Completed [The Great Bazaar] Phantom in the Market (Oleander)

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri 43rd of Spring, 19th of Bell, 513 AV "Hm hm hm hm~♪" An cheerful yet eerie humming could be heard in the Great Bazaar that night courtesy of Kouri, the gothic lolita ghost girl. She was just strolling through the market, browsing various stalls and window-shopping, phasing through people and objects all the way. Some people were terrified at her, some just give her an annoyed look, and some were genuinely intrigued at the translucent form of a little girl who could passed through people as if she was air. "Oh? What's that?" Various glints caught her eye and she looked to her right. Kouri spotted a stall selling various jewelries and accessories with an elderly woman standing behind it, most likely the ownder. "Ehehe~" She giggled in excitement as she blinked to the stall, appearing just in front of the woman across the stall's table. "Hello~" Kouri grinned and greeted the old lady. "Hmm?" The elderly human didn't flinch or horrified like most people approached by a phantom and just smiled at the little ghost girl. "Yes, my dear... how can I help you?" It was obvious that she had experienced many of life's hardship and seeing a ghost was nothing new to her. The elderly woman pondered in her mind on how could someone so young and innocent-looking be in this state, but she kept that to herself as a customer is a customer, whether they're alive or dead. "Uhm... ehehe~" Kouri happily smiled at the fact that the elderly woman wasn't afraid of her. "Well uhm... I want to buy..." Kouri put her right index finger to her chin in a thinking position. I wonder what should I buy for Master? hmmm... Kouri pondered Oh! I didn't bring my money! She mentally slapped herself at the realization that her money pouch was still left at her favorite tree hole in the Bronze Woods. "Well uuh... I forgot to bring my money..." Kouri looked down to the ground and made a sad expression. "Ahaha, it's quite fine, dear. You can come back tomorrow once you bring them... as this is already night and... these old bones need their sleep soon" The old merchant kindly answered to the ghost girl. "Oh! Okay then, Grandma! I'll be back tomorrow! Ehehe~" Kouri quickly became cheerful again and beamed the old woman a smile. "I'll go see some more for tonight then~ Uhm.. bye bye, Grandma~" She waved her hand and bid the elderly woman farewell before continuing her stroll through the market.

[Oleander]

The great Bazaar… A place where people sell and people buy… I don’t come here often, but something is pulling me hear, like a force that wants me to be here… Oleander was at The Great Bazaar, It has been a season and a half since his last visit. Oleander paced himself through the marketplace, weaving in and out between the shifting crowds. Oleander wore his hood up and kept his body tucked inside his cloak, which was held closed. As he strolled through the area Oleander kept a keen eye on the area around him, to see any out of the ordinary. The smell of herbs filled the area and he walks past a stall that sold various plants from flowers to spices. As he continued walking various other things stimulated his nose. Oleander stop at one of his favourite stalls, but it seems to under new management. The market stall sold an assortment of knick-knacks and doohickies, and was ran by an old woman instead of a young one . Oleander had a fascination for things he didn’t know, it was like a fun puzzle for him to try and solve. On the table were items that were placed in a very unordered manner, each item was unique in their own way. Oleander’s attention was drawn to one item however. The item was round like a ball and had a smooth surface and was made out of wood. The item looked as if it was split in the middle and looked as if it could be opened. With a bit of force the ball popped open, it was a wooden shell held together for a hinge. The Item seemed to be some sort of storage that holds small items. Oleander thought it could be useful and asked the price, which was 2 gold mizas. Oleander bought it and was on his way. However, he was stopped in his tracks when a young girl, wearing odd clothing, phasing through his body. The short encounter gave him a shiver down his spine. He quickly turned his head to follow the strangle girl. The girl continued moving away from him, but Oleander had sudden interest in following this individual. The main reason for this is because: 1. she literally passed thought him, and 2. her face was new, meaning there is a lot to discover. Oleander began to pursue the girl. Close enough to keep an eye on her, but far enough to act like he wasn’t following her. He lurked behind her everywhere she went. This girl seems to be… well… not natural. Her silver hair and red eyes tells me that she defiantly isn’t human. However, she does resemble a human… hmm… her body outline seems to be faded, as if it’s out of focus and is trying to exists. Suddenly the girl stops and talks to an old woman who ran a stall. Oleander paused and listened to their convocation. However, this conversation didn’t last long because she forgot her coin purse. Oleander slaps his face with his palm as if he felt embarrassed for the ghost. The ghost continued moving once again, and so did Oleander. Okay… She’s forgetful... and by the way sh- wait… that voice… I could have sworn it was echoing. The way it echoed seemed unnatural and somewhat odd… This person seems to not human, but looks like one and has an odd voice… I wonder what else is there to learn. Oleander continues lurking within the crown, watching the girl from the distance. Not knowing that he, the human, was stalking a ghost, like a ghost haunts a human.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri "Hm hm hm~♪" Kouri happily hummed as she strolled through the Bazaar, window shopping and browsing various wares. Hmmm... is someone... She got the usual feeling that someone was following her. Kouri stopped in her tracks and observed her surroundings. Alright... Whoever was following her was good at it, really good that Kouri could not spot the follower if she used normal human means, however... Ehehehe~ She vanished into thin air and appeared at a few meters above the ground, quite above the crowd of people below her. Then her ethereal eyes searched around for people that was looking at her direction and there... Oho~ she spotted him, the one that was paying attention to her. The figure wore a hood so it was quite hard to discern his physical features, Kouri could only see that he had brown hair and fair skin tone. Ehehe~ Kouri quickly blinked back to the ground and floated away, luring the man into a secluded area to talk and ask questions to him

[Oleander]

The girl continued walking, and Oleander continued following. However something strange happened, the girl stops walking and looks around as if something was bothering her. Then all of a suddenly something stranger happened, the girl disappeared into thin air, leaving behind faint traces of mist. Oleander was taken by surprise. However, he kept his expression to a minimum. When he looked up slightly, he saw the girl, who just vanished, floating in the air. What on earth? The girl looked around the area as if she was searching for someone or thing. Oleander wasn’t sure what she was looking at, so he tried tracking her vision by looking at her eye and looking what she was focusing at. However, this was a big mistake. When he looked into her eyes, his and the girl’s eyes connected. Oleander drops his head down and continues walking, pretending that he was looking around of an item to buy. The girl vanished once again and reappeared on the girl back on the ground. She once again continued walking and Oleander followed. As Oleander walked, lurking behind the strange girl, he began to wonder what he just witnessed. Ok… the girl can walk though people and move her body in a blink of an eye… that’s not normal, right?… As Oleander followed the girl, he began to notice that the amount of people began to decrease. Soon enough Oleander was in a place where people hardly ventured, this was bad. However, He was confident enough to make an escape should he need to. I’m alone in an area with a little girl… Something about this scenario isn’t normal… well, besides the creepy girl with the bloodstained shirt… Oleander continued following the girl, pulling his hood lower on his head.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri Ehehe... Kouri occasionally looked behind her to check if the hooded man was still following her. Oh~ good, ehehe~ The man was still following her, perhaps this was not an ordinary man, usually people would want nothing to do with one of the dead let alone following one. I wonder what does he want though~ He should have saw me when I... floated in the air, that kinda eliminates the possibility that he thought I was a... normal human Kouri pondered as she the crowd around her started to become thinner and thinner. Finally, she arrived at a narrow dead-end alley with virtually no people around. "So..." Kouri spoke, facing the dead-end wall in front of her, her eerily haunting high-pitched voice echoed in the alley. "Why are you following me, Sir?" She slowly turned around as she asked that, her face filled with childish curiosity. "Though... Ehehe~" She slowly floated to the hooded man, materialized herself, and reached up to touch his left cheek with her right hand. "Why are you hiding your face?" two black ethereal tendrils shot up from Kouri's back and pulled the man's hood up, revealing his face. "Ehehe~ your eyes... they are different in color... the other one is much lighter in color, I wonder why's that?" Kouri pulled away her hand and tendrils and stood in front of him, looking up to gaze him in the eyes, crimson red facing off with mismatched brown. "So~ Do you want to tell me your name? Ehehe~ Maybe we could become friends~ Seeing as you followed me... that means you're not afraid of me... I like that~"

[Oleander]

The path the girl took eventually lead to a dead end. Oleander turned his eyes left and right, there wasn’t anybody around him besides the girl. The girl spoke and began to turn to face Oleander, revealing red eyes to him. The girl giggles like a child, but her laugher gave an eerie echo throughout the alleyway. She began to question him as she advanced towards him, reaching out to his face with her hand. Oleander stood still to try and keep his ground. However, something weird happened. When she placed her hand on his face, Oleander began to feel a cold and uncomfortable feeling from her hand. Gezz… 16 and I’m having weird feelings from a girl… I guess I’m still growing… The girl asked Oleander another question, about why he’s hiding his face. When the girl asked her question, Oleander’s hood was pulled of his face, like something was holding it. Oleander was doing a good job keeping a calm face, but on the inside he was confused. The girl then asked his name, which is something Oleander would never anyone. After the ghost shot all her questions, Oleander pulled his hood back up and began to speak. “Aren’t you a curious girl? Well if you really want to know why I was following the same path as you, it’s because you seemed to stand out from the crowd and I simple to an interest, like a moth to a torch. As for the hood, let’s just say I’m a shy person.” Oleander said as he pulls his hood down to hide his eyes. “Anyways, you can call me Merle. How about you, little one?” Oleander said. Merle is a name Oleander likes to go under. It’s a name that’ll keep his real identity safe, but allows him to be referred to – like a nickname.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri "O ho ho ho ho~" Kouri put her right hand near her mouth and laughed like a stuck up noblewoman. "I'm interesting, am I?" She played around with strands of her ethereal white hair. "Ohoho~, Sir Merle I see... my name is Fubuki Kouri, but you can call me Kouri~ Ehehe~" She lifted the hem of her dress and bowed slightly, a polite introducing gesture her mother taught her. Kouri turned her body to the side, but still keeping her head fixed on Merle. "Oh come on~ Don't hide your face, I find your eyes beautiful..." As Kouri said that, the same two ethereal black tendrils pulled up Merle's hood again. "Now then, I find you interesting as well... let's just say... if I were a normal girl, I wouldn't be able to detect you while you're following... that's something. You got me wondering, what do you do, Sir Merle? As in your... job and skills, ehehe~ Are you a spy? A stalker? Or perhaps... an assassin?" Kouri floated all around Merle as she asked her questions in curiosity. "But you wouldn't assassinate poor little old me, wouldn't you? That is if you could..." Kouri smiled mischievously, her naughty mind were already turning to plan a perfect prank for the hooded man. She wanted to get back at him for following her. "E he he he~" Kouri blinked close to him, floated upwards to look at Merle on eye-level, and suddenly hugged his neck with her hands. She leaned in close, her lips just a few inches from his right ear. She whispered to Merle's ear with her haunting voice "I wonder... if I scream right now... people would accuse you of something bad, riiight~?"

[Oleander]

The girl introduced herself as Fubuki Kouri, as she curtsied. Oleander returned the gesture by bowing gentleman like. If anything, politeness is one of the best ways to get someone to talk. “Pleased to meet you, Kouri.” Oleander said like a noble gentleman. When Kouri turned to her side, he requested for Oleander to keep his hood off along with a compliment about his eyes. Suddenly, his hood was pulled off once again, exposing Oleander’s face. Again? Well… I guess if there isn’t anyone around… “I don’t know how you do that trick of yours, but if I must keep it down… then I shall for you” he said once again in a noble voice. After that however, she began to fire questions about is occupation, which was a bit vague for Oleander himself. He was an information broker, in which he sells information, but he’s also a spy, in which he collects information. He’s also an investigator, in which he uses information to help a client. Whatever oleander’s occupation was, his job required information. “heheh, well I guess you could call me a helping hand.” Oleander laughed, not knowing what his official title of his job. “What? Assassinate? That’s a bit out of my job range…” Oleander responded. I don’t give that sort of ser- ah!? Kouri wrapped her arms around him in a cold embrace, she weighted literally next to nothing. Her face lent in towards his ear and whispered. he could feel her cold breath caressing the out part of his ear. Well… I guess I know that she’s a mischievous little girl… “Hmm… how about…” Oleander said as he pulls Kouri off himself, still keeping the cool act up. He tilted his head and said with a smirk “…I’ll treat you do some sweets?” trying to sway her motives.

[Fubuki Kouri]

Fubuki Kouri "Ahn~" Kouri mockingly moaned as she was pulled away from Merle's body. "Oh? Sweets? I would love to ! B-but.. well..." Kouri's cheerful aura suddenly dimmed down and became melancholic. She looked down to the ground, her face forlorn. "I... I can't eat anymore..." As she was floating above the ground, she looked straight to gaze Merle at his eyes. "I tried it once... the food just... wooosh dropped down from my body after I swallowed it..." "How about we just play? Ehehe~" Kouri quickly became cheerful again and beamed Merle a grin. "How about we play 'Tag!', the one who lose must answer a question asked by the winner truthfully, do you want to? Ehehe~" Kouri dropped down to the ground and floated away from Merle by a few meters. "It's your turn first then~ I'm 'it' now! If I touch you, then you're 'it'! Ehehe~ The time limit will be one bell, kay~ If you could hide for one bell then you'll win the round, if I touch you before that then I win the round and you will be 'it' in the next round! There will be three rounds~ It's fun, right? right? Ehehe~" "Now then, I'm gonna count to ten to give you time to run or hide, but I'm gonna find you~" Kouri confidently boasted and turned around to face the wall. She didn't even ask for Merle's approval and began counting "One~... Two~..."

[Oleander]

Oleander felt slightly awkward as Kouri became sad. However, she began to float, which caught Oleander by surprise. So she can float as well…? Suddenly Kouri’s mood shifted from sad to cheerful as she suggested a game of tag. With the prize being the winner telling the loser whatever they wanted. Oleander was a bit reluctant because he knew that the odds were falling on her side. The ability to vanish and reappear, flying and the ability to pass through thing puts Oleander at a serious disadvantage. However, his fate was sealed when Kouri began counting. With a sigh that Oleander could only hear, he accepted her game request. “May the shadows guide my path!” Oleander turned around to face the exit from where he entered and began to bounce on the balls of his feet, preparing to run. Once Kouri said “two”, Oleander sprinted away. When Oleander was nearing the exit he began thinking about how he could overcome Kouri’s abilities. Okay, the first thing I need to do is blend in with the crowd. Oleander already had his hood down and his running was slowed to the pace of the people around him. Oleander chose groups that had the same dull clothing as him. Now, she can fly so long as I don’t look at her she won’t see me looking back. However, she still could find me… I better find some sort of shelter… which brings me to her third ability in her bag of tricks, passing through objects… I’m not sure is she can pass through anything, or certain things. I’ll assume she can pass thought anything, that way I’ll be extra cautions…. But I have no idea how to counter that…. Oleander was in a thick crowd of people, blending in and hiding in plain sight. Oleander knew tag meant you have to run, but with Kouri’s strange abilities, if he ran he would get caught in an instant