Open You'll Be in my Heart

[Hoichi]

Hoichi was on the observation deck on top of Hokage Rock and the view of the village was breath taking. Even with her being blind she could see the entire village bellow and all the people walking about their day. Hoichi take her mouse plush and sits it on a nearby bench and prepares to sing to it. She kneels down to be with eye level of the plush. “Come stop your crying. It will be alright.” With a graceful motion she pulls out a handkerchief and wipes the toy’s eyes. Her hand then grabs one of the mouse’s paws. “Just take my hand. Hold it tight.” She give it a small kiss on the forehead and continues. “I will protect you from all around you. I will be here. Don't you cry.”

She then slips her hands under its arms and lifts it up as she goes into a standing position. Then she begins to cradle the mouse plush like an infant. “For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you. Keep you safe and warm.” She then gently nuzzles her nose with the stuff animal’s. “This bond between us can't be broken. I will be here. Don't you cry.” She rocks the plush in her arms while dancing in a waltz like style. “'Cause you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart”

Then with a great leap she jumps onto the railing. Bellow her would be quite the fall but she seems to have herself balance quite well. With a loud voice she proclaims the next line as if making a declaration to the village before her. “From this day on, now and forever more!” She then jumps backwards back onto the observation deck and sweeps back into a waltz. “You'll be in my heart. No matter what they say. You'll be here in my heart. Always.” Her steps quickly become pronounced as one could clearly the heels of her boot smack against the ground. “Don’t listen to them ‘cause what do they know? We need each other to have, to hold.” Then her steps become softer once more. “They’ll see in time. I know.”

She places the Mouse plush back onto the bench and steps away with tears beginning to trickle down her face. “When destiny calls you. You must be strong.” She pulls out the same handkerchief as before dries her own eyes this time. “I may not be with you, but you’ve to hold on. They’ll see in time. I know.” She then rushes back to the stuffed mouse, grabs it by the paw and hurtles over the bench. “We’ll show them together.”

Once again she goes into a waltz with the plush animal. “Cause you’ll be in my heart. Believe me you’ll be in my heart. From this day on now and forever more. Yes, you'll be in my heart. No matter what they say. You’ll be in my heart, Always.” She does a twill lowering herself to the ground while cradling the doll. “Always.”

​

 

[Shion]

His clothing was ragged as usual and he had been going back and forth to get his supplies for in his pouch. He had filthy bandages covering his cheeks and he could still smell the antidote that had been on there sometime before.

Step by step he went higher till the point he made it to the highest point. Shion stood on the top of the stairs, looking at the scene that was unfolding in front of his eyes. A person talking to an eerie plush... They started to sing towards it eventually, and he had hoped that he brought something to plug ears with but unfortunately. She started to turn the plush, and eventually dry fake tears.

'Maybe... it's just me.... But... did she went missing from mental facility..?' He started to question himself why he was even still watching at this... The moment she leaped onto the railing he was wondering. 'I heard there were children having difficult past and having trauma which is why they wouldn't see the real from fake anymore... maybe that would be the thing here and she has a love story with that plush and she hopes for plushie babies...' The thought alone let him shudder and he shook his head violently. 'Yuck!' He thickly swallowed and started to take a step back. Maybe it would be best to turn around... After all, so far they didn't notice that he was here yet.

 

[Minamoto Daisuke]

It had been quite a week of rigorous training for the young shinobi-in-training, his arms were sore, his legs were sore, and even his brain was sore from all the concentration he had been doing. But still, it was all in search of a greater goal. Minamoto Daisuke hadn’t taken the time to reflect for quite a while now, so maybe it was good that he had found himself walking up the steep steps towards the summit of Hokage Rock. His pearlescent blue eyes caught glimmers of sunlight as he slowly made his way forward with hands in his pockets, the small blue tattoo of his clan symbol only served to highlight his irises in that moment. His steps were purposeful but rather light as was his habit of minimising the noise he made – but of course this was not a conscious effort any longer. A light sigh escaped his lips as he looked up, the wind catching his blonde hair before blowing it out of his vision. At the top of the stairs stood a figure, seeming to watch something on the observation deck, something Daisuke would have to investigate

His ears pricked up at some noise ahead as he crested the stairs onto the observation platform, this was likely the object of the ragged boy’s attention. Before them he saw the figure of a young girl, a few years younger than himself he guessed, dressed in a fairly formal manner that caught him slightly off guard. What seemed to catch him even more unaware was the fact that she was talking away to what looked like a small creature, but on closer inspection it seemed to be little more than a toy. He stood idle for a moment, simply watching the girl interact and then proceed to dance with the small rodent before shedding some tears of her own and then continuing on with her performance.

A single fine eyebrow raised, creating several shallow channels across the Minamoto boy’s forehead. But still, he continued to watch for a few moments – not wishing to interrupt so that he could try and gleam some sort of information from the sight before him. But alas he could not quite comprehend what was going on. He took another few steps forward, casually making himself known on the deck with each pace. Daisuke stopped a few metres from the well-dressed girl and waited for a moment to speak, and when a lull in her motions came, he spoke.

“What are you doing?” There was genuine interest behind the statement, though with his naturally short tone, the question did unintentionally come off as a bit of a coarse remark. His eyes stabilised on the mouse for a few seconds before lifting to hopefully meet with the gaze of the young girl. Daisuke simply stood there, motionless in the quiet day, waiting to see what sort of explanation would come from his inquiry. Though, if he was being completely honest with himself, he wasn’t completely sure that any sort of explanation would make sense. But still, he had always been taught that there were many strange things in the world of the shinobi, maybe this was one of them.

 

[Hoichi]

It appears Hoichi would have an unexpected audience far into the song. Hoichi was far too engross in what she was doing to even notice their coming. She would likely be a little disappointed that they came in the middle of it as they missed some of her favorite parts of the routine. She was a little surprised to hear someone speak to her when she was done and immediately lift her head towards the direction of the voice. She would also notice another and her head would dart over to the silent one and then back to the one that spoke. “Forgive me my dear sir, I was unaware of your arrival.”

Hoichi would get up, dust herself off and approach the one that addressed her. Being that Daisuke was attempting to look her in the eye, he might notice something unusual. It is natural for one’s eyes to wander even if it is just looking at different parts of a person’s face. Hoichi’s eyes were completely motionless. “My name is Mimi Hoichi. The Blind Bard.” She would pinch the hem of her skirt with her one free hand and do a little curtsy. “I was practicing for a performance.” Once again she would look straight at Shion with her dead eyes. “Is someone else here?”

 

[Shion]

He stood there on the stairs and looked a the second person that had come towards the scene. Shion's eyes darted back to the small little female who wasn't right inside their head and looked towards the little thing once more. It was the sound of the young blonde male that stopped the female's path and actually got her to turn around. Shion wasn't impressed by the movements of the other as he himself just simply stood there, one foot on the lower staircase already as if he had been in half a motion of going away. 'Look at me, I was raised in a theater...' was a thought running as he only had heard stories of his mother how medieval times would have been with their skirts and dresses and how the males were and... The long-forgotten stories of old. And once the other indeed mention practicing for a performance the words of his mind were acknowledged.

The moment the female mentioned is someone else here, shion just kept looking. He never had made a sound so it was quite odd how she had picked him up. 'Fake it till you make it I guess...' He would think simply and still never made any sound or movement towards the other. Simply because he didn't speak the Fuego tongue anymore.

 

[Minamoto Daisuke]

Daisuke raised a single eyebrow as he observed the younger girl waltzing her way around the observation platform clutching the small creature or toy of some kind. The boy’s eyes scanned the figure from top to bottom in an attempt to better understand as much as he could about her, including any potential equipment that might be on her person. Again, this was not necessarily purposeful anymore, but instead a force of habit that he had developed over the last half a year or so. His face soon returned to the deadpan expression that he frequently tried to maintain in his day-to-day life.

In truth there was little about the situation at hand that the boy truly understood, though he would not allow for his expressions or actions to betray that fact. Daisuke continued to stand with his hands in his pockets as he watched on, now certain that he had the attention of the girl. There was something different about her, something off with her gaze. There wasn’t even the slightest movement in her eyes as she looked over to stare in his direction, almost as though she was staring through him and off into the middle distance. However, as she introduced herself the details became clear. ‘Ah, so she’s blind.’ He thought to himself. ‘That explains the strange eye contact, if you could even call it that.’ The Minamoto boy glanced over his shoulder towards the other witness present, unsure exactly what to say in the moment that Hoichi identified their presence, he did not want to reveal an individual looking to stay quiet but it seemed as though there was no need for him to confirm the presence of another. He blinked as subtly welcoming as possible in the direction of Shion, making sure that the boy might have the indication that he was welcome to come forward to join him. ‘Despite her lack of vison, her perception is fine tuned. Interesting.’

His eyes returned to look upon the girl momentarily, again inspecting her plush creature. “Minamoto Daisuke.” He spoke in a flat tone but offered a slight nod in response to her introduction completely ignoring her question of Shion’s presence, if he wished to be seen then Daisuke was sure the other boy would make himself known more overtly. Instead of answering the question, he instead moved to raise some of his own.
“So, you are blind, yet can still see your surroundings? Is that the effect of a jutsu, or something else?” He paused, taking another step forward before stopping once again. “And that toy. What is it, and why were you seemingly speaking with it?”

 

[Hoichi]

Daisuke claims that she was able to see even though she is blind and for a moment she contemplated if he was right. Hoichi was born blind and thus she never knew what it is to see. She lacks a point of reference to compare to and that made her wonder. However soon she dismisses the idea and shakes her head. Black, red, yellow: she knows people call these colors, but they mean nothing to her. She is not sure what this new sense is but she is sure it is not sight. “I’m afraid you are mistaken, Minamoto-san." Though if he decides to press the issue she is willing to admit that it was inaccurate.

Daisuke would ignore her question and then instead ask a question of his own. For some reason he was trying to hide the other from her. ‘Very well, I will comply,’ she thought to herself. “This is Nezumi-san. It was a gift from my mother before she passed.” She would then hold the plush mouse out for him to take. Whether he takes the stuffed animal or not he might noticed a fragrance coming from it. It was a flowery scent as if it was sprayed with perfume. “I am to perform this song with a dancing partner.” She gives a somewhat bashful grin as she dislikes admitting she is at a disadvantage due to her blindness. “Due to my lack of sight, I like to practice with a stationary target before moving to a moving one.”

Hoichi would bow her head. “If you excuse me I feel a little winded from that dance.” She would turn and head over to the bench that she used before. She would sit down in the at the far right hand side of the bench. “You are welcome to join me if you like.” The bench was big enough to sit three people comfortably. It would be quite obvious the other existed if there was people sitting on either side of her and thus she sat on the far side so the other could join as well and still keep up his act of hiding.

 

[Shion]

He noticed how the other blinked towards him, a hand raised pointing towards himself. Was he really referring towards himself with that? If it seemed the case he would move silently to bow towards him as an acknowledgment. His gaze went towards the doll as the other started to speak about it. Slowly he would question himself a few things, but at least he was already right about something regards of her. 'but... if you do not have a dance partner to lead... how can you even practice despite blind... You cannot see where you are going, yet the way she danced it was as if she could see everything clearly... I mean... No blind person hops on a railing for fun...' His eyes went to the corner as he thought that, a bit of a habit when he thought other people were stupid. But because of that, he was lucky in this case he didn't always speak his mind.

He would look towards her as she mentioned she was winded. 'Does she mean she left wind or is just out of breath...? She doesn't seem to be out of breath...' Slowly he would move forwards towards the bench, but he wouldn't sit down on the bench itself. He would sit near the observation deck, also because he knew he wasn't the cleanest smelling kid around because of his living habits. But also since he didn't like to have people close to him, after all. He couldn't trust anyone but himself. That he had learned the hard way.

He would remain where he was and still was looking and watching. He however did pick up a stick to write his own short version of his name in the dirt. S-H-I.

Sorry for the hold up, I thought I had replied when I didn't... Please poke me if I haven't replied in 5 days! D: I always feel bad for making people wait..

 

[Minamoto Daisuke]

Daisuke wandered over towards the bench, sitting down rather calmly. As strange as the scene was that he had come across, it was not too disturbing. It seemed as though the company he was with now were rather interesting, one did not speak and the other could not see – but the reasons why were unclear. Thankfully the group had now introduced themselves, one verbally and one in writing on the floor. At least now they were all somewhat acquainted.

Daisuke reached out to beckon the quiet boy towards him, there was not much intensity in his beckoning but he felt it best he gave Shi some incentive to come over and join the pair. Having done so he turned his head to look towards Hoichi. “Ah I see, your logic makes sense. Does this dance of yours have a name, and how does one learn to dance like that?”

He pondered for a moment, thinking back to the observations he had conducted only moments prior. Maybe dancing could translate to the dexterity of a shinobi, after all moving quickly and precisely would always be important for a ninja. It could be the case that this performance given by the girl and her stuffed friend was actually a subtle form of training which sought to increase her agility – if so that was rather admirable. Daisuke never truly understood the purpose of most art, but dancing was something that he could find subtly useful. Though he did not wish to voice his observations as of yet, instead he simply wanted to get to know those around him in more detail. After all, knowing the details of a person can come in extremely handy, especially for a shinobi.



((Sorry for the late post))

 

[Hoichi]

Hoichi could tell that the silent one was drawing something on the ground, but she was not sure what it was. Being born blind she does not know how to read text. She knows her letters in spoken and braille form, but this was alien to her. The written word is often intangible; rarely does she come across words embroidered or engraved. Thus his actions were lost on her.

Hoichi only recently gotten these new powers of her in the past couple months. She was taught how to dance years ago. Back when both her parents were still alive, her uncle, the one of her father’s side, taught her how to dance in an unusual way. Being that she was blind it was nearly impossible to show her the moves she needs to practice, however he was a shinobi. Her uncle fought a different way of showing her with a special shinobi technique. Hoichi would relax her body as several strings of chakra wraps around her limbs and she would let him move her like a marionette.

Hoichi ponders for a moment trying to remember what her uncle called the dance. “Have you heard of Capoeira?” Capoeira is a martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music. While she does use it for entertainment, it does have some fighting capability. “How does one learn anything? Practice, practice, practice.” Then a most delightful idea comes to her mind. “You are shinobi or training to be one?” Hoichi could not say for sure if her guess was correct, but she did have some hints that lead her in that direction. “Would you care to be a dancing partner for me?” She would give a small smile. “I could use the practice.” So far he has only seen a very small fraction of her performance. Should he agree he will see much more, but she won’t pressure him into it if he desires not to participate.

 

[Shion]

The boy started to look towards the people surrounding the bench. There was the odd girl, a boy...
As the other tried to get him closer... he would get a feet closer, but still remained on the ground, he liked to have people at a distance and one couldn't give him a bad view of this as he had been often tossed around like a tossed ball or even worse.
It was only at the moment that she started about capoeira that he perked his ears a little, but that was mainly on the fact that it was a form of martial arts... and he loved to fight with hands and feet and not as much with Ninjtusu. Yet a form of Genjutsu he could also work a thing or two. He grinned as he thought back towards the moment he placed a street market person under a genjutsu. It was the best icecream he had... But also the last one.

Once she started to talk about practice... he rolled his eyes. That was just a thing, everything required practice... and with her asking for a dance partner, he was quick to move that foot backward again. HIm and dancing, nu-uh. Besides, as he was a kid, he thought girls were stupid. Just an age thing really.

Placed an avatar of Old Shion. As this is a topic from once he was 25PL and 10 years old. x'D

 

[Shion]

[topic left due to inactivity]
ooc note: Just think my character out.