[Deleted]

[googlefont=Fira+Sans|Playfair+Display]

PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT,

He didn't need a map, he knew where he was going. So why was he here, perusing a selection?

Nobody needed indicating that the land of Stone. Simple enough, he had been here before. He'd never taken the full time to appreciate anything and the way he was going meant that he was going to be late to his destination and his meeting.

Was he trying to put it off? Absolutely. But that didn't mean that he wouldn't make the deadline. He felt he'd not been doing so well as a Team Leader recently, having cancelled so many sessions. Perhaps it was time to review and refine the timetable he'd set for them to account for these instances. Maybe moving the individual training sessions to the same day. 'It'll work me harder, but it gives me extra days.' Akira thought to himself. He had to respect and take into consideration their own schedules - but he expected them to find the team at highest priority. This was not always the easiest, given one of them was a clan leader.

But he was still putting off the inevitable. 'You can't even read a map properly.' One of his great faults, of the many things he could do - he was terrible at maintaining and gathering his own position without major locations to base them off, and would scarcely be able to navigate himself through harsh wildernesses without it.

"Are these for sale?" Akira would twist his head as he pointed at the map of Stone Country, hung up on the wall. "We actually haven't got anything for sale now, but we can make and deliver." Akira's face would become confused. "Then why are you open?" He was confused a bit, why open up and pay staff when there wasn't anything to be sold. "We have our workshop in the back and we can still take orders, since we make them ourselves." The man would explain, adjusting his over-the-top coat harness.

"Makes sense. I guess." Akira would have to have a look around, but had no intention of paying for something he wasn't going to be able to pick up, at least not for a significant amount of time and for what would technically amount to a bit of art on his walls at home. But Akira would peruse for a while longer before making a move on.

'I haven't got that long.' Akira thought. He had a day yet, but that wasn't enough time by any means. He had to scope out his area as well, surveying it for any possible dangers. Then re-visit them when the time came. He had to be prepared. Had to. He would sigh, despite making no noise to indicate why.

AND MINE IS THE FURY

dandy ♫

[Akatsuki]

❊ even though our ❊ destinies are connected

they never should have intersected

The door opened with a chime, a bell ringing to announce her presence. But the young woman spent to time hesitating, and immediately stroke up to the front counter. Before the owner could even open his mouth to greet the woman and offer assistance, she immediately inquired, "You have maps here, yes?" Her hair was tied back in two tight buns at the base of her neck, and she was dressed as if in mourning--everything she wore was black. Her expression was serious as the grave, and the shopkeeper was taken aback slightly by her bluntness.
    "Well we do have maps, but--"
    Akatsuki nodded. "I need a map," she explained without allowing him to finish. "A big map." She pulled out a piece of paper and splayed it out on the counter for the man to see. It was an old, tattered map--the ink was fading after years of sun and rain, it had ink marking scrawled all over it, and in the center was a giant, gaping hole. "Like this." Unlike some of the papers on display, the map Akatsuki possessed wasn't detailing the regions of Tsuchi no Kuni, but, rather, held the contents of the entire world.
    "Well, we don't exactly have any maps to sell at this moment, but we could make one to order," the man explained to the woman, trying to make her grasp the reality of his shop. Maybe it was time to invest in a sign...
    Akatsuki stared at him blankly with her violet eye for a few moments, before, slowly, she frowned as the information sunk in. "...What do you mean you don't have maps for selling? I need a new map--this one is--" she paused, trying to think of the right word-- "broken--and it's very serious I get another. I was told this was the map shop--why wouldn't you have maps??" She was confused. This was absurd. It didn't make sense.
    "We make maps to order. Each one is custom-made," the elder man elaborated further. "If you want, we could make one for you, but it would take some time..."
    Akatsuki sighed and slowly folded up her tattered, old, ruined piece of paper. "How much time...?"
    "It could take a couple of days, up to a couple of weeks depending on how elaborate you would like it--"
    Her expression was pained. Heartbroken, really. "I can't be here for a couple of weeks," the girl explained softly. Looking at the elder man with a bit of desperation in her eye, she in turn asked, "Do you know any other map shops nearby?" Maybe she could just go to the next town and buy a map there. "A map shop that has maps ready to buy?"
    "No, not in this town ma'am..."
    Defeated, Akatsuki gave a nod and slipped her "broken" map back into her satchel. "Okay. Yes. Thank you, sir, for the talk. Have a good day."

WORDS: XXX TAGS: @tag Blue Text - Tsuchi Branch Kyōbō Only Violet Text - Common Language

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[Deleted]

[googlefont=Fira+Sans|Playfair+Display]

PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT,

Akira himself wasn't going to be staying here long. He had no reason to and he also had somewhere to be. 'I'm not here to look at maps. I should be off.' Akira thought to himself, and he would give a small nod of thanks before walking to the door, but would move out of the way and step to the side when a woman came pummelling in, a bit faster than would be conceived from someone who was perusing like Akira himself was.

He was still walking toward the door though as he heard her small plight, and he - out of curiosity looked back to see the gaping hole in her map that he could partially see with it being obscured by her body itself. But it was a big map.

Though, Akira turned. That was interesting- he saw corners of Kaminari no Kuni, the sides of Mizu no Kuni. A full map of the world? The woman had been around. That wouldn't be so readily available, much less whatever markings she'd made for anything important.

'That could be useful information.' Akira thought to himself. What if he could get the map itself?

Any opportunity to delay was a good reason to stay. She needed an elaborate map, and as she turned around she'd be greeted by his taller form a few feet from her. "Looking for directions?" Akira would ask the woman. There was an opportunity that he could be of help. She didn't appear to be a Shinobi, but then she didn't appear to be a common bandit either. Mostly because of her sheathed weapon, and he wasn't afraid or nervous to speak to her.

AND MINE IS THE FURY

dandy ♫

[Akatsuki]

❊ even though our ❊ destinies are connected

they never should have intersected

Just as Akatsuki turned to head toward the exit, she nearly bumped into somebody! The young woman squeaked in surprise and immediately halted in place so as to not run into him, and paused her escape from the shop to look up at the man who was in her way, but oddly enough, he was offering help? At least, that's what it seemed like to the young woman. It didn't make sense otherwise why he would ask if she was looking for directions.
    "Oh, er, no," Akatsuki replied quickly, awkwardly looking away. "Well, maybe a little. I don't really exactly know where I am--and normally I don't get lost, but it seems I am and I'm in need of a new map, you see..." She held one hand to her chest and looked up at the young man with a wide eye and an eager expression. "Do you know this area good, sir? Could you maybe point me in the right direction of a town where maybe I can replace my map? Or get it fixed? Do you know??" If the map could be fixed, it would save her a whole lot of trouble, but if she were able to get it entirely replaced, that wouldn't be so bad, either. Maybe this stranger knew the area better than she did. He was probably a native, right?
    Maybe?
    Hopefully?
    As she awaited his response with baited breath, the white-haired woman took a moment to take in the stranger's features. He didn't have an unfriendly face, but she noticed he was equipped with some gear and clothing that didn't seem quite as casual as other civilians she'd come across. Which wasn't exactly the best sign, but he seemed nice enough, so he probably didn't mean her any harm.
    What caught her attention above all else, however, was that he was incredibly tall.
    Much, much taller than she was, Akatsuki noted. And, even if it was a little rude, she couldn't help but to stare a bit.
    Then, a sudden question came to her mind. "Are you here for a map, too? Are you also lost??"

WORDS: XXX TAGS: @tag Blue Text - Tsuchi Branch Kyōbō Only Violet Text - Common Language

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[Deleted]

[googlefont=Fira+Sans|Playfair+Display]

PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT,

Well that was a comparison - the bluntness to the shopkeep against the sudden shyness from her squeak. Perhaps she just simply needed to be somewhere, and fast. He did find it unusual being called 'good sir' as if he were double his actual age and not like her own.

Her question had Akira's eyes swept upward momentarily as he thought of their position, and the way they'd entered the shop. But he began to point in various directions. "I don't know anywhere else, sadly. But you're in Stone Country, this is - this way is Tsuchi no Kuni, that direction is toward Kaze no Kuni, Nohara no Kuni is that way and Bird Country is that way." Akira would point to the various directions for their relative position. It was a simple north, east, south, west.

The unfamiliar woman had asked a question that Akira didn't know how to answer, if not for the wrong reasons. "I'm lost, too." He simply agreed, not being any more specific than that. It was perhaps the right answer to the wrong question, and it was clear the answer was not related to location since he was able to identify their relative position.

"Are you trying to find a particular place? I might be able to point you in the right direction." Akira redirected the question back toward her, having taken the heat off the shopkeep himself who had decided to just... do other stuff, so that Akira could see from his peripheral vision. Just being helpful would be helpful to him. He placed his hands on his hips and tucked his thumbs inside his sash, the one bearing Iwagakure's Insignia on it. Where others had headbands, Akira's was a belt of sorts. There wasn't an accurate way to describe Akira's feelings at the moment, they were simply put on hold.

AND MINE IS THE FURY

dandy ♫

[Akatsuki]

❊ even though our ❊ destinies are connected

they never should have intersected

The man seemed to ponder on the thought for a moment, before finally, he began giving directions of sorts. Pointing this way and that, and detailing the surrounding countries and lands that bordered where they were presently. However, the revelation that they were in the Stone Country seemed to strike her, and her eye widened for a moment as it hit her.
    Slowly, she looked over to the corner of the shop, her eye carefully trailing over the walls as she realized the main content of the maps that were displayed on the wall. Stone Country. Everywhere. Beautiful maps detailed all of the same general landscape.
    She was in the Stone Country.
    However, the young woman's attention was snapped back to the matter at hand when the man before her answered that he... too, was lost? She looked at him sympathetically. "You are?" she questioned. He seemed to know the surrounding countries and lands so well--how could that be? Was he looking for a certain village or house and couldn't find it? Or maybe he needed to be in a country that was far, far away from here and didn't know how to get there because he was only familiar with the neighboring nations...
    And he seemed so willing to help and assist Akatsuki find wherever her destination was, even despite himself. "Oh, well, no, I guess not..." she answered truthfully, fingertips twisting some of the fabric of her cloak nervously. "I just don't like not knowing where I am, but... I'm just trying to find somewhere I haven't already been." Suddenly her attention shot up and she looked up at the orange-haired man in front of her. "You are very, very kind, though! Are you--where are you trying to find? Maybe I could help you? As a thank-you."

WORDS: XXX TAGS: @tag Blue Text - Tsuchi Branch Kyōbō Only Violet Text - Common Language

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[Deleted]

[googlefont=Fira+Sans|Playfair+Display]

PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT,

She was aiming to find somewhere.. she hadn't been? That was strange, but a few people did it, Keiko did... and other people too, probably. Clans did it as well. "If you head west you'll certainly find something like that." Akira couldn't attest to it himself, but he didn't know where she had and hadn't been and so opted to say somewhere he hadn't been himself.

Her speaking couldn't make him deviate from his mission. "Thanks, but it's nothing that a stranger can fix. Sorry. I'll be on my way." Akira would take his leave and turn to leave the building, but not before nodding again to the woman and to the shopkeeper. He had done his part by aiding her in her search for locale; though in not providing her with a place she hadn't been before.

He even ignored the prior motivation that he was after her map. Being reminded of what he actually needed to do was the important part. The crunch of his boot against gravel was the first thing he felt when he exited the building and out into the open. A humble village, one that was not patrolled or known by Shinobi and a town he was passing through on his way to his destination. There was nothing special about it that he could tell, but he hoisted his bag up from around his back again.

He was doing his own bit of travelling, what he was wearing today wouldn't be what he was wearing tomorrow. A simple orange layered appearance, with a sash around his waist and Midori's bracelet around his own wrist. He didn't stop to see if the woman would also exit the building as well because he was several steps ahead and moving on toward his next destination.

AND MINE IS THE FURY

dandy ♫

[Akatsuki]

❊ even though our ❊ destinies are connected

they never should have intersected

If she headed west...? Akatsuki was unsure of that. Taking out her map once more she looked down at the outlines and borders between nations. Although there was a great big rip through most of the map, some of it was salvageable. And the far west was... somewhere she'd already been. The last I knew, I'd been in the Wood Country, she thought to herself. And there's already much of those lands I've already covered... She looked up, as the young man spoke, and her expression shifted.
    Nothing a stranger could fix...
    Was that what he'd meant by being lost? For his situation to need to be "fixed"... it must have been broken to begin with. And, to Akatsuki, that didn't sound at all like he was actually lost. Not in the traditional sense, anyway. But, perhaps... more spiritually adrift? Lost in heart and soul and mind. Which, it was understandable why he wouldn't think a stranger could "fix" his problem if that was the case.
    She looked at him sympathetically as he headed toward the door of the shop, giving his adieu and leaving her presence.
    Of course, it really wasn't her problem. This man had been kind to her, but they lead different lives and walked different paths. It wasn't her place to go after every person, and she much understood the need to travel some roads alone, but...
    At the same time, she was reminded of where she'd been six years ago.
    And, in a way, he seemed to be in a similar place. Lost. A broken spirit with hope abandoned, moving from place to place and avoiding the vastness of the long run. Perhaps. She could have been wrong, but that's what he seemed suddenly to be to her. And, of course, she was a stranger. She couldn't find the solution to all of his life's problems--that was unrealistic, but still... It pained her to see anyone in that place.
    And a stranger may not be able to always fix your problems, but they could still touch lives and alter paths.
    Shoving her map into her satchel once more, Akatsuki raced out of the shop and looked around the town--it wouldn't be too difficult to find the mysterious man. He was, after all, incredibly tall and had a head of crazy orange hair. There--walking far away, she noted it and Akatsuki raced after him.
    It didn't take her long to catch up to him, and once she was by his side, with a grin she huffed-- "Well, wherever you're going, maybe I could come with you? I could always look along the way and--well, maybe being alone isn't good?" She awkwardly held out a hand toward him. "I am called Akatsuki the Bleeding Sun. What are you called, sir?"

WORDS: XXX TAGS: @tag Blue Text - Tsuchi Branch Kyōbō Only Violet Text - Common Language

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[Deleted]

[googlefont=Fira+Sans|Playfair+Display]

PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT,

His steps had taken him to a specific direction, his feet knew exactly where they were taking him.

His thoughts were centred on what he would do - a simple checklist in his mind. 'Check the surroundings. Check the exits. Check the hiding spots.' when he got those out of the way, he'd find an inn for the night and prepare spiritually for what was about to happen next. His thoughts were interrupted when the sudden crunching of gravel was approaching his rear and causing him to turn behind him - the woman again. Akira would study her face a second time, perhaps wondering why she had decided to approach him again.


"i-uhhh..." Akira wasn't really sure how to respond for the time being. Perhaps still caught up on the name. Her name made sense, to the point he didn't think it was has real name. Not that he had reason to worry, she seemed kind enough. But Akira would keep his wits about him, nonetheless. He would accept that she wasn't trying to be mean that he was wandering alone - but felt a little insulted. Like he wasn't capable of travelling without being sad.

"I'm only going to the next town over." It was a weak response, but perhaps she would insist and come along anyway. He would however take his hand and offer his own name. "I'm Satori Akira. Iwagakure Shinobi." Akira didn't want to say his title, it didn't tickle his fancy at the moment - so his name served enough. Was she likely to know of him? Nobody could be certain. Her politeness was disarming, even if slightly.

"You're a wanderer, then? Where's your favorite place?" Akira would ask, inquisitive. There had been a time when that's all he wanted to do, unfortunately also leading back to where he was going - but that need had dulled by the time he was his current age. He enjoyed his trips and missions away, but to full out leave like Keiko? Travelling the world endlessly? Akira wasn't sure he could do that. But visiting was nice.

AND MINE IS THE FURY

dandy ♫

[Akatsuki]

❊ even though our ❊ destinies are connected

they never should have intersected

He was just going to the next town over? It only confirmed to Akatsuki that he was, in fact, not lost geographically. Maybe the next town over would have a better map shop, so she didn't see the harm in travelling with the stranger for the time being. And he further confirmed her suspicions when he introduced himself, giving his name and delcaring that he was, indeed, a shinobi. A shinobi of Iwagakure, to be more specific.
    Which wasn't good.
    The last Iwagakure shinobi she'd come across had tried to kill her. Of course, it was perfectly understandable why he had, but that didn't change the reality of their relationship. Then again, Akira very clearly wasn't a Kyōbō, so perhaps things would be different... She still wanted to be careful, but at the same time, Akira seemed like a good person.
    She had a firm grasp, but quickly let go of his hand once introductions had been passed, and then she folded her hands behind her back as she trotted on by his side. Akira made an inquirey of his own, and Akatsuki looked at him with an odd expression, as though surprised to be called such a thing.
    "A wanderer...?" She pondered on the thought. "I guess so." And her favorite place she'd visited? "Hmmm," the young woman hummed a bit. "That's a tricky one... Of course, the temple in Nohara no Kuni is probably my favorite place ever, but there's a forest in Tsuchi no Kuni that I'm fond of, too. Though when I went through the Honey Country, there was a festival going on--and that was much! The Land of Bears was pretty neat, too, though--there was this one place that had the neatest rock fixtures, and one place in the country where the night sky view was unlike anywhere else I've ever been. It was absolutely beautiful."
    Akatsuki shrugged, realizing that she hadn't exactly answered his question.
    "I guess I like most of the places the same, but for different reasons. I like to take it all in and enjoy every moment. Except the Land of Storms. And I don't much like all the sand and dryness in Kaze no Kuni, either. But they're nice, too." She just didn't care much for the extreme weather of those two places in particular.
    Tilting her head to the side slightly, she turned the attention onto him. "What about you? You're a ninja--soooooooo, what's your favorite mission you've ever done?" That's what shinobi did, right? "Do you have a favorite place you've ever been, too? Are you on a mission right now?"

WORDS: XXX TAGS: @tag Blue Text - Tsuchi Branch Kyōbō Only Violet Text - Common Language

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[Deleted]

[googlefont=Fira+Sans|Playfair+Display]

PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT,

So they'd be off, and Akira wasn't quite looking forward to the incoming chat. 'I hope she's a good chat.' Akira didn't want a few hours of talking with a woman he couldn't quite get away from, and if it was another "Squeakers" situation then he really wasn't looking forward to it. But she did confirm she was a wanderer, which was someone who he'd not met before.

Akira was beginning to get the idea that Akatsuki wasn't a Shinobi herself, but given the sword on her back she likely had some form of training. Not a great deal of people were happy to travel with just the clothes on their backs and little else.

"Where's Honey country?" Akira asked. He hadn't heard of the place before. Was it a small nation? It must've been, because Akira had at the least known the names of most of the major areas in the Shinobi nations. She was certainly more travelled them him. That was interesting. But her questions were a little grating, perhaps her not being a Shinobi was to do with it - the life of a Ninja wasn't as glamorous. It was work.

"I'm not on a mission, I don't have a favourite mission. I really enjoyed Nohara no Kuni, it's pretty different as different goes from Tsuchi no Kuni." Akira found it as work, and he hadn't been given a particularly easy job of it, his missions usually involved chores or work of some kind. He had easy, but that was not necessarily compatible with enjoyable. His visit to Nohara no Kuni had been an enjoyable one, and it was the place he'd seen that had the greatest change to his current and normal environment. Even the land of Stone was a bit on the similar side, but it hadn't been called that for no good reason.

They had already found themselves at the edge of the town and out toward wilderness following along a wide dirt path. Easy enough.

AND MINE IS THE FURY

dandy ♫

[Akatsuki]

❊ even though our ❊ destinies are connected

they never should have intersected

"The Honey Country?" She grinned a little. "It's south of the Demon Country~ Very, very far from here. On a completely different continent, actually." It wouldn't make much sense for Akira to have been in those parts of the world if he was a shinobi. Ninja usually kept at least somewhat close to their native lands, or allied nations. To go so, so far away... there probably wasn't much need for it.
    Akatsuki, on the other hand, wasn't a shinobi.
    And although she hadn't been able to search the entirety of the world, she tried to move through it as quickly as she could. Cover as much land as possible. Sometimes, she wondered if she went about it too quickly. It was that thought that allowed her to feel more comfortable searching littler places--small towns, less popular cities, remote villages. There was no way to know for sure.
    However, the mention of not having a favorite mission caught Akatsuki by surprise. Really? She thought that as a ninja, surely he had gone many places, done all kinds of things, and fought all kinds of enemies. That was the sort of impression she had of shinobi. And, perhaps that was still all true for Akira, but... To not have a favorite event? No particularly interesting events, difficult challenges that he was proud of? No humorous missions, or scary things happening?? He didn't have a favorite mission he'd been on? Never??
    It didn't sound like there were too many to decide, either.
    But, rather, just a lack of zeal for them all entirely.
    "I see..." the girl said quietly, returning her attention to the road ahead as they began to leave the town. "You've been to Nohara no Kuni??" she asked with quiet bewilderment, more of a rhetorical statement. And it seemed he'd liked it, too.
    Perhaps he didn't care for missions or tasks, but he still enjoyed the aspect of travelling and seeing the world.
    And that was all fine, too.
    Akatsuki didn't travel for the sake of it, but she couldn't deny there was a sense of wonder and awe that was attached to every experience. There was thrill, and serenity, joy, and sorrow. She could understand the appeal to it. And although she considered the temple to be her home, she found great comfort on the road, too.
    The girl hummed a little before bringing up another question--or, rather, correcting her previous one. "I'm sorry I assumed you would like all the ninja work. If not a favorite mission--then what's your favorite place you've been, and why?"

WORDS: XXX TAGS: @tag Blue Text - Tsuchi Branch Kyōbō Only Violet Text - Common Language

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

[Deleted]

[googlefont=Fira+Sans|Playfair+Display]

PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT,

"Honey count-eh? Demon country?" Akira would repeat after Akatsuki as she spoke, confused. But then it all made sense.

That changed a lot of things. Her map, would likely hold something far more valuable than the Shinobi nations themselves. Other lands? Now, he knew there were other continents. The actual contents of those continents were another, entirely different thing. "Oh...." Akira tried to be vaguely interested in his response but in fact, it was an entirely new source of learning. Like reading, Akira liked to know stuff as well. It would be something he'd be sure to ask in response at another point.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I?" Akira asked out of curiosity. His own slight ignorance had him not realise that the reason he'd been in Nohara no Kuni was for a mission behind enemy lines, to an area that should've been inaccessible to a Iwagakure Shinobi. Such a thing could be explained away, but he didn't view her as someone who was entirely up to date on all relations with other nations, that it was easy to forget that she might've had an up to date idea.

But it would quickly move on. His favourite place?

Did he really want to admit it?

"Kuwana, it's a city in Tsuchi no Kuni. It's... just a beautifully designed city." Akira loved the layout of the streets, the shops...

"Anyways. How did you travel from here to this other continent, Akatsuki-san? I've never heard of them prior to now." Akira would quickly move on, there being a small reason that he'd done so, so quickly. The thought of the knowledge to be learned was important to him, and perhaps a bit rushed in their situation given that he hadn't known her that long.

AND MINE IS THE FURY

dandy ♫

[Akatsuki]

❊ even though our ❊ destinies are connected

they never should have intersected

The man seemed to be at a loss for everything Akatsuki was talking about. She was speaking the correct language, wasn't she? Yes, she was. It seemed that Akira was registering her words, but... it was all just too foreign to him. Akatsuki was used to it, though. It seemed that peculiarity had been weaved into her DNA, and she was used to people not knowing how to react around her.
    Whether it be because of her odd looks, the way she talked, how she always seemed to stand out and never fit in no matter where she went. She'd been raised in a different culture, as an outsider everything had been foreign to her, and she foreign to everything and everyone else. Her life, the way she lived, her experiences, they were all so incredibly different from most everyone else she met. And it was moments like this that she was reminded of such.
    What had all seemed so normal and commonplace to her was an entirely undiscussed topic to this stranger.
    But, she supposed, that was some of the fun of meeting new people.
    Everyone lead such different lives, and while there was so much that Akira didn't know about from her world, Akatsuki knew there was so much she didn't understand, herself, that was commonplace for him.
    The world was wonderful, like that.
    However, Akatsuki was taken aback when he questioned her shock to his previous statement. Did he not know? No, surely he knew. Akatsuki understood that there was much of the shinobi world that she knew nothing about, but she wasn't completely lost by it.
    She had been taken under the wing of a Kusagakure shinobi, after all.
    And although he guided her and she lived in the temple with him, she was well aware of the life he had lived, his experiences, and his story. And there was much that he had shared with her.
    "Because... Nohara no Kuni and Tsuchi no Kuni are enemy nations," Akatsuki explained softly. It was a delicate subject. For her, anyway. "I mean... Sometimes you're attacked while travelling just because you were born in the wrong place, or wore the wrong symbol. I'm just... surprised that you've been to that country, even though you're a ninja from Iwagakure." She paused, and quietly added, "I hope you weren't harmed, or anything..."
    Of course, he seemed to have regarded the land in a positive light, so it was probable that he'd not encountered any hostile members of Kusagakure's society. But, still, she was surprised that he'd found her reaction to be strange.
    However, after she'd asked where his favorite location had been, in turn, the young man didn't seem to hesitate for very long at all. He seemed to know his answer right away and spoke with resolution that lead Akatsuki to feel that, for him, there must not have been anywhere even remotely close. She couldn't relate. Having just one place that was so dear to her... But it was good for him. It was nice to have a place you loved so much.
    Akatsuki smiled a little when the layout and design was the distinguishing trait he'd mentioned of the city. So, he liked architecture?
    The young woman admitted that she could appreciate good design, but she didn't know much about design, herself.
    "Oh, I've been there, before," Akatsuki said. Of course, they hadn't had what she'd been searching for, so she'd passed through the city like every other place she'd been to. But she could recall her brief time she'd spent there. It'd been a nice stay, she admitted. She frowned, slightly. "Although honestly I hadn't been in a good place when I went there." She shook her head, as if to rid the memory from her mind. "But it was very nice. The people were... not mean."
    And not mean people was a good thing.
    "Oh, I traveled there by boat," Akatsuki explained, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I can't swim. And definitely not that far." She chuckled a little at the idea. Trying to imagine herself swimming across an ocean--hilarious! "I've discovered that I don't like boats, much. Very scary. Have you ever been on a boat before, Akira-san?"

WORDS: XXX TAGS: @tag Blue Text - Tsuchi Branch Kyōbō Only Violet Text - Common Language

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ

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PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT,

Akira didn't outwardly show his surprise at the knowledge, but more at his own lack of sense toward her knowledge and lay of the land. But he didn't question it any further, because any person had their histories and events and people were going to have a general idea of it. An oversight on his part. His hands would raise, waving.

"Oh, no, no. I went there purely for a vacation. No equipment or anything." Akira replied a little too quickly, off the cuff. Lying. "I got away as looking like a civilian. So I was fine." Akira chuckled. Technically the truth. Loosely speaking, that was. Very loosely - when he had been dressed as though he were from a clan, playing the two sides against each other. He couldn't cause any problems for himself.

She had her own experiences as well it seemed like, something that Akira couldn't attest to himself being from no clan, despite whatever attempts he held in his mind.

But she'd even visited Kuwana. He appreciated that not everybody felt the same, if she found more peace with the stars and the other lands: why find a special place from a city? It made no sense. And her treatment by other people was likely down to the fact she was in a civilized city and had some form of money: and was easy on the eyes (As Akira had certainly noticed.) Other places in Tsuchi no Kuni might've not been as welcoming.

"Yes, I've been to Yuki no Kuni before, as you know Iwagakure and Yukigakure are allies. But the travelling was a strange concept. Felt a little sea-sick." It was an honest answer, now he'd not spent his time hurling over the side of the boat but he'd certainly felt queasy for a majority of the journey itself.

Straight through the road, taking a left on the first split in the road as they verged in two different directions. Now, Akatsuki's method of talking was a little strange as well, perhaps simple in nature. Not an awful thing, but it was something Akira simply noticed. "So what happened to your map?" Akira asked again, since he'd seen some of the damage that had been done as she'd explained her plight to the shopkeep who he still wondered was in business not being able to sell maps in a map shop.

AND MINE IS THE FURY

dandy ♫