There's a mark on his soul [with marineblue]

[Villain]

Spoiler

 

Name: Haruhi
Nicknames: Haru, Silver Fox
Age: He appears to be in his mid twenties but he’s been around for centuries, not even himself remembers anymore
Race: Fox spirit
Height: 178 cm
Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

About:

Haru’s job used to be pairing with spirit cultivators in order to defeat evil spirits, he assisted the contracted cultivator in dealing with the spirit and when the other weakened the being with talismans he ate the spirit’s malevolent energy helping in cleansing them and releasing them from their eternal suffering on earth.
The contract was beneficial for both the fox and the spirit cultivator. The fox got help in finding and subduing evil spirits so it was easier for them to feed on their resentful energy. The cultivator got to be stronger by sharing the fox’s spiritual energy and they also aged at a slower peace.

It’s been ages since he last contracted with a cultivator, it was a freeing but lonely experience though. Haru felt in love with his previous contractor and he was heartbroken for years when the other died and he didn’t wish to form a new pact. So far no one caught his eye or he didn’t even bother to look for a new partner as he was afraid of being left behind again.

His spirit is currently very weak and he can barely maintain his human form while hiding among humans. His feeding habits were erratic for the last couple of years as he didn’t care enough to hunt. He doesn’t need to eat regular food and he’s actually quite repulsed by the taste and smell so he never touches it. The only thing that can sate his hunger is the life force of others and their spiritual energy. Haru can actually feed on any type of energy but he made a promise long ago to only feed on resentful energy.

Haru seems to be unbothered by most things, after living for so long not many things spark his interest or surprise him anymore. His disposition is quite chill and he’s grown to be pretty lazy over the past years. But from time to time he starts acting mischievous when his fox nature surfaces, trying to tease and trick people. He doesn’t hurt others though as he’s quite a caring and thoughtful person. His tricks are always for entertainment purposes and never meant to actually hurt others.

 

Haru's human form:

 

It was around noon on a Monday but for Haru it was actually morning and any other day of the week, he couldn’t even keep count of the days anymore. He was sitting at a table inside a small caffe and drinking a latte that was gruesomely sweet. The fox was an odd spirit, he never needed regular food in order to survive and he was repulsed by most of it, except for coffee. Apparently he loved the smell and taste of coffee or so he liked to believe. The truth was pretty far from that, he just got used to it because his last lover was quite addicted to coffee and offered him a cup every day. He couldn’t even feel the taste after all that’s why he always ended up adding a lot of sugar to it. Most humans wouldn’t even be able to drink that but he was savouring it like he actually enjoyed it. The barista of that place already labelled him as the weird guy with a dangerously sweet tooth. At least he could feel the smell and that it was all it took for him to see a shadow of his former flame. It was reassuring for him to keep this old habit, it just made him feel less alone.

As he was reminiscing and enjoying the quietness of the place the purple line under his left eye surfaced and a fang bit into his lower lip. A frown immediately caressed his forehead and he growled in displeasement. He traced the line under his eye with the tip of his finger that sprinkled some purple dust over it and the line vanished. It was quite bothersome that he came to a point where keeping his human form was actually a struggle. Haru was aware that his powers were fading each day but he just couldn’t find the will to take action, to actually venture in the world for a hunt. He could actually feed on any type of energy, even on humans but he made a promise long ago to not touch the innocent and to only feed on the resentful energy of the vengeful spirits. It wasn’t hard for him to abstain himself as most of his appetite was gone after losing his lover.

It wasn’t like Haru was intentionally starving himself, he just didn’t bother that much to hunt for his prey. If it was an easy catch he would go for it otherwise he would just let it go. Weak spirits usually don’t approach him as they are scared of him and strong spirits are hard to catch especially in his current state. Basically his source of food is pretty scarce at the moment.

Feeling like he was about to lose control he stood up and hurried to the door. There he bumped into someone.

“Sor…” He wanted to apologise but he stopped before finishing because he could feel the energy of that person and he could tell on the spot that he was a spirit cultivator. The stench on his clothes also didn’t help his cause.

“Tsk, you stink.” He added then pushed the other from the doorframe and made his way out.

Haru didn’t wish to get involved with spirit cultivators again nor he wished to be interrogated about his intentions. They were usually wary of every spirit that was roaming around. In his better days most cultivators couldn’t tell him apart from regular humans but now his form was pretty weak and most of them could tell that he was a spirit. Another downside of having less power was dealing with those pesky cultivators.

He ran through the shopping alley and snatched a baseball cap that was on display. No one saw him as it was like a shadow was passing through. Both of his ears popped out so he had to hide them. With a sigh he put the cap on his head. It wasn’t his usual fashion sense but he had no choice at the moment.

Haru didn’t wish for any more troubles so he decided to head home towards the forest that was surrounding the small city. He was living in a deserted old shrine as he didn’t have money to afford living in the city. It wasn’t like spirits usually got jobs in the human world. He only bothered to get enough money for his coffee by pretending to be a cultivator and eating some small spirits that were attached to people’s homes.

While in the outskirts of the town a dog started barking at him which startled him and his fluffy siver tail popped out. Haru was quite scared of dogs in general but he growled at the small creature and it immediately ran away. His form was so weak that even dogs could tell that he was a fox.

“Damn, this is just not my day…” he mumbled while grabbing his tail and trying to use the magic he had left to hide it away.

[marineblue]

Noon on a Monday was the beginning of the week for the average person. They would be halfway through the workday, maybe just sitting down to lunch if they were lucky. Then again, most of them probably felt just as miserable as Natsuo. Running on very little sleep, he had been tailing a mid-level spirit throughout the early morning with the intention to purify it. Though it hadn't been causing too many issues, it was malevolent and needed to be taken care of. It would probably be an easy enough job, likely a soul that wasn't able to pass on. Regrets are strong, though, and the longer the spirit lingers, the worse things will get, and Natsuo doesn't want to wait around for things to get worse.

It's harder to track it down in the middle of the day, though. With more people around, it would be hiding out somewhere, or clinging to someone with a weak spirit. Endangering the people around him was not ideal, either, and Natsuo intended to avoid that at all costs.

It doesn't help that he gets interrupted in the daytime significantly more than during the night.

He rubs the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off the exhaustion creeping into his features.

He ducks into a coffee shop, intending to get something as a pick-me-up before continuing to hunt for the spirit. Without meaning to, he knocks shoulders with a stranger. "'Scuse me." He mutters with well-intentions. When the stranger hisses some insult about his smell, Natsuo glances at him, then lifts his arm to smell his shirt.

Did he really smell that bad? Maybe he should go home and shower after this. He glances back at the stranger through the windows of the cafe, noticing his silver-y hair. It's pretty unusual, but he pays no real mind to it at first, intent on getting his coffee.

What a weird guy, he thinks. Right as he's about to order, it clicks. That guy was a spirit. Natsuo's pretty sure, anyways. The odd hair color and the comment about his smell weren't really normal for humans… Not around here, anyways. Natsuo forgoes his coffee, rushing out the cafe door and nearly bumping into someone else on his way. He doesn't see the silver-haired guy anywhere, so he just starts running, keeping an eye out for him.

Natsuo hopes that this spirit might be willing to give him some information on his current hunt. He doesn't really have much to offer a weak spirit, so the chances of him helping Natsuo are slim to none. Still, it's a chance he's willing to take, since there's not much else for him to go on.

He catches a glimpse of silver ducking through the alleyways, quickly chasing after.

Eventually he ends up on the outskirts of town, alone. He catches his breath, running a hand through his hair. All that, for nothing? What a waste. He wanders a bit, just in case, when he hears a dog barking. He makes his way over to see if it's a lost dog, when he catches a glint of silver in the sunlight. His eyes widen, and he breaks out into a run before the spirit can escape again.

"Hey, you!" He calls out. "Wait!"

[Villain]

By the point he heard someone’s desperate voice calling for him to wait he had already managed to use some magic to hide his tail. He didn’t worry about his ears as they were covered by the baseball cap so he looked like a normal human. Sure, Haru did have long silver hair but that wasn’t that uncommon in the modern times where everyone dyes their hair crazy colors. Though unlike those that fried their hair with dye his hair was silk smooth and beautiful.

Thinking back on it he did steal that baseball cap but it was impossible for anyone to notice at that speed and most likely the vendor won’t leave his stand just to chase after him and definitely he won’t be able to keep up with his speed. So who was it? Who was looking for him and for what purpose?

His initial instinct was to run and keep himself out of trouble especially since he was on the verge of losing control and risked showing his spirit form out of the blue. Although spirits were quite a common knowledge among regular people he still hated to be spotted and having to deal with the aftermath of being hunted. Haru didn’t run away though, he just turned to face the stranger that was brave enough to chase after him.

The man in front of him looked ordinary, with brown hair and eyes, there was no chance that he was a fellow spirit and Haru was pretty sure that his face wasn’t familiar. He only managed to catch a quick glimpse as the other didn’t notice that Haru suddenly stopped so he still ran towards him, managing to bump into him. Just now it clicked because they did that before, the man was the spirit cultivator that he spotted while leaving the caffe. Pretty stubborn of him to follow him all the way here. Haru wasn’t the type to cause trouble for humans aside for some petty tricks so he couldn’t understand his urgency in chasing him.

“What do you want?” Haru almost growled at the cultivator but he tried his best not to and to keep his voice tone neutral. He tried to maintain the appearances that he was human but he was pretty sure that the other already figured out that he was a spirit, otherwise he wouldn’t be chasing after him.

Even though cultivators used to be his friends, after losing his lover he did his best to stay away from them and their business. But it was usually impossible to avoid them as he was a spirit and they could eventually sense that. They were sometimes even worse than that dog that barked at him earlier, their nose was that keen.

[marineblue]

"You…" Natsuo pauses to catch his breath once he's caught up to the spirit, doubled over for a moment with his hands on his knees. His exhaustion is catching up with him much faster than he would like, but he shakes it off and looks at the spirit again. It's pretty obvious now that Natsuo is up close, but he finds himself slightly taken with his appearance. Plenty of spirits are beautiful, ethereal even, though this one in particular was pretty unique looking.

Natsuo couldn't really tell what kind of spirit he was, but the silver hair was pretty unique. Maybe he was some kind of… water spirit? Or, air spirit? His aura was so weak that Natsuo couldn't get a good read on it.

"You're a spirit, right?" He asks, even though he already knows. "Do you pay attention to anything other spirits do? I've been trying to track one down, and I've run out of leads. You seemed pretty promising when I bumped into you." He explains, though as the words leave his mouth, Natsuo realizes how ridiculous he sounds. He's had help from spirits before, but to chase one down and ask for help feels almost pathetic.

"I'd be happy to give you something in return, uh…" He glances them up and down. "Energy, maybe? You seem like you haven't eaten in a while."

That was a pretty big thing to offer, especially for Natsuo. If he didn't offer something like that, though, the likelihood of him being turned down was pretty high. He hoped it was enough to at least get something out of the spirit.

[Villain]

Even though he already knew the truth, the cultivator did bother to ask if he was a spirit, a question that he wouldn’t answer anyway. And for some reason it seemed that he actually wanted Haru’s help in catching some measly spirit. There was something pathetic in the way he asked, most likely it was his first time asking for help. Deep down he actually enjoyed seeing that lame expression on his face as it made him eager to tease the other.

“Why would I ever care what other spirits do? That’s your job not mine.” His tone was cold and he kept starring at the man in front of him, considering if he should trick him and have some more fun or just tell him the truth already.

A low sigh escaped his lips as he reached his arm behind the other’s neck, his claws came out and pulled out some black mass that was stuck on the cultivator’s nape. He wouldn’t dare to call that a full fledged spirit, it couldn’t even travel on its own so it attached itself to some source of energy. Picking a cultivator for the task was pretty smart though as it could get more lifeforce than from a normal human.

“Haven’t I told you before that you stink? Aren’t you a little dumb, this thing was stuck on you the entire time.” He brought his hand closer to his mouth then he started breaking the spirit apart with his claws until it turned into purple fog then he sucked it in and ate it. Not very nutritious for such a small fry but it was easy enough to catch.

He starred at the man again, there was something about him that bothered and annoyed him and the sole reason for that didn’t seem to be just the fact that he was a spirit cultivator. Haru couldn’t put his finger on it but there was something odd about that guy.

“What makes you think that I want to feed off you? Why are you spirit cultivators so entitled all the time?” His tone betrayed his annoyance as he hated when others meddled into his business. Plus reminding him about the weak state he was in wasn’t pleasant either. Even though he didn’t bother to properly eat lately he wasn’t particularly fond of being this weak and he definitely didn’t want to rely on others.

“Or maybe you just want to kiss me that badly? I dare you.” He said with a chuckle. The sudden shift in his attitude would be weird to anyone, but that was just his fox nature surfacing and his playfulness being awoken. The man in front of him could already be considered his prey and he loved nothing more than to torture and play with his prey.

[marineblue]

"Urk- Look, I-" Natsuo begins to argue, but stops short when the spirit reaches out. He takes a step back instinctively, flinching when the spirits claws graze his neck. Before he can reach for his weapon, he notices what's in the spirits hand, his eyes widening. He looks at the little spirit, dumbfounded that something like that was stuck to him. Had it really been clinging to him all day? Or maybe even longer… that could be why he's so tired! Or, he's so tired that he didn't even notice a miserable little spirit stuck on him.

Natsuo shakes his head quickly to refocus, then scowls. "I thought you might be able to help me, is all." He says, through gritted teeth. Being mocked by a spirit was nothing new, but this one was a bit more aggravating than usual. It doesn't help that he's already made a fool of Natsuo, and has that annoying smirk.

Maybe he was just having a bad day. That happens to people all the time. Maybe that little spirit sapping his energy was making him act weird, and if he went home and barricaded himself behind talismans and salt, he'd be fine tomorrow. That was definitely an option. He was still looking for that spirit, though, and an odd sense of foreboding sent a slight shiver up his spine.

Then again, maybe he's overthinking things.

He's pulled from his thoughts rather quickly when the spirit suggests a kiss…! Honestly, what did he take Natsuo for? First he acts annoyed at Natsuo's presence, now he's flirting? He should be used to this kind of strange behavior, yet he can't stop himself from blushing. "I do not-!" He begins, a bit too energetically. He calms himself down before continuing, not wanting to give this spirit the satisfaction of having flustered him. "I was not offering because I thought you were attractive." He says in an even tone, trying to keep himself composed. There was definitely something odd about this spirit, but Natsuo didn't want to give up yet. Natsuo would not be laid low by a joke about kissing.