` xx.pErHaPs A sImPlE sWiM? [geki/open]

[` xx.shiranui ♥]

` xx.I believe there is divine imagination;;
give it wings for it created aviation xx

shiranui<3

A starlit oasis -- the perfect place for a getaway from all the nonsense and troubles in the outside world... that was what the River of the Heavens was dubbed. And indeed, it served as the perfect place to stay away from all the havoc that was being wreaked throughout the rest of the world. Because of this serenity that surrounded the river of starlight, it attracted the attention of one such peace-lover. The stars above twinkled, seeming to join with the ones swimming within the water's depths, as emerged a glowing figure, but not just any glowing figure.

Divine Instrument flowing freely from her back, yellow eyes trained on the surface of the starry water, beautiful glowing white pelt dashed with crimson full markings of that of the goddess claim, Shiranui entered within the field of the River of the Heavens. Her pawsteps were slow and leisurely as she approached the river before her, and they instinctively stopped when she had reached the bank of said river. Her gaze reached across from this end of the river toward the other, leading to a path that lead to a mysterious cave. She knew about this cave just as much as anyone else did, but she didn't know its exact purpose. Nonetheless, it was nice to visit once and a while.

A yawn, a stretch of the lips, a parting of the maw, that Shiranui did utter while she was mulling over the past events that happened lately. So far it seemed she was getting along with the moon god just fine. And though some terrible things had happened to her Celestials, they had managed to pull through. All of her followers had a happy ending of some sort, and loved to live in peace under the fair ruler Shiranui. Well, except for one in particular, one who now seemed to be always in her shadow...

Gekigami. She grimaced at the name. Apparently the whole of his Clan, the Reki Clan he had lived in, had been killed -- the last of which by his own hands. Ever since he had needed the comfort of her, to shine her rays upon the strong but now weak and cold-minded tiger. But she knew that even Gekigami could be opened up somehow. He may be fierce, he may be cold, and he may be downtrodden, but she knew that there was a way to bring him out of his shell. Bringing him to this beautiful river happened to be one of the many attempts at bringing the lightning god to his senses.

She turned her wolf head backward, watching closely and twitching her ears for any sign of the tiger. She knew very well that he would be following, because he always seemed to be undoubtedly loyal to her, even if she didn't require his help. And it was because of this need to be with her, that she had an advantage in the playing field -- because then she could convince him of the finer things, that there would still be hope in life, and she would have plenty of time to chat with him about it, so long as she didn't need a Celestial Envoy.

With that thought still in her head, she had to make sure he was coming. And what better way than to call out to him? "Gekigami,"

[/color] she called out softly, making sure that if she did speak she wouldn't spook him. "You're there, right?"[/color]

(( HORRIBLE POST. ))[/size][/blockquote]

[| i s s u n |]

;;how boldly we contrast,
my friend//

"as I strain my ears in the sound of the rain, words kept inside are buried.
staring at the empty skies, these glassy eyes won't reflect my heart..."

[/right]

All seemed quiet, the peace only broken by the soft whispering of the stardust river and the cautious breeze that shuffled the leaves of thinly trunked trees, whistled through the blades of grass, and caressed the ivory pelts of not one god, but two. The clearing was empty, absent of any other life but that one goddess that entranced him to change his ways. From the distance, where he hid his shameful face in the shadows, golden eyes could be seen, glinting in the starlight as they watched the sun goddess pause for a moment. As the breeze died down, his breath hitched in his throat; he did not blink nor move a muscle.

He stood, frozen with the fear of being caught. But why was he so afraid? She was kind, caring, respectful; everything he was forced to believe she wasn't. Painfully, the memories flooded his mind, forcing his eyes shut to hide the horror that would be visible in their honey golden glow. The faces of his people, his clan... They constantly lingered in his mind, but now, they were fresh in his mind, burning just as brightly as the stars that hovered above his head. The surprised gasps that welcomed him from his journey of enlightenment soon turned to groans and cries of pure agony and torture as his own kin destroyed what their father had worked so hard to create. Even if his ideas were twisted to the point where they were unrecognizable, they still founded the Reki Clan.

Now, he had to force himself to accept the fact that he had decided upon a lifestyle that would have forced him to betray his clan anyways. He decided to walk the path of the sun, following the sun goddess to the very ends of the earth if need be. Controlling a power that would benefit her if times grew hard, he decided to offer up his services, his clan's secrets for the comfort only she could possibly provide. Yet... the young tiger was not ready to accept her comforting offers just yet.

Taking a step forward, a heavy pawstep could be heard, and it sounded almost like a piece of hail the size of an orange, hitting the ground. Her call beckoned him forward; just hearing her say his name was enough to force his eyes open, a glassy glow coating his golden orbs. Clenching his fangs, a gentle rolling roar vibrated from his throat, the sound that tigers usually made when they were frustrated. He wasn't going to let Shiranui see him shed any tears. He couldn't appear like that weak child many of his tribe used to accuse him of being at such a young age when he decided to string a bow instead of wield a sword like his father or brother. Retreating back into his shell, Gekigami took another step forward, coming into clear view at her second calling.

"Yes, I am here." he said, his voice low, cold, and hard. From a distance, many would see a full grown tiger, stiff and ready to attack by how tense his muscles and jaw line were. In fact, he could pull of being a statue if he so desired; but why play silly games like a child? He was a grown man, a god, the last of his kind. He should be proud, for he was living proof that the Reki Clan used to exist; they were nothing of just pure legend. But how could he be? He dealt the final blow that ended his brother's life. Suddenly the weight of the light blue bow that rested on his back felt heavy, as if someone had applied a giant weight, threatening to snap his back. He felt so guilty, but then rage flared his body. His brother was responsible for the slaughter of his entire clan, so he was not at fault. A loud rumbling roar, like laughing thunder filled the air; it was so hard for Gekigami to control his emotions, even now. It was embarrassing, losing control in front of the sun goddess herself.

Flattening his circular ears against his skull, the young god silenced his growling and slowly approached Shiranui. There was no point in hiding any longer. She knew he was there, and he already signaled it to her. As he walked, he felt the lightning bolt shaped arrows tremble and jump inside of their quiver that was wrapped around his left thigh, and the arrow shifted with each step he took, his large shoulders rolling the the thick leather strap that held it securely to his back. He felt so awkward and clumsy compared to Shiranui; she was so beautiful, so graceful... No wonder why his father, no, his entire clan was jealous of her and the followers that dedicated their lives to her.

As he approached her, he made sure that he stopped at distance that would leave him more comfortable in her divine presence, meaning his tail length away from her. Gekigami stopped in front of her, his body still tense and hard, long tail with its unique brush like tip swinging from side to side as he waited patiently, but unfortunately the silence got to him. "I'm sorry that you've caught me following... I... just don't know what to do with myself. Is there anything I can do to keep my mind busy?" he asked, his voice sharp, but tempered so he did not offend her like he usually did others. "I can't keep it from wandering lately. I just remember everything, even though time has passed, my wounds are still fresh." Gekigami said, bowing his head in shame.

[/size]

[` xx.shiranui ♥]

` xx.you've waited in your faith you've dreamed your whole life;;

[/color][/size]
now let your soul begin to fly xx[/right]

shiranui<3

In the darkness that refused to reveal the tiger lying within, a sound could be picked up -- the sounds of roars. And these sounds didn't go unheard, especially from the goddess Shiranui, whose ears were sitting on top of her head. Twitching them in slight irritation at the loud noise, she remembered that again, this was Gekigami she was dealing with -- the god of the tiger, and whose roar could indeed deafen the greatest of all evils. If ever, he put himself in the line of fire, just that roar would send some of the monsters attacking scurrying away in fright, fearing for their lives. And so Shiranui knew, this was something only natural, and instead of fleeing at the mighty beast as he approached, she continued to sit, turned around from her location on the bank of the River of the Heavens.

A river created by stardust... how it glinted in the moon's empty shine. If it wasn't any indication of hope Shiranui would have no idea what was. Its glow had overwhelmed her yellow orbs, staring down into the depths of a river ever flowing, and never having dried up, unless of course the faith of the gods diminished. Of course, Shiranui reminded herself, that would hardly ever happen. Though some humans were still disbelievers, quite a few of them still believe in the heavens and gods above, whether it's to pray for the wellbeing of a child they're nurturing or anything else of the sort.

It was then through the wolf sun goddess's daydreaming that she heard the ring of Gekigami's strong, cold, and harsh voice.

"Yes, I am here."

[/b]

So of course, it could only be assumed that he was still upset. Shiranui almost let out a sigh, but held it within her chest from whence it had risen. At least he was here. It would be easier to deal with him if he were around than if he wasn't. She had beautiful things to show him, the beauty of life as they knew it, and if he wasn't around for her to give the show, then what was the point of it? Her brush-like tail swished as she contemplated what she would show him first. Well, so long as he was here and they weren't busy, she could show him the whole world if ever she wanted to. There was something in particular that was coming that she also wanted to check out -- the Kamiki Festival.

Oh yes, the Kamiki Festival. That definitely brought fond memories to Shiranui's mind. Every year at the full moon, they would celebrate the gods. It really didn't have much of a symbolic meaning (unlike it would years later) but it was still a great festival to partake in. Often it was used as a means of pleasing the gods beyond what they could do on normal days. On that day everyone was let off work, and people could pray freely to the gods. As long as this symbol was kept alive every year, Shiranui was absolutely certain that the faith of the gods would never diminish. With an inward nod to herself, she knew that was among the things she would definitely show Gekigami. Faith in gods like him... and she knew that he deserved a second chance, one that he had never obtained.

Awkwardly, the tiger approached the graceful sun goddess, and sat down nearly a tail-length away from him, making her tilt her head in curiosity. Did Gekigami feel as if he was in a different league as Shiranui? If he did he was sadly mistaken. Even if they weren't both gods, they still had emotions and capabilities quite unlike monsters. Shiranui's mind was set on the thought that everyone was equal, including herself to everyone else. Her yellow eyes traced over the tiger curiously, wondering what exactly was going through his mind at the time, and why he decided to sit so far away, as she listened to the next thing that he said, hearing his roaring and scratching voice again.

"I'm sorry that you've caught me following... I... just don't know what to do with myself. Is there anything I can do to keep my mind busy? I can't keep it from wandering lately. I just remember everything. Even though time has passed, my wounds are still fresh."[/b]

His silhouette in the darkness bowed, and the beautiful sun goddess could only assume that he bowed his head in shame. A smile creased the old wolf of creation's lips, and a welcoming look overcame her warm yellow eyes. She flicked her brush-like tail at him in a comforting and friendly gesture.

"Well, the first thing you could do is tell me why you have distanced yourself from me,"[/color] she barked, her voice not accusing, not angry, but simply holding only curiosity. Genuinely, she wanted to know why he wanted to distance himself from her. More words came from her smooth tone as she spoke once again. "And the second thing you could do is look at the river. Isn't it beautiful?"[/color] In no way did she bring up his family, or tell him to forget about it. Because she knew very well that just telling him to do something wouldn't help. Or at least, something like that. Because no matter what, he would never forget the family that nurtured him, especially so his cousin, whom she knew he had been close to while he was alive. Instead, she'd bring him in a different way -- enjoying what they had now, and enjoying the now instead of the then. And that was just what she set herself to do.

(( This post is much better. xDDD ))[/size][/blockquote]

[| i s s u n |]

;;why offer something i
don't deserve//

"when I locked the box of memories, something broke and scattered.
one day surely, you'll open the doors that had been locked, though I am at a loss..."

[/right]

In the darkness, hard and cold yellow eyes glinted dimly, avoiding the gentle and warm gaze of the sun goddess; he did his best to evade the caring glances of others for he did not trust his own eyes to hide the pain that scarred and tortured his very life. His breathing was a soft whisper, his chest rising and falling at a steady beat, the sound of his heart. The white and crimson fur that spread across his body twitched with each expanding breath, then fell still as he exhaled quietly; it was just another behavior that belonged to tigers, the deadly silence. Gekigami's whiskers, which were unusually neat for such an animal his size, seemed to droop, as if they were creating a frown that could not crease his lips, darken his maw and give it life. He was ashamed, upset, saddened....

The poor young god did not fully understand the minds of others, perhaps not even his own for he felt confliction brew within his thoughts. They raced as quickly as his arrow split the air on a stormy night, when he misused his own powers. He still needed to learn how to temper his anger and his urge to unleash a flurry of arrows when things did not go his way. His large muscles moved in unison, swiftly removing his tense stance before Shiranui and turning it into a "more" relaxed sit. Gekigami still felt awkward around her, so his head remained the same; bowed ever so slightly so his gaze fell on the ground and not her beautiful face.

When she first spoke, he felt his breath catch in his throat, his large chest feeling pressed for air as he waited for her to finish. Was it bad that he sat so far away? He winced mentally, swishing his brush-like tail to the side and over his paws, where the unique tip covered them, hiding the shiny tips of claws the sheathed in and out. Temper slowly rising, he fought to control himself. But why was he mad? He didn't even understand. Was it just because he could never do anything right his whole life? That he was a disgrace to his family, his clan? He swallowed hard, but no amount of throat clearing could erase the cold, deadly tone that thickened his voice despite whatever emotion he was feeling.

"Does it offend you that I sit so far away?" he quietly replied, though his voice did not obey, and it quickly overpowered the gentle hush of the stardust river, deafening the singing breeze and silenced the whispering of grass. The tiger felt his chest purr with a low growl that tickled his heart and relieved a bit of his own stress that he caused himself. Part of being a tiger meant vocalizing, so he had no control of how or when it came out, unless he was trying to show some affection or stare down the face of danger. Now was one of those times where affection tried to show its face, but he did not use that emotion for so long that he had forgotten how to express it. "I think, it's just more fitting and respectful that I keep my distance. I have been known to cause more trouble than expected if given the chance." Gekigami whispered, closing his eyes, hiding the pure honey that could give him away if he were not careful.

But at her beckoning, they opened, and swiftly traveled over to watch the river where the stardust flowed beautifully. It was such a sight to behold, but instead of nodding like any other would, he gave a tense, "Hmph." It was hard to pry any other response from him for beauty was in the eye of the beholder, and he was not one to judge that. It was the purity of one's heart that swayed this beast, and that is why he felt so shameful around Shiranui. Her heart... so pure. His own was blackened by confusion and forced hate despite the fact that he tried to fight it. He felt that his father, his mother, his brother and sister were still there, bringing his clan's views into the light, always trying to change his mind about this goddess and fight their battle.

Shaking his head lightly, he continued to stare at the river; the gentle light seemed to dance before his eyes and reflected themselves in his golden orbs, making them glow even more fiercely. Gekigami let a few moments pass before he decided to turn his gaze upon something else. The stars. He looked upon them, tilting his head back so he did not have to look anywhere else but up. "The stars are just a beautiful... I've always wondered how many there were. But I've never had the time nor patience to count them all despite the challenges I was given to do so." he said, his voice hiding the wonder that would have usually been there, say if he were with his cousin or his father, on a good day. By now, his was more relaxed as he reflected on a fond memory, as his heavy paws remained still, deadly claws sheathed within, and body slowly starting to melt into a warmer pose.

[` xx.shiranui ♥]

` xx.I hear the words but the meaning gets lost;;
it's a game, that depends on who the ball gets tossed
it's the same ball anyway xx

` xx.shiranui;;

Sensing the rising emotions spiking from the tiger god behind her, she almost shook her head. She had only been playfully joking -- should he really be so serious about what she had said? And when he spoke, she heard once again the dangerous tone that he typically used, but as quiet as he possibly could make it -- which wasn't by much.

"Does it offend you that I sit so far away?"

[/b]

A smile creased the old wolf's lips. He thought that he offended her? But wasn't that a bit strange, when Shiranui was rarely offended by any action, and had been through all the more worse of actions than the ones that he had just done. And of course, her voice came out a gentle reassurance to the thunder god, "Of course not. It doesn't offend me; I was just curious."[/color] Her voice was gentle, and her yellow eyes blinked as she half-turned to the tiger-formed god.

Before he spoke again, she heard something remotely close to a purr-growl. She could feel the radiation of affection from the god, and internally she grinned. He was getting better, no doubt -- and hopefully she could pull him out of his eternal shell he had drawn himself into since his clan's death. When he spoke again, his voice was as close to a whisper as he could manage. "I think, it's just more fitting and respectful that I keep my distance. I have been known to cause more trouble than expected if given the chance."[/b]

Shiranui let a slow sigh pass by her wolfy lips as she spoke once again, her voice graceful and dancing. "The only trouble you're causing at the moment is done unto yourself,"[/color] she said wisely. "You haven't done anything wrong so please, don't assume so."[/color] Brightly, she blinked her yellow orbs at him as his eyes opened once again and he moved toward the river of stardust. Instead of the typical nod, he tensely spoke, but this wasn't unexpected of him. After all, he was still bitter -- and it wasn't looks that mattered to him anymore.

After a while of staring at the river, Gekigami had shifted his gaze to the stars above, and spoke in a hidden awe that was even hard for Shiranui to pick up -- but that she did. "The stars are just as beautiful... I've always wondered how many there were. But I've never had the time nor the patience to count them all despite the challenges I was given to do so."[/b] And simply, the memories of trying to count the stars, he melted into a warmer pose -- a closer stage to euphoria. That was definitely something Shiranui was aiming for.

Because she expected the huge tiger-like creature wouldn't move on his own, the old wolf got up to her paws and walked over to Gekigami, sitting close to him and curling her tail over her paws as he watched him stick to his memories. With her words instantaneously she had the power to bring him back to reality. But she didn't want to do so just yet, so she let him stick to his memories of the sky, letting him stick like glue to the stars above. She found her own yellow gaze tilting up to the sky as well, looking at the stars.

She remembered the stars, and it was definite as he said they were beautiful. But every time she looked in a sky like this she couldn't help but think of the moon god, who had at first lived in peace with them for the entirety of the time from the beginning of the world of Nippon to a certain date of which she couldn't remember. After that he started getting violent and jealous, even kidnapping a group -- a group of Celestials, called the Moon Tribe now by fellow Celestials. And she couldn't help but be perturbed by the hateful stares that were given to the poor Moon Tribe, used-to-be innocent Celestials whom were in no way responsible for the fate they had endured. And in some twisted way, Shiranui felt somewhat responsible for the fate of the Moon Tribe. And especially, to a certain boy, a certain boy in the Moon Tribe she felt a particular fondness for...

Ushiwaka. He was constantly burdened with a different life than his fellow Celestial kids, constantly burdened with the cold hatred radiating from other Celestial Plain citizens. He was only seven and already he had endured more hate than a one hundred year old Celestial had once experienced. It saddened her that the Celestials could simply blame his tribe, and especially so him, for the fate that they had endured. They hadn't wandered into the lunar realm, oh no, they were taken there. And it seemed only she and the tribe itself knew anything of the sort.

Her own attention turned back to the earth she was standing on as she returned her gaze back to Gekigami, and spoke in a quiet and gentle voice. "The darkness... is somehow enthralling,"[/color] she pointed out, a topic she probably shouldn't have but was bugging her mind. "And I feel... responsible for the moon god's recent behavior. Though his side, the dark side, is more appealing, mine has received more attention. And this has made him angry, and pick on a group -- the Moon Tribe, more commonly known -- dragging them into the lunar realm. And ever since the Celestial Plain has been in slight disorder. I feel I am losing my grip on my own kingdom, because now... the Celestials despise each and every one of the Moon Tribe and I can't change their opinions. And I have a feeling, that the Celestial Plain will one day be equivalent to one of those falling stars. I hope not... but I have a feeling."[/color] In no way did she mention Waka at all, because she knew that he hardly knew him anyway.[/size][/blockquote]

[| i s s u n |]

;;i want the help but my
pride won't let me fall//

"emotions swaying in the real world, I don't want to be defeated.
all I can do now is run -- I start to hear it in my heart.
you are not alone."

[/right]

Despite all instinct that screamed from inside that told Gekigami to growl at her, warning Shiranui to keep her distance, he fought it and remained still. Instead, a forced rumble was in his throat, and though it sounded like approaching thunder, it should not frighten her away. It wasn't like he was trying to hurt her, he just couldn't trust himself enough to sit beside her though her aura did enlighten him to change his ways. He didn't feel uncomfortable around her, so his body had no reason to tense; but perhaps he did something unexpected then.

Breaking his longing gaze from the stars, he shifted his weight onto one hindleg, then lowered himself down with his forelegs. It was an effortless move, his muscles moving in genuine poetry, and if one had blinked it would've appeared as if he moved in half a second. The white tiger with his blazing crimson markings looked like a picture of contempt that most tigers would achieve by laying out in the sun after a filling meal, but he was not out in the wild, but in the presence of a divine goddess. Now laying down, Gekigami turned his gaze to Shiranui. His honey golden eyes glittered in the dim starlight, wondering what the beautiful wolf was thinking.

Especially when she spoke of the darkness, he was confused, just a bit.

His eyes narrowed, ears flicking towards her in curiousity and no longer did he make that forced purr that filled the air, drowning out the musical sounds of the breeze and stardust river in this never ending night. "How could you lose control of your own kingdom? I highly doubt that would go over well with those that live on the Celestial Plain." he said, his voice no longer tempering the roughness that was always present. He knew how loss of control within a certain area went down. He lost his entire clan because of it. He clenched his fangs together, trying to avoid a sudden outburst of anger.

"You should do something... What it is, I don't know of. But you're the only one that can sway the Celestials' opinions. I doubt that it is fair that this one Tribe is punished because of the moon god's doing." Gekigami snarled, forcing his gaze upon the stars again. What could be seen reflecting in them was not beauty, but cold, heartless, anger. "Though the darkness is enchanting, it is a dangerous force that could kill when not observed closely." he growled, but he soon felt that he was losing control of his emotions. "Excuse me." he then said, quickly gaining his footing, turning his back upon the sun goddess. "I wish that I could be of some help to you, Lady Shiranui.... But I don't know what I can do." he said, his voice low with shame.

The tiger's body language was vey tense yet again, his brush-like tail lashing from side to side in his fury. He would go speak to the Celestials himself, but could he guarantee their safety? No he could not. Perhaps if he went as human, but what impact would that make? He'd look like some spoiled upper-class man lecturing them how to live their lives. But he knew what could happen if someone were allowed to drink the poison of the moon god for too long. He experienced it first hand.

From where he stood, back towards Shiranui, he turned his head, glancing at her from the side of his head. His bright yellow eyes were now more gentle and concerned. "What do we do now? Where do we go from here? You can already sense that something may go wrong... I will not stand by and let that happen. I offer you my loyalty and service once again, and I will help you solve this problem." he said, his voice careful and gentle. "I came to you because I had nowhere else to go, no one else to turn to... I want to repay you for everything you've done, everything you've put up with when it came to me." Gekigami said, his voice pained to say it but he knew that he was a handful because of his lack of emotion control. "Just say the word, and I shall follow you." he whispered, his loyalty to the sun shining through.

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