Let's Try This Again | [Req. Suika]

[Kita Shiori]

Brushing at her hakama, Shiori ducked down one narrow spindly street as she casually glanced over the open-air vendors hawking their trinkets and doo-dads. The street was smooth cobblestone beneath her bare feet but the towering buildings stood like crooked spines, leaning this way and that as they spilled to overhang the alley like fat-bellied old men. Shadows were cast pell-mell, the scent of grime and soot only growing stronger as she worked her way deeper into the external network of backstreets.

As she wound her way past civilians counting out coins and bartering for bits of scrap metal or chunks of quartz she couldn’t quite shake the feeling of being watched. More than likely paranoia; none of her instructors had much patience when it came to her almost daily foibles and would never have waited long enough for her to reach this back-water swell of a district before pouncing. That knowledge hadn’t helped earlier, when she was walking through the bright and airy fair near the Dawnbringer’s Plaza, twitching every time someone glanced her way. It didn’t help now, either.

It wasn’t as if she was skipping school, which would have been more suspicious than her tentative wanderings. No, siree, Kita Shiori did not have the death wish necessary to run off when someone might be actively looking for her. Classes had been cancelled and a free afternoon handed out like candy to starving children, the shock of it hitting her straight to the core even as she could taste the sweet sweet flavor of freedom. She had hidden away in the mass exodus of hyperactive and insane children, ducking her head and some-blessed-how not getting called back for whatever specious reason Fumiko-sensei might have come up with on the spot. Those first few seconds of fresh air and unguarded liberty had gone straight to her head and she’d almost danced her way to the Plaza with the rest of the rabid hoard.

It was only later, as Shiori began to realize what an opportunity this mystery release could turn into, that the paranoia truly bloomed. She had skittered along in a small gossiping knot of younger girls’ wake, coasting on the lapels of their normalcy, the whole time plotting the possibility of getting to the iron district unnoticed. She didn’t know for certain that anyone would actively try to stop her from visiting Junichiro, but she didn’t know that they wouldn’t, either. And the cost of a mistake might very well be the end of any such brief gasps of independence.

Which was why she had wasted over an hour walking in circles, stopping to stare glassy eyed at various stalls and even once shelling out her hard-bitten coin for a packet of sweet bread. Figuring she’d either slipped the leash, if there was one, or had enough plausible deniability built up from the wandering, she had headed deeper into the knot of crossroads where the less respectable and almost affordable smithies plied their wares.

Keeping up her steady stroll, she couldn’t help the smile as she saw the rows upon rows of freshly forged pots, nails, wheel-spokes, and even an impressive display of doors. Pausing to run her hands through a box of nails, she savored their upended weight against her fingertips and moved on only after a lingering glare from the lady behind the table. It wasn’t home, per se, but it was a sight closer than her everyday life, and the presence of so much iron made her heart swell.

WC: 585

 

[Suika]

There was nothing special about today. The snow-birds sang their usual hymn as the cold breeze of winter ran against her face. Despite the weather's chilly embrace, villagers and shinobi alike went about their daily business. Some held joyous smiles that were reinforced by the company of others, while others dressed themselves with a solemn demeanor backed with the luxuries of solitude. Suika usually fell into the latter of the two, but remained in-between due to the company of her black cat, Blackberry, that sat on her petite shoulder. With her hands hidden in the warmth of her large pink jacket, the gypsy girl made her usual pilgrimage, along with her familiar, to the village's marketplace. She just received wage from a recent mission, so she sought to stock up on, what she believed, were essential supplies.

“Pudding.” she muttered simply to her pet. The black cat purred in response.

The tan-skinned gypsy girl strolled quietly over to her go-to dessert shop. With a shrill voice that pierced through her aura of calmness, a short, bald man greeted her with a twinkle of avarice in his pupils. “My favorite customer, Suika! Pay day? Care for the usual?” The 'usual' typically meant a generous purchase of his inventory. The girl responded with a subtle head shake. “Not today, Pudding-san. I just got paid, but I can't blow it all on your fine desserts. Blackberry needs food and I require more shinobi tools.” The greedy merchant almost frowned in response, but he replaced it instantly a grin supported by his salesman's spirit. It was obvious to her, but the girl didn't care enough to point it out. “So be it.” After a speedy, formal exchange, Suika shifted her focus to the iron district within Dawnbringer's plaza. She opened a matcha green tea pudding cup, stuck in a cutesy-colored spoon, and plopped a decent-sized portion of the sugary delight in her mouth. With a pleased 'mmm', she shared some with Blackberry. He nuzzled her cheek with a kitty's gratitude.

It wasn't long that she found herself in her desired location. It was one she frequented often after she graduated from Kumo's academy. The familiar scent of metal and associated oils filled her nostrils as local blacksmiths' diligence reverberated throughout their district's proximity. The girl grinned. She was not a weapon's fanatic by any means, but she held deep admiration for the presence of rigor and sweat. These peddlers worked hard for their means of a survival. As a survivalist herself, she lacked nothing short of respect. Fascinations aside, it was time to get the job done. Suika approached a stand and handed the blacksmith a meticulous list of goods. Met with an assured nod, the iron-bending professional went to work. The girl opened another cup of pudding as her cat played with the metallic headband around her neck. Normally she'd reprimand Blackberry for his pestering actions, but the presence of pudding kept her soothed. Just as she was about to ingest a heaping spoonful, her eyes met a rosey-haired girl's.

For a second, her magenta eyes sparkled with subtle interest. The other girl was adorned with a fashionable hakama that complimented her slender, long figure. In the gyspy girl's limited perception, she radiated a type of elegance. “I need to consider switching up my style.” she mused as she casually glanced at her choice for attire. She usually wore the same outfit everyday. Being the fox she was, she glanced away stealthily as if her stare lacked intention. What followed was a clumsy occurrence.

“Blackberry!” she hissed as her sprite and mischievous cat pawed the pudding cup out of her hands. She possessed the reflex to save the pudding, but her pet's actions were followed by a hop onto her head after her verbal reprimand. The earth-toned dessert spilled on the thinly-iced surface below. The girl frowned. “I'll clean this up,” she apologetically gestured at the blacksmith before her. “Sorry about that.” She blushed and turned her head away as she equipped herself with a piece of cloth. She wasn't one to care about such trivial incidents and how they made her appear, but she did today. It wasn't often she was in company of children her age. Adults were easy to brush off, but the immature-nature that resided in her manifested itself.

 

[Kita Shiori]

Shiori paused at several shops, inquiring as to their prices and once leaning through a doorway to watch a powerfully muscled man pound away at a tiny bit of silver. Strange that, for an iron worker to switch metals out here. She was caught up in the delicate twist of his hands as he used wire pincers to pull strands of swiftly cooling silver free from the flattened nugget. Puzzling through the shape that was slowly being birthed, Shiori crab-stepped backwards when the man returned the silver to the flames of his forge and wiped at his face.

She had to ward off her curiosity, though it was passing hard to turn her back on the little shop and keep strolling. Mind occupied with all the opportunities that hunk of silver had, she reached a twist in the main street and paused clumsily like a mime meeting an invisible wall. It would be bad form to reach for the tiny piece of paper stuck between the hem of her haori and her chest bindings, worst to stand here gawking at signs, so she made a neat circuit and walked back the way she’d come. Chewing on her bottom lip, Shiori’s bright mood gained edges as she kicked at a loose piece of cobblestone.

This was the same street as last time, she was certain of it. She’d recognize that batty old lady in the fourth to last stall anywhere, and if not her then there was no mistaking the only forge built into one of the towers of the street itself that marked an end to this lane. Everyone else had the collapsible sorts, the ones you threw a few pieces of timber over if you’d be staying awhile or just unpacked in pieces for mobile work.
So the street was the same, but her quarry nowhere to be found. Shiori could ask, maybe, if she felt like coughing up some bribes – and if one thing was worth her precious money it would be this information. But then again, that would leave a trail she couldn’t easily erase or disguise. If she had known of another vendor who was friendly with Junichiro, the story would be different. Odds were in a place like this it was all competition, her silent father not much of a social creature at the best of times.

Weighing her options she lingered near the old lady’s table while thumbing a kitchen knife with a wicked edge. Before Shiori could decide whether to cut her losses or dive in further she heard a strange noise to her right, a black cat of all things leaping through the air after unsettling some poor child’s snack. The animal landed atop the child’s head, looking far too calm and self-satisfied for this to be a new occurrence. Indeed, the girl in question didn’t shriek or try to bat the cat away like most would, but instead went about cleaning up the mess with beleaguered familiarity.

The scene was so odd, and so off-tune from her spiraling thoughts, that Shiori couldn’t muffle the laugh that escaped her throat unasked for. Placing her fingertips against her lips, more to cover for the lapse, she approached the young girl with a wary glance at the feline. She had never seen a cat like this, smooth and almost precocious under those animal eyes. To be fair, Shiori had only ever seen the rabid sort of cats that came crawling into the outer courtyard of the shrine when the snows were taller than a horse's head and there was nowhere else for them to go. They growled and hissed their way through the weeks of impassable winter before scampering off into the wild at the first snow melt without a single thank you for all the scraps sacrificed in their name.

This one, though, made no move to claw at her face or lunge through her feet, so she pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and smiled warmly at the girl. Closer now, she couldn’t ignore the subtle signs she had been trained to look for, the callouses on those small hands and the ready set of her shoulders. Oh, Shiori thought to herself, briefly disappointed at her insight but pushing past it as she leaned down to wipe away the last of the pudding residue.

“Don’t worry about that too much, Daisuke-san won’t even notice unless you got it all over his anvil,” she smiled reassuringly at the kunoichi, before pointing towards the blacksmith who was engrossed in his work and had yet to even glance in their direction. He would have spun right around hammer swinging if curious hands had tried to pilfer anything from his show-table, but it was like a sixth sense and they had yet to trip it so long as they got rid of the mess quickly.

It wasn’t difficult, the cool temperature leaving a layer of brittle ice over most solid constructs, table included, which formed a buffer from anything staining. Her handkerchief was the sort of muted grey-black that could have originally been any dark color and just the sort to hide green stains, though it had proven adept at both tea and blood earlier in the month. Shiori made a few last deft swipes to ensure completion before folding the cloth back into a neat square and holding it in her hands.

“There, nothing to it,” she nodded in satisfaction. As Shiori straightened and turned to face the girl more openly she inevitably found herself staring at the cat. Those round eyes unblinking from his perch, nearly level with her chest and in a perfect position to pounce. Rubbing at the bridge of her nose, she took a cautious step back to give the beast some more space, the same smile as before worming its way back into wattage. “I didn’t know cats could do that. Won’t he fall?” She made a small gesture towards the girl’s head, before flushing ever so faintly at her own ignorance.

 

[Suika]

As the kunoichi knelt to clean up the sugary mess caused by her naughty feline, she was joined by the girl she spotted previous to this incident. Said girl graciously reached for her own handkerchief and selflessly came to the gypsy's aid. Suika's blushing intensified. “Oh, that's not necessar-” Blackberry interrupted her flushed gesture with a loud 'meow'. Suika glanced upward and slanted her expression. He was proving quite meddlesome today. With a few handy wipes on the floor's surface, the flustered gypsy wiped her brow and poised herself. “Thanks.” She offered the helpful, tall girl an appreciative smile. Suika wasn't used to the charity of others, especially since she seldom accepted it. Everything, in her opinion, had its price; no one did anything for free. In this case, she was pleasantly surprised by the girl's small act of selflessness. It softened her a bit as she accepted the girl's cheerful approach.

“Actually, he's a shinobi-in-training.” confessed the petite Genin as she motioned to her shoulder. The young cat replied with obedience and transferred his perch. She continued. “This is Blackberry. I rarely take him out in public, as you can see why...” The dark-coated cat purred and nuzzled against the girl's tan skin. Suika rolled her eyes; he wasn't off the hook that easily. She redirected her attention toward the older girl and sustained her friendly grin. “I'm Suika, by the way. Again, I appreciate your help.” In midst of her dialogue, the blacksmith began to stack a neat pile of Suika's requested goods on the metallic workman table besides them. On the greased cloth sat brandished kunai and shuriken. He left them for his forge as he went to create more fine weaponry. Suika sent him an acknowledged nod as he continued his diligent pace.

“Do you work here?” she inquired curiously as she examined the blades before her. Normally, she wasn't one to enter any form of small talk. Suika exercised social etiquette solely out of necessity, but she recently vowed herself to be more open to others. Maybe this was a good place to start? “You seem very comfortable here.” It was a minor observation she accumulated within the past few minutes. She wasn't nosy, but her keen intuition often led her to formulated assumptions.

 

[Kita Shiori]

Her smile lost a shade or two of warmth as the girl introduced her cat. A Shinobi-cat? Like, like a nin-dog or something? “Oh, oh,” Shiori didn’t quiet stutter, it was more of a low emphatic groan as her mistake hit her head-on. Raiden’s earlobes! Here she was trying to be nice and she’d already insulted the cat. Straightening to her full height, shoulders back, Shiori bowed stiffly to the cat (ninja?) who was now glued to the girl’s shoulder like someone had applied a sticking jutsu. “Sorry about that, Blackberry-san! Nice to meet you!”

Lifting her chin, she flicked a tuft of hair out of her eyes and grinned. “Uh, yeah, I have to admit I wasn’t expecting that.” Was anyone expecting a ninja cat? If so, she had a lot more to learn before becoming a Genin. Shaking her head, she bowed again as the girl offered up her name, this one far more laid back and fluid. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Suika-san. And it was no concern, really.” She waved one hand in front of her face, as if to brush away the words. Shiori felt herself flush as she was thanked once again, unsure how she was supposed to treat someone younger than her but higher in rank. Was this formal? Oh Raiden, she sucked at being formal. Hopefully this wasn’t formal.

Distracted by Daisuke’s propitious return Shiori watched him pile his wares before Suika and waved politely at his nod. Reaching for the nearest blade, she paused, hand hovering over metal still faintly warm from the heart of the forge. She didn’t want to touch the weapons, not wishing to insult Suika or shed ill-luck on them, but she was curious nonetheless. Tugging at the corner of cloth so she could survey the pile of gear better, Shiori tilted her head back and forth while she inspected. There was a burnish to the kunai that she wasn’t familiar with, but it didn’t look as if it affected the tang and the edges were perfectly cast. It could just be a difference in oxidization.

Pulling back, Shiori caught Daisuke’s gaze and shrugged apologetically before giving him a thumbs up. The man said nothing, but she got the hint. No more messing with his wares in front of the paying customers. “Yup! These are nice, you’re going to want to test the weight, to see if they work for your height, but Daisuke-san does good work. Not many can make kunai for smaller hands without getting a brittle mess.” It was an honest assessment, and if she spoke a little louder than necessary, well, Shiori understood how hard it was to make a living off of word of mouth.

Threading her fingers together before her, she stepped to the side to give the kunoichi more space with her weapons. The question caught her off guard, but not so much so as to trip her up. Shiori smiled wryly, lips torn between humor and tiredness. “Oh no, I don’t work here. I used to help out at a smithy back home, though. I guess you can’t forget that sort of thing.” Daisuke wouldn’t sell her out, he was actually pretty nice beneath that businessman frown, but she wasn’t so sure about the crazy lady one shop down.

Not that it mattered. Shiori wasn’t lying, had quickly learned that it was better to omit or walk around a truth than attempt to fabricate untruths. The past wasn’t over with, not for her, despite the thick black line the Academy had tried to draw in her file. She would never be able to walk away from this, but she also hadn’t even thought for a second about going along with Suika’s assumption and pretending for a day. Whatever it was that Shiori was doing now, whatever path she trod, it wasn’t going to end in the steel district. The line was thick enough for that, an amputation that had taken the muscle and bone but left a thread of skin and phantom memories.

Twisting her hands, Shiori shook off the morass and smiled brightly again. It was what it was. “No, I’m actually a student!” she was cheerful, because what else was there to be? Kumo had dragged her here kicking and screaming, but she’d never let them get away with thinking she wasn’t hard enough to bear it. No, the minute she’d seen her first spark of chakra she’d let all that go. She was going to be a Shinobi. Okay then, that was that. “At the Academy,” she hastened to add, as if the explanation was necessary, though she certainly wasn’t dressed like a clerk or a magistrate’s daughter.

 

[Suika]

Mirroring his master's not-so-subtle reaction, Blackberry the cat blank curiously alongside Suika. The other girl's cheery demeanor diminished after Suika explained to her Blackberry's militaristic role. Was she a civilian against the shinobi hierarchy? Suika took no offense; in fact, she grew a deeper respect for the girl before her. Contrary to popular belief in this village, shinobi, in the gypsy's opinion, were nothing to be praised in the type of grandeur that they were. In fact, the opposite should be held true. The kunoichi could rant endlessly about this, but the fact still stood. She shook her head in Blackberry's stead. “It's okay. Blackberry and I don't mind,” she assured with a calming grin. She then brushed her calloused hands along her cat's darkened coat as he emitted an agreeable purr. “It was actually Blackberry's decision to become a ninja-in-training. He can't stand away from my side, so this is the path he chose.” Her instincts hinted to her the possibility of the girl's rejection, but the truth, to her, was better revealed than not at this point. What did she have to lose? Her weighted options were quite light.

Suika tilted her head as the rosey-haired girl fiddled with the sharp, brandished weaponry besides them. She definitely was comfortable. “Nice to know.” she replied as she joined in on the girl's inspection. With a swift and expert twirl of a kunai, she expressed her satisfaction with a repeated nod. It was weighted perfectly. "Nice." The gypsy then intently listened to the rest of the girl's spiel. “Makes sense. I hope you're enjoying your new home in Kumogakure.” That notion was dressed with a combination of both sincerity and sympathy. The former performer knew all-too-well the toll of being brought out of one's former lifestyle and environment. She wasn't sure her feelings, but Suika, despite months having dwelt in Kumogakure, still faced some trouble adjusting.

"A student? Neat!" she exclaimed with a feigned excitement. Another child recruited for the purpose of killing and fulfilling the village's agenda? Hm. "Are you enjoying your studies at the academy? I recently graduated myself..." she then paused as her face glowed with a faint curiosity. "If I may ask, what is your name? I didn't catch it." Suika's tranquil eyes rested on the slender girl as she awaited a response. Blackberry emulated his master's patient focus as he asserted a quiet 'meow'.

 

[Kita Shiori]

Shiori stared at the cat. Again. This time though her features were suffused not with a wary caution but a deep regard. She had assumed, incorrectly, that this was one of those animals bred to follow their ninja master’s into battle. Like the famed Inuzuka and their nin-dogs. Why else would there be a small creature taken onto the field? The idea that Blackberry hadn’t been born into his lot, that he had chosen it because of his love for Suika, it was rather romantic. Perhaps she should have been more skeptical about a cat being able to make decisions or understand risks, but Shiori had understood instinctively that there was something off about this feline, something elevated in the way it watched the world around it and treated the young kunoichi. It wasn’t as far fetched as she would have thought before entering Kumogakure. Maybe he was blessed by the spirits.

A newfound respect made her give the cat a more thorough once-over, not just for niceties sake this time. She wasn’t sure she could imagine anyone voluntarily wishing to be a ninja. It made the gesture all the starker for the cat had had other options, probably, like staying at home and waiting for Suika when she was away on missions. Was his devotion that strong, that he couldn’t bear the separation, or more aptly the lack of knowledge or control? Blackberry took that moment to bunt his furry little forehead against Suika’s chin, purring faintly like an overly satisfied toddler.

“I see, that’s very admirable, Blackberry-san. You’ve chosen a difficult path.” The story stirred at something inside her, the skirl of emotions darkly painful but all the sweeter for it. Shiori wondered if someone would have done that for her, if they had loved her that much? If Junichiro would have become a ninja alongside her, were it possible. For surely he loved her as far as the earth was long, and yet the image of eternal sacrifice wasn’t something she could imagine. He was a creator, someone who reshaped the old and gave life itself, not a destroyer. He was meant for the forge, sparks floating in the air as the heat roiled through a darkened room. That was where the Ancestors had placed him, and who was she to wish for anything else?

Shiori smiled, this one just as bright as her previous but somehow made solemn by her direct gaze. “You will protect her, won’t you, Blackberry-san?” The cat who was not just a cat seemed to catch her eye, those burnished copper bits glinting in the sunlight. Maybe it was her imagination, maybe not, but Shiori felt that the creature understood.

She clapped her hands before her, a soft thump like the drum beat at the shrine, scattering her spiraling thoughts as one might cast off evil spirits. She inclined her head towards the cat, honest in her deference, before swiveling back to Suika with a bright air. “Oh, you’re right! I’m so careless, please forgive me!” She shook her hands out, shoulders wiggling as Shiori realized her lack of manners. It was endlessly strange to live in a place like this, teeming with life and yet no two humans connected beyond invisible paperwork. Back home everyone had known her name. Even the town where she had completed her civilian education she had never had to introduce herself for someone to know who she was. Either through their own merit or because of the network of small town life which drew one soul up close against another no matter their predilection.

She might get away with blaming her lapse on the brand-new pile of iron, but in truth Shiori had forgotten that the other girl wasn’t cognizant of those invisible webbings. The Academy was insular at best, most students aware of the tall older girl in their midst through rumor if not direct contact. She would have to be more careful, not to assume so many great things! “I’m Kita Shiori, nice to meet you, Suika-san!” Repetition, but formality took the sting out of her awkward societal stumbling.

Rubbing at the bridge of her nose, she pondered, “The studies? They are very interesting, of course.” Here Shiori gauged her audience’s reaction, unclear what sort of environment she was walking into. Most everyone agreed that the Academy was like one of those newfangled steam-powered automobiles, awe-inspiring but just as likely to flatten you when you looked away. Still, a lot of those intrepid souls who hadn’t been press-ganged into service thought the honor of attendance outweighed the insanity of the coursework. And Shiori, who was slowly improving each month that went by, was beginning to see why they might feel that way. She would never be as rabid in her belief, but the things they were learning, the arrogance and ability they were gaining like a second skin was wholly unfamiliar to a blacksmith’s daughter like herself. It was nice, in that odd almost alien way, to realize that she was strong – that they were teaching her to be strong, not just mentally but physically.

“I like Genjutsu the best, truthfully. I don’t have much chakra, so it’s nice to have to think about things rather than throw your weight around.” Oh, that could be perceived as insulting if the other girl was all into Taijutsu or something… Shiori nibbled on the inside of her cheek before shrugging it off. Suika didn’t look like a cinderblock-house, but then again unlike how civilian instincts were applied, a ninja was taught right out of the gate not to rely on appearance alone.

“Well, Genjutsu and Tactics are my favorites right now. But since you’ve already graduated, you must be really good, right? I’ve always wondered…” she paused, stumbling over her flagging confidence. Was asking advice from a full-fledged shinobi impertinent? It’s just, Suika wasn’t acting like Shiori was her underling, so she had fallen into a sense of comfort that perhaps she didn’t deserve. “Well, the instructors often tell us that it is good to have favorite subjects, that all ninja specialize after a certain point. But I’ve always thought, isn’t that a bit narrow? Wouldn’t we be more effective if we could do everything well?”

The question sounded just as dumb out of her mouth as it had in her head, the exact reason why she’d never queried Fumiko-sensei on this topic. Specialization happened the world over, in every industry. It’s just most people once they chose their field weren’t likely to run into their cast over options in a life or death panorama on a monthly basis like Shinobi would. It had nagged at her, that concern, ever since her class had been instructed to start strategizing on what they were best at, what role they might play in the field. Shiori wasn’t a complete failure, she knew what things came to her more easily than others, but she couldn’t help the thoughts. Wouldn’t it be better to pave over your weaknesses than to focus on sharpening your strengths? How else could you protect your flank? She had accepted that her life belong to a new cause now, that it was no longer only hers to cherish, but Shiori wasn’t yet ready to throw it away because of narrow-minded vision.

 

[Suika]

Upon the girl's flustered apology, Suika tilted her head with a few curious blinks. She then smiled as an unfamiliar amusement filled her face. “No need to get so worked up. It's a pleasure, Shiori-san.” In that moment, the gypsy's familiar meow'd in loud response. In fact, his call was so booming that its reverberation almost overpowered the harsh clanging of metals near the trio. The kunoichi reacted with a startled hop and instantly shifted her observing sights onto him. “Blackberry?” Her cat was famous for his zany antics, but the volume of his animal speech never broke through average audial barriers. Was he trying to relay a message to his master? After a few seconds of thoughtful and speedy deduction, Suika shook her head as she expressed disbelief with an overt eye roll.

“Sorry to be a nuisance,” her face slanted as her gaze remained fixated on her troublemaker of a cat, “but I think Blackberry has taken a liking to you, Shiori-san. He wants to nuzzle you.” While Suika was skeptical of most people with a cynicism that fortified her social guard, Blackberry, against the protocols of his rearing, was proving to be the opposite. The cat meow'd again with an increasingly more boisterous cry. Suika sighed. “Is that fine?” If the rosy-haired girl accepted, Blackberry would make his hastened ascent toward the student's shoulder and rub his soft, furry head against her youthful cheeks. If not, he'd emit a soft purr while staring at Shiori intently. Regardless, Suika shook it off and continued her seemingly smooth and flowing conversation with the girl.

“Yeah, there is definitely a lot to learn.” It was then that she entered a small reminiscence of her time at the academy. She was praised as a natural in her studies and abilities, but still dealt with odious characters who brought forth to her unpalatable experiences. A certain individual came to mind. Her calm, cheery grin was unaltered as her inner persona exuded a deep grimace. Damn Shieo.

“Genjutsu and tactics, ay? Best choice.” With a smirk that reeked with more authenticity, Suika's attention was caught like carp on a baited hook. Although she possessed very few areas of interests, the illusory arts toppled over most. It was a developed passion whose embers sparked into a noticeable flame. Her magenta eyes lit with gusto as her body language mimicked the engagement of her fervor-filled tone. “Those are actually my own top preferences for battle and study. Illusions, backed with a strategic mind, can prove devastating for opponents.” Suika was totally geeking out. “And you're right to a certain degree, Shiori. It's important to be well-versed in most areas to cover your weaknesses, but we live in a world where most hold a specialty and are increasing in that strength daily. A master of nothing is an interesting tactical defense, but an area of expertise alongside can definitely give you the advantage you need. It's pretty imperative for a survivalist to go that extra mile.” She took a deep breath. That was the most she's uttered in months.

In fact, and unbeknownst to her, this conversation was the lengthiest she held with anyone for years. She was generally frugal with her speech and seldom sought elongated social interactions. Although she lacked self-realization, at this moment, she felt a glint of an excitement that differed from most she's experienced. Her guard was lessened. “Excuse me, Shiori-san, I got a bit carried away. Moral of the story, keep at it and you'll be a fine shinobi in no time.” Suika paused. She replayed the prior verbalized sentence in her head repeatedly. Did she really just encourage someone decent into shinobihood? She corrected herself as her voice was now coated with a somber undertone. “I mean, if you so choose.” She averted her sights toward the blacksmith besides them. The kunoichi caught notice of a pile of shinobi tools that doubled in size since her last noted observation. Her order was almost complete. She turned toward the tall, slender student again with her typical soft, cheery smile. At this point, Blackberry would hop back onto his master's shoulder if Shiori had accepted his earlier request for embrace.

“Are you waiting for an order, too, or just hanging out?” asked the gypsy with an almost distracted look on her face. Her last utterance struck something innate in her. She disguised it as best as she could.

 

[Kita Shiori]

The yowling cat derailed any internal criticism as Shiori flinched, her gaze jerking back to land on the feisty little creature as Blackberry let out another low-pitched cry. Was he truly spirit-taken? Did cats normally make these noises? Suika herself appeared taken aback, the little girl staring quizzically up at her cat. Shiori didn’t budge, neither stepping away nor coming closer, her hands itching for Junichiro’s kunai secreted away in her sleeve. She had never been attacked by a spirit before, but the priestesses had instilled a healthy fear of the future possibility. Just because Blackberry was protecting Suika didn’t mean he had been touched by a kind spirit, or one that cared for other living beings.

The cat made another low cry, this one almost pitiful in nature compared to his first raucous scream. Those unblinking eyes found her own and Shiori stopped breathing. The Head Priestess always said cats could take your soul, and while she figured hers was pretty thoroughly rooted to the earth she wasn’t interested in finding out either. Conjuring up iron ore in her mind’s eye, she focused on tracing each rivet and fold, feeling the immense weight of her mental ballast.

Suika must have been in tune with the spirits for the child interpreted Blackberry’s strange behavior. “Blackberry-san wants to…” like a doll repeating back what had been said, Shiori mouthed the words in search for meaning. Then she paled, ever so slightly, before her shoulders went back and her mouth tightened. The ninja-cat continued to watch her, intent without discernible emotion.

She had never touched a cat before.

Blackberry certainly didn’t seem to think this an impediment and Shiori squared off before pulling on a far too confident grin. “Well, if Blackberry-san wants to, then who am I to say no?” False bravado, perhaps, but the cat took it in stride, hopping across the divide like some feathered creature to land neatly on her shoulders. Shiori almost stumbled but the cat had perfect balance, it was more from shock than the impact, and she turned her head wide-eyed as those copper-bits came in close.

“Oh…” it was like steam finally breaking free of a bucket, relief racing the heels of reverence. “You’re so soft, Blackberry-san,” she murmured, frozen in place as the cat nuzzled her cheek and a slow steady rumble spread from her neck to the rest of her body. The cat was heavy on his perch, no ghostly weight or clawed attachment. Hesitantly, pausing more than once, Shiori reached up to pat the cat’s head, following his lead as she rubbed around his chin and ears.

Perhaps the spirits were watching today, for Suika took this in stride and had even espoused a similar view on Genjutsu – the tiny girl practically lit up at the topic, her posture transitioning to smooth excitement as she shed the first layer of the preparedness that had kept her apart. It was a delight to watch, this calm cool child of a kunoichi becoming animated, like life to stone. It didn’t take anything away from the girl’s inherent promise of violence, her eyes bright but still sharp as shale. And yet, Shiori wondered if this right now was the girl herself, the person beneath the hitai-ate.

Blackberry must have felt it too, for the cat rubbed his head against her cheek one last time before returning to his friend’s side. Feeling oddly cold without the cat’s touch, Shiori just bowed in what was meant to be a cheeky gesture but somehow flowed out all serious and formal, “Thank you, Blackberry-san.”

She liked the way that Suika talked about their art. A survivalist… wasn’t that what Shinobi were, at their core? Those who endured, who walked through fire and pain and rigorous expectations, never unscathed but always intact. “Like a blade,” Shiori muttered, the words slipping out as she contemplated Suika’s mini-lecture. “You need more than just the core, but without balance between strength and tensility the structure cannot hold even the sharpest of edges.” Was the Academy the forge, then? Or perhaps it was every instance of a Shinobi’s life, each mission a new birth, another chance to be tempered?

Shaking her head, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled at the girl. Not a child, despite what Shiori wanted to think. So wise for her age. “Well, perhaps you’d be the sword in this metaphor. I’m more like nails.” The shrine-girl tilted her head back, questing for the faint sunlight that managed to filter through the clouds today. She wouldn’t mind that so much. This reframing of her lot in life. To be a nail was to be eternally useful, without her existence nothing could stand, and yet it was a quiet task. Something she could bend herself to without reservation. Let others take on the complexity of the thousand-fold katana or the keenness of a tanto, she would be the one to survive.

A startled glance stole its way from her grasp, Shiori pausing in mid-thought as Suika lauded her struggles. No one had ever told her that she could be good at this. It was usually more along the lines of, keep at it and maybe you won’t die, or the ubiquitous, try again, Kita, do you think you’re still safe in that little village of yours? (Which, she was cognizant enough to recognize were said as motivators but never failed to add fuel to her raging internal doubts.)

Just as she opened her mouth to reply, perhaps with a flowery thank you, Suika hesitated and Shiori fell silent herself. The follow-up refrain was out of character for the fluidly controlled girl Shiori had been talking to these past few minutes, and it took her a bit to process the pivot. If she so chose? As if there were any other choices? Silence stretched like an inchworm, bit by bit, and the solemn air shattered as Shiori cast a radiant smile at the kunoichi. This was someone who understood what it was like. To stand on the margins, corralled into the group through no choice of her own and yet unable to leave. “I see. Thank you for your advice, Suika-san. I will be sure to take it under advisement.”

It felt a bit like a present. This sliver of reality that Suika had extended. Shiori got the feeling that the girl was not usually so forthcoming, that she stood there waiting, in many ways like Shiori waited, for the trap to spring. She wanted to honor that trust, and where she had nothing of worth to impart, no advice or guidance, Shiori did have a weakness of her own to casually display. She, too, could open to allow for a glimpse of vulnerability.

“I was looking for someone, actually. Classes ended early today, so we have the time off, and I normally don’t have the chance to come out here.” Gaze as steady as her exhalations. It wasn’t the telling that was difficult. “My instructors don’t approve. A seedling needs fresh soil when it is repotted, you know?” There it was, the crux of the issue, like a punch to the solar plexus. Her smile stayed firmly affixed, growing wistful at the edges.

In for iron, in for gold, yeah? Shiori turned just as Daisuke brought forth another handful of goods, catching his eye when he lay the treasures down. Leaning gently against his display table, she held still to keep from fiddling with his wares, “Would you tell him I came by, if you see him again, Daisuke-san?”

The metalworker glowered, his moustache twitching, but underneath the gristle she recognized the spark of kindness. Competition made strange bedfellows, and no one could deny that Junichiro had swept into this district and stolen customers away – and yet… Daisuke waved one bulky arm, shooing her away from his shuriken display. “I’ll tell him, kid, now stop distracting the payin’ kind.”

Shiori danced away from the blow, all smiles and good cheer. She waved in a genteel fashion, fingers curling delicately against her palms, before adding a few over the top bows as the man grew more visibly flustered. “Oh, thank you Daisuke-san! I always have said you’re the best on Akagane Lane!” Darting back once again from a more determined swat, Shiori swerved until she was half hiding behind Suika’s tiny bulk, laughter pealing forth like diamonds.

“Sorry! Sorry, I’m leaving! Really!” trying to stifle her giggles, the older trainee pointed meekly by Blackberry’s face, angling her gesture towards the iron worker’s table. “I think your order is done, Suika-san!” It was a stage whisper, dramatics for the sake of dramatics, but there was a relief blooming wide and mighty in her chest that she couldn’t just ignore. Like weeds taking root in her ribcage, roots curling in curlicues around her bones and tickling her spine.

 

[Suika]

It was definitely heartening to witness her cat's growing bond with the other girl. Her natural instincts were usually slanted with mistrust, so it was nice to lean on her familiar's genuine kitty discernment. It brought the gypsy a tint of joy as they interacted, but it further led her to expanding feelings of guilt as she pressed more the shinobi aspects of the conversation. After all, Shiori, in Suika's point of view, appeared to be a more than a halfway decent person. Why was someone like this condemned to the violent path of the ninja?

Her silence was matched by the tall, slender student before her. She, too, looked calm... almost thoughtful. Suika bit onto her lip as her eyes shifted. Was her regretful and solemn undertone obvious? Or maybe there was a deeper reason hidden in the depths of Shiori's past? Not being the empathetic spirit she sometimes wished she was, the kunoichi had not caught on to her own reckless choice of words. She almost felt bad for the subtle reaction she stirred, but the rosy-haired girl broke the quiet with a gesture of gratitude. Suika inwardly sighed in relief.

As Shiori explained her presence in the plaza, Suika tilted her head with a mute curiosity. Everything about the girl was so simple. She had substantial height for her age, yes, so she definitely stood out, but, to an unobservant eye, her reactions could have seemed plain. The mystical gypsy girl, Suika, thought contrary. In fact, she found Shiori's reactions through her verbal responses and gestures very intriguing. She, in some ways, reminded her of herself, but maybe a tad less smooth in execution. Blackberry enjoyed her company and, in many ways, Suika did, too. This was a rare occurrence that seldom took place. “Looking for someone?” she mused to herself as Shiori entered conversation with the brawny, hard-working blacksmith besides them. After their exchange, the student proclaimed her soon-exit as the iron-worker finished the kunoichi's listed goods. With sparkling metals that radiated some leftover heat, Suika's eyes widened in wonderment. “You did a great job, sir. Thanks so much."</B><i></i> Without much formality, she exchanged currency for her goods and equipped herself a bag to carry her equipment in. She then shifted her attention toward the student.

“Shiori-san, you mentioned you had to depart soon,”<i></i> she blushed again. It was more hidden than earlier, but was noticeable at the proximity the duo spoke, “but if you ever want to meet again or, yanno, grab pudding or something...” she hesitated as her darkened cat meow'd lightly as if he bellowed 'get on with it'. Suika grinned nervously. <B>“...Let's just hang out again sometime, yes? Blackberry likes you, and I can definitely teach you a thing or two about genjutsu. If you're anything like me, getting the upper edge on your classmates and other shinobi will prove most beneficial. That is, if you want, of course.”<i></i> It was then that the girl reached into her pouch, scrambled through its contents, and pulled out a piece of parchment and an inked pen. “If you ever want to contact me, this is how.”<i></i> She then handed Shiori the informative slip containing said info.

Blackberry purred after his master's surprisingly friendly and social approach. Suika never cared for making friends or getting to know people, but her otherworldly instincts gravitated her toward certain individuals for reasons she was unable to fathom. For all she gathered, Shiori was potentially some psychopathic maniac bent on a malevolent purpose, but she knew that was way out of bounds. Instead, she witnessed an older girl with a magnetic pull backed by a soothing persona. Thanks to her perky, mischievous cat and her gut-intuition, Suika was able to make today's bold risk. Hopefully, and for her sake, there were no drawbacks. "This is unlike me. This is unlike me and, maybe, this is the start of something worthwhile."

 

[Kita Shiori]

She couldn’t help but approve of someone who appreciated her childhood art. Suika’s effusive reaction to her finished order was enough to melt the last dregs of Shiori’s concern, liquid-silver soldering around her heart. Smiling from behind Suika, she even caught sight of Daisuke’s broad-shouldered shrug, his eyes twinkling as he accepted the ninja-coin and slipped it away. Commerce was commerce, but it was nice, sometimes, to have a buyer who was polite and interested in the wares.

Shiori had a feeling few people complimented Daisuke on a daily basis, let alone two young women. He was covering his surprise well, but like many secrets half-buried Shiori knew it did him good. It had been two years now since his daughter had passed, taken in a city-wide illness that had taxed even the god-like gifts of the medical-ninja. Some part of her wondered if knowing that, and calculating on it, made her a bad person, or whether her intentions washed it away? Taking care to stay between Suika and him, her sentimental thoughts edged with natural caution for his long arm, Shiori just ogled his work from afar and nodded contently as the younger girl accepted the full order.

The purple-haired kunoichi settled her purchases at her hip and turned smoothly towards Shiori, those eyes like dark flowing water. She could see the movement, but never tell how deep or swift it ran. “Yes, unfortunately I really should be heading back now, Suika-san,” Shiori’s smile was bright, chased on all sides by an ancient exhaustion. She would have liked to have stayed longer, but there was only so thin a person could pull a strand of silver before it snapped. Her time was running out.

The meticulous mask the younger girl had shown for most of their meeting paled, waxen layers peeling away as Shiori caught a glimpse of something further. Suika reddened, more of a burnished copper, before reaching into her bag for a slip of paper and extended more trust than Shiori would have ever expected within her cupped fingers.

Blinking, somewhat flabbergasted at this offer of… of what? Friendship? Companionship? Instruction, even? It was too much, in a city ringed by mountain peaks and encircled in chilly cloud cover. Shiori didn’t know how to take this, had been expecting, in fact, a simple separation. Suika had gotten what she had come here for, and Shiori had been nothing more than a blip on her radar, a momentary passing of time.

The cat was the one to shake her from her reverie, those copper-bits glinting in the weak sunlight as Blackberry meowed. There was something unearthly about a cat’s cry, something in the pitch that struck you in your bones and made you want to respond. Like a visceral need almost, a programmed reaction to that plaintive sound. Shiori was reaching for the paper before she’d consciously committed to the act, staring in awe at the scrap of crystalized trust that rested so neatly in her palm.

She knew two addresses in total, had them memorized from front to back. The first was the town closest to her mountain shrine. The second Junichiro’s now empty stall on Akagane Street. She knew in her heart, like a lodestone, the twisting path back to the Academy. The star-lit goat trails up the mountainside to the shrine. These were knowledges built up in her sinew, intuition and gut reactions that relied little on the visual cues. Even in her sleep, sometimes, she climbed that mountain. The paths melting away, the rocky outcroppings shearing off, clouds dripping like overstretched wool and still she knew where to go.

No one had ever given her a path to a person, marking out the crosshatches and lines of approach. It felt at once painfully familiar, like brushing up against fire bare skinned, and yet similar to that emotion was the deeply pitched yawning chasm of desire that came burbling forth. She wanted this, dangerous as it was. She wanted it very badly, and hadn’t even noticed the lack until it had been offered up.

Shiori folded the slip of paper, neat squares, and slipped it beside the note from Junichiro. Her eyes never strayed from Suika, half certain the girl would poof into smoke, a spirit’s cruel joke, the moment she looked away. It wasn’t the girl she felt such awe for, though, not truly. It was her actions, this implicit kindness that Shiori had never asked for, never done anything to deserve. Suika herself, and the cat, they were neither spirit-formed nor spun glass, and Shiori did her best to compartmentalize her shock and relief in order to respond appropriately.

“I would enjoy that, truly.” Shiori bowed, first to Suika and then to Blackberry, just as deep each time. Her face was polished brass, smooth and distant. “Thank you very much for the offer, Suika-san.”

She lifted from her bow, a graceful arch to one brow as Shiori smirked into her next words, “I don’t think I’ve ever had the chance to eat pudding before,” here she looked at the discarded cup, bits of green concealing on the plastic. “Ah, but if you say it is good, I’m sure you are right.” There was a banked mirth to her soft needling as Shiori glanced towards Blackberry and had to work hard to maintain her calm exterior. Was it just her, or was that cat laughing too?

As much as she enjoyed these sorts of games, Shiori didn’t want to consume even more of Suika’s time. The square of paper was heavy against her collarbone, prickling with an unwonted weight as Shiori stepped backwards almost into the still flowing line of traffic. “I’m certain we will meet again, if that is what you wish. After all, Raiden-sama has his eye on Kumogakure. Surely he will not have blinked and missed this meeting.”

Whether the great spirit had heard her or not, Shiori did believe that a ninja’s life was rife with more coincidence than their counterparts. It would only be fair for these two to cross paths again, a fate she now had control over with the information pressed against her heart. Waving jauntily to Blackberry, Shiori pivoted and re-entered the winding river of pedestrians, almost at once swallowed up and swept away as she glided through the crowd.

---> Topic Exit?

 

[Suika]

“Never had pudding before? Well, then, it's settled, Shiori-san! Right, Blackberry?” the mischievous cat hummed cheerily in response. With eyes that sparkled with a subtle, anticipated hope, Suika nodded assuredly.

It was nothing short of an odd occurrence that Suika opened herself to the extent which she did today. She was a stalwart with a fortified mind that blocked most opportunities for relationship beyond superficial means. In this cruel world of shinobi and monsters, she knew it was wise to play it safe. Since coming to Kumo, that foundation was constantly being challenged as parts of her walls were knocked down. She recognized this to be her weakness, but it was one she enjoyed. If it proved to be a fault, or not, was yet to be seen. Time would truly reveal this.

Giving a small head bow as a gesture of respect, the gypsy girl then waved at the student as she set off. It was time for her to head home as well, especially since the marketplace proved quite tempting. She didn't need the temptation of blowing all her cash. “Cya, Shiori-san. We will see each other soon, for sure.” Blackberry meow'd in agreement. Suika came to the plaza to acquire basic shinobi necessities, but she left today with a treasure far more valuable than that. It was unexpected, but such carried beauty. Today was a great day.

[Topic Left to an awesome thread! ^^]