Did I Run Away? [private]

[Hanone]

He had escaped into the streets. He felt like a child again, running away from the spilled and broken sugar jar. He could recall his father's angry voice when he came home, seeing the sugar everywhere and the shivering black floor, which had turned out to be thousands of small, black ants. The wood panels of their kitchen floor were old and not well sealed. There was sugar and glass everywhere...

Saemon had hid outside in a bush for an hour after it happened. He was only 5 of 6 at the time. He had been too ashamed of himself. He wasn't really scared, but he hadn't been able to face what he'd done. His father, being an understanding man and let his own anger subside. By the time Saemon was found in the bush, the mess had already been cleaned up and his father promised they wouldn't tell his mother.

Somehow he felt like that same child; sitting in the bush and trying to hide away from the way he had acted. It wasn't the same thing, but still..

The tall monster of a man had left the small bakery and zigzagged between the crowds until the number of people he passed dwindled down to a sparse one or two. He passed strange old houses, several homeless dens and finally passed by several unsavory strips clubs and 'escort businesses' before he found the wall. It was the wall to the village.. the end of the cavern. No one came all the way to the end. Here Saemon stood with his arm up and his forehead pressed against the cool, stone wall.

What the fuck was wrong with him...?

 

[Hoshirei]

Not too far behind him was Mio, though she was far enough away that she was having to rely on the small pulse of electricity that was always left over when she touched Saemon, almost like a claim. Nothing was going to harm her mat- man, not even himself. And why in the world was she suddenly thinking mate instead of man? Deciding to think on that later, she kept running until she felt the small beacon stop. He wasn't terribly far away, so she slowed down and made sure to approach him without even possibly startling him.

She hadn't even noticed what sector of the Sietch she had walked into until someone grabbed her arm and tried to push her against a wall. Unluckily for the guy, he had scared her and was now twitching on the ground because of the amount of electricity she had automatically poured out. Her heart pounding, she walked quickly away from the guy only to be stopped by yet another, asking how much her services cost. With vehement disgust she turned from the man only to run into the chest of another.
The other men were mostly scrawny, but this guy was bigger. Not Saemon big, but he was definitely taller than Mio's form, even in her five inch heels.
"Where ya goin' lil' lady? Won't you come an' play wit' us?"
Now it wasn't the first time she was asked for a good time, and normally she could brush it off. The comment from the bakery wasn't really an issue since it was taken care of, but the way this man solicited her, his wording, did a number on her psyche. The words "Come play" echoed in her mind and her anger flared. Without really meaning to, she gave off a huge electro-magnetic wave and blasted the men away from her. She then noticed just how many there were and her eyes widened. If she hadn't lost it for a moment, she could have been-
No, Mio. No thinking about that. Just find Saemon and get out of this part of town.
With that thought, she was off and found Saemon easily.

Making sure to let herself be heard, she walked up to him and leaned against the wall near him. "Are you alright, Saemon?"

 

[Hanone]

Saemon had closed his eyes and had tuned out the world around him. He pictured nothing, saw nothing but the backs of his lids. But his nose, he could never ignore his nose. Everyone had their own scent. Men usually smelled like their bodies and sweat. Women usually wore some sort of perfume, ones that mingled with their natural smells and gave them a recognizable scent. He wasn't convinced his family line hadn't been Inuzuka at times.. not that he had a clue.

But he knew certain women by their smells. The smell of unnamed flowers and soft rain and a tinge of metal flowed under his nose and notified him that Mio was near a few moments before she leaned up against the cavern wall beside him. Her soft voice came to him from his right. His dull blues opened first and saw nothing but dim brown and gray from the rock. His hand slid over the surface slowly. It was smooth, like marble and cold. And sturdy. It was something you could beat on and wouldn't yield.

He finally turned his head, slightly, looking toward the tan skinned beauty beside him. Her brow was creased with a faint trail of concern. He was expecting to see anger.. "Not really." was the best he could muster at the moment. Well he was really never the talkative type anyway.

 

[Hoshirei]

Mio looked at his face once he actually turned her way. He might not be easy to read, but running out of the bakery was way out of character, at least since she'd known him. His answer to her question wasn't all that comforting either. Something in her instincts was telling her to comfort him in any way possible, but she had no clue how, especially in a place where anyone could see them. Instinct won at least a little as she slid in between Saemon and the stone wall.

Even in her heels, she had to stand on tip toes to try to kiss his neck. To aid with her apparent need to sate the comforting instinct, she placed both hands on his chest lightly, concern still heavy in her gentle gaze.
"Sae, I know that neither of us are much for talking, but I think it might help if you tried to explain, out loud, why you ran out of the bakery after we stopped you. Not necessarily to me either, just out loud. Sometimes it helps to talk yourself through it. I should know." The last line was said softly, almost too soft to hear.

 

[Hanone]

Sae didn't move when Mio slipped into the small space between the stone wall and his body. She fit easily and gave off a strange, electric feeling... one he was used to but always noticed when he was so close to her. Her smell was stronger right under his nose and gave him reason to inhale deeply. But it was the small kiss to his scruffy neck that tingled along his spine and threatened to give him goosebumps. His eyes followed hers, turning his face down to see hers. Her hands came up to his chest and laid there like a child's hands. They looked so delicate to him.

His dull blue eyes found Mio's vibrant ones and he held them. By all accounts she was right. She knew, better than almost anyone, how hard it was to speak of your woes and troubles, to share when you feel most vulnerable. She also knew how hard and burdening it was for him to do so. How many things had he actually shared with her? Did he ever speak of his parents? The kills he made? How many kills he had under his belt? He'd only been honest enough to tell her about Koho a few short weeks ago and then... nothing else since? He felt shame, he felt naked in the eyes of the world. He exhaled, blowing air over Mio's face and ruffling her raven bangs.

She pushed him to talk, but she didn't demand it was to her. She was helping without trying to pry into his life. It was the humility that allowed his lips to part and anything to come out. "I am plagued by the want to kill, Mio." His voice was husky, worse than usual. "I wanted to kill that boy. I wanted to feel his heart rate pulse under my hands, to feel it go faster and faster, to hear the strangled cries or the gurgling of blood in his throat until he choked on it. I wanted it to beat until it stopped..." There were no tears, he didn't cringe or cower, but he couldn't keep his eyes on hers. They looked down, catching sight of a loose string on her shirt and he focused on it, like a focal point.

 

[Hoshirei]

The breath tickled Mio's nose and had the mood been different she might have chuckled a little. She could almost read into his eyes, but not quite, so when he spoke, it only mildly surprised her. No, she wasn't surprised that he wanted to kill. After all, sometimes she had the same feeling. Except perhaps hers was more of an executioner's desire, to mete upon those who deserve it, justice. Her code name wasn't Nightmare for nothing.

Slender arms moved to encircle Saemon's neck and she kissed his cheek. She was glad that he had chosen to open up to her, she had hoped he felt comfortable enough to do so, but it was a happy surprise.
"Oh, Saemon, believe me. If we hadn't of been in a store and around other people, I more than likely would have enjoyed seeing the life drain out of that boy. There are sometimes when I actually seek after someone to turn in so I can mete out their punishment. Despite the raging migraine that sometimes comes when I use my abilities too much, the feeling of taking a life can be the sweetest thing."
If he looked at her face toward the end, her face would look utterly demonic. A second later, she would snap out of it and shake her head with a nervous laugh.
"Having that side of yourself can be scary, especially when you feel like you're losing control when the want is strongest."
If he let her, she would unwind herself from around his neck and move to hug around his waist.

 

[Hanone]

He would resist nothing from her. They were outside and hardly in a private place. Several men and women were in the streets behind them and some had even stopped to look at the couple standing by the wall. He was a private man, but he didn't care right now. Here, with her hiding between the wall and his towering frame, the rest of Suna at his back it felt as though they were alone in their own small world.

He did look down at her face. It wasn't the first time she'd slipped into that foreign, dangerous look he couldn't quite place and felt as though, as always, he was glimpsing the underneath of Mio. It felt intimate in a way only secrets could be. Her hands shifted down from his neck and around his trimmed waist. He felt a release of his tension and truly he felt much better after having spoken to her about it. Or rather her understanding and easy acceptance of it. It wasn't the whole truth, not even close to all the things he felt and he couldn't really explain how bad the feeling was at times in words, but scratching the surface had done enough. He was at least responding to her now.

His own right hand came down from the wall and brushed through Mio's hair above her ear. It returned to the top after following the tresses down to their ends and stroked the side of her face. So pretty. She was unbelievably beautiful. His hand dropped from her face and traced along the boning line of her bodice, the one that ran directly over her left breast. His eyes followed his index finger. "I'm sorry if I've made you distraught today." he voiced, his tone low and quiet. The next part came out a little strangled, but it had to come out all the same. "Is there anything you wanted to ask me about... about today?"

 

[Hoshirei]

The exit of tension from his body was felt by her as well and she smiled softly at the feeling. When his hand carded through her hair, she felt the stress of the morning and night before exit even more. Oh how she had missed this. As his hands moved, she relaxed a bit more, her head unconsciously moved toward the stroke down her face and she could almost feel the heat of his finger through her corseted top. Mio's mind was brought back out of the haze she was getting into when he spoke again. Distraught? Nope, that definitely wasn't his doing, for the vast majority that is. As for questions, she did have one, though it would probably come out different than Saemon would think.

"Sae, you most definitely did not cause me to be distraught. My appointment this morning did that." she said with a shudder. "Bastards pushed me into my memories. Sometimes I really don't like Yamanakas. There are some things that should remain buried. Returned the favor though, by showing them some of the stuff from my perspective. Only a taste though, not enough to scar permanently."
Mio cleared her throat a bit before continuing, "I do have a question or two for you, though I have more for her, if she ever wants to talk to me about it. You know I don't mind sharing. We're both busy, especially with everything that's gone on. My questions can be rolled into one conjoined question. What's her name, and how did you guys meet?"

 

[Hanone]

Well no, it didn't come out like he thought it would. Her ability to understand him never ceased to amaze him. He wouldn't really know how to have answered her if she had asked it in another way. This way was simple, lacing suspicion and just about truth. As always, he could do no less. "Her name is Kitanai." There was no question which her she had asked him about. There was only one other woman in that room that made an difference. "I met her... at a bar actually." That sounded bad.

Memories came back about the night and a dark shade of distress came over him, one he pushed aside quickly. Those thoughts were still for another time, not now.. "I'd gotten some bad news and I ended up mad. I went for a drink. She came in and was... rather friendly. Really she was just a pathetic whore. She reminded me of a cat in heat." That was true. His first impression of her had been terrible. But things changed, she changed by the end of the night. The real woman came out and the slutty exterior faded into the background. He wasn't just an easy piece.

Saemon remembered and sighed. "I suppose I made an impression. She came to my house and brought me news from gate for me. I don't know. I suppose we've made 'friends'." Okay the truth thing was hard. Because telling the truth was only easy when you could admit the truth to yourself and he wasn't ready to do that. "I don't know."

He didn't want to talk about it anymore. His fingers traced back up the line on her corset and stopped at the top. He didn't realize his breath had quickened. "I haven't seen you for too long." he said, his baritone voice taking on a gruffer edge to it. No doubt he felt no more urge to speak about Kitanai anymore. He leaned in closer to her, dipping his head to brush his lips against her ear. "Do I need to kill someone for you?" the words were uttered quietly, a whisper into the shell of her ear. While he would kill for her if she needed it, the intent was less cruel and more bonding. He would kill for her.

 

[Hoshirei]

So the woman's name was Kitanai, not a bad name, though she couldn't judge the fitting of the name as she had only seen the woman for what, thirty minutes? Met in a bar, not unbelievable. It's always interesting to see the kind of people that come into bars. She was more of a private drinker herself, though she understood how drinking socially could be just as relaxing. The most pathetic thing was that the woman acted like a "cat in heat". She imagined that she showed more than that or he probably wouldn't allow her in the same bed as him.
"I don't mind her being around as a friend or even a bit more than a friend, however, if she's one of those women that will pull the 'it's her or me' bull." Mio shrugged; he'd just have to decide on his own what to do if that ever happened. "I did invite her to contact me to discuss things. Not sure if she'll take me up on it, but I honestly don't give much of a damn what she does at this point. The only thing I have to thank her for is helping to calm you down back there. Not that I couldn't have done it myself."
She trailed off as his hands moved once more, bringing the hazy feeling back to her mind. It certainly was too long. Too long to not see each other, and much to long to not have any physical contact. Oh that voice. she moaned in her mind as she bit softly into her lower lip. His lips on her ear coupled with the words he spoke made her shiver in anticipation. Something about the fact that he really would kill for her just revved her engine, so to speak.
"I could think of a few men that I knocked out earlier- Oh, and guess what, here they come. They apparently saw me. By the way, they think I'm a call girl, or at least they did before I knocked them out." Mio nearly purred in delight as she saw them coming closer. "Play along at first." she winked at him before allowing herself to be pulled out from between Saemon and the wall by one of the men.

"Yo bitch. What'chu doin' rejectin' our money an' takin' this un's? We're man enough ta give ya some fun."
And what these idiots don't realize is that they just "stole" a jounin's "booty".<i></i> Playing her part, Mio just rolled her eyes and stood in a haughty position. It was so easy to see the hilt of her blade, how could they not see it?
One of the men came close enough to make her uncomfortable and back into the wall. The other two cornered her and started carrying on about how fun it would be to play with her. All of her confidence snapped at that moment. Why, just why do this sort always have to speak phrases that trigger her? Her eyes that had been turning slightly golden were now a dark, panic-y blue.

 

[Hanone]

He didn't want to let her out of his reach, but it seemed fate had other ideas that night. The reappearance of the men who had assaulted his youngest lover came around again and Mio slid away from his touch and their little world. He felt an emptiness from it, like clutching at empty air. He remained at the wall, his eyes finding the dull stone again.

And then the men spoke. If Mio hadn't said to play along, he would have ripped the man's throat out already for calling her a 'bitch'. Then they continued to imply, heavily, that she was a whore. He stood there, his blood pressure rising as the men approached Mio. She was walked backward and cornered. He turned his head as he repressed a shudder running down his arms and clenching up his chest. He wanted those men dead, but that wasn't all.. he was mad with her for wanting to play her own game with these men.

He was still volatile. He had just opened up to her and explained his rage and issues only to be faced with the same situation. But Saemon.. play along at first.

If he didn't love her, he would have walked away and let her deal with what she had just brought upon him and her. But he did love her. So he turned and slammed his fist into the side of the first man's skull, knocking him senseless and probably breaking his eardrum. He looked at the other man with a look of promising pain and anguish and left his fate up to him. He wasn't going to kill anyone tonight, though they probably deserved it and he was ready to stop Mio's hand if she tried to slip her knife between the man's ribs. "Leave. Now." It was directed at the standing man and slowly, very slowly a dark chakra began to unfurl from around his body. It could be felt like an intense heat.

 

[Hoshirei]

The three men trembled in fear as the air seemed to heat up and chakra surrounded the monstrous shinobi. As the men ran away, the one being dragged, Mio sank down into a ball. Her hands fisted in her hair and she couldn't look at Saemon. "S-sorry. I don't know what got into me. She should have known better. Why did she have to be so off today? Here Saemon was talking about how bad his want was and right when things were getting intense, she helped ruin it.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Tears welled up in her eyes as she whispered that she was sorry over and over. All of the thirst for blood was gone now, and she was left with an intense disappointment in herself.

She wouldn't have been surprised if he had left her to the men. She knew that he would have if he didn't love her. At that thought, she could hardly stifle a sob. She blatantly put herself in danger, and for what? To watch him kill and join in on the fun? Now that her mood was changed, she was disgusted with herself, as normally happened after one of her bouts as Nightmare.

"H-how can you stand to be near someone so broken? I'm murderous one minute and like this the next." Her jaw clenched and her body unconsciously stood up and started heading deeper into the cavern, only stopping when the migraine from earlier came back full force. Mio dropped to her knees and whimpered in pain, tears freely flowing once more. She hadn't had this bad of a break down in front of anyone. Her entire body felt like it was rebelling against her, and her soul cried out to be held by someone, while her mind berated her. How could he be okay with her now? She was a despicable creature.

 

[Hanone]

[So sorry about the delay, home life as been shitty]

Saemon's visage was one of stone and barely contained rage. He had only just calmed himself down with her to have her turn him back to the same situation. Yet it wasn't really unexpected of Mio. She was sweet and sour in her own ways and sometimes blissfully ignorant. He looked down at the pitiful balled form and felt some of his anger wash away from him. She spoke harsh words about her own broken state and mental instability and sighed.

Mio tried to walk away from him. Others were starting to pool out from the nearby pubs and bars to see what the commotion had been. A nasty looking woman with too little clothing and just as few teeth cackled from Mio's left. Saemon, still angry with her for her lack of tact, but hardly willing to push her aside as the garbage she so often worded herself to be, came up beside her shrunken form and lifted her from the ground as easily as a father held a young child. His large hands cupped her body and brought her form to his chest, shifting fluidly to hold her upper body and head against his and his other arm under her legs. Her damp eyes wetted his shirt, but he didn't care. She would be accepted in his arms as always and he would find them back to her house in due time. Whether she wanted to be alone after that or not would be up to her.

The people eventually stopped looking as Saemon walked away from the worst parts of the village back toward the houses. His footsteps were measured and even; not fast or slow. He hoped her breathing would even and she would be able to come back to him, respond as normal. Until then he wouldn't let her go.

 

[Hoshirei]

Mio stiffened for the slightest moment when Saemon picked her up, before her body automatically snuggled into his warmth as she cried. Why did she have to be so broken? Why couldn't she be more normal? Maybe the people at the hospital were right, maybe she should be hospitalized for therapy instead of just outpatient.
Her mind flitted to the sword still on her hip, and she had to resist the urge to just pull it out and slit her throat. Sometimes being a depressed ninja was a really really bad thing, especially with all the sharp objects within reach.

They were at the door of her apartment before her breathing finally started to even out. However, if Sae looked at her eyes, he would see the deranged look still in her eyes. Unconsciously, her chakra reached out and unlocked all of the locking seals around her door. The door swung in slightly and the light crystals shone softly.

(((ugh, short post is short... sorry about the wait)))

 

[Hanone]

Saemon walked into to her home, carrying with such ease it was as if he was carrying a small toy or doll. Once inside he pushed her door shut with his foot then walked her back to her room. He had to duck in the doorway as always then set the bronzed beauty on her bed. Saemon knelt down beside her and laid his head on the bed next to her own. He was not mad with her anymore.. he couldn't be. She was so broken and he feared the day he might ever hurt her himself.

Dull blues sought out bright ones, if they would catch his own. They were calmed; the storm was long gone. Instead there was the man there, nothing more than at her side. Whatever she needed he would oblige, he always did. "Mio..." he said, not really having words. He just spoke her short, fluid name with affection and a taste of sorrow.

Oh Mio...

 

[Hoshirei]

Her eyes met his for a moment before she seemed to disappear again. Now that she was on her bed, she could relax a little, but for the most part, she still felt dead. From the small glance, her rational mind knew that he wasn't angry anymore, and that seemed to spark a reaction from her. Her eyes brightened a bit more and her tense form seemed to relax. When he said her name, she came back even more. Her consciousness was climbing out of the blackness she had made to protect her heart and mind during every attack to her person.

After what seemed like ages, she was back enough to speak again.
"S-Saemon? I'm sorry, so sorry." A tear trailed from her eye as a shaky hand moved up to his face, just stopping short of touching it.
She still felt so disgusting. There was a reason she told the ANBU that she didn't want to be Nightmare any longer. It always reminded her of the night she slaughtered all those people. Sure they may have deserved it, but it always made her feel like less than a person.
"I-I'm so confused, Sae. I feel so inhuman sometimes." Her hands moved to fist in her long raven locks. "What am I, Sae? I don't even know anymore."

 

[Hanone]

Her pain was still there, unable to wane tonight. He remained patient and reached up to her hands, tangled in her own hair and smoothed his fingertips over the back of her own. "You are what you are, Mio. I am what I am... and we're all nothing more than pieces of events and memories in flesh." His voice was even and understanding. He lacked the desire to portray any sort of cliche in his words. He had meant what he said. And deep down, it's what he believed at a fundamental level.

The same hand moved away from hers and touched the tears running down her soft cheek. "Don't cry, Mio. Sleep, let this all wash away from you. Nightmares won't come for you tonight, I'll fight them off." there was no way for him to do that, but he would if he could. And sleep was what she needed now.

Saemon wondered if the girl would actually survive her misery though. She was so broken, he worried all the time he might come back and find her dead, her own throat slit and in a puddle of crimson. He could not bear the thought and what was worse, it made him think she would need stronger help than his own. Saemon couldn't even control himself most times.

 

[Hoshirei]

Mio listened to Saemon's words and they soothed the ache of her soul a bit more. Her fingers loosened and her hands came to rest in front of her. They itched for the steel she knew he always had on him. As if an answer to her urge, she felt the sword on her hip seem to resonate. Now fully aware, she forced herself to untie the sword from her hips and brought the hilt to her lips.
She whispered to the blade, "Allow me not to draw thee this night." The sword looked as if it glowed with an electric aura for a moment before it faded. Mio pushed the blade toward Saemon.
"Please place this under the bed. I don't- I don't want to be t-tempted." Her eyes watered as she looked away in shame.

 

[Hanone]

He didn't judge her, simply grabbed hold of the blade she offered him and slid it under the bed as she asked. He didn't have to lean up for the motion, so remained calmly placed, kneeling beside the bed with his face laid near hers. When the blade was stowed, his hand returned to her delicate features. He traced the line of her upper lip and caught a way ward tear lingering near the corner there.

He wouldn't leave her until she was asleep and even then he would probably stay there all night. Too long he'd been away from her, and too much longer he would be away again. His life was taking him longer and longer, more and more away from Mio. He wondered... but then not tonight.

Saemon lifted his head, but only to shift his other hand under his chin where he could rest on top of it more solidly. His scruffy face was in need of a shave, but he didn't care. Maybe tomorrow, he thought. Tonight he would stay here. And if she didn't sleep, then he would stay all the same. "Tell me a story, Mio." he told her, not really asking, but more like... directing. "Make something up." He hoped it would take her mind off her sorrows and let her lull to tiredness.

 

[Hoshirei]

A story? He wanted to hear a story? She had plenty of stories to tell, but to make one up? She never was the best at that. A couple of deep breaths settled her mind and allowed her to settle on a story she could tell.

"There once was a family who could use the weather to their will. They lived in a grassy area beside the great sands. All day long they would work hard so that they could rest at night. They loved all kinds of weather, but their favorite was electrical storms. They could feel one coming from miles around and would quickly finish their work so that they could revel in the beauty of rain and lightning.
During one such storm, the family was blessed with their first child, a daughter. They saw the timing of her birth as a magnificent gift, and such it was. The child seemed to embody the weather and from a very young age, seemed as fascinated with it as they were. As the girl grew, so did her love of the weather. She could tell how it would be the rest of the day, just by feeling the morning air.
Many people visited the family throughout the years, and as they got to know a few families better, they moved their set up closer to theirs. The families got along well, until one morning the girl woke up and warned them all of a drought. They all laughed at the six year old girl and went about their daily activities. After the sixth day of no rain, her parents believed her, but no one else did. After a month, however, suspicion was drawn upon the girl and her family. The heads of the other families forced them to call upon the rains, as was their 'duty'. The parents tried with all their might and could gather no more than a mist of rain.
'Perhaps you need a little persuasion.' one of the men said as they grabbed the girl by her long hair. She squealed in pain as she was lifted off the ground. 'You won't see her again until the rain comes. And don't try to look for her, you won't be able to get past the diamond sands.' The man smiled maliciously as he rode a wave of sand further into the desert. The girl's parents tried to run after the man they now knew as a sand controller, but it was to no avail.
It was many moons before the rain fell again upon that land, but the little girl remembers little of her first home, or the parents who raised her."

Mio yawned and her eyes fluttered closed for a moment. Your turn, Saemon. Do you have a story for me?" She hoped he did, his voice was so comforting. Perhaps she might be able to fall asleep if he told a story.