No matter where a person might be, there will always be some sort of black marketplace. Even a bustling and beautiful city such as Kurosawa has a dark underbelly that nobody would want to really talk about unless they prefer to work in the shadows. Under the New Moon, everywhere was dark with the exception of where streetlights were posted up at. Kurejī had waited patiently, taking note of anything that happens around the city that he would have to look out for. If he had learned anything in that mental hospital about a year or so ago, it is that patience would win out and is rewarding.
The masked man stalked around the city, avoiding routes where he knows any authority figures might be. Of course, he can take them, but he would rather not have a whole country breathing down his neck just yet. Kurejī looked up at the sky. He figures that he has about four hours to work with. That is, get the item he needs, do the necessary hand seals, from what he has read in the books he has 'acquired' and do the work that follows. Simple enough.
He took twists and turns to shake off any potential followers, and then finally made his way to the dark underbelly of Tea. He walked into a bar that looks run down and could collapse any minute. As he approached the bartender, the man looked him up and down before saying, "Even though you're wearing a mask, I'm guessing that you're too young to drink." Kurejī thought it would be the case of having to make deals with people, so he reached into his pocket and dropped some yen in front of the man. "I'm here for the specialty drinks. You know, the home-grown kind of tea." Kurejī spoke in code, knowing that such a thing was needed from what he has heard before when he surveillance the area some days ago.
The Bartender looked him up and down before he nodded to one of the other bartenders. Unspoken, but it was obvious what was needed, Cover my work while I escort the small fry to the goods. He looked back at Kurejī and gestured for him to follow him. He brought Kurejī to a back room and down a staircase into a basement. It seemed to be a normal basement, filled with junk, a piano, old antiques, and a bookcase. The man went to the bookcase and pulled a book. The bookcase moved to reveal a hidden door. Another gesture for Kurejī to venture forth. Finally, they were at some underground tunnel bustling with people. But it seemed different from the liveliness of Kurosawa City. Everyone spoke in hushed whispers, afraid a single word they might say too loud will bring in the authority of Tea.
Kurejī turned around and the bartender was gone, probably went back up to the bar would be his guess. He walked around and browsed what the black market had for him in their stores. Not a whole lot have really piqued his interest, a few eyeballs in some jars, body parts here and there. And then he found it. A shopkeeper that seems human is selling all sorts of puppets. "I got Haunted puppets, cursed puppets, puppets good for getting rid of that one guy that took your lunch money ten years ago." Kurejīlooked at him, trying to judge what he see.
"Not interested in those kind of puppets. What I got in mind is something grander. I've heard that you have a certain scroll along with a certain vessel for people who want to make that jump into becoming a puppet." He inquired. Kurejī figured a straight to the point talk would get him what he wants without all the salesmen talk to get him useless stuff.
"Ah." The man said, he then turned around and rummaged through a chest behind him and produced a scroll and a small compact casing. "I'm selling these for ten thousand yen. But I do gotta ask. Are you sure that you want to throw away your humanity?"
Kurejī laughed. "Humanity? That was taken from me a long time ago. I'm just now accepting I'm more than just 'human'. If I do this. I'll finally be myself."
The man studied him, and then he laughed. "I like your guts kid. For you, I'll give you a discount. It's nice to know that there are others that appreciate the arts like you." Kurejī didn't notice until now, but there was definitely something off about this man. To someone just doing business, they wouldn't think much. But to the discerning eye of a puppeteer, Kurejī could see that there is so much more to this 'man'. Even though his movements seem natural, how the limbs move should not be possible under normal conditions. Kurejī bought the scroll and cylinder object, and he went on his way.
As he exited the secret black market of Kurosawa, Kurejī passed by a house and took a peek in, he was mainly looking for a clock, in which he was lucky and found it within a minute. It appears that he has an hour and a half to work with before the city starts getting busy again. The man dodged other areas that had some guards roaming and found an abandoned warehouse.
He had scoped the area out plenty of times before, a way to make sure what he is about to do won't be interrupted by some authority figure or some random homeless man. Still, he did a quick look around before getting to work. He brough out one of his puppets, Stabby, and brought out the cylinder and scroll. Opening the scroll up, it gave him step by step instructions on how to shift one's soul, one's subconscious into an object, followed by how to keep a body in a suspended time, mainly through which the body turns more into wood than anything.
Kurejī was never the careful type, but this time, he read, and reread the first step carefully before he did anything. He then moved his eyes over to the cylinder object. Steady hands moved through the necessary hand seals needed. Five seconds passed. Ten. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he finished the last hand seal. The instructions had then told him to apply the chakra from himself to the cylinder object, one that would serve as the vessel host. With as much focus as he can, he thought of directing his chakra into the vessel. He closed his eyes... and when he opened them, everything was dark. And it wasn't just his sight, but nearly all but his sense of touch existed. At first he thought he might have went overboard with his Void powers, but then again, if that was the case, why can he feel the cold hard floor beneath him? He tried to move his arms and legs around to no avail. And then it finally hit him. He pictured where the cylinder was at in relative to where he was, or should he say, his body. Kurejī focused and chakra tendrils came out of where he thought he was in and felt a body, soft and... cold. He knows that if someone is dead, they are more or less cold. Would he be considered dead now? He shrugged off the question, seeing as that he thinks that this is a success, and tried to remember where Stabby was in relative to where the cylinder was at. Chakra tendrils moved and felt around the floor until they came across something wooden. Another second and the cylinder started to pull itself to the wooden object and sliced a hole big enough for it to fit in. Once the cylinder fit in snugly, Kurejī's senses came flooding back to him. He sat up and looked around. Everything seemed taller and bigger to him now. And... Looking over, he saw a sprawled-out body that he knows very well to be his own.
The puppet gave a creepy laugh as he knows that he has succeeded. But he wasn't finished just yet. There was a more grueling part that needed to be done in order for him to be a real puppet. Taking the hidden contraption knife from this temporary body, Kurejī stabbed into his former body and set to work. It was a process that he made well to do in an abandoned building for the sake of not wanting to clean up afterwards, also it would be very hard to explain to international authority that he isn't a possessed puppet murdering people. Well... Maybe he is under the classification of a 'possessed puppet', but murder is something he has yet to do. As he removed all the necessary stuff that makes people human, ie. heart, lungs, other important organs, he kept looking over at the scroll that had the necessary steps and even hand seals to get from a human to a human puppet.
Finally, all of that unnecessary stuff is gone and Kurejī is on the final bit. But then he felt the warmth of sunlight hit his face, well, not his actual face, but the face of Stabby,. Looking up at a broken skylight, he has to guess that over two hours have passed. He can hear people milling about outside of the warehouse. He knew that he has the place to himself, but if anyone tries to be unpredictable of today of all days, then he will be in a predicament. He worked faster and reading through the next steps carefully and performing the necessary hand seals to preserve the body in a state in which the body becomes almost wooden. This took several minutes as it was a new experience for him to try and use his chakra outside of his old body. Finally, the last hand seal was made, and his old body stiffened. Touching the body, and it felt hard, almost like it was made of wood. A smile came up on the puppet's face as he had to finish up the work that was left. Getting all of the blood out and then forming the hole in the chest into a suitable place for his cylinder of consciousness will reside in. This took about ten more minutes of slowly chipping away at the hole until the cylinder fit in perfectly.
His consciousness shifted again as soon as the cylinder left Stabby and back into his original body. Wiping off the blood from his chest, Kurejī took Stabby and the scroll with him. Can't have any of them 'urban explorers' catch they why of what they find if anyone does come to this abandoned warehouse.
(WC:1778)
(kin app)
The masked man stalked around the city, avoiding routes where he knows any authority figures might be. Of course, he can take them, but he would rather not have a whole country breathing down his neck just yet. Kurejī looked up at the sky. He figures that he has about four hours to work with. That is, get the item he needs, do the necessary hand seals, from what he has read in the books he has 'acquired' and do the work that follows. Simple enough.
He took twists and turns to shake off any potential followers, and then finally made his way to the dark underbelly of Tea. He walked into a bar that looks run down and could collapse any minute. As he approached the bartender, the man looked him up and down before saying, "Even though you're wearing a mask, I'm guessing that you're too young to drink." Kurejī thought it would be the case of having to make deals with people, so he reached into his pocket and dropped some yen in front of the man. "I'm here for the specialty drinks. You know, the home-grown kind of tea." Kurejī spoke in code, knowing that such a thing was needed from what he has heard before when he surveillance the area some days ago.
The Bartender looked him up and down before he nodded to one of the other bartenders. Unspoken, but it was obvious what was needed, Cover my work while I escort the small fry to the goods. He looked back at Kurejī and gestured for him to follow him. He brought Kurejī to a back room and down a staircase into a basement. It seemed to be a normal basement, filled with junk, a piano, old antiques, and a bookcase. The man went to the bookcase and pulled a book. The bookcase moved to reveal a hidden door. Another gesture for Kurejī to venture forth. Finally, they were at some underground tunnel bustling with people. But it seemed different from the liveliness of Kurosawa City. Everyone spoke in hushed whispers, afraid a single word they might say too loud will bring in the authority of Tea.
Kurejī turned around and the bartender was gone, probably went back up to the bar would be his guess. He walked around and browsed what the black market had for him in their stores. Not a whole lot have really piqued his interest, a few eyeballs in some jars, body parts here and there. And then he found it. A shopkeeper that seems human is selling all sorts of puppets. "I got Haunted puppets, cursed puppets, puppets good for getting rid of that one guy that took your lunch money ten years ago." Kurejīlooked at him, trying to judge what he see.
"Not interested in those kind of puppets. What I got in mind is something grander. I've heard that you have a certain scroll along with a certain vessel for people who want to make that jump into becoming a puppet." He inquired. Kurejī figured a straight to the point talk would get him what he wants without all the salesmen talk to get him useless stuff.
"Ah." The man said, he then turned around and rummaged through a chest behind him and produced a scroll and a small compact casing. "I'm selling these for ten thousand yen. But I do gotta ask. Are you sure that you want to throw away your humanity?"
Kurejī laughed. "Humanity? That was taken from me a long time ago. I'm just now accepting I'm more than just 'human'. If I do this. I'll finally be myself."
The man studied him, and then he laughed. "I like your guts kid. For you, I'll give you a discount. It's nice to know that there are others that appreciate the arts like you." Kurejī didn't notice until now, but there was definitely something off about this man. To someone just doing business, they wouldn't think much. But to the discerning eye of a puppeteer, Kurejī could see that there is so much more to this 'man'. Even though his movements seem natural, how the limbs move should not be possible under normal conditions. Kurejī bought the scroll and cylinder object, and he went on his way.
As he exited the secret black market of Kurosawa, Kurejī passed by a house and took a peek in, he was mainly looking for a clock, in which he was lucky and found it within a minute. It appears that he has an hour and a half to work with before the city starts getting busy again. The man dodged other areas that had some guards roaming and found an abandoned warehouse.
He had scoped the area out plenty of times before, a way to make sure what he is about to do won't be interrupted by some authority figure or some random homeless man. Still, he did a quick look around before getting to work. He brough out one of his puppets, Stabby, and brought out the cylinder and scroll. Opening the scroll up, it gave him step by step instructions on how to shift one's soul, one's subconscious into an object, followed by how to keep a body in a suspended time, mainly through which the body turns more into wood than anything.
Kurejī was never the careful type, but this time, he read, and reread the first step carefully before he did anything. He then moved his eyes over to the cylinder object. Steady hands moved through the necessary hand seals needed. Five seconds passed. Ten. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he finished the last hand seal. The instructions had then told him to apply the chakra from himself to the cylinder object, one that would serve as the vessel host. With as much focus as he can, he thought of directing his chakra into the vessel. He closed his eyes... and when he opened them, everything was dark. And it wasn't just his sight, but nearly all but his sense of touch existed. At first he thought he might have went overboard with his Void powers, but then again, if that was the case, why can he feel the cold hard floor beneath him? He tried to move his arms and legs around to no avail. And then it finally hit him. He pictured where the cylinder was at in relative to where he was, or should he say, his body. Kurejī focused and chakra tendrils came out of where he thought he was in and felt a body, soft and... cold. He knows that if someone is dead, they are more or less cold. Would he be considered dead now? He shrugged off the question, seeing as that he thinks that this is a success, and tried to remember where Stabby was in relative to where the cylinder was at. Chakra tendrils moved and felt around the floor until they came across something wooden. Another second and the cylinder started to pull itself to the wooden object and sliced a hole big enough for it to fit in. Once the cylinder fit in snugly, Kurejī's senses came flooding back to him. He sat up and looked around. Everything seemed taller and bigger to him now. And... Looking over, he saw a sprawled-out body that he knows very well to be his own.
The puppet gave a creepy laugh as he knows that he has succeeded. But he wasn't finished just yet. There was a more grueling part that needed to be done in order for him to be a real puppet. Taking the hidden contraption knife from this temporary body, Kurejī stabbed into his former body and set to work. It was a process that he made well to do in an abandoned building for the sake of not wanting to clean up afterwards, also it would be very hard to explain to international authority that he isn't a possessed puppet murdering people. Well... Maybe he is under the classification of a 'possessed puppet', but murder is something he has yet to do. As he removed all the necessary stuff that makes people human, ie. heart, lungs, other important organs, he kept looking over at the scroll that had the necessary steps and even hand seals to get from a human to a human puppet.
Finally, all of that unnecessary stuff is gone and Kurejī is on the final bit. But then he felt the warmth of sunlight hit his face, well, not his actual face, but the face of Stabby,. Looking up at a broken skylight, he has to guess that over two hours have passed. He can hear people milling about outside of the warehouse. He knew that he has the place to himself, but if anyone tries to be unpredictable of today of all days, then he will be in a predicament. He worked faster and reading through the next steps carefully and performing the necessary hand seals to preserve the body in a state in which the body becomes almost wooden. This took several minutes as it was a new experience for him to try and use his chakra outside of his old body. Finally, the last hand seal was made, and his old body stiffened. Touching the body, and it felt hard, almost like it was made of wood. A smile came up on the puppet's face as he had to finish up the work that was left. Getting all of the blood out and then forming the hole in the chest into a suitable place for his cylinder of consciousness will reside in. This took about ten more minutes of slowly chipping away at the hole until the cylinder fit in perfectly.
His consciousness shifted again as soon as the cylinder left Stabby and back into his original body. Wiping off the blood from his chest, Kurejī took Stabby and the scroll with him. Can't have any of them 'urban explorers' catch they why of what they find if anyone does come to this abandoned warehouse.
(WC:1778)
(kin app)