[Akatsuki]

❊ even though our ❊ destinies are connected

they never should have intersected

"Yes," Akatsuki answered bluntly. "I don't know much about the other settlements, but the Tsuchi settlement is very secretive. So secretive, nobody but a Kyōbō knows how to find it. The clan powers are not so secret--since there are many Kyōbō in other places, but now you see why they want me back. Yes?" The Tsuchi branch valued their secrecy, individuality, and culture above all else. When history showed only a world of hatred, violence and bloodshed, keeping themselves together and safe, secret from the outside world, was paramount. Akatsuki leaving the village threatened that security. She hadn't told Akira any sensitive information of their village itself, though probably was sharing more insight to their culture and way of life than would have been preferred. "And if they bring me back, I will probably be imprisoned or executed."
    She glanced behind her, briefly. If they were still following--which, no doubtedly they were--she couldn't see them. Returning her attention to the winding road ahead, Akatsuki added, "And if I am captured or dead, I can't find my brother."
    Akira only seemed to grow more and more confused by her, seeming completely lost by what she was saying.
    Akatsuki was used to people not really understanding her--whether it be her actions, her way of life, or anything. And she knew she was... different from most people. But when the awkward moments arose, it never got less embarrassing. "Oh--um," she pressed her hands together as if to pray, then gently pressed them against her lips. "It's my religion. Yōkai is my god," the girl explained, her cheeked reddening--flustered. "I am Tengu--I hold the fourth seat of the Yōkai. There are seven. My sensei--the man who took me in--was the Tengu before me. He trained me, and taught me the ways of the Yōkai, and then, he passed on his position to me. It is a very serious part of my life."

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,

He nodded with her. He didn't know anything himself. But it made sense, about their rules. 'Sounds just like a clan.' Akira thought. They would fit right in with Tsuchi no Kuni and their stone headed ways.

Akira wanted to speak carefully because he had no idea if he was about to mortally offend her religion. He thought it was another branch of the Kyobo and not its own separate entity, but it was explained very quickly. "Is the seat your level of skill?" Akira had to figure out if that meant one or seven the was the strongest, but his question would provide him an answer soon enough.

"I think it also means you might have... different faiths to the Kyobo, right?" Akira knew of other religions. Takara herself was a follower of Hikari, so he'd found out in one of their many talks. They didn't seem to have compatible worldviews, these gods.

She didn't need to be embarassed, Akira's face was showing the seriousness or stoicism of it all. He was in learning mode, for better or for worse. Did that also give reason as to why she'd left the Kyobo? He internally shrugged, not thinking too hardly into it.

"Well, let's make sure you don't die, then." Akira would point forward, their direction to the next village. "It's easier to cut through these woods coming up." Akira would point it out, the near future would provide them a turn to the right to go around, or into a woods. Going through it would make it easier for the other half, so Akira had found on his way back to Iwagakure the last time. Well, he was accompanied last time. Now was not the same.

AND MINE IS THE FURY

dandy ♫

[Akatsuki]

❊ even though our ❊ destinies are connected

they never should have intersected

"Oh, no--not at all!" Akatsuki exclaimed, blushing as she waved her hands quickly in front of her and shook her head. "They are different positions! Each seat is true to one aspect of Yōkai and is given one blessing--a type of flame. There is sacrifice, will, loyalty, loneliness... The fourth seat is the violet flame--the flame of hope."
    Were there different faiths?
    "Well, yes, but also no," Akatsuki mumbled. "The Kyōbō nature is Solitude, Rage, and Protection. They don't conflict with the Yōkai beliefs and way of life, but... While the Kyōbō way is to give in to our rage, to accept our nature--the Yōkai believe in discipline. The Kyōbō do not trust others and we isolate ourselves, and abandon our kin. The Yōkai is to trust in our God, and to hold relationship to him. To rely not on our own inner strength, but the strength that he gives us. The Kyōbō and the Yōkai are similar in actions--both can live however they want, but very different in relationship and belief--to live the way of the Yōkai is to resist your nature as a Kyōbō."
    It was, in a way, as if they were two sides of the same coin. The Yōkai belief was to live life to the fullest, not to allow opportunities escape you. To pray and hold relationship to your god, to rely on the strength the Yōkai gave you--not your inner chakra. They believed to never give up, and to always fight by the way of a weapon--a sacred weapon of your own choosing, in which you would devote your life to. Never to practice any other way of fighting, only the blade that you choose. There were virtues in the Yōkai, and blessings according to each one, but they were not forced. You could live your life in whichever way you wanted, there were not many rules. You carved your own path, and that was all.
    But the Kyōbō believed in relying on your own strength--your inner power. To resist your nature was to be a coward. Weak. You could make relationships and devote yourself to anyone your heart desired--but Kyōbō desired to be alone to begin with. So although dedication to a person or being was possible, it was a difficult task for a Kyōbō.
    There were parallels, but they were different in nature.
    The road cured and Akira stopped momentarily to gesture to the forest, announcing that it would be better to cut through it than move around. Akatsuki nodded and followed his lead, having no problem with the suggestion. She preferred the nature of the forest over a beaten road, anyway.
    "Okay," Akatsuki said quietly as she followed.
    As they traveled through, the young woman would look around her--surveying her surroundings. She gently placed a hand on the trunk of a tree as she passed it by, seeming somewhat in thought as she moved. This would be a good place to fight. The trees can be shields and get in their line of attack, but they pose little obstacle for me. That's one advantage I would have over most of them, she thought, glancing over her shoulder to the stillness behind her.

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 coming across as being the shy blushing type, rather than the woman who had ran over to him in the street to accompany him. But his answer was given, that was nice in itself. But it didn't mean anything, apparently. So no particular hierarchy, just a blessing. Akira wondered if the same blessings were granted off other religions.

And that was more questions. Every answe seemed to 'Kami, I feel like I'm reading.' When he was at home, his questions usually spurned more books, and as a result at his worst he'd have several books open at one time from where he'd read one thing, gotten sidetracked and started reading another, to the point of having abandoned the first book altogether. A bad habit of his. So she was a follower of a religion, blessing them with a flame, and she was the flame of hope? 'Is this a figure of speech or literal?' Akira questioned it. But by the name of the religion, he wasn't so sure.

Even as though Akatsuki explained them, he didn't feel they were compatible beliefs. One of them believed in restraint: the other in exertion. Two sides of the same coin while one refuted the other. Akira would come to a slow stop, looking around himself again as he tried looking for the tracker nin a second time. She was doing a .... nature-y thing? She looked a bit like Keiko and nature. "I uhh.." Akira had been asking a lot of questions, but in keeping conversation flowing, he would share a bit himself. He would lean against a tree, knowing it was safe.

"I've always had a problem with faith. I never believed in a sort of higher power, y'know? I think I envy you in that way. That no matter what, you fufill a higher purpose. With life after death and those questions." Akira didn't have much in the way of a higher power, or a purpose. His purpose was his own and what he made of it.

"Sometimes I wish the answers I needed could be given to me, but that's naive on my part. Like having nobody to lean on. Friends are there, certainly. But at the heart of it... it's me and myself." Akira would continue again, tentatively. He had Kokuo, but he certainly wouldn't point that out unnecessarily.

AND MINE IS THE FURY

dandy ♫

[Akatsuki]

❊ even though our ❊ destinies are connected

they never should have intersected

Akira slowed to a stop, and Akatsuki mirrored his action, her attention on him as she watched curiously for what he was going to do. Why did he stop? He was the one who had to get to the next village, after all. Maybe it was just a brief moment so that he could ponder on the thought--she'd noticed he did that sometimes. She did, too. But as the man leaned against a nearby tree, Akatsuki figured perhaps he wanted to take a break. Slow down and stop for a little bit.
    She wouldn't complain.
    As he began to speak, sharing his own relationship to spirituality, Akatsuki walked over to a different tree--one opposite from where the orange-haired man was resting--and began to climb it. It was a sort of sad thing--what he said. Akatsuki had never once before thought herself to be someone that--well, anyone--would envy in any way, shape or form.
    The girl climbed over to a sturdy branch and then, locking her legs onto it--fell backwards and swung upside down. Hanging from the tree, her bangs and cloak falling toward the ground--the hem of the dark fabric barely brushing the forest floor--she watched him. Then, she crossed her arms and furrowed her brow, thinking on it.
    "Well..." She hummed, her expression pensive. It was a sensitive subject, and she didn't want to just blurt out anything that could end up damaging him. "I understand... Some things can never be answered. And it's a scary truth." She wondered, all the time, if her brother was even still alive. She hoped he was, and she clung to that belief, but at the end of the day... there was no way to know. She wondered what her mother looked like. She wanted to know so many things--why was she born? Was she a mistake? Would she ever be reunited with her brother? Was it better to be loved, or better to be alone? Could she resist her nature, or would she end up like every other Kyōbō? Destined to hurt, abandon, and neglect those she loved...?
    Those were difficult questions, and there were no real answers. They couldn't be answered.
    Akira, of course, had his own. So, so many, Akatsuki imagined, that he was drowning in. He seemed like such a curious person, so it was hard to imagine that he wasn't consumed with doubt and uncertienty. And the unfortunate reality of the situation was that nothing could be done. Nobody had every answer. You could change your fate, so nobody could look to the future to tell you what it was. The past could not be altered, either, and so secrets that lie there would forever remain a mystery.
    "But... I don't fulfill a 'higher purpose'. You don't need a god or a calling to belong, Akira-san. Every person has a purpose--which means you, too." She paused. "You should not envy me at all." She hadn't lived a good life. There had been loss, trials, hardships, pain and suffering. She made the most of it, but there was a time when each breath of life had been full of misery. She wouldn't wish that on anyone. "But you're not alone, you know. Not truly. Yōkai is always listening, and he is always there. Only a Yoki--a follower of him, like me--can hear him back, but that doesn't mean he's not there. You may not believe in higher beings--and that's okay. You don't need to. I feel great peace in knowing that I am not alone, that when I die I will not be forgotten." She turned her head away, slightly.
    Akira didn't believe in the gods, so what brought her comfort wouldn't do the same for him. Her words wouldn't mean anything to him at all.
    "You are you. And at your heart you are only your one, individual self. Never replaced, never the same as anyone else. Only one you. Every person is their own selves, too. They have their own lives, and their own paths. Sometimes, people come into your life for a short time, and then they leave. Sometimes people come for a reason--and you learn from them." She looked back at him from where she hung, and gently placed a hand on her heart. In a gentle, but serious tone, she continued her speech, "But some people are tied together. They are people who share your soul with. Those are the people that you can lean on, who will never turn on you, never give up on you, and who will always love you. You can trust those people with all of your heart, no matter what. And your bond with those people cannot be broken by anything--no lie, no hardship, nothing is great enough to sever that tie. For me, that is my brother. And you may not have found that person yet, Akira-san, but that doesn't mean it will always be that way. You must not give up. This might be a trial where you walk alone, but that doesn't mean it will be this way forever. Maybe you just haven't found that companion in this chapter of your story, yet. But there's still many pages left."

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 expression didn't change, but his eyebrows would tinge slightly as he watched her go upside down for no other reason than... well. He didn't know for what reason.

"For good reason." His burdens were his own. He didn't want to share them with other people, he wanted to fix them himself. They were questions that would remain unanswered - as was the reality of life.

She said she didn't, but Akira didn't believe it. She chose to walk a certain path because of somebody who had passed on teachings to her, and Akira was doing the same: but he didn't feel like that was passing on a higher purpose. She believed in something bigger than herself. Akira knew he belonged, but that wasn't what he had said.



"I know I have a purpose, that's not what I mean." Akira didn't know what his purpose was, but he knew he had one. Some grand motivation at the end of the day. Becoming Tsuchikage? That was a big one. But what would he achieve with all of that? That was the real answer.

But the god spoke back to her? "Are you meaning to say literally speak back, or 'he hears your prayers' type of deal?" Akira had a Bijuu in him, so he knew it wasn't completely out of the question that she could hear something. "I believe in something, but I don't know what." he would nod. He believed in spirituality, but not necessarily in any specific god or any specific being. There just wasn't... the reasoning for it. No belief.

'You hear that? She's not alone.' Akira would call into the depths of his mind. No response. Cool. But he appreciated her attempts nonetheless. "Thanks." she definitely had her own little words of wisdom, and it helped him a bit feel at peace with what he was going to be doing. That's what he really needed. A smile came to the corner of his lips as he half looked at her, half out at their surroundings - keeping careful.

People would enter his life and they would leave them himself. Perhaps his situation would warrant that in what was going to happen tomorrow (at least, he thought it would be tomorrow.) Though he hadn't explained his situation, she was hitting good points on what was ailing him. Maybe he was going through the motions, but as she began to reach the latter half of her point, it began to pull him further down, weighing him down again like it had never been lifted.

'That's not helpful.' His biases were attacking him now. He knew his mind was playing tricks, his body would simply act in a certain way. But he felt it. He wanted to believe he had a companion: a partner. Something that qualmed the ocean of fire in his soul. Some partly brought on by his owndoing, a tiny amount in his upbringing, a certain genetic component from his parents: but ultimately decisions had brought him here.

"I.." he'd open his mouth, and shut them again. "Hm." Akira's face had fallen throughout her speech till it had become a neutral view. "That's a lot to think about." He'd continue walking, knowing she would catch up. His hand had finally come off the knife on him, and back in his pockets. It now felt like it'd achieved the opposite of what she was trying to say, what he was trying to come to terms with. The reason he'd been out here: met her.

AND MINE IS THE FURY

dandy ♫

[Akatsuki]

❊ even though our ❊ destinies are connected

they never should have intersected

"Well, that's what it means, yes? A higher calling is to say one's purpose, but every person has a purpose and I don't serve a higher calling," she tried to elaborate. She may have been a follower of the Yōkai, but she wasn't an advocate. She didn't spread his message throughout the world, or share her beliefs and religion with every person she met. She wasn't on some spiritual journey, per se. So, in her mind, she didn't have some "higher calling" at all. "No higher being called me. I was just lucky and found a higher being to put my faith in. But that doesn't make me special. Well--any more special than anyone else, is what I'm trying to say... But it's good you know you have purpose. I'm glad you already know that."
    His next question, Akatsuki just responded with a slow nod.
    "Both."
    At the end of the day, she didn't know much about Akira. She could ramble on all about herself and her beliefs, but she didn't know where he was at, or what he needed. She could blindly guess and throw advice out there and hope it was able to speak to him, but for all she knew, he was rejecting everything she said and was just being polite by not saying it. His expression had dropped, a bit, and though he returned it to a neutral expression--it hadn't gone unnoticed by the young woman. He then commented on how there was a lot to think about and unravel with everything she'd said, and Akatsuki immediately worried that she'd overwhelmed him.
    She knew she could have an overbearing personality.
    Though, he wasn't being rude about it. Probably just trying to be polite...
    "I'm sorry," Akatsuki apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to throw all that stuff at you or something--I know my beliefs are for my journey, so none of it may even mean anything to you. I wasn't trying to overwhelm you or anything--" She dropped down from the tree and spun slightly, landing on her feet, before she chased after Akira and returned to his side once more as the man began to head off once more. She pursed her lips and folded her hands behind her back. "You don't have to believe what I do at all--obviously--but you don't have to worry. You have time to figure everything out for yourself. It took me years before I found myself."

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,

"I guess." Words had meaning, even if Akira's interpretation of the word was different, that didn't change the original meaning of the word. He accepted that. His ears kept an eye out as well, as he'd heard her drop from the tree lightly and made her way by his side again.

Akira didn't know whether to believe the idea and he had a beast sealed inside him that was capable of speaking and watching his every move, emotion and feeling, his thoughts and ideas. "It's not what you said that bothers me, it's how well it applies to me. The necessary truth." Akira did not look at her as she spoke. But all she'd done is provide him with more mind chomping information to work on. It was just a particularly feisty topic in his mind.

"I feel like I already have, but I know that's far from the truth. I'm coming out here to meet someone, because I need to exume... i dunno. My soul." He had to revisit the topic, otherwise it would continue to plague him - and he had no idea what that would do to his personality, making him craven, or if it would give him disdain for life and its inhabitants. Whether it would fan flames of war or strike neutrality from him. Too many answers to give.

Would he ever meet this traveller again?

He shook his head slightly. She might've taken it for something else. But he knew what it was about. He could feel his heels digging into the ground as he walked, walking a bit faster, wanting to get to his destination. "I feel there is someone who shares my soul. I feel that thread is about to be cut. But in your belief, that means it was meant to be so - and I shouldn't worry about it as a result, because the right thing will come in my future?" But he didn't want to get over it.

But this was what he needed to do, to make amends. In his mind. Maybe it would be correct, and it would resolve... the issues. Maybe they would get worse, but either way - this chapter would come to an end and a new one with a shiny title would appear, or a rusted one with potential to be cast off would. "I'm going to say what I need to say, and hope it turns out for the best."

AND MINE IS THE FURY

dandy ♫

[Akatsuki]

❊ even though our ❊ destinies are connected

they never should have intersected

"Oh." Oh. This was a... difficult situation indeed. Of course, she'd wanted to help and offer her words of advice for what she thought he needed, but, perhaps... she'd struck a nerve by doing so, or something. She hadn't intended to have a negative effect on him, but, at the same time... Maybe it was something he needed to hear, not wanted to hear. Akatsuki had no idea if what she'd said had actually ended up damaging him, which certainly wasn't something she'd wanted to do. She lightly placed a hand on her face, palm cupping her cheek.
    And he was coming here to dig up his soul? Try facing something he'd been burying deep down, for quite some time? That was a pretty serious thing. Especially if he was going to try to find himself spiritually, or something. If there was something he was burying and trying to ignore, it was going to do more harm than good. It was... healthier to just accept things. Good, and bad. Let them come and go like the cycle of the wind.
    But, it only got worse.
    Severing ties?
    And with someone he cared deeply about, who he was soul tied with.
    Then, he asked a difficult question. And Akatsuki wasn't sure exactly how to reply. If he cut ties with this person, then he shouldn't worry about it because the "right" person would come around, right? In a way, yes, she did believe that, but it wasn't so easy. It wasn't... quite that simple. And when it came to how he felt about this person--it was a serious thing. Even if it wasn't working out, that didn't mean it had been frivolous and meaningless, and like it wouldn't hurt.
    "Well... It is a big deal, and it hurts a lot when you think you have something with someone, but it turns out you didn't." It hurt a lot. You invested time into that person, and you opened up to them and shared your vulnerabilities, you bonded and thought you were close. They treated you like you were special, and you cared deeply for them and their well-being. What was important to them was important to you, and the two of you got along so well.
    Then the next time you saw them, they acted like they didn't even know you and rejected you in front of all their friends--completely shooting you down.
    "But... Like every wound, it will heal. It may take time, and it may leave a scar, but it will heal. And you have to give it time and allow it to heal, not keep picking at the wound and making it new again," Akatsuki spoke carefully. "And I don't believe fate controls whether people are 'meant to be' or not. I think people decide that. If you're the only one working for something, the only one trying to carry the weight of a relationship--then you'll burn yourself out and the person will walk away because you broke on them. But if it's mutual... You'll share the weight, and you'll support each other. When both people are willing, it doesn't matter how many troubles you come across because if they care about you they'll find a way to make it work no matter what. If you fall, they'll pick you up. If the weight becomes too much of a burden, they'll share those troubles with you and lighten the load." She took a moment to let her words sink in. She wasn't exactly the best person to be talking about these kinds of things.
    "But you have the right idea. Honesty is the most important thing. Say what you have to, and if it's important to this person, they'll try to make amends so the tie isn't severed. If not... then it's one-sided, and it's not a relationship that would be healthy for you. So it will hurt, but in time it will get better. One day there will be someone who will do anything to make it work, too," Akatsuki said. "And I know it sounds stupid, but you can't give up hope. You can't find what you don't look for, so even if this meeting doesn't end up how you want... Don't let it discourage you forever."
    "You're a good person, Akira-san. You deserve someone who would cherish that. You will find them one day, I'm sure of it," Akatsuki finished.

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 would look between her and the path they were on, still cautious - and he would continue to be for as long as they were together. He had effectively painted a target on his back, whether or not they would do anything with that target was their choice, but it seemed OK.

He wanted to say he did, but that was simply his view. 'Control your controllables.' is what he'd said to himself. He was trying to distance himself, compartmentalize the actual thinking versus what he felt. He'd read all the books, or a fair few of them.

"That, and a choice needs to be made about what I do about it." There had was standing on the precipice of two dark realities, both of which felt equally deplorable, but one was the logical route to take. The other? It was only a way out. The conversation he'd had with Kaito had rung in his head, dispelling the immediate desire to wipe the ordeal from his mind entirely.

At his core, he couldn't lose. He couldn't crumble, and if that meant feeling bad in lieu of life... then that's what he would have to choose. But then, he wouldn't need to: if he believed in his power enough to that he could deal with the negative consequences one way or another, then it wouldn't matter. Again, choice?

But Akatsuki would pretty much reiterate all that other people had said as well, it was simply given a new lick of paint. She did make a good point, that it was an equal street of opportunity. Akira didn't want to waste his time (even if he did so anyway).

If she were a friend he would've placed a hand on her should by the way of a thank you, but he didn't. Instead, he nodded. A bit more perky than before but not quite there. Akira kept his eyes focused on the path, moving past tree to tree and they wouldn't always be walking side by side, every now and again it would be a conversation that passed through the trees

"Ha." Akira would scoff at the idea of his morality from someone who he didn't know. "Thank you, but you don't know me." Akira would respond back. "I'm not a bad person, but I'm not a good person, either." At least, he thought so. Other people might've disagreed. It was a mutual view that Akira and Akatsuki shared about themselves. Even in that statement, he was disregarding the idea that he was worth it. An ethos that he had thrown on himself that he was, but he'd proven it by his measure of ability, his level of progression as a Jinchuuriki, his level of progression as a military unit. But his mind didn't match up.

"Have you found your tie?" Akira said it, but the manner in which he'd said it and slipping up in his own language slightly misconstrued as a literal tie one wore around their neck. Not an immediately obvious one, but a mistake nonetheless.

AND MINE IS THE FURY

dandy ♫

[Akatsuki]

❊ even though our ❊ destinies are connected

they never should have intersected

Akira was right, ultimately. If he was dragging the inevitable along, it would only continue to cause problems. There'd always be that concern of what if--maybe, oncoming dread, and fear. It was something that had to be settled, once and for all. Akatsuki understood, and gave a slight nod.
    Though, he didn't seem to take too kindly to being called a good person.
    Even though he gave thanks, the man quickly shot it down and dismissed it entirely. He didn't see himself as bad, but he certainly didn't see himself as good. More of a... neutral, then. Not an evil person, but not a great person. Just... a person.
    Akatsuki seemed unfazed by his remark, though.
    "No. You are a good person," she returned calmly, not even looking at him. "I don't know you, at least not in a close way like friends. But you also don't know me." A pause. "I'm not stupid." Bold words for someone who called a ripped map "broken" and who didn't know what the transformation technique was. "You may not be a perfect person, but you're definitely a good one. I can tell."
    She'd leave it at that. He could try to argue all he wanted, or list every mistake he'd made, but she wouldn't change her mind. Akira wouldn't be able to do anything to convince her otherwise. She had a clear conviction.
    The next question threw her off guard, though.
    Tie?
    She doubted he was talking about the garment, but ties were connections to... things. Before, he'd brought up the word anchor, and it'd meant something different than what she'd thought. What kind of tie was he talking about, exactly? "A tie to what?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. A tie to life?

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,

If she wanted to push the situation, fine.

He wouldn't push the situation, and he wasn't going to get angry at someone who was insisting he was. He knew the truth, he supposed. Her words reminded him some of Midori, a woman full of love for those in the village as she'd been so warmly named. With good reason, as well: for her duty of care. But he would smile at her, and leave it be.

"ack." He would clear his mouth, making a few sounds as though he was rinsing it out. "Your tether. Tie. My bad." He'd slipped up over his own words, a rare ocassion. But he would place his hands around the back of his head as he walked.

He so much actually hadn't been giving the woman a second look. The respite in his thinking due to the woman's conversation had broke him from his lapse of brood. She had a good figure - the cape hid most of it, but a form fitting leotard was nice, the hair was exotic considering. 'Focus, baka.' His eyes would go front facing. He was just seeking an alternative route, like there could possibly be some way of getting out of this. It had never crossed his mind as to have a fantasy about also becoming a wanderer: but having a reason to help someone else to avoid it.

She would be able to catch his look at her, because he wasn't being very subtle. It wasn't supposed to go hand in hand with his question, as if to be insinuating anything. It was just on the same subject. They would break open into the forest with a small clearing and pond, but it was filled with purple like flowers, to break through in winter was an interesting concept but apparently that was something.

They had their own problems to figure out. "You met anyone interesting on your travels?" Akira would ask.

AND MINE IS THE FURY

dandy ♫

[Akatsuki]

❊ even though our ❊ destinies are connected

they never should have intersected

Her tether. She glanced at him, blinking in confusion. "You mean... 'that' sort of bond I mentioned, before?" she questioned. The girl turned her attention back to what lay in front of her, then, bluntly, she said, "I already told you I did. I have that sort of tie with my brother." Her brother was... everything to her. He was the single most important person to the woman, and she'd do anything for him. It's why, even after six years, she'd not given up searching for him even once. He was her best friend, her partner and the most trustworthy person in her life--completely irreplaceable.
    Akira's not-so-subtle glimpses would go entirely unnoticed, however, as Akatsuki was paying him less and less mind as they continued to travel. She was growing less and less engaged in the conversation with him, for many reasons. None that she was consciously aware of, but nonetheless, he attention drifted to their surroundings until--
    They came across a clearing in the forest--a still pond laying before them. Despite the approaching winter, there were still flowers that littered the forest floor, and Akatsuki's expression immediately lit up. Although she didn't smile obviously, her neutral expression certainly seemed more attentive, and her body language grew alert.
    She'd stop periodically as she followed Akira's lead, kneeling to pluck some flowers, catch up with Akira, then repeat. Seeming much more interested in the flora and fauna of the area, she only shrugged a little at his question, bunching the flowers into her hands in a small bouquet. "Everyone I meet is interesting," she answered simply, inspecting some of the plants she'd gathered as she spoke.
    Once she was content with how many she'd picked, the young woman slipped the bundle of flowers into her satchel--save for three, which she then began to braid together as they walked. Her nimble fingers expertly weaving them with every step, and she absent-mindedly looked to the moss that blanketed the bases of the trees.

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,

He nodded, and put his hands down by his sides. He was getting cold again.

Well, Akira had meant it more in a romantic soul bond sense in the way that he'd spoken about it. But he couldn't decide how other people chose to take his words: he could've been more specific on the other hand. "Uh, yeah. Right." He nodded. 'Probably best to leave that lie.' It was a done and done answer.

He did noticed that she was doing a him- rescinding her mind into her surroundings. But she had the added pressure of tracker nin on her tail, it wouldn't be of surprise that she was thinking of a strategy to run. Akira just hadn't got around to doing it himself yet, since he was one town away from the same fate as her.

When they got to the clearing, Akira didn't have the same sort of response she did, while she found it enthusing and amazing, Akira simply enjoyed it (as the best he could) as he walked through it. He had no intention of doing the same thing, and the woman's actions were only disarming him further as seeing her less of a threat in the way she carried herself. Her answer had become a non-answer of sorts, and he supposed there wouldn't be much more to talk about unless he decided to think of any other conundrums, or she asked about him (also doubtful, given her situation.)

The clearing would pass and the wood would be growing thinner, more sparse between each tree, a sign the forest would be soon coming to an end. That also meant they'd be close to the village now. So he'd walk, no longer needing to continue the conversation.

When the forest passed as well, it would revert back to a stony texture that Ishi no Kuni was known for, and what Akira had grown up with. It would also mean that their goal was in sight in the far distance. Well. Less so for Akatsuki and more for Akira. She had a lot more to go yet.

AND MINE IS THE FURY

dandy ♫

[Akatsuki]

❊ even though our ❊ destinies are connected

they never should have intersected

Unless provoked, Akatsuki wouldn't speak for several minutes, seemingly caught up in her work. She would hum quietly as she weaved the flowers together, slowly crafting a circlet of the flora. She liked to do things with her hands, making things, touching things. She fidgeted, fingers often messing with her cloak or fiddling with her bangs, and now they were merely working on a flower crown. It was something to do.
    It wouldn't be for quite some time after they'd passed through the woods and returned to the stony path that Akatsuki would speak again. The finished circlet in her hands, her attention was still on the flowers--inspecting the petals closely. Then, in a despondent voice, she asked, "Did you know tonight's the new moon?"
    The evening would be dark outside of the town, with no light from the moon.
    "I'm quite lucky," the girl whispered. She tossed the flower crown up into the air, then caught it with her hands again. She continued to do this as they walked, occasionally giving a glance behind her though--as usual--she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Akatsuki wasn't exactly expecting to see anything. It just... helped calm her nerves, slightly.
    Not that she was unnerved.
    She was used to this.
    And it wasn't her first time fighting tracker ninja. Nor would it be her last, she presumed. But, usually, it was a heat of the moment--quickly and suddenly. The suspense was building up and even for Akatsuki it was unsettling. She wanted to get it over with, but against five shinobi... She was going to have to be careful. And she would have to be patient. Wait for the opportune moment.
    If she couldn't control the fact that they were going to fight, she would control when and where they did.
    The town was in sight, now, and Akatsuki flicked her wrist once more to toss the crown skyward again before catching it once more.

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

XOXO SHIN OF GS + THQ