Settling into the Dust [Mio; Open]

[Uri]

Located: Here

It was his first day back and he had already been all around the village, being the socialite as he grew up to be, but it didn't change the fact that he had just returned from a long journey. Aches screamed at him from his joint, dirt and sand were caked in places that were most unreasonable. Uri probably looked much older than he actually was thanks to the grime clinging to him. Strolling through the village, nibbling on a sweet bun he picked up from the bakery he had visited, he stopped to run his hand through his stark white hair and was greeted with a shower of dirt. Huffing as he brushed off his confection, he looked around and his eyes settled on a most bright and exorbitant building. Stopping around front and observing the structure, he titled his head thoughtfully to the side as he recalled this property being a cubicle of smaller rental spaces. It seems someone with a lot of money had decided to purchase it and develop it into something more, some most grandiose in fashion. While Uri could admire the building, his style -and personal taste for that matter- was miles away from the overly lavish onsen.

All of that aside.

It offer a service, one Uri desperately needed. Cramming the remainder of his sweet roll into his mouth, licking his fingers clean, he pushed his way into the establishment where he was immediately greeted by multiple women in skimpy outfits, all cooing and purring for his attention. He knew better and it was just all part of their job. Looking to avoid much of the issue, he just asked for the nearest bath and onsen. After he got his directions, one thoughtfully suggested he try the red mud bath after he had cleaned himself up. Smile on his lips, he descended into the belly of the onsen and ended up in a small locker and changing room. Choosing one of the taller, standing locker, he opened the bamboo door and shoved his travel satchel inside, stripping off the layers of his dirty traveling clothes until he was just down to his undershorts. Grabbing a robe and a towel, he headed into the bathing room and gave himself a thorough scrubbing.

Bubbles bounced around the room as he used an excessive amount of soap to make sure he cleaned every last inch of himself. The room smelled of honey and lavender, and he allowed himself to soak in the water for a brief moment, feeling his muscles relax. However he didn't wish to stew in his filth for too long and he climbed out wrapping a towel around himself. As he passed by a mirror on the way out, he paused and examined himself. He was a shinobi, so like many of his kind, he was pretty well-built. A slight rotation and he peered at the long two-foot long scar that traveled the length of his back. Despite his intentions while he traveled, not everyone was happy to see him. Just one of the many lessons he had learned out in the world, and one that he knew helped him grow to survive out in the harsh wilderness of the ninja.

Started back down the hall, he stopped one of the numerous attendants and had her point him towards the mud bath. She gave him a brief up and down look, smiled, and led him the remainder of the way. The mud bath bubbled and sputtered with its brightly colored substance. Many places he had visited had bath houses, and onsen, and only one of them had there been a mud bath. Red mud was suppose to be a different experience. Shrugging to himself, he sunk a foot into the pool and slowly climbed the rest of the way in, holding onto the cream-colored towel. As he ended being submersed up to his neck, he immediately felt the warm mud moving and shifting around him, as if it were alive. Letting out a long breath of relief, he allowed his muscles to relax. Arms propped up on either side as to make sure he didn't sink inward, he gazed around the length of the bath noticed how vacant the bath house was. Granted it was late enough that not too many people would bother coming into such a place at such a time; the customers looking for a rub and tug keeping a low profile. Uri wasn't judging, but it wouldn't have been the first place he visited that offered similar services to their more stressed out customers.

"Now if only I could manage some sweets and not get mud on them...Bah. Almost perfect."<i></i>

 

[Hoshirei]

Meanwhile, Mio was giving herself a good scrub before tentatively making her own way to the red mud bath. As it was a multi-gender onsen, she had on a black, red, and gold strapless bikini. Sighing, she strode confidently into the room, making her 5'5" frame look a little taller than she was. When she saw the man in the onsen, she froze. She moved silently, but she hoped that he wouldn't see her as a threat, or even weak. As much as she had been hoping to have a solitary soak, she was here, and had paid, so there was no way she was backing out.

Completing her walk, she braided her hair and put it up in a plaited bun on top of her head. She then eased into the mud, keeping her arms out and resting on the edges of the onsen, at least for now.
"Hello, I hope you don't mind me joining in your soak. The name's Mio. What's yours?"
The power radiating off of Mio would be tangible, though the mud would dampen any electrical flow that could be carried through water. He more than likely wouldn't be able to feel the lightning chakra unless he touched her- or pissed her off, though that was very unlikely.

 

[Uri]

Time seemed to melt into a blur as he allowed himself to fall into a soothing stupor, his exhausted body practically shutting down while the mud caressed him. The one thing he was able to be appreciative of was that while resting in the bath he was at peace. Being troubled was a thing of his past, when he was younger, unsure of himself and unsure of everything around him. His travels allowed him to experience all kind of new cultures and see all colors of people, to grasp the ebb and flow of the world. There were heroes, villains, deceivers, lovers, fighter, mysteries, and a million other shades of gray. As for Uri? He found out that he was just an optimist. Smile because life is good, laugh because you enjoy yourself, and try to spread those feelings around as much as possible. War, Famine, Chaos were all creations of man and were equally capable of destroyed by man as well. While agents may work to cause strife in the world, a necessary evil as he had discovered, he found himself always waiting for his chance to move in and set it right.

A small voice awoke him from his daze, and he straightened his slouching form as he gazed over at the brunette opposite him. In his meditative state he had barely even noticed her climb in. Blinking a few times to clear his vision, his demeanor brightened as he peered upon the young lady, "You are most welcome to accompany me. I was honestly considering myself the only person here; this time of night is a bit unusual, huh?"<i></i> A short, casual laugh followed his comment, his cheerful smile maintaining, "I'm Uri. It's a pleasure to meet you."<i></i> A hand raised from the mud and he stared at its dripping form for a moment before laughing, "Maybe later."<i></i>

A slight jiggling from side to side of his head followed as he tried to clear his bangs from his eyes. It was always just long enough to be a nuisance, but never long enough to warrant cutting it. After one last attempt, it landed right back in his face and he playfully huffed at his misbehaving hair, "Bugger all,"<i></i> His attention went back to the young lady, brown eyes kind yet energetic, "I'm meeting all kinds of new people today. I just returned from a ten year trip traveling abroad. Lots of new faces have popped up while I've been gone. I'm soaking because I'm just beat like a training dummy, but what brings you out to a bath at this hour?"<i></i>

 

[Hoshirei]

Mio couldn't help but smile as the man kept trying to get his hair out of his eyes. It looked like it needed a slight trim, one Mio would be fine to give him one, if he asked. She had been cutting hair for years. Hers, Saemon's when he let her, and a few others. She knew hair rather well.
Oh dear, she's getting side tracked.

She wouldn't have minded shaking his hand, she would eventually get in up to her neck. The warmth of the mud was quite relaxing. Oh, he just asked why she was here, didn't he? Yes, yes he did.
"I tend to come around this time to help myself relax. It's- uh- part of something prescribed to me a few years ago. I kinda destroyed part of the Palais when I was sixteen in a fit of rage. I got tired of some things that were happening around me and just snapped."
If he pressed, she might reveal more, though it would have to be pulled like a string of taffy until it broke. She might be trying to be more open, but there were just some things that you didn't share with someone, especially another shinobi.

"What was your favorite place to visit during your travels?"

 

[Uri]

Inner rage was so unusual to Uri, but something he understood all too well. She looked to be about the age he had a similar pent up desire to hate the world. Everyone had there own way of handling it. Uri ran away from it, but in his escape he found himself and was able to resolve his issues. Maybe there was something he would be able to do for Mio in the long run. What good was experience if one didn't share it with everyone else, help those unable to help themselves? Regardless of the situation, he remained smiling. It was such a natural state of being for the architect, to grin and enjoy himself, especially when in the company of others.

"Me? I fold origami when I'm upset."<i></i> He admitted, making fake folding gestures in the air with his mud-dripping hands.

Oh!

She posed to him a question that he wasn't sure if he could answer, but that wouldn't stop him from trying, "Well, I'm not too sure! There were a lot of beautiful places and wondrous sites that were awe-inspiring. Living in Wind Country really doesn't compare. Sure, we have some big beasties and awesome historical structures, and technology, but the other lands have oceans and forests and mountains and snow!"<i></i> It was clear he was easily excitable by talking about his travels. He made all sorts of gestures with his hands to try to add impact to his words, "I once worked as an herbalist's assistant for a summer just to live in a forest. The air smells so clean and the breeze is warm, but not like our warm, but a soothing, comforting warmth."<i></i>

Vivid images of towering green trees flashed through his mind, beautiful colorful flora and all kinds of exotic animals, "The rest of the world is SO green! It's really so gorgeous.."<i></i> His voice trailed off as more fond memories popped to the forefront.

Letting out a small breath, relaxing a bit into the mud, he looked thoughtful past Mio, "But if I had to pick one place...I would have to say this small village waaaaaaaay down south in Tea Country. I stayed with a farmer for a few months, helping him with his land; tilling, seeding, that kind of stuff. Behind his house was this massive field, as far as the eye could see, of flowers. So many vibrant colors. Bees buzzing, cool wind blowing in from the sea, the smell of honey on the air, and a warm cup of tea as I sat out watching the sunrise..."<i></i> He trailed off again, clearly reminiscing, the smile became a bit more toothy as it spread wider, "You don't get anything like that here. Artificial lighting, earthy air, and if you go topside, blistering heat and stinging sand storms. It's incomparable. It really is."<i></i>

There was a brief moment when he seemed startled and he put a hand to his mouth, realizing how much he had been talking, and that he then covered half his face in mud. Instead of seeming exasperated or bothered, he just started chuckling, cleaning some of it off of his chin, but leaving enough to make a faux goatee and curly mustache out of mud, "So, how about you? Have you ever traveled, Mio-chan? Is there somewhere you want to go?"<i></i>

Yeah, Uri could be odd at times, but he also realized people needed to laugh and smile and be goofy, especially shinobi. The weight of their jobs sometimes was too much and unwinding was healthy.

 

[Hoshirei]

He folds origami... when he's upset... Interesting.

She listened as he told her about the different places he had been or had visited. She had never seen an ocean, but it sounded interesting. She knew what an ocean was and had seen pictures, but pictures could never compare to the real thing. Mio had to force herself not to laugh as mud flew off his gesticulating hands. He was rather excited by his travels. It made him seem younger than his age, or was it that Mio acted older than hers? Perhaps it was a mixture of both.
Hearing his words, she remembered the place where she had spent the first six years of her life. It was green too. A sad sigh caught in her throat.

She was caught up in her memories when she heard Uri ask her a question, one she knew almost exactly how to answer.
"I haven't ever truly traveled. Not of my own volition at least. I would like to find my parents once more. They lived somewhere close to a mountain where it was green and forests and fields cooperated like it was completely normal. The weather was always nice, even the storms.
I lived there with them until I was six. I don't even know if they are alive any longer. It's been twelve years since I have heard from them."

 

[Uri]

Mio spoke of a green land, mountains, and storms. While many places had those, only one would have storms as a memorable occurrence: Lightning Country. A place of great mythology, the birth place of the stormcallers, and a land of beautiful, rolling mountainscapes. There was an unusual tingling on his extremities if he focused on it enough, but he had attributed it to his exhausted nerves buzzing with contentment, not considering that it could have been coming from the other person in the bath. Did she know of her roots in Lightning Country? Was it his place to prod for such information. They were just two strangers in a bath at a bazaar time of night, neither were obligated to go out of their way for the other.

But Uri wasn't one for letting things rest, especially since she expressed a desire to find her parents, dead or alive.

"That sounds like the lands to the far northeast. Storms were quite prevalent, but the locals told me they were a way of life for them."<i></i> Thinking for a moment, weighing his option, he considered making a kind offer. Knowing that life didn't move forward without a catalyst, he decided to make the proposal, "And should you ever decide to go in search of your birthplace, I would be all too happy to offer my expertise. The world outside of Sunagakure is a treacherous place, and there are also spots most beautiful that one should see during such a trip."<i></i>

While he knew she would probably turn down the offering of a complete stranger, his morals were sated that he made the offer, and if she one day desired to leave to find truth, that he would help guide her. An idea popped into his head just then, as he used his shoulder for a napkin to wipe away the mud still detailed on his face, smudging it and still leaving a mess, "While I was in this land of storms, I encountered a most wonderful song bird. They used to entertain me when I was working on stone in the village I stayed in. They had this sweeping coat of yellow feathers on their black body; made it look like they had a fur-trimmed collar. They looked a little something like this.."<i></i>

Now both of his hand were raised out of the mud, palms raised towards the ceiling. Mud peeled away from his hands as if by an unnatural force and slowly, on the platform of his open hands was a bird created out of black crystal and clay. Once its form finished, he let it sit in just one hand before tossing it into the air, and to Mio's surprise or not it came to life, flapping its black wings. After a small circle above the two, it would land just on the edge of the bath near Mio, bouncing about, looking at her with black eyes, tilting its head as if curious. Up so close she would be able to examine all the minute details etched into the materials it was made out of, down to the faux feathers that looked like they would be soft to the touch despite being made out of stone and clay. Had she been paying close enough attention, she would have seen the glowing marking on Uri's palm, the branded markings that made his control over the elements like that possible.

"It won't peck you, I promise,"<i></i> He said, serving up his chuckling grin again, "These little guys were everywhere. Enchanting little melody they'd sing. It would carry off of the mountains and through the whole valley early in the day."<i></i>

 

[Hoshirei]

Uri apparently knew of the place she described. He didn't give it a name though, and that irked her slightly. Of course, Saemon might know where she came from. However, she hadn't seen him yet. She really needed to find him, or at least figure out if he was even in Suna or not. Wait, did he just offer to take her to the land she could barely remember?

As he spoke more, she contemplated his offer. When the little bird was formed, Mio's eyes lightened up. She recognized the bird! It may be made of clay and crystal at the moment, but she would recognize that sort of bird anywhere! She had one as a sometimes pet when she was young. Mio had been paying close attention, and did see the glowing mark on his palm. She wanted to stroke the bird, but she didn't want to somehow mess up the beautiful art he created.

"Your offer is appreciated, Uri. Depending on circumstances, I might take you up on that offer. I know how dangerous traveling can be, and a guide would be most useful. I am not sure if my usual traveling companion knows where the land I hail from is." Mio smiled at him and finally sank up to her neck in the mud, arms and all in. Her own mind was sated by not giving away her budding relationship with another shinobi, as well as not saying Saemon's name aloud.

"You know, I used to have a bird friend when I was little. This little guy reminded me of him. He would come and play with me. He was there the first time I created lightning in my hands." She lifted her hands from the mud and cleaned them off as much as possible. Mio closed her eyes for a moment and a small ball of lightning formed in her left hand. "It was a little ball much like this. My parents were so proud." A sad smile graced Mio's beautiful face as she recalled her parents.

 

[Uri]

Getting away from the sand and the darkness of Sunagakure had illuminated Uri's life in such a way that he would be forever changed by it. Those who spend their lives in the darkness have no concept of what really goes on in the world beyond their comforting cave; the beauty, the chaos, the thriving, living world that changes as often as the weather -something they would also get to experience-. It seemed Mio was in need of a journey similar to one Uri had taken. While their purposes may have been different, their goal would be the same: Truth. Serenity could only be reached when the truth was discovered. Being broken away from her parents shaped her into the person she was now, imperfections and all.

Uri tilted his head to the side, eying the sphere of glowing energy, "It's quite wondrous,"<i></i> He said smiling and then had a question form on the tip of his tongue, "Does that make you a stormcaller? Many shinobi can conjure lightning, but with the help of handseals. Being able to summon it at will is a unique gift."<i></i> There was another pause as he considered her tale of the pet songbird, "Your kind can be all over the world, but they originate from the land known as Lightning Country, one of the many places I resided in while traveling."<i></i>

He licked his lips forgetting there was mud on his face and quickly regretted it, grimacing, but not daring to spit it out and instead bearing it, "Bleh.."<i></i> But he quickly recovered and started speaking again, "I met an old hermit who was of these same traits. Eyes as golden as the sun, and he spoke with an experience of the world that I wished to obtain. So powerful was he, that he was able to bend the weather to his will at no more than thought. To this day I still don't quite believe it. Something tells me this chance meeting wasn't mere fortune."<i></i>

Uri had been introduced to a lot of other religions and spiritualists while out and about, and through these he managed to form his own philosophy on how the world worked. In the grand scheme of things, the small, seemingly innocuous events always played the largest roles. This happenstance that brought them together was not mere coincidence. The bird hopped around more, living as any other avian would, pecking at random spots on the floor. Suddenly, it cracked down its center and with a slight POP created another, both being slightly smaller than before.

"If nothing else, no matter what else has happened in this day, I believe you just found part of the answer you've been searching for. Good to know all my aimless wandering for so many years is coming in handy!"<i></i> A happy laugh escaped his lips and the two petite birds took flight, gliding in circles above the pair, "See? If we had both gotten what we wanted when we came here and spent this time alone, neither of us would have had this chance to learn so much!"<i></i>

 

[Hoshirei]

The young woman just shrugged her shoulders at Uri's question. She didn't know what exactly that meant, so she wasn't sure whether to answer yey or nay.
"I don't really know what I am. Through DNA testing it was confirmed that I'm not quite human, but I don't know what a stormcaller really is. I know that I can control lighting and other weather things, but if the stormcallers you are thinking of are just gifted humans, then no, I am not. However, if they are not, then yes, I believe that I am."
Unfortunately, that was the most straight forward answer she could give, unless he questioned her, and Mio wasn't sure if he would or not.

A semi-graceful snort would echo out as she saw Uri get mud in his mouth, and she would let the lightning ball dissipate.
"Sounds like someone similar to myself. I have been told that my eyes glow golden when I use my abilities. I can also call all manner of weather, though some are harder than others. I stumbled upon one thing that I hadn't seen in years during my practices. I actually had to look up it's name." Mio chuckled and closed her eyes in concentration once more. After a few seconds, a light dusting of snow started to fall just outside of the mud bath.
"When I found the name, I couldn't help but laugh. How could I have forgotten snow?"

Mio heard the pop and looked over to what was now two birds. While surprised, she just smiled. She made the falling snow not land on the birds or around them, just in case water would destroy the beautiful creations.

"If it were anyone else, I think we both would have been in for some disappointment. However, I agree wholeheartedly. I have learned much from you. After all your travels, how can you learn from me? Someone who can hardly remember the land of her childhood?"

 

[Uri]

Uri laughed at her brief story of her abilities. Discovering that which is unknown about one's self can be a scary thing. Many ninja come from families or clans blessed with unique genetic traits. As they grew, so would their abilities and the extent to which they could manipulate them. It seems Mio was still in a phase where she had a lot to learn, especially due to the more suffocating nature of Wind Country and its perpetually bad weather. Uri remembered the first time he had encountered real snow, not something created by a device or through chakra. There was a different quality to it, a living essence that seemed to make it dance with a free spirit.

The architect tilted his head back and stuck out his tongue and let a snowflake land gently upon it. It was soon nothing more than a puddle and he let the liquid run down through his throat, surprisingly chilly despite it all.

The birds sailed through the air, weaving about in formation through the snow-filled air, making it swirl and wisp on the light current left behind them.

A smile reformed as he looked down to Mio, cocking his head to the side at her question. "See...The one thing I did learn when out and about was that a true master is an eternal student. Once you stop learning, you stop growing,"<i></i> Sure, it was maybe a bit philosophical, but it was true, "I'm sure there's a ton you know that I don't! I can make a building and bake a cake, but I couldn't tell you the different parts of the brain! I mean...everyone knows something, everything is valuable. Without knowledge, without memory, we all would be nothing. Sharing is how bonds are formed, how we survive and adapt."<i></i>

Bringing his hands up he clapped them together and the two birds exploded into a hundred fluttering butterflies. Combined with the snow, the whole room seemed much more white than red in that moment, the soft sway of beating wings and snowfall making it a peaceful relaxation.

"So, Mio-chan, what do you know? What are you passionate about?"<i></i>

 

[Hoshirei]

As Uri explained how she really could teach him things, she conceded to his opinion and understood it quite clearly. He then asked what she was passionate about. That small question brought her up short and she had to look away from the man and think hard. What she knew was an easier question to answer, so she decided to use it as a spring board.

"As you pointed out, I do know things that you don't, namely things in the medical field. Did you know that you can use electrical chakra to restart a person's heart? Or to test and reactivate nerves? It's rather fascinating. I know certain lessons that a child should never learn, though I do not wish to share them. I know how dispensing justice for a victim can be just as damaging as healing."
Mio's eyes became intense and started taking on a golden sheen.

"If you had asked me a few years ago what made me passionate, I would have answered thus: Being the worst Nightmare a rapist ever had, the one that caught them, and brought about their demise." The golden color became a little more intense and a hard look came through her eyes.
"Now however, what makes me passionate is mostly finding out who I really am. I have ended my time as Nightmare, though I still help the victims of the terrible crime. How could I not? I know where they are coming from." Her eyes softened and the gold receded back into the blue depths. She didn't realize just how much she had just revealed to the man, and only time would tell how he would react to her words.

[MFT] [WC: 281] ((wow... haven't done that in a while...))

 

[Uri]

Uri sat and listened patiently to Mio's response, allowing her to tell him part of her eternal story. Everyone had a story, the different chapters affecting them on different emotional levels and molding them into the person they are at the present. It was clear Mio had a difficult life, and perhaps still does harboring such emotions inside of her. Something Uri was able to see now was that the younger one is, the harder it is to let things go. Just as stunting knowledge kills growth, so does looking back to the past and not forward to the future.

Nodding slowly, and making the occasional noise of affirmation, he stared into the mud, letting his mind swirl along with the liquid, "See, Mio-chan? You did have something to teach me. A great many things actually."<i></i> After another moment of two he would look up, his eyes bright and his smile wide. No matter the conversation, especially if it was a sensitive one, it was important to offer support in any way possible, "Wrath, Compassion, Duty, and Identity. All things you have a large amount of experience in, I can't say the same."<i></i>

To make sure that it didn't seem uncomfortable for such an intense topic to pop up, Uri conjured up a memory of his own to share. One that hadn't ever graced another person's ears, "I don't think I've ever desired to erase someone from existence or to make them suffer..But there was someone who just infuriated me so much,"<i></i> One of the clay-crafted butterflies landed on his head and he tried to look up at it, "It was a person who completely disregarded life as valuable. All they sought was reputation and money, leaving a village to fall under attack by bandits. After I had helped deter the attack, I chased after this guy and confronted him."<i></i>

Uri took a deep breath, the fake insect to flutter away back into the swarm, "There was no life in his eyes. No passion. He may have wanted fame and fortune, but there would be no satisfaction. I vowed I couldn't ever become that, that people like that shouldn't exist."<i></i> He shuffled around a little in the mudbath, feeling himself thoroughly warmed through having been in for a good while, "So Mio-chan, find your passion. Find that one thing that makes your life fulfilling."<i></i>

A hand raised into the air, several of the butterflies flocked to his hand, flapping and skittering about. There was a slight glow from the palm of his hand and all the insects turned into their raw materials and merged together, creating a small, cute mouse with big black eyes, "I like to create life where there wasn't any before, to inspire those I meet."<i></i>

 

[Hoshirei]

Mio just shrugged at Uri's observation before intently listening to what else he had to say. Never had the desire to erase someone? She wasn't completely surprised, though it still made her wonder. She and Saemon both had erasure in their minds sometime. Infuriating people were more common, especially to shinobi such as themselves. The person disregarded life? Even her captor and jailor valued life, it was a perverse value, yes, but it was still value...

"Passion? I suppose so. Passion is necessary for life. Stubborn determination can also help." Mio chuckled. "For some people, being stubborn is the only thing that keeps them alive." Unfortunately, she knew too many people that stubbornness was literally the only thing that kept them going.

She turned to watch the butterflies, just in time to see them coalesce into a small mouse. She almost had a squee moment because of how cute it was. Almost, being the key word. "I would like to be able to create life like you. The small things that you create, can really mean the world to others. If people like storms, sure I can make one. Or if they like snow, I can show it to them. But being able to create, say, a small companion, would mean the world to some of my patients."

 

[Uri]

"Life without passion is wasted. Surviving only to see another day with no purpose is a cold feeling."<i></i> He poked at the small rodent in his hand, it reacting like a normal animal would, "I know that only too well. We all need to find our passions, it just sometimes takes other longer to do so."<i></i> There was a fond smile that spread across his lips as he thought back to his time as a teenager, living a life that had been his father's and not his own. That had been a great passion, but it hadn't been his.

Setting down the furry animal it scurried around the edge of the bath until it was near Mio, tilting its head ever so slightly as to gain her attention, encouraging her to pick it up and play with it.

"That, this"<i></i> He gestured with his mud-caked hands to the butterflies around them, "Is my gift, one that I had to search my soul for and make many sacrifices for. I'd like to think I was given this ability to help bring life where there isn't any, to offer hope to those who don't have any."<i></i> His eyes seemed to lose focus as he stared past Mio into an oblivion of his own thoughts. Remembering all the faces of the people he had met during his long trip, the ones who only needed a pair of hands or some kind words to reignite the spark in their soul to carry on. While Uri had cried a great deal on his journey from his own personal plights and those of others, he smiled the most, remembering each time as vividly as the next.

"Judging by all you've said, you must be a med-nin at the hospital. You'd make the second I've met since returning!"<i></i> Uri eyed the small rodent opposite him, the whimsical bugs and crystalline snowflakes, and nodded, as if making a decision, "I'm not too much for being a doctor, but I would love to be able to come with you to work one day and entertain those I could with my gifts. What good are such abilities if not shared with those around me? If I can make someone laugh or smile and forget about their troubles for even a moment, then it would make it worth it. Right? So what do you say?"<i></i>

 

[Hoshirei]

The young demoness giggled when the chinchilla ran up to her and gladly picked the sweet thing up. She pet it while listening to Uri speak about his gift. It really was some gift. She really liked it, and wished she could do that- Wait, she had a different means of creating life. It wasn't so much creating a life as much as giving one back to a person.
"Yeah, I'm a med-nin. I would more than welcome you accompanying me one day. You can see how I create a life for my patients. A lot of them are still young, so I help them build a new life and a new way of thinking. More than a few of them have actually followed in my footsteps. They end up helping other patients into a new life."
She closed her eyes and the snow became a soft, misting rain. The smell made her smile and sigh in comfort.

 

[Uri]

"That's a noble following. Using our experience to help guide others is how our society evolves into something greater."<i></i>

Uri eased himself back into the mud, allowing his subconscious to take over the control of the creatures. They lived through the memories he had of them and acted as he saw them acted. This was how he was able to create life so effortlessly. Where there was once life he will make it again. A long content sight escaped his lips, little bits of mud still stuck to various parts of his face from his earlier accident, "I'll be sure to join you one of these mornings. I do so enjoy making people smile. It will be a most joyful outing. Until then...I'm going to get in a nice nap."<i></i> He yawned, letting his head droop a little, "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mio-chan.."<i></i>

Quietly sweet slumber's embrace took hold of Uri and he was soon asleep. No doubt Mio would be done with her soak by then and leave the Chuunin to his mud-covered nap. While this wasn't his intention, he sorely needed it after all of his travels. Soon he would see his mother again and soon he would start his life anew once more.

[Topic Left; Uri FTB]