dissimilar | (𝚓𝚒𝚐𝚘𝚔𝚞𝚌𝚑𝚘) 𝚒𝚗𝚋𝚘𝚡.

( When the newbies were given their introductory speech, Kate had commented to Musashi that she felt there were a surprising number of battle capable additions to Tamamo's ranks this time around.

No one, she thinks, exemplifies that more than Shou. After their first bout — she loses, grating but not unexpected — she conscripts him as yet another sparring partner, finds the time between Mizukume errands to drag him to the training grounds within the compound and practice some more.

She's getting better. Each day, she's getting better. That Tanabata wish still holds its effect, pushing her strength and stamina a bit beyond what she'd be capable of otherwise. Allows her to hit a bit harder when her punches connect, or shift out of the way a little faster than she would before.

She skips out of reach of a kick and grins, the ache of where he'd connected before lessened by a small victory. )

5/10—. See me after class.

( And, clearly, she's not feeling the strain enough to stop sassing him between breaths, returning his attempted attack with a kick aimed at his side, twin plaits swinging behind her with the movement. )

[ much like the rest of tamamo, having a sparring partner like this is brand new territory for shou. it's not difficult to get him onto training grounds, even less so with someone he's faced off with before. he's a monster with a wide margin back home, his abilities leaving people distant and fearful of him rather than eager to engage.

here, he's just himself.

that doesn't make him any less formidable though. he notes how quickly she improves between bouts, identifying his hallmarks and patterns, coming for his weak spots.

this time, he's actually broken a sweat, the heat of the air flaring in his eyes when he anchors himself and allows her kick to connect — it hurts, he feels it echo through his ribs, but you get a little, you give a little... he's done it in the interest of locking his arm around her leg before she can retract it, the crook of his elbow seizing powerful muscle. ]

Pulling rank, senpai?

[ shou expects kate won't let him get away with it for long and begins to pivot like he's going to put all his strength into just tossing her down. ]

( It's a mirror, almost. Kate's found herself holding more powers in the months since arriving, her own ability restored and improved through whatever magic the clan has to make these things happen. New gifts and the people to work with as she improves bringing her to a place where she no longer finds the thought of if I'd only come here next year invading her mind.

Next year would have meant one more year of suffering, one more shitty anniversary and Marc's hollow smile as he pretends everything's okay. His grades are still perfect, like always, so Kate doesn't need to worry. ...Like hell she doesn't. No one can read her brother better than she can.

No, she'd rather this extra work than allow him to continue obsessing over the answer to a question nobody has found. Besides, there's nothing better for clarity of mind than a situation like this, where all her focus is placed on Shou and his next move. Where she doesn't have time to think about anything but how she's going to get out of this lock and turn the tides.

And the answer is pretty easy: she won't. She'll take that momentum, same as she would work with it when parkouring, and prepare to hit the ground, tucking her head safely as she can to avoid injury. The moments of being airborne offering just enough time for her free heel to strike at his leg and hopefully pull him down with her.

All for one? Is that a Tamamo creed? )

[ in essence, shou understands that a spar is different from a fight. but back home, on his own, the two have coalesced into a singular violence that explains so much of his seriousness and unrelenting focus — reiji had reared him from a frightened child into a feared weapon, had taught him that even those close to him would go for the heart. not that this would stop him, but the act itself is what carves itself into his memory.

even in a sparring match, someone would fight to kill him, regardless if they couldn't.

these sessions within his clan are shifting how he thinks of it. it's less a wall to come up against and more a relationship built by each feint and blow and lesson learned. it breathes. when kate's heel catches his leg and rips his balance out from under him, the thinks... good. that's exactly the move he wanted to see.

of course, it means he's going down right along with her with a noise hissed between his teeth, grip loosening on her other leg. shou's knee hits the training mat and he's momentarily more focused on keeping himself upright than he is with hanging onto her.

a rare opening. ]

( There may be benefit in expecting to be backstabbed, Kate would never dissuade Shou of that. Not intentionally, anyway. But she's learning, too, that a space to breathe and trust that someone won't hurt you can exist. Where you can leave little pieces of yourself with someone, let them hold onto you, and believe they'll keep those things safe.

She hits the mat as his grip loosens, and it's just the opening she needs to hook her leg around his waist and pull him off balance.

That it happens to launch him forward and towards her is, well. Icing on the cake, really. )

Fancy meetin' you here.

( Ugh, cringe. )

[ a slim brow raises, his expression a split-second glimmer of surprise and something that may be amusement. if you squint. he doesn't smile, so it's always a toss up on how he's feeling...

unless you get him competitive like this.

if he's going to get snared, he wants as much of the advantage as he can muster up. yanked forward, he swings his weight into that equilibrium, pitching them into a brief roll — it's enough to lock his knees around her waist and attempt to cage her down with long limbs. ]

Yeah, well, [ he huffs. it's not common that he just spits out something so informal sounding. ] you invited me.

[ now is this all homegrown cringe or tamamo-induced cringe. ]

( He'll get there on the smiling, she thinks. She is. And isn't it kind of sad that being in hell has afforded her more reasons to feel like a person who smiles and has good moods than home did?

But that's not what she's here to think about right now. Shou starts crowding her in, and for a second, Kate regrets her choice. Eyes blow wide and her chest tightens, just for a moment, as old memories take over.

No. It's fine. She's not there any more. And Shou, she thinks, wouldn't hurt her. Not deliberately, anyway.

Still, she dodges his attempts to pin her down, hands wriggling away from his and finding the material of his shirt instead. She's stronger than she was when she arrived at Jigokucho, but Shou isn't a skinny twink like Shin, and rolling him off her in this position isn't going to be easy.

So it's time to play dirty. )

You always gonna do what I say?

( She teases as she pulls him down, lips pressing against his cheek, her powers alight in an attempt to sharpen all of his senses just enough to be disorienting. )

[ that shift in pace, the brief tension that clutches shallowly to her chest, that makes shou pause. not because he's feeling particularly merciful, but because it so often means something different is happening in her mind's eye that doesn't flow with the rhythm of what they're doing.

however he might act and look, he's so sensitive that it sweeps him in an instant.

unfortunate that it's the same pause kate uses to land her kiss. the effect ripples in a way that pulls his expression out from its stern concentration, blue eyes pinning as he tries to figure out what's just happened. everything is so — sharp. colors, the sounds of breathing, the scent of sweat, the taste of adrenaline. shooting a glance down beneath dark brows, he locks eyes with her. ]

...apparently, you don't have to say anything.

[ that has the inflection of a question. his limbs slack, signaling that she's gotten him pretty good. ]

( It's fine. She's fine. There are plenty of buffers now, experiences which put obstacles between those memories and herself.

Powers which give her an advantage most couldn't dream of - thanks for the help, Tenkohime. Amusement glitters in her eyes as the surprise takes him, the pink flush of exertion on her cheeks and the breathlessness of a hard fought round, her chest rising and falling against his.

He really is a handsome guy, the weight of him on top of her as intriguing as it is dizzying. It's nothing like Shin, who is so frail and light that she could and has picked him up before. But nor does she feel suffocated, trapped, and that makes it easier to raise her brows, lips quirking upwards as a hand slinks around the back of his neck, crashimg their lips together.

No powers this time, just Kate, using the last seconds of the kiss to try and flip him onto his back while he's (hopefully) still distracted. )

[ this is a different kind of warfare. he's never been the type to get easily distracted or thrown off his game, but playful sleight and the dawning knowledge of the foxes' love of trickery are slowly pushing the boundaries cast around him like iron bars and high walls.

with the lingering effects of his senses being kicked into a bright, dizzying tailspin, the kiss that follows is enough to get him off his balance and reverse their positions. it feels good. the breath that fills his lungs when he inhales through his nose is warm and sweet; her smile gets into his mouth. even as he's getting put on the small of his back, his legs lock and his core strength strains through muscle years in the making, spine curved to keep him vertical enough to draw the kiss out for one more moment.

it's enough to sink his long eye teeth into her bottom lip, giving the kiss a depth, a beckoning scrape. two can play that game.

and you can thank a certain skinny twink that he's a quick study. ]

( In the end, the joke of "Kate will have to send people to Shin so he can teach them what they're doing" was pre-empted by Tamamo's slutty, slutty existence. SMDH.

Taking advantages where you can find them is a sound, completely valid strategy, as far as Kate's concerned. It just so happened that this was the opening he left, and as momentum carries her up and over, Kate's fingers find Shou's shoulder, digging in to keep her balanced in the movement. But teeth graze her lip and that grasp falters — briefly, but noticeably enough — as her breath stutters and a noise catches in her throat.

That felt good. And it only encourages her to follow his mouth, lips parting as her hips settle over his and her other hand finds dark hair and curls into it.

This is a very different kind of warfare now. One that allows both parties to win. )

[ how they're balanced shifts and shou moves in the wake of it, one palm steadying on the floor behind him and the other rising to kate's cheek, the flat of his thumb poised against her jaw. this way, the energy is more stable and less kinetic — not something that tries to slip through her fingers but settle into them instead.

his demeanor has always been aloof and neutral, but there's something about him that soaks in closeness when it's given to him. lacking timidity, he surges quietly into the kiss, tongue slipping against hers with shallow force that still doesn't want to be bested.

not completely, anyway.

he doesn't stay there long, breaking the kiss to lean back and give some of his weight to her, head canting into the hand in his hair. his gaze steadies, cool in spite of the warmth gripping his body, the thin sheen of sweat on his brow and temples. his lashes are low for a moment until he glances upwards. ]

Was that the outcome you wanted?

( Ah.

That touch. It doesn't startle her the same way it might have a couple of months ago, though her cheek heats up under his fingers as their tongues meet, curious in their exploration. Her weight shifts in his lap, just a little, as she leans in further, seeking out unfamiliar parts of him with her hand and mouth.

Until he pulls back, and earns himself a little huff. A moment of frustration as something nice is taken away in place of a question that, really, only has one obvious answer.

She never was subtle about thinking he's hot. )

Almost.

( In her fantasies, they're both wearing far less clothing. )

(From here!)

[Given that a significant part of him didn't expect this to work in the slightest, the sudden response comes as somewhat of a surprise, and Naito glances over to Shou with a tiny nod before straightening up. It's hard not to look at him when he's positioned like that... but it's time to focus!]

I wanted to learn more about the song you're singing! You seem like you're having fun, so I wanted to join in.

[He takes just a step forward, trying to focus on the birds rather than give away that Shou is lying in wait. Now to get them down...]

I can't fly up there, so could you come down here and teach it to me?

(From here!)

[A gesture like this would have been embarrassing as is, but Shou's touch is so genuine and caring that it only stirs up his confusion even more. The loss of contact makes him feel terribly empty, somehow... but before he can get any words out, Naito reflexively chases Shou's now vacant hand with his own, only pulling away a bit when he realizes what he's doing.]

No! No, that's not it...

[His fingers are undoubtedly trembling, but taking a shallow breath, he steps forward and gingerly tugs at a corner of Shou's sleeve.]

It isn't you. I promise.

(𝚓𝚒𝚐𝚘𝚔𝚞𝚌𝚑𝚘) 𝚒𝚗𝚋𝚘𝚡.

i guess i just break everyone's inboxes in with filth

opens my arms

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September mingle

September mini event