Night Spectre

Karin Nanase | Kinged

[steelladynanase-blog]

Clumsy | Ryuji and Anyone

ryujiskullkamoto​:

The reaction to his offer to accompany her was a little weird. Most of the time people stared at him when he wasn’t even doing anything, but it didn’t really matter too much since the girl–”Kanako” she called herself, but the hesitation made Ryuji a bit suspicious–immediately apologized. She was super polite, if nothing else, and it threw Ryuji off. He wasn’t used to people being so proper with someone like him.

“You can drop the honorific if ya want. I’m not that old, and I don’t really care ‘bout bein’ proper anyway. Just Ryuji is fine, really. Hope ya don’t mind if I just use Kanako.” It was probably a fake name, anyway, and it wasn’t like he could blame her. Given how she was dressed, she probably didn’t wanna be recognized, so if he used her real name, it’d probably be bad for her. So he didn’t mind.

“Bodyguard?” That was an interesting way to put it. “D’ya usually need one?” He tilted his head a little in confusion, but then quickly followed up his question. “I mean I don’t mind! Probably be the for the best. Most people won’t bother with someone like me.”

“So they won’t bother you, either! I’ll do my best.” It was a new thing to imagine himself as a bodyguard, and he liked helping people. Might as well have fun with it.

“Ryuji then.” She was fine with just being called Kanako and so nodded her head in agreement. At his question relating to if she needed a body guard or not, Kanako tapped her chin in thought. “I would say... My life certainly would be a lot better if I had access to one..” It wasn’t a lie. If she ever had to go out she did normally have to dress in a way to hide her appearance though it was never to this extent. 

“I’ve never felt I needed to do it though..” Kanako stuffed her hands in her pockets and wiggled it a bit, making sure her wallet was still there and feeling the familiar weight and texture she hummed in approval. “Should we get going then? I was just thinking of heading to the one down the street. It’s small and close by so I don’t really need to carry that much.” She’d probably just stock up on mostly instant food because it was less weight and would last her a while. The less she needed to venture outside the better. 

She waited for Ryuji and then started off down the street but couldn’t help but try to glance at her surroundings subtly. No one was really paying them any mind. The hat and the mask weren’t really anything unusual, but the coat in this heat was suspect. If she were to be asked about it she could probably come up with an agreeable and logical response, but she didn’t think she needed to worry about that with Ryuji. So far he seemed to be able to read the situation and didn’t pry. 

Normally she probably would have been wary of his kindness but they were strolling through a very public area and venturing to an even more crowded store. It really took the edge off of her anxiety. “Is your leg doing better now? Try not to overdo it. If you need to rest let me know.” When they entered the store the first thing she did was point to a cart. “Do you want to try using that?” If he ended up suffering a cart could serve as a crutch in case of a dire situation. She hoped he wouldn’t think it was meddlesome but she believed whole heartedly in being prepared.

[steelladynanase-blog]

ryujiskullkamoto​:

Clumsy | Ryuji and Anyone

Ryuji was grateful for this oddly dressed lady’s kindness. Not a lot of people wanted to associate with Ryuji thanks to his punisk appearance, but it wasn’t usually unwelcome when someone talked to him, assuming they weren’t chewing him out for something. When she asked about his leg, he nervously rubbed at the back of his neck.

“It does this sometimes, but mostly when I’m trying to run or I step on it wrong.” How it ended up like that was a long story that he probably shouldn’t get into with a complete stranger, he figured. “Guess I should’ve been more careful.”

When the girl offered to go to the store for him, he shook his head lightly. “It’s alright. You’ve done a lot already. Thank you!” Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. “Oh! But I do need to go grab something to eat from the store. I’m out of food at home…”

“D’ya mind if I come with you? Wait, I should probably introduce myself before I try taggin’ along with you. My bad!” He smiled at the nice lady. “I’m Ryuji Sakamoto. You can just call me Ryuji, though.” The fact that she was very clearly disguised and thus probably not inclined to give him her identity didn’t even cross his mind.

It felt refreshing to be thanked and also to talk to someone who wasn’t chasing her down and yelling her name or asking her to speak on things she didn’t want to speak on. She was surprised though that he was so receptive to her help despite her appearance, but she supposed beggars couldn’t be choosers. No one else had come to his aid though she guessed it had something to do with his appearance as well. Under normal circumstances, she might have even been a little wary of him, but he had immediately apologized when they’d bumped into each other so she didn’t feel too worried to be in his presence at all. 

“Huh..?” Karin’s lips parted into an o shape of surprise. It’s not that she would have found his company unwelcome but she had hardly expected someone to want to accompany her to the store. Her red eyes blinked rapidly in confusion behind her sunglasses and she couldn’t help but stare, studying him even as he introduced himself. “Oh, I’m sorry.” she quickly bowed her head in apology for just rudely staring, but then raised her head back up and smiled. 

“It’s nice to meet you... Ryuji-san.” She couldn’t quite discern his age so thought it best to just go with the most respectful honorific. “I’m Ka-” She froze up, her eyes widening at her near blunder, her mouth opening and closing a few times as she tried to think up some name. “Ka.. Kanako. Mm. Just Kanako.” In the end she ended up mashing her real name and stage name together.

Her smile was awkward for a moment and then she stood up, extending out her hand. “Mm, this might work out. If you need any help let me know and.. Let’s see.. You can act as my bodyguard.” The absurdity of someone who was struggling to move taking on the role of her bodyguard made her giggle, but she meant nothing by it, only that she’d feel much more reassured having someone with her who at least looked strong. “Oh, ah, not that you need to do anything, of course!! But I think I’d feel a lot better going to the store if you were with me.. Is that weird..?” In that sense, at least, it’d feel like they were helping each other and that neither one needed to feel indebted to the other. 

[questionablehero]

Corpse Party || Subaru & Karin

@steelladynanase

The sight that met Subaru’s eyes as he stirred awake was not the expected, familiar sight of his room that usually greeted him. Instead, he found himself peering up at a ceiling obscured by darkness in a strange, gloomy room with dilapidated walls and rickety floorboards. The floor had collapsed in places, and fell away to endless, bottomless pits. Strewn carelessly about the room were school desks, too small to fit someone as grown as him. It looked to be an old, long-abandoned elementary school classroom.

As he pushed his body up to get a better look around, a sharp, stabbing pain flashed through his skull, temporarily blinding him and forcing him to set his head back down as he fought against an onset of nausea. He slowed his breathing and waited for the excruciating wave to diminish, then reached a hand back to feel around the back of his head, where the pain had originated. Pressing his fingers into his scalp brought tears springing to his eyes as fresh, stinging pain shot out in response, engulfing his senses once again. His hand came back slick with blood, and the grimness of reality began to set in, latching dread claws into his stomach.

“The fuck…?” Desperate for any answers at all, Subaru frantically searched through his memories for what had brought him here. The relentless, sickening pounding in his skull hindered his ability to recall anything clearly, and the only thing he seemed to remember was the earth opening up abruptly beneath him and devouring him whole. Anyways, it wasn’t really important right now. What was important–

“Gotta find a way out.” Although his mind was still foggy and thoughts disjointed, this solution stuck out to him as an absolute. He absolutely had to get out of here. Something in the stagnant air sent chills crawling down his spine and imparted a sense of urgency on him.

Biting down into his lip, Subaru once again moved to push his body up, ignoring the searing pain the movement sent flaring into his skull, resisting the subsequent urge to vomit. Using one of the nearby desks as a support, he struggled all the way up to his feet. Putting pressure on his right foot brought more pain and a crunching sound, and when he looked down at it, it was jutting out at an odd, unnatural angle. It was definitely something he wouldn’t be able to fix on his own, so for now he settled on a hobbling, limping gait that kept most of his weight on his left foot and only briefly the heel of his right. Though each step still brought electrifying pain lancing up his leg, he could manage getting around this way for now, although his movement was definitely restricted and he couldn’t go very fast.

Moving like this, he managed to shuffle out of the classroom he’d awaken in and out into a hallway, which carried the same gloomy, rundown look. The pits in the floor were out here too, which meant he had to watch his step.

A torn scrap of paper on the floor by the door he’d just exited grabbed his attention, and he carefully knelt down to pick it up. The lighting in the hallway was dim, but if he squinted, he could just make out the words scrawled there, although some were too blood-smeared to decipher:

If you’re reading this, you’re cursed, there’s no way out! ____ said there has to be one, said it has to do with the _______ wandering these halls. But then after saying that, one of them caught her and _____…

The rest of the note was too torn and smudged to read. But from the part he could read, it was enough for him to pick up on the utter hopelessness of the situation here.

[steelladynanase-blog]

“Nngh..” Karin was groggy and her head was spinning, even though her eyes had fluttered open they hadn’t adjusted well to the dark of the room. Her body felt heavy and as much as she was loathe to move she found that remaining where she lay would only become more and more uncomfortable. She willed her body to sit up and felt sore all over, her head throbbing. Karin sat there for a moment, her eyes slowly adjusting as she tried to figure out where she was an how she came to be here. Night time was a horrible time for her and the nightmares they brought about were about as realistic as this.. If she had to wager a guess she was probably just stuck in one of those horrible dreams. She didn’t even know if she’d hoped that was so or not. 

Carefully, Karin struggled to get to her feet. She was definitely in need of a good hot bath or a massage.. A painkiller wouldn’t be bad either. For now she needed to assess her situation. She rummaged through her skirt pockets and felt the familiar metal of her phone and dug it out, wincing as the screen lit up and blinded her. No service but at least she could use it to see. 

She activated the flashlight and turned it on the room. It looked like a classroom but it was in heavy disrepair. Parts of the floor were missing and she made a mental note to watch her step whenever she decided to move. For now she was rooted to the spot as she surveyed her surroundings, observing the small desks, the chairs, and then finally the black board. The black board, instead of being blank or containing messages in white chalk that seemed standard for a school befitting the time period, the word “CURSE” was written using something red. 

“What is this..? Some kind of prank? It’s not funny!” She called out, sounding braver than she felt. There was a cold chill about this place and an unsettling feeling like eyes were on her at all times, watching her every move. Once she was satisfied that she had looked over every detail in the room, and finding that it gave her the creeps, she hurried herself to leave. As soon as her boots stepped towards the threshold of the doorless room, a chill ran down karin’s spine, prompting her to look behind her, although very slowly. 

She of course directed her flashlight directly behind her, and even though the room should have been illuminated much better, there was a figure standing there that seemed blacker than any shadow. It was easy to make out a form, but no details. The only thing that looked clear were large white eyes and a mouth that grinned at her, red liquid lining its gums where it’s teeth should have been and poured from it’s mouth. Karin shrieked, her heel catching onto one of the uneven floorboards and sent her body twisting and crashing down to the floor right on her behind. She scooted backwards as far as she could go until her back slammed into the wall, her eyes wide and focused on the spot where the figure had been.

During Karin’s panic, her phone had gone flying, the light still bright but sending a bright beacon down the hall that illuminated the hallway. She kept her eyes trained on that spot but could no longer see those wide eyes or bloody grin, but it still felt as though the darkness there was even darker than the rest of the room. Her body shook uncontrollably, and it took every ounce of her willpower to tear her eyes away and scramble for her phone, where she directed the flashlight once more onto the spot. She had no idea whether to feel relieved or not as hot tears streamed down her face.

[steelladynanase-blog]

goemoned​:

Venus de Milo - Yusuke & Karin

Having the girl grip onto his clothes like that was a little strange and awkward, but he found he had no trouble walking and so he proceeded onwards. It was quite a walk to his sensei’s atelier, a run down looking shack that looked like a building in serious need of repair. It still held together just fine and regardless it was shelter and a roof over his head. He couldn’t complain. At least not about that. 

“Hm? Yes, this is it.” Yusuke stated as they stopped just short of the door of the “house” and produced a key from his pocket which he used to stab into the keyhole and begin the process of unlocking. The girl’s protests, however, made his hand hesitate on the handle just as he’d finished unlocking and was ready to turn it. “I see… Well, there’s no hurry. I’d prefer to start tomorrow anyways.” 

Though the request for headwear gave him pause. “Unfortunately, I do not own any hats but, hm.. Would a sweater suffice?” He didn’t wait for affirmation as he finished turning the door knob and stepped inside. “You can follow if you want. I don’t mind. Just don’t go wandering off. I’ll see if I can find it.” Thinking he’d only be a quick moment, he left the door ajar and wandered inside. 

It was only a few minutes when he returned, clutching a white zip up sweater with a hood. “This is all I’ve got to offer. You can return it tomorrow. Also, here’s my number. You can give me a call or simply drop by.” Yusuke held out the sweater for her to take, waiting calmly and patiently for her to do so.

The feeling of dread did not subside even as the male agreed to furnish her with the clothing she requested and retreated into the house. He’d left the door open and even cautioned her about wandering off but Karin had absolutely no plans to even step one foot inside. For all she knew it was a ruse to have her put her guard down, but these days, Karin’s guard was up at all times. As she waited for the blue haired one to return, she constantly turned her head back and forth, from the open door to behind her, just to make sure no one was planning on sneaking up on her. 

The few minutes she waited felt like an eternity, but when he did she quickly snatched the white hoodie from out of his hands and eyed it momentarily before sliding each arm into it and pulling the hoodie over her head. Karin sighed in relief as her purple hair was obscured from view and she turned her attention back onto the man before her, blinking. He made no attempts to kidnap her. In fact his movements were almost slow and graceful in a way. If he’d wanted to do anything to her then why oblige to her request and then stand there patiently. 

She did feel a little bad about her manners, but she was always on edge these days. If she deduced him to actually be a good person she’d vow to apologize one day. She accepted his number without complaint and scanned over it. “Yusuke... Kitagawa-san?” She read back in a soft voice, her red eyes peering up at him from over the letter. 

“You’re... serious about this? You don’t know who I am?” Karin continued to watch him with growing curiosity. “I’ll bring this back tomorrow but first a question.. Why do you want me to model for you?” 

[steelladynanase-blog]

Venus de Milo - Yusuke & Karin

goemoned​:

Crazy, huh? He’d been called many a thing in his past but that was a new one. It didn’t phase him in the slightest however. The only thing on the forefront of his mind was whether or not the girl would accept his invite. He stared at her completely expressionless as he observed her actions, something about her hair seemed to cause her distress though he couldn’t figure out why. 

In any case, she had agreed to it quite passionately. A small smile curled his lips, the male jubilant that it didn’t take much convincing on his part. “Excellent. In that case I will arrange to have you come to Sensei’s house tomor– hm?” Her cries for help fell on deaf ears but the way she closed the distance between them and then clung to his back brought him out of his head for a bit and back to reality. 

“Hm.. I don’t think an alley would fit the composition.” Even though.. the run down shack he dwelled in wasn’t exactly.. inspiring either. “Very well. I will take you there now and we can discuss the plans I have for the painting. You won’t need to do any modeling today.” He couldn’t help but be pleased that he’d found such a ready and willing model and he did have plans to have her start right away although preferably the next day when he could better prepare. 

Yusuke took one step and then paused. “It’s a little hard to walk like this.” It didn’t really bother him if she decided to hide behind him.. for whatever reason, but it was sort of an inconvenience. 

When the male admitted to having trouble walking, Karin unfurled her fists from his shirt and instead pinched at the fabric, making sure she kept her head low. “Sorry..” she responded softly. This was much easier right? It seemed to do the trick as the male began to walk forward and she followed behind him silently for a good while. 

But now that anxiety was starting to set in and she wondered if it was really alright to be following a stranger like this. What if he had bad intentions? What if he meant to kidnap her? She wouldn’t say she was the best judge of character but her woman’s intuition was clouded by thoughts of paranoia. If he’d meant to do her any ill will then he would have readily agreed to go into the alley, right? If he meant to kidnap her then wouldn’t they have wanted to be faster about it and already had some shady van nearby available? 

But no.. He was just walking casually onwards with people gathered around. She guessed if he really intended her harm then he wouldn’t do it around so many people. For now she’d have to occassionally peak out from behind his back just to make sure he wasn’t taking her to the police or a news station or an udnerground dungeon.. Her imagination was so scarily overactive these days. Though what did eventually come into full view was some place that looked like a run down shack. Was this really alright...? Now she was seriously having doubts. This looked really sketchy! Pun intended. 

“Um... This.. isn’t it... right?” She gulped. There were less people around now.. Maybe it would be safe to just run away here? But she couldn’t.. If she wanted to make it back to the hotel she needed to at least put something on her head. “Um, on second thought.. I think I really need to be getting back home.. But would you happen to have a hat or something I can borrow.. I’ll return it tomorrow!”

[steelladynanase-blog]

Clumsy | Ryuji and Anyone

ryujiskullkamoto​:

Ryuji had to admit that the person he had run into seemed… a bit weird, to say the least, but mostly in her attire. When she spoke, he determined she was actually pretty nice! She didn’t yell at him or anything, so that was a plus, odd appearance aside. 

“Oh, you noticed, huh?” Ryuji answered to her question, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “I’m fine, really. Just got a bad leg that acts up sometimes.” He tried to laugh it off, but winced when he unconsciously shifted his weight from one leg to the other. “Damn…” he muttered under his breath. There really was no hiding it now.

“But I don’t want to bother ya or nothin’ like that. I should be able to make it over there,” he said earnestly. She was clearly hiding from someone or something, so she probably didn’t want to be in one area too long, after all. His body betrayed his words, however, as he stumbled yet again when he started to walk over to the bench the disguised lady pointed out.

Of course she noticed. She was overly conscious of everything going on around her these days. The tiniest movement always put her into fight or flight mode.. mainly flight. So when he winced and stumbled none of it escaped her gaze. She really.. really shouldn’t get involved. If anything him stumbling around like this would only lengthen her time outside exposed.

There was that nagging voice in the back of her head that just couldn’t leave him alone like this. Even if she was discovered and accosted by the media.. It would weigh too heavily on her conscious. Her body jerked, lunging forward to grab at the blonde man and steady him, her body like a crutch to keep him from falling over. “It’s not a bother.. Come. Let’s sit.”  She steadily walked him over to the bench, steadying him for the short trip since he’d made some headway there already and then eased him down. 

It was surprisingly hard work and she plopped down on the seat beside him. “Phew!” His body had been a bit heavy for her to manage but she somehow felt lighter. Doing something nice for someone was nice for once.. “You’ve got a bad leg, right?” Karin pressed on her sunglasses, pushing it so far up the bridge of her nose that she could feel her eyelashes rubbing against it each time she blinked. “Does it normally act up like this?” 

There was no harm in small talk while she rested, right? It felt like it had been forever since she could chat casually with someone like this. “I’m sorry I can’t be more help.. But if you want I can run to the store and grab you something for the pain? Though I’m not sure if over the counter medicine will help..” She wasn’t sure exactly what was wrong with him and didn’t know if it would help but there was no harm in offering. She had planned to go to the store anyways. 

[goemoned]

Venus de Milo - Yusuke & Karin

Sometimes Yusuke got a ride with his teacher, but since he tended to be so busy with exhibits Yusuke was usually left to find his own way. Generally Yusuke didn’t leave his shack of a dwelling since he was cooped up inside scrutinizing over white, empty canvases. The only time the youth ventured out was to go to school or if he was in need of art supplies. Being cooped up could be stifling to the creative process, however.. A good walk outside might do him good once in a while, if not to get a breath of fresh air but in the hopes something aesthetically pleasing might catch his eye.

And catch his eye something did. He’d noticed the female while he was walking the downtown area of Shizume. This part was quaint with little shops lined up along the street. The way they were arranged alongside the superb landscaping was pleasing.. but he was getting off track here. It wasn’t the shops he was interested in but this vision of loveliness that presented itself as a girl with pale skin and long, purple hair fashioned into two low pigtails. 

The blue haired male reached out to her but something about the way she recoiled from his touch made him assume that maybe she’d been aware of his presence at some point. Or maybe she was just jumpy and unusually sensitive to these things. Whatever the case, it saved him some time. “Excuse me.” He dropped his arms that had lingered midair as he searched her face. Yes, even at this range she was inspiring. 

“Would you perhaps like to model for me?” There was no trace of an expression on his face as he spoke nor when he’d reached out to her. That was just the way he was, very unusually composed and only moved by art. Even if she was inspiring to him, his thoughts were swirling with ideas that caused his eyes and face to remain vacant. 

[steelladynanase-blog]

She was always so antsy these days. Always paranoid. Always looking over her shoulder. Why wouldn’t she be? She was such a hot topic in the press these days. She wished it would die down.. 

She was in such a rush this morning to leave and go grab food that she had foolishly forgotten her disguise proper. She wore the trench coat and the dark sunglasses, since it was impossible not to forget those but she’d forgotten to stuff her purple hair into her hat or place the face mask on. She hadn’t even realized she’d forgotten them either. Her mind was a scrambled mess of dark and worried thoughts. Her anxiety was at it’s peak and it wasn’t an odd occurrence for her to buckle down under the weight of it all and suffer an anxiety attack.

Karin could feel eyes on her from a while ago. She threw glances over her shoulder but tried not to look too much. No matter how much she pressed those dark shades up the bridge of her nose it didn’t completely obscure her eyes, especially from side view. But this time she whipped around, brows knitted and eyes wide in panic and anger. It was just as she thought! Was she discovered? No one would normally approach someone dressed like this, right?!

“Huh?” Karin’s mouth hung open at the stranger’s inquiry. “Model? Are you crazy?” Just what was the appeal of someone you could barely even see? She placed a hand to her hair to smooth it out and that’s when she realized.. her hair. She could feel her hair. “Ahh?!” Quickly she tried to cover it up with her hands but little that did to help. 

The male in question didn’t seem at all phased or perturbed by her behavior.. or even who she was. Did he not know? Well in this instance anything was better than this. “Fine! Fine! I’ll do it! J-Just help me out in return please!” Hurriedly, she rushed towards the man then planted herself at his back, clinging tightly to the back of his shirt. “Um.. Can we move somewhere else, please? Like.. Preferably an alley or something..”

[pururin]

[ryujiskullkamoto]

Clumsy | Ryuji and Anyone

Ryuji was still trying to get used to the large city of Shizume. He’d been living here for a bit, but it was still so large that he hadn’t learned where most things were, so there were days where he just wandered around to try and commit the streets, buildings, and other landmarks to memory.

He’d managed to wander into a completely new area to him, which was way more common than it probably should’ve been. But Ryuji enjoyed this sort of thing. It felt like a small adventure full of possibility, even if it was something as minor as going down a new street.

While he was taking in the sights, he took his eyes off of the sidewalk in front of him, and for a city as bustling as this one, that might not have been the best idea. He realized this only as he felt his shoulder slam into something, no doubt another person. 

“Ah!” Ryuji made a noise of surprise as he tried to step backwards and create space between him and the person he ran into, but he faltered a bit more than he thought. He stepped just the wrong way and a sharp pain shot through his leg, causing him to stumble hard, and he just barely caught himself before he fell to the ground.

“Shit, my bad,” he apologized. “Wasn’t looking. Are you alright?”

[steelladynanase-blog]

These days Karin had to sneak out of her hotel room and some days she couldn’t leave at all. At first there were a bunch of reporters crowded around the hotel and as much as the employees barred them from entering a few would slip in here and there and either pound on her door or skulk around in an attempt to catch sight of her. Regardless if they were hanging around or not, Karin made it a point to exit the hotel through the back. The employees were thankfully understanding and helpful of her situation though she did feel bad for putting them through all this. 

As she exited the alley and rounded the corner onto the sidewalk she roughly collided into a male’s shoulder. Now, normally Karin would just apologize but she made it a point not to linger too long. Even though she was dressed up quite suspiciously, her pig tails stuffed into a newsboy hat, black shades covering her eyes and one of those white medical masks fixed over her nose and mouth she knew it would attract it’s own attention, but at least no one would know who it was that was hiding. She knew it was probably smarter not to say anything and hurry on her way, but.. The guilt would overtake her and she’d had more than enough of dark thoughts seeping in.

“Oh, no.. It’s not your fault.. I wasn’t looking and..” Even through the dark lens she wore the pained expression on the blonde’s face nor the way he’d stumbled hadn’t eluded her. She was such a thin, petite girl that she couldn’t possibly imagine having done that much harm to someone, let alone this male. “You... Are you hurt?” Had she done this? She didn’t think she could bear it if someone else got hurt because of her.. There’s no way she could bring herself to leave him now.

“There’s a bench over there. Do you need help getting there? You didn’t look so good so I think you should rest..”

[pururin]