Kaen stared at the basic wooden door to his house, his peep hole staring right back at him. How long had he been standing here, daydreaming about nonsensical things? Shaking his head of the fuzzy blockage that seemed to have held him back for a short while, he reached into his pocket to retrieve the key. With a satisfying 'click' the door was ready to be opened. But was he ready to enter? Nobody is ever truly ready for anything, but even less so was Kaen ready to be alone once again. Taking a deep breath he swung open the door, it made little to noise as it moved, this wasn't a run down house or anything, come on. Everything was exactly as he had left it, the old antique grandfather clock looming near the doorway. Seems time kept on ticking but time offered nothing for their house without them in it. Theirs you ask? Well yes, Kaen may have been a single, eligible bachelor, but he together with his sister, Kasen. Just as equally crimson in features, but most definitely the more sensible of the two.
Usually when someone comes home from somewhere, whether it be work, vacation or just a long day trip full of errands, there was always a feeling of peace. No matter how wonderful outside world might be. Home always seems welcoming. We can be ourselves again. The self that only our home knows. But this was not the case for Kaen, for home just wasn't 'home' without his sister. For one reason or another, he always seemed to miss her, never home at the same time. He stepped through the threshold of the doorframe and closed the door behind him. Despite the lights being off, he could see just fine. There was still daylight left and it easily shined through the various windows within his house. Kicking off his shoes he lazily threw his keys onto the side table near the door, the uniform layer of dust upon it assured him that nothing had changed since he left. Nothing here anyways, but much had changed for Kaen in these past few years, he longed to confide within his blood relation, Kasen.
A trail of loose, dirty clothing littered the hallway as he undressed on the way. A slight flick and a light illuminated the bathroom, the tiny fan that was constructed together with the light fixture quietly whirred to life, a soft buzzing noise filling his ears. Kaen stared at himself in the mirror, but it was not him looking back but rather something else entirely staring him down from the other side of the mirror. He had started to not recognize himself these days, his metamorphosis into powerful being was more than just that. It weighed heavy on his mind, the things he's done, the things he will continue to do. It bothered him, disturbed the mortal, human part of him. But something deeply ingrained within him stirred, he had been trying to come to terms with it for some time now. It was as if he liked it, the darkness within whispered promises of great things, fun things. Things that would curdle the stomach of a normal man, but not him, no. The thirsty never escaped him, he couldn't hide from the feelings. He NEEDED to sate them, it was a part of him fully now.
A small yellow sheet of paper was taped in the corner of the mirror, it caught his eye. Ripping it off at the corner, he pulled it closer to read, leaving the tape and one corner of the paper still attached to the glass. Kaen let out an exaggerated sigh as he crumpled the note, throwing it in the trash bin next to the toilet. "Of course you are..." It had read; " Won't be back for a few weeks, sent on a mission. Medical stuff, you know the drill. Leftovers in the fridge. ~ Love Kasen ~ " Clearly not something he wanted to hear, or read rather, as she was always doing stuff like this. He began to wonder why he had even sought out the changes he did. What was the point if she was never within his reach to aid her when she needed him? Kaen grabbed the edges of the sink and stared downward into the drain. As if it might drain away all the troubles within his mind, if only right?
Coming to terms with the reality that he might not ever see his sister in person again and would spend eternity playing this back and forth note tag with her, he released his grasp on the sink and turned on the shower. Hot steam exuded throughout the small room, seeping out from under the door into the adjoining hallway. Scalding and blistering to most, Kaen preferred the temperature. For him it was like a cool shower, relaxing and tranquil. Despite the obvious differences you might think, Kaen didn't mind water really, showers especially. It was a place to escape into your mind, let the steady rhythm of the water drops drown out the outside world and leaving you to your own devices. He closed his eyes as he stood directly underneath the spout, his crimson hair now drenched and covering his face. He stood like this in contemplation for some time before finally getting around to actually washing with soap.
The rest of the went on like this, just the typical lazy roaming throughout the house with nothing really to do. No point in cleaning, there wasn't really a mess aside from the dust that was incredibly comfortable within his house. He didn't really have any friends to invite over, not that was something he would usually do. With his recent promotion he could probably find some work, but he literally just got back and wasn't in a hurry to rush out for that 'grand adventure'. There was one other thing he needed to do though, an itch in the back of his mind that silently screamed within. A whispering beckon of loyal servitude, an oath of naturistic intent. Perhaps he would seek her out for further guidance, their last meeting left him only partially prepared for the 'tendencies' of his nature. She would have answers to be sure. But this would have to wait till morning, his bed was far too inviting to pass up a good night's rest.
The next day it was business as usual at the Shinku residence. Nothing out of the norm, just Kaen getting ready for the day. Primping and pruning as a man of his naturally attractive caliber would do. The normal ritual plus his usual workout routine kept him in near perfect shape, sculpting his tone, muscly body. Kaen was a bright and shining work of art despite the darkness that dwelled within him. In time he had left his house, the village even. He was searching for 'her', his Queen, the Mother of Suna, Shiori. But this was no easy task, all he had was a name, a face and a last seen. But his options were incredibly limited as one particular name and the last location would most surely land him in a world of trouble. After all they were ancients and weren't exactly welcomed throughout the lands of Wind Country.
He had spent most of the day searching the obvious places despite knowing full well he would not find what he sought. He first searched the outpost in which he first met her, but it was still abandoned, marked as a quarantined zone as specialists attempted to decipher what the hell had actually happened there that fateful day so long ago. From there he continued forward through his trek through history, searching for the woman that gave him everything in return for so little. Though Kaen was not fully aware that this 'little' was far grander than he could anticipate. In time he found his way back to the hotel within the limits of Sora, the capital of Wind Country as well as the home of the Diamyo. But even still he found no trace of his Queen, she was truly a master of eluding him without even trying. He pondered if she knew he sought after her, was she truly omnipotent and all powerful as he first thought? Kaen rid his mind of such foolish thoughts, of course she was. How else would she have granted him the power he now possessed? With only a few options remaining, save going to the 'authorities' which was clearly not an option, Kaen headed back towards the village and straight for the 'arm pit' of Sunagakure, The Grand Palais.
Need a poison capable of destroying an entire species, perhaps a legendary blade where a bounty of souls reside within. Or perhaps you are more keen towards the pleasure of the flesh and seek out a 'servant' of sorts, whatever your vice the Black Bazaar has just what you need. Such places were ran by seedy 'organizations' and things like them often have been around for some time and with time comes knowledge. As mentioned before, anything can be bought for the right price, even knowledge. And yet Kaen still turned up empty handed, he wasn't sure whether it was because nobody really knew or Kaen just wasn't speaking their 'language'. Perhaps the price was far too high and she had bought their protection and they simply didn't know who he was? Whatever the case, Kaen had spent the day and most of the night searching for a ghost. He was beginning to feel like maybe she didn't want to be found.
With failure on the mind and an empty, hungry stomach, Kaen sought out sustenance. Most places looked sketchy as hell, but he ended up settling for a semi-mobile ramen stall. He moved the loose hanging curtain that separated the small seating area from the outside and sat down. He was alone, not a busy day for ramen I suppose. "Wadda ya havin'?" A burly, overweight man who looked to be in his 60s loomed over the counter waiting for his order. Kaen, indecisive as ever, settled for the 'special'. "I'll just have your signature bowl, whatever you think sounds good. At this point I would be willing to eat this chair." A bit of dry humor hung heavy in the air, the old man was not amused. With a snort he turned and started the preparations for Kaen's order. What a waste of a day...
[OOC Private thread with Akkuma]
Usually when someone comes home from somewhere, whether it be work, vacation or just a long day trip full of errands, there was always a feeling of peace. No matter how wonderful outside world might be. Home always seems welcoming. We can be ourselves again. The self that only our home knows. But this was not the case for Kaen, for home just wasn't 'home' without his sister. For one reason or another, he always seemed to miss her, never home at the same time. He stepped through the threshold of the doorframe and closed the door behind him. Despite the lights being off, he could see just fine. There was still daylight left and it easily shined through the various windows within his house. Kicking off his shoes he lazily threw his keys onto the side table near the door, the uniform layer of dust upon it assured him that nothing had changed since he left. Nothing here anyways, but much had changed for Kaen in these past few years, he longed to confide within his blood relation, Kasen.
A trail of loose, dirty clothing littered the hallway as he undressed on the way. A slight flick and a light illuminated the bathroom, the tiny fan that was constructed together with the light fixture quietly whirred to life, a soft buzzing noise filling his ears. Kaen stared at himself in the mirror, but it was not him looking back but rather something else entirely staring him down from the other side of the mirror. He had started to not recognize himself these days, his metamorphosis into powerful being was more than just that. It weighed heavy on his mind, the things he's done, the things he will continue to do. It bothered him, disturbed the mortal, human part of him. But something deeply ingrained within him stirred, he had been trying to come to terms with it for some time now. It was as if he liked it, the darkness within whispered promises of great things, fun things. Things that would curdle the stomach of a normal man, but not him, no. The thirsty never escaped him, he couldn't hide from the feelings. He NEEDED to sate them, it was a part of him fully now.
A small yellow sheet of paper was taped in the corner of the mirror, it caught his eye. Ripping it off at the corner, he pulled it closer to read, leaving the tape and one corner of the paper still attached to the glass. Kaen let out an exaggerated sigh as he crumpled the note, throwing it in the trash bin next to the toilet. "Of course you are..." It had read; " Won't be back for a few weeks, sent on a mission. Medical stuff, you know the drill. Leftovers in the fridge. ~ Love Kasen ~ " Clearly not something he wanted to hear, or read rather, as she was always doing stuff like this. He began to wonder why he had even sought out the changes he did. What was the point if she was never within his reach to aid her when she needed him? Kaen grabbed the edges of the sink and stared downward into the drain. As if it might drain away all the troubles within his mind, if only right?
Coming to terms with the reality that he might not ever see his sister in person again and would spend eternity playing this back and forth note tag with her, he released his grasp on the sink and turned on the shower. Hot steam exuded throughout the small room, seeping out from under the door into the adjoining hallway. Scalding and blistering to most, Kaen preferred the temperature. For him it was like a cool shower, relaxing and tranquil. Despite the obvious differences you might think, Kaen didn't mind water really, showers especially. It was a place to escape into your mind, let the steady rhythm of the water drops drown out the outside world and leaving you to your own devices. He closed his eyes as he stood directly underneath the spout, his crimson hair now drenched and covering his face. He stood like this in contemplation for some time before finally getting around to actually washing with soap.
The rest of the went on like this, just the typical lazy roaming throughout the house with nothing really to do. No point in cleaning, there wasn't really a mess aside from the dust that was incredibly comfortable within his house. He didn't really have any friends to invite over, not that was something he would usually do. With his recent promotion he could probably find some work, but he literally just got back and wasn't in a hurry to rush out for that 'grand adventure'. There was one other thing he needed to do though, an itch in the back of his mind that silently screamed within. A whispering beckon of loyal servitude, an oath of naturistic intent. Perhaps he would seek her out for further guidance, their last meeting left him only partially prepared for the 'tendencies' of his nature. She would have answers to be sure. But this would have to wait till morning, his bed was far too inviting to pass up a good night's rest.
The next day it was business as usual at the Shinku residence. Nothing out of the norm, just Kaen getting ready for the day. Primping and pruning as a man of his naturally attractive caliber would do. The normal ritual plus his usual workout routine kept him in near perfect shape, sculpting his tone, muscly body. Kaen was a bright and shining work of art despite the darkness that dwelled within him. In time he had left his house, the village even. He was searching for 'her', his Queen, the Mother of Suna, Shiori. But this was no easy task, all he had was a name, a face and a last seen. But his options were incredibly limited as one particular name and the last location would most surely land him in a world of trouble. After all they were ancients and weren't exactly welcomed throughout the lands of Wind Country.
He had spent most of the day searching the obvious places despite knowing full well he would not find what he sought. He first searched the outpost in which he first met her, but it was still abandoned, marked as a quarantined zone as specialists attempted to decipher what the hell had actually happened there that fateful day so long ago. From there he continued forward through his trek through history, searching for the woman that gave him everything in return for so little. Though Kaen was not fully aware that this 'little' was far grander than he could anticipate. In time he found his way back to the hotel within the limits of Sora, the capital of Wind Country as well as the home of the Diamyo. But even still he found no trace of his Queen, she was truly a master of eluding him without even trying. He pondered if she knew he sought after her, was she truly omnipotent and all powerful as he first thought? Kaen rid his mind of such foolish thoughts, of course she was. How else would she have granted him the power he now possessed? With only a few options remaining, save going to the 'authorities' which was clearly not an option, Kaen headed back towards the village and straight for the 'arm pit' of Sunagakure, The Grand Palais.
Need a poison capable of destroying an entire species, perhaps a legendary blade where a bounty of souls reside within. Or perhaps you are more keen towards the pleasure of the flesh and seek out a 'servant' of sorts, whatever your vice the Black Bazaar has just what you need. Such places were ran by seedy 'organizations' and things like them often have been around for some time and with time comes knowledge. As mentioned before, anything can be bought for the right price, even knowledge. And yet Kaen still turned up empty handed, he wasn't sure whether it was because nobody really knew or Kaen just wasn't speaking their 'language'. Perhaps the price was far too high and she had bought their protection and they simply didn't know who he was? Whatever the case, Kaen had spent the day and most of the night searching for a ghost. He was beginning to feel like maybe she didn't want to be found.
With failure on the mind and an empty, hungry stomach, Kaen sought out sustenance. Most places looked sketchy as hell, but he ended up settling for a semi-mobile ramen stall. He moved the loose hanging curtain that separated the small seating area from the outside and sat down. He was alone, not a busy day for ramen I suppose. "Wadda ya havin'?" A burly, overweight man who looked to be in his 60s loomed over the counter waiting for his order. Kaen, indecisive as ever, settled for the 'special'. "I'll just have your signature bowl, whatever you think sounds good. At this point I would be willing to eat this chair." A bit of dry humor hung heavy in the air, the old man was not amused. With a snort he turned and started the preparations for Kaen's order. What a waste of a day...
[OOC Private thread with Akkuma]