[Mentor RP] Noland + Shun explore feelings.

[Blade Kuroda]

It was some time after Shun had acted rather hostile towards Mot due to a case of mistaken identity. Apparently by doing this, he had rattled the boy quite a bit, and in turn, he received a challenge. It was a battle of honor or something along those lines. And it wasn't something he was likely to back down on.

The Reaper was not one to go easy on anyone, especially not in a fight or spar or whatever. But even so, he had been surprised by the tenacity the cowboy displayed in their battle. Things had started off poorly, and Shun almost had an easy win. However, something seemed to have snapped within Mot. And thus, he managed to fight back hard.

It was a flurry of bullets and steel, and he found himself finding an actual bit of challenge here. Mot nearly was able to turn things completely around to beat the dagger wielder. Some of the shots fired hurt a fair amount, but as per his training from childhood, he did what he could to not show that he was wearing down. He would not show signs of weakness. That would allow Mot to try and capitalize on that otherwise.

Keep focus. Concentrate. Show as little pain as possible. Try not to let your enemy read your movements or what you might be thinking. Be efficient. Precise. Even for something as simple as a fight where his opponent was trying to redeem his honor, these things constantly were in the back of his mind. There wasn't a fight ever that he didn't take seriously.

There was very little he took lightly for that matter.

In the end, however, Shun had come out on top, as he ended the battle with one decisive stab into Mot's shoulder. While he did end up defeating the cowboy, he hadn't entirely expected the scrawny and somewhat flighty guy to put up that much of a fight. It was for this reason that he didn't like to underestimate his opponents if possible.

In any case, that had garnered some respect for the boy. Things had been rocky here and there between himself and the one who wanted to become a boogeyman, but Mot was there during some times of need. It wasn't just the cowboy too, but the other friends he had managed to make in his relatively short time at the school. Lizzy, Xiu, Hel, and a few others.

Though this was something he hadn't known at the time.  

[Blade Kuroda]

Devil's pier, though a fairly nice place in its own right, was one that was rather isolated. The body of water it was attached to didn't really connect to any major rivers or streams, and it was just kind of in the middle of nowhere. As a result, there were no pumpkin patches for quite some distance. Shun wasn't really told why they were going here, he was just brought along. Sometimes he was brought along to this or that for no real reason.

Besides, Raymond was coming too! He was a good man who worked for his father. Sometimes he gave him candy. At times, he would mention some daughter he had, but the four year old never saw her around. It made him wonder a thing or two, but it didn't matter all too much. But, his father didn't really like it when these things happened. And so Shun was a little leery to approach the man. Granted, he was somewhat of a timid kid at the time anyway. He never knew when his Father would get all scary.

It wasn't just him. His Father and a few others were out at the pier today. Following them, he looked on around before peering out into the water. It looked pretty deep. There were some floresce swimming about from what he could tell.

"Now, it's time to get to business. I'm sure you're wondering why I've brought you out here today..."

His Father was talking to his men. Shun didn't really pay too much attention.

"Shiro. Mark," he heard him say. What he heard next sounded like a struggle. Now this caught his attention. The next thing he saw was two of his Father's men grabbing Raymond kind of roughly. Looking a little concerned, he got up from his position, not sure what was going on. The man questioned what the meaning of this was.

"Now I admit that you've done some good work... but I also know you're with the Boogies. That... is unacceptable," Kaitou said in a smooth and icy tone, "We can't allow you to return to your comrades I'm afraid."

At this, Shun's eyes went wide. He knew this wasn't a good thing. And so he began to run towards Raymond, but was stopped firmly as his Father grabbed a hold of him.

"Wait! But he's my friend!" he called out. He felt his Father's grip tighten a little.

"There is no point in having such things. To have friends and loved ones is to give yourself a weakness. A soft spot that can be harmed. Let this be a lesson to you as well."

The rest of the men began to tie up the under cover boogie, and chained a number of weights to his feet. When they were all done, they shoved the man into the depths. It was then that Shun bit down onto his father's arm to get him to let go. He ran and jumped into the water, not really knowing what he was doing. The boy did not know how to swim, but that didn't stop him from trying. He reached out, trying to grab a hold of the sinking demon, but he could only watch as drifted down further away. Soon, he was out of sight, leaving him with nothing more than a strong sense of being powerless and despair as he slowly sank as well.

And he was out of breath.  

[Blade Kuroda]

It was a setup! Shun should have known all along, but Mitsu insisted that they check out the Haunted house. He had been on high alert while they investigated the place, but it didn't help all too much. The hunters were already here, after all. Worse yet, they wanted Mitsu in specific. At least Mot and Hel were here as well.

It didn't take long before a fight broke out. A few of the enemy hunters had ranged attacks, some which were breaking a part the ceiling. Mot and Hel did their best to hold off two of them, while he and Mitsu did much of the same. The Reaper fought hard, not wanting these bastards to succeed. He couldn't let them succeed.

He wasn't just fighting for the sake of beating them back. If possible, he was going to go for the kill. Taking out Stacy proved one thing; they can bleed. They can die. And they certainly do not come back. And it can be done by their own hands. By his daggers.

The battle was not an easy one, though they were slowly pushing the hunters back in the least. It wouldn't last, however. Jordan, the one with the large hammer managed to strike him down, rendering him useless for a duration of the battle. Mot was next to fall as he was overwhelmed. But the worse was yet to come.

While Mitsu was fighting, the ceiling had come down onto her. Shun could only watch helplessly as she tried to fight off Candace. At some point, the hunter pulled out a familiar device. A net gun. Though he could barely stand, the sight of this and the meaning it held spurred him into action. He tried to strike down the hunter before she could net the girl. This only resulted in him getting caught in a net of his own before being kicked aside.

"Be a good boy and stay put."

He would have hoped it only had one shot.

It didn't.

Within moments, Mitsu was caught in another net. Candace was now calling for her allies to finish up. They had met their objective. It was time for them to leave.

One last look was given to Shun. "Tch..you tried~." Mitsu's net was grabbed and dragged closer to her with care, not wanting to hurt the girl anymore than she already was. "Deus Ex Machina."

And then, just like that, both Candace and Mitsu were gone.

"NO! MITSU!"

It was a rare moment where the Reaper genuinely shouted. It did no good, and in a flash, she was gone. Even without the net holding him down, he would have been completely stunned from seeing her form vanish away with the Hunter. His eye was fixated on that spot, as if trying to see past some horrid illusion. It was a useless endeavor though.

"M...Mitsu..." he repeated, much more quietly this time around.

He couldn't do anything to save her. He had failed to protect her. In that moment, he felt completely numb. Mentally and physically. Never before had he been struck with such a sense of loss. At least none that he could remember.

The one he loved was taken away, and he didn't know if he would ever get her back.

Maybe this is why Kaitou always pushed him to make no connections. After all, if you never let anyone close, they couldn't be ripped away in such a fashion. It wasn't really something he could think about too much at the time as rage began to fill the numbing void that he had. Mot and Hel were trying to help him up so that they could all leave, but he didn't pay them much mind. He didn't even struggle as he was practically being hoisted away.

"I will kill them all..."  

[Nio Love]

"Huuummmm." The foreign voice was jarring, dissipating any last remaining moments of the memory Shun was reliving. Things had gotten just a little too real, a little too painful. It was Noland's quiet, thoughtful little noise that started Shun on the path to consciousness again. "I think we've seen enough. Yes, surely we have. You've led a very interesting life, black ranger! But putting things in order, I see an even more interesting development."

Shun's senses began to return to him. Touch came first, as the tingles of sensation returned to his body. Hearing came next, but sight was delayed from returning. Still, he heard Noland's voice out loud, now, as he slowly woke up from his trance.

"I think the thing I was gladdest to see, was that you seem to be mastering your own fate. Oh, sure, you're still a gloomy gus. And why not! Years of being taught to shut emotions out, sure, sure. But you didn't let the opinions of those people dictate your life. You made the decision to love. To trust. And to care. And they were good decisions! Do you know why?"

His sight slowly returned, an unfocused fuzz blurring everything before he could blink away the haze to see the ghost in front of him, poking at his chest. "Because you chose them! Not someone else! Good job, Shun!"

Noland rubbed his hands together and leaned in close. "Now, what can we do to help you continue to explore those hard earned emotions.. oh! Oh oh! I know!"

A happy little chuckle left the ghost, before he turned around and gave his back to the boil.

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

The sudden voice of Noland was rather jarring indeed, snapping Shun out of any memories that were lingering about. If he could, he would have furrowed his brow somewhat in discomfort. Soon though, he began to feel his senses returning to him, though slowly. It was a little strange to have them trickling back like this.

His mentor did have a point though. Since he had arrived to Amity, he had been breaking away from the teachings he had while growing up.

Well. To an extent at least. He was certain there were things that wouldn't change. His emotions would likely remain fairly muted compared to most others. Not thinking on that too hard, he tilted his head lightly as Noland continued to go on with this exploration exercise.

"Hm?"

He wasn't sure whether or not he should be dreading what Noland had in mind.

Nio love

 

[Nio Love]

"Oh just.. just give me a minute.. need a little.. yes.. and then.. oh very nice! Yes.. yes... yes... NO. Okay."

Noland turned around, and handed Shun a little pill. It looked harmless enough.

"Eat it!"

Nothing could go wrong here.

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun slowly took the pill, looking it over. He eyed Noland with a bit of scrutiny, then took in a deep breath.

He then swallowed the pill.

nio love

 

[Nio Love]

Eating the pill didn't do anything, for approximately seven and a half seconds.

And then all of Shun's senses swirled dizzily, as he entered something remarkably reminiscent to one of Medea's trances. His eyesight was no longer his own. His body did not respond to his commands, it moved on its own, to someone elses orders.

But if he happened to see his reflection, he didn't look that different. Just a boy, brooding and solemn; the only differences between Shun and the reflection he might catch as he walked by a mirrored surface in the halls, was that he had both of his eyes again. And his face was etched with odd little tattoos crossing down his eyes.

And he had a funny little mask, not so different from Mitsu's, resting on the top of his head.

And as he walked the halls, things weren't really that different. Amityville seemed the way it always did; bustling with its own life, filled with students so busy with their own world that they hardly saw you. Perhaps a little ghoul might run by, barely even noticing he existed. Or on those rare occasions, when someone seemed to care that he was out in the rain, they might bother to hold out an umbrella for him before leaving him be. But all in all, he was usually left alone. Ignored, shunned, or kept to a distance.

And that was his own fault, really. He wasn't the most pleasant of company. Talking to him got you one or two word responses. Cold stares. Quiet shrugs. Everyone knew Noland wasn't looking for a friend.

But he was.

He just couldn't express himself the way others could.

Sometimes he would stare at a ghoul smiling, her face animated in ways he never could manage. When he returned to his room, he would stand in front of a mirror, and try with all of his might to move any muscle in his face. He held his lips up with his fingers until it hurt, and then let go.

They just fell back into that permanent scowl. He had no control over anything; that human looking face his skull pin gave him was just as cold and lifeless as the mask he wore.

And no one ever wanted to look at his real face, that gaping, toothy grin down by his stomach. Their eyes were always waiting for him to do something with the face his skull pin gave him.

The scene shifted, to a thin ghoul, with plain features, and watery, wide eyes. She looked up at him with a hope that was slowly being crushed.

"Smile." She begged him. And he did. He smiled for her. She just never saw it.

The scene faded to black, leaving Shun alone in the dark once more.

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

It was a little disorienting, but it wasn't an unfamiliar sensation. Shun had gone through a few of Medea's trances. Even so, it was always a little strange, to view the memories of another this way. It was like watching a movie, given how he had no control of what he looked and the like.

He was a little surprised to see the face of the boy staring back in the mirror. Given the markings upon his face and the mask on his head, he could only assume that this was Noland in his youth. With the way he carried on in the halls, it wasn't too different from how he was some time ago.

The difference was that Shun wasn't looking for friends before. But this ghost was.

He watched as the scene ended with the girl on the verge of tears, begging him to smile. It was never seen. Not visibly at least.

In silence, Shun considered what all of this meant as things turned to darkness. For one thing, Noland also struggled with how to express oneself. Granted, in his own case, he sometimes had trouble even describing things, let alone really show it. Mitsu was able to pick up on his little nuances that meant this or that regarding his emotions, but she was certainly in the minority of who was able to tell such things.

It made him wonder if this was a part of the reason as to why Noland agreed to take him under his wing.

Nio love

 

[Nio Love]

When it was finally time for Shun's senses to return to him, Noland's mask was just a little too close to his face for comfort. He was looming, creepily, watching for some kind of reaction, until-

"Aha! There you are! Very good, excellent, now now, don't tell me what you saw. I'm sure it was something terribly interesting about my life, yes I know. Just a party non-stop! But now you see, I know a little something about having trouble expressing yourself. I'm just glad you've opened your heart to others. Haha, that sounds funny!"

The chipper voice sounded so disarming and disorienting, coupled with the scene Shun had just witnessed. While they might have looked similar, that was where Shun and Nolands comparisons ended. "So, what I have for you is a little trick. And of course, it will help you be a better fighter, too, Jack forbid I don't help you do that!" Noland jiggled, the giant belly gaping open in a grin. "But more importantly, it will be a new way for you to express how you feel. It is up to YOU what happens with this new ability, though. If you continue to remain as gloomy and sour as you are now, all anyone is ever going to see is a reflection of that emotion. But if you open up to happier feelings.. well! There's no end to the possibilities!"

The pill Shun had eaten wasn't simply a trance drug. Noland had laced it with something.. special.

"Go on, try it! Just.. feel something!"

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun's good eye twitched as his senses came around only to have Noland's face right in his own. That was a little disturbing, but he just stared back, not saying anything just yet. He let out a breath, nodding to the ghost's words. It was indeed strange to see how cheerful he seemed right now in contrast to what he had just witnessed.

He doubted he would really end up like that. It was just....

Weird.

But, he tilted his head a little as he mentioned something of a trick that would improve him on the fighting end as well. He furrowed his brow a little as he continued to speak, however.

He blinked.

"Feel something? Like.... what?"

What was there to feel right now? He was relatively content at the moment. That, and confused. And well, he didn't really mind if people usually saw him the way he was right now.

Feel. Feel. Feel.

Feel what?

"...I think I may need more than just an order to feel something?"

Nio love

 

[Nio Love]

"Oh no, hahaha, you really don't!"

Right above Shun's head, several bouncing question marks were floating.  

[Blade Kuroda]

"...."

Unaware that he had question marks hovering over his head, he just stared at Noland, still rather confused.

"I... don't understand."  

[Nio Love]

Even more question marks popped up.

"Oh, you silly thing.. hold on then, let's see here.. hmm. Nothing reflective in this room.. do you have anything reflective on you? A belt buckle, perhaps? Or shiny- aha!" He held his hand out, and several little nuggets of gold fell from his fingertips. He picked the largest one up, and held it to within an inch of Shun's face.

"Look closer."  

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun supposed if he needed to, he could try using his daggers as a makeshift mirror. But the gold nugget did well enough. Furrowing his brow, he leaned forth and squinted.

"...."

Now he could see the question marks floating over his head.

"..Why the bloody hell are there question marks over my head?"