his way into the bathroom.
"Sho.. I was..." Matsu tried but the dark haired man seemed to silence this with his stare.
"I asked if you were slipping a while ago... and it seems you are a liar..." Sho sighed as he stared at Matsu who stared wide eyed back at him. Matsu shook his head and looked away. However, Sho walked straight forwards and seized the white haired man by the chin forcing him to look at him. "How long have you been slipping, Matsujun?" Matsu said nothing as his eye slid sideways away from Sho. The brown haired man turned Matsu's head again and forced him to look. "Answer."
"I....I'm going crazy." the white haired man broke off and simply resorted to staring at the brown haired man who was staring back. A strange smirk was worked on Matsu's face. "I bet you wanted to hear that...." Sho said nothing but released Matsu's chin.
"You must go back to the Council," Sho sighed outwards. "So that they can contain this mess...."
" 'This Mess'?" Matsu's voice was sharp back. "All my real emotions are returning and the only words you can say are 'this mess'?" he challenged.
"Matsu, you already know the severity of when either you or Nin-....." Sho broke off. "He's experiencing this too isn't he?"
"I wouldn't doubt he's starting to," Matsu answered back putting a hand over his eye and sighing outwards. "He's probably enjoying himself right now so much... It irritates me..."
"Matsu," Sho sighed.
"It irritates me!" Matsu yelled back suddenly looking at Sho with a fiery look within his single eye.
"We'll have to take you both back.... I wonder what has started this...." Sho put a hand to his own chin feeling the strain of the thoughts coming within his mind. "Aoi's spiritual return, maybe?" he asked looking at Matsu with a calm stare now. The white haired man turned around sharply and faced the sink of the bathroom.
"I refuse to go back...." Matsu said sharply.
"Matsu..." Sho sighed outwards.
"No. If.. if... I don't care if I die from this..." Matsu turned his head and stared at Sho. "I had no idea until now that this..."
"It may kill Nino as well, Matsu," Sho answered back crossing his arms in front of him. "It is not safe to keep going in this manner..."
"It wouldn't kill him..." Matsu answered back. "I already know it wouldn't he's not the on-"
"Silence Matsu," Sho ordered sharply causing Matsu to fall into silence again. Sho sighed outwards and rubbed his temple. "You are not allowed to die, Matsujun," Sho finished. "That is an order from the Council."
"You would act as the Council?" Matsu asked back. "Just to see-"
"To keep you and everyone else alive, yes," Sho answered back. The white haired man said nothing further but turned his head again and stared blankly into the air.
"Life or Death means nothing," Matsu sighed outwards. "Alive as a spirit, one walks the earth yet has no life, Death in the body one has no will and is nothing... in the end of it all we're all just corpses..."
"Matsu..." Sho sighed. "You have slipped too much.... come on... we're going back to the Council...." Putting a hand on Matsu's shoulder, Sho walked him away.
~*~
Nino had been shooting his gun off with ease. A smirk was on his face the entire time. Emiko, who had managed to get a hold of spiritual pressure after a few tires, was aiming and shooting at the cans along with the dark haired man. Suddenly finding that Emiko was staring at him, Nino raised an eyebrow. "What?" the dark haired man asked.
"Are you... um.. Doki or something right now?" Emiko finally asked. Nino's smirk faded, and the dark haired man said nothing but simply returned his head forwards and continued shooting cans.
"No," Nino answered back dryly now. "He only comes out when Noiren is around." Nino breathed in and shot at a can. "And then I have my mind pushed away while he gets control for a while..."
"You just seem..." Emiko broke off as the sounds of steps caught both of their ears. Nino's head turned, and he found Sho now standing not far off. The dark haired man said nothing but just stared. Both seemed to exchange looks as people who have spent too much time analyzing each other do. Turning his head, Nino looked back at Emiko.
"Finish your training....Bye," he said before walking towards Sho. Emiko seemed to blink a fraction as if confused. However, Nino just kept walking.
"Nino? Where are you going?" Emiko asked. "Nino?" The dark haired man just continued walking. As soon as Nino was within arm's distance, Sho placed his arm on the dark haired man's shoulder, and an Earth spirit took fold. Almost instantly the two were gone.
~*~
Bones bones and more bones.... Ookami hummed to himself as he watched Aiba slashed at yet more bone soldiers. The dark haired boy was getting better at defending himself and keeping things at a distance using the lance that Uma had turned into, yet he still had his problems. The Wolf and the Bear were watching not far off more or less simply spectators to the fight rather than players in it. This was Aiba's training, anyways.
You're really a Dog aren't you? Kuma hummed a bit. Ookami's sharp stare made the Bear laugh now. He had found a place at which to poke fun at the Wolf and was now having too much fun not to do it every few seconds. The Wolf who was more or less ready to chew the Bear's face off simply sighed to himself and watched Aiba.
Stop slashing me like that.... Uma's voice was like nails on a chalk board to the dark haired boy. I am not a sword. I am a lance. There is a difference! Stop that! Stop that and use me correctly! Aiba sighed outward feeling tired of Uma's complaining.
Suddenly the bones seemed to disappear and run away. Aiba turned his head and Ookami was digging up a hole as though trying to get at them. A light laugh escaped the dark haired boy before his eye finally caught Aisling walking towards him. He waved the lance a fraction causing an irritated order from Uma which the dark haired boy replied to after a second. Setting down the lance which then took the form of Uma once more, Aiba walked over towards Aisling.
"What's up?" Aiba asked trying not to sound tired or something odd.
"A lot of time has passed," Ailsing pointed out. Aiba nodded a bit to himself and then blinked. "So I was wondering if you wanted to wake up, and maybe we can go eat or something....?" she tried.
"Oh ya.. sure," Aiba answered back nodding with a sudden grin. "Food sounds good right now hahahah."
"Ok..." Ailsing said aloud with a smile. The world seemed to pull away at that moment, and Aiba found himself blinking and staring up at the ceiling from his place on the bed. He yawned a fraction and then noticed that Aisling was also getting up off from where she had all but passed out on the bed. At that moment, Aiba felt a chill run in him... it was the same feeling as before... that strange empty feeling that he could not begin to explain. Suddenly he realized it.. the vessel spirit within him was gone. It left him feeling colder than before and unsure of himself. It had always been there in the back of his mind... yet it was completely gone now. Ryoen.... really is dead then...... was the only thing that came to mind.
"Wow... it looks like a lot more time has gone by than I thought..." Aisling said aloud. Aiba turned his head in mild confusion to see that the red haired girl had gotten up and was at the window looking out. Forcing himself up and out of bed, Aiba walked over and stared out the window as well. Below, it was nearly mid-day or maybe afternoon. The dark haired boy had to admit that he was not good at timing, and Aiba felt the strangeness of being within a world whose time ran slower. It's... weird.... the dark haired boy thought to himself after another moment.
"So do you just want to get food then since it's like... I don't know what you would call it?" Aisling laughed lightly a fraction. Aiba nodded. "Alright..." he answered back. Both started out of the room and down the hallway.
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Don't 'meet up with' or run into Nino or Matsu or I will smack you down with a rubber chicken and Ronald McDonald! K Thx! <3 :3
