An exciting night! [completed]

[Yamauchi Shizuko]

For far too long had Shizuko feared to show herself in public. The thought of people talking behind her back, laugh at her, scream at her or even point at her made her pulse rise and her breathing heavy. She had come to realize it was much simpler to leave her house at night time. While there was still some activity, it was mostly from shinobi's busy with training or missions which left her pretty much undisturbed and free to observe the busy ninja's do whatever they did. It was peaceful enough for Shizuko to be able to drop her stress and anxiety for a while to just sit down on a rooftop and observe.

However, this one night was special. An unforseeable event that Shizuko could never dream of happened and it made her happy and excited. On her way to the usual building she climbed, one with easy roofaccess, she found something on the ground. At first she thought it was just her imagination playing a prank on her. Something that was reflected oddly in the moonlight that just barely reached down on the ground from between two rather tall buildings on one side of the alley she was walking through. As she got closer she came to realize it was infact what she thought it was; a shuriken. One of the most basic tools of the shinobi, but also a rather important one. Shizuko had a few times sneaked over to the academy and somehow managed to get a glance of when a class was practicing using kunai's and shurikens and she had felt so jealous it was almost unbearable. But now she had one of her own. Of course, she would have to be careful no one ever found out. She didn't want an adult to see her and confiscate the only good thing that had happened to her in a long time. With an almost uncanny smile she picked it up, along with the small toolbag you tie around your thigh and almost shrieked with glee. Then she stood there in the moonlight for a while, studying the shining metal and the leather pouch.

Eventually she came to her senses and looked around. No one had seen her to her great delight. Once certain she was still alone, she quickly took off down the alley again, although this time she had a difference place in mind than the rooftop. She knew of this small area where she used to walk during her walks that was large enough for her to throw the shuriken around, but small enough for her to remain secluded; at least according to her untrained standards. The redheaded girl tightly held both belt, pouch and shuriken with both her hands tight to her chest as she ran as quietly as she could towards that special spot she thought only she knew, and the entire way she was smiling the happiest smile in years.

(mft, ooc; 491... I hope I said that right x3)

 

[Kimi]

Re: An exciting night! [open]

Kimi ~ Guardian of Silence<i></i>

Night. The darkness a haven for those afraid to walk in the light...or those who found the light unsafe. In some ironic way, the shadows felt more safe, trustworthy even, than the typical light of day. It was strange to think, those wisps of dark that were once her only friend, now her only guard against dangers both near and far. Her only sanctuary. She felt at home among the darkness.

It is why she recognized that in the other.


Kimi heard the approach of unfamiliar feet, her melody not skipping a beat as she pulled her mask on. Eyeless, the typically stone-faced mask of the anbu was a faceless slate of tri-colored design. The clear violin rang pure in the dark, blending with the natural sounds in perfect harmony. A pause in thought. Should she say something? The girl would obviously hear her song. But what. Her night could never be hers alone, she learned that long ago. But sometimes...sometimes she wished it could be. With a sigh so quiet the girl never would hear, Kimi hopped down from her hiding spot.

"I'd be careful with that if I were you." the dress flared as she fell, her decent slowed by the currents of sound she played. Her eyes were closed behind the mask. She turned her blank face towards the girl. "it's not a toy." she warned. She didn't want to scare the poor girl, but she couldn't let her injure herself. "but...I can teach you to use it." why did she say that. She was barely older than a student. Sure, she jumped straight past initiate, but still. Then again, if she couldn't help one young girl, how could sheexpect her village to trust her to lead.

[Mft wc....will figure out later]

 

[Yamauchi Shizuko]

Re: An exciting night! [open]


A song? No. She couldn't possibly be hearing a song that late at night, could she? For barely a second she slowed down and looked around her. Not that it helped; her untrained eyes couldn't really see anyone that had the slightest bit of training in the arts of stealth and hiding after all. Even so, she was careful enough to at least look. Once she determined there was no one there, she hurried along once more. She only got a few more steps before she stopped dead in her tracks and dropped everything in her hand while letting out a high pitched shriek. The sudden voice had surprised her when she was already careful and jumpy, and it took her several breaths before she could muster the courage to turn around to see what kind of sudden horror it was that had decided to ambush her. Of course, the second she saw the blank face, or the mask rather, she slowly started to piece together what the girl had told her before she had screamed like a maniac.

Her red hair shivered along with the rest of her body as the surprised was still taking its toll on her, but she slowly calmed down enough to at least listen to what the Anbu girl had to say. And of course, she didn't regret it. There was someone who would willingly offer themselves to teach her about shurikens? Well, she might not have had much requirements for a good night before, but this was just over the top! First she found her very own throwing star, and now she was going to learn how to use it properly too. The joy! She had to swallow nervously a few times before she actually could get her shaky voice to cooperate. ''U-uhm... I-I just found it, uhm, o-on the ground! I didn't steal I, I promise...'' her young voice said with a shivering lack of confidence. She took a second to think and bit her upper lip as she was thinking, then took a deep breath. ''M-My name is Y-yamauchi Shizuko ma'am... U-uhm, I know you can't tell me yours, but, uhm... I-I'd really like it if you taught me to use it!''. The innocence in her voice was very obvious, and the more the shock from the scare eased up, the easier it became for the young redhead to actually talk and express herself. Her face was smiling widely, although hints of anxiety and worry still lingered in the corners of her eyes, afraid the anbu person was just making a mean joke.

 

[Kimi]

Re: An exciting night! [open]

Kimi ~ Guardian of Silence<i></i>

Kimi bit her lip. What was it with young girls and their high pitched screams. Didn't they realize that some have sensitive ears? Okay. So maybe that was just her. But still. Even so, she couldn't help but smirk. The girl wasn't dumb. She made a mental connection between voice and name. Shizuko. Just starting to venture into the world, by the sound of it. Kimi could still remember when she was like that. Strange to thunk it was just two years ago she was a student. Just as she remembered a night, not so different than this, when she met her first guardian face to...well...mask. "I am Silence" she told the girl. She mellowed her tone, attempting to sound more welcoming. She took her music in much the same direction. This was becoming a night for learning. "I have no doubt you found it." she reassured her.

It was then that Kimi paused. This could take some work. The girl undoubtedly couldn't hear the way Kimi could. She would learn differently. Well. First things first. Kimi ceased her playing, the world going dark. She would need her hands. She packed her violin, and pulled out a similar tool. "Mine make noise as they fly. But that's not important. Watch." she planed the throwing star, standing perfectly normal, before flicking her wrist, sending the tool whirling into a nearby box. She listened for the girls reaction, half skipping in the sound trail to pick it up. She then held it open-Palmed. "you hold them like this." she showed the proper way to hold one. She then gestured towards Shizuko. "give it a try." she didn't expect the first try to go very well.

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

Re: An exciting night! [open]

(Kaaaay, ya beat me to the punch, Kimi xD)

Even in the depths of the night, Maruishi held a certain quality of activity. Sometimes, it was harmless antics that people didn't feel comfortable committing in the light of day, other times it wasn't so light hearted. The capital may have been a bustling place, but there were people who were far from walking the path to Completion.

These people are the ones Ryu was on watch for tonight, yet, on his ventures his ears caught snippets of a haunting melody he hadn't encountered before. One part suspicion and another curiosity led the towering man through the streets of Maruishi, ever closer to the flowing melody. His steps grew quicker for a moment as he got closer to the clear, resonating sound of the strings only to have the music fade to a stop. Taking a short cut, mainly by going over buildings instead of around, Ryu was distracted from his search of the music by the sound of running feet. Normal only during instances of being persued, or fleeing from a location. Initially heedless of the Guardian, Ryu landed with a quiet whumph that made the ground immediately around him quiver slightly from the soaked impact. In the dark, his Violet-Blue eyes bore a faint irridecence and was staring in the direction where he'd heard the running feet. Long strides carried him forward, lifting his right hand and bringing to life a small, bright, white flame that he held over his head to illuminate the area and the two people he was fast approching. His concern vanished, but suspicion rose when he recognized one of the people. "Evening, Silence." He hadn't seen the young woman since their encounter at the hospital where Ryu and Nameless (be that the White Haired boy's) proper Call Sign or not, Ryu had no other title to specify the kid with. "Situation?" He stepped up beside, and loomed over both the smaller women by , in the half-shadowed darkness, what seemed to be miles. His long sleeve, black kimono top and pants were lusterless, even in the white light, and bore small, dark grey embroidery all across it that seemed to create an optical illusion in combination with the black that broke up his figure. His long hair, however, wasn't without sheen and small glimpses of the crimson undertones could be seen within the dark strands.

With a slight motion, Ryu rolled his arm amd checked that his left hand was mostly covered by the triangular fold that he had modified the sleeves of the top with. While it didn't do a lot to conceal the stone-flesh, talon bearing limb, it did keep it out of immediate sight. There was a difference in taking pride and flaunting, after all. While he mentally checked his left arm, his eyes observed the subject who seemed to not quite be apprehended by Silence. She was a small thing, he noted that she held herself with an amount of barely contained excitement, and the puch and belt she had tucked to her chest didn't make his suspicion die out. Was she a burglar? Had she snatched the pouch from a mark she targeted earlier? He didn't have enough information to act on, so he hoped Silence would be willing to maybe fill in some of the blanks, as they were.

[Mft]

 

[Yamauchi Shizuko]

Re: An exciting night! [open]


Shizuko found it very difficult to focus on Kimi as she spoke, or sang as it were. Normally a person focused on the other persons eyes as they conversed, using the moving irises as a living focus point that didn't get dull. However, when talking to a person wearing a blank, faceless mask, it was very hard to focus on that person. Of course that was partly the reason of the design, but for a nine year-old girl it was close to impossible to hold focus for more than a few seconds at a time. Her eyes flickered from the mask to the violin, back to the mask, then to the other girls hair and back to the mask. It was a cycle she kept repeating while trying to show respect and listen when she was spoken to. Luckily, it wasn't like Kimi was having a long, pointless monologue, but rather a normal conversation which simply made it easier for the redhead to follow along.

Shizuko didn't say anything. She had nodded in acknowledgement of what the anbu girl called herself, and she made sure to give some form of recognition to what she was saying so she knew Shizuko was listening, but she was in fact not replying with words since she wasn't particularly confident and preferred not to speak if possible. Her non-linear focus and silent acknowledgement quickly changed though when Kimi pulled out her own chakra, showing her how to properly hold it. ''Oooh!'' she let out excited and watched with an almost uncanny focus as the older girl threw the star with such ease into the box. Of course, the sound accompanied by the throw threw Shizuko off her game even more, making her almost speechless. But her excitement took over. ''O-oh! That was really, really cool!''. She was eager to try herself and quickly picked up her found star from where she had dropped it on the ground, positioned herself from where Kimi had throws her star, tried to mimic the grip and motion of Kimi's throw, then threw it herself. Needless to say, it was a complete bust. They star got caught in the air resistance almost right away and just dropped plain dead down on the ground just a few feet in front of Shizuko. She looked honestly disappointed, obviously having expected a much better result even though it was her very first time even holding one properly. Silently she took a step forward, bent down to pick it up and once she stood back up she turned to Kimi with her innocent, sad face. ''U-u-uhm, w-was that s-super bad, uhm... M-miss?'' she asked, her voice shivering again due to her lack of confidence once more.

She had been so caught up in her excitement that even though she was there and her ears functioned properly, she hadn't noticed Ryu approaching. It was first after realizing that Kimi wasn't looking at her but at Ryu that Shizuko turned towards him and noticed he was standing there. Her perception skills weren't precisely a good start if she wanted to be a ninja, that's for sure. Her eyes had first met with his abdomen, but she slowly moved them up his body until she met his eyes and swallowed nervously. She had seen him around before, but she didn't know who he was, if he was important or even what that weird arm was. She wasn't about to show disrespect and ask him either. ''U-uhm, h-hello sir! I...uhm...'' she said as her entire body shivered with anxiety. One person had been alright, but now two people were looking at her and the pressure was getting to her. Not to mention her worry that she might be rude by accident. She actually had to stop in her sentence and swallow before she continued. ''...I didn't see you, s-sir... I'm sorry! M-my name is, uhm, Y-yamauchi S-shizuko!'' she said politely and even gave a polite bow in his direction, afraid she'd tick him off.

 

[Kimi]

Re: An exciting night! [open]

Kimi ~ Guardian of Silence<i></i>

A rather large obstruction appeared, slicing through the open space. A tilt of the head accompanied by a strike of recognition.
Kazehi Ryu. One of Stone's Jounin, and resident wall. She hadn't seen him in a few days. She passively wondered what he had been up to, her anbu duties keeping her too busy for social calls. "Long time, no see." she laughed. Her sense of humor left something to be desired. Most of her jokes revolved around her sight, or lack thereof. It was something she'd work on later. For now, she had other things on her mind. "Just because we always meet when there's trouble doesn't mean there's always trouble when we meet." she teased. "Miss Shizuko here was recently gifted some shinobi tools, and I was teaching her to use them." a single nod in the girl's direction. Kimi was taking a small risk, trusting that the girl hadn't stolen the gear...least of all from Ryu.

Speaking of the girl, she had tried to toss the shuriken, wincing as it crashed to the ground. Well...she did better than Kimi would without the aid of her chakra. Of course, she wouldn't tell the girl that. "Its okay. We all have trouble at first." she reassured the nervous girl. "Try again, with a little more purpose. You have to want it to get there." she suggested. A little self-confidence could make a world of difference. "And don't worry. I didnt see him either." was it mean to say that sort if thing? Maybe. But Kimi couldn't help but want to make her feel better. And it was true.. she didn't- see- him.

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

Re: An exciting night! [open]

Ryu maintained his stoic expression, looking Shizuko over at least until Silence made what seemed to be a very terrible joke. He slowly turned and cocked an eyebrow at the small woman not entirely certain what to make of the tone of voice she used. "Yet," He said, keeping his voice as neutral as his face had been just a moment before. "When there is trouble and we run into one another, you don't seem to have trouble running into me." Now that the jokes were out of his system, he turned back to Shizuko and instead of looking at her as though she were a criminal, he instead started apraising her as a future contribution to the village, at least he could hope she'd grow.

There was one issue that did bother him about this situation though: why was a little girl out throwing shuriken in a back alley, and why were her parents not combing the streets? Ryu's face darkened a moment before returned to neutrality. "Hello, Shizuko." He might like kids, enjoyong their innocent abandon when putting forth the effort to learn and explore, bit it didn't help soften Ryu's terse, quiet nature. "I'm Kazehi Ryu, a Jounin of Stone. It seems quite late for a training session, shouldn't you be home, in bed, resting for classes tomorrow?" Sure, he found nothing wrong with late training but he was of the mind that it should be supervised more closely than a couple shinobi passing by to be sure that there wad no crime being commited.

 

[Yamauchi Shizuko]

Re: An exciting night! [open]


Shizuko observed the exchange of words between the two older people, not quite sure what to do but stand there quietly until she was spoken to. Many thoughts went through her mind. His sudden presence had upset her anxiety again of course, not that she really had gotten used to the anbu girl anyway. It was hard for her to maintain a somewhat calm attitude since she was suddenly feeling pressured. After all, she knew she wasn't really supposed to be out that lane to begin with, even less so with a pouch and shuriken that obviously wasn't hers to begin with.

At first Kimi turned to her, encouraging Shizuko to retry the throw. Miss young redhead tried to collect herself enough to make a decent second attempt. She did feel reassured about the anbu not actually having seen Ryu either, although it didn't really mean much and Shizuko knew that. At least she though she did. In her mind a good ninja could sneak past any other ninja. Her grasp on reality, at least reality related to shinobi, was far from good. Anyway, she positioned herself again like Kimi had shown her, prepared to throw the shuriken again when Ryu suddenly interrupted her by responding to her greeting. She turned back towards him and stood upright, quickly looking flustered at his inquiery. She wasn't really sure what to say, and as her pulse rose again and her breathing became heavier and heavier she eventually decide to go for the absolute truth. She was a good girl and she wanted to show it. ''U-uhm, I-I'm sorry sir, but, uhm... M-my p-parents are dead and, uhm, I am all alone at home... I-I k-kinda like the night though, and uhm, also...'' she said, stumbling on her words a few times before she finally managed to collect herself enough again, ''I-I am not in a class, uhm... S-sir. I want to be, b-but, uhm... I don't know how to get into one...'' she said as her voice slowly faded away nervously with the last few words. Her eyes also looked away because she started to feel bad and kind of worthless again since she couldn't do anything right. She just looked terribly sad and broken, even only for a split second.

 

[Kimi]

Re: An exciting night! [open]

Kimi ~ Guardian of Silence<i></i>

Kimi frowned. Things got sidetracked really quickly. The girls heartbeat was unusually high, combining with her tone to signal her discomfort. Here was a small child, apparently all on her own. It hit Kimi close to home...almost literally. She absentmindedly brushed her fingers across the back of her neck, where the mark given by souji resided. She could remember that night. If only she could bring this small child's parents to her in the way her mother was brought. But she was not souji. She couldn't imagine the type of jutsu required. She frowned. No kid should have to go through that. It's no wonder Shizuko felt so at home among the darkness of the night.

It reminded Kimi of herself a little too much. It was creepy.

She stepped towards Ryu, her voice quiet enough that he should be able to hear her, but Shizuko probably wouldn't. "She is young. But strong. She would make a good shinobi." she admitted. Shizuko seemed nervous enough that she wouldn't sign herself up even if she wanted to. And if her interest in the shuriken was any sign, she was interested. But would she be able to handle it. She's young, and easily nervous. But she didn't run when Silence showed. She screamed, sure, but didn't run. It was a start. With her love of the night, she could make a good guardian.

Kimi half frowned. Her journey to Teleos was far from complete, but was she far enough to lead a small one in the path...a small one who may very well not have any sort of relationship with the gods. Was it her place? And what of Ryu? She knew he was a loyal stone shinobi,but not a whole lot more. There was a good chance he didn't even realize how young she herself is. A 15 year old girl already one of the higher ranking active guardians. Such a rarity. There were three, though what had become of Chi, she wasn't sure.

Kimi was a prodigy. And she wasn't yet sure if that was a good thing.

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

Re: An exciting night! [open]

Things certainly changed from what he'd expected so far; he had been out on patrols watching for unlawful activity and stumbled into a situation that, while it wasn't what he was on the watch for, still made him feel as though it needed to be corrected. Staring at her for a moment, he blinked, slowly. For anyone that might know his body language and the micro expressions of the stoic man might have realized he was practically screaming. "I see." He frowned slightly and looked to the short Guardian. "You vouch for her?" It was a rhetorical question, and more of a statement of confirmation of the young woman's previous statement.

He didn't take his eyes off the little girl, but he lowered his right hand and extinguished the little flame, leaving them in the dark for a moment while their eyes got used to the night once more. His figure loomed, a certain force of presence even in the dark that seemed to be a point of solidity in the formless void around them. He used the night to cover up the expression on his face, a mix of anxiety for a child who was just...left out on the street to do as she pleased; it wasn't a bad city but what happened if she was alone for too long and that potential turned her towards some path that led her far from anything resembling good. The other part was a heavy sorrow; memories of children lost to a yawning hole and their bodies not being recovered flooded his memories, he had desired to do something, anything that would give rise to the younger generations after that event so very long ago, but had gotten very few opportunities. Maybe this was it.

Perhaps this was the opportunity to make amends for not being there for the child he had tutored and simply left. Her death, while not his fault, had weighed heavily on him for quite some time. Stepping foward, slowly, he crouched when he was in front of the small girl, his bulk making her look simply minuscule; in his left hand, he called up a small orb of ruddy, molten red light that seeped out of the stone scales; it was gentler on the eyes than the harsh white of the tiny flame he'd called up before. "I'm sorry to hear that." He reached out and gently cupped his hand on the top of her head, slightly rubbing the red locks side to side as a calming motion. "It might be sudden, perhaps much too quick. But I'd be proud to have a daughter like you." He had corrected his expression by this point, it was clear of worry or anxiety; it wasn't what the young kid needed to see. In its place, the edges of his face had been softened by the light in his left hand and some of the age mark wrinkles revealed, lending a kinder look to his stoic expression.

To think, the hairless ape would be so very sentimental. Sickening really. The creature within him stirred slightly but Ryu simply pushed it back down with more force than he had usually managed. He wouldn't be second guessed by an over grown lizard that knew nothing of compassion! His attention normally would waver when dealing with the creature, but this time his will blazed up without distracting him or taking his focus from the kid in front of him. "If you would like, you would be welcome to live with me and I'll make sure your needs are met." He might not have a wife, or a child, or a particularly 'fun' home. But it was a home, it was some place where she could live, be safe, and not have a worry from one day to the next.

 

[Yamauchi Shizuko]

Re: An exciting night! [open]


Shizuko was looking down at her feet. They were pointing towards in each other, forming half a tiny triangle on the ground. Being nervous and feeling down, the tips of her feet were fidgeting against each other while she did the same with her fingers just in level with her stomach. Not for a second did she look up. Not when Kimi changed position, not when Ryu did... Not even when a gust of wind blew straight in her face making her hair blow straight behind her into a mess. The only thing the cold wind did was increase the chances of her tearing up. And she was about to and would've if not Ryu had suddenly stepped closer to her. The new light had a warm feeling to it, and gentle shadows cast on the ground around her feet made her actually look back up. At first she studied the molten red light, tilted her head and then looked up at Ryu. Her face still showed worry and sadness, but it also showed curiosity.

As he offered his condolences, she nodded and dragged the back of her thin arm under her nose while dragging in whatever had built up in her nose, like sad kids does. Then she blinked a few times, rubbed her eyes and looked up at him. Apparently the innocent, unfortunate girl had some pride as she didn't want to show some tears had actually escaped down her cheeks. What Ryu said next surprised her though. She had been without a father for close to two years, not that she really missed him. It was weird whenever she thought about him, because she missed having a father around. She didn't miss the verbal abuse and neglect. So when the big man in front of her said he would be proud to have her as a daughter, she wasn't sure what to make of it. Of course, a nine year old girl wasn't exactly good at grasping that kind of thing to begin with. His expression, the gentle and kind look on his face, made her feel better as she looked into his eyes. Her own face showed nothing but honest confusion and it was obvious she was speechless as all the sounds she were making were the occasional ''hmm'' and ''uhh''.

It wasn't until the man offered her a home where she wouldn't be lonely and didn't have to worry about food and clothes that she actually burst into tears for real. She couldn't stop it even if she tried, and as she tried to talk nothing but sobs came out of her tiny throat. She wasn't sure what to think or what to do, but she was happier than she had been her entire life. Someone had offered to share their life with her, effectively proving to her that there were someone that cared, someone that didn't think she was a worthless bother who didn't belong in the world. She had covered her face with both her hands, crying hard into her palms as her knees gave out and she flumped down on the ground with her legs kinds of spread out in front of her, although her knees were bent to her sides. Once she had calmed down enough to actually talk, she sniffled a few times, rubbed her eyes and looked back up at Ryu. ''U-uhm, b-but... Uhm... H-how c-can I, uhm, b-be your daughter? T-that means you, uh, would be my daddy and, uhm... M-my daddy is dead and, and, my mommy is dead... D-don't you have to love m-my m-mommy, uhm, t-to be my daddy?'' she asked, proving to what extent her innocent went. She was being very sincere in her question and it had been the first thing that had popped into her mind once she had collected herself enough to speak.

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

Re: An exciting night! [open]

When the girl finally broke and crumpled, Ryu carefully collected her into the crook of his right arm and stood up with her cradled against his side and chest as though she weighed nothing to him. "Family sometimes goes beyond blood. I don't have to be the one who fathered you to care and to be sure that your future is one that is brighter." He looked from the small girl he carried to Silence, keeping the hand with the seething orange-red light away from Shizuko so she didn't have to bear the boiling heat radiating from it directly. "I wouldn't be your sire, but I would raise you as if you were, your mother would also feel happy to know that you are well taken care of. In time, perhaps I will earn the title of 'father' from you, but for now you don't have to think of me with such prestige." It was unfortunate that he could not give her more comfort than that, but she would perhaps understand one day that any one man could sire a child but only a man of worth could be called a Father. Ryu knew only how he was raised, knew that he could only pass on so much to the girl l, but he could at least share his wisdom and what he's come to understand about the world through his years.

Once he was certain that the girl was capable of not falling when her feet hit the ground, he crouched and eased her out of his arm before standing back up and once again dropping his large hand over Shizuko's head. "For now, why don't you try again? The power comes from the speed at which you throw it, flick your wrist as you release." He reched back into one of his pouches and pulled out a shuriken, turning only slightly as he eased it into the grip of his right hand. Instead of releasing it in a blur of motion, he cocked his arm and snapped forward, adding a flick of english to keep the shuriken from flying off course, but Ryu did his best to exaggerate the snap of his wrist to set the weapon rotating just as fast as if he'd thrown it with his full might behind it and burying it half way into a plank of a pallet that was leaning against the side of a building. In all, his body only twisted at the waist leaving his feet planted through the entire display. "It will be easier as you train." He stepped back to the side and motioned with his right hand for the girl to give it a shot for herself.

 

[Yamauchi Shizuko]

Re: An exciting night! [open]


The man spoke in riddles to her. He used a lot of words and sentences she didn't really understand, although enough came through to her for her to grasp the meaning of it all. What she could gather was that he would love to try and be a good father, one that she could be proud of and one that she would love. But he also meant, at least according to her, that he wouldn't expect her to do any of those things either. It felt good being given a choice. Well, she was given many choices that night, none of which would be bad for her. But in all honesty, it was a lot for her to think about at once, so it was really hard for her to give him a straight up answer. So up until the point where she was let down on the ground again, she simply nodded into his chest while sobbing and sniffling.

As she stood back down on her own feet she had calmed down enough. She wasn't crying straight out, although she did have the hiccups still and a few tears escaped on their own violation. Of course, they were quickly scooped up by the back of Shizuko's hand. She looked to the man before her as he pulled out a Shuriken and explained to her how to do it properly. Her focus wasn't the best at that precise moment, but she sure tried to take it all in and watched with some excitement as he threw the shuriken straight into the plank. She gasped at how easy it looked and actually smiled because she was anxious to try herself again. With excitement she started to look around her, trying to find her own shuriken that hadn't gotten very far as she threw it last time. Once she found it her smile widened and the tears seemed to be long gone. After having properly positioned herself next to Ryu, she did her best to stand the same way he did. Then she threw it while flicking her wrist as well as she could. Of course, it didn't fly straight into where she aimed, but it was well close enough and it actually stuck to the same planket that Ryu had hit. At first she just stared, not believing she did it. Once it sunk in, she began jumping on the spot, cheering loudly. ''Yaay! I did it! I did it!'' she kept repeating, then she threw herself around Ryu and buried her face into his upper body, rubbing her cheek against him. She sighed happily then nodded. ''I want you to be my daddy! Oh, uhm... Mine and Nala's daddy!'' she said, including her big kitty in her choice.

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

Re: An exciting night! [open]

He watched carefully, keeping his stance so that she could check and have a reference to measure against despite the dark and the fact that he was wearing clothing that blended with the shadows. Ryu figured she would have an easier time learning in the daytime, but for an initial guide as to what the girl was attempting to accomplish in this entire venture it would have to suffice. When Shizuko lined up, he stepped away and watched her motions from start to finish, eyeing and scrutinizing the motion all the way until the shuriken wobbled its way to slam into the plank. It wasn't anything spectacular, but for a first attempt it wasn't too bad. The man eyed the shuriken with pursed lips and played back what he watched in his head, noting that she had followed his motions decently well for just starting out; perhaps teaching her was going to be not only a good refresher for himself of going over the basics but he could possibly push her and she would excel.

He came out of his thoughts when she sprung up and clung to his chest, he twitched slightly, but shoved aside the instinct to swat her away, bringing the already moving right arm up to instead pin her to him where she clung to his clothing. "Not bad. You'll learn well." He scooped her up a bit more and quickly deposited her onto his right shoulder, still keeping his left arm clear so the heat coming off it still didn't burn her. But he frowned, who was this 'Nala'? There wasn't a sibling mentioned earlier when the girl spoke of her family, he tilted his head slightly to the left and swept his right hand up to pull a few strands of hair out from under Shizuko that he'd sat her on by mistake. "Pet of yours..?" He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow, though most of his face would be cast and he was certain she wouldn't catch the speculation in his look or suspicion in his neutral voice. He wouldn't mind taking care of another kid, but he'd be particularly surprised that a girl of her age wouldn't mention a sibling.

 

[Yamauchi Shizuko]

Re: An exciting night! [open]


Shizuko was super excited about the events that was starting to unfold in her life. The dreams she had harbored for some time were slowly becoming a reality, and the biggest proof of that was probably the fact she had just successfully thrown a shuriken so that it stuck to the target. Sure, even Shizuko was fully aware of the fact that the throw hadn't been the prettiest, and even though she was so young she knew she had a lot of practice ahead of her in order to reach a point where she'd be satisfied. After all, she had been observing the academy students from afar for a while and from that had been able to determine that hard work was needed in order to obtain skills and respect. Respect... perhaps that was what Shizuko longed for the most. Perhaps it was love. Seeing as she had never experienced either towards her, she didn't know. What she did know was that things were taking a turn for the better and it would all start with that shuriken throw and her meeting with Kimi and Ryu.

As Ryu lifted her up to sit on her shoulder she was beaming. If she had looked into a mirror she probably wouldn't have been able to remember the last time she smiled that wide. Well, perhaps the day she had gotten Nala, but aside from that. She was giggling and jumpy and actually laughed as Ryu asked her with subtle scepticism who Nala was. ''Nala is my big kitty!'' she said with excitement and looked down to meet his eyes. ''She's a Jaguar so she is gonna be really big! But now she is just a little kitten! She is super cuddly and nice... My best friend!'' she explained and nodded in agreement with herself. Then it hit her; she needed to bring Nala with her. And probably her clothes and stuff too. ''Uhmm... Can we go to my home and, uhm, get my things before we go to my new home?'' she asked with caution in her voice, as she didn't want to upset her new benefactor.

[MFT; WC: 353]

 

[Kimi]

Re: An exciting night! [open]

Kimi ~ Guardian of Silence<i></i>

Things got really awkward really fast for the young masked girl. She took a few steps back so as not to intrude, yet close enough to step in should danger arise. There wasn't much else going on to keep her from sort of enjoying the scene before her. It was slightly reminiscent of her meetings with Souji. Except Souji never tried to be her father. That would have been weird. Sure, Kimi didn't have the best of fathers, but she still had one. The welcome into the Yukata clan was nice and all, but with her not having heard anything from Souji, or really any of her clanmates, it was a little bit of a sensitive topic.

She frowned. The telltale beeping began in her ear, followed by a muttered voice. Something was going on that needed her attention. "Well. Unfortunately, duty calls." she commented, stepping toward a the others. "I will see you around." she stepped into the shadows. Such was the way of the anbu.

(Topic left unless stopped)

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

Re: An exciting night! [open]

Hearing that the girl had a jaguar as a pet was disconcerting, but that was hardly a deal breaker. His modest home would be bustling just with the small girl and her pet alone; but it would shatter the silence that filled the place on a regular basis. Ryu was unsure how that made him feel at the moment, but one thing was for certain is that he knew his own father would be happy and proud. Ryu simply watched as the girl chattered on before cracking a rare smile that peeled years of his stoic face. "Of course." His attention turned from his soon-to-be daughter towards Silence, who apparently was called to duty. "Silence, perhaps you would like to come by when you are free. I'm sure that the Little One would benefit greatly from your exceptional skills. Be well." With the figure of the small Guardian retreating, Ryu strode over to the plank which bore the shuriken, and pulled the tools out with a careful yank using the talons on his left hand. "A lesson. No matter the man or woman, one does not leave thier tools, or toys, about. Unless they are beyond repair they may serve purpose one more. He transferred one to his right hand and passed the tool to Shizuko while striding towards the lit streets of Maruishi. "Now, to collect your companion and things and to return home." The man continued down the roads with the girl on his shoulder knowing she would guide him where she needed to go. He did wonder just how she would feel when returning to Iwa considering the drop to the platform was considerable.

(Topic Left w/ Shizuko)

 

[Yamauchi Shizuko]

Re: An exciting night! [open]

Shizuko watched Silence walk off into the shadows, baffled by that she had disappeared just as quick and silent as she had appeared to begin with. She waved to her back, but she was far too busy chattering with Ryu to really say good bye. While Ryu was in fact very secure in his grip on her, she still held on to his head as he walked over to the plank, fetched the tools and handed her hers. She was already holding on to her toolbelt and the pouch, so carefully she deposited her shuriken in the pouch, then quickly held onto Ryu's head again. Then as they walked off to fetch her things, she began an endless stream of random chattering because she was excited and it showed. Luckily it wasn't far to her house, so it took them just a short walk to fetch her important clothes and Nala, whom was a good girl and simply walked next to them. She'd need to be held on to with the drop to Iwa though. Yep, life was turning for Shizuko and Nala, and they were both very happy.

(Leaving topic)