[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

If I Only Could

Her breath fogged in the cold night air spilling past Azarea's fangs like smoke as the red head ran with every ounce of her strength. Uncaring for how her ribs left her breath hitching in pain or the fact with her eyes still covered she could barely see the road. Even without eyes her Kikaichu knew the way. The insects swarming around her and nudging her back onto the path whenever she strayed as her legs ate up the road between them. The distant lights of the small village lingering on the horizon like fireflies and growing closer with each step.

Putting on one last burst of speed Azarea ignored how it left her entire body shuddering in pain she narrowed in on her destination. Knowing all too well that after her release from the hospital she was supposed to be 'resting' instead of running cross country. But what did a little pain matter in the face of seeing Tsukimono again? During the fight she'd been too busy trying not to die. At first she'd been uncertain if the man who'd pulled her back from the worst of the brawl was really her teammate or just a concussion addled hallucination. But her swarm wouldn't, couldn't lie to her, and they sang to her that it was really him. He as alive.

Pausing panting and out of breath in front of a run down tattoo parlor she watched as her Kikaichu flitted about her alighting on her shoulders while others swarmed against the door. The woman reaching out her fingers closing around the handle as she pulled it open stepping into the narrow entryway as her eyes adjusted to the low light. Gaze settling on the man before her where he sat in a tattoo chair, shirt off, and arm being wiped down after a touch up.

Both of them had changed over the six years, but some things never really differed as letting out a low growl deep in the back of her throat Azarea launched herself forward tackling her teammate back into the chair. If his neck was wetter then it was before she buried her face against it then... well it was clearly just fluid from her hurt eye rather then tears. Her arms tightening around the Yak like he'd disappear if she dared let go.

"You bastard... I thought you were dead." She chokes out with a sob.

SPOILER: Click to show

Justu Goes Here

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: | Inuzuka Tsukimono

[Inuzuka Tsukimono]

     It hadn’t been too long since Tsukimono had seen Azarea, but he was still growing impatient. He knew he couldn’t risk going to Kumo to find her, they were an ally to Konoha, meaning their elite would certainly know who Tsukimono was. He was still a criminal after all. A murderer who had fled his village, now a Yakuza, what a wonderful gift to give an allied nation. And so Tsukimono simply went about his work like normal. Staying in the Land of Lightning was his only true prerogative. That’s why he found himself getting some touch ups at this run down shop. He knew that Azarea’s bug would lead her to him, no matter where he ended up. 

     When he finally heard the swarm of bugs outside the doors of the establishment, a smile cracked across his face. His smile only grew when he saw Azarea finally burst through the door, letting the girl pounce on him and wrap her arms around him. He turned his heads to his artist and simply gave a nod, which told the man to give the two some space. This shop was a place frequented by the Yakuza, in most instances that Nod would have been for some sort of criminal meeting, not simply a meeting between old friends, but it would work the same non the less. 

    "I could say the same thing to you, bitch.” Tsukimono laughed as he spoke. A laugh he hadn’t been able to reasonably have in a long time. His like of work truly didn’t allow for too many moments of actual joy. Finally have her in his arms again, Tsukimono couldn’t hold back his own tears. Simply holding her for as long as he could manage before sighing and pushing her way just enough to sit back up. "You look like shit.”

coded by benetnasch of THQ

Muse:
Artificial Nocturne

Notes:
Reconnecting

Tags:
Aburame Azarea

Words:
325

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Questions

They drew out the moment. The years falling away and for a short time they were kids again. Azarea getting angry and exasperated at whatever latest antic her teammates had been up to only for the lot of them to tumble into a hug and huddle up the moment anyone else save Kyo dared to fuss a them. The only thing missing was Izanagi yelling 'Banzai!' and jumping right into the middle of things to drag them all down into a pile. His absence felt like a knife in Azarea's chest as she let Tsukimono push her back to gain some distance as she swiped at her face with the sleeve of her jacket. Claiming the chair the tattoo artist had been in moments before for her own as she flashed him a lopsided grin.

"And yet I'm still prettier then your ugly mug." She quips right back as her Kikaichu settle about over both of them. The little fluffy beetles with their gold carapace humming happily thrilled to have a member of the 'hive' returned to them. Last time Tsukimono had seen them the hive had just developed their wings and their carapace was more a shiny brown slowly lightening with time. The difference six years could make was stark, but it's clear the insects, like their host, hadn't forgotten him.

Reaching out Azarea took his hand giving the rough calloused palm a squeeze, "What happened to you? I tried to write after I was exiled, but I never received any letters back. I thought perhaps you, Izanagi, and Sensei were laying low and maybe I'd hear from you with time, but even after a year I never got any responses. Then Shigure told me Kyo-Sensei had..." She trails off throat tightening and scarlet eyes darkening with pain and guilt. The questions dancing on the tip of her tongue. Had he known what had happened to here? Where had he been? Where was Izanagi? Would he still want her as a friend knowing the hand she'd had in their Sensei's death?

"He told me Kyo-Sensei was blamed for not detecting my involvement with the coup however minor and punished... he fell into a coma and perished due to his injuries a year later. There was no mention of you or Izanagi." Azarea explains her grip on his hand tightening a touch as if she was afraid even speaking of such things would cause him to be snatched away from her. 

SPOILER: Click to show

Justu Goes Here

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: | Inuzuka Tsukimono

[Inuzuka Tsukimono]

     "It’s funny, I seem to recall that I was the one who constantly had girls confessing their love to me?” Tsukimono laughed again and looked up at her swarm, admiring the brightened color they seemed to have now, "At least these guys seem happy to see me. The Pack had to hang back at the hideout, even I can’t sneak through a village with a bunch of dogs barking the whole time.”

Tsukimono waited and listened as she talked, wanting to let her tell the full story before he interjected. But the entire time she spoke he couldn’t help but scowls and growl. What the hell had they done to her? It made sense, they weren’t allowed to know anything of her, so why would they tell her anything about the three of them. What she had said about Kyo especially burned in his chest. That day had played on repeat in his head for the past five years, haunting him, and no one had even told her the truth. It was infuriating to say the absolute minimum. But despite all his anger, he looked at her and saw sadness. A sadness that he wanted to get rid of in his old friend.

"Someone’s been feeding you bullshit, we didn’t hear anything from you. We never saw your letters, no one even told us what happened to you. We all thought you were dead. When me and Izanagi went to ask the Aburame about it they acted like you didn’t even exist. Izanagi got arrested because he broke into the compound and tried to steal info about you. And Kyo…” Just like Azarea had, Tsukimono paused. He didn’t know how to tell her, would she hate him for what he did? He felt justified, but he had still killed him, "I got arrested after Kyo disappeared. The Hyuuga, they activated that fucking seal of his, and they left him half dead, torturing him deep in the Hyuuga compound and feeding me some bullshit story about a coma. I found him and… Azarea you gotta understand he what one foot in the grave already, so when I found him he… he asked me to put him out of his misery. The Hyuuga used me as a scapegoat, said I murdered him in cold blood. So now I’m on the run from the village. Izanagi is still in jail.”

Tsukimono didn’t feel good lying to Azarea, but he knew that he couldn’t talk about what really happened even if he wanted to.

coded by benetnasch of THQ

Muse:
Artificial Nocturne

Notes:
Reconnecting

Tags:
Aburame Azarea

Words:
434

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Forgiveness

"And need I remind you you found every. single. one. of those girls fucking terrifying. Not that I can blame you." Azarea quips with a lopsided smile, "I mean remember that one Uchiha weirdo that wanted to try to make you wear a collar?" The woman gives an exaggerated shudder. Uchiha women were always normal or completely insane. No in-between in their experience.

Though as they each tell their tales her expression darkens with sorrow, conflict, and anger. Scarlet eyes sparking with malice and mouth set into a hard line. For a moment it looks as though she might lunge for Tsukimono, but instead the woman shrugs out of her worn jacket and in one quick motion loops it over the Yak's head. Tugging him foreword till their foreheads rest against each others. The old leather jacket shielding their faces from the outside world like kids hiding from the rain. The familiar scent of almonds, cherries, and petrichor filling Tsukimono's nose as Azarea lets out a shuddering breath her eyes closing to hide the tears that speckle her long dark red lashes.

"Thank you Tsuki... It's... Kyo-Sensei wouldn't have asked you to do it if there was any other choice." She murmurs hoping to unburden her teammate of his guilt as he had her own. As Azarea's fangs dig into her lower lip in thought, the woman having finally in the years gone by apparently given up on filing them down.

"My Mother tried to overthrow the head of the Aburame clan and install me as heir instead of my younger brother. I think she realized the clan had discovered I was actually a bastard and not the clan heads child and given I was still recognized as an 'heir' she must have thought they intended to ensure I had an accident so I wouldn't be any competition. It... she died in the attempt while we were at the Chuunin exams. It's why I was arrested when we returned." Azarea explains her words soft, and slow as she recounts the tale.

"ANBU tortured and interrogated me, but in the end it was determined I didn't actually know about the coup. So the Aburame weren't allowed to kill me, but the Hokage couldn't keep me around either... In the end they offered to aid Kumo with the plague if Riku took me on as a Kumogakure Shinobi. The Aburame poisoned me to prevent the secrets of the Alpha Hive falling into Kumo's hands and I was exiled. I..." She trails off swallowing thickly the emotions a painful lump in her throat like fingers closing around her neck attempting to choke the life from her at such memories.

"I almost lost the entirety of my hive and... and I was very sick. Between the poison and the plague I almost didn't make it. I couldn't even use enough chakra to make a passing henge for the past six years, but Riku looked after me. I became a shinobi of Kumogakure even if for a while I was just a paper ninja." Azarea explains letting out a sigh as she bumps her forehead lightly against his own a sad broken chuckle falling from her lips.

"Fuck Tsuki... It's... it's been bad, but I lived. I thought the three of you just wanted nothing more to do with me. That you'd forgotten. I... it hurt a lot you bastard," She gasps out voice cracking even as she smiles through the tears welling in her eyes. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

SPOILER: Click to show

Justu Goes Here

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: | Inuzuka Tsukimono

[Inuzuka Tsukimono]

     It had been a long time since Tsukimono truly felt his emotions getting the best of him, since he felt truly overwhelmed, but here he was. All the emotions from the night of his sensei’s death, the memories of losing Azarea and Izanagi, and now here she was in front of him. It was too much for the man to handle, his head was flooded with so many memories all at once. Yet despite so much time apart, it was as if Azarea could still simply read his mind, and knew exactly what he needed at any given moment. 

     She always knew how to make him feel safe, like she just did. He remembered being kids in the village, and the world feeling hectic around him, his senses going overdrive, but just being underneath this jacket with Azarea would always calm him. Even if the other Genin would laugh and tease them, even if it made everyone think the two were more than just friends, it was still a safe place for him, and one he hadn’t realized he missed until it was brought back to him. He knew she was trying to console him, logically he knew she was right too. He couldn’t have saved him, that’s why he took his life in the first place, but he couldn’t help but wonder "what if”. What if he had found a medic? Hell what if a Tsukimono himself had become a better one, could he have saved his mentor. 

     "I’m so sorry Azarea. If we had known… if I knew you were in Kumo I would have come to get you. I would’ve gone there every chance I got just to see you.” Tsukimono wasn’t joking. For the past 5 years he had been trying to search for her in every moment of free time he got. His work with root kept him occupied, it was rare he had the time to search, but had he known where to look he could’ve been there for her. During all that struggle in pain. He knew what it felt like to be left for dead, but to be abandoned by his own clan? Even Tsukimono hadn’t felt that pain. He didn’t know how to help with a pain like that, but he knew what he would wanna hear if he was in her position. "Kyo-Sensei would be so proud of the shinobi you’ve become.”

coded by benetnasch of THQ

Muse:
Artificial Nocturne

Notes:
Reconnecting

Tags:
Aburame Azarea

Words:
434

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Proud

Her heart twisted at Tsukimono's admission. A few tears spilling free to cut trails down her cheek and dampen her teammate's hair as Azarea shifted to press a kiss to Tsukimono's forehead. Ruffling her hand through his short dark locks with a fondness both of them had been bereft of too long. "I know if he could see us know he'd be proud of us both. And I know if either of us had known where the other was nothing woulda kept us apart for long. Silly Mutt." She mutters against his hairline voice warm with affection as the two hold onto one another like a lifeline in the raging sea their lives had become.

"Honestly Sensei has a pretty low bar for us. I think so long as none of us blew up a village he'd have been happy." Azarea adds with a wet, but genuine laugh as she pulls back ever so slightly still leaving her jacket atop Tsukimono's head like a makeshift hood. "I'm pretty sure he half took our team because of his love of those terrible drama novels of his. Kami you just know he's watching all this from the beyond with a snack and a drink wondering what new twist will befall us." She jokes offering him a fanged lopsided grin.

"I certainly know my life's been flipped on it's head. You know how we always guessed that if I wasn't Hiroshi's kid my parent had to be some bastard Inuzuka with how much your dogs liked me? Well... I finally found the guy..." She trails off with an exaggerated grimace of distaste as she wrinkled her nose comically as if she'd smelled something bad hoping to drag a laugh from her teammate.

SPOILER: Click to show

Justu Goes Here

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: | Inuzuka Tsukimono

[Inuzuka Tsukimono]

     All the talk of their former mentor brought a smile to Tsukimono’s face. It reminded him of the last time he was truly happy. Right after the Chuunin exams had finished, with the three of them on the road back to Konoha. Tsukimono had lost his eyes in the exams, so he would have had his first eyepatch. A simple white medical one, far from the more permanent black one that he wore these days. Back when he had his pinky too. The three of them were so sure, despite their battle scars, they had succeeded. He was going to be a Chuunin, on a team with his favorite people. 

     How times had changed since that day. 

     But despite all that, Tsukimono was sure that in a way, Azarea was correct. Kyo was probably watching this as if he was reading one of his crappy novels. But then the drama suddenly felt more real than it had before. The mention of Azarea’s dad was interesting to Tsukimono. "No shit,” he shook his head as he thought back to all their childish jokes back in the day, "Which one of the mutts was it? My guess was always Yujiro, he was a bit of a player when he was our age, even if he just ended up an old perv.”
  
     Tsukimono wanted to at least try to bring some levity to the situation. He knew it would be hard for her to talk about her dad, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t make her laugh while she did. Worse case scenario he was some dead beat bastard the two could have fun insulting for a few minutes. 

coded by benetnasch of THQ

Muse:
Artificial Nocturne

Notes:
Reconnecting

Tags:
Aburame Azarea

Words:
285

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Mutt & Parasite

Azarea lets out an amused snort as she slings her arm over Tsukimono's shoulder, "Yeah of course you'd think that. What with me and my mom both being red heads guess it'd make sense to have a Dad that was one too." Azarea joked smirking at the memory of how the three of them would annoy Yujiro while the poor man was trying to read his pervy novels. He'd been one of the favorite targets of their antics when the three of them were over at the Inuzuka compound. Mostly because all three of them had held their suspicions in regards to Azarea's parentage even if the topic had been a taboo one.

"No sadly it's not, though kinda wish it was now." She admits with a sigh and a shake of her head as her thoughts drifted back to that day, the one where everything went wrong.

"I was grabbed by an ANBU. Red eyes and a wolf mask. He's the one who interrogated me. His name is Hatake Toshizou. Turns my own Father was the one to torture me and on orders toss me out of the village." She explains with a sad bitter smile and a wry twist to her lips that spoke of quiet pain.

"I ran into him again recently while running some joint missions in Hi-no-Kuni. He was pleasant enough to inform me that we're family whether I like it or not, threaten to add me to the Hatake clan archive, and then disappear. Guess I shouldn't really be surprised he'd want nothing to do with me now if he wanted nothing to do with me back then." Azarea admits as she leans forward to rest her forehead against his shoulder arms looped loosely about Tsukimono as she draws in a ragged breath. Allowing a shaky laugh to slip past the cage of her teeth.

"Guess I'm still a worthless unwanted Parasite aye Mutt?" She joked muttered.

SPOILER: Click to show

Justu Goes Here

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: | Inuzuka Tsukimono

[Inuzuka Tsukimono]

     The moment that Azarea began to describe the red eyes and wolf mask, Tsukimono’s expression dropped. He had been laughing and joking with Azarea, but realizing who she was actually talking about seemed to fill him with anger. Had Toshi known about her? All those years ago when he recruited Tsukimono to join Root, was he aware that his own daughter was at the center of all the chaos going on with the Hyuuga clan? Tsukimono had been loyal to this guy for years, was it all built on him being a deadbeat and letting his own flesh and blood suffer?

    He didn’t like all of the implications this had on his work. At the same time… did it change anything? If Tsukimono wasn’t loyal to Root, he’d die by the hands of the Hyuuga. Even if he had been wrong about Toshizo all those years ago, he had been a good boss. He had kept Tsukimono alive. 

     "Yeah I know him actually,” Tsukimono wanted so desperately to explain to her more about what had happened with Kyo, to tell her about how Root had saved his life and kept him safe from the Hyuuga, maybe it would make her feel better about her father if she could let him know how important he was to the meeting the two of them had now. In his own way, he was trying to protect Azarea. To help her reconnect with her pet in the small way he could. Why else would he have sent Tsukimono on a protection mission when he usually worked organized crime?

      "Believe it or not… he and my dad were part of the same Genin squad.” Tsukimono didn’t like to talk about his dad much. He had died before he ever got to know him, so there wasn’t much to say. At the end of the day it still hurt to have a dad who was never home.

coded by benetnasch of THQ

Muse:
Artificial Nocturne

Notes:
Reconnecting

Tags:
Aburame Azarea

Words:
332

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

The Past

"I guess he must have left ANBU around that time. He was never around when we were kids. I didn't even know there was another Hatake, but I suppose it makes sense you would have had to run into him at some point." Azarea murmurs tilting her head to stare up at Tsukimono with a small quirk of her lips in a smile. Her expression softening as Tsukimono spoke of his own Father. Azarea well aware of how difficult such a topic was to Tsukimono given the general resentment they both had shared over the absence of their Father's. Hiroshi might as well have never existed for how little he had had to do with Azarea. Leaving both Tsukimono and her to run wild and try and find their own way.

"Though I suppose it's ironic that we ended up on the same genin team together." She murmurs straightening slightly as she offers him a smile as fragile as glass. "I'll admit I don't really know much about the man. I'm not sure if I want to know. Everything I learn about him just makes me hate him and what might have been more." Azarea admits slowly getting her feet as she nods towards the door slowly tugging her jacket off the top of his head brushing down his hair into some semblance of normal.

"Let's go get a drink. This is a conversation that needs alcohol." She adds shaking her head, "I remember my Mom talking about your Dad a bit. Apparently he used to drop by to visit her when I was little. I wish I could remember him. I guess that's why you and I were playmates as kids until I could catch up with you in the academy and drag you to graduation with me." Azarea teased elbowing him gently in the ribs as she cracked a smile.

SPOILER: Click to show

Justu Goes Here

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: | Inuzuka Tsukimono

[Inuzuka Tsukimono]

     "I can’t talk about what Toshi did after the Anbu. I’m sorry.” Tsuki hoped the wording would help to peak her curiosity. He couldn’t tell her, no matter how much he wanted to, but she deserved to know, and maybe she could get him to talk to her more about what happened. Maybe he could tell her what she did to save her life. To reconnect her with her best friend. He gave her a soft smile as he lurched forward, groaning out a loud sigh as she offered drinks. 

     "Oh there’s a bar around here, they’ve got a simply ancient whiskey I’ve been waiting for an excuse to buy.” Tsukimono laughed as he stood up and grabbed his suit jacket. Why he had gotten into wearing some of the most flashy and garish suits he could was beyond him, but it fit his role as an eccentric Yakuza, so he kept it up. In that vein he had a two-sided sequin jacket. One side was a vibrant purple with the other being a sparkling silver. The jacket also had a black collar with gold vines etched into it. He didn’t even wear a shirt underneath it, he rarely did. If the suit had shown Azarea the situation Tsukimono found himself in, the tattoo artist reentering to ask for his payment would. Tsukimono paid a simply exorbitant amount for a symbol touch up. It wasn’t all for the tattoo of course, most of it was for the other services this shop provided his family, but it completely slipped Tsuki’s mind to mention any of this to his ally.

     She would mention his fathers relationship to her mother. He didn’t remember much about it, he had been so young when it would have happened, but he did remember Azarea’s mother clearly. "Your mother was a wonderful woman. She didn’t deserve what that clan did to her. But that’s just the politics of the clans I guess… I can’t say I ever had much experience with the politics of my clan.”

coded by benetnasch of THQ

Muse:
Artificial Nocturne

Notes:
Reconnecting

Tags:
Aburame Azarea

Words:
332

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

What Might Have Been

Staring at the garish looking jacket Azarea slowly arched a brow before cutting her eyes between him and the tattoo artist. Suspicion written clean across her face, but she didn't ask what his other business here was. If she didn't know she didn't have to report it and Kizumi would perhaps turn a blind eye so long as Tsukimono didn't cause trouble. "I know dogs are colorblind Tsuki, but you can't tell me you lost your sense of style along with the one eye while you were at it did yea?" Azarea teased, but she was content to merely throw her good arm over her friends shoulder letting him lead the way to the bar.

"Whiskey sounds nice enough, but I'll see what they've got in the way of shots." She teases though her brow furrows at his choice of words with a small frown tugging at her lips. "You can't talk about it? What? Did you end up going ANBU after I got got?" She inquires with a tilt of her head as she slowly felt out the statement. Testing his words like thin ice. Curious, but cautious, unwilling to risk losing her friend.

At the mention of her Mother though her expression darkens. Those sharp scarlet eyes clouded with conflicting emotions, "You're right. She didn't... she didn't deserve what happened to her. She was always happiest when she'd come over to drag me back from your clan compound and end up staying near forever chatting to your Mom and Yujiro." Azarea admited turning her gaze briefly skyward as if the stars themselves could provide an answer to the past actions of others. Could explain why her Mother had chosen the path she had. What desperations had pushed her to such extremes. But as always the stars were silent. 

"As much as we gave him a hard time maybe it would have been better if he'd been my Father. At least then we could have gotten out of that compound. More often then not of late I wish she hadn't loved Toshizou. Then maybe we could have grown up as neighbors." She jests with a sharp brittle laugh though the mental image of them as kids running over to each others houses to pester one another warmed her bitter expression. The image one of better times that might have been. She'd loved the Inuzuka compound. It felt like freedom. They hadn't cared if she'd bitten or growled, or if she and Tsuki rolled around in the mud. It didn't matter if she didn't act like 'an Aburame' as the difference between kids and dogs was negligible to the clan.

SPOILER: Click to show

Justu Goes Here

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: | Inuzuka Tsukimono

[Inuzuka Tsukimono]

     Tsukimono simply shook his head as she started making fun of his jacket. He knew he looked good, so he didn’t need to hear her say it. She did seem to know the general rules about not asking questions you didn’t wanna hear the answer too, it made him more confident in his decision to take her to the bar. The type of people that frequented there’re weren’t exactly the type that appreciated being asked too many questions, especially from someone new in town. 

      Her questions about the Anbu were a lot easier to answer as they walked through the small village. "Actually you’re gonna love this,” he started with a laugh as he put his arm back around her as she did him, "Me and Izanagi both got moved to the Anbu. Pretty much the second we got back to the village we were given our first masks. Izanagi’s didn’t last long, he must have gotten arrested right around the time Kyo got that seal used on him. Only a couple months after you disappeared. Me, I was a member of Anbu until the day I left the village. Konoha has secrets buried far deeper than the Anbu’s grasp though.” He knew he was cutting it close with what he could get away with, but his body was still functioning, so it seemed like he was in the right side for now. Seals didn’t really deal in gray areas. 

    As Azarea went into more detail about her mother, the two would make it to the bar. Anyone who didn’t know what they were looking for probably wouldn’t have any hope of finding this place. To get to the entrance you had to cut into an alley, and then find a stair well leading up into a little circle of buildings, build on top of one another. The patio of one building was the roof of the one below it. Tsukimono walked through it like he had done 100 times before, and found another small stairway heading down towards a door, all of this tucked away in the corner of a small internal plaza, completely unseeable from outside of this little enclave. 

    The inside of the bar didn’t seem any more grand then the pathway took to find it. The place was filled with dozens of bodies, but the moment that Tsukimono walked through the door he pulled all attention, as if they all knew exactly who just walked in. Those that didn’t had probably just been shocked by his suit jacket. A simply massive wall of an individual stood near the entrance, clearly some form of bouncer for the establishment, and as Tsukimono gave him a nod, the man quickly showed Tsukimono to a booth near the back of the bar. Despite how many people were here, it seemed like the bar had been built to hold about twice that number. Giving Tsukimono and Azarea plenty of space away from the other customers. 

      Tsukimono waited on calling for help, giving Azarea time to look over the options this place had for shots. The bar seemed to be a much more expensive place than it’s outside appearance would have told people, they other even the cheaper options on the menu being some incredibly high quality spirits. The fact that Tsukimono could afford to be here just made him think even more to he and Azarea’s past. Maybe she was right, they could have been neighbors if Yujiro had been her father, but Tsukimono had fond memories of the Aburame compound. It had structure. Tsukimono loved his clan, and especially his family, but it always felt wild and uncontrolled. There was no semblance of order. Tsukimono hadn’t realized it until he had become a Yakuza, but he had always desired some sort of order and structure to his life. 

     This bar had order. Even if it was a rather seedy and unsteady order. The people still cared about making sure that things had a structure.

     Smoke filled the air, and the men whose bodies could be seen all had similar tattoos too what Tsukimono had, those that didn’t still seemed to have a natural air of danger about them. Tsukimono waved his head, and a well dressed man came to the table and gave a deep bow. "Inuzuka-sama, welcome back. Will you be taking your regular?” 

     Tsukimono laughed at the overt cordiality he was shown. No matter how many times he asked this place to be more casual with him, they never did, and so eventually he stopped asking. "Absolutely not Boku. Today is a special occasion, an old friend has returned to me, so I want the Whiskey you’re always trying to sell me on.” 

      "Oh,” the man raised his head and smiled, "The Yamasaki Single Malt. Of course sir. And what will your companion be having.” 

coded by benetnasch of THQ

Muse:
Artificial Nocturne

Notes:
Reconnecting

Tags:
Aburame Azarea

Words:
830

[Aburame Azarea]

The Devil That You Forgot

Inference

As Tsukimono lead them through the maze like pathway to the bar Azarea listened to his story with her head half cocked and eyes calculating. A look on her face Tsuki had seen a thousand times before as she picked apart a problem dissecting it with a sort of cold logic that chilled most to the bone. "So it's not because of ANBU you can't talk about Toshizou." Azarea murmured with a thoughtful click of her tongue as she looped her arm with Tsukimono's as they neared the entrance to the bar. The woman having stashed her headband before even coming to pay her friend a visit given she was off duty. Now though she swung into the role of armcandy with an old familiarity from their times working infil missions.

As the two settled into the proffered booth Azarea kept herself tucked against Tsuki's side. Both for the practicality of them being able to swiftly move to cover one another's backs and simply for the comfort of feeling her best friends familiar presence. If the rest of the bar thought she was just his bird for the night well she'd sing them the song they wanted to hear for a few more hours with her old teammate. The red head flashing the bar owner a pretty smile that looked strange on the usually fierce woman's face, "I'll take six shots of whatever you have that's high enough proof to burn." Azarea purred causing the man to blink having likely not expected something so rough to drink for the 'delicate' lady hanging on Tsuki's arm, but the Yaks here had yet to learn her smiles were all teeth.

"Though it figures you two would end up in ANBU. With our team being track and kill it makes sense they were probably training us for black-ops," She murmurs low under her breath for Tsuki's ears alone once the man had departed, "I wish I'd been able to join you. Is Izanagi all right? You said he was arrested?" She questions and oh how so little had changed. Her voice filling with that same warm worry it always had whenever one of her boys went and got themselves in over their head. Be it Tsuki picking a fight or Izanagi picking a pocket.

SPOILER: Click to show

Justu Goes Here

流人

                           Made by Keen of FBNRP | Word Count: | Inuzuka Tsukimono