Two months flew by since her arrival. Like, literally eight weeks just breezed on by and Okibi was probably worst for wear.
Her time surviving in the desert had not been kind to her. She had spent the first fourteen years of her life, raised by a wolf, out there in those dunes, but desert had only grown deadlier in the recent years. Also with considering age, injury, and lifestyle, the middle-aged woman looked considerably older than she was, especially when compared to Otami. Trying to get used to being inside a city once more, wishing Tama was anything but the monster he had become, and attempting to overcome her phobia of people once again was painful.
Her daughter, on the other hand, was a vibrance of youth and everything Okibi was once known for. She was hyper, optimistic, curious, and powerful. The only thing of her mother that the child hadn’t seemed to inherit was Okibi’s bad temper. In fact, Otmai was unlike either of her parents in that regard as Tama could be something of a hot-head himself when his pride was brought into question. The girl’s attitude in regards to anger was to a point of near indifference towards the world.
At first glance, the teenager was everything you’d expect out of a sheltered seventeen-year old girl interacting with a city for the first time. At a closer inspection, though, it was clear there was something underneath going on that was impossible to read. Even when she seemed angry or threatening, there was no real force behind it, just words and attempts at body language. All her other emotions seemed genuine, but in regards to anger, rage, or even irritation she seemed to have an unnerving calm instead. As such, she executed her actions very practically. Even if the action seemed extreme, if it was the shortest path to her goal, she was most likely to choose it.
That being said, it wasn’t like Okibi hadn’t taught her child morals either. Despite every sign of being a sociopathic psycho like her father, she actually appeared to be very caring. She doted on her mother’s weakness despite the distractions Sunagakure had to offer. Also, since Tama moved out of the house and left its upkeep to the two females, Otami had learned what currency was, how to use it, how to haggle, where the best fruit was, what fruit was, that it had a liquid beverage form, and a myriad of things that quickly boosted her overall popularity within the Bazaar. Even her speech seemed to steady out by the end of the month.
Yet like all things positive and benign, there was something hiding away in her soul that was a secret even from herself. Secrets that Okibi had not been able to solve and the mystery to her daughter’s symptoms of just ghosting out of her own body from time to time. The tattoos that suddenly appeared on the day she began controlling the soil like a master ninjutsu specialist. The ability she had to sway Sandworms. The scars that covered Okibi, ones she kept hiding from Tama when they attempted another relationship. Secrets the mother had been keeping away from both Sousuke and Tama that only Michino was aware of. It was her whole reason from coming back to the village, but, now she wondered if it had been wise.
Today, after weeks of getting her nerves together, she had agreed to have Otami examined, first, by the Takahashi clan members before she resorted to her ex. Unfortunately this meant she and her daughter had to go to Sousuke’s home. Which wasn’t unpleasant, at least in the physical sense, but the house had not changed much in her time away. It smelled painfully familiar and not. Then there was the awkwardness that was her first child, Aki.
The young man regarded Okibi, at first, without much regard, but as time went on he kept trying to start conversations with the mother. She smelled familiar, as he kept saying but so far had managed to not further his suspicions by trying to disregard it. He had been raised, not as her son, but as Sousuke’s son. As far as he was concerned, she was a fabled older sister who kept going missing. He treated Otami like he would of regardless of his connection to her, and the two got along but not to a point that he’d start to connect dots. Okibi could only imagine that, under her father’s tutelage, the boy was highly intellectual and good at picking things out. She sure it was only a matter of time before he caught on that the fabled sister was more than just another child his father adopted. Doing the procedure in Souske’s house was the second-to-last place she wanted it, but, her father had been insistent. Apparently, at some point, her bastard ex lived with Sousuke and had built quite a manageable lab in his basement. It was perfect for private inspections and procedures.
It was close to 10pm. Okibi had asked that Sousuke do this as late as possible to avoid seeing Aki, not realizing that a certain doctor also got off only an hour ago. She was dressed in a shawl and robes, covering herself from the bitter desert night air. Her daughter was also covered in a drab brown robe, but it was just to cover the lack of clothing she preferred while they walked down the street. While the mother had no right to talk, she didn’t want any of the attention her child’s normal choice in clothing usually gathered. Unfortunately the two of them walking out of the house Tama had left for them, and walking in the direction of the Takahashi household, had caught the surgeon’s literal passing attention. The scientist had just happened to be walking by when he watched his ex locking the front door and heading down the street with some urgency. Keeping his distance, Tama moved while pausing time every now and again to keep either of them from noticing him as Otami started suddenly banging on Sousuke’s front door after a boring five-minute walk. She was hungry and no doubt before anything was getting done the teen was raiding his kitchen.
[MFT]
Her time surviving in the desert had not been kind to her. She had spent the first fourteen years of her life, raised by a wolf, out there in those dunes, but desert had only grown deadlier in the recent years. Also with considering age, injury, and lifestyle, the middle-aged woman looked considerably older than she was, especially when compared to Otami. Trying to get used to being inside a city once more, wishing Tama was anything but the monster he had become, and attempting to overcome her phobia of people once again was painful.
Her daughter, on the other hand, was a vibrance of youth and everything Okibi was once known for. She was hyper, optimistic, curious, and powerful. The only thing of her mother that the child hadn’t seemed to inherit was Okibi’s bad temper. In fact, Otmai was unlike either of her parents in that regard as Tama could be something of a hot-head himself when his pride was brought into question. The girl’s attitude in regards to anger was to a point of near indifference towards the world.
At first glance, the teenager was everything you’d expect out of a sheltered seventeen-year old girl interacting with a city for the first time. At a closer inspection, though, it was clear there was something underneath going on that was impossible to read. Even when she seemed angry or threatening, there was no real force behind it, just words and attempts at body language. All her other emotions seemed genuine, but in regards to anger, rage, or even irritation she seemed to have an unnerving calm instead. As such, she executed her actions very practically. Even if the action seemed extreme, if it was the shortest path to her goal, she was most likely to choose it.
That being said, it wasn’t like Okibi hadn’t taught her child morals either. Despite every sign of being a sociopathic psycho like her father, she actually appeared to be very caring. She doted on her mother’s weakness despite the distractions Sunagakure had to offer. Also, since Tama moved out of the house and left its upkeep to the two females, Otami had learned what currency was, how to use it, how to haggle, where the best fruit was, what fruit was, that it had a liquid beverage form, and a myriad of things that quickly boosted her overall popularity within the Bazaar. Even her speech seemed to steady out by the end of the month.
Yet like all things positive and benign, there was something hiding away in her soul that was a secret even from herself. Secrets that Okibi had not been able to solve and the mystery to her daughter’s symptoms of just ghosting out of her own body from time to time. The tattoos that suddenly appeared on the day she began controlling the soil like a master ninjutsu specialist. The ability she had to sway Sandworms. The scars that covered Okibi, ones she kept hiding from Tama when they attempted another relationship. Secrets the mother had been keeping away from both Sousuke and Tama that only Michino was aware of. It was her whole reason from coming back to the village, but, now she wondered if it had been wise.
Today, after weeks of getting her nerves together, she had agreed to have Otami examined, first, by the Takahashi clan members before she resorted to her ex. Unfortunately this meant she and her daughter had to go to Sousuke’s home. Which wasn’t unpleasant, at least in the physical sense, but the house had not changed much in her time away. It smelled painfully familiar and not. Then there was the awkwardness that was her first child, Aki.
The young man regarded Okibi, at first, without much regard, but as time went on he kept trying to start conversations with the mother. She smelled familiar, as he kept saying but so far had managed to not further his suspicions by trying to disregard it. He had been raised, not as her son, but as Sousuke’s son. As far as he was concerned, she was a fabled older sister who kept going missing. He treated Otami like he would of regardless of his connection to her, and the two got along but not to a point that he’d start to connect dots. Okibi could only imagine that, under her father’s tutelage, the boy was highly intellectual and good at picking things out. She sure it was only a matter of time before he caught on that the fabled sister was more than just another child his father adopted. Doing the procedure in Souske’s house was the second-to-last place she wanted it, but, her father had been insistent. Apparently, at some point, her bastard ex lived with Sousuke and had built quite a manageable lab in his basement. It was perfect for private inspections and procedures.
It was close to 10pm. Okibi had asked that Sousuke do this as late as possible to avoid seeing Aki, not realizing that a certain doctor also got off only an hour ago. She was dressed in a shawl and robes, covering herself from the bitter desert night air. Her daughter was also covered in a drab brown robe, but it was just to cover the lack of clothing she preferred while they walked down the street. While the mother had no right to talk, she didn’t want any of the attention her child’s normal choice in clothing usually gathered. Unfortunately the two of them walking out of the house Tama had left for them, and walking in the direction of the Takahashi household, had caught the surgeon’s literal passing attention. The scientist had just happened to be walking by when he watched his ex locking the front door and heading down the street with some urgency. Keeping his distance, Tama moved while pausing time every now and again to keep either of them from noticing him as Otami started suddenly banging on Sousuke’s front door after a boring five-minute walk. She was hungry and no doubt before anything was getting done the teen was raiding his kitchen.
[MFT]