[Muramasa Uemon]

Muramasa

Feeling the woman grip his arm his eyes fell to Shiina's hand as his own came to rest over top of it.

Gently his thumb brushed her skin. "You're okay." He said softly, doing his best to provide some measure of assurance. Watching her as she writhed on the mattress his eyes would lose even more of their sharpness. Worry. Sincere worry for someone else crept into his mind. Another emotion he had not felt in a while. Despite this he did his best to not show it.

She was vulnerable in this state, likely more than she wished... so he would do his best to lend her some strength.

Drinking from the cup the Ryuujin woman thanked him. For a moment he simply stared at her. "Hush now." Was his quiet response, the smallest smile forming on his face. It was faint but... it was warm. Muramasa removed the towel from her forehead for a moment, re-wetting it and dabbing some more sweat away. "Rest..." The word was but a whisper as he laid the cloth across her brow once more. For a time he stayed by her side tending to her. Once she was asleep he rose and exited the room. Moving to the front room he unraveled some bandages on his gear to reveal the head of his black wolfdog puppet. "Time to hunt, Yō." He thought. Subtle blue threads attached to the marionette and they walked out the front door.

An hour or so later he returned, his canine clutching a limp rabbit carcass in its jaws. He also managed to scrounge some wild onion and carrot that grew in the area. Quietly as he could the swordsmith would set to work preparing the game, cleaning and skinning the kill atop an old tarp with a kunai. Next he washed and finely chopped the vegetables. After cubing the meat into small chunks he would ready  a large pot and add the ingredients along with some old spices he found in one of the cupboards. Adding water he allowed it to simmer.

Time passed and the sun set. Luckily, stew was very low effort so aside from going to stir every so often it allowed him to watch over Shiina. Sitting with his back to a nearby wall the young man would remove his small black book and open it to an empty page. He did his best not to disturb her as his pencil moved. Yō lie ‘sleeping’ in the front room. Ever watchful, he continued to renew her towel every so often as she slept. Hopefully rest would ease her fever.

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Muramasa Uemon



NOTES -

She hadn't slept this comfortably and for this long for quite awhile, allowing her body to succumb to deep slumber. As he brushed a hand on her face, his touch was warm and ever so gentle, telling her to rest. And rest she did, sleeping for hours and hours. She had been exhausted, had pushed herself to great lengths to see past fatigue, and to be fair she never felt truly safe enough to sleep without waking up constantly. This was the life of a nukenin, a life where she had no rest, where she couldn't afford it. But today was different, knowing that at least with Muramasa there with him, the woman would be safe. Despite not knowing the extent of his strength, Shiina knew that he at least could hold his ground if need be, and so for once, she could truly sleep soundly. Closing her eyes once more after drinking some water, the woman fell into a deep slumber, where she found herself trapped in one of her many nightmares.

In the dream she relived the memories of her childhood, little snippets flashed before her eyes. One moment she was at her family home, enjoying some good quality family time with her parents. The next, her father would be dead, flashing to his funeral. She remembered that day well, because many who the family had thought were close to them never showed up. Another flash would reveal a close-up of the tombstone with his name. She remembered that the skies wept on the day, remembered herself carrying an umbrella. alone at the site. It was there that her entire person changed, becoming a cold and calculating individual, keen on finding the people responsible for his death. There were tears, silent against the splatter of the rain, as she mourned for her father alone. This had been the turning point of her life, one that she wished never happened.

And then the plague.

The dream flashed to when her mother died, and then her friends, one by one. Each time she cried, as though a part of her heart and soul had been taken away. Soon she was the only one left, fending for herself against the world. The last flashback would show the councilman and his guards, dying under her ranton wrath. Shiina had felt such strong anger, had allowed retribution to consume what was left of her, and as their lives were sucked out of their body, their eyes lifeless and blank, she remembered smiling down at their corpses, before looking up to the skies to tell her parents that she had finally sought the revenge she deserved.'

Beads of cold sweat continued to form, trickling down her face as her head turned left and right while she slept. A few times she would give a small whimper, ever so slightly, as she called out to her parents. At some point though she would calm down, perhaps the fever she had doing her the service of giving her some time of undisturbed rest. The woman would open her eyes slowly after a few hours, her nostrils picking up the wonderful smell of what she knew was stew. Through a daze she would look to her left, seeing Muramasa sit against the wall with his notebook. Attempting to raise her body upward, she would smile at him, a weak but warm smile. "I'm sorry...for troubling you..."

MADE BY MIZO

[Muramasa Uemon]

Muramasa

Faint sounds of pencil on paper carried throughout the quiet old home, pausing whenever the woman fussed in her sleep.

Looking to her his mouth pursed upon seeing her disturbed sleep. A bad dream maybe. Not fun. Whenever he managed to find it his own sleep was often devoid of such things. A blessing perhaps... but it also meant he did not imagine happy things either. Much like his waking self. Just... empty. He moved again to her side, checking her temperature with the back of his hand. "Still pretty warm..." It was hard to gauge for sure but she felt slightly cooler. Replacing the towel he would go once more to stir the broth simmering on the stove before returning to his post near the wall. His artists' pencil continuing to move.

On the page he had been taking down the woman's likeness. A sketch with no color... but a detailed rendering of her. Slumbering in an elegant kimono wearing an expression of peace. Like a princess out of some fairy tale. Of course he omitted the towel but aside from that the similarities were striking. He was just finishing up when Shiina stirred once more, her strained voice calling his attention back to the present. "Don't be sorry." Muramasa's voice was lighter than before, almost surprised at her apology. "I'm the one who should be saying that... I dragged you out here in this weather." As she attempted to sit he would place a hand on her shoulder. "Shouldn't push yourself." He said, trying to lower her back down. Grabbing the towel once more he would re-wet it in warm water and dab gently around the woman's face. "Take it slow. I'll be right back." Even sick she managed to somehow look stunning. It was truly a feat. Incredible.

Rising to his feet Muramasa left his book open on the floor and headed to the stove, stirring the stew a final few times before ladling some of the broth into an old bowl. Any chunks of meat or vegetables he added he made sure were small. With a final garnish of some slivered wild onion he would return to the Ryuujin woman's bedside. "For you." He said, sitting down next to her and stirring the soup before taking a spoonful and offering it to her. "Not my best work... but it should help some." A simple dish, but perfect when you felt under the weather. As he sat there spoon in hand a memory came back to him. Of Hanagisa, his first mentor. The only person whom he'd ever loved. He recalled falling ill at one point during their travels together. Normally a harsh and stoic woman not one to show compassion, he remembered her waiting on him hand and foot while he was sick. Even made him a stew much like this. "Wasn't rabbit though... venison, maybe?" It was long ago, but without realizing a soft half smile had come to his face.

There he would wait, hoping she was well enough to eat something or at have sip some of the broth.

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Muramasa Uemon



NOTES -

Muramasa was kind, a kindness that she hadn't observed in a long time. Despite his stoic appearance, he certainly knew how to tend to people. In a way, she was happy to have fallen ill, despite feeling physically horrible. It reminded her of when she was young, how her mother would cook her something to eat and nurse her back to health. Since her death, Shiina hadn't quite found someone who could and would do the same, and so she was pleasantly surprised at the gesture from this otherwise stranger. Of course, they had been through a lot together, just in the couple of days of them meeting, a meeting of circumstance and fate, perhaps, but there were still lots that they didn't know about each other. Shiina obliged upon hearing him tell her to rest and not push herself, despite her wanting to defy. The woman was not used to being sick, not use to be tended to this way.

But maybe just this once she would cave...

She secretly wondered what the man was writing in his notebook, having heard pencil on paper since the moment she woke from her rather disturbed sleep. She made a mental note that she would ask him about it later, when she was back to her normal self, hoping that he would share. Shiina wondered if he had been drawing flowers, as he had done with the flowers he showed her. Maybe it was another toxin lesson, the fact that he had been drawing her unknown to the woman. "How long have I been...asleep?" she would say weakly as he gently put her head back on the pillow. And then he would tell her that he was going to return, and upon the return would bring her what she assumed was stew. It looked hearty and warm, the vegetables and meat cooked to perfection. "I didn't know you could cook..." she held the bowl he handed to her in both arms, sitting up once more before she tried the broth.

It was quite delicious, which made her think of how he could possibly have managed such a pleasant soup in conditions such as these. Vegetables were hard to come by and meat would have needed to be hunted. Shiina guessed that he had gone hunting while she was asleep, a flush of crimson danced across her face as a genuine smile formed on her lips. "This is really good, Muramasa-san...please, you should have some too..." In her mind she would think of the last time someone cooked for her, unable to recall anyone other than her parents who did. It took only two days for her to experience things she would have otherwise not experienced with anyone else had it not been Muramasa...or at least she assumed this, sipping on the broth slowly, allowing the aromatics and flavor consume her body.

MADE BY MIZO

[Muramasa Uemon]

Muramasa

He shook his head when asked how long she had been out for.

"Only a few hours." Came his reply. In that small window of time day had become night. Winter days were short, and the nights increasingly long. The dark of his abandoned family home had grown darker still. Thinking upon this he moved to check the bedroom closet. "Still here." A thought occurred as he retrieved some old lavender candles and a book of matches.

Quietly he lit the two, placing them atop a small nightstand and a dresser. To provide some kind of dull light in the gloom.

As the woman seemed shocked at his culinary skills he rubbed the back of his head and took his seat next to her once more. "Don't get many chances to cook for others." He said quietly. In truth, Muramasa dabbled in quite a few pursuits. Though he was only truly an expert in a select few. "My master taught me actually... though she was never much one for garnish." Hanagisa taught him simple recipes meant for survival usually devoid of spices. "Pragmatic to the end." Truly. Internally a laugh echoed in his head. Thankfully his own artistic interests expanded his gourmet horizons. Upon trying the broth he watched as her face grew red. At first he was worried it was too hot or not flavorful enough... but after hearing her compliment a faint smile bloomed on his face to match hers. "Can't turn down a smile like that." He replied, and then promptly went to grab a bowl of his own.

For a while they ate in silence. Filling her cup with more cool water he waited for a pause to once again check her forehead with the back of his hand. "Feeling any better?" Fevers did not break easily, but he hoped his care had helped. Didn't want her laid up in bed for days because of him... but even if she was he'd stay by her side throughout. It was the only thing to do. Warmth from the wood stove filled much of the house but even it could only do so much against the freezing winds.

Muramasa pulled his haori closer around his shoulders, having recovered it from outside while she was asleep.

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Muramasa Uemon



NOTES -

Shiina would continue to eat, quietly enjoying the food Muramasa prepared. She smiled to herself with every bite, appreciating the flavors and the sentiment. The young woman nodded her head and blushed a deeper crimson at the smile he gave. It was an actual smile, one that matched her own. She waited for the man to get a bowl of soup for himself and return to sit next to her before beginning another conversation. "I'm feeling much better, thank you..." she knew that a simply thank you was not enough to express her gratitude towards him. He had stayed with her, taken care of her, cooked for her...all things he didn't need to do. "I saw you write or draw something on your notebook. What were you writing or drawing?" She assumed it was flowers, of course.

Handing her now finished bowl back to Muramasa, she would attempt to get up from the bed. She felt well enough after the long rest that she could sit up, so it must mean that she was capable of standing as well. The howling wind and cold air outside was raging war with the burning fire indoors, a chill ran down her spine. "I don't know how you can tolerate cold like this...in my village, there was always a little snow and in the winter it was cold, but never as cold as this..." Just as he had brought his notebook with him, Shiina had her own belongings, neatly wrapped in a few durable clothes that she kept inside her obi. Of course, she didn't carry much with her, but enough for any situation.

The woman looked over at the man, appreciating him more this time around, than perhaps she had ever. In truth, from the moment they had crossed paths, Shiina had been skeptical of the man, of his intentions and his identity. The use of an alias, the switch between alias and his name, the fake personality, and then his true personality, it was all a little too much to be embodied into one human, she thought. "Why don't we spend the night here? It's getting dark any way and since it's so cold outside, we should just stay in for the night..." she whispered, knowing that Muramasa hadn't slept well, if at all, the night before.

"You should also get some sleep. I'll feel bad if I'm the only one rested and you look like a panda with those dark circles under your eyes..." she would say jokingly, giving him a soft chuckle.

MADE BY MIZO

[Muramasa Uemon]

Muramasa

A soft nod was his response as the woman assured him she was feeling better.

Warm, his faint smile persisted. "I'm glad." Emotions were not easy for him to express, and though it seemed muted his gratitude was genuine. Though his eyes did widen slightly and some color bloomed on his cheeks as Shiina asked him what he'd been drawing. "Oh." He vocalized, a little taken aback. Must have thought she was asleep and didn't notice. His hand reached for the book on the floor, staring at the page for a moment in thought. "Well... it was..." Lost for words. Figuring there was no way out now his dark eyes met with hers as he turned the book around. "It's you." She would be able to see a two page wide sketch of her own sleeping figure. Intricacies of her kimono occupied much of the space. Long voluminous hair seemed like a flowing river underneath her slumbering form. It swirled towards the ends of the page. Peace rested in her face.

A true to life sleeping beauty... or his best attempt at capturing one's likeness anyway.

Muramasa's expression faltered a bit. "I... hope you don't mind." He said, unsure how she would take it. The Ryuujin woman went to stand and he rose with her, ready to steady her if needed. "Careful." He would say. Fevers were serious business. She spoke of the cold and how fierce it was and he nodded in agreement. "You learn to live with it here... but that doesn't really make it feel any better." Tolerance was its own punishment. Something she said gave him pause and he looked to her once more. "What village is that?" Realizing he never asked almost made him embarrassed. Shiina began slowly collecting her things and he was about to prepare to leave when she suggested they stay the night here at his home. A comment about dark circles made him nod. "I'm a panda most days in that case." Another smirk. But she had a point.

Looking around the room his brow furrowed. "It's a little... cramped." He would say. A room meant for a boy was very different than one meant for an adult. "My parents' old bedroom still has a futon. You can rest there if you'd like." His voice grew soft again and as he thought about his words his gaze shifted to her face once more. It really was quite cold. "Only... if you'd like." For a moment he stood, staring into her eyes. They had shared much today... but even more remained.

Cold nights like these required heavy blankets and large fires. Or better still... the heat of another.

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Muramasa Uemon



NOTES -

Her cheeks flushed a deeper crimson as Muramasa held the notebook to the open page for her to see. It was a picture of her sleeping, the details of her kimono and her hair and face were very much defined. She cast her eyes to her kimono and then back on the page, before she looked at him. "I-I'm flattered, Muramasa-san..." her voice was a small whisper, her eyes drifting back to admire his artistic skills. "You have quite the artistic talent, and I'm flattered to be your subject..." And she was genuine in her remark, never quite experienced having anyone draw her before. She looked at the details for a long moment, amazed. "I didn't know I looked like this asleep..." she would look at the picture in disbelief. Of course, she wouldn't have been able to see herself asleep before so it was only common sensical that this was the case. But more importantly, why had he chosen to draw her? Was he trying to find something to draw and the only thing that he could find was her? It would make sense, since there was no other person or anything of interest in the room.

"Do you draw pictures of people often?" Another innocent question that peaked her curiosity. Shiina was no artist, despite her exceling in music and dance. She had always envied those who could put pen to paper like this. "It seems that you...are good at more than just making toxins." The woman would look back at him, a warm smile on her face. And then when she tried to get up and he warned her to be careful, she would naturally reach out her hand to grab onto his arm or shoulder, so as to steady herself. "See? I'm alright." The woman would say before almost falling backwards again, giving a little surprise yelp that was much unlike her usual self. She usually had a lot more composure, and would never show this side of her to a person.

What had changed?

"Kumogakure no Sato..." she would say in a hushed voice, sitting herself back on the bed with a sheepish look. Saying the name of her old village brought back old memories and for a moment her brows furrowed and her face held a certain coldness that Muramasa would have never seen before. "In Kaminari no Kuni. If you are familiar at all, I am from the Ryuujin clan." She wasn't sure how much the man knew about villages and its clans. If he didn't know much, she would elaborate, to inform him of her kekkei gekkai. She refrained from saying anything at the panda comment he responded to her with, unsure of what to say, instead focusing on his offer of having her sleep in his parents' room. She looked around at the room they were in, for the first time realizing that it was quite small, as it should be if it belonged to Muramasa when he was a child.

"I've slept a lot already, it'll be my turn to stay up and watch you sleep," she would say with an incredulous smile, although she did have plans if he would rest in the bed. The woman wasn't one to take hospitality and not return the favor. "I won't draw you though, since I am a horrible artist." The woman would continue to sit on the edge of the bed, with him by her side. Although she was ill, she wasn't an invalid, so she knew that she would be able to walk around eventually, half of her dizziness came from dehydration, she presumed. If he took her offer, he would shift over so that he could have the bed to lay down on. After such a long day with no sleep, she was almost certain he was beyond exhausted.

MADE BY MIZO

[Muramasa Uemon]

Muramasa

Seeing the woman's face turn red brought a sense of relief to him.

It was cute, her reaction. "You're quite the subject. He would say. Fudo the Flirt was no more but that didn't mean Muramasa was incapable. "Everything about you is artful." It was truthfully how he perceived her. Elegance personified. Like she belonged in a gallery somewhere. She said that she was unaware of how she looked in her sleep and he nodded softly, his eyes doing the soft smiling his face was not used to. Then she asked him if he drew people often. "Not usually... just what catches my eye." In all his life he had maybe only drawn three people including her. Perhaps there would be more one day... but it was certainly a rarity. The Ryuujin woman mused that he was good at more than just making poisons. A corner of his mouth perked up just slightly. "I have my uses." His simple, if slightly amorous response. Had he started to relax?

As she stumbled and grabbed hold of him his arms would instinctively rise to support her waist. She said she was alright. "Yes... you are." Was all he could say as he looked into her golden eyes. He made sure she was stable... though his hands lingered a moment longer. "Still quite warm." Came his lowered voice. Except this time he was not feeling her forehead. She revealed that she was from Kumogakure. In the Land of Lightning. He had heard of the village but never made it there during his travels. "Are you a kunoichi?" His next question. She certainly had a level of skill to her that seemed shinobi-esque... but he was rarely one to assume. "Ryuujin does sound familiar... though I don't know much about clans outside of my homeland." Muramasa was even more curious now, especially considering a coldness he recognized as she spoke of her home. It was one he knew all too well. If she wished to share with him he would of course listen.

Mentioning sleep and how she would watch him he found himself smirking. "I'd be a fool to shy away from your gaze." His eyes had gotten heavy at some point, he just failed to realize it until she said something. Sleep deprivation would do that. "Just... don't overdo it, alright?" His expression became stern for a moment as he looked at her. "If you fall again I might be too slow to catch you." A half joke. Something told him he would still try if she did. She scooted over on the mattress and he climbed slowly under the covers. Halfway. The futon felt all to comforting... and the more he thought about it the more tired he became. Shiina said she would not draw him and he gave a worn out half smile. "That, I'd like to see." Was his response. Underneath his eyes the skin felt hot. Heavy. But he did not want to sleep. Not yet. Muramasa looked to the woman, his hair strewn about his face on the pillow. The scar on his forehead was completely visible. "Thank you." He said, his voice even quieter now and bit groggy sounding. "For coming here with me." This place was home to some of his best and worst memories.

If he had been here alone... he did not know what might have happened. It was impossible to say.

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Muramasa Uemon







NOTES -

Shiina's cheeks continued to flush as she almost fell on him again, and had grabbed her waist. For a moment their eyes would connect, her golden hues held his gaze and for the first time she saw him in a slightly different light. The stoic and cold man she had come to know and be accustomed to. He was now warm, at least she felt like he was warming up to her, ever so slightly. Of course, Shiina was not foreign to the concept of flirting, she had flirted with her clients before, mostly to get information or knowledge out of. To say that she was uncomfortable with the idea of a man flirting with her was also not true, because she had been on the receiving end of such advances, but she wanted to know his intentions and motives before even engaging in flirtations. 

Flirting was great, but could be dangerous if not handled properly, after all.

The woman would watch as Muramasa climbed into bed, his worn out expression told the whole story. He looked kind of cute when he was sleepy, his eyelids heavy as he gave her a half smile. When he lay his head down on the pillow, the woman would move to cover him with the blankets, smiling warmly. "Just focus on sleeping, everything else is not important..." her voice was soft and soothing, her gaze matching it as she stared at his sleepy face. She would then notice the scar on his forehead, one thing that hadn't been visible to her until this very moment. Shiina made a mental note yet again to ask him about it when he woke up next. Making sure that she was able to stand on her own two feet without falling over, the woman made her way to the burning fire, putting in a few more logs into it to keep it alive.

She would sit down by the fire, her gaze settling once on Muramasa before pulling out her belongings from within her kimono sleeves. Opening the cloth gently, she would uncover some black, grey and dark green silk and yarn. She always carried extra sewing equipment, for when her kimono or any of the items she used for performances broke, she would have the ability to at least to try to fix them on the spot. Judging from the weather conditions outside, the woman knew that silk was not the material she wanted, opting for yarn instead. And until the fire stopped burning, Shiina would find herself sitting by it, knitting, all the while catching glimpses of the sleeping man just a few feet away from her. She prayed that there would be enough wool and yarn to make what she had set out to make though, as night would be replaced by day.

MADE BY MIZO

[Muramasa Uemon]

Muramasa

Muramasa's dark eyes stayed fixated on the woman as she stared down at him.

A wave of exhaustion swept over his body like a rushing stream. Everything felt heavy... and not just in a physical sense either. Memories of his past, the events of the past few days, his own feelings. It was almost too much. More than what he was used to dealing with, anyway. Emotions were taxing.

Shiina herself looked like an angel from this angle. "From all angles." He corrected himself in his head. What started out as a wholly unique acquaintance with a stranger seemed to be evolving. Into friendship? Or perhaps something else entirely. She told him to rest wearing that sweet smile of hers and that nothing else was important. "You are..." Was his tired response, a hand reaching up to touch her cheek as she adjusted the covers. Then, as quickly as he had laid down, he was out. Eyes closing firmly as his breathing steadied. Sleep. Finally. Hopefully this time... it would last.

Eventually one of his arms wriggled free of the covers to rest above his head. As if he were reaching out for someone.

Warmth spread throughout the home as Shiina tended the fire, his unconscious form still shivering from time to time in his slumber. The swordsmith rested quietly as he usually did and only turned a few times during the night. Like always his mind pictured blackness. A blank void with nothing in it. Even the kindness of an otherworldly beauty could not inspire dreams it would seem. Hours passed and as the night waned a single image appeared on the blank canvas that was his mind.

A field of tall grass, in the middle of which stood a statuesque woman with blonde hair. She wore a katana at her side. A beauty mark lay beneath her right eye. No matter how much he wished the image would come no closer. The swordswoman seemed destined to stay there in that field. Forever. Muramasa mumbled a bit in his sleep as he began to stir. He turned and reached next to him but the space was empty. A single word played in his head over and over but he could not shake it.

'Hana'. A flower picked before her time.

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Muramasa Uemon



NOTES -

The woman would peer in Muramasa's direction from time to time, as though to check on him. She put down her little sewing project every hour or so to walk towards the bed, anxiously peering over his sleeping frame. He seemed to be sleeping well, she thought to herself, other than a few movements here and there, he seemed to be having more luck than she was before, gently touching the palm of his hand so that he knew someone was there in case he would fall into some bad dreams. But she made sure not to wake him, for she knew that people like him, with such deep dark circles under his eyes, never really could sleep. Shiina wanted the man to bathe and take advantage of being undisturbed, allowing his body, mind and soul to rest. She would keep this up, the back and forth, until she too became a little tired sitting by the fire. By now, she had finished half of her knitting, and determined to finish it before he woke up, she would battle all exhaustion head on, sometimes even pinching herself in order to stay awake.

As the sun's rays began to peek through the window, the girl would get up from her position, putting the last of the logs into the fire so that he would be warm when he woke up. Shiina went into the other room to retrieve a bowl of water, to which she placed over the lingering flames. From her sleeve pocket, she produced a handkerchief of sorts, one which bore the purple orchid flower stitching on the end. She had stitched it herself, with the kanji for purple orchids right beside the flower. Tossing it into the water she would lift the bowl once the water was warm enough to wring the handkerchief dry.

She placed her knitting project into the inside of her kimono sleeve, turning her attention to the still sleeping Muramasa. Walking towards the bed, she would gently wake him up, hoping that his sleep had helped recharge some of his batteries. "Good morning, I'll re-heat some of the soup you made last night for some breakfast while you wash up. You can use my handkerchief since I couldn't find any other towels other than the one you used on me last night." Her voice was unusually cheerful, perhaps being up all night had somehow given her an adrenaline rush. She would leave the man to wake up slowly, heading to the kitchen to prepare their breakfast.she would say jokingly, giving him a soft chuckle.

MADE BY MIZO

[Muramasa Uemon]

Muramasa

A gentle touch eventually woke him from his slumber.

Opening his eyes he would find Shiina once more staring at him. "Now that's a sight." His first thought upon viewing her pretty face. "Good morning." Was his reply. His voice was still groggy, but the bags under his eyes seemed less pronounced. 

She told him that she was preparing breakfast and he gave a slow nod, sluggishly rising to sit up in bed with a yawn. "Sounds good, thank you." He may have been more rested now but he definitely was not a morning person. It'd take some time for him to fully come around. "Did you get any rest?" Was his next question. She seemed cheerful, almost oddly so. Hopefully that meant she got some sort of rest. Shiina handed him a handkerchief to wash up and he took it in hand, staring at it for a moment before looking back to her. "This looks really fine... you sure it's okay for me to use?" An artist could spot a nice piece of work when he saw it. And it was nice.

If she was alright with it he would sluggishly rise to his feet and go to wash up.

Splashing cold water on one's face had a tendency to jar one awake. "There we go." He thought, dabbing underneath his eyes and around his face with the handkerchief. It even smelled like her. Which was a nice salve for his waking body. Slowly but surely his facial features loosened up. Any lingering sleepiness seemed to fade as he returned the front room, handkerchief in hand. "Need a hand?" He would ask, walking over to the stove as he folded the damp cloth up and offered it back to her.

The stew smelled good, and after thickening in the night it might even taste better this time around.

[Ryuujin Shiina]

In the city of fools, I was careful and cool but they tore me apart like a hurricane.

TAG - Muramasa Uemon



NOTES -

"I've...slept..." she would say, avoiding his gaze. "And yes of course. It's not really that expensive, so don't worry about it." The woman would smile at him warmly then, heading towards the kitchen. As she moved, the girl noticed what she assumed was the Muramasa clan insignia. It was mesmerizing to see, a very different symbol than her own clan. She stopped for a moment to admire it; a tsuba, nakago-ana centered surrounded by four tear-shaped hitsu-ana. She made another mental note of it, pointing it out to the man when he came out of the room. "I assume that this is your family crest?" And when he asked if she needed any help with the reheating of the stew, she would shake her head. "You already did the cooking yesterday, Muramasa-san. Please just relax a bit. The stew should be done in a few minutes." The woman took the dampened handkerchief from him, happy that he looked a little less tired than before.

As the stew was cooking, she would reach into her kimono sleeve to bring out the knitting project that she had been working on. Assuming that the symbol she had seen from before was indeed the family crest based on Muramasa's answer, she would finally complete the very last stitches to it, knitting the symbol at the corner of the back of both gloves, big enough that it was noticeable but small enough that it added a sort of sophistication to the gloves. She would proceed to take two bowls of the stew back to where he was waiting, handing over the pair of gloves to him at the same time. "Excuse my extremely poor knitting skills, but I wanted to make something to repay your kindness and care from last night." Shiina would sit down next to him then, eating her breakfast with him quietly.

"I feel much better today so I was wondering where we should go next?" The girl was thinking about what to do next. As a nukenin, she had not real place to be, and she really enjoyed being in his presence. She also realized that there was so much about her that he didn't know and vice versa. She would promise herself to be more open and talk about her life with him, especially since he seemed to be opening up more to her.

MADE BY MIZO

[Muramasa Uemon]

Muramasa

One of his eyebrows arched at her response to his question about sleep. She seemed to avoid his gaze... but that was fine.

More than anyone he understood not sleeping and also not wanting others to worry. Returning from washing up he was greeted by a question about his family crest. "Our kamon." His dark eyes shifted to the symbol, a somber look on his face as he nodded. "My clan's founder was raised to the samurai caste long ago... being a swordsmith he took a tsuba for his symbol." Very long ago. Things had changed a lot since then. "At some point we ended up back as commoner swordsmiths, but the emblem stuck around." There was a long and storied history there to be sure but he didn't know if she wanted to hear about it. Which was fine by him. He felt he'd already been talking much more than usual as is.

Shiina told him to relax which he was not particularly good at but he relented after a moment with a nod and took a seat. Pouring some water for the two of them he noticed her take something from her sleeve and fuss with it. When he saw what it was his eyes widened a bit. "These are..." Taking hold of the gloves as they were offered, his dark eyes took to admiring the work instantly. He noted the delicate needlework and his family crest in the corners. "...thank you, Shiina-san." He said, looking to the woman with a warm smile. The closest thing to a full expression he had offered since meeting. "You didn't have to... I did that because I wanted to." It was the truth. In their short time together he had come to know much about the Ryuujin woman. Just as she knew of him, more than most.

After a long pause he spoke again. "Uemon." Quietly he spoke up. "My given name... you can call me Uemon." It was a sign of trust he did not offer to many. In the spirit of opening up he thought it appropriate. Perhaps it seemed odd but to him it was a method of guarding himself. He had few acquaintances and fewer friends... but it seemed that had begun to change. She asked next where they should go and he thought about it for a while as he ate. "Wherever you wish." He said finally, looking to the woman with the same warm smile. Business remained for him here in the Land of Iron... but for the time being he could not do much about it. A name was a start. But he had a long way to go before he could find what he sought. And who. "Last night... you spoke of your home?" If she wished to share he would listen. If not... well that was fine too.