Open log!

[cursedarrows]

Who: Ashitaka and YOU
When: July 28, mid-morning
Where: the beach
Summary: Ashitaka seeks relief from his curse by going to the beach for some water therapy.
Warnings: Underwear?


The mark was spreading.

There was really no denying it. The curse stretched up to his shoulder now, laced between his fingers in a network of violet and black. It pulse beneath his skin almost like a creature with its own consciousness, angry and toothsome, biting and nipping into every nerve.

Some days it was difficult to focus on anything else.

On just such a day, Ashitaka surrendered to it and went down to the shore.

It was the first time he'd actually seen the sea. He'd always heard stories of it -- from elders who had heard it from their elders. The massiveness of it floored him, and for some time he merely stood on the hill above, bathed in silent awe, watching the water lap inward at the shore.

At the edge of it, he stripped carefully down to his fundoshi -- underwear -- leaving his belongings in a neat pile where the water would not take them.

He waded in, waded deep, and sat, letting the waves wash over him up to his shoulders, flushing the agony from his muscles.

Comments

[blondejokes]

"Be careful, the waves could suck you in if you aren't careful."

Ino's weekends were usually spent at either the beach or the flower shop. Right now she needed some training, which explained why she was currently standing on top of the water, slight ripples surrounding her feet. She stood a few feet from him in a modest black and white bikini with her arms crossed.

[cursedarrows]

Admittedly, she startled him -- both by the suddenness of her voice and the fact that, as his eyes flashed up, he found her standing on top of the water.

Cue rapid blinking . . . and a slight flush as abruptly he realized just how little she was wearing. The bikini might have been modest for Ino, but certainly not for someone born nearly 700 years in the past.

It was rare that Ashitaka was at a loss for words, but briefly he found his mind wiped clean.

"N-Not to worry." He did his best to pull up a smile. The girl wasn't showing any embarrassment; perhaps this was regular custom. "I do swim well."

Time to redirect the conversation by stating the obvious: ". . . You are on top of the water."

[blondejokes]

"I am." She giggled. It was strange being in a world where chakra was seemingly unheard of, but powers of all sorts were the norm. Weather control, moving objects with your mind, breathing fire without the use of a jutsu; it was definitely a shock to Ino.

"It's chakra training." She liked to practice sparring on the water, cartwheeling and jumping while keeping her chakra control perfect. So far, it's been average, and average wasn't good enough.

[cursedarrows]

"It is impressive." Ashitaka hesitated briefly, considering his clothing back on the shore and if there was less awkward way to reach it. (There wasn't.) "In my world, only the spirits and the gods walk on the water."

Gently wry, glancing back to the pile of clothes, "I don't suppose you would mind looking away while I get my pants? I wasn't expecting visitors."

[blondejokes]

"Ah-" Ino put a hand over her eyes, turning her body away from him, cheeks a faint pink. He was naked--in public?! But his comment made it obvious he was a newcomer, like her. "You didn't buy a bathing suit before coming down here? There is a shop close by that has fairly cheap ones." She gave a short laugh.

[cursedarrows]

Not naked. Wearing underwear. Definitely a difference there, Ino. Slightly flushed again himself, he rose from the water as she turned away, heading for his pants on the shore. They had certainly been through worse than being asked to clothe a wet body.

". . . Why would one buy clothing to bathe?"

And, after a moment. "It's fine, now -- thank you."

[blondejokes]

She uncovered her eyes, putting a hand on her hip. That mark on his chest was interesting but she tried not to stare. Too much.

"It's more for swimming or being at the beach, not actual bathing. You don't have them in your world?"

[cursedarrows]

A slight smile now -- now that they were back on even ground, as it were. He felt her eyes on the mark winding its way up his arm, but made no quick move to hide it.

"There is no need. If we bathed together -- or swam -- it was always the men together.'

Silently he took inventory of his arm. The bite of it had decreased with the flow of the water. For the moment it was tolerable -- almost benign.

". . . I have never been to the ocean before."

For all he knew, perhaps everyone dressed like Ino there, even in his own time.

. . . Though somehow he didn't think so.

[blondejokes]

"That makes sense. Bathing with your own gender, at least. It's like that back in my world, too." With some of the crazy people she had interacted with here, she wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't the case in other worlds.

"Did that happen here?" She nodded towards his arm, curiosity lighting up her eyes. Since arriving here, she had seen many strange things and powers from people. It was frightening, sure, but also interesting.

[cursedarrows]

"At home." It was no mystery -- even a story he would willingly give, but there seemed no need to give it out if she didn't ask. "I use the water to keep it calmer."

[blondejokes]

"Calmer? Would you like a balm to keep it from becoming inflamed?" She gave a small smile. Being a medic and botanist had given her the basic information for making balms.

[cursedarrows]

"Ah." He scooped up one of his sleeves; they would tie on separately beneath his outer clothing. "Thank you . . . I don't know if there are plants for this. It's a curse."

[blondejokes]

Her smile fell. "A curse?"

She was familiar with them only in context of Sasuke Uchiha, who had received a curse from Orochimaru during their first Chuunin Exam. But he was right; the only things that could combat curses were seals, not flowers or herbal medicines.

[cursedarrows]

It would be nice if there were plants for this. It would make the whole matter a great deal easier, instead of the cryptic, perhaps impossible task to which he had been set.

"In my own world, I shot a god and killed him." His voice was quiet, calm, perfectly matter-of-fact as though all of this were merely the weather. "This is my punishment."

A flicker of a glance up to her, with some hope in spite of himself. "Are there such plants?"

[blondejokes]

He shot a god. That's probably something so dumb not even Naruto would do that, or at the very least only something that the two of them would ever even think of doing.

"Why did you shoot a god?"

[cursedarrows]

In all honesty, it probably would not have occurred to him to offer the reason unless she had asked -- simply because to Ashitaka, the fact that he did it was enough. The reasoning barely mattered in the wake of the result.

"He was angry," he replied softly, fitting his left arm into one of the sleeves. "So angry that he had become a demon and destroyed everything in his wake. My village was small; they had little protection. And Kaia . . ."

But he cut himself off, staring into the sand. "He would not hear me. He would not turn. It was all that I could think to do."

A smile, wry, as he lifted his head back towards her. "It was foolish."

[blondejokes]

Ino nodded at him, a hand on her hip. Foolish was an understatement. Though she understood fighting back against somebody attacking his village, even a god. She'd do anything to protect Konoha.

"What happened after you shot him? Did he leave your village alone?" Her tone became a little softer. It had to be a sensitive subject, losing his village.

[cursedarrows]

"Yes." On with the second sleeve, but now his eyes were averted again. "He died."

Although anything about the curse was open game, the thought of the village was a topic he was not sure that he wanted -- was able -- to breach.

"With his last breath, he wanted to curse us all, but fortunately it was confined to me."

A breath, trying to clear his mind. "The plants," he reminded her, still not having received an answer.

[blondejokes]

"Hmm." She had thought gods to be, well, immortal. Immune to any attacks from mortals, especially just one. Maybe it was different when it was in demon form. Or maybe gods had different 'rules' in his world.

"There aren't any that can help with curses. The only thing I'm aware of that can help is a seal. Curses weren't very common in my world."

[cursedarrows]

With both sleeves on, the marks of the curse were mostly covered up, save for a bit of darkness near his fingers. "Are you able to produce these seals?"

[blondejokes]

She shook her head, adjusting her weight and leaning back slightly, hand still on her hip. "No. It's difficult to master, let alone begin the training for it."

[cursedarrows]

"It's all right." He looked up at her with another smile. "Thank you."

[blondejokes]

She nodded, smiling back at him. "It's no problem. I'll try asking my teammate if he knows anybody here who can do seals."

Without name-dropping, of course. Speaking of which...

"By the way, I'm Ino Yamanaka."

[cursedarrows]

"Ashitaka." Apparently that was all; he offered no surname.

His head tilted. "You walk on the water. What else do you do?"

[blondejokes]

As a shinobi, she knew bragging about your talents or jutsus was a bad idea. Not only could it be used against you, but the enemy could figure out your weakness before even fighting you in battle. Normally she'd respond with that's for me to know and for you to find out, but she'd try a different approach.

"A woman never reveals her secrets."