Fleeting Shadows (KNY x OC)

-7

It's nearing midnight and Mitsuri has informed Sayomi that they are going to be tracking down a series of disappearances of young women in a  town not too far from Headquarters. It might sound like a generic assignment that will probably  just involve setting captive women free from whatever  has them hostage, except that this is something Sayomi wishes to complete without using one demon-enhanced ability.

This is to save her from relying on her demon prowess, thereby stopping her from embracing it fully. She truly wonders how none of the Pillars have commented on the unnatural pastiness of her complexion after having returned from the woods.

Before leaving for that village though, Mitsuri had ordered for her two bowls of yakisoba, her treat as expected, and no matter how absolutely mouth-watering two bowls of those noodles looked, her system rejected it merely through sight and smell. Sayomi had apologized to Mitsuri for not having the appetite --although she does have an unquenchable one -- to finish all of it and the latter understood, happily taking over instead.

This mission should serve as a distraction for the meantime from food.

"Ugh, the lights are blinding." Sayomi quickly shields her eyes from the glare of the lanterns as they enter the town. It seems like there's some sort of festival going on with the bustling people interacting on the streets and children running around hands full with kites and paper toys. The lighting is way too bright for Sayomi's liking, thanks to her now extremely sensitive, physical reaction to her surroundings. It's like being struck by the sun's rays, only more annoying and without the pain...although she has yet to feel what that's going to be like.

"Ahh! It's so warm around, and oh! Tempura bars!" Mitsuri exclaims as she giddily points to a couple of tempura bars right across them. Sayomi rubs her head, slightly bemused at the endless pit that is Mitsuri's appetite.

"Kanroji-chan...maybe that can wait." Sayomi chuckles at her reaction and the Love Pillar pouts playfully at her, reconsidering her choices as she jokingly drags herself alongside her. They do consider going sight seeing for a little while as they make their way through the crowd and to a law enforcement office to ask for a lead.

As expected, some people are giving them odd looks as they walk through, seeing their uniform and their swords with them...not to mention the eccentricity of their respective hair colors. Mitsuri reacts to the glances by lowering her head and fiddling with one of her braids. Being aware that she harbors an insecurity for her unusual appearance, Sayomi lays a hand upon Mitsuri's shoulder and pats it, prompting the Love Pillar to look at her through her lashes and finding a reassuring look from Sayomi.

"Don't mind them." She mouths to Mitsuri who begins smiling from ear to ear.

After exploring a few sights, the two girls then proceed to ask for directions to the police department from a few passersby and one of them points straight ahead, reminding the girls to look out for the sign. They thank the stranger and hurry down in that direction.

"I think one of us should stay outside and be left the other's sword." Mitsuri suggests and Sayomi nods, volunteering to do it since they're aware that they might be questioned by the authorities in the building for carrying blades.

"I think I scraped my knee."

"Oh dear, we better clean that up." A mother says to her son as they walk by the two girls and with one brush of the boy's shoulder against Sayomi's haori, her breath hitches in her throat and she nearly freezes in her spot, turning her head slowly as the chilling yet intoxicating scent of blood teases her nostrils.

Her fists clench as a sign that she's trying to fight back the evil rewiring her appetite, her breathing becoming more rugged as she continues to internally ward off her now agonizing hunger. And yet, her head turns around slowly, along with the rest of her upper body. Her eyes threatening to shift color as they lock themselves in an animalistic manner on the young boy walking away with his mother.

"Sayomi? Sayomi?" With one tug of her haori, Sayomi snaps out of her bloodcurdling trance and whips her head at Mitsuri, brows arched questioningly.

Mitsuri giggles and outstretches her arm to her side. "We're here." Sayomi blinks rapidly and scans the building before them, smacking her lips and smiling at Mitsuri apologetically.

What on earth was that earlier? Did she suddenly really want to prey on that young boy? Sayomi cusses herself out internally at what has taunted her in that moment.

"My bad. Um, okay. Your sword." She holds out her hand as Mitsuri pulls out her scabbard from beneath her belt, placing it in Sayomi's hand. "I should be quick. Keep a look out for any weird stuff."

Sayomi nods and leans by the entrance as Mitsuri makes her way into the office. The scene is a lot more festive than she realized. Multitudes of people going about to enjoy the night, vendors selling out a lot of food for the attendees, some dancers making their way through the streets...the warm,  bright, joyous burst of the atmosphere almost reminding her of...him. She clutches onto Mitsuri's sword and slumps her shoulders, allowing the thought of her night with Kyojuro at that lantern festival to linger a little longer.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Unfamiliar voices plague Sayomi's left ear and she turns head slightly to that direction with disinterest, finding a suspicious looking man with his arm around a girl in a bright orange kimono walking down the alleyway next to the department. She turns away for a moment to mull over it and looks back again, seeing the man now forcefully dragging the girl along with him to wherever. She huffs and leaps over the railings to save the poor girl but they've vanished.

She tuts and runs into the building to alert Mitsuri but she catches her already leaving the entrance. "Sayomi! Great! An officer told me that," before she could even finish her report, Sayomi grabs her wrist and hauls her along to that alleyway.

"Waah! Okay!" Mitsuri exclaims as they dash down the bleak space and stop in their tracks before a concrete wall, darting their gazes left and right. "What's wrong, Sayomi?"

"A man dragged a girl down here against her will but before I could even interfere, they disappeared."

Mitsuri looks around and sighs, approaching the building wall and tapping on the surface. "Weird, this is just a dead end, see? Maybe there's a secret entrance in the walls?"

Sayomi doesn't reply and scans her surroundings, resolving to using her demon heightened senses only for this situation. She turns her back on Mitsuri and begins sniffing the air, catching nothing dubious at first but then detecting an inhuman scent emanating from the dead end.

Definitely a demon.

Alright, she's caught it but how does she relay the information to Mitsuri without making it seem odd? She clears her throat and catches the Love Pillar's attention, pointing to the wall ahead. "Try tapping into that."

Mitsuri lets out a voiceless "ooh" and jogs towards the dead end, roaming her hands around the damp surface in search of a possible 'entrance'.

"Come on, wall! Cooperate! Those tempura bars aren't going to wait!" She exclaims dramatically and it makes Sayomi chuckle a bit, but the small smile disappears on her face as Mitsuri succeeds accidentally by pushing her arm against one of the bricks, triggering a secret entrance open.

Mitsuri gasps and turns to Sayomi, exchanging shocked looks with her.

"Huh, who knew this would be easy."