thatsawiggle | Second Breeze

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Second Breeze

[The camera is shaky and held at a much smaller level from where Jin usually holds it. Specifically, it's about at crotch height, given that that's what's on the screen before he crouches down to look the camera in the eye.]

So I been learnin' a bit 'bout these pocky-mons, and findin' out that me own're weak t' rock types on account o' bein' flyin-types. Makes sense, after all, I'd imagine gettin' smacked out o' the air with a big ol' rock would hurt, it would! Even if it'd be easy t' blow it off path with jes' a gust o' wind...

Anyway! So I says, it's time t'be catchin' me one o' these rock-flyers, it is, t'be complementin' the rest o' the team I got! Ye got the gear thinger nice and tight, there, Shouen?

[A gruff but cheerful "Char!" comes from behind the gear, as Jin's blue eyes flick up over the camera to the pokemon holding it. He grins broadly in response, his ears twitching gaily.]

Righty-o, then, it's time t'be gettin' started! Lucky fer me I learned all sorts o' climbin' tricks in the shinobi, in case I was ever in a situation when I couldn't be usin' me wind.

[With those ominous words, he's off, hauling his big lanky limbs up the side of Sprout Tower. Shimmying around the tower to avoid the diligent eyes of the monks within, Jin's head of red hair pops up on top of the tower. At that moment, an Aerodactyl flies by with a screech, and Jin gracefully dives, latching onto the Aerodactyl's back with all four limbs. The camera catches every movement, as the Aerodactyl panics in midair and starts twisting and flapping its wings, trying to dislodge the demon on its back. It sinks its teeth into Jin's shoulder, but Jin tucks his head down to keep those razor-sharp teeth from making contact with his neck.

The Aerodactyl hits the walkway hard, and the two of them roll across the stones with Jin still holding on for dear life. The Aerodactyl gets its clawed feet sunk in, digging furrows into Jin's calves through his pants, red blossoming against the white cloth.]

Take that, ye cranky ol' fossil! I've swatted bugs bigger'n ye!

[The wrestling continues, until finally Jin twists underneath the Aerodactyl and manages to get the momentum to roll them both into the pure blue water around the tower.

It ain't blue for long. The Aerodactyl screeches in pain and flails around in the water, scratching and biting and disentangling Jin. Sopping wet, the shinobi pulls himself out of the water, the camera bobbing as Shouen the Charmeleon runs closer to get a good shot of his master's triumph. Jin pulls the red and white pokeball out of his pocket and throws it at the flailing Aerodactyl, watching it disappear in a beam of white light and fall to the edge of the water.

Ch-ching. Ch-ching. Ch-ching. Ding.

Jin is panting, bloody, soaked, streaked crimson with his own blood, and grinning like an idiot, barely catching the pokeball when it flies back to his hand before just collapsing to the ground, laughing.]

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[TIS BUT A FLESH WOUND.

~~I'm sorry for your first(?) experience with a genuine bonafide demon, Mondo.~~]

Aye, aye, I'll be headed t'the centre soon enough, I will.

[he waves off the concern with his good hand. But then he studies the surprised look on Mondo's face, and then shrugged.]

Must be ye got one o' those faces, then! Then again all humans kinda look alike t'me, that might be it too...

...Humans?

[Yep, this is definitely his first experience with anyone not human.]

What are you, then?

[???!?!]

Well, I'm a demon, o'course!

[He flicks one of his insanely long ears, complete with authentic boi-yoi-yoi-yoinnggg sound effect.]

Ye ain't never seen a human with a pair o' these before, have ye?

Some people's taken t' callin' us "apparitions," so ye might'a heard that'n too, but that jes' seems stupid t'me! On account o' the fact that it's still Demon World, innit, not "Apparition World!"

A... demon...

[Is he supposed to believe that? Well, okay, the long ears are a good point get it, point but most of what's being said is going straight over Mondo's head.]

So in your world, there are demons and you're from the "Demon World," is that about right?

[He looks really skeptical about this.]

[Eh, that's okay, there's supposed to be this whole big Masquerade thing where humans who aren't "spiritually aware" can't even really comprehend demons unless one is staring them in the face.

...Like right now, really.

Jin makes a face and wipes some blood out of the inside of his ear with his pinky finger, smearing it with his thumb. (Don't worry, it ran down from somewhere in that mess of hair of his.)]

Aye, aye, 's what I been tryin' t'say! 'S not jes' that there are demons, I'm one o' them! 'Spose I'm not s'much anymore - me specialty is wind, it is, but since I came here the wind isn't listenin'.

[Okay, so apparently demons can control wind too??? What is even happening anymore.]

Sounds like your world's quite the place. We don't have demons where I'm from.

[...At least, he doesn't think they do. Admittedly there are some people who kind of look like demons with their massive red eyes, but that's not the point!!]

[Wait until you find out that he's also a ninja.]

No? [He gets a mischievous grin.] Ye sure 'bout that one, boyo? Could be ye jes' haven't met one yet.

'Til now, anyway! [He laughs.] Jin's the name! 'S a pleasure t'meet ye!

Nice to meet you. I'm Oowada Mondo.

[Jin nods as if he's satisfied with that introduction. Then he heaves a big sigh and starts to (very unsteadily and shakily) get to his feet.]

Ye mind helpin' a guy t'the center? Put up more of a fight than I was expectin', it did!

[He laughs and then promptly overbalances and almost goes toppling back into the red-stained water.]

'Course I don't mind! Gimme your arm.

[Mondo is quick to help Jin to his feet. He knows all about underestimating his opponents (or overestimating his ability to deal with them) and oh man does he know how badly it sucks to get stranded without proper medical care. Of course "proper medical care" for a gang leader was really "head back to the base and hope someone can patch you up" but y'know.]

[Jin leans on Mondo when his good arm is draped over the boy's shoulders. Funny how similar treatment is between biker gangs and demon ninjas - the common treatment there being a gruff "rub some dirt in it" and the resident earth master/sect leader obligingly doing it for you if you continued to whine.

Or if he didn't like your face.]

'Preciate the help, I do. It's been a while since I was knocked 'round that good, it has, and I missed it!

Don't tell me you get in fights with things like that often!

[He's half-joking. Maybe.]

Oh aye! That an' things bigger all the time! And usually they're smarter 'n big ol' stinky animals - no offense, Shouen [to the Charmeleon who's trotted up to them.]

Bes' part o' the ol' shinobi job, it was, was the fightin'!

Oh yeah? What else did you do for your job?

[Because this is starting to sound interesting, even if it does involve demons and controlling the wind and other things he can't quite wrap his head around.]

Stealth missions 'n shit. [He half-grumbles. In case you couldn't guess, stealth is neither his strong suit nor his favorite thing.] Killin' people, too, lots o' times without a fight.

[Then he seems to realize something.]

Whoops, s'pose I shouldn' be tellin' ye all about it! Do me a favor, if ye ever see a tall greasy-haired asshole goes by name o' Risho and has a stupid pointy nose, don' tell him I was tellin' ye all this.

I won't mention it, don't worry about it.

[But something Jin said is bothering him, and Mondo's expression is making it obvious.]

Killing people? Didn't you ever feel bad about that shit?

[Luckily (or unluckily), the blood loss is starting to get to Jin's head, and he's paying more attention on getting one foot in front of the other than he is on the facial expression of his helper.]

Nah, didn' know none o' them well enough. We got a name an' a place, 's about it.

Figure if they're bad enough t'get someone wantin' 'em dead so's they hire the shinobi t'do it, must be they're deservin' it somehow, ye know?

[he's an assassin, basically. It's different, hon.]

[Mondo stays silent for a moment, taking that in.]

I guess your world must be pretty different, huh? Or maybe we were just raised differently or something. I'd never... I'd never want to take a life.

[He hates that he has to correct himself.]

[Oh honey.

Jin's ears twitch when he hears the shift in Mondo's voice, and his lips tug downward in a frown as he glances over at the human.

There's sympathy in those expressive blue eyes.]

Fun's in a good fight, not in a kill. I never wanted to, neither, but in Demon World sometimes it's kill or be killed, y'know?

Ye don' get t'be old as the wind if ye can't protect yerself.

Yeah, I guess it's a little more understandable in a situation like that, but it's the sorta thing I don't think I could ever do.

[A brief pause while he thinks, then Mondo glances back at Jin with a confused expression.]

"Old as the wind"? Are you seriously that old?

Yer one o' the good humans, then, and I'll be hopin' ye don' have ta.

[He looks surprised at the question that follows.]

Ah, not all that old, mind, on account o' how the wind was what raised me and if it weren't around before me then I'd'a been in a right bad shape as a wee one!

Think I lost count 'round me thirteen-hundredth year, though.

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Second Breeze

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