Light the Way

She stood, staring at the bridge, imagining she could see her own bloodstains on the ground. She couldn't, of course; the fallen snow at the time had melted and washed it all away. But this, according to the medics, was the spot she'd been found.

It was over one of the many streams that trickled down from the mountains through the village, into the lakes and rivers in the interior of the island, nothing really all that special. Yet this was where...

She stood facing the bridge. Not stepping on it, yet. Her brown coat, the one that was too wide for her shoulders by a bit, was pulled over her, tied onto her body with a yellow sash that had been originally bought as a scarf. The rest fit, and she was thankful to Ren for taking her to get them. She would've been cold, otherwise. The air in Mist was always somewhat chilly.

...Another random thing she remembered. Everything but personal details, but anecdotes about her life. As for her name...

She didn't feel comfortable thinking of herself as Tatsuya. He was asleep, deep within her somewhere, or maybe worse off. What to do about it, she hadn't decided. The callsign was nice and neutral, but 'Delta' didn't seem like a thing that a person would call themselves as a real name.

She took a few careful steps forward. The weapons sheathed on her back and at her sides rattled. She hadn't entirely figured out how to conceal them all yet, but wanted to, on some level. That combination of weapons couldn't have been anyone else's.

Leaning on the railing with one gloved hand, she stared forward, across the bridge, careful about setting foot further on it just...in case.

Of anything.

"Yuii slow down!"

The sky was filled with fat, fluffy clouds that lazily drifted across the sky at their own pace. There was a haze to the sky that meant those clouds might form together to bring rain but for now the weather was fine enough for an outing, or so Yuii had pointed out during her excited chatter that morning while she climbed atop Ming's futon and bounced her sister awake.

And Ming had promised, absolutely promised to take her outside as soon as the weather was perfect. It wasn't too sunny, she wouldn't burn, it wasn't too dark so they would not be rained on and there wasn't too much wind so they would not blow away. It was, please, please, please, best they could hope for on such a rainy, misty island.

And so Ming had, reluctantly and slowly, as far as Yuii was concerned, gotten out of bed. She had dragged her feet about as she made breakfast, forcing Yuii to point out time and time again that she needed to go faster. It was for her own good, she might stop moving all together if she didn't help. Breakfast wasn't her favorite, they weren't rich in Water country like that had been in Lightning country and so there were no muffins to eat; just porridge and her sister was a bad cook.

Nii-chan threatened not to take her out at all if she didn't eat her rice porridge and so she ate it all. Nasty, nasty stuff.

They argued for five minutes over hats, Nii thought she ought to wear one but Yuii argued that she would just be mad when she lost it. She always lost the hat too and then Ming would find them in strange placed like buried under sand or hidden in rabbit holes. She didn't know how they got there but it seemed to her they were better off there.

Another threat, she wore the hat.

And Nii-chan took her time packing a bag with the weirdest things. She added stuff like string and a hair brush along with their lunches and Yuii knew those could only mean trouble. When she wasn't looking, Yuii pulled out the brush and clothes and hid them under the sink. Despite her guilty smiles her sister never caught on.

And now they were outside and her nose was starting to turn pink from the chilly air. Her hat had fallen off her curly blue hair when she ran ahead of Ming but Yuii thought that was for the best. They were going to find a park and there would be children there and she could hardly contain her excitement.

"Yuii, watch where you're running!"

Ming's warning came a moment too late as the five year old ran full force into the legs of the woman standing on the beginning of the bridge. The impact didn't stun her in the least but she did back away shyly. It wasn't so much that she was afraid of the woman, because she really wasn't, it was just that she had surprised Yuii and now she had to think of something to say. 'I'm sorry,' might have been correct but the first words to burst forth were completely different.

"Why are you standing there?" she didn't speak with the same accent most children on the island adopted. She didn't sound like she was from anywhere, it was like a mesh of of cultures.

From behind her Ming approached; the short blond dressed fashionable warm with her brown hair swept up in a high tail. She pursed her lips, silently disapproving her rude approach.

She felt something collide with her legs and bounce off before she heard anything, which meant she'd been much too far out of it.

She stumbled forward a step before regaining her balance. She turned to tell the person to watch where they were going, but stopped in her tracks when she saw it was a child.

Unlike Tatsuya had, she didn't wear the visor. There was no point to it, even if the pictures had contained it. The gold and grey eye were both clearly visible. She stared blankly at Yuii, as if having no idea how to deal with a child, and took a slow step backward.

"You should be more careful." They could've both gone over, or even fallen over the side railings. They weren't high enough for someone her height to be safe from being knocked over.

She didn't have any clue what children on Water Country should sound like. For all she knew, exactly like this. Except the accent wasn't like hers, or that of any of the people she had met...

"I...lost something here." That was true. "I hoped I'd find it again."

But what did I lose?

She lifted her gaze to the approaching woman. The same small fraction of her mind that had classed herself as looking good did so for Ming as well. In a different way, yes, but still.

Now why could she think like that of women, yet get entirely flustered dealing with men? Not that she'd met any other than Ren to her memory, at least, and that had been...awkward. She'd been distracted then, and come off badly. Still, if she had to put a label on any of this...

Well. Considering someone to look good was just that, it didn't mean anything.

"I apologize," she said humbly to Ming, in the exact same inflections Tatsuya had used during their conversation outside the hot springs--not that she remembered. "I should have noticed and not been standing here like a fool."

There was that familiar shield slung over her back too, and the same polearm. Not to mention, that jacket...

Yuii stared up stunned when the woman turned to look at her. Her mouth felt dry and she didn't understand her own reactions but very suddenly the loud out spoken child wanted nothing more than to hide. A blush rose to her little cheeks, deepening the color already there from the cold. In quick head turns she searched from her right then her left for somewhere to hide, though she still didn't understand why, but there was no where to go. She swallowed hard.

From behind Ming approached. Her eyes were for her little sister but even so she was quick to realize what Yuii fought against. This woman had the identical eyes of Renzo's guard and some of the features too though it was obviously not the same person. One golden eye, she was beginning to wonder if having different eyes was normal here in Mist village. Thinking back on the shy way Yuii had responded to Renzo's dragon made her current reaction clear.

She wondered if this could be that man's sister.

"Mou, Yuii you're supposed apologize not ask rude questions," Ming chastised gently, letting her hand's rest gently on Yuii's shoulders. This only seemed to make Yuii blush more and Ming had to wonder if she was capable of functioning at all. Perhaps she had boiled her own brains and-

Yuii stiffened suddenly, her face pulling into an an happy frown, "I'm sorry!" She then dove behind Ming, immediately peaking out from behind her leg with wide blue eyes.

Which left the elder brunette to sigh and shrug her shoulders at the poor woman they were accosting, "Sorry to have bothered you, I think you remind her of someone we once met. Do you, perhaps have a brother?" She did not know that name of that man, neither of them had really formally introduced themselves and Ming had never caught his name. "Renz- The Mizukage's guard and you have the same type of eyes, sorry if I'm being too forward."

She blinked again, staring back down at the girl with a look of some confusion etched on her face. She wasn't really that scary, was she?

Of course, it could be the weapons. Not many people walk around this heavily armed.

"It's okay," talking to the child didn't seem like it would help her much, if she was scared. It was better to let her get relaxed first. At least, it seemed like it would be. "I really should have been paying attention. It's silly to stand staring at things."

Her gaze flickered over Ming a little, something there for a brief second before it vanished. It wasn't quite recognition, but it could have been that. The snap of jealousy that Tatsuya would have had was absent, though still background, somewhere.

She hesitated, before stepping forward and off the bridge. She hadn't actually wanted to cross it, anyway.

"I...I do have a brother. But he doesn't look much like me." His picture had been in a file, too. Not that she'd located either sibling she supposedly had, yet. "Sorry. I've taken a few head injuries recently. There's every chance we've actually met, I was...different, before them." That, too, was true.

There was another brief flicker of something at Renzo's name, similar to what Tatsuya had always displayed. A slight light, familiarity on a close level, devotion. Even if, for now, it was merely a crush and something she didn't understand.

"We might have met," she concluded. "I'm Shoukyou Tatsuya, if that name helps." Even as she said it, the name felt awkward. She felt a slight twinge. Why, oh why, couldn't I have had a unisex name? If only it weren't such a boy's name, I could handle this better.

The Mizukage's guard? That was definitely her. They'd met, and...had she not given her name before?

I was rather rude, wasn't I?

"Tatsu... means dragon," Yuii spoke up uncertainly, her eyes turning up to look at the woman so similar to Renzo's dragon in confusion. her hands curled into the fabric of Ming's shirt and for on childish moment she wished that her Nii-chan still wore her dresses. She wanted to hide really, really badly. "Why do you have a boy's name?"

Ming too was confused but more for her lack of memory of this girl and the criptic way in which she spoke. They might have met, but might not hve because neither of them remembered it? Then they had not met unless she meant in a past life. And how could someone be different, had this girl been disguised in some way before? The only other alternative she could think of was Renzo's unique change and yet he seemed to have a good amount of memory concerning the conversations that she and Tsukiyomi had.

"I... don't think we could have met before. Yuii and I have only been in Mist a short while and your clothes don't look like anything I would have made." She wondered if a man had been given reign over this girl's sense of style, it wasn't very good. Likely she was just shopping at the wrong place though; Ming's clothes were the best quality and they tended to be the most fashionable.

She was just that good.

There was a total lack of recognition in Ming's face, even the slightest bit and yet she would give this all more thought. She glanced back at yuii who was still hiding then sighed. "We should probably be on our way, sorry to have troubled you." As and after thought she reached into her bag and pulled out a card with an address for her shop and held it out for the other woman to take. "Come by if you like Tatsu-chan, I'll even give you a discount." She knew precious few people in Mist after all and it wouldn't hurt her to be friendly with another woman, "I hope you find whatever you were looking for too."

They were losing light and if they wanted any time to play they would need to leave immediately. It was a bit of a rude dismissal but nothing was stopping her from stopping them either. Or joining them, if she wanted, but was there really any reason for her to?"

Yuii was still paralyzed with shyness so Ming was forced to pick her up to get them both moving. The little girl's face pressed into Ming's shoulder, her ears were pink.

"It does." She looked at Yuii curiously. "I have a boy's name because..."

Could it really hurt to tell the truth? The truth was that she didn't remember. But the rest of it was something that might catch Ming's attention.

"...because I used to be a boy. I must have blocked out the change, and my memory is hazy on a few other things. So if we have met when I was male, that is where I assume you're familiar from. If not, I apologize for taking your time."

She shrugged the jacket, identical to Tatsuya's and in fact the same one, onto her shoulders a bit more. What she was wearing was more suited to combat and purpose than fashion at the moment. Having no concept of gender roles either way, she couldn't be expected to know fashion or anything beyond comfort.

But at least she's actually wearing a bra now, not to mention clothes that fit.

Something about what Ming said made her pause. "...Is there something wrong with what I'm wearing, again? Ren reacted strangely to what I wore in the hospital, but these fit, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong...they're not boy's clothes anymore, except the jacket of course." Her tone wasn't offended, but rather puzzled, as if she genuinely didn't know.

She smiled gently at Yuii, trying to ease her shyness a bit.

"You're Renzo's bodyguard?" Ming said aloud, disbelief apparent on her voice. She rose both brows and unconsiously too a step away from the other woman as if whatever disease she had was contagious. Was it painful to switch genders, how was that even possible? Then again, looking back on Renzo's change into Tsukiyomi and all she knew about chakra manipulation and medical practicum... it was possible. Less likely done by someone else though then internally and there would need to be a great, great great, great deal of emotional desire for the change before anything...

Renzo's guard, the one from Leaf anyways, had seemed like a pretty solid type. He had warned her off from travelling with them, though it had turned out more dangerous not to stay with them, out of concern despite being suspicious of her. if nothing else he had seemed a little lovelorn over... someone and that was all. She might have said she liked him if not for what had happened and Ming wasn't naturally drawn to emotional instability.....

Alright, that was a lie.

Ren's name stood out in amongst the girl's words and she knew then that she wasn't lying, not one bit. And still Ming was cautious, was it merely coincidence that she had run into a girl claiming to be Renzo's bodyguard or was this another trick by his heaps of enemies... or worse her own. No, not hers, they had the good sense to only work from shadows of her life.

"Alright, suppose you are who you say you are, then you owe me a great big huge apology and...." and she was sort of glad she had a name to peg to the man...woman? No it wasn\t fair to expect an apology either, "Actually, scratch that, I want an explaination. How, what, where, when and why." Ming was shocked which probably accounted for her uncharacteristic nosiness. She just couldn't quite get her mind wrapped around it all. "You became a girl and then... and then Renzo took you shopping"

As for the clothing. "They're not cute," Ming said bluntly, a frown forming on her face as she took a closer look at the clothing. These were definitely of Renzo's family company; they were terrible. It was all very good to have your clothing fit, even be practical, but that was no excuse to lack in style. She should have noticed before that the coat had belonged to... well... her but him and... "I can make better clothing. Much better clothing. good for fighting, good for life." Now it was a bit of a matter of pride, she could only imagine Renzo's face when he saw his own body guard wearing something made by Ming.

Yuii, it seemed, was taking the news a lot better. She had stopped blushing and hiding now that she had been drawn out by curiousity. For a child a lot of normal things were strange so why should strange adult things be any different? "What's your favourite tea?" she piped in at the end of Ming's speech, obviously expecting one certain answer.

"Well...I think I was before." She shifted uncomfortably. "I'm a Sennin now, so I suppose I outrank him, nobility aside." She indicated the pin with her supposed family crest pinned to her collar, the three black bar and blue Mist emblem Sennin insignia with the crossed silver dagger and arrow of the Shoukyou clan in the lower right corner.

She waited for any further explanation of how they'd met. She really, really didn't want to give away that there were more memory problems than she'd suggested, so she should keep Ming talking. Right?

Lovelorn over...someone. Yes. She'd never figured that one out, had she?

Oh, this girl barely knows up from sideways at the moment. Her weapons aren't even all tied on properly, and her hair looks like a bird's nest. That part could be excused for the wind, if there was any.

"Hm?" She stared at Ming, slightly puzzled. "The how and why, I don't know. The where was here, the when two weeks ago. The what..." she trailed off. "I don't know. I don't think I'd have done it on purpose. Is it the kind of thing people do for fun--swap genders? I don't think I find it very fun so far."

Not entirely true, but she wasn't exactly sure what to call the encounter with Renzo. It had been...pleasant, yet awkward. And she was sure he thought she was a horrible klutz now. Or was that normal? So frustrating.

"No?" She frowned, picking at the pale yellow fabric of her shirt. "I like this colour...I have a cloak in it. Oh. Company rivalry, then?" She chewed on the corner of her bottom lip lightly, mentally debating. "I don't know about that. I'm not exactly concerned with appearances right now. Just so long as it's not awkward or embarrassing." Plenty of that had already happened, and there was a slight blush in her cheeks as she recalled the meeting in the hospital.

Now the child spoke again. She blinked, looking again.

"Cherry." It came to her voice before even thinking about it. It seemed obvious where from, after a second.

Now that's interesting. I wonder if I can use these occasionally bursts of memory?

Silent footsteps upon the water were taken below the bridge.  The man stepped out from under the bridge to find that his back was facing the three females standing at the edge of the bridge.  The reflection in the water showed a strange black void underneath him.  Ming would recognize this black void as a terrible beast that appeared inside of her clothing store when he took the arm from Tyr, or better known as Hasegawa Yasuo.  The man was draped in his usual attire, minus the hat that he usually donned.  Quiet footsteps were taken with each step illuminating the water with every ripple caused by it.

"Even a little ripple can become a grand tsunami, right father?"  Ren said silently to himself, still not noticing the presence of the three at the edge of the bridge.  The man looked down at his reflection and placed a hand up to his throat.  The feeling of a shackle around his throat, wrists, and ankles were freed.  The gleipnir were released upon Amaterasu Hiryuu's use of the seal that Akari tried to use on him, which lead to her demise.  Just one of many nightmares that plagued this man's soul.

A loud step upon the water could be heard, sending a wave of light through the water and the disruption of his reflection out of anger.  "If only you never made that promise to her, you sunovabitch," the man said.  Whether it be to the reflection or to himself, would still be unknown.  However, the words still remain unheard due to the silent nature of his voice at the very moment.

Ming considered the girl Tatsuya with with half lidded eyes and wondered about the truth of the entire matter. This wouldn't be the first time a prank had been pulled on her. It had taught her to not be so very trusting with even women but in this case she couldn't help but think the other woman was telling the truth. In her arms Yuii made a happy yelp and wiggled from her arms to hit the ground. She paused only long enough to wave her arms and yell a rather loud, "Then you are the golden-eyed dragon!" and it seemed that whatever shyness had come with first meeting this Tatsu, she now seemed fine with the explanation that this person was the same as the male Tatsu. Not odd considering she had witnessed the change of Tsukiyomi to Renzo; she probably thought it was the same.

"Yellow is alright I guess, I could make something in the same colour but you need a much more flattering style. If you don't show off your figure properly then there is no worth in being a woman," she nodded, as if this was common sense, then stopped herself when she realized how foolish it might sound to someone who half a month ago had been a man. It was difficult to think of this girl as anything but a girl, she was very pretty after all and it was just a shame.

"Listen, I'll choose the styles and you can pick out your favorite colours and everything. I just like having the business and really if you're Renzo's guard then i should help you out the best I can. I bet, when all is done, i can design something similar to what you had as a boy but it will definitely look... nicer." she wanted to say cute but she was unsure of how much male there was to this person and if it would all dash her hopes of another customer.

"Oh, it's Renren-Ookami-kun!"Yuii was the first to spot the man wandering from beneath the bridge. How they might have missed him on the other side considering all three girls had yet to take more that a step onto the bridge, was a mystery. At the sound of his name, Ming's head immediately swung about in search and when she saw him and realized she had been looking at all her ears began to warm.

And then she noticed Yuii who was carefully climbing down the bank and would surely fall into the river if she wasn't stopped. It was all well and good for a ninja with chakra training to go waltzing on the river as if anyone could do it but Yuii was a small child without any chakra training.

With a squeak that was probably meant to be Yuii's name she dove after her little sister. There was a tumble and a bit of rolling down the side of the hill that left Ming dirty, her hair and clothing all askew, and Yuii squirming in a tight hold. Anyone who looked closely enough could see Ming's heals had frozen into the water of the river bank to stop them from tumbling in. "Yuii! What have I told you about jumping before looking and..."

"Sorry Nii-chan"

She blushed suddenly, terribly embarrassed by the look of the entire thing. Of course, because it was Ming, she tried to brush the entire event off with a cold remark but her heart wasn't really in it. "Mou, does the Mizukage often have time to take strolls down rivers?" There was a bit more gleam in her eye then when they had last seen one another and she would never admit it but she was smiling a bit like a smitten school girl.

Which wasn't really the case, of course not...

"Neh, Ren, what are you dong?"

She leaned back awkwardly and, in a gesture reminiscent of a teenage boy, put her hands behind her head with her arms crooked in front of her.

"Golden-eyed dragon?" She stared at Yuii for a second, slightly unnerved by the enthusiastic change in attitude. When she blinked, her left eye closed just a fraction of a second before her right. "I guess so. You could call me that, if you want."

Her gaze flickered back to Ming, and an eyebrow went up and back down in a brief second.

"Flattering?" There was a curved half-smile on her face. "I looked good right out of bed in a hospital gown, not that I care about that much. Tell me something. Do you really think clothes make the person? I'd rather define myself by what I do. Looks are irrelevant." She stopped before she brought up anything else.

Well...she's just trying to talk up business, then? Sales made her uncomfortable. It does explain why she finds clothes important. It doesn't...if there's nothing actually wrong, what does it matter?

"I--"

She was interrupted by Yuii, and the second Renzo's name came up, there was no mistaking it--her cheeks turned scarlet. She stepped down the bank carefully, still somewhat flush.

"Besides," the murmur was loud enough for everyone around to hear, "he looks good enough in those clothes, certainly. I don't see any need to change myself, either."

Her gaze went over to Ming catching Yuii, eyes latching onto the ice briefly. A faint distrust and unease sprung up, but was knocked aside. So she was a retired kunoichi, so what? Her memory was still sharp enough that she'd recall this much later, though what that would mean was anyone's guess.

Her cheeks were still flushed when she turned back to Renzo. He was strolling on the water as if he didn't notice the rest of the world. How troubled he looked. Her forehead creased in worry briefly, the old habit to mother hen him stirring. For some reason, she felt flicking out her wrists would form something to draw him in, but that was a stupid notion that went away rapidly.

"Ren? Is...is everything all right? You look a little...off."

Something about him felt strange, too, but to her recollection it always had. He wasn't a normal person, that much she knew.

This was the 7 year anniversary of his father's death.  The man was given the head of his father by one of the women of the Amaterasu clan.  She was known as 'The Quicksilver'.  If only he had enough strength to prevent that.  The blond gripped his left hand into a tight fist before turning his head to see Ming slide down to catch Yuii from falling in the water.  As he turned, the reflection of the black beast turned as well.  It's blood red eyes stared up towards the two that slid down the hill towards the two from Kumogakure.

Snapping out of whatever thoughts he had in turmoil in the head of his, the man looked towards the two for a moment.  Then a question was given to him, but before that, the man walked upon the water.  Each step still emitting a strange glow in the water until he stopped at Yuii and sat upon his heels and patted the girl on the head.

"You should be careful when going down hills.  You aren't a shinobi yet, so you may end up hurting yourself.  You should thank your elder sister for saving you like that," the man said in a rather gentle tone before removing his hand from the little blue haired imp's head.

The blond looked up at Ming Yue, still having his left eye closed.  Man, did it take energy to force it closed constantly.  Standing up to his full height of a mere 5'8", the man simply smiled to Ming Yue.

"Today is a special day for me so I had to take the day off of my duties," what he wouldn't tell her was that he was taking a shortcut from the Water Temple in the Hasegawa Clan house and wound up under the bridge to go buy gifts to place on several tombs.  To place flowers upon his parent's, Akari's and Kiguri's graves.  He does this during the anniversary of the deaths of the people he loved, cared about, and regret being a part of or witnessed.  "I had to go visit a few people today to catch up on good times," Ren stated.  It wasn't really far from the truth, nor was it the whole truth.

"You two out on a stroll?"  Ren asked before turning his eyes to notice Tatsuko, though, he doesn't know if that's what she named herself yet or not.  A smile was placed upon his face upon seeing the clothing she's wearing.  "Oh!  Hi, Tatsuya?  You feeling any better?  I see you're wearing the clothes you picked out.  It suits you well,"  the man said with a big smile.  Why did he tell Tatsuya 'If only you were born a woman...'  Knowing Ren's luck, this was going to happen.  Just his luck.  How come when dudes turn into women out of mysterious circumstances, they are just gorgeous?

What he has here is a predicament.  One that used to be a man with plentiful curves and a bright smile, a beautiful goddess that he took in as a lost rabbit though she doesn't share the same feelings he does, and a child that idolizes him who may grow up to be a beautiful woman herself some day.  Some people may consider what Ren is going through paradise, but in all actuality if you think about it, it could be a living hell.  If he were to choose one, the other two would be hurt.  If he chose Ming Yue, he may lose the loyalty from Tatsuya.  If he chose Tatsuya, Ming Yue may make a vanishing act again and may bare hatred from Yuii.  What a terrible conundrum.

"Coincidence meeting the three of you here.  What's going on?"  Yes, Ren completely ignored Tatsuya's question about him being off, when it truth, he is right now.  Emotionally in turmoil, the man wished the day would end and wait for the sun to rise for the next day.  Naw, he'll answer Tatsuko.

"Well, Tatsuya.  To be honest, today isn't a very good day for me," spoke the Mizukage with a smile upon his face.  Though the man has a smile upon his face, there is a hint of pain written upon the position of his eyes and the words that flowed out from between his lips.

Ming was thankful for her change in style at that moment, the leather pants had managed well against the sharp rocks on the hill and her jacket, while cute, was made of a strong fabric that could take more than it's fair share of abuse. She would definitely have a bruise or two in the morning but that thought was perhaps invigorating if nothing else; it had been a long time since she had been the cause of any sore muscle.

"Yuii gazed up at Renzo with open adoration, clearly smitten as if it had been him who had dived to save her from falling into the river. Not that she would have fallen, she was the very best jumper of all the children in Kumogakure and so she would have landed just fine on a rock... or something. Details that she didn't need to trouble herself with.

"Will you come to the park with us? Tatsu-nii can come too, we have lots of food." It wasn't odd for the little girl to invite people along for their outings and in fact her Auntie had encouraged her to do it for her sister's sake. Nii-chan needed friends and if Yuii had the choice of who would come first it would definitely be the wolf from her fairy tales and the newly added dragon who protected him.

The little girl took his kindness as an invitation to be friendly and so she latched onto Renzo's leg and clung quite expertly to it's outside.

At mention of the food though Ming's eyes were drawn from carefully looking Renzo over, she hadn't immediately noticed anything wrong with him because of the mad dive to catch Yuii, and up to the basket that had fared the worst of them. She had probably rolled on it judging from the half crushed, ruined state. Not a real loss in the end, she would have been left apologizing for hours for her terrible cooking had they come along.

"The food is ruined," Ming said curtly while pushing herself to standing. She brushed at what dirt she could see but doubtless there was more no her back, then silently trudged up the hill to poke around and see if there was anything to salvage from the basket. She managed to get her Yen bag at least, as a spare comb that had remained clean. She untied her hair then pulled the comb through it thoughtfully.

"Would you like company? I mean... if the day is bad then its better to be with..." she meant to say friends but she wasn't sure anymore about what their last meeting had been. She didn't want to assume too much... or too little. "Are you hungry?" She cared, she really did, just there were too many walls in the way that she could just... do it.

She stared, more at the glowing footsteps than anything else in the water. It was rather pretty, and fairly impressive. Lifting her gaze to Renzo himself, she raised an eyebrow slightly at the way he kept an eye closed and tapped near her left eye lightly, then subtly indicated Ming and Yuii as if to ask if he didn't want them to know.

That was one of the things she'd remembered back in the hospital, after all. If he was hiding it for her sake, he didn't have to.

A special day? Her eyebrow stayed up, detecting more than the outward meaning in the phrase. If she saw Ming turn, however, it would flick back down. No need to arouse suspicions.

Unless...does he know her? Of course, she did mention him.

"Just a little walk. This isn't far from where I live, you know." It wasn't, either. Her apartment wasn't far beyond the bridge, though since getting out of the hospital she'd taken different routes there.

It's good to see you again so soon, she didn't say, though the faint colour on her cheeks did.

"Feeling...a little better. Thanks," she folded her hands at the back of her neck again. Time to tread careful. Would he realize she didn't want her memory problems revealed? She didn't think he'd do it on purpose, but, well, if he slipped that could be awkward. She did manage to smile back at him, though. If she could have read his mind, the blush would definitely have deepened.

Oh, he was going to be honest then? She nodded to his reply, but didn't push him. It was obviously painful, and she wouldn't press into his affairs if he didn't want to talk about them.

She glanced over at Yuii and stifled a laugh at the look on her face. It was a little cute, seemed she was developing some form of hero worship.

Not that she was alone in that...all three of the girls around were clearly enamored with the only man. Uh-oh...

"Of course we aren't going to let him wallow around down here," she went to tug on Renzo's arm lightly. "I really down anything you want to do can be improved by being depressed. So stop it and come on." There was a crooked grin on her face, one that resembled Tatsuya's from that last encounter. She might have been wallowing in despair too, if Yuii hadn't run into her. The irony was reflected lightly in her eyes.

But there was just the slight tug at her right then. If Ming hadn't come along, she might have found him alone. And wouldn't that have been nice?


A weak smile was given to Tatsuko for a moment and a nod.  "That's good to know, I'm glad you're feeling better, Tatsuya-chan," the man said before turning to look down at Yuii for a moment.  Tatsuya was a strange creature.  First he was man and the most loyal shinobi he has to him in this village but now Tatsuya is a woman.  A beautiful one at that.  She was vulnerable when he first met her, much like Ming Yue was during their first encounter.  Maybe Ren has a soft-spot for vulnerable women.  However, Ming Yue has grown to be a strong willed woman.  This, however, changed Ren's opinion of her for a positive and is in between a rock and a hard place on whether or not he wished Tatsuya to return to his original form or for her to remain the way she is, but more strong of will.

"Yeah, let's do that, Yuii.  That sounds really nice on a day like today," the Mizukage stated before turning his eyes towards Ming Yue.  It was just the other day that the man had fallen asleep with the woman.  Indeed, there was nothing sexual in the way the two slept with one another.  Falling asleep in her arms is something any man would be jealous of, but that wasn't his aim with doing what he did.  He feels something genuine about this woman, something deeper than shallow love.  Even if he's the only one to feel the pain of unrequited love between the two of them, at least he's content with what he has.  This also poses the problem with the unrequited love between Tatsuya and Ren; as awkward as that may be.

Then Ming finally let her hair down before brushing it.  Her question came from her lips almost like witnessing an angel speaking from the heavens.  The man smiled back to her and nodded, but before he had a chance to speak the words he wanted to, there was a tugging on his arm before turning to look towards Tatsuya.

"Yes, you are right.  Nothing will get done if I'm not happy right?  But, does anyone mind if I change the location of this picnic to where I was going?"

Yuii squealed in delight, she had successfully ensnared the company of her Renren for the afternoon and had even managed, somehow, to avoid the food that Ming had made for them. It would have been bad, it was always bad, but that was mostly because her older sister always tried to sneak vegetables into everything. She hated them, especially carrots.

Ming brushed her hair to rest over one shoulder, the loose brown tendrils curling under her chin and forming loose curls across her chest.

"Wherever you would like to go, I think it might rain anyways," there was an increase in the moisture of the air that they could both no doubt feel and thatwent beyond the usual mist that drifted lazily about the island. The rain wouldn't bother her, not with her blood, but Yuii would end up wet and cold despire any efforts she took, as all children did, and so it would be for the best if their plans changed. For a brief moment she wondered what it would be like to take a rainy walk with Renzo but she banished the thought in alarm before it could even fully form. Her face, placid as usual, did not betray any of the distress she felt but smartly she kept her mouth shut lest she give everything away while she wrestled with herself.

"Where were you going Ren-nee?" Yuii asked, staring up at Renzo in bright excitement. She didn't wonder about the way that Tatsu took the Mizukage's arm or the fact that her sister seemed uncomfortable. It didn't matter that Renren had seemed sad earlier, he couldn't be sad now, and certainly it didn't matter where they ended up going in the end, so long as she had fun and company. They were adult concerns, things she was still quite happy to allow her older sister to decide; she would only object if she didn't want to go.

Ming moved up to take her spot at Ren's opposite side, her eyes narrowing a fraction at the sight of Tatsuya clinging to Ren's arm like a teenager in love. It was disturbing in some way that she could not put her finger on and almost made her feel like she didn't belong at the moment. She knew though that Renzo would deny such a thing and even do his best to include her but she was still a rather new addition to his life while this male turned female was his guard.

Which left her to wonder about a great deal of things. Was it natural for the male Tatsu to take his leader's arm or was this a new development? Had she suddenly taken a liking to him because of a shift in preference and emotions that came with her genetic changer or was this the manifestation of previously harbored emotions? What had happened to the woman that Tatsu had talked about so tenderly, his heart lost in unrequited love, or had it always been Renzo. She couldn't know without knowing more about this woman's male counterpart.

Still, her presence frayed Ming's nerves even while it amused her.

She wasn't so forward even if she felt she had the right to be and settled instead for walking with her hands loosely at her sides. Such public displays of affection were a little much for her, she didn't feel so brave without walls to hide her terrible and infrequent attempts at flirting. She kind of wanted to hold his hand but she definitely wouldn't do it.

"Ren-nee, what is your favourite kind of tea? What's your favoutite colour? Do you like heights?" Yuii asked from below where she still clung a hold his leg; these were important questions.

Her cheeks lit red briefly. "For now, I think, I'd rather not have a boy's name. Could...could you call me Tatsuko instead?" The name slipped off her tongue without thought, the natural switch of the second character to a typically feminine one.

Give her some credit, Ren. She has about three weeks' worth of memories at most right now, has been rifling through the cove and her apartment nonstop trying to figure out who she was, and...really hasn't figured it out yet. It's a little hard to do in three weeks, when all the personal details about yourself you can find support for are random details that pop out randomly and that she had a cat.

A large-ish wildcat, in fact.

Besides, when you hear what she's got planned for the ANBU, there'll be no room to question her will anymore.

If Tatsuko knew enough to remember or to question...well, jealousy is a learned behaviour, not a natural one. At least for her it isn't natural. She would be a little confused, actually, since at this point since she's already drawn very different conclusions divorced entirely from reality.

"A picnic will be perfect for you right now." She didn't let go of Renzo's arm--remember, she has no concept of societal norms yet--and instead tugged him up the bank. "We can go wherever you want, but you can't be depressed while we're there. That's the only rule."

Rain, in Mist? She tilted her head at Ming, a lightly amused smile on her face that Tatsuya would never be seen to wear.

"Rain doesn't hurt anyone," she said lightly. She eyed the other woman with open curiosity, as if to ask how close she was to Renzo that she could act like this too. For her own mind, she'd already 'figured out' that Tatsuya and Renzo had likely been on closer terms than anyone know of and obviously that explained his awkwardness around her. Hence the 'divorced from reality' bit, at least for now. Tatsuko would be in for a bit of a rude awakening.

It had always been that way. Something that might not have been apparent, but if Ming really remembered that conversation, she'd recall Tatsuya had accidentally let slip a 'him' instead of 'her' when speaking of his own experience with unrequited love.

Tatsuko blinked and looked down at Yuii. "Silly, are you staying down there? I think it'd be better if you had a better view...say, from Ren's shoulders?"

Now the sidelong grin she flashed at both of the other adults was definitely that of the indulgent older sibling instincts kicking in, the 'but-just-humor-them' smile.

Oh crap.  What did Ren get himself into?  He's presented with a trio of attacks.  1 from an adorable little girl grabbing onto his leg, another from a giggling bodyguard who obviously suffers from a case of Bodyguard Crush, and an annoyed woman who he continues to pour his heart and soul into and placed all of his cards on her.  Great.  This has turned from an Oh! My Goddess drama to a Harem Comedy.  The Mizukage didn't necessarily know how to act in his body right now.  This would be the first time something like this had ever happened to him.  Going from someone cursed to be alone to someone who everyone in the village would kill to be in his position.  What a sick twist of fate and what a bitch Destiny has turned out to be.

Solemn.  There was a moment of sadness that struck the obviously-blessed male for the moment upon asking where he was going to go.  This was a special day for him, but being sad on a day like this was actually a bad idea.  If it meant turning the colorful faces of the people that he cares about and those that care about him upside down, then he had failed as not only their leader but as a man in general.  So the look of grief turned into a joyous smile as he looked to Ming before holding his remaining hand up to his lips,  "It's a secret.  I'll show you guys here in a little bit.  I'll introduce you to my family.  Though, I do apologize in advanced as they haven't been very active lately."

Then Tatsuko asked him a question and the closer she got, the more her breasts press into his arm.  The man had to bite his lip to refrain from his nose bleeding.  Things have turned into a high pressure situation.  It was as if he had 4 options:  Fight, Magic, Item, and Run.

And none of those 4 decisions appeared to be able to work right now.  If only there was a... yeah..  There's that option:  Go with it.

Tatsuko stated there should be a picnic where they go.  Good call and a good way to score favor points, "That does sound like a good idea Tatsuy...  Tatsuko-chan," the man said with a big bright smile before turning to look at the crushed picnic basket.  "We can eat the food that's in there.  It may be a bit smooshed, but I'm sure since Ming cooked it, it'll be delicious.  Much better than my cooking," the man said before turning his head to smile at Ming Yue.  Indeed, a meal made by someone else still tastes much better than your own creation.  It's the love and emotion that is put into the food that makes it taste just a bit sweeter.

And then Ren was dragged by Tatsuko and instinct kicked in, causing Ren to reach for Ming's hand for a moment to take her with the three.  He tried his hardest not to drag the little imp to dirty her clothes, as this was supposed to be a good day, not a dirty one.  Once the three were up above the river bank and back on level ground, the blond noticed what he had done and his cheeks grew a deep shade of red.  Coupled with Tatsuko's assets pressing up against him, the man bit his tongue once again to stop his nose from bleeding.

"Brilliant idea!" Ren said instinctively at Tatsuko's suggestion to place Yuii upon his shoulders.  Reaching over, the man grabbed a hold of Yuii by her armpits hoping she'd let go to place her upon his shoulders.  Hopefully she doesn't turn his scalp into a drum.

"Well, then.  This place is a few minutes away, so we should just walk there, right?"  the man asked the three women before turning to look towards Ming and held his hand out to her.  This time, he would offer his hand instead of instinctively taking it.  Tatsuko already has one arm and Yuii would be placed upon his shoulder, the least he could do is offer Ming his hand.

"Shall we?"


"No, no tell me! Tell me!" Yuii hollered as if the very thought of a secret was too much for her to bare. Curiosity practically poured from  her skin, leaving a nice little puddle all around her feet and a trail behind them... but not really. There seemed a moment where she was contemplating a complete explosion of yelling, kicking, and screaming until she got her way; it wouldn't have been the first time,

"Nii-chan's cooking will send you to dead." Yuii spoke up matter of fact while her face pinched into a disgusted grimace. She was smart enough to at least try and smile at her sister when Ming's head whipped around to stare at her little sister. It was a little hurtful, but filled with trust; for a woman who had made her living mixing medicines while in Kumogakure, Ming had absolutely no talent when it came to cooking.

"Mou... she's right... sort of," Ming murmured, her free hand moving to her mouth so she could bite at her knuckle shyly. It was really very pretty the way her cheeks flushed with color and her eyes avoided all three of them even as she kept up. Not that she had any choice, her hand had been claimed so she could not hope to lag behind. "We should buy something." Perhaps it was for the best that she had broken eye contact though; Ming did not notice the obvious way Tatsu-'ko' press herself a little too closely to Renzo; she did not see him blush or his subsequent measures to avoid further embarrassment.

Yuii seemed delighted at the idea of riding on Renzo's shoulder's. Surely this would be the highest she had ever been, Jo-nii had never put her on his shoulders even if he had been taller, and the opportunity to see everything around her with such a view was nothing short of fantastic. Yuii was something of an expert shoulder rider, Ming had carried Yuii on her back for nearly 4 years now; from about the time she had developed enough strength to stay clutching on, and so she did not grab Renzo's hair, ears, or eyes. She simply balanced.

Ming had recovered somewhat by that point, though she still found her toes a bit more interesting then the rest of the world. She was trying to think of a combination of tea that would help their stomachs recover after the food. His had came forward in her field of vision, blocking her line of sight to her shoes and Ming frowned at it.

She glanced up, taking in the sight of Tatsu and Yuii making themselves well at home on Renzo which gave her a pang of annoyance that she wasn't about to admit was jealousy. Perhaps that was to blame when she took Renzo's hand a little too aggressively along with a highly unimpressed stare. Of course when she realized what she was doing she would return her interest back to her shoes.


It's highly doubtful anyone is actually going to pity Renzo in this situation.

Tatsuko wasn't actually conscious that what she was doing could be considered...awkward. It had crossed her mind that maybe Renzo wasn't comfortable with her as a girl, but she just kept drawing the wrong conclusions due to lacking information. That wasn't really going to be fixed until those perceptions came out and were fixed.

He is sad, then. He shouldn't have to put anything off because of us...well then, it's our job to make him actually happier. He shouldn't have to fake that smile. And oh, it looked so fake to her. Maybe that was because she'd caught a brief glimpse of his face before that, or maybe it was from when she first saw him out on the water.

Still, she returned with a smile brimming with energy, not hinting anything of the worry beneath.

Why should any good person be sad? That's just not right.

"Well...even if we don't eat, it'll be nice to sit. And if we're going by the park, there are blackberries this time of year to pick, if we watch for the thorns." There were, right? Oh, let there be, her memory was still fuzzy.

Right...Ming. Tatsuko's gaze flicked over to the other woman. She didn't know their relationship at all, but they were clearly close. Not that she was worried or anything--again, those delusions were quite set in her mind. Never had it crossed her mind that Renzo being her most important person from before memory loss might have been one-way.

Well, it was a good solution. It meant Yuii didn't get dragged, and it was probably more comfortable for Renzo, wasn't it?

"Sure! Lead the way, Ren." She slid her arm into his without being asked, giving him a slight wink as she pulled away otherwise. Turning to ask Ming if she was coming, since her sister (daughter?) was already, but she was already there. Smiling lightly at Ming with no trace of jealousy on her face (and why should there be?), she allowed Renzo to take the lead.

I wonder if we knew each other, and she finds it odd now...


What a pickle.  Now he has one on his shoulders, the other grasping his entire arm, and the other holding his hand with a less-than-amused look on her face.  Was this going to be a good day or was it going to be more emotionally trying than it was supposed to be originally?  Oh bother.

His face turned to look at Ming.  My, she's so adorable with that look on her face.  Though, this isn't something he's willing to outright tell her as it may mean he'd get stabbed by her once again.  And boy did that really hurt last time.  "Even if it may give me an ulcer, I'll still eat it because it's something from the heart right?  That means the extra bit of love will make it so much more delicious," the man said with a nod before getting tugged in closer to Tatsuko.

Then he was finally given the A-OK to lead the way before his hand was squeezed a bit more aggressively before turning to look back at Ming, seeing the look on her face before her eyes down-casted to her toes.  "Come on, Ming, the world is up here not at your feet," the man said in an encouraging tone of voice.

At the very least, the place he's going to take them is full of places to sit.  Well, it would be a place full of life but that would be very much a pun.

"Alrighty then, let's go," the man said before dragging the large load of women with him.  He was hoping the rest of them would follow.  As the three walked in a rather strange manner, he noticed the looks from the faces of he crowd.  They were murmuring to themselves and even some of the younger girls were giggling.  A mixed reaction from those that adored him and those that despised him.  What a strange selection of people were in Mist indeed.

"So, um," Ren said before clearing his throat.  "How did you three end up meeting each other at the bridge?"


"Ren-nii, Nii-chan's food will kill you," Yuii spoke up matter of fact like, as if her sister's food being killer was a normal affair, "Nii-chan makes poisons, -poison- but her food is more deadly." Yuii stared down at her sister, enjoying in a childish way having the opportunity to tease her around new people. Unfortunately Ming only reacted with silence.

Ming's feet were kinder, they did as she asked them and put her where she wanted to be. There were no surprises with her feet, her shoes didn't change and the laces only came undone when she was careless while tying them. There was a small burn on the sole of her foot from putting out a small cooking accident two weeks before, there would be grime and mud between the cracks in the sole. The fabric tops were blue and muddy because she had fallen chasing Yuii but they would come clean with some care. They were always comfortable, her shoes, and they never pinched her toes unexpectedly or gave her blisters. She had walked half of Fire country and most of lightning country in these shoes and they had never fallen apart. they were her absolute favorites.

"Mm," she answered softly, her eyes lifting just enough to peek at him through her lashes then back down they went again. It was just too difficult at the moment and the ground was so safe and unassuming. The had insisted on following him, on cheering him up, but so far Ming wasn't feeling so cheery herself.

The giggling caught the poor retired Shinobi off guard and at first she wondered if Tatsu was doing something to make a mockery of herself but a quick glance up told her all she needed to know. All those people, they were staring and laughing at them, at her, and Ming felt as if she might break out into hives right there in the middle of the street. Worse, there was a good amount of people out today and she didn't have the freedom to duck and weave like she normally would to avoid people entirely. Her hands were beginning to feel warm, her grip kept tightening whenever someone passed by too closely.

"Chance" Ming answered at that same time Yuii began to talk, her bubbly voice over riding Ming's softer one to make a strange sort of harmony.

"We were going to the park and dra- Tatsuko-chan was at the bridge all alone. She was in the way, I runned into her. Then we saw Ren-nii! Oba-chan says that there is a god who makes it so people who love each other always meet again! Maybe that's it!" Even Yuii had the good grace to flush them, though over which part was anyone's guess. "Ren-nii what's your favourite food in all the countries?!"


Tatsuko shifted uneasily with the crowds around. A lot of people all in one place made her feel boxed-in, and she unconsciously curled into herself a little bit.

A part of her, maybe her buried memories, whispered not safe, trapped, need to get out and away from all these potential targets, but she pushed it back. Today was a happy day, or at least a 'let's make Renzo happy' day.

She wanted to snap at those people when she realized where the attention was directed--this wasn't the way to cheer him up!--but that wouldn't be right, so again she held back.

Why does everyone know him? she felt lost, as if missing some key information that would've made everything make sense with it in place. Instead she remained quiet, resolving to figure it out later rather than risk asking some question she should have known the answer to. She might have blown her secret to Ming.

"Yes...on the bridge." Tatsuko indicated with a tilt of her head back. "That's where they found me, apparently, before I ended up like this. Before you came for me in the hospital. It was just a chance meeting."

There was no blood left, and no snow even, at this point, so picking it out from the number of bridges lying around in Mist was difficult.

People who love each other always meet again? Her breath caught, and for a second only her heartbeat was in her ears. She chanced a quick glance to her side, at Renzo, before blushing and looking away again.

I should stop dwelling in the past, shouldn't I? Now that I'm female, he won't have interest in me, since I'm sure he did before...


"My, that's rather convenient, Yuii-kap," Ren said before blurting out the word Kappa.  With the short height and green hair, he still wanted to bow to the girl to see if the water on top of her head tips over, causing her to fall out dead.  But she's too adorable.  But it's still a nagging annoyance in the back of his head wrought by his overactive imagination.  "-chan," the man said to finish what he was going to say.  ~When did Ming have a sister that's a water imp?  What's going on?~

Why is he keeping the final destination a secret?  What's the point?  No, there wasn't entirely any reason he was keeping the final destination a secret from the three.  Perhaps if he actually told them the true destination, he wouldn't have company.  Afterall, a day like today, it's better to have company than to fight through these things on your own.  One should not have to suffer in solitude all their life.  Even if it was a selfish thing for him to do, it would be better for his own health in the end.

The eyes from the others in the village didn't bother him at all.  He was in an emotional high right now.  Even though this was a rather dreary place that he was going to and the day was solemn and depressing, he felt strong with these three with him.  With Yuii clasped upon his shoulders, Tatsuko strapped to his arm and with his hand almost lovingly tangled with Ming's.  However, as the group walked through the village, they found themselves going up steps with a giant red torii gate as a sort of a gate guardian to the entrance of their final destination.

The blond, with the other three in tow, began to slowly ascend the stairs.  "My favorite food?  Well, I've grown rather fond of sandwiches after I found out about them upon my second trip to Sunagakure.  They are simple, quick to make, and doesn't really cost a lot of money.  And it's delicious.  But I'm not very picky when it comes to food.  Food made from someone's love always tastes much better than something I can conjure up, ya know?  So even if Ming's food may taste like poison, it's probably better than nothing right?  It's probably certainly better than anything I can create," the man said before stifling out a laugh.

"I actually made Nanako sick with the stew I made back before your sister lived with me.  That was back when things were easier.  Back when it was me, Yasuo, Sayuri, and Nanako," Ren said as if the remembrance of happy faces simply brought a smile to his face.  Yes, that was back when Sayuri was about Yuii's age right now before she was taken to the Shirokawa, age accelerated, and brainwashed into believing that Ren was the one that killed her mother.

"Back when things were simpler, little Yuii.  I'm sure you'll meet people in your future that you'll love and cherish like that.  Like your sister, for instance."  As he continued to talk, the man stopped for a moment as they reached the top of the stairs.


“Yuii-chan is not a Kappa!” Yuii protested loudly, knowing exactly what he was going to call her. Tsuki-chan had called her that too, as so had Ren-nii when he had woken up in Konoha. She knew the storeis! She had even bowed, twice now and it was getting a bit annoying. There had been a bully in Kumo that had called her a Kappa too, all because she had her blue hair and eyes. She wasn’t made of water though and she couldn’t even control water or ice like her sister could so there was not way she could be a Kappa. Despite knowing better her eyes still filled with tears that threatened to spill out, her mouth set into an angry pout and she went stiffly silent.

Ming’s mouth formed a thin line at the mentions of Nanako and all at once she wished the air itself would swallow her up and hide her. Nanako was her failure, her reason for never again pursuing a ninja lifestyle. Mednin had been the last field she would be willing to enter and yet after studying and trying so hard she hadn’t been able to save the young maid who had been so very much in love with her master.

And, as if to feed her worst nightmare, she realised where they were headed. She knew this place, this walk, and the souls who resided inside who were her own personal failures. Nanako would be here, surely but there were other team mates and friends who had died because she was too weak. In a brief moment a grief she glanced up at Renzo and wondered if he felt the same way. Looking back on the pain in his face when they had found him, Ming could guess at the answer and knew the reason now. It made her feel a little better about Mist’s leader, her confidence gained a boost.  There was real strength in being able to face the ones you loved and believed to have failed and even Ming found it terribly difficult.

“Auntie made sandwiches,” Yuii answered sullenly, her arms crossed against her body which said something about her balance. “She said Suna invented them but Kumo made them great and she perfected them. Auntie was the very best cook,” her voice turned from sullen to wistful, enough to make one wonder if Ming’s cooking was really that bad or if the little girl had been spoiled by something better. Even worse, probably, was her mention of Kumogakure, and Ming, to her credit, didn’t even batt an eyelash at the mention.

Besides, had it been that long ago since Renzo had said he would travel to Kumo with her one day when times were simple?

“There are lots of types of Love, Ren-nii, I wont love anyone like I love Nii-chan. Auntie said there are lots of kinds of love and that it’s important to feel them all  even if it isn’t simple so I’ll do that.” And whoever “Auntie” was, Yuii considered her to be very, very wise.


Tatsuko said nothing, seeing the conversation now excluded her. She merely clung to Renzo's arm, feeling all the while worthless, while the crowds parted around them.

...she might have been pressing into him a little more than necessary.

People to care about...I've forgotten nearly all mine. I'll have to find new ones, or remember.

She didn't know any of the ways around Mist, and her brow only furrowed when they hit the gate and the stairs. The place felt a bit strange, and it was definitely somewhere Ren would be determined to be sad, by the way he'd been acting...

It was only then she realized how much she was clinging, but didn't pull away.