Breath Of Life. [Iori]

[Kokomo]

Continued From Here​

A body, draped in a woman's arms, dead as the night air, was carried through the silent district. Everyone had left towards the rubble of a mass explosion. The brown-haired stranger moved into an unknown house, an empty house, and shoved everything off the table, laying the corpse down on it as she brushed the hair from her face.

"I can't bring back the baby...." Her voice cooed, as her eyes welled with tears. Saiko, being a spirit who had lost her child and been sexually abused, felt the pain from her life all over again. Slowly, she cleansed the wounds, and healed the corpses' injuries. Her touch was gentle on her dead ex-host, a smile staying on her face.

"Ready for your second chance?" She murmured quietly , giving a quiet sigh as she stepped back. The blue light surrounding her again, twisting around her slowly. It all gathered together into one large ball of light that seeped down into Itami's body. The strangers' body falling to the floor instantly--knocked out--and Itami's body jolting violently.

Saiko giving up her life force to give her that second chance...

Coughing violently, Itami sat up quickly, her eyes rolling back for a moment as she took in the breath of life. Sputtering before her body fell back on the table, her chest heaving up and down. The life force of the Nu Gu surrounding her heart--and forcing it to pulse for the rest of her life.

[KO]

 

[Kiriyama Sadako]

Iori stalked the streets of the silver district with a small squad of med-nin, the man quite sure that his beloved Itami may be in danger. A building had been destroyed, Ikkadan buried in rubble, and murmurs among the crowd about a woman fitting her description having been killed...it was hard for him to control his rage as they searched for her. Pictures were shown to whoever they came across, trying to get a lead as to her location. Despite being in his service the man never prayed to Jashin...except for now, hushed whispers escaping his lips, desperate enough to ask a god of chaos to keep her safe.

 

[Kokomo]

Eyes fluttered open, her body jerking again as she awoke from the suffering. Where was she? Itami lifted her head slowly from the dining table she had been left on, slipping off, and stepping over the body on the floor by the table. What had happened?

Rubbing her head she moved out into the street, the air was covered in dust. Blood running down between her thighs for some unknown reason (she had forgotten about the baby, and the murder of it), stumbling in a ripped and filthy short kimono as she leaned against the wall, trying to remember everything.

But a certain fired-haired man caught her eye. How happy she was to see a familiar face. "Iori!" She called, stumbling towards him with hazy eyesight, and her pale legs doused in fetal-blood. "Iori!!" She screamed, panicked.

 

[Kiriyama Sadako]

"Itami!?" The man yelled out as he heard that panicked voice call out his name, quickly pushing through the crowd of people as he moved in it's direction. Eyes would finally settle on the object of his pursuit, the wreck of a woman who was his lover. He took note of her injuries, pausing for a moment as he saw the blood running down her leg, before moving towards her quickly and gently pulling her into his arms. "Don't worry, I'm here! Are you alright?" His voice full of concern, pulling back as he began to guide her towards the group of med-nin that was quickly approaching them. "Why did you go off with Ikkadan like that by yourself? I was so worried that...that you were..." His voice trailed off as he tried to control his emotions, knowing that he would be of no use if he let himself be overtaken by them.

 

[Kokomo]

A kiss with death, and she didn't even remember it. Wasn't that the funniest thing? It was a miracle that the poor young woman remembered much of anything since Saiko enjoyed taking control of her often. The spirit condemned to her heart, making it pump to keep her alive. But now, who was Kanashimi Itami? Was she anything without the personality crutch she once had?

She was socially awkward, romantic, and alone again.

Itami was greeted by Iori's outstretched arms that grabbed her and pulled her to his chest, her head laying against him as she sucked in uneasy breaths. "I was so afraid! I didn't know where I was!" She exclaimed, uneasy. Yes, that was what she was worried about. The thing was, Itami didn't know anything about the battle, her brush with death, the baby--nothing. Iori pulled away, ushering her towards the mednin--why?--and asked her why she had wandered off with Ikkadan.

She had wandered off with Ikkadan?

"I don't know what you're talking about?" She asked quietly, as the mednin had her sit on a nearby bench to make sure she'd be okay on the way home. Checking her vitals, her skin, taking a good note of the blood. "Is he alright? Am I alright?" She questioned, scowling a bit as she tried to think. "The last thing I remember...is...I was...hmmm..." She thought for a moment before looking up to Iori, "I woke up the day after our second date...and...we had break fast...that's...." She scowled, "That's the last I remember."

That was a month ago.

She didn't remember the party, the battle, Suzuhime, Chizuru, her classes, Kuro--nothing after that. Absolutely nothing.

 

[Kiriyama Sadako]

"You...you don't remember?" The man would ask as he looked at the woman, brows arching in surprise at this sudden turn of events. He was thankful that she was alive, the dark god apparently smiling down on him tonight, but what could have happened to cause her to lose her memory? He separated from her for a moment as the med-nin inspected her flesh, the man only nodding as they told him about her injuries, or rather the lack of them. There was concern about the blood that ran between her legs, and before one of the med-nin could tell him about the possible diagnosis he would raise a finger to silence them.

He knew. It wasn't hard to guess.

He would place his hands on her hips, pressing his forehead against hers, letting a silence pass between them. "Itami...it's been a month since then. You seem to have lost your memory. Is there anything...can you think or try to remember about anything that's happened since then? About Ikkadan? Suzuhime's engagement party? About us?" He would ask, green eyes looking deep into hers.

 

[Kokomo]

It was a little intimidating to be sitting down before Iori. He was asking her questions that she didn't know the answers to. He was saying things that were confusing and she found herself getting flustered, the medics talking about her like she wasn't there. Her head turned and leaned towards one of them as he spoke about the blood. Itami was a bit embarrassed--because she didn't know about the child, she certainly didn't assume it was a miscarriage, but rather a menstrual cycle, and nothing was more awkward than that. She pressed her legs firmly together, as though to hid it as her head dropped to look down at the ground, and Iori pulled her to her feet. She was feeling uncomfortable, of course, and she wasn't feel to well. Her stomach churned, and her legs wobbled as he held her, pressing his forehead against hers. Itami's head was feverish, and his cold flesh felt good on hers. Closing her eyes as she enjoyed the moment.

The silence would break, but her eyes would remain closed for a moment before she would slowly open them and look longingly to him. A month? An entire month? "Suzuhime is engaged?!" A moment of childish femininity swept over her as she smiled, "Oh, that's fantastic! Kuro and Suzuhime? And they had a party? Why wasn't I invited?" She was. In fact, Itami was there--and she didn't play very nicely. "Ikkadan is your nephew." She'd shrug, as though that was the most obvious thing about him. "A real sweetheart. Is he alright?" Genuine concern for the boy that just tried--no. The boy that just killed her. "I remember us, sure." She said, smiling, "I remember you the best." Itami had sporadic memories about Iori and herself. Saiko never intruded on them. "I'm in love with you." Itami would say confidently, assuming that he had already know that--which he hadn't.

 

[Kiriyama Sadako]

Iori was silent as he listened to her, unable to help but smile as she spoke so innocently. She was oblivious to Kuro and Suzu's relationship, of even attending their engagement party with him. She also had no idea about what Ikkadan had just done to her, a look of pity flashing through his eyes at how well she spoke of him. The final bit is what caught him off guard, feeling his heart stop dead in her chest as she so easily declared her love for him. His mouth opened to respond, but nothing came out, his mind struck dumb by her words. He pulled her closer in his arms, face moving close to hers, eyes meeting her own.

"And I...I love you too." He would whisper, the words flowing without thinking, leaning down to kiss the woman. It was slow, deep, loving, letting her know just what he felt for her. As he broke the kiss he would bury his face in her neck, his body beginning to shake.

It wasn't fair.

Why couldn't they just be together? Happy, carefree, a family like he had once so long ago. Why did they have to fight? Why did he have to fear for her safety. They had lost their child and he had also lost her, all because of events that he couldn't control. "I...I will always protect you, Itami. I want you to always be happy..." he would whisper as he ran his hands through her hair, trying desperately to not give in to the despair in his heart, wanting this to be a fresh beginning for them.

 

[Kokomo]

Patience was a very good virtue with Iori. He listened to her without a problem, and even remained silent to let the entire situation of her love sink in. Little did she know, he was impacted heavily by this, her smile gently crossing her face as she brushed a piece of hair away. Iori moved in, his forehead leaning against hers again, her eyes never failing to be happy and kind. He responded, Itami's eyes fluttering down in a moment of bashfulness, before his lips would meet hers.

The kiss was sensitive and romantic. It wasn't hungry or craving like some of their other ones. Oh no, this kiss meant something very deep to the two of them. Breaking it, Iori collapsed into her shoulder, and Itami seemed a little surprised by this. She stumbled back for a moment under his weight, shifting to support him as her arms raised awkwardly to pat his back.

What was he so upset about?

He whispered to her, and Itami pulled him a bit closer, her hands digging into his back to show her ought-most sympathy for...whatever he was so upset about. "Iori...' Her voice cooed, "Why are you so sad? There is nothing to be sad about.' Her voice said in that sing-song tone as her head leaned back to look at him as her lips kissed his temple lovingly. "What's wrong?"

 

[Kiriyama Sadako]

Iori would slowly lift his head from her shoulder, her almost naive tone of voice sounding so out of place compared to the situation that was going on. He would match his eyes with hers, that smile slowly returning to his lips. She was happy...that was the important thing. Everything didn't need to be explained right this moment, if ever. Perhaps it was cowardly to act like nothing was wrong but he didn't care, leaning in to kiss her on the lips again. "I'm just glad you're safe." He would say as he hugged her, softly kissing the top of her head. "Itami, I'm going to take you to the Medical Tower, alright? I want to make sure that everything is alright with you, if you have any injuries that need tending to." His voice was soft, tender, concerned, a hand running down the small of her back as his other one moved to her neck and then her cheek, feeling how hot she was, fearing that she could be developing a fever.

 

[Kokomo]

Iori pulled away, seeming to feel fine after a moment. He was all worked up that she had ended up alright---from whatever happened? Itami assumed she had gone missing or wandered off somewhere. Silly her! But, nonetheless she was happy that he was happy!

"Alright." She answered him, taking his hand and holding it. She held it as innocent as she spoke. Her hand gently gripping his as she walked along side him towards the carriage they had drawn in from. "I missed you." She would say simply before getting in.

[Topic Left]

 

[Kiriyama Sadako]

Iori would look up at her as she got in, helping her to set up to the seat. He would smile at her words, slowly nodding. "I missed you too." He would say before joining her. The door would close and he would bring her into his arms, the carriage soon taking off towards the tower.

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