Hide in Plain Sight

Ming settled back against the wood of the building. The rain pattered around her in the darkening evening and she counted herself lucky to have found a bit of shelter near the building she watched. She could just see the doorway to the hot springs through the hazy grey of the rain if she strained her eyes. The stone street was rough and hard, her back ached from sitting against a building.

Dark tendrils of hair clung to her face and neck and her clothing had yet to dry. She could have removed the moisture with a thought but that small comfort may lead to her falling asleep. She didn’t dare let them leave without her because one did not dare trust the word of a man. Not one that would disregard her so fully but she would never admit how deeply that had hurt. To her, he had been dead, to him she had betrayed and yet they had both been wrong. She had been so happy….but obviously he was not ready to forgive.

Yuii stirred in her lap and curled closer like a tiny kitten. Her hair had rolled into tight curls due to the moisture but Ming had carefully dried her little sister and her jacket the child used as a blanket now. Yuii was used to nights on the streets, ashamed as Ming was to admit, and after her long bout of tears she had settled to sleep right away. It had hurt to upset Yuii as much as she had earlier at the temple yet

Silently, Ming pulled her headset from her bag and set it against her ear. The frequency was just as she’d left it and that left her a flipped switch away for speaking with her employer. This would not be easy, Kiyo was as much Ming’s saviour as Renzo had once been and the loose ties of family brought them even closer. The Raikage, for all her faults, was a good woman and a generous employer; how could she explain extracting herself from their current contract so soon? Would she be upset to lose another ally when friends were so rare?

Ming flipped the switch and listened. It seemed Kiyo had been waiting for her.

“Gomen, I didn’t mean to be out so long. Sorry to have worried you. Is everything alright?” Her cousin seemed distraught about something though Ming knew the older woman would never admit to it. Given the events that had unfolded in mist thus far, Ming could have pinned it on any number of things. It made her heartache to know what she must do.

“No, it’s just that I came across an old aqu- No nothing like that. There wasn’t time for such things.” A hot blush covered Ming’s cheeks now that she had no one to hide from. The implications of the older woman’s words were enough to-

“No! I- I have Yuii along with me. Please don’t tease me!” Ming hadn’t thought much about things like that. Too much had happened in her life to ever trust a man that much. Even with Renzo she had never thought like that; she just loved that he made her feel safe. Perhaps, with time, she might….

Her thoughts were cut of by a gentle, concerned question that made Ming’s stomach knot. It was now or never.

“Well, it’s just that…they’ve offered to allow me to travel with them to Kirigakure….yes that Kirigakure.” She waited for the cross words or the disappointment. What she was met with was cautious congratulations but the others voice shook so fearfully. She was a terribly beast for abandoning one responsibility for another she had already left so coldly. Kiyo would never forgive her for this.

“I see…. Are you certain? Yes, it’s what I want but I’m not sure if things will be alright. I’ll tell them nothing of-” Rude, scolding words cut her off and left Ming sputtering a moment to recollect herself. She hadn’t even been aware Kiyo was capable of such disdain over something like this. She had never questioned her employer’s trust, it just seemed right for the moment,

“Well no, I didn’t think that but I thought it would be better if I gave my word” she spoke gently and evenly and that seemed to calm the other down well enough. The more she listened to more certain Ming was that Kiyo was fighting the effects of the tonic she was to drink at night just to speak with her. It wouldn’t impair her judgment; just make her tongue loose.

“No. of course not and we will most likely visit. The new treaty allows us a freedom of movement that was never before achievable. I will… I will come home if what I’m hoping for no longer exists. I’ll miss you more than anyone- yes anyone. You‘re the only family I have left besides Yuii.” The cold truth and yet it made Ming feel closer to Kiyo. She meant every word and no matter what came of this they would always be family. Hopefully Kiyo felt the same. No, she said the same.

“You should be asleep my lady….yes I would happy to. You’ll keep it would you always wont you and always remember us?” She tried to convey all the emotions she felt in her voice then and was rewarded with precious words she would always remember. They would be the fuel that pushed her forward through what would be difficult days ahead.

What was she leaving, where was this strength coming from?

With only the lonely accompanying of the rain, Ming began to sing in a soft voice, her softly sung words carrying over the device. Soon she became brave and her soft lullaby became louder. As she sang, tears began to slip down her cheeks. Why did it seem like such a mistake to abandon her stable home for a homeland that had given her nothing?

The breathing on the other side of the headset evened out as Ming came to a shaky finish. Silently she wiped her nose on the back of the hand then spoke a gentle fair well before shitting off the headset, “Sweet dreams, goodbye and remember you always.”

With a heavy heart Ming pulled from her bag a music box and settled it on her lap next to Yuii. She cracked it open just enough to listen to the gentle tune that sprang forth then settled herself in for a long evening of waiting.

(Set after the meeting in the Huchi temple. Muchly for my own continuity
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1FkZMYD43M <-- song she sings.]

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PostPosted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 9:37 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
"You shouldn't come back with us."

Tatsuya had had his misgivings originally, but further deliberation over Renzo's attitude as well as the content of the letters they received had given him resolve to keep anyone who couldn't handle a fight out of it. At worst, Ming was a civilian; at best she was retired. Either way there was a small child involved in the mix. Should an open rebellion appear when they crossed the border home, those were all the last things he wanted to have to worry about.

She hadn't been hard to find. She hadn't made any attempt to conceal the fact she was following them, so Tatsuya had waited until it sounded like Renzo was asleep in the next room, then stolen out into the night. It was nighttime, and she had seen him without it before, so he didn't have his visor on. His gloves were also nowhere in sight and he'd calmed enough for the vines to vanish again, but otherwise he looked identical to earlier.

He kept his voice low, since some children were light sleepers, but he was perched as near Ming as he could get without invading her personal space. She didn't need to know he'd paused to listen to the song before he spoke.

"I say this not merely for his sake, but for yours also. There are dark times coming in Mist. While we didn't leave open rebellion, it is likely we will return to it, and that is no place to be for anyone unready. Especially," he glanced at Yuii, his gaze soft and nonthreatening, "one so young."

And I do not know his feelings toward you. Forgive me, for you seem a decent person, but if you have harmed him even by accident it would be best you go back where you were.

He leaned against a rock adjacent to the building, not minding the cool rain on his skin.

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[03:28]  * Shoukyou|Tatsuya is visibly flirting with the Mizu!
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 10:33 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
The music box lid snapped closed and with it the mirad of memories it presented to her. The box had been given to her as a gift and she had treasured it with her whole heart. At first, when it was put into her care, she had been frightened by it’s implications and responsibility, then it had reminded her of a dead man… now it brought her hope.

It should not have been comforting that Renzo’s golden eyed guard snuck up on her so easily and yet it was. A thief would have assumed her to be just a normal homeless woman and thus taken no pains to conceal themselves. The idea that he might attack them never once entered her mind, a strange feeling to have for one used to fearing most men. Perhaps it was his connection to Renzo; the first man she’d ever made an easy connection to.

Ming took a moment to search around them before speaking, as if she was afraid that someone else might be listening. Certainly their conversation was broad enough that no idle listener could piece together of what they spoke.

“Tsukiyomi told me a great deal before….” there was no need to bring up the events of the temple, they had both been there, “ She mentioned you. Thank you for protecting him and watching over him so closely; that man draws trouble in droves doesn’t he? I was never fit guard him, quite the opposite really, so it makes me happy to see someone taking such good care of him.

“So I knew before I agreed that there might be trouble but I think greater damage may be done if I go back on my work now,” for the third time that day Ming smiled, though the flicker of emotion did little to warm her face. “Renzo… he has always seemed to alone. If what you say is true then he will need support. I can protect Yuii and myself as well as provide the aid of an apothecary. Otherwise, we will be unobtrusive, It does not seem he cares to have me near and so it will be.“ the last bit was infused with bitterness and seemed only to be said for the sake of saying. She did not seem to know or care she had used his first name so informally; as if saying it any other way was abnormal to her, and yet Renzo had been even a Sennin for a long time.

“Kirigakure and the land around it is dangerous anyhow. I grew up in the strands and know all the dangers of the forest and sea. Yuii is bright, she will cope with her new surroundings and grow accustomed to them. If the situation grows too dangerous; I will send her to her Aunt until it is safe again. I…think she had a bit of a crush on you.” reflecting back on the way Yuii had shyly peered at Renzo’s guard, it seemed she must have liked him immediately. It had been her to notice Tatsuya’s golden eye first and make the connection to Tsukiyomi’s tales so perhaps that was why.

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PostPosted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 11:07 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
Tatsuya's hair and cloak were soaked, but still he didn't pull himself out of the rain. Water was life-giving, especially in such a hot land for one used to the cool damp of Mist. That which touched his skin was slowly absorbed into it, though not noticeably at a distance.

It was strange for him to feel more threatened by her than she obviously did by him.

He looked away briefly. He didn't feel he was nearly successful enough in his task at protecting Renzo, wouldn't have unless no harm at all had befallen him since they met. Still, he knew he had done better than many others could have, and the fact he had literally no one else...

"There is little I wouldn't do for him. He doesn't deserve the pain he suffers, not in the slightest. He's lost everyone he cared about but myself." There was a flicker of sympathy on his face, mingled with another, unreadable, emotion. "I swore I would protect him, even if he didn't want me to. And so I shall."

He paused, shifting so his back was more comfortable against the stone and digging one hand into the dirt. "He...is very lonely, yes. With me alone for support, I do not know how well we will manage. We have until now, and I'm sure we can. Ren and I are quite close, and sometimes it seems to me as if he's carrying more weight than his own." Despite the fact the man they spoke of was the Mizukage, they spoke of him as a person and so he felt comfortable enough to be informal. "As for the rest, I cannot say. He has never mentioned you before. I do not know how close you were to him, but it is likely he counts you among those who have betrayed him."

Dangerous, yes. It had always been so, though it always surprised him when people outside the underworld knew that. Inevitably, they referred to other dangers though.

"I meant, far more dangerous for anyone near him. I..." he hesitated, but she could have overheard Renzo earlier easily. "I don't believe he is able to restrain Fenrir properly, and he has killed two people and suffered much due to it. Already there was discontent when we left." She would be able to work out the rest from there, surely.

He glanced at the girl again. It was clear he had a soft spot for young children, obvious older brother instincts always kicking in. "If Tsukiyomi was telling tales of me to enthrall young children, I confess she must have made me sound far more heroic than I am. I find that the deeds always sound more impressive later, but in the moment are never so."

His roundabout way of saying he still blamed himself, but he was still trying to gauge how much Ming cared about Renzo. He paused, a question forming in his mind, or perhaps a revealing statement.

"He was very badly hurt then. He nearly died," he couldn't hide his own wince at this. "Myself and a medical chief had some time patching him up. I couldn't later bring myself to tell his fiancée when I saw her."

Not strictly because he'd only met her the once, or because he'd detested her out of jealousy immediately. The entirety of the statement was still true, if not entirely fair to Ming.

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樅強竜矢 ~ Shield of Mist ~ Spiritualist, 3600
[Mist Daimyo]
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[03:28]  * Shoukyou|Tatsuya is visibly flirting with the Mizu!
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PostPosted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 9:15 pm 	Reply with quoteBack to top
Fiance, Tsukiyomi had mentioned no such person.

Ming raked her teeth across her bottom lip and peered at him through her lashes. She didn’t understand why her chest felt so tight and yet she found the strength to act normal.

The brunette shifted and pulled Yuii up closer against her. The little girl mumbled sleepily yet settled back to sleep in a second with her face pressed into the soft belly of her Renren,. For good measure Ming pulled her fingers lightly through Yuii’s hair in a way that was sure to relax her to sleep. On a whim Ming pressed an affectionate kiss to her forehead and grinned at the way Yui wrinkled her forehead.

“Children are quick to fall in love. I think she is delighted to find her night story characters have living counterparts. You did sweep in rather heroically earlier and along with a story about how you saved Renzo once before… it’s unlikely Tsukiyomi exaggerated. Yuii is a good judge of character.” After all, she was the one to pick out Joji as a friend too.

Fiance? Really? What right did she have to be upset about Renzo finding love. She had abstained for personal reasons yet his situation was so much different. He had every right.

“I stayed with him less than a week during some rough days. This was before he was even Mizukage, I must have been…eighteen? I was hardly anyone worth mentioning I’m certain. He was… very kind to me for those few days and so I owe him a lot for that. I’m sure he’s forgotten all about me by now and any closeness we might have had is fiction.  I’ll help, I wont betray him but it seems I wont have any danger from being close to him.” Ming could already guess at what she would need to do upon returning to Kirigakure. It would be much the same as when she had stumbled into the village; dirty, alone and with little money. Her mother’s resources were near dried up now but she could sew and mend or make the medicines of her trade. There was always an upset stomach or piece of clothing to mend in the ninja world.

And then she would gather information as an outsider while maintaining no contact with Renzo. She would do her best for him.

Was she pretty? Did she make him happy? Were they already married?

“I’m glad he survived…. He nearly died last time I saw him too. I must confess I thought he really was dead that time. I was a stupid girl to believe such things. Fear makes us believe the impossible I suppose. I‘m glad he has a friend like you; he deserves at least one loyal friend in his life doesn‘t he?”, Ming had made a mistake and now it would haunt her the rest of her life. Renzo would never trust her as much as this man who had yet to make a mistake. How unfair it was that she could not be perfect too, “ I hope to mend things but he will never trust me again.”

Why hadn’t Tsukiyomi told her!

She tried so hard not to show how painful it was to have lost.

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 7:47 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
It was a gamble mentioning Rika at all. Of course, Tatsuya wouldn't give the details, like the fact it was an arranged marriage or that Renzo seemed more annoyed by her than anything else or that he had only met her once, but they weren't necessary for this.

The expression on his face was quite neutral, as if it were a normal fact. That was the thing to remember when one was technically lying, to not give any sign that the information you were giving out was anything other than ordinary.

"I did nothing." He shrugged. "A medical ninja would have been far more useful than I. I am no hero at home, certainly. Though I believe, considering he has just as little information as your...sister?...does, my brother would probably be inclined to agree with her."

Testing, still. Her reaction was not obvious, but...yes. There looked to be some jealousy involved, at least. It was good he'd tested, then.

But why? He'll never have me anyway, regardless of his interest in her. There's no point to me doing this.

"He is...always very kind." Tatsuya was quiet for a few seconds, but she had told him of her association with Renzo. It would only be fair to reciprocate. "We were not particularly close at first. I believe he selected me to trust above the other ANBU because I was open to his ideas for the corps, and because I regularly reported to him. It was nothing special, even when he called me his knight. It was a long time before I felt I earned that, in rescuing him from a battle that broke out in the forest...since then, he has trusted me implicitly, though I still hide much from him." His smile was crooked, and the expression held as he got up, stretching, and stepped over to the cover, still not invading her space.

He has told me so much more than I have told him. But he has never asked me anything...

"He puts himself in danger much too much. I believe he worries over the fate of the village if he did not. I cannot see what it will take to convince him he is not the only one to defend everyone." If something were to happen to him in defending Renzo, would he then realize the country needed more than two fighters? If they got home and everything was fine, would he then let up on himself?

He shook his head slightly, water splattering all over the dry ground.

"I will take care of him." There was steel behind those words, as if he had made that promise before. "Whether he lets me or not, I will do as I can to ensure he is harmed as little as possible."

It is bothering her, then? I'll let her say something about it, or hold her tongue until she feels the need to ask.

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[Mist Daimyo]
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[03:28]  * Shoukyou|Tatsuya is visibly flirting with the Mizu!
[03:28]  <Shoukyou|Tatsuya> 'hey baby you so fine baby ;D *fingerbang*'
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Yuii
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 9:23 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
“Well, I think Renzo is an excellent judge of character in this case. He had given his trust before with less reason and you’ve done an upstanding job of earning it. Mou~ It doesn‘t surprise me at all that you have a little brother either.” Of course he was old enough to have children of his own but it was her experience that ninja males tended to wait until late into their career for such things. The same could be said for ninja women but Ming had always struggled with making others believe Yuii wasn’t her own child.

He finally seemed comfortable enough to join her under cover. Ming had wondered if he enjoyed being soaked to the bone or if he had just not trusted her enough to approach. The brunette appreciated the way he kept a respectful distance even now; was it intuition, politeness or similarities she wondered. It wasn’t her fault that he was out here but Ming couldn’t help but feel responsible. So, never one to be a bad hostess, Ming flipped the top off her shoulder bag and with a little shuffling was able to pull a dry towel free. It also gave her a chance to slip the music box back into place before offering him the bath sheet.

“Here, dry yourself off.” As is on cue, Ming sneezed then gingerly wiped her nose on the back of her damp sleeve. Of course she was opening herself up to sickness but sitting out here in the rain. She could have been dry with a thought but now more then ever it seemed important to remain aware. She didn’t need to be trained in medicines to know what a terrible idea this was, “Feh.”

“I think he is reckless with his life. He has grown up believing his entire existence is a curse and sometimes I think his recklessness is a result of wishing it would end. I only stayed a few days but I witnessed so much pain… so much betrayal and I am amazed he has stood strong all this time” Her face pinched as if she felt a pain, “I can only imagine how much pa- Can you protect him from himself I wonder?”  she had promised to Tsukiyomi to live on and do her best to help Renzo too, at this point it seemed impossible but she would do it. Neither of them would fail.

While digging through her bag for something to hold off her chills, Ming decided to try and innocently broach the subject which had occupied her mind since the very first time he had said it. “I must confess… I never heard of any fiancé,” she brought up finally while taking great pained to look aloof and disinterested even though she had been the one to bring the subject up again. It tore her up inside to think that all hope was dashed; the tiny hope that came from his being unattached was all but dashed, “Tsukiyomi failed to mention such a person in her stories.” but when the answer came she would give herself away by listening too intently.

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 9:48 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
Tatsuya turned a light shade of red. He thought Renzo gave trust too freely, and that he hadn't earned it by the point he'd been given it. He was entirely thrown off by anyone else claiming he could be trusted outside the normal, though. "My thanks for that," he murmured. He never thought of himself as a good person, no matter how much he tried to be. Maybe it was less that he was thrown whenever Renzo expressed faith in him and more that he was unused to receiving it at all.

His skin was entirely dry, despite the fact he'd been out in the rain so long, and he wasn't shivering even though his hair and clothes were soaked. The scars on his wrists were the vibrant green of a freshly watered plant instead of the green-brown of a dying one. He waved off the towel. Clearly it didn't bother him very much.

"I don't need to dry myself anymore. Not for some time," he showed her his wrists. "I appreciate the offer, but it's not needed. But if you're cold, we can go inside. I'm sure they have a lounge indoors." If she was willing to possibly disturb the girl, at least, but the cold and wet couldn't be good for her, either.

I know that feeling. I didn't believe in curses until long after I met him, but I still knew my life was hard compared to others. Yet I can't even imagine wanting to die.

"He..." Tatsuya hesitated. "He has expressed the thought that he believes he will die alone. I do my best to help him see that is not so, but of course there is only so much I can do in that manner, no matter how much I may want to help in any way possible."

He left hand was clenched into a fist at this, shaking slightly. The memory of his conversation with Tsukiyomi was still fresh and raw in his mind. Would that and his last sentence be a giveaway? Impossible.

"You had not? He informed me it had been arranged since childhood," his tone was suspiciously neutral again. "I believe her name is Rika. She calls herself a princess. I suppose she's attractive enough, though she didn't seem particularly bright." Ah, so it did bother her. The very fact Ming was female and interested in Renzo already put her ahead of him, sadly. "I don't think she is worthy of him, personally, but it is his choice. As long as he is happy."

And now there was definitely a hint of longing in his voice, but hopefully Ming would be too preoccupied with her own feelings to notice his.

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樅強竜矢 ~ Shield of Mist ~ Spiritualist, 3600
[Mist Daimyo]
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[03:28]  * Shoukyou|Tatsuya is visibly flirting with the Mizu!
[03:28]  <Shoukyou|Tatsuya> 'hey baby you so fine baby ;D *fingerbang*'
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Yuii
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 9:07 pm 	Reply with quoteBack to top
“Impressive, you’re like a plant. Can you survive on just water and sunlight?“ Ming flashed a grin that mean she was only joking and continued, “I’m always cold but perhaps going in would be best. I haven’t seen a lounge but I know of a place…” Ming hesitated, unsure if she should leave her spot and move on inside. Hadn’t this one come outside to warn her away? She still couldn’t risk being left behind; not when she had already decided to move forward into the past.

But Yuii would end up sick if they both stayed out here and Ming wasn’t any more likely to fight off a cold. If either of them got sick that would be just another excuse to leave them behind besides the normal issues with being sick. It surprised Ming that after Yuii’s unconventional travel method the child had not yet gotten sick.

On that note, had Yuii known it would come to this? It seemed uncanny that the child would show up just before meeting Renzo.

“Which is to say, the owner is a friend of a dear friend and I visited once before. I think they are fond of Yuii,” but who could not be fond of such a sweet, well behaved child. Yuii had a special charm with adults that went beyond ‘cute’ and ‘sweet’. She made long lasting friends with them and oddly enough always remembered those new friends.

As for Ren dying alone, “We will just have to see to it that he is never alone, wont we?”

Ming winced at the word princess but set her jaw and tried to remain calm. Of course it would be a girl willing to call herself a princess; only such a creature dainty and well bred enough to be titled that would be worthy of Renzo’s true attention. It hurt her to know that she had always existed, even back years before when Ming had met Renzo. Had he intended to keep her around only as another body to occupy his house hold? Would she have ended up like his maid in the end? Hopelessly in love, desperate to be near him and a slave because of her emotions? Ming shuddered to think what could have been.

“He…“She cut off her own words with a deep intake of breath that sounded suspiciously like a sniffle then exhaled slowly; she envisioned using the water she breathed to form an icy prison for the  ,”Yes you’re right. Whatever makes him happy,” She pressed her hand to her chest, silently repeating those last four words like a prayer. He was on to something there, a way to funnel all her emotions out while…

Something was funny about him and the way he spoke about the ‘princess’.

“Could it be that you,” Ming spoke while shifting Yuii’s dead weight onto her shoulder, “You’re in love with Renzo’s fiance?”

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PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 8:41 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
"I haven't honestly tried. I'm fond of food, so I doubt I would." Tatsuya neglected to mention it was only his blood that turned into plants, and that he was rarely able to control them.

Always cold? Something twinged in him, a slight warning, but it was gone in a second. "It isn't good for either of you to be out here, then. Particularly if you insist upon traveling with us in the morning." It was clear by his tone he still felt that was a bad idea.

"...do you live here in Leaf, then?" he hadn't been there to hear Ming address or refer to the Raikage at all, or things might have gone somewhat less cordially. Well, it was a rational assumption to make if she knew people around there. He wasn't really aware the Hot Springs owner wasn't around there, either.

His fist clenched again. "He will never be alone, so long as there is the slightest chance for him to be in danger." I swear on my life, or would had I not already.

Hopelessly in lo--no, wait. That description just fits Tatsuya exactly at the moment.

"...If he is happy," he said quietly, glancing briefly toward their rooms. He had a twinge of guilt momentarily, but repressed it. He'd gained the information he'd wanted.

And he wasn't grinding too much of a dent in the ground with his fist.

Rika had been...well. Aside from the fact that she belonged to a faction trying to kill Renzo, and they had only her word (and the fact that all of her brains were apparently lodged in her chest) that she wasn't on her mother's side, and that she was a complete idiot, he supposed she had been the kind of girl that many other girls would get jealous of until they talked to her for a few seconds.

"Hm?" Tatsuya turned to blink at her. Considering he'd just been considering how much of an idiot she was... "No. I believe she's a complete airhead. She isn't at all good enough for him."

Nor are you, nor is anyone who has hurt him before. He deserves someone with whom he doesn't have to remember his past.

_________________

樅強竜矢 ~ Shield of Mist ~ Spiritualist, 3600
[Mist Daimyo]
Mini-banner done by Oishi Yogi
See mini-profile for information.
[03:28]  * Shoukyou|Tatsuya is visibly flirting with the Mizu!
[03:28]  <Shoukyou|Tatsuya> 'hey baby you so fine baby ;D *fingerbang*'
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Yuii
D Class
D Class



Joined: 22 Jun 2006

Jobs: S-Rank
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Last post on: September 8th, 2011
Location: In the frozen part.

Medals: 0


PostPosted: Mon Jun 07, 2010 9:33 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
“I know a recipe for the best pork buns in the world,” Ming answered proudly at the mention of food. Yuii stirred long enough to get comfortable in Ming’s arms but was back in a deep sleep within moments. Ming laughed quietly as one of Renren’s ears ended up in the child’s mouth and was soon made a chew toy, “It’s been improved upon since the cataclysm, or so I’m told, but you know how proud old women can be.” and if they were to be travelling companions it was likely she would have an opportunity to make those pork buns.

His opinion of Renzo‘s fiance was a surprise and left her a little speechless. “Oh…” Ming answered, her brow furrowing in thought. Well then she had been mistaken, he wasn’t hiding anything and was only being disapproving. Well, that just showed what a good friend he must be if he was willing to judge a candidate for his Kage’s heart so harshly.  Ming was relieved to hear that woman might actually be inadequate after all; that meant she still had a chance. Never mind that the years might have changed them both, never mind that he was still engaged and never mind that he didn’t trust her anymore. If Ming set her mind to it, she would win.

Where had the idea that his happiness would be enough gone? Perhaps it was the belief that she could bring those emotions back where as a stupid girl couldn’t possibly hold his interest. “If she is no good then I am certain Renzo will come to his senses and break that bond.” Considering what she knew of Renzo’s family; there should be no reason why he would feel obligated to marry a twit for their sakes.

Ming nodded to herself and pulled her jacket up over Yuii’s head to shield her from the rain. One of the parasols in her bag might have done the job but she hardly had the hands free to open such a thing. She hesitated a moment then with a deep breath like she was about to jump into a pool Ming surged forward and across the road to the shelter of the hot spring’s doorway. It had taken those few moments to soak her through to the bone but Yuii remained mostly dry.

The soaked brunette waited only long enough for Tatsuya to join her before pushed her way inside. At this later hour and with this weather the hot springs was silent, “To answer your earlier question, no I do not live in leaf. Work brought my employer here. One of out travelling companions, a man from a tiny village named Yugakure, was staying here. He and Yuii made friends with the staff.” And where was Ming during all this? Well she hadn’t known Yuii was even in Konoha to begin with and she had only minimal contact with the people here. Enough she would be recognized anyways, “until this past winter, we had not settled in one place more then a month. I just couldn’t bare to settle; no where is quite as good as homeyou know?”

[bad, bad~ assuming you’ll follow]

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Yuii is 12 =P
Who is scared of the big bad wolf~ =D
Past characters: MingYue[Now INPC], Kagetsu Kiyo
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Shoukyou Tatsuya
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 11:05 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
"Then I do wish my apartment back home was large enough to keep you. I'm somewhat tired of being the only cook." Particularly when his brother burnt everything he touched. Tatsuya had a moment of illness when he thought of how Tokiya had to be eating.

On second thought. As long as he cleaned up the take-out boxes regularly, it was fine.

He sent a silent thanks up that, once again, a girl interested in Renzo failed to notice his own interest in him as well. First Aika, who he'd been dating, had failed to notice him falling apart over Renzo's injury. Then Akari, his sister, had managed to entirely miss the reason why he was so protective of the Mizukage despite him practically admitting to it. Now Ming, an old friend, seemed completely oblivious. Though granted she'd sensed his affection toward someone, she'd entirely misinterpreted the jealousy...fortunately.

If he chooses her, that's of course fine. I just don't think she'd make him happy, if she's hurt him before.

"It is...possible." If he believed he ought to. However, for now the woman was apparently a valuable source of information into people trying to hurt Renzo, so it was tactically sound to keep her happy. "But she is quite devoted to him."

Sickeningly so, but then he was hardly one to talk. Didn't his tone still sound a little too wistful there?

He rose silently, tailing Ming into the warm, dry building. He didn't drip much on the floor, even the water in his hair and clothes having mostly soaked down to his skin. He did, however, produce his visor out of a pocket and put it on in case any of the staff wandered by. To call it paranoia wouldn't have been at all inaccurate.

"Good," he surprised himself with the sentiment, but he distrusted Leaf. There was seemingly no strike here, and while a seedy underworld might have been hidden very well, it was hard to believe one existed at all. "I'm sorry. I'm just not very fond of this place. It's terribly hot, for one." when he smiled, it was disturbing, so the expression on his face was a few notches short of one. "I wouldn't know, actually. This is the first time I've ever been away from home."

The seasickness part could be left out entirely.

_________________

樅強竜矢 ~ Shield of Mist ~ Spiritualist, 3600
[Mist Daimyo]
Mini-banner done by Oishi Yogi
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[03:28]  * Shoukyou|Tatsuya is visibly flirting with the Mizu!
[03:28]  <Shoukyou|Tatsuya> 'hey baby you so fine baby ;D *fingerbang*'
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Yuii
D Class
D Class



Joined: 22 Jun 2006

Jobs: S-Rank
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Last post on: September 8th, 2011
Location: In the frozen part.

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 09, 2010 8:30 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top

Ming laughed, the gentle sound like a bubbling brook. He wasn’t the first male to express a wanting for someone who could cook. She had found, in her limited experience with males, that they could either cook very well or not at all. Amongst ninja it was more often then not the later. Fortunately or unfortunately as one saw it, cooking was not an important skill beyond basic survival. At least most could boil water without catastrophe. In Ming’s case, medicine was very much like cooking and she had picked up both skills as if they were in her blood. Her mother had said, until even the elder women had given up, that Ming would find love easier if only she knew how to keep the man of her dreams healthy and well fed.  With a well natured huff she flicked wet strands of hair from her face though she couldn’t begin to explain the source of her amusement.

“Nonsense, if she’s not acceptable then she’s not acceptable.” Ming said in a light voice as she moved through the lobby. It seemed the late hour and bad weather had left the front desk unmanned yet Ming had no intention of using the springs that evening. No doubt, if she explained their reasoning, the hot springs owner would concede to the logic of coming inside. “devotion is all well and good, but love cannot last with a certain level of… intellectual stimulation.” Not that she knew anything about being in love; it was always too late before she even figured it out. She as more going off the things her mother always said.

“You know, it could have been worse, the meeting could have been held in Sunagakure. That place is dreadful with its oceans of sand and rare islands of liveable oasis’. No place for anyone unable to take heat. I myself lasted barely a week there before fleeing the country altogether. Leaf is temperate in comparison and I hear it even snows something’s in the winter.”

Ming cautiously checked around the corner she remembered as being the right direction then motioned for Tatsuya to follow her. Her memory served her well, leading her past the room she had first found Joji with Yuii, around the corner where she had confessed more then she liked and along to the door of a kitchen not yet finished. She listened at the door before slipping inside.

After overhearing Renzo and Tatsuya’s conversation about Cloud and her cousin, Ming guessed that it was better not to admit having lived there. The mountains had agreed with the cold part of her at first and before she knew it the people had drawn her in. Only, being so high in the mountains had been frightening. Even with chakra to balance all the icy stair ways and slick roads had been hazardous. There were some days that were too cold to brave the outdoors with a child and those blasted people still managed to go on with life. They were proud of their ability to function in cold weather where even Ming had been afraid it was -too- cold.

“It’s a shame about the people here though, I can’t say I like them one bit. In general they have no pride or honour,” Ming finished while pushing two chairs together and settling Yuii across them. She took the time to fish a blanket from her bag, the one Joji had given her, and settled it over her little sister. The natural warmth and magic of the fur and cloth would fight off sickness.

“Did you grow up in the village out in the countryside yourself?”

_________________
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Yuii is 12 =P
Who is scared of the big bad wolf~ =D
Past characters: MingYue[Now INPC], Kagetsu Kiyo
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Shoukyou Tatsuya
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PostPosted: Thu Jun 10, 2010 10:37 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
Tatsuya could cook fine, the only one of three siblings who could. His sister had never tried, since they had servants, but had forced him to learn and his brother couldn't sit still long enough to do anything that required real patience. He still enjoyed it, mostly because he wouldn't have been happy with take-out every day except simple meals.

"If he loved her, she would be. He doesn't seem to. It's only that which makes me think he could do better, and nothing else. Myself disapproving of her doesn't mean much of anything, even if he would take my opinion into it." It was buried somewhere in his mind that that was possible, but unlikely. For starters he was biased by things Renzo didn't likely even know of or understand. Secondly, there was the obvious thought that no matter how perfect any woman was that he chose, something inside Tatsuya would rage, demanding why it wasn't him. That wasn't likely to ever change, it being so close to the core of his being now.

"Everyone looks for something different in love. I don't think he is so superficial. The fact he hasn't married her yet, nor anyone else, makes me think it's possible he believes in true love...not that that means anything, of course," the last part sounded self-conscious, slightly bitter even.

His expression was slightly twisted now. "It very nearly was. Did you know, the change to Leaf was last minute? Up until nearly the moment we left, the meeting was to be in Sand for all I knew." That he wouldn't have been able to stand.

Not many plants grow in the desert.

Ming seemed to know where she was going. His footsteps were almost perfectly silent behind her, helped by the fact he kept only in vocal range and no closer. Even the amount of weapons he was wearing had their noise carefully muffled by fabric. None of the water splattered on the ground anymore. There was no sign he'd even been out in the rain.

Had he known any one of a dozen things about Ming, she would have been in grave danger. That she had a bloodline or that she was from Cloud could have easily doomed her in his eyes, putting her on his admittedly not long kill list, since she was infatuated with Renzo as well. It was lucky she did not feel free to tell him either.

His expression was soft watching her care with Yuii. Mist village was no place, in the state it was in, to house a child that age. Yet there were so many there already, why did he protest another? Was it merely because he had actually met this one?

"Yes..." Tatsuya recalled the messenger bursting into a private meeting. "They are most rude. I wonder why anyone would trust them to be their protectors. It seems to me that they might react to things instantly without thinking."

It was an innocuous question, but it conjured up memories nonetheless. He stilled briefly, recalling days spent in the complex underground, driven to tasks no child should have to do and harsh training before even setting foot near the Academy.

"I've always lived in the village," he said quietly.

_________________

樅強竜矢 ~ Shield of Mist ~ Spiritualist, 3600
[Mist Daimyo]
Mini-banner done by Oishi Yogi
See mini-profile for information.
[03:28]  * Shoukyou|Tatsuya is visibly flirting with the Mizu!
[03:28]  <Shoukyou|Tatsuya> 'hey baby you so fine baby ;D *fingerbang*'
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Yuii
D Class
D Class



Joined: 22 Jun 2006

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Last post on: September 8th, 2011
Location: In the frozen part.

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PostPosted: Fri Jun 11, 2010 10:17 pm 	Reply with quoteBack to top
"Dishonourable louts. This city is stagnant, it does not flow forward. The people have no hope and thus they struggle to break free... and the ruling party punishes them instead of looking inside themselves to see the rot." Ming moved across the room and opened several cupboards until she found the kettle and she slammed the door closed at the end of her sentence. Obviously something had happened during Ming's stay in Leaf which had made her bitter. "they'll die as they are and return to the earth. maybe something greater will grow from that but they will die.

Ming moved to the sink and filled the kettle then set it to heat. Her eyes drifted across the unfinished marble counters and the tools still set out an arms length away. A ghost pulled at her heart strings but that was neither here nor there, "I’m sorry, I shouldn’t speak like that. Mist and Leafs policies are similar so I am dangerously close to insulting home. Forgive me." Ming hesitated a moment then turned back to watch the water heat,

“Pretty lucky you didn’t end up in Suna, the sand clings to everything, the heat is boiling, the water is scarce and I must say the culture is very strange.”

Boiling water was one of those annoying little things a Haku could not do. She could freeze it solid, she could shape it to her will and create beautiful or deadly things with it; but she couldn’t boil it. With her mind, she willed it to go faster but that never seemed to work. She realized cup would be a logical addition though, and maybe a teapot as well. There was also the tea leaves themselves. “Would you like some tea?” She asked absently while opening and closing each of the cupboards she had yet to check. The teapot was in a logical place but oddly enough the cups were in a lower cabinet and the teas in a drawer.

Like an idiot she picked up the jar of tea, opened it, smelled the contents and was all at once transferred back to a morning that had only been days ago but now felt like decades. This entire

“You said earlier… about true love. Do you know what that’s like? Would you know it immediately or… does it grow to become like that?“ the brunette set the lib back onto the tea and twisted it closed. Instead of putting it back in the drawer she pocketed it then chose another. Again there was a rush back to a memory and she lidded this one with a bit more force. She tried another and pocketed it as well, fighting down the lump in her throat. The fourth was new and sweet; it held in it the potential of the future. Ming had the lid back on before she noticed the tear running down her face.

“These are no good, I have something better for the cold in my bag anyways,” she said finally while slipping the last jar into her pocket. The man who had owned the teas wouldn’t be returning anyway.

Ming moved back to the chairs and where she had set her bag and knelt to find her tea. There was a good citrus blend that would fight off a cold. In Kumo Ming had made it often in the colder months but none of it’s memories would hold a painful weight. “It’s called sunshine tea because people in the mountains drink it during their long winters. With the rain, I think it would be perfect.”

"They are caged in these walls." Tatsuya recalled when they'd first come to Leaf, how the man had said he'd rather be trapped. "They seem to like it. I do not believe it is good for them. No one should like confinement."

Disliking freedom is...unnatural.

He resisted pulling a face. "I would not compare them to us. We at least are not so...fake." That was the best word he could come up with for Leaf. The atmosphere was stifling not just because of the heat, but because of the cheerful idealism that just seemed so fake, the people who tried too hard. It was as if they were all wearing masks and trying to hide some dark secret.

Or maybe he was paranoid, and the heat was getting to him.

"Sand...is not my idea of a good place to be. But to protect him and be with him, I would have gone. Perhaps spent the time dehydrated, but I would have gone."

And just like that, with the talk of dehydration, there was the possibility of tea. Tatsuya doubted he would get much sleep anyway, so it seemed fine enough. He had found out what he needed to know, but there was no reason not to be sociable. He so rarely was.

Had he known her bloodline or the symptoms of it...well. That would have been dangerous.

"That would be nice. Thank you." He paused, feeling a little silly, "is there cherry?" He hadn't actually tasted anything his favourite flavour since leaving home, and while he felt a little foolish for asking something like that it would be nice.

His fists clenched at his sides, and his throat felt suddenly dry. He'd opened up the topic, yet it felt strangely painful.

"Everyone has one person they fall completely, unfixably in love with. Not everyone meets that person--and some who do can't get them anyway. That's life. They don't always love you back."

"I believe...it grows over time. From a crush, perhaps couple with a deep friendship. It isn't always something you want to keep, when it hurts you, but there's nothing you can do to stop it. There's nothing you wouldn't do for them..."

His nails were cutting into his palms with how hard his fists were clenched. A few drops of blood seeped out from one. Then he noticed it and realized how he must look, consciously relaxing.

"I apologize. It isn't an easy subject for me. Unreciprocated love is all the more painful the deeper it is." There was no way to trace who he meant by that, even paying strict attention to his reactions. For all Ming knew, there was someone in Mist who was oblivious, and not sleeping in the same building.

"That would be good too." He glanced out the window. And the sadness, he didn't add to her statement.

He was accustomed to it.

_________________

樅強竜矢 ~ Shield of Mist ~ Spiritualist, 3600
[Mist Daimyo]
Mini-banner done by Oishi Yogi
See mini-profile for information.
[03:28]  * Shoukyou|Tatsuya is visibly flirting with the Mizu!
[03:28]  <Shoukyou|Tatsuya> 'hey baby you so fine baby ;D *fingerbang*'
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Yuii
D Class
D Class



Joined: 22 Jun 2006

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Last post on: September 8th, 2011
Location: In the frozen part.

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 6:06 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
Ming laughed and decided not to inform him that his taste in tea tan along the same path as Yuii. Cherry teas tasted good warm or cold and the ever prepared young apothecary had made certain to bring along a variety of tea flavours; including cherry. “I’ll stick to sunshine and you may have your cherry tea. I must admit, cherry does sound lovely in this heat.” A bit more digging produced a paper packet with a cherry drawn on it. Making two different teas wasn’t a stretch; merely an inconvenience.

“I’m not sure about love; every time I think I might be in love they… are gone. Even Renzo, I really thought he was gone too. I was starting to think it was my fault. Maybe there is hope” Ming shifted uncomfortably and plucked at her own sleeve. She didn't know what to say when it came to his love problems and now she was starting to feel guilty about coming back to that subject over and over. Renzo may had had a back record, but her own was no better. There had been Hoshiko in the forest; he’d left her behind immediately. Then there had been Hira; love wasn’t what she would call what was between them but he had left mist shortly after. Then there was Renzo, even now her memories showed dead eyes and gave her heart a guilty twist. And then Joji; her latest failure.

That last one still depressed her, By all the gods it wasn’t fair.

Ming stood, walked across the kitchen then stopped as a brilliant idea struck her. It was warm, she could make cold, why didn’t she just make them iced tea instead. Well at least for him; the effects of her tea would only work with some heat. That would save having to watch the timing on a single cup of tea. “Actually, would you l-”

“Nii-chan?“ Ming stopped mid sentence her head swinging around to where Yuii had proper herself up. At the same moment the kettle whistled and Ming lost her train of thought. She pulled the kettle off first and left it sputtering to the side before scurrying over to kneel in front of Yuii. The little girl rubbed at her eyes sleepily while peering through her lashed at Ming. Like a good older sister, Ming pulled the blanket up around Yuii’s shoulders then checked her temperature with the back of her fingers. Only a bit of a fever, nothing a bit of tea and a good sleep wouldn’t solve. “Yuii-chan, I made you some tea.”

“Tea? Inside?”

“Mhm, we are,” Ming answered while pushing herself to standing again. Yuii raised her arms to be picked up and Ming pulled her up against her shoulder, blanket and all. Yuii yawned, pressed her head into Ming’s shoulder then turned her head as if someone had called her name to stare exactly where Tatsuya stood.  A blush creaped over her face and she ducked  behind Ming’s shoulder shyly as her Nii-chan poured tea.

And Ming was mid way through pouring the tea before she remembered she had meant to ask about iced tea. Freezing it now would make it taste oddly so she decided to stick with regular tea. As she searched from a tray to carry the tea to the table, a pair of little hands encircled Ming’s ear and Yuii, a little too loudly not to be heard clearly by Tatsuya.

“Nii-chan, He’s the dragon Nii-chan. From the story!”

_________________
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Yuii is 12 =P
Who is scared of the big bad wolf~ =D
Past characters: MingYue[Now INPC], Kagetsu Kiyo
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Shoukyou Tatsuya
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 13, 2010 10:34 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
"I wouldn't want to bother you..." Tatsuya halted the second the cherry tea was produced, as if some hypnotic effect was drawn over him. There was only so much politeness in the offing, especially when she was already making tea and the packet was right there.

Definitely hypnotic.

"It's a funny thing." His gaze was drawn toward the rain, and he spoke almost as if the words were being dragged through razor-sharp thorns before coming out his mouth. "It's as if...you want to protect them, all the time. But you cannot. You blame yourself...even if you are unsure. Even so, you are happy just to be with him, on the chance you may help..." he trailed off and shook his head. Even if he'd let a pronoun slip, that still meant nothing. If she even realized he was talking about himself.

"Hm?" Yuii may have had the most charmed sense of timing in the world to interrupt Ming's sentence there. Questioning what she might have been about to say wasn't important, particularly with a child now awake.

She does make a good older sister. He felt a sudden stab. I think...I think Akari would have liked her. Tatsuya felt a touch of grief that he still hadn't worked out his own feelings about the situation described to him. They had been united by a common bond, and now...

Now she was dead. Because she had tried to protect her older brother, and no one had been there to warn her not to act so quickly.

He mentally drafted a quick agreement to force his brother into when he returned. "If I look murderous, don't try to help me. Go. Run. Get someone else. Promise me."

His gaze flickered back to Ming and Yuii, not that either would see under the visor. Both had earlier, though, and he vaguely recalled the young girl having recognized him in some way. Likely by his eye. He had sought contacts for it upon arriving, hoping Leaf's would work, but they had none that were able to last against whatever had happened to it.

"I'm in stories, am I?" There was an easy smile on his face now, one he hadn't used since his brother had been young. "That's strange. How come I've never heard of these stories?"

Gone was the posture of the careful bodyguard, slipped into something much more casual so as to not make Yuii afraid. His arms were folded across his chest, and his expression was clearly amused.

I'll grieve for you later, Akari. After I help your beloved older brother do so without bringing harm to himself. That's what we both want, after all.

_________________

樅強竜矢 ~ Shield of Mist ~ Spiritualist, 3600
[Mist Daimyo]
Mini-banner done by Oishi Yogi
See mini-profile for information.
[03:28]  * Shoukyou|Tatsuya is visibly flirting with the Mizu!
[03:28]  <Shoukyou|Tatsuya> 'hey baby you so fine baby ;D *fingerbang*'
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Yuii
D Class
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 9:52 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
“Tsuyomi-chan told us a story. She said you’re a dragon! Dragons are so cool,” Yuii half hid her face against Ming’s shoulder so that only two large round eyes peered at Tatsuya. Against the wet fabric of Ming’s dress she repeated, “ Dragons are so cool.”

Ming chuckled and set the tea cups in their tray. Balancing Yuii with one arm and The tray on another she made the trip to the huge wooden table again. Yuii she settled on a chair and the tray she placed in the middle of the table. Silently she settled in the chair next to Yuii, slid first Tatsuya’s cup towards him, placed one in front of Yuii then finally took her own.

“But where is Renren?” Yuii asked while pulling herself up onto her knees. Her head turned back and forth in search while one hand rubbed at one still sleep filled eye. She finished with staring up at Ming expectantly.

“Oh, he’s on the chair beside you,” Ming answered with a bemused smile.

“Not that one Nii-chan!” The little girl glanced in her cup, wrinkled her nose and pushed it away. The blanket fell away from her shoulders and settled in a clumpy mess on the back seat of the chair.

“The other one is probably asleep, he had a hard day. Drink your tea.”

Yuii sighed flopped back against the back of her chair then begrudgingly picked up her tea again. Gingerly she sipped her tea, just a little, then set it back on the table again. “Oh… being turned inside out must be hard. Is Tsuyomi okay Nii-chan?” it was difficult to say if she was trying to figure out a way to distract Ming from the tea, or if she was truly worried about Tsukiyomi; probably a little bit of both.

“It’s Tsukiyomi, I’m sure she is, she’s just gone back to where she came from,” Ming took a long drink from her own cup while watching Yuii

“On the inside. That must be lonely, you can‘t see her.” Yuii answered with the authority of a child. She nodded and sipped her tea then looked directly at Tatsuya. To the observant, she seemed like a little adult, her child’s face pinched with worry that was too old for her. “She wasn’t a bad person but she wasn’t good at telling stories. Jo-nii was the best for that but Ni--chans okay too. I’m the absolute bestest. Can you tell stories? Can you tell the dragon one? Nii -chan doesn’t know that one, she only knows Usagi stories and I know all of them. Can Renren tell stories? He didn‘t look very happy when he woke up, do you think I should ask him to tell me a story too? Telling stories makes me happy.” Yuii stopped and glanced up at Ming, whom had cleared her throat pointedly,  then picked up her tea to take a sip. “It’s too hot! How come I smell cherries? This is the yucky yellow yea…. Nii-chan are you holding out on me?”

The last bit had Ming choking on her tea, a light blush coming to her face. Yuii was repeating phrases she probably didn’t fully understand but where that particular one had come from was a vivid, embarassing memory. “Apparently an hour of sleep was more than enough, I apologise on her behalf.” Ming leaned over and gently blew on Yuii’s tea twice then settled back into her seat, “There you go, all better.”

_________________
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Yuii is 12 =P
Who is scared of the big bad wolf~ =D
Past characters: MingYue[Now INPC], Kagetsu Kiyo
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Shoukyou Tatsuya
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 14, 2010 10:31 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
"Did she? I suppose I could be called one, because of my name." Tatsuya leaned forward, tracing the kanji in his given name onto the dust on the table with his finger. The first could only be read as dragon. "It's strange, you're only the second person to point that out to me." Originally, he'd gotten it as a theme naming with his siblings. All three of them had varying 't' sounds at the front of their names, with the same ending kanji, for arrow. They were all also strong, mythical meanings, with his sister's meaning heaven and his brother's time. Clearly their parents had planned it out ahead of time.

It was also strange that it was the one with a holy name had been the evil one, and not either of the ambiguous or variable ones.

He accepted the cup with a quiet thanks and turned it in his hands before drinking. The flavour itself was more balm to his trainwrecked thoughts than any other tea could ever be. He unconsciously relaxed.

"When I left my room, I'm fairly certain Ren was asleep next door," Tatsuya agreed with Ming's guess. "I didn't ask specifically for Tsukiyomi, but I'm certain he would have told me if something was wrong with her." It was good tea. It helped ease the twisting sensation in his stomach when he thought of the afternoon.

He blinked at Yuii, and an image of his brother at the same age, talking nonstop, flashed to him. Thirteen years had passed, and Tokiya still didn't have a mute button, but this girl would probably grow out of it.

"I can tell some stories," he tilted his head, something he only did around children to show he was thinking. "I don't exactly know which one that is. I can guess I was there? I do have a few stories, but some of them are scary. If you want him to tell you a story...it would have to wait until we get home. He's a little sick right now."

He chuckled a little. "There's cherry tea too. I'm sure there's plenty, if you want it." He glanced at the packets with the leaves. Yes, quite enough.

He waved off the apology. "As I said, I have a younger brother. I'm quite used to this. He acts much this way, as well."

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樅強竜矢 ~ Shield of Mist ~ Spiritualist, 3600
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[03:28]  * Shoukyou|Tatsuya is visibly flirting with the Mizu!
[03:28]  <Shoukyou|Tatsuya> 'hey baby you so fine baby ;D *fingerbang*'
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Yuii
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 8:26 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
Yuii yawned, picked up her tea again and took another drink. It was cooler now, of course, but she hadn’t been looking for a solution but a way out. Well, now she couldn’t get out of it but she still took small, slow sips. It wasn’t fair, why did she need to drink this stuff when Mr. Dragon got cherry tea. Yuii liked cherry tea, it wasn’t her favourite, but she still really liked it. “Auntie tells good stories but I always fall asleep at the end, it’s bad magic.” Ugh, the tea tasted sour now that it was colder.

Yuii glanced up at her Nii-chan and caught her older sister watching her. Right, right, drink the tea or… or nothing she would just drink the tea. The or’s in her life were very rarely varied out and when they were she usually regretted them. If Ming didn’t scold her, SHE would and Yuii didn’t like being scolded. And when they got home, Ming would make her help in the garden, which wasn’t a terrible punishment but Yuii was terrified of bugs.

When they got home… never.

That’s right, her sister had said they would be moving again. Ming had promised her the last time that they wouldn‘t move again. Now that promise was being broken, because of Renren and the dragon. Usagi-tan had found out Renren was alive and now there would be new stories.  “Nii-chan, is Auntie moving too?” Oba-chan was her Nii’s employer, Ming would have to go if Kiyo wanted to move and yet… something about that didn’t make sense.

“No, Yuii,” Ming answer, her voice strained. Yuii never used Kiyo’s name but now would be the worst time to start. Telling stories about Kumo wouldn’t exactly be a good idea either; she doubted any association with Kumo would get her in trouble. Not that, strictly, she had done anything wrong, just trust would be strained, “Oba is going to her home, we’re going to Kirigakure.”

Ming watched as Yuii fought to keep her eyes from drooping. Finally, the little addition she had put in her tea was working; speaking of bad magics. “Oh… is that far away?” Yuii asked, her words a little slurred. As if she knew what was to come, she put the cup up on the edge of the table then curled herself against Ming’s hip.

“Not so far, it’s on an island,” 5, “It’s where Nii-chan grew up and lived, “4, “ Renzo lived there too, you’ll be able to visit,” 3, “ and we can go swimming as much as you like, “2 “ and I’m sure there are plenty of other kids,” and out. Yuii was asleep before her head even hit her leg.

Ming laughed lightly and tugged the blanket over Yuii’s shoulders and picked up her tea with a self satisfied smirk. “I’ll let her have the cherry tea in the morning. She needs to sleep for now. I‘m sure we‘ll all get enough of her while travelling to Kiri, neh?”

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Past characters: MingYue[Now INPC], Kagetsu Kiyo
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Shoukyou Tatsuya
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 9:30 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
Too bad, Yuii. Tatsuya knows most of the tricks. He didn't exactly come up with them, but he's been immunized to any of the ones little boys use. She would have had to use a special girl trick.

Bad magic? He stole a glance at Ming. Ah, whatever the girl tasted in the tea was clearly some type of sleeping powder. It was ingenious, and he applauded her mentally for the idea. It would also keep Yuii thinking that she just got sleepy from being told stories.

He had though, admittedly, been a much more indulgent sibling than Ming seemed to be.

Auntie? Were there more close friends coming? But that possibility was vetoed almost immediately. He relaxed, relieved that there would be no more unknown guests tailing after he and Renzo on the journey home. The tea kept him calm as he watched the back and forth between the sisters...

...and then Yuii was out like a light.

He smiled lightly. "Lullaby powder, or something lighter for her age, yes? Disguising it in a strong, bitter tea would certainly make her not notice anything." Tatsuya finished his tea and set the cup down. "I should warn you about the journey back. Our ride here was...rough, at best. I don't believe you should take the same boat as us if we go back the way we came, especially not with a child. I advise you to take one of the public ferries and make a normal journey into Water Country. If you do, your passage will go unremarked."

What he actually didn't think he should say was, 'we came with pirates.' That...that would raise questions.

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樅強竜矢 ~ Shield of Mist ~ Spiritualist, 3600
[Mist Daimyo]
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[03:28]  * Shoukyou|Tatsuya is visibly flirting with the Mizu!
[03:28]  <Shoukyou|Tatsuya> 'hey baby you so fine baby ;D *fingerbang*'
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Yuii
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Joined: 22 Jun 2006

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 10:56 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
"Just something mild, she only needed a little push. It's not much stronger then warm milk otherwise," Ming blushes a little and fumbled her ear a little. Admittedly, she tended yo not drug her sister as a rule but Yuii was the type to keep talking. If she kept talking ultimately Yuii would end up eving out information she wasn’t meant to. Soon, possibly in the morning, Ming would speak with Yuii and tell her not to speak of Oba’s job or of Kumogakure. She would tell her it was dangerous, that she had to think before she spoke.

That would save Ming, what, a few days at best before she would need to address the problem. A few days would be all she would need to win a little trust though, perhaps by explaining herself at length? Travelling with them may be uncomfortable but it would give her time with Renzo around to show him…

Show him what? What a good little mother hen she had become for some random sister? That she could cook and sew like some good little package bride; nothing that really mattered amongst ninja. She would have better luck impressing him as a man like Tatsuya.

“I’m used to travelling by sea, I really enjoy it. I confess, our ship was nearly attacked at one point by pirates on the way here. My friend, the one that was staying here before, handled the entire problem on his own though. The captain was a nice old man too, he invited us back aboard. I think we would be fine but I’ll think on it. I know Yuii will be fine, she travels well, so we will see when we get through the forest neh?” Another long drink of tea and Ming set down her empty cup. “If you’re worried about Yuii being a bother, she wont be, and in the end the ocean isn’t quite as dangerous for us as it is civilians right?”

She smiled the smile of someone completely content with the way things were and would be. Ming was a person who had lost everything and was now only beginning to rebuild; there was little she couldn’t deal with now. “You- will- see me in the morning.”

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Past characters: MingYue[Now INPC], Kagetsu Kiyo
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 15, 2010 11:14 am 	Reply with quoteBack to top
"Still..." Tatsuya murmured, mentally calculating exactly how much sleeping agent he would need to put his brother under and how to hide it. It could come in handy.

I wonder what she could be so worried about? It's no business of mine unless it's something harmful to Ren, but...

The sea...it made him queasy again just to think about. He'd have to set foot upon a boat hopefully only once more in his life, and then never again would he travel. The next time Renzo asked for someone to accompany him, he'd just...

...well, he'd go. Of course. Stupid foolish heart.

He played withe the empty teacup briefly before pushing it away.

"We came with pirates," he said abruptly, standing. "It wouldn't be good for you to come back the same way as us."

He didn't intend to be rude, but it was getting late, and he didn't want to delay their departure in the morning too much by sleeping in. The thought that Renzo might actually haul him out of bed instead occurred to him, and as interesting as it was, he didn't want to disappoint by needing it.

"I have to be getting to sleep." He glanced at her. "If you are truly moved to come with us, you should be very, very careful. I cannot prevent you from entering the country, but I do advise you to take another route. I doubt he will be inclined to bother with you much during the journey, particularly given the reception he gave you earlier."

Tatsuya paused before exiting and inclined his head respectfully. "My thanks for the tea."

His steps back to his room were heavier than usual, and he fell upon the bed immediately upon stripping down. He grabbed another pillow and shoved it over his face, knowing his cheeks were turning red.

How will I ever hide my feelings if I keep making slips like tonight?

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