bcuzofmiasma | ж. ii --- [ video ]

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ж. ii --- [ video ]

[ Naraku is clad in a white cloak of sorts, the hood down. The lighting in the room is extremely dim, and thus impossible to tell where he actually is. Naraku is facing away from the camera, one of his arms resting on his knee, and his back is up against a wall. He's sitting on the floor. He didn't seem to acknowledge the camera is on, until he turned to face it almost ten seconds after the feed began. Perhaps he activated it without actually touching it? ]

I am curious. What is the nature of the Animus' study?

[ It's becoming apparent that he is learning far more than what is safe for a man like Naraku to know. ]

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What would make you interested in calling off the fight?

[ Naraku adjusts his position against the wall, and takes a more direct look into the camera. He stares for a few seconds, examining Usagi's face more closely. Finally, he speaks. ]

You show concern for this child, yet you claim I deserve to be 'happy.' Why is this?

I didn't know they were studying anything. People seem to blame them for a lot, though.

--if you say so.

[Deep breath.]

Fifty years prior to when I left my home world, a weapon called the Shikon no Tama was entrusted to a priestess to keep safe. The priestess fell in love with a half-demon, who at first tried to steal the Jewel, someone she could never be with as long as the Jewel existed--but that part doesn't matter so much. The priestess had a kind heart [once] and took it upon herself to take care of a burned, crippled bandit who lived in a cave, called Onigumo.

Onigumo lusted after the priestess; he lusted after her so much that he allowed a swarm of demons to possess his body, rendering him a half-demon--a whole new person. He took the shape of the priestess' lover and made it seem that he had turned against her, wounding her deeply and stealing the Jewel. He took the Jewel from her and placed it back in the village. The half-demon lover sensed something was wrong and went to the village to retrieve the Jewel, but then Onigumo--Naraku--took the priestess' shape and told the village that her lover was coming for the Jewel, at any cost. He was made to take the Jewel by force, and the real priestess, seeing this, was forced to turn against him and sealed him to a tree with her dying strength. She said that the Jewel should be burned with her body, and when she died, it was done.

[Deep breath. Can you tell that there's a reason she's omitting names?] Five hundred years in the future, the priestess was reincarnated. When she turned fifteen, she fell down a well and into the past--what I call the present. She released the half-demon from being sealed to the tree and accidentally released the Shikon no Tama, which was trapped in her body. She also accidentally shattered the Jewel into many shards, which are currently scattered and need to be collected.

In the fifty years since then, Naraku has been killing and hurting people everywhere. An entire lineage cursed with a wind tunnel in their hand, something that will one day swallow them up. So many people, left without loved ones or families. [She hates that she's choking up here.]

Usagi-san. He lured the troupe of demon slayers out of my village on a fake mission. While we were there, he possessed my brother. He made him kill his friends, our father--people he loved--and made him try to kill me. Then, he sent a horde of demons to slaughter the rest of my village. Mothers, fathers, children--every single one of them, a good person. Dead. I clawed myself out of my own grave to get revenge, and what did Naraku do? He told me that the one responsible for all of the death was the unsealed half-demon lover of the priestess--the person trying to stop him. When I finally figured out the truth [a bitter laugh] he had resurrected my brother with a shard of the Shikon no Tama and had already begun manipulating him for more death, more destruction.

Someone like that cannot be redeemed. No matter how hard you wish it.

Then we are not here to be observed.

I believe everyone should be able to be happy. True happiness.

It probably sounds naive. I know it won't happen so suddenly. But I still believe in it.

[She listens, she does, to all of it. And what happened, what Naraku is capable of, is terrible. Horrifying. Sickening. Usagi closes her eyes.]

Not if they don't wish it, too.

[Even after all that, it's the only concession she can make, this girl who's seen someone destroy the majority of the galaxy and still put it right, who's seen enemies whose only goal was her own misery and loss, be healed of their bitterness and turned to trusted allies and friends even after killing the senshi and her own future husband and daughter.

But in all of those, they had to change first. For themselves.]

Edited 2011-07-22 06:05 (UTC)

I wonder... Maybe there's a way to contact them directly and ask.

True happiness...

[ Naraku ponders that for a moment. What did make him happy? There was plenty that amused him, but made him happy? He closes his eyes briefly, dismissing that thought. ]

The human made his vain challenge while attempting to provoke me. I do not become angered easily, but I accepted his challenge nonetheless. It is his own arrogance that has lead him to seal his fate. If I were to grant him a reprieve, it would come of his own actions.

Every choice he's ever made has proved that he has no wish for redemption, Usagi-san.

[Excuse the frustration in her voice. She's just a tad offended that you can think him redeemable after that.]

I am not that desperate for answers.

I guess if it's something he really wants too, it can't be helped.

[A challenge is different than Naraku simply attacking someone.]

But, I don't really understand why either of you want to fight over nothing. You even said it was pointless.

[She can hear the frustration. It makes her feel bad, but she doesn't withdraw her words.]

Listen, for now, let's just think about what's in front of us.

I know what you're trying to do, Usagi-san, and I'm telling you now that I can't move forward until he's finished. It's a decision that I have made. I've made him the center of my life, for better or for worse, and like I said...

We pay for our choices.

Don't choose to suffer, Usagi-san, not for him. Don't let him make you pay.

[Before Usagi can say anything to negate that, she cuts the feed.]

[Leaving Usagi staring at the PCD. She gives s quiet sigh, and wraps her arms around her legs.

She can understand Sango's anger, but doing it out of vengeance isn't going to help, not in the end, either.]

It is. But I will not deny him the opportunity to see for himself how foolish his choices are.

You never did answer me.

[And with Sango cutting off their conversation, she has to look for her answers from Naraku.]

I had made my answer clear. I will not kill him for my benefit; it is an answer to his own question. He seeks to understand me, to know what I am capable of. In indulging his curiosity, he will die.

It will be of his own choosing that this fight will or will not happen.

Why are you so stubborn?

Hm? It seems the most direct way to find out their intentions.

It is of no consequence to me what happens. I am neither threatened nor provoked. It is a request that I shall grant.

That's still just being stubborn.

The challenge was not beholden to you.

It's not about me. I just don't want to see a senseless fight.

Then I would advise you to enlighten the child as to the foolishness of his decision.

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