Back to ze past

"How is it broken?" He asked, stepping back through the door and forcing his polite smile to remain on his face as the demon walked inside. She set it down.
"It doesn't play." She said and moved back so he could look at it. Taro examined the box while her eyes roamed about the room, not yet opening it. Something about her set him horribly on edge, and his smile twisted slightly when she chose to stare at him. Taro turned to look at the box and opened it with a small shake of his head.

The tune began to play.

He turned slowly to face her, looking politely puzzled. “I don’t think it’s brok-”
“I like that necklace.” She said suddenly. her own smile spreading. Taro’s hand flew up to touch the ornate piece of jewelry that was no longer hidden under his shirt. She smirked triumphantly and his eyes widened.

Within what must only have been half a second she was behind him, hand clamped over his mouth and making hushing noises as she injected the contents of the needle now grasped in her hand into his neck. His cry of pain was muffled by her hand, and he found his limbs quickly becoming too heavy to fight back. His panicked eyes dulled and slipped shut as he sagged in her arms. With a malicious grin, she removed the empty needle from his neck, letting him sink to the floor and delicately stepped over him, looking down.

She crouched over him and examined the necklace. She smirked suddenly and unclasped it, standing and dropping it into her music box with the needle she had taken from Luke. She snapped the box shut and glanced down at the blonde, indecision striking at her. It would buy her more time if they didn't find him like this. The rest of the village would find out about her visit far too quickly.

With a long-suffering sigh, she lifted the light man and dropped him on the bed in the room she had decided was his. She closed his door behind her and stood in the main room, waiting to be sure nobody would notice her leave the hut.

((I'm the washing lady.))

Elizabeth stood with the old woman, her eyes on her hut the whole time. The old woman however was enjoying a nice gossip session where only she spoke.

Etsuko cursed slightly and threw caution to tthe winds. What was the point? They'd never catch up anyway. She opened the door and immediately noticed the human woman from earlier. So, she turned back to the house and said a few words of thanks before shutting the door and wandering off, back the way she came into the forest. Once the trees veiled her from sight she broke into a run.

Elizabeth bowed in respect to the elder andd walked back to her hut. "Taro?" She called once she was inside.

Sadaharu's eyebrows shot up when they finally found this snake that Mori had mentioned. It was massive... It was also sleeping. It hadn't taken long to find it's burrow at all, and, going by the sizable lump i it's stomach, it had just gorged itself on the vvillage's livestock. Without thinking it through, Sadaharu edged closer to it. The snake's head snapped up and wove through the air, zeroing in on the half demon. Mori cursed and dragged Sadaharu back.

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Taro heard her voice, but found himself incapable of moving at all, not even opening his eyes. As it was, thinking was difficult with the pain leeching out from his neck. It was moving slowly down from his neck and across his chest with each passing moment.

Yuki growled and moved forwarrd. "Don't get yourself killed." Jumping, Yuki puled his blades from their hiding places.

Amaterasu puleld out her bow.

---

Elizabeth went into his room. It was odd he didn't reply to her.

A sheen of sweat covered the blonde's face, his hair splayed out on the pillows where he'd been dropped. His breaths were steady, but shallow and his eyes flickered under their lids.

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The snake coiled and then lashed out towards Amaterasu fangs bared. As it did so, it's tail whipped out from behind it.

((I can stay over tonight, i'll just have to come over later on; once my clothes are at least half dry. lol))

((Now to ask my mother... Wherever she may be.))

Elizabeth ran to his side. This was not how someone slept, specially not the fool. She picked him up. "Taro?! Come on, look at me." She slapped his cheek.

---

Amaterasu fired one of her arrowws before jumping.

Yuki landed on the snakes head and stabbed one of his blades into the area between his eyes.

Taro's head lolled and his breath hitched slightly, but that was the only reaction she got out of him.
"Mummy?" Rhun called, walking into the main room.

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The snake lashed around furiously and tossed Yuki aside. Mori moved forwards and gashed along the snake's side when it moved to bite Yuki. It hissed and it's tail knocked Mori back.

((Your cool to stay.))

"Rhun.Go fetch the old-Grandma Ok?" She said, refering to the old woman. "Can you do that for Mummy?" She was panicing.

---

Yuki shook hishead and groaned. "Mori! Together." Yuki motioned to his eyes, then to the snake.

Rhun caught her tone annd looked frightened, peering into Taro's room. "Yes mummy!" He said and bolted to the old woman's cabin. He ran up to her and tugged on her kimono. "Mummy wants to see you" he said urgently.

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Mori nodded and hefted his sword, then ran towards the snake.

((cool! It's probably just for tonight though, i'll have to ask again tomorrow. lol.))

The old woman nodded. "Fetch the Miko child." She then hobbled off to Elizabeths cabin.

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Yuki ran from the otherside and jumped, throwing his dagger into the snakes eye.

Mori slammed his sword into the snake's other eye, and the snake writhed visciously, tearing it's head free and then it dropped to the floor. Mori growled and picked himself up, dusting himself off and walking over to retrieve his sword.

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Rhun tugged the Miko along as they quickly made their way to the hut. Arishi stepped inside, one hand on Rhun's shoulder.

Yuki panted, wathcing the snake closley to make sure it didn't move again.

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Elizabeth called theminto Taros room. "Somethings wrong."

Arishi moved straight to the side of the bed, touching the back of her hand to his forehead and frowned, pausing for a moment to listen to his breathing. "He's warm... Hasn't he been ill lately?" She asked. "Maybe his sickness has increased." She suggested. "Did he look ill today?"

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Mori pulled his sword free and scowled. "Brute." Sadaharu smirked.
"Well, shall we?"

"He had someone over." Eliabeth said. "He shouldn't be like this."

The old woman hummed in theback of her throat.

---

Yuki smirked. "God we're good." She looked to Mori and held his hand up for a Hi-5.

((When you coming oveR?))

((Soon, once the washing machine's done. i'll hang my clothes for tomoz up at yours. lol! if I may?))

Arishi's eyes narrowed and she sent Rhun outside, he had snuck back in again. "A demon? If a demon poisoned him, unless we know what it was, trying to treat it could kill him." She looked to the elder.

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Mori shrugged and gave him a hi-five. "Snakes can't kill rats." He said with a grin. "I don't think we saved their animals though. Let's get back."

((NO! yeah))

Elizabeth grew worried and held onto taros head tighter as it lay in her lap.

The elder cleared her throat. "Demons. We need your Demons back here."

---

"Snakes eat rats you mong!" Yuki snapped, but shouldered Maori in the back and ran off with a grin, slapping Sadaharus ass on his way out.

Mori followed with a shake of his head and Sadaharu muttering irritably. "Pack of morons." They were soon back in the village, heading for the hut. They were met by Rhun who ran over and tugged on Mori's sleeve. "Taro-daddy's sick. The old granny and the miko and mummy are all in his room" He said quickly. Mori's brow furrowed and he rushed off.

Evelyn rushed over to her brother. "Whats goin on Rhun?" She asked as Yuki and Amaterasu ran after Mori.

Taro-daddy's gotta cold" he said matter of factly. "The Miko told me to stay outside." He added in an afterthought.

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Mori ran into the hut, shoving the door open and stepping into Taro's room, pushing past the miko. "What's going on?!" He asked, eyes darting from Taro to Elizabeth. Then he froze. That scent... He tore his eyes from Taro's still face. "Elizabeth, did anyone come in here? A girl?" He asked, voice laden with disbelief.

"Yes." Elizabeth nodded. "She had a music box that needed fixing."

Mori slowly shook his head. "Etsuko..." He breathed. Sadaharu pushed into the room, having just reached the hut. "Etsuko?!" His eyes fell on Taro. "What's going on?" Arishi growled.
"You! Get out!" She snapped. "Too many people!" Sadaharu ducked back to the door.

"Whats going on?" Amaterasu asked when Sadaharu reappeared.

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The old womans eyes narrowed. "Demon with a taste for my chickens, tell me. What poison was used?"