cursebound. (Earinor & Akira)

The young priest didn't stop talking nonsense, even when his superior had arrived already and could watch him cling to the cursed murderer. Genji furrowed his brows, but didn't answer anything, he just shook his head and pulled out of Mikunis grip. What was it that the priest or the goddess wanted of him? All he brought was death and destruction. He didn't want to hurt them and even though his mind was clear now, he didn't want anything like what happened before happening again. He looked up at the Father once he started to speak, but his words were unbelievable. "You... did?" So fast? After all these years curing him took a man only a few hours? He wanted to believe it and maybe now that the curse slept and couldn't interrupt Genji was the perfect time. "A new host... is that a possibility?", he asked. It was a curse, not a ghost, wasn't it? "I don't want to put anyone in danger. If it could travel it rather be me shouldering it..." If it travelled? Would the amassed souls be free? Would it start a new? If yes, even if he got it again, he could handle it or simply... die.

The vessel grabbed Genjis sleeve and he didn't know why. He simply pulled his hand off and stepped so far away, that he couldn't possibly grab him again. He wondered what day they spoke off though, but it was none of Genjis business. Something told him to still be weary, but he brushed it off, telling himself that was the curse trying to survive, or himself because he still felt like he deserved some punishment. Genji looked at the Father and shook his head. "No Father. Thank you. I will get out of your way then...", he mumbled, lowered his head and then left, leaving Mikuni by himself. He had company now, so what was the harm? Father Seimei and his brothers would care about him and Genji quickly went back to his room. He hoped the curse wouldn't awake before the mass. He closed his door and while he was thinking that he should probably eat his breakfast, his body decided differently. He quickly opened the window, just in time to empty his stomach, which hadn't had much in it in the first place. All of this had been a tad bit too much for him. he left the window and let himself down on the floor. He was tired and his head hurt, but even without the curse keeping him awake, he didn't feel like he was able to sleep one bit.

Was that his punishment? Genji pulled away from him and Mikuni immediately felt like a stone was plunging itself deep into his stomach. Not only was it awful, it also appeared to be like he was getting his just desserts. Now, there was way too much room between them and he couldn't just scoot over, or tell the stranger to be wary of what Father Seimei was saying, but regardless, there was hardly anything to worry about - if they'd found a cure, that was great. If they hadn't, that sucked, supremely. However, the timing was just off - a bit too perfect. What was it again? Today was a holy day, that much was for certain, but it also meant that, whatever had happened to the goddess would just have an impact on tonights performance. What if the Revelation stayed asleep? Mikuni could feel warmth spread from his chest, all the way to his fingers - he was embarrassed. "It shouldn't be. But we have to take precautions anyway." And if the curse befell Mikuni, who knew which of the two things would come out on top. Was that what Seimei had had in mind? The same thing he'd done without a distracting mass to celebrate something unforgiving and absolutely disgusting? Thousands of questions, yet, so little answers, and before he knew it, Genji was gone, like the wind.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Mikuni looked at Seimei rather bewildered. "It won't work.", he made clear and stared the old man down, this time with both eyes, even if one wasn't his. Father Seimei, on the other hand, shook his head and seemed almost disappointed at the suggestion from someone that he ... kind of held dear. Wasn't that it? It was odd either way. "Don't be like that. Have faith. The Revelation will benefit from his sacrifice." There was a murmur and Mikunis heart stopped in its tracks. Obviously. Fucking hell. Was that why they had insisted he should stay until mass? So there was no way he'd be able to escape from their clutches? "What?", the vessel shouted, appaled, as Seimei drew closer. He couldn't back away, he simply was frozen in fear at the suggestion, though, all he received was a strong hand patting his head. That did little to make him feel better, if he were honest. "You still have much to learn. He's beyond saving, I'm afraid - but you aren't. You are going to benefit from this, little one. Just let it happen, yes? The curse is incurable, it's better for him, too.", the old man suggested. Mikuni was angry enough already and swatted the hand away. "As if! You don't even care!", he grumbled. "Now now, get some good rest, will you? You need to give it your all tonight. You know that." Mikuni wanted to say something, but instead, his eyelids felt much heavier than before, and he was tired too - no, this couldn't be happening! He had to warn Genji and get up there somehow ... for gods sake! He'd drag this damn body back up the tower if he had to. He'd just have to crawl there, then ...

Genji felt incredibly tired, but for some reason he couldn't sleep. He felt uneasy and maybe excited. After a while he forced himself on his feet to at least eat the breakfast Mikuni had brought him. He hadn't eaten since yesterday and even then he didn't eat much. He also drank from the water, before he decided that it was maybe best to finally wash his clothes. In the infirmary the priest seemed offended by the fact that Genji wore their clothes after all. The assassin quickly found himself a bucket and made his way to the fountain to fetch some water. He didn't want to disturb anyone, but walking through the shadows was like second nature to him anyway. He didn't think anyone saw him and he was quickly back to his room. There he washed his clothes. The lingering curse was washed off and left behind darkened water. He hung the clothes over the chair and out the window. Then he also got out of the priests robes to wash them as well. As soon as his clothes were dry, he put them on again.

He couldn't cover the curse on his face, but maybe it wouldn't be relevant anymore soon. All he could do now was wait and that he did, with an uneasy feeling in his stomach. Something felt off, but he told himself, that it was the curse that felt this, that was scared to be banished, maybe it slowly awakened and that was what was happening. It should have been easy for him to see though lies, but this particular one he wanted to believe, even though Mikuni had told him something similar and he didn't want to listen at all. He didn't want to hurt him again. It was getting late and the sun slowly set. That was when there was a knock on his door and Genji slowly opened up. There were two priests, their robes had changed colors as it seemed. They looked uneasy, but he couldn't blame them, after all he was a murderer and his curse was clearly visible. They told him to follow them to the mass and that he did.

It was to no avail. Mikuni had passed out the moment he'd even made an attempt to crawl out of the bed and now, he was facing the consequences of it; by the time he finally awoke, it was too late anyway, and all he could do was wash up. Not long after, he was haunted by some of his fellow priests, which dragged him around, from one place to the other. There was no way of knowing what they were doing, but all of them gave his exposed eye a glance and tried to wipe the black residue away. All of them failed. Before long, he was baited with myrrh - the smoke stuck to his throat and made everything feel disgustingly warm and sticky. He yelped, as he helped himself out of his delirium that way, only to realize that he was the only one that was stuck wearing white, while the others had wine red robes on their bodies - he was also the only one to wear a headpiece made out of yule, and the only one they smeared some kind of paint on. It was a holiday, and this was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but the one they were celebrating had fallen asleep hours ago, and wasn't even snoring. Mikuni was concerned, and yet, let himself be dragged around like a limp doll - he was stuck thinking about Otoha, about Genji, and the fact that one of them wouldn't live to see the rest of the night.

As he was led away, they slowly reached the church - it was empty, though, and nobody had arrived yet, aside from Father Seimei, who was standing next to a chair; he was forced to sit in it before the masses poured in. All priests wore the same garb with little to no personal alterations, and Mikuni-no-Homare was the one that stuck out like a sore thumb. So was Genji, the moment he arrived. If he were able to, he would have yelled at him to book it out of here, to not let himself become one of many lost souls in these hallowed halls, but his voice eluded him, the moment Father Seimei shushed him. All of this was plain wrong. As the two priests led the lamb forward, Father Seimei excitedly smiled at him. "I'm glad you could make it.", he spoke, and then pointed to a cushion that had been laid out on the altar before him, as well as a cup with dubious liquid in it. This was the sole setup they needed, nothing more. In his hand, however, Father Seimei bore another yule crown, which he placed atop Genjis head. The old man smiled. "Please kneel on the cushion and give the vessel a glance while doing so. Then, drink from the wine and close your eyes.", he directed. Mikuni wasn't too happy about it, but he couldn't do much. Couldn't Otoha do something? Anything! Really! Aside from a panicked expression, which fell onto Genji, nothing changed.

Genji was led down the stairs, out of the tower and into a much larger area he hadn't been to before. The walls were incredibly high and their steps echoed through the hall. They arrived at a large wooden door with all kinds of symbols carved into it. It were holy ones and the stars that aligned in specific formations. Genji couldn't look at it for too long however, because the priests opened the door and heavy air, full of pleasant smelling smoke hit Genjis face. It seemed like the whole monastery was here. The sides were filled to the brim with priests in red cloaks that watched Genji enter and on the other end of the room there was an altar. Mikuni-no-Homare was sitting there and Father Seimei stood beside him. The priests led Genji towards the altar where they left him alone with Father Seimei, to find their spots in the crowd. The old priest put a crown on the top of Genjis head, then he directed him to kneel down before the vessel on a white cushion.

Genji did what was asked and kneeled down, looking at the vessel and the panic in his eyes. He'd believed he was scared of him, because he was a murderer and he hurt him, but in the end that didn't keep him from clinging to him. Deep down Genji knew, something was wrong, but he didn't want to believe it. When he put his hand on the sandy floor, he noticed a weird stickiness to it and all the smoke could only try to cover up a different smell that was all too familiar to Genji. Blood was what he smelled and felt between his fingers, but he still took the cup, looking at the vessel before him. "This isn't dangerous, is it?", he asked, not looking at Father Seimei, but Mikuni-no-Homare while he spoke, but he was actually speaking to the older priest. "Because if I were to die, this curse would swallow the earth, killing every single man in these halls as well." Now his gaze moved away from the vessel and towards Father Seimei. "I've locked this thing away for centuries... If I could simply die to end this, I would have done so a long time ago."

Mikuni-no-Homare knew nothing. It was an undisputed fact between all of the priests that, for better or for worse, had hardly ever tried to understand him knew his secrets, all the while he was none the wiser and solely focused on himself, which couldn't make him happy in the slightest. Much to his dismay, he was stuck with doing what needed to be done, which, in the monasteries case, was nothing good or even amicable. It was distasteful. Yet, he had no choice - yet, the priests insisted on human sacrifices, made in the name of love and vain, to a goddess that didn't want them, in form of her vessel, who gained nothing from receiving them, or even being saddled with her existence. As his gaze met that of Genjis, he shuddered. Now, he was more than sorry for even bringing him here; he had a hard time keeping track of it all, and while he thought a bit too much about it, he also had to admit that no matter what, he'd not make that much of a likeable fellow out of himself if he clung to everyone out of desperation. The hair in his neck stood on end, goosebumps were riddling his skin - his eyes hurt and his mouth was incredibly dry. Not one word fell from his lips. Silence persisted.

The priests had stopped talking, the moment Genji faced them with his back. Father Seimei merely smiled at him and made sure that he drank from the liquid presented to him, from the spiked wine, fit for a sacrifice that was, all things considered, too much of a threat to be left alone. Sheepishly and naively, he had believe in a cure for his curse, and now, he'd pay the toll, under false pretenses. "No, no. Don't worry. It is but a celebration of ... life, for the goddess.", the older man spoke and escaped Genji by walking around him. For now, he was obedient, but how long would that last? If he knew - if he could tell - he'd be much happier, but alas he did not, and therefore had to admit, that all of this might be quite the dangerous undertaking. But who cared? For now, he'd already been drugged. That was, where all of this ended. "Don't worry about things like that now, son. This is a joyous occasion, not a sad one, and you're very much welcome to celebrate with us.", he mused. For now, a single knife would suffice - he procured it from his sleeve as he stopped behind Genji. "We don't wish to kill you, or anyone, not yet. However, this might still sting. Please bear with me.", he requested as he rammed the damned knife into the cursed one's shoulder blade and left it there. Mikunis eyes simply widdened in horror and he mouthed the words "run" in hopes of Genji looking at him. It was too late, however, when Father Seimei plunged another one into his back.

Genji looked at the vessel, at the person that wanted him at his side so much, but didn't say anything now, even though Genji felt like something was off. What was Otoha thinking though? Genji remembered more as his brain wasn't filled with smoke, but he also hadn't slept and was tired. What she thought or how she know him shouldn't concern him now. Father Seimei walked out of his field of view and Mikuni-no-Homare still didn't say anything. A celebration for life? It didn't sound convincing, but that was when he felt some pressure on his shoulder. He dropped the chalice in his hands and when the second knife hit him, he slumped over, using his left arm to soften his fall. Two knives stuck in his back, but that wasn't the reason he lost his balance. "You picked the wrong side...", he panted, his left hand reaching out for his right, pressing down on it. "Now you've... woken in up..." Genji could feel it again. He felt the curse starting to wobble up and he felt it wiggle out the knives that were covered by black smoke now. With the curse having spread so far, it protected him from Father Seimei and it fueled the anger and disappointment in Genjis body.

After the knives hit the stone floor, he slowly stood up and turned around to Father Seimei and the rest of the priests. When he tried to end this monsters life once more, Genji simply grabbed the old and cracking wrist which held another knife. "You should have aimed for my heart... now it's too late... though either way, you would have... died..." there was no way holding the curse back at this point, not when he already had a victim in his grasp, one that's wrist got crushed by Genjis right hand and another knife hit the floor. "Your goddess saved me... in a sense... and the world too, but... I can't... let... go..." Father Seimeis fate was sealed, Genji knew as much. He couldn't save him, he wasn't able to control that right arm of his, he fully lost control of it and his thoughts followed. The curse excitedly danced on his skin, because prey was right there, something to strengthen it. Before Genji had to surrender completely, he looked up and past Father Seimei, at the crowd of priests. "Run... all of you... as long as you can..." Then he turned around to that vessel and looking at that wretched eye made everything worse somehow. "You too."

A celebration of blood, that was what it was. Mikuni knew that it was futile to try and escape Father Seimeis grasp, or the poison that filled the air, but he was still trying to get up, to warn Genji, to do something - anything - but he couldn't. His voice was gone and his body was trembling, all the while his mind was blank and his thoughts didn't go anywhere. There was no shriek, no cry, no nothing - Genji seemed to take the knives with a dissatisfied grunt, but before Mikuni could even force himself up to fling himself over this guy, if only in protection, he already heard sizzling and writhing, before the black smoke made him feel sick, all the way down to his stomach. Otoha still lay dormant within her eternal resting place, he was sure, but this curse wasn't, and right now, it seemingly was done with keeping all of its crude feelings at bay. Was it nurturing itself on Genjis agony, anger, sadness? It almost seemed like it, but there was no time to think. The loud cracking of bones echoed through the large halls, followed by the scream of an old man. It only got worse when the priests didn't like the outcome, it seemed - they also yelled up, in defense of Father Seimei, and those who weren't panicking, simply poured out of the doorways.

None of them cared for Seimei, none of them cared for Mikuni, and none of them cared for Genji. "You wretched --! You were supposed to be her sacrifice, that way you'd at least make yourself useful in some capacity!", the Father hissed and was trying his utmost to back away from the altar, from this thing, this curse, anything, really. Right now, there wasn't anywhere to go, even with some of the priests that weren't herding their fellow brethren out of the church catching up to the two of them and putting themselves between the curse and old Seimei. Mikuni-no-Homare was none the wiser, and he couldn't help one bit. Instead, his eyes were glued onto the men as hewatched in horror - this entire convent would disappear in just a few minutes, wouldn't it? The Revelation wasn't with him right now and he clung to his seat, as there were screams and cries of panic and pain, of more and more priests trying to flee. Father Seimei was trying to fight it, at best as he could, though, but it was amateurish and not necessarily impressive. Not even with those goons hanging around him and acting as meat shields. "What do you want, you wretched being!?", he cursed. "Our goddess is true and just! You dare desecrate these holy halls on a day meant to honor her!? Have you no shame! Take the vessel, then! Isn't that what should be most important to you? It's yours!" Wait, what? How even?

"I told you... my death would mean the end of the world...", he told the old man, his voice like thunder. All the pulling didn't do anything, the grips on Father Seimeis wrist was firm and Genji didn't move an inch. Was Otoha the sacrificial kind? Genji couldn't remember it, though he didn't put it past her for some reason, then again, his mind revolved about nothing but killing the man in front of him and anyone else that wasn't fast enough. The curse was getting impatient and angry by all the lost souls that simply poured out of the room and were lost to him. If it could have it would have locked them in with him. Not everyone fled though, some of the priests were running up to the two of them. Some tried to pull his arm away, some tried to pull Seimei out of his grasp ad the one person that tried to pick up one of the knives on the floor was met with a heavy boot on his fragile hand. The curse wanted to kill as many as it could, Genji meanwhile wanted to survive and using force by his own free will, even if it was to protect himself, never led to anything good.

"Isn't the vessel what should be your highest priority?", Genji asked and his own anger mixed with the curse. "It only wants death." The goddesses death too maybe, but that didn't matter right now. "A blood sacrifice... isn't that what you wanted?" Why did they have to do this? Why did they make Genji kill again? The goddess too. She let the curse climb and now his arm was not Genjis anymore. He didn't want this, or did he? He couldn't tell his feelings apart from the curse anymore, but he wished they wouldn't have taken his weapons, because it would have made all of this a lot easier. Genji finally let go of the old man and he stumbled backwards. Instead he grabbed one of the other priests, breaking his neck in an instant, the second followed and then he stepped down hard on Father Seimseis ankle, to keep him from running. The next priest died by being shoved head first into the altar and father Seimei took his final breath through a gaping hole in his throat, where Genji simply ripped out his vocal cords. He hesitated before continuing, his body twitching. Genji fought for control and tried to bargain with the curse, but there was no way of stopping it. It was still angry because of that goddess. He didn't turn around when he addressed Mikuni-no-Homare again. "I told you to run... begone before I'm back...", he told him, leading the monster away from him and towards the fleeing priests.

Nobody was going to stand up to that thing. Nothing would happen if they merely decided to spend another breath in this halls - they'd all die, like fruit flies, falling to their deaths in an instant. Mikuni was the same - he couldn't run, as his feet would take him nowhere, and he wouldn't run, as he didn't want to be mistaken for one of those idiots, leaving the church enmasse, on their way to a better life, or maybe even their death. Four of them were gone in an instand, he simply heard their wincing and gargling, though, Father Seimei seemingly was too cocky anyway. "Who cares about the vessel!", he merely yelled, before his life could be snuffed out. Was all that he did here for nothing? Mikuni-no-Homare didn't know, he only knew that his eye hurt when he looked at the curse, at Genji, at the body that was overtaken by it, as it was ready to leap into the masses of priests that had lost their right to live the moment they had decided that they wanted to kill something that should not be killed. Where was he to go? This was his home, and yet, he had to go somewhere, didn't he?

For a moment, Mikuni considered his options for this senseless slaying - considered if he'd be awake enough to go somewhere, but it all was for naught. Almost sheepishly, he forced himself to slide down this disgusting chair and sit there, on the floor, for a bit, as he looked at the dead, and those who were to follow them. Blood red was, what their world was like, and for all it could be, he knew that this demon would cake the world in their guts and their flesh, for as long as he could have their soul. Mikuni had heard Genjis voice - the first cry rang true within his ears, and he tried his utmost to crawl away, somewhere, anywhere, as far as his hands would make him move over the floor. His robes were dirtied in the process, but in the end, all he could come up with was to hide in a cabinet at the back of the church, where he hid himself within, until all of the cries stopped. There were none left, were their? Mikuni didn't know, he hadn't counted them, but he sat there, shivering, in anticipation. Like this, he'd be fine, yes? His legs were tingling, he could outrun this demon in a minute if he had to - right? It would ... It wouldn't be that fast!

Genji led the curse away from this boy, but after that he lost control. He didn't know for how long. Usually it wasn't this bad, but the curse was angry because of the goddess touching him. Usually when the curse didn't develop further it was also enough for it to kill one or maybe two humans, but this time was different. Genji had no control over his body, nor would he have any memory of what exactly happened. By midnight the whole monastery was empty. Well, almost at least. Bodies were scattered in the halls, blood tainted the floor and some pieces of stone had the curse linger on them, because the bandages around Genjis arm got lose, or simply ripped open by all the force put on them. Neither Genji nor the curse enjoyed killing. The act in itself didn't matter to the curse, nor had it ever mattered to the assassin. All that thing wanted was for the people to die to collect their souls and further his collection, his army. Most deaths weren't brutal, it had been much more important to catch them all, but on the other hand, a severed limb didn't mean instant death, but it would lead to it and thus some victims were just unlucky to be left to die for another hour or so.

As if the curse cold sense every single person, Genji ended up back at the church with the altar. Father Seimeis corpse lay there amongst his peers, but there was one person left breathing. Unaware of what his body was doing Genji walked over to the cabinet that harbored a sole survivor. The door was ripped open and the mouse trying to flee was grabbed at its hair and thrown to the floor. His hands soon were around the survivors neck, pressing down as hard as he could. He did that for minutes, maybe an hour, but the thing wouldn't stop breathing, there was no soul that joined the army of dead, nothing. The curse felt uneasy, it was tired and had been out for too long, but it didn't want to give this one up, not knowing that it was the vessel that harbored his arch nemesis. The exposed black skin burned the wretched thing whenever it touched it. Black smoky flames lingered on the neck, on the clothes and hair. Nothing worked, so it made Genji grab a knife. Humans were fragile, but not this one. Hurting his heart, his kidneys, or even gutting him did nothing. Had it been already dead? No. Where was its soul? It was only when the curse tried to smash its victims head in, that the blue hair revealed the wretched eye. The knife it had cast aside was still in reach. It grabbed it. If not for this then...

He'd been convinced of his safety, bought into it when he tried to calm himself down, and had told himself he could outrun this thing. However, the curse was in the trained body of a beastly assassin, and he was stuck with the body of a pliant priest, which currently did nothing to actually work. At a moment respite, he rested and finally thought it was over - the footsteps echoed through the halls. For now, he held his breath and tried not to peek through the dressers door, as if he couldn't risk getting caught. It was the truth - he couldn't. He'd be done for if he was to die as well, eradicating the link between Otoha and the world, one that was very much needed to wrestle this thing free of its abilities, it seemed. His heart jumped out of his chest as the door sprung open, he yelped as he was grabbed and thrown against the cold, marble floor - all of it happened too suddenly, and he wasn't able to run anywhere anytime soon. Instead he coughed, so much, that he thought his lungs were expanding and crawling out of his mouth; he was weak, and by the time he realized what was happening, he already had some calloused hands around his throat, caked in other peoples blood, and felt how the air was drained from his lungs. He stared at Genji in horror, or rather, at whatever shreds of Genji he thought to remain in that face of his, but all of it soon drained from him - Mikuni felt sick to his stomach, and every once in a while fought the blackness that crept up on him from the corners of his vision, only to overtake him. Seconds later was, what it felt like, when he woke up again and was forced to look at the same face again, warped by anger and disgust, all the while those nails still dug into his skin. Before long, he held onto the wrist of that body and clawed at him, tried his utmost to get him off, but all those efforts were in relative vain - he was helpless before a curse that he'd sworn to beat, but his body didn't give out all the way, not even once; time became immeasurable and his mind was spiraling out of control. There was a thrall to the sudden embrace of death, which he was yanked from every single time, no matter what. The only reason he came to again, was, wenn he smelt his own, charred skin and the sharp pain inflicted to him all of a sudden - it subsided, it stung, still, and then, the knife was brought down upon him again.

"Stah--a--", he cried out, though, something in his throat seemed damaged after an eternity of being forceful choked; his voice was raspy and dry, potentially swollen. Nothing made this thing stop, even when he tried to shield himself with his arms for defense; it all culminated in a sudden, sharp burst of pain that was haunting him more than ever. At first, the stabs were at least somewhat superficial, yet, soon enough, they bore themselves deeper into his body, pushing and pulling on him, and it hurt when they formed a fine line and his flesh gave in, gaped open and hung from side to side. His muscles twitched and contracted, and his silent cries of pain were muffled by an injured throat. Mikunis ribcage felt sufficiently broken at one point, so much so that the knife passed right through it, injuring his organs - not even his heart stopped beating as he was just laying there, sprawled out, suffering for what felt like agonizing hours of a formerly joyous night. Seimei had been an idiot, and so had Mikuni been, for not running further faster. Once more he passed out when the rest of his chest and stomach were cut open and this ... thing, that bore a human face, ripped from him every last organ he could find, throwing them aside like trash found on the side of the road - he was rummaging through it, and yet, found nothing. Not even a ripped out heart made him stop living, or the demon stop trying. This was ... appalling. His cheeks were sufficiently wet at this point; his entire body hurt and every breath was wasted on him. It hurt, it wouldn't stop, but any mewling he did was insufficient; any tries he made, andy squirming he did, none of it led anywhere. Instead, he felt his head clash with the floor, once, then twice, before he passed out once again. By the time he awoke, which couldn't have been long after, he had to turn over and made gagging sounds - one couldn't comit without a stomach, though, he somehow did, without procuring even the slightest piece of phlegm. Atop of him sat a murderous curse, ready to plunge that knife into ... his face? No, his eye! Definitely not! Mikuni yelped, yet had no strength remaining within him, hell, he probably would have bled out at this point. There was crackling at the back of his head as he twisted and turned, but before long, it was silent all along, as if he'd simply passed out - finally, all was well. For now, his body simply moved on its own, invigorated by something - snarling at its assailant. "What do you think you're doing with my vessel?", the voice snapped and forced this thing off of the gutted, barely functioning body. All in all, Otoha apparently wasn't quite happy about what had been going on, and decidedly took the knife for herself. As she looked around, she realized the silence, the mess and the fact that Genji was completely off the rails at this point. She had no weapons, nothing else, and instead grabbed Genji by his hair on both sides of his head. "How about you go back to sleep? Hm?", she mused. In an instant, the goddess smashed Mikunis bashed-in skull against that of Genji, hoping to cause him some problems, before she grabbed the cursed arm once more and forced her own energy onto it. "Go back to sleep, you vermin."

Genji wasn't there. He was the one asleep albeit being able to fight that thing, but he didn't. He hid himsel away in the darkness, because he didn't want to see what this thing was making him do. Not anymore, not any longer. He couldn't remember the times he did, he couldn't remember the times he hid away before and woke up in front of dozens of corpses. He forgot all of it, whether it was the curse or his own psyche so he wouldn't go insane was unsure. If he had stayed, maybe he would have stopped after Father Seimei and those three priests, but it had already been too much. He came here to never kill again, he had hope, instilled by that young priest and his superior and all he got was betrayal, showing him that there was no hope. He'd be forced to kill for all eternity and if that was true, why would he watch himself do that? All he needed to do was survive and the longer it did the worse it got once he finally died.

Th screams stopped, what remained were other noises, but either way, Genji was forced to stay deep inside his own body and let the curse take over. It didn't want to let go and Genji didn't know how long he was trapped. Seconds, minutes, hours, days? He didn't know, but he felt the curse pulling back. It had been tired for a while, even before the mass and now that energy was flowing into his arm, it couldn't fight anymore, this was his chance, but Genji didn't want to take it. Only when he felt a sudden, sharp pain on his head, he opened his eyes and stared into the young priests face and the holy eye. "Otoha...", he mumbled. She wanted him to fight didn't she? Did she cry? Genji felt warmth spreading from his fingers and he himself got ready to fight the curse back. It didn't fight for long, instead it fled. It fled down Genjis face and up his arm, back to the little spot on his shoulder that it resided in before it started spreading. What was left behind was bruised skin and Genji himself was forced back into the light and to realize what had happened. His eyes filled with tears as he looked at the goddess, her eye surrounded by blood. "You promised...", he whispered and it sounded hurt and disappointed. He didn't know what it meant, maybe she did. Whatever the case, his body was exhausted and couldn't hold its own weight anymore. It fell to the side into a puddle of blood and everything started to fade again.

Dead and gone it was, that dubious thing. A curse like that was powerful, as soon as it amassed enough followers that was, and whole Genji had killed many of them, they didn’t quite suffice yet. For a moment, Otoha was almost frozen in shock - a human form like this, torn from limb to limb, and with ribbons of clothing and organs kind of hanging out of the large stomach cavity, still, was painful to inhabit, but a corporeal form itself was also quite different, almost appalling actually. She sighed. Then, she smiled - she was victorious and thus, this was a joyous occasion, one which she had needed, even with thousands of ears in her eyes and cheeks, and pesky, burning pain all over this stolen body. “Yes, my dear?”, she mumbled, as she faced Genji and not his better, worse half; Noroichi or not, she hated that thing with a burning passion. It had taken everything from her, and now, she’d make sure that it would crumble to absolute dust, as soon as possible. No longer did she want for that poor friend of hers to suffer, but before long, he wasn’t all that awake anymore. “I know. I’m sorry.”, Otoha murmured as the body sank down, in a puddle of blood, and Genji finally gave it a rest. There was much to be done.

“Mikuni, how do you feel?”, she tried to find out, but there was nothing - he, too, seemed to have crawled to the furthest corner of her brain and disappeared within it. In a sense, it was almost sad, and yet, it gave her some time - she kneeled next to Genji and tried to lift him, however, Mikuni was anything but strong and therefore, she found herself struggling. It took a bit, but one she had hoisted Genji up, she made her way to the infirmary with him, careful to not make anything delicate touch the ground - it was good to still be about as tall as she used to be, and it had to be a boon. Once she arrived, she candidly placed Genji on one of the beds - she was tired, and could use some sleep next to him, but that wasn’t what she was supposed to do - instead she grabbed a bucket and went outside to get herself some water, wrested the blonde out of his bloodsoaked clothes and cleaned him up with the dab of a cloth that she kept soaking in the cold water. As she found her way to his back, she noticed the wound that Seimei hat inflicted upon him; this curse was a little stupid idiot that only ever did things halfassedly, wasn’t it? With a grunt, she held her hand onto it, tried to heal it, but … it wouldn’t budge. It still bled, all the same. Fed up, Otoha procured a needle and some threat and sew it shut, to stop the bleeding for now and to encourage healing in the future - for that, she smeared something from one of the medicine cabinets onto it and bandaged Genji up nicely. That should be enough. Now that he was fairly clean and undressed - probably cold, too - she pulled the thick blanket over him and patted his forehead. He was save, though, she herself needed to wash up. Before long, she took a quick detour and cleaned Mikunis body outside, gingerly picking apart the clothes he was wearing, before she prodded his stomach. Hell, that stung. But even on her vessel, her healing hardly worked, though, he was alive and breathing. After she felled a decision, she went back inside and shoved all those half-attached intestines back into her stomach, before sewing Mikuni up for the time being - both bodies were clean now, and while she would have enjoyed a nap, she had to rig the church first … but, actually. Actually that could wait. Otoha just wanted to rest for a bit, which was why she grabbed a second blanket from another bed and forced herself into the same one was Genji, putting her arms around him and stroking his back. “It’s going to be fine … We’ll just doze a little.” And doze they did.

Genji was sleeping. That wasn't necessarily what usually happened, but sometimes it did. He believed it to be the curses attempt to kill him off, because he was weak and vulnerable when someone found him amongst the corpses. The curse was not protecting parts of his body and it was easy to kill a monster like him. But he never did. This time he didn't either, though had he be alone, maybe he would have. His body had been pushed to its limit. The journey up the mountain, the lack of food ans sleep, the fight against whatever the goddess wanted to do and then when the curse took over even more energy was spent. Not only that, he had been wounded too and his body lacked the energy to heal it and additionally do something else. He didn't noticed how he was brought to infirmary, how Mikunis body left bloody prints all over the place, with his guts hanging out of his body and being dragged on the floor. He didn't notice how he was undressed and cared for, how his wound was sewn shut for the time being. None of that he noticed.

He didn't even notice when the goddess decided to lie down next to him. He didn't move, nor did she and it felt like days he couldn't wake up. Eventually his body found the strength to wake up again. The curse lay dorment, not visible anywhere else but a tiny spot on his shoulder. His skin was still red and bruised, but that would fade before the curse would swallow it up again. Eventually he slowly found back into reality. He didn't open his eyes right away. It was bright in front of his eyelids, so he assumed it was day, but it didn't matter to him, because what he felt laying next to him seemed somewhat familiar, but at the same time it didn't. He knew the smell and it felt natural to turn to his side, putting one arm around the person next to him. He felt calm like this and it was peaceful to hold that person, It felt right and familiar, but at the same time he felt sad. he grabbed the person a bit tighter, not painfully so, but as if he didn't want to lose them again. Why did this feel like a dream?

Otoha needed rest, and for Mikuni, it would be best to rest as well. There were no questions left to answer, and for a while, she had considered getting up and burning the corpses in an instant - she lay there, aimless and tired, until she fell back asleep, and every single time she awoke, she checked if Genji had followed her, or if Mikuni had decided to leave their head and return to be the fronting figure in their symbiosis. Neither happened. By the third day, she had gotten up, disposed of the corpses and burnt them in a pyre, since they were reeking and disturbing her sleep, all the while she was still cuddling in bed with Genji by the fifth day, or at least she assumed it was. Nothing happened for a good, long while - she nurtured the human body as best as she could, the moment the organs started to reform and were able to take something in; at some point, she thought her hollow chest was forming another heartbeat, but as it seemed, it was gone entirely. For now, it was important that she played the waiting game with both of them, even when she wanted nothing more than to move on for now. Was there any way they could? Not necessarily. At this point she was merely burning corpses and wandering the grounds of the church, searching for things she could, in fact, eat, or threw the rotten stuff off the mountain - someone would get to it.

Eventually, though, she retreated back to bed and made it slightly more comfortable by adding another blanket, and one or two more pillows, while she also made sure that Genji was passed out, not dead. There were few things she could potentially consider doing now, and while most of them were bound to be a finite pain in the ass, the ones that would actually help were those, that were actually going to make a difference in the curses life. She couldn't hack away at it, kill it with fire or even something similar, but she could at the very least give it a good try, as long as Genji was healthy enough to give it a shot. She curled up next to him, still unbothered by how things stood, and fell into a slumber once more. During the later hours of the day, a tight squeeze woke her up, or rather tried to, and it wasn't an unpleasant one this time around. It gave her body enough space to move, but not enough to go. "Are you awake?", she asked with confusion in her voice. Right now, Otoha could care less about anything else in this world - but she still tried to cuddle with Genji, who apparently wasn't planning on letting her go anywhere, anytime soon. "How did you sleep? Your stomach is growling. That's good, I suppose." They'd have to leave this place eventually, but for now, they had time.

Genji heard a voice he remembered faintly, even though he should have wondered why the person he mutilated so horrifically could even speak. "I'm awake..." For now he didn't realize the slight changes in the body, the fact that her rounds weren't where they supposed to be and he didn't remember that she was dead, or something close to it. "What happened...?", he wondered. His body felt weak, his back hurt and he didn't know why and he was incredibly hungry, which was pointed out by the voice as well. He still didn't want to wake up completely, since this still felt like a dream. A dream he wanted to last. He could eat later. The curse wasn't beckoning him. It was silent and hadn't grown a bit. He didn't feel the urge to seek out someone he could kill, nor did he feel the urge to strangle the person in his arms. He just held the body tightly and took in the familiar smell of their hair, while his head hurt trying to make sense of the situation as a whole.

Did he truly need to remember? He'd forgotten so many things, maybe it was best that way. There probably was a reason to it, because if he remembered everything he'd done, he'd go insane and yet it was obvious what led to him laying in a bed with a body that hurt. Even though laying in a bed in general was unusual for him, as well as having a comfortable blanket and pillows and someone he knew and who wasn't dead around, he didn't dare question it. He couldn't stop wondering though. "Did I...", he asked, the question getting stuck in his throat. He didn't want to look at his arm, or where he was at, instead he burried his face in the familiar yet unfamiliar chest. Why did his chest hurt and his stomach cramp when he thought about his surroundings? As i a qustion too much would make his friend disappear in an instant.

For once, their meetings weren't intercepted with weeping and sadness, or a stubborn curse that missed the cue that nobody wanted it here. No, for now they both were free to do what they wanted, with on another even, but at the same time she knew that this body had its limits, no matter how divine it was. "You had a bad day. Nothing much happened, you're free, like a bird.", she mused. That he was, if only for as long as the curse wouldn't breach its containment. For a long while, she had thought about it - she had hundreds of years - and so did Genji. Now, fate seemingly herded them back together, without a common goal, to enjoy one anothers embrace once more, if not in the right bodies. Otoha wrapped "her" arms around her former lover, or the husk that he left behind, and started stroking his back, ever so softly, before she slid slightly upward, to accommodate for his desired position, in which she was patting him and slowly running her fingers through his hair. Those, too, still felt soft, even if they were caked in dirt and sweat, mostly. It was, what it had to be, and they'd make do, as they came closer to one another.

Mikuni hadn't moved much, not once, and he refrained from saying anything - this body seemingly had been abandoned, to hide from pain, from his injuries and the mental strain that all that had happened had forced onto him. Otoha understood, yet, couldn't help him in the slightest. She smiled, still, and was with her protegeé all the way - he could take as long as he needed, if that meant she could spend some more time with the man she loved once. A man that loved her, long ago. "You are fine now. Everything is alright. I'll keep you save, yes? After all ..." Was she supposed to tell Genji all of that just yet? No, it was too early - he had to find out himself, or he'd break into fine splinters, all of which would only hurt himself. This was the life both of them had to live, but it was fine, as long as both of them could stay together, nothing was lost on anyone. "Are you scared? You needn't be. I'm here with you, all the time. Or are you scared you're going to lose me if you look at me?"

"Mh... is that so...?", Genji mumbled. Maybe he knew that was a lie, but he didn't want to think about the truth. Deep down he probably knew that nothing was fine and somehow he probably would be able to remember, but he didn't want to, not yet. He much rather enjoyed the embrace he received, the arms that wrapped themselves around him too. How long he simply hugged someone? Not that he were ever able to remember something like that, but it at least felt needed and long overdo. Something felt off, but he didn't remember the person he held so dearly. The fingers that combed through his hair felt nice and he wondered if he could give anything in return, but he couldn't think of anything. He simply lay there, enjoying the moment, the love of someone that knew him and that he loved too at some point in his life that had dragged on for way too long. He was tired, not only because his body was exhausted from whatever he did, but also because he simply had done and seen enough, most of his deeds were harmful as well.

"After all...?", he asked because the sentence didn't finish, but he was distracted by something else. "I can't... I can't hear your heartbeat..." That he couldn't albeit laying on that persons chest. Was he so far gone that he talked to a corpse, or a ghost? He wouldn't put it past himself and the realization made him shake. He pressed his face tighter against the body and clung to the warmth he felt, or imagined. Corpses weren't warm. The question he was asked was hard to answer and it made Genjis head hurt slightly. "I... I can't remember you... I'm sorry...", he admitted, but there were a lot of feelings to let him know, that this person was important to him. "You've changed... you feel different...", that he remembered though and he pointed it out. Then something else cam to mind. "Didn't I travel to a monastery...? Specialized in curses but... I was alone... or was that..." Maybe it had happened somewhen else in his life.

"Yes.", she claimed. This was all wrong, and Otoha knew that - it would only get worse, like an untreated wound that festered and eventually started to rot. Necrotic tissue had to be cut off, even if it were painful, and there really was no exception if she thought about it. Somehow, Genji had to let go of her, of the daydreams that poisoned his thoughts, but even then, he seemingly was unable to; as much as she was. This couldn't go on, but even without a heart, she couldn't be so coldblooded and demand he get up, get dressed and forget about her entirely - this was bliss, something that she couldn't help but enjoy to the full extent. Softly, she ran her hand down Genjis back, over his injured shoulder, and then back up, to rub his neck, before nestling in his hair again. She smiled at him, now more than ever. "My heartbeat?" A soft chuckle passed her lips. They were dry. Mikunis body was thirsty, but she wasn't even sure if she could drink something like this - in a worst case scenario, it would just spill out of the seams on his chest, or accumulate, and that would be less than ideal.

"Are you worried? No need to be." There wasn't a proper explanation for a missing heart, not without triggering some sort of fighr or flight response in Genjis head - especially if he remembered nothing - but it wouldn't be goot to keep the truth from him either. Otoha mused a bit, then started humming and closed her eyes, letting her former lover come closer. If she had a heart, it would be banging against her ribcage; it'd be excited and she'd be happy about having him so close, but she wasn't capable of feeling either. Naturally, it was great to not lose any and all connection to the mortal world, but Genji was nothing but suffering - despite his despicable acts, that was a fate he didn't deserve. "Things change. Memories blur. You'll remember me soon enough, if you want to. For now, you should rest and not think too much, how's that sound? It's just the two of us, you needn't do a thing as long as you need to rest. I patched us both up." Was that too much? Who knew. Who could tell? Otoha couldn't, but she knew that the moment Genji would open his eyes, the rouse was up and he'd probably remember anyway. It'd be better to end it all, right then and there, but she couldn't get herself to do it. "You did all of that. You're still here, don't you recall? You found no cure for your curse, but you found me ... us ... can you take care of him for me?"