The Bond.

[Takahashi Aki]

It had been a full hour since meeting the strangers at the gates. Sousuke with a screw driver in hand was working along on his new helmet model while keeping an eye on the giant mutant creature. His father sat along the bedside of the ailing child but remained far away from the mutant creature as well. The bald headed father of the Steward-Kazekage looked most uncomfortable compared to his son.

Sousuke wore a white t-shirt and grey pants. He sat there staring down the creature in question still trying to figure out what exactly he was, and how he raised the human child. No words were had by the three men until Judori finally spoke up. "Son. I think you should put a flea collar on him. Better yet a rabies collar." He suggested. The small man didn't look at the dog-beast-thing. "Your mother thinks you still need a proper pet. I know you meant well with taking apart the oven to make ... her, but if you think this thing qualifies as one ... we need to have a talk."

Sousuke raised an eyebrow. "I make no apologies for the oven. Kitchenzilla is a fantastic companion."<i></i> Sousuke pointed the screw driver at his father. "Secondly. I have no considered anything with respect to him."<i></i> He now pointed his screwdriver to the giant black beast. "Thirdly our companion here of the canine type speaks common. We need not be afraid of him."<i></i>

The senior puppeteer sighed. "Son. I'm not going to just yet talk to a dog. It wouldn't feel right. Not to mention his size. Why is he not on a leash? A big one at the very least? Do you have any idea what he is capable of doing?" His father protested.

"He's behaved so far. I see no reason to treat him as if he is a savage. He isn't foaming at the mouth."<i></i> Sousuke countered as he continued to work on the helmet. He placed down the screw driver and began inputting glass lenses into the eye sockets. "You do have a name don't you?"<i></i> Sousuke finally asked the beast.

 

[Okibi]

The beast hound had been quite surprised to find that the metal man who escorted him and his human to the healing facilities was in fact... not made of metal. It had been a facade. Perhaps he shouldnt have been surprised; he better than anyone knew you couldnt judge a book by its cover... in this case, quite literally. Something else that shocked him was how much smaller the human seemed, without his metal plating. He was almost frail.

The mutant dog thought about this, watching the human watch him, as he gingerly licked at the minor cuts that the nurses hadnt bothered treating. He didnt blame them though. Were he not himself, he wouldnt want to be within a few feet of him longer than necessary either. His red eyes whirred as they swung to the left, looking at the man who was the father of the not-metal man as he began speaking. Doggy eyebrows rose as he listened to the man insult him while he was no more than ten feet away from him. Usually, such things didnt get to him; he had become quite used to people fearing and hating his appearance, but there was one thing the human said that annoyed him just a little.

"Sir, I can hear and understand you from over here, and I will have you know that I have never made home to a flea in my entire life." He said, sounding just slightly offended. Just then, he felt an itch at the back of his ear... and it took every ounce of his self control not to scratch at it. The last thing he needed was any of the humans here thinking he was a liar. However, he couldnt stop the cursed ear from twitching.

He thought about the not-metal mans inquisition as to his name. That which his human called him couldnt be translated into the human language, and otherwise, he had never truly had a name... He supposed that would work as well as anything.

"You may call me Number Seven, or just Seven if you prefer. Thats the closest thing I have ever had to a name."

The sound of shifting material on the hospital bed alerted the hound to his humans waking. It was, perhaps, too late in the night, but still he couldnt help being happy. He stood up on his paws quickly, ignoring the pain that came from the pull of his healing wounds. He still marveled that the nurses had been able to get a night gown on her, and keep it on her. Perhaps she had been just that exhausted.

"Little Sprite? Can you hear me?" He asked in a keening sort of noise. He stood beside her bed, just at the head, opposite to the father human. She stretched under the covers, making a noise very reminiscent of that of a waking puppy, before slowly blinking her eyes open.

The first thing she did was look down at herself, as she quickly realized that she was... wearing clothes! The confinement, it stifled her! Her face twisted with irritation as a high pitched growl rose from her throat. She threw the bed sheets off of her and made to rip the hospital gown to shreds, when a terse bark stopped her. She looked slowly to the side, at Number Seven, who looked miffed.

"Leave that on Okibi. We are in the presence of others." He growled at her. As if his words were like a light, the redhead finally seemed to take notice of just where she was. Her wide green eyes scanned the room, landing first on the bald headed man beside her bed, and then the dark skinned one a distance away. Her eyebrows lowered in confusion, and she spoke without taking her eyes off of them.

"What are they?" She asked in the language of the beasts, the only language she knew. Seven sighed slightly before answering. "Theyre humans like you. Cant you tell?" The girls eyes narrowed as she considered this, looking between the two men. She stood up on her knees, and without looking away from either of them, ripped the sides of her gown from the hem all the way up to the pits. Seven sighed heavily again, shaking his head. At least she kept it on, sort of.

Then, without warning, she stood on her feet, swaying slightly as the bed shifted under her. She turned to the older of the two strange men, sniffing at him and getting quite close to his face. "This one doesnt have any fur." She said bluntly, raising one of her dirt smudged hands to pat the mans bald head.

"Its called hair, not fur. And dont do that, thats rude." The girl didnt seem to pay Seven any mind as she promptly switched targets and lept from the bed and onto the table that the younger human was sitting at. She landed in a squat and sniffed at the contraption that was in front of him, and when she found to be of no interest, turned her sniffing on the man. He smelled better than the furless one, she decided. Her eyes caught on the top of his head, and just like before, she rose a hand. This time, however, she simply touched some of the strands. "This one has fur... but it doesnt feel or look like mine."

Number Seven sighed once more, his head falling just a little. "Please forgive her behavior. She has never encountered other humans before." He said as the girl continued to finger and smell the not-metal mans hair. "In your language, her name would be Okibi. At least, thats what I call her."

(If you hadnt guessed already, the bold italics means their speaking canine.)

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke and Judori heard the now known Number Seven speak. Judori had yet to truly accept the notion of a talking dog. His son looked over from the dog to his father. "Dad."<i></i> He spoke firmly, "Don't be rude, you're being spoken to."<i></i> Sousuke spoke in a vain attempt to get his father to except the concept of the talking dog.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Judori spoke as he crossed his arms across his chest. The veteran puppeteer was still going to deny the concept of the talking dog for at least a bit longer. Soon enough the sleeping child woke up, but the noises she made were not befitting of a human, more of a puppy really. Judori turned his head to the side and snorted. "That did not happen."He spoke firmly. The veteran trying to assert what he knew was right being that dogs did not speak common, and that the child in question did not just make dog noises. Soon enough the child started acting wild as she trashed about.

Judori and Sousuke both kept calm. This time Sousuke shot his dad a stare when the child patted his bald head and sniffed him. "Well? We're not under the effect of any genjutsu. This is very real, this is the realest-"<i></i> Sousuke was the interrupted by his Father who made a very loud and audible cough. "Father, you're denying fact, and implicating your fiction as fact."<i></i> Sousuke used the term father when he was being serious. Judori's face reddened as more pats to the head occured. Soon enough the child was now over to his side sniffing him. Sousuke blinked not once, not twice, but thrice. He reached down underneath his chair and pulled out his tool bag. The Steward searched for something inside of the bag and pulled out a soft plushy bear. He squeezed the bear and it made squeaking noises. This was his attempt to get the child off of sniffing him and to divert her attention to the stuffed bear.

"She's not a baby you know. That won't work." Judori quickly spoke. "Children her age need dolls. Didn't you make some really fancy ones for the charity drive?" Judori suggested.

"Please forgive her behavior. She has never encountered other humans before. In your language, her name would be Okibi. At least, thats what I call her."

"Obiki."<i></i> Sousuke spoke, repeating the name. Trying to get a sense of things. By this time Obiki was poking at Sousuke's hair. He still remained calm, and controlled. Sousuke's dark eyes turned from Number Seven, to her, then back to Number Seven. "I am going to conduct an experiment as it seems I lack the understanding of howls and the like... Kitchenzilla? Are you out there?"<i></i> As Sousuke said the name the clanking of metal could be heard in a panicked fashion. Something was coming their way. A giant mechanical lizard-creature ran by the room but then returned back. The creature poked her head in and at once noticed Number Seven. The creature with her small arms ran towards Number Seven and expressed some form of admiration as she threw her small arms around that of the canine's neck.

The creature let out a series of short woofs. "Woof. Woof. Woof." (Hello! I heard your barking! You're big! ... As big as I am! Have you met my master?) From a loose translation, Number Seven and Obiki would detect two things. One that Kitchenzilla was female, and that two she was very pleased to be in the company of Number Seven. The canine-like mechanical beast pointed at Sousuke. She then turned to face Judori and let out another woof. "Woof. Bark. Woof. Woof." (That's his Daddy. He's a big crusty at times... and smells funny, but he's okay.)

"Are you well boy? Or are you barking bad? Do you truly think that they can communicate?" Judori spoke. The veteran broke in a sweat as he was always slightly nervous around Sousuke's 'pet'. "I'll be a monkey's uncle if your experiment proves successful."

 

[Okibi]

Number Seven had to admit, he found the bald humans insistence on ignoring the fact that he was capable of human speech quite... humorous. Were he the sort, he might have outright laughed at the spectacle that the man and his son were making, going back and forth. However, his attention was quickly stolen when his human OKIBI (Its not Obiki Mel, dammit) reacted to the squeak of the plush toy that the younger human produced. She sat back, green eyes wide, and for a moment looked like she did not know what to do. In the next instance however, she was snatching the toy bear from the humans hands and scooting to the end of the table so she could inspect it. Sitting cross legged, she turned the bear this way and that, looking at its underside, and the top of its head. She sniffed its false fur, and squeezed its tummy like she had seen the human do. When it squeaked again, she jumped just a little, surprised.

"What is this thing?" She asked aloud, turning to look at the human that had pulled it from under him. As if expecting him to understand what she had just growled at him, she kept watching him, waiting for a reply.

Seven snorted slightly, and translated. "She's asking you what the toy is." Of course, he knew the thing was a toy; a part of his brain told him so, but it hadnt be him that Okibi had asked. Why not let the human explain to her, and see where that went.

Just then, however, the human called for someone, or something as the human and dog duo soon found out. A loud metallic clanking was the only warning before something went whizzing by the room, only to double back and peek in. It was a... mechanical lizard? Number Seven was not a stranger to machinery, as his 'good doctors' laboratory had been full of whirring gizmos and ticking gadgets. Okibi on the other hand...

As suspected, the girl was quite surprised by the lizards appearance. Never before had she seen anything of its like, and all the noise it was making was rather disturbing to her senses. Her long nails, which were really more like claws, sank into the fuzzy flesh of the stuffed bear, spearing the little box that made it squeak. It squeaked one final time before the sound slowly died out. Her grip on the toy tightened and her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when the lizard charged into the room, right for Number Seven. The toy bear was abandoned on the table, stuffing dripping out morbidly, as Okibi scrambled off the surface and onto the younger humans back for refuge from the strange metal creature.

She wasn't frightened, but indeed very wary of this... thing that she had never before encountered. As it wrapped tiny metal arms around her canine keeper, Okibi's hands sank into the humans fur (hair), holding tight. It was only when the thing started to bark that she seemed to calm, or at least, stop freaking out. However, when she detected the pleasure in the creatures woofing, directed towards Seven, a high pitched growl started up in her throat.

"Stop letting that thing hug you! What if it tries to snap your neck!?" She barked from across the room. For all her bluster, she still wasnt inclined to getting near the metal thing.

Number Seven, who seemed to be recieving the attention of the metal lizard well, simply laughed doggishly. He didnt sense any mal intent from the creature, Kitchenzilla he believed the human called it. However, he couldnt blame his human for being wary. Even in the wild, beasts are wary of that which they do not know.

"Calm yourself Little Sprite. She wont hurt us, will you miss?" He directed the last part at Kitchenzilla, his thin black lips lifting at the edges in what could only be a smirk.

Seeing that her keeper wasnt going to do anything to get the metal monster off him, Okibi turned to the humans in the room, more specifically, the one whos fur (hair) she still had a hold of. "You called that thing here didnt you!? Make it get off him!" She barked in his ear, craning around his head so she could see his face. She pointed a clawed hand in Seven and Kitchenzilla's direction for emphasis. It seemed that she still didnt realize the two other humans in the room would not be able to understand her.

Thinking things would prove to become more humorous, Seven stayed quiet, waiting to see how the humans would react to his Okibi's unintelligible demands.

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke was somewhat surprised by Number Seven's question. "It is for amusement, and diversions mainly."<i></i> He observed as she walked off with it and started to play with it, or at least that was how Sousuke thought she was doing. Judori let out a chuckle when the bear squeaked and the child seemed to be in a fret over it. He paused for a moment longer thinking about the nature of the toy. "She doesn't have many play-things does she?"<i></i> He asked as she began to play with the bear in stranger methods. The Steward observed that this particular child did not show the stereotypical habits of youths at her age.

While she took decently well to the bear, she did not take well to Kitchenzilla or so Sousuke observed. He watched as the bear was destroyed and torn to shreds. The Steward noted that the girl was showing some violent tendencies when faced with an unknown. It was something different to behold as indeed this child was panicked. More hair was pulled, which was bothersome but not entirely problematic. Sousuke simply placed the helmet on his head to avoid further damage to his head. "Yes? What?"<i></i> His voice took on a different tone, a more echoing deeper voice as his voice was slightly altered by the helmet. He watched her point at Kitchenzilla and Number Seven. "I see no reason to interfere. Our experiment is ongoing. Organic and inorganic relationships are if anything ... showcasing the relationship of the former. It is of the highest interest. Your reaction to this is violent, and most ... ... ... different. If anything it is Number Seven who should be panicked."<i></i> Sousuke folded his arms as he was pleased with his observation. . " Therefore I conclude that Number Seven is a civilized creature. How fascinating... given my father's fearful and hesitant expression earlier."<i></i>

Judori in the mean time gave his son a bored look. "You mean ... this whole time you were running an experiment, and Kitchenzilla was simply another level?" The older nin let out a sigh of frustration. "Your mother is not going to be pleased with today's developments... and exactly where do you intend to let them stay exactly? They're not exactly ... from here... and I doubt you would let them back into the desert."

Sousuke paused for a moment. He stared at Kitchenzilla who seemed to be delighting in the presence of Number Seven. "Woof. Woof. Bark. Woof. Ruff."<i></i> (Me? Hurt you? Never. Maybe if you bit Sousuke, I would have to bite you back.) Kitchenzilla let go of Number Seven and wagged her tail back and forth. "Woof. Raaf. Woof Woof. Bark . Bark"<i></i> (I heard in the hallway, your name is Number Seven. You should name yourself Super Seven. We ought to be friends.) At the very least she was getting along well. Very well. It seemed that separating the two may be even disastrous.

 

[Okibi]

Eyebrows the color of smoldering embers slowly lowered as the purple furred human started to spout things that made no sense to Okibi. Finally, she realized just how much these creatures, these humans, were not like her. For a moment, she was annoyed, especially since the human she perched on had placed something over his head so she could no longer see his face. She scratched at the metal surface of the helmet as she thought. It intrigued her actually, the way he spoke. It stood to reason, and yes she could be reasonable, that if they were capable of speaking in such a way, that she could as well right?

When the furless human spoke up, Okibi's head whipped around, her hair flying every which way, and she listened closely. She didnt understand a lick of what was being said, but perhaps she could at least imitate something the smelly human said. When he was done prattling, she clung to the last word he said, and tried to pronounce it.

"De-dehzurt. Desert." She said, mumbling at first, trying to get the feel of it. It was odd, the way her tongue had to move to make the sounds. With the way she normally talked, the sounds were made with her throat.

When she got the hang of it, she turned to the metal head human and Number Seven, looking quite triumphant. "Desert!" she declared.

Number Seven looked rather dumbstruck. Never had it occurred to him to teach Okibi the language of humans, as he never thought she would need it. Hearing her use it now, however, caused him to begin rethinking the things he had been doing up until that point. He heard what Kitchenzilla was saying to him just then, but didnt register anything until she suggested they be friends. Seven shook himself out of his thoughtful reverie and looked at the metal lizard. "Friends? I do not know if thats possible..." He then turned his glowing glass eyes on the humans.

"It had been my every intention to take Okibi and return to the wilds once she was well. Never in all my years with her had I imagined I would bring her to a human village." Pausing, Number Seven strolled forward so that he stood in front of the not-metal mans table. Okibi noticed his slight limp, and leapt from the back of the young human so she could crouch on the tables surface. A soft whine escaped her as she rose a hand to hover over his new wounds. How had she not noticed the scent before?

Number Seven pressed on.

"However, in this brief time I have come to realize that perhaps I was doing her a great injustice. Okibi is a human, and should be among her own kind. My selfishness and distrust nearly ended her life, and had it not been for you and your kind..." He didnt even want to finish that sentence, as he looked down into the eyes of his cherished human. She was so very important to him... "If I may, I would request that you would allow her to stay here with you. That you would teach her all she needs to know to be 'human'. I... I will leave your village, and relinquish her into your care." That last part probably hurt the most to say. It would kill him, tear him to pieces, to part from his charge but what was best was her was more important than what he wanted.

Okibi frowned, tilting her head to the side as she didnt understand what Number Seven was saying. Why had he never told her he knew such things? Whatever the reason, and whatever it was he said, she didnt like it. The weight to his words, and the sorrow in his false eyes... they alone spoke levels. Frowning deeply, Okibi placed a hand on Sevens muzzle. "What did you just say?" She asked seriously.

Seven just smile sadly and nuzzled her hand. "You would be happier here Little Sprite. Much happier than I could make you." The girls frown deepened, not understanding why he wouldnt speak to her in a way shed understand. He then turned to the mask wearing human. "My only request is that you would allow me to remain here until she is fully well. Then I will leave your village quietly."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Both Sousuke and Judori stared long and hard at Okibi when she said the word desert. Both of them were speechless. Judori's draw had dropped and it would be safe to assume that Sousuke's jaw too was hanging from beneath his helmet, but none would ever know due to the helmet. "Mimicry." Judori spoke at first. He turned to his son and chuckled. "She reminds me of you. When you were a boy and didn't get something you mimicked it to the point where it seemed like you understood it." Judori chuckled some more. "She could pass for one of us, if she had a different hair colour. What a happy family, pending of course you find yourself a good wife." Judori teased his son a bit but as usual his son said nothing as he always did.

What next came was a bit of a shock really. Judori nor his son could prepare themselves for Number Seven's request. Judori's mouth closed tightly as he looked to his son for an answer. After all it was Sousuke who was the Steward-Kazekage. The older man felt that perhaps he had been a bit too harsh in his judgment of the beast, as he seemed willing to leave her here. Even he could tell that something was wrong when the dog spoke to his human companion in the common language when she herself could not understand common. "I'll leave this in your capable hands." He got up from the chair. He stared at Number Seven and spoke well to him. "It is not my decision to let you stay, that decision belongs to my son. He is the ruler of these lands, until the proper ruler returns." Judori nodded his head. "I best be off. Your mother will want to know what the racket was all about..." With that Judori left, but before he did so he made a hand gesture at Kitchenzilla to leave as well. The mechanical beast trotted after him but not before saying good-bye in the form of woofs and barks.

Sousuke himself said nothing at first. He stood up and walked over to the window in the room. He stared into the darkness that was illuminated by chakra crystals filled with fire and lightning. He took off his helmet and put it to the side. The eyes of the helmet staring back at Number Seven and Okibi. For a moment Sousuke too turned back to face the company. In contrast to the eyes holes in the helmet, it seemed that the eyes in the helmet were far more lively despite it being merely a helmet. The Stewards eyes were dark with golden irises. There was something in those eyes that were severely lacking "That's my father for you. Takes a while for things to grow on him."</B><i></i> Sousuke began. "Always remembering his place. A rather annoying feature that he has, but one I have not yet grown accustomed to." There was a lack of warmth in Sousuke's words, not that he was saying anything vile it just seemed that his words lacked heart. <B>"When you communicated with us that you are willing to leave, I don't think you communicated that with Okibi. Am I wrong? I merely theorize this as you did not communicate to her in that canine language of yours."<i></i> Sousuke paced about the room his arms folded behind his back. "You think she would like it here. You think it would make her happier. What is happiness? I have ... observed others being happy, and I myself cannot say that I can fully grasp the meaning of it. I have observed people cry when they are happy, but they often do so when they are in pain. I do not think you leaving here would make her cry ... happy tears. I think she would degenerate into a very pained and tortured being."<i></i> Sousuke paced some more. "Your presence and stature are different yes, but so are mine. People cannot seem to read me as they can others. Yet due to your physical appearance they will notice you more than I. People ... humans are adaptable creature. I think in time they will adapt to you. Eventually they would know that you are ... not an irregularity but someone .... familiar. That of course requires a large amount of time, how much I cannot say."<i></i> Sousuke paced again. He was in deep thought. His face showed no readable emotions, but he was in control. Absolute control. "My parents wanted me to have a pet. To bond with something to become more social and adept in the presence of others. People grow stronger with other organisms. I tried that but ... it resulted in the birth of Kitchenzilla. I think that your presence, if given enough time too will have an effect on me... similar to the effect Kitchenzilla has had on me. I am adept at understanding machines but it has taken me a very long time to understand my fellow humans. You of course are something entirely different, and I am comfortable with that. I do not think we require you to depart... I merely request that you tolerate me in my infinite realm of possibilities. So long as you can do that, which I think you can, we should be ... good as gold?"<i></i> The Steward's face turned slightly grim. "What can you tell about me? Do I scare you? I know that my construct had earlier greatly disturbed Okibi, but you seemed ... fearless. You took quite well to her, I must admit... better than my parents."<i></i>

 

[Okibi]

As the father human stood to leave, Seven was taken slightly aback when he was addressed. Had the human come to accept the fact that he indeed understood and spoke their language? The knowledge floored him. Never had he been on the receiving end of such acceptance, slight though it was. Seven watched the man go, turning back only when he was fully gone from sight. The not metal-man had left his seat and gone to the window, where he took off his metal helmet.

The mutant dog and inhuman human listened to the words, though only half the party could understand them. They came like a wave, and both could tell that they lacked... a certain liveliness. This man, smart though he seemed, obviously lacked something that other humans had, even Okibi. The torrent washed over them, and Number Seven absorbed them like a sponge. Okibi, however, was quickly growing bored. No one wanted to speak to her, not that she would understand them. Since her companion didnt seem to want to do that either, she turned her attention on the abandoned toy she had mutilated earlier. From within the holes left by her claws she could see the fluff within, but also something else. Curious, she tore through what was left of the bears skin and dug out the little box that used to make the squeaking noise. Okibi sniffed at it, looked at it, even went so far as to lick it just slightly, but found it quite uninteresting. And so she tossed it, and continued to dissect the toy bear.

All the while the purple haired human continued to talk, and Seven continued to listen. He didnt dare to hope, but it sounded like this man, whom was the village ruler, was going to let him stay with Okibi... could it possibly be true? Would he be allowed to stay, even with all his... abnormalities?

Yes, indeed, that was what it sounded like! A sudden surge of happiness swept through Seven, and he had to take a seat on his large haunches lest he find himself falling to the floor. He was going to be allowed to stay... but only so long as he could tolerate the man in his 'infinite realm of possibilities'. Whatever that meant. The few final questions that were aimed at him derailed Sevens thought. What could he tell about the human? He wasnt quite sure what he was being asked... Was he afraid of the human? He didnt get where this was going, but deigned to answer anyway.

"I can tell... that you are kind. You saved my human, and allowed me into your domain although I look like something that would sooner devour your children than make pleasant conversation. I can tell you are intelligent. Kitchenzilla was proof enough of that. I can tell... that you can be trusted." Seven took a deep breath before he continued, calming the nerves that were starting to rattle. "I do not fear you, although perhaps I should. I do, however, feel a small sense of wary towards all humans. That stems from past happenings that I would rather not delve into." He looked to the side, watching as Okibi tore into the decimated teddy bear. "That of course excludes this one. Until now, she has been the only human that has accepted me as I am."

And then he turned back to the other human. "Yet you claim to be comfortable with my... differences. As I said before, you are kind. Although..." He paused for a moment, considering his next words. "Your eyes do not tell me much, unlike Okibi. Sometimes I can understand her intentions, just by watching the emotion shift in her eyes. But you... you are... blank. What I can understand about you now I only do by your actions and words. The rest, is a complete mystery to me."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

A particular train of thought came to mind when Number Seven spoke about eyes. "There is a philosophy that eyes are the gateway to one's soul... and I too have been subject to minor experiments on such a topic. I'll tell you what they found. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Uchiha clan members have watched me for long amounts of time. They could imitate me with some known difficulties after a time. They said it was the most exhausting experience they had ever known. Mainly due to the lack of ... emotional response or empathetic readings. "<i></i> The Steward paused for a moment. An unsettling expression came over his face as he looked to the remains of the bear he had given to Okibi. "What makes me wonder... is that people say things that I make be it armour, weapons, toys, buildings ... have more life and soul than I do."<i></i> The small man would have seemed frustrated and such frustration was visibly incapable of making a physical manifestation upon his features. He turned his back to his company and returned to looking outdoors. He seemed to be in a mood of sorts, but even his reflection failed to show it entirely.

"Take a moment to describe what has transpired in the language of the canines to Okibi. From her earlier looks I would think that she would appreciate being brought up to speed."<i></i> Sousuke allowed for silence to fill the air, that was until the two finished conversing in what language they could. Sousuke took a moment to reflect upon the word that Number Seven took to describe him: kind. It was a good word, but Sousuke himself didn't think he was being kind, he was merely doing what was necessary to preserve life. Life was meant to be preserved in most circumstances, or at least that was what his Father had told him. Sousuke had thought it to be unproductive to the girl's development if he had sent the canine back into the wilds. That wasn't all, Sousuke too was interested in Number Seven. Not that he was going to test on him, more over that he was a unique creature. Sousuke coughed finally. "One side note. Please tell Okibi not to tear the toys to pieces. It is rather difficult to restore them when they have been reduced to ... threads, stuffing, and sqeaky balls. Do you want said squeaky ball Number Seven? I know Kitchenzilla has a fondness for them... but she is not a proper ... canine to use as an example."<i></i>

 

[Okibi]

Number Seven couldnt help the sadness that came over him as he listened to the human man. Toys, machines, inanimate things having more life than an actual person? Indeed, that was quite a sad thing, and he could see how others might say that about the man standing in front of him. Although he sensed the frustration that the human was feeling over it, he couldnt quite see any change in his facial expressions. Did that mean he was incapable of feeling, however, or did it mean he just... had problems expressing himself?

Looking back at Okibi for a moment, Number Seven decided on the former. If there was anyone in that room who had a hard time expressing themselves properly, it was his human girl. Seven shook his head as Okibi continued to slowly rob the bear of all its stuffing. She was making quite the little pile next to her.

He looked back when the the melancholy moment passed, having chosen to stay quiet about things, and the human suggested he fill Okibi in. Yes, perhaps he should do that, and get her to stop mutilating the bear in boredom while he was at it. "Okibi, we will be staying here in this human village from now on." The girl looked up suddenly, eyes widening, and he saw she was about to protest. Knowing just how... spirited her protests could be, he tried to nip it in the bud. "You are a human, child. You should be around others like you. You will learn things here that I could never hope to teach you. That word you said earlier? Do you know what it means? You could learn you know... if we stayed here."

The girl went through a few phases then, starting with distraught. She looked ready to burst into tears, and scratch his fake eyes out. Then, she calmed and looked like she only wanted to perhaps rid him of an ear. Slowly, she became thoughtful, looking down at the toy bear that she had unconsciously ripped the head off of. Seeing her plight, Seven lowered his head and said to her softly, "You wont have to worry about those desert foxes stealing your kills anymore." Not that she would be having any kills in the village but... well, it did seem to brighten her up. Seven new, if there was one thing that Okibi truly hated, it was the population of desert foxes that had roamed the area near their territory. Thieves they were, the lot of them!

Seeing that she was coming around to the idea, Number Seven nodded triumphantly. As an after thought, he addressed the matter of her destroying the stuffed animal. "And stop tearing that thing up. It doesnt even belong to you Okibi."

For the first time, the girl seemed to realize this. The toy bear did, in fact, not belong to her. If she didnt like it when foxes made off with her food, how much worse would someone else feel about her having destroyed something of theirs? Glancing at the human that stood by the window, Okibi started to pick up the fluff she had removed from the bears tummy, and put it back in as best she could. She grabbed the head, and held onto it as she hopped off the table to search for the little deflated ball she removed from it earlier. Once found, she put that back in the bear too, and slowly turned around to look at Seven and the human.

"Whats his name?" She asked Seven, not looking away from the human. The mutant dogs eyes widened, before a slow smile graced his nightmarish features. He walked to her side, and bent over to whisper something into her ear. Okibi looked at him uncertainly, but when Seven nudged her towards the window, she sucked it up and marched over to the purple haired human.

Holding the ruined bear to her chest so all the pieces would stay together, she looked up at the man, and slowly said, "Am sawree. Watt ez yore naym-uh?" She tried her hardest to pronounce the words that Seven had whispered at her, and although she wasnt sure what she was saying, she felt she got it about right. Her eyes were big, bright, and imploring.

Seven laughed at the way she over pronounced her words. "I will admit, I wish to know this as well human. And no, I cant say I have any desire to own a squeaky ball. Im not like domesticated canines, you see."

 

[Takahashi Aki]

Sousuke turned to see Okibi now at his side. The child's eyes were so bright and full of life unlike his own. The Steward listened to the child speak, but he was unsure if she understood what she had attempted to ask, nevertheless, he felt compelled to answered. He glanced at Number Seven for a moment wondering if was he who told her what to say. He exchanged glances between the giant canine and the girl. Surely he must have...

Sousuke almost formed a grin, the sides of his mouth tilted very so slightly to form a grin, it had lasted a mere five seconds before the muscles converted back to a very neutral looking face. "I was christened under the Mother Suna Pilgrims as Takahashi Sousuke the third of his name. Named after Takahashi Sousuke the Redsteel who served the One King. I was also named after Takahashi Sousuke the String Weaver. He was my grandfather but he died at an early age."<i></i> Sousuke nodded his head. "My heritage is long and ancient. The Takahashi were amongst the First Men to enter the desert to try and make it habitable for man. I could go on for a time, but I'll save that for another time..."<i></i> He paused for a moment, realizing that the last few hours must have been exhausting for the two. "Get some rest Number Seven and Okibi. I'll be back in few hours to take you ... to your new home."<i></i>

(Topic concluded?)

 

[Okibi]

Not a single thing Sousuke said registered in Okibi's mind. Jibberish, all of it, thats what it was. Throughout the entire introduction the girls face slowly fell into a frown. Didnt the guy realize she wouldnt understand him? Just his name alone would have done... but no, now she had to turn to Number Seven for help. Reluctantly, she turned at looked at the giant doberman, silently asking for a translation.

The dog laughed, and said only one thing, as it was really all she needed to know. "Sousuke."

Okibi's eyebrows lifted, and she understood. The mans name was Sousuke. All she had to do now was say it herself. Turning back to the human, her face pinched up as she attempted the name. It proved to be just a little bit more difficult than what she tried before, and it came out as follows:

"Sooo... Soo-gay. Sogay!"

Okibi looked quite pleased with herself, not realizing just how wrong she had said the humans name. Number Seven stifled another laugh. Certainly, his developed mind understood just what her mispronunciation implied, but he knew full well that she didnt. He probably should correct her but...

Well it was just too funny this way.

"Well done. Now back to bed Little Sprite. Sogay will be back later to show us to our new home." He said, having to truly focus to keep himself from grinning like a mad creature. Okibi looked for a moment like she didnt want to comply, but a yawn quickly changed that. Still holding the mutilated bear, she climbed onto the bed and curled up without getting under the covers. In moments, she was gone.

Still fighting his mirth, Seven turned to Sousuke. "We will see you soon then, Takahashi Sousuke." He said before taking a place beside Okibi's bed, curling up just as she had. They would see, just what the morning would bring.

[Topic Concluded!]