[Closed] The World Happens

[Ace Trainer]

Indra practically skipped through the temple hallway, turning the corner and peering into one of the dormitories. "OBAAAAA-CHAN!", he called out. Datura wasn't even a decade older than Indra, and she hardly looked a day older than him if not younger, so the choice to call her that was odd. But Indra had taken to referring to just about anyone older than him in such a way, maybe it was just to tease. Regardless, he was excited to see her. Between his journey's to Sunanada, and Datura's own limited ability to leave the village, it was rare that their timings had overlapped. Indra's time in Sunanada had been put on pause though, after meeting with one of the families opportunity had struck, and it struck gold. Now in their clutches was Komiya, Shizuo. This had meant a lot for many of them, but it would likely mean a lot to Datura, who had a more intimate and complex with Iwagakure than many of them in the rebellion did.

"You're back!", he exclaimed to her excitedly.

He was dressed quite nicely, a long robe, all of his jewelry adorning his wrists and neck, large earings dangling from his lobes as he waved and bounded into the room, landing on one of the beds and looking at her expectantly. "I have a lot to update you on, y'know!", he would adjust his seat slightly, and immediately grab onto his hair, beginning to unravel the braid in his grasp, "I went to Sunanada for the first time ever. Oh my goodness its so big! Sunagakure is big but Sunanada is just another place! Theres so many buildings, and a bunch of them are so tall! When I first saw it I thought it was mirage. But wow, its just massive. Oh! They had this huge greenhouse open to the public like a botanical garden? Its not quite as full of life as anything the Naegi have but I thought Suna was the only place that had buildings like that it was just...wow! you would love it."

He made a sort of excited gesture as he continued to work on his hair. Finally he would stop talking and he would look at her, excitement on his face, "What have you been doing, huh?"

[Kaida]

It was another day in Sunagakure, and the sadness from having failed at reaching a consensus with her uncle still weighed heavily on her. Feeling the claws of despair clutch to her, she made her way to the temple, hoping to find some guidance and reflection so that she might try again. It was clear Kirarashi was on the fence, he was just looking for something more than a reason to stand up and fight. Something that seemed lost to Datura as she thought the obvious answer was to simply get involved and do what their people needed of them.

Making her way up the stone steps, her soft footfalls echoed into the space around her as her sandals clacked against the masonry. Adorned in another white flowing sundress, this one with deep green vines and soft pink petals around her neckline, sleeve cuffs and hem. The material caressing her generous frame as the fabric drifted across the floor, her gold jewelry sparkling in the sunlight. A soft flush graced her face from the walk, the heat still beating down around her even with her white hair pulled up into a braided bun while her bangs framed her delicate face.

Crossing the threshold of the church she felt a renewed air flow through her, as if a weight had been lifted and she could breathe in the face of all that stood between her and freedom. Seeing the ornate statues, mosaics and colorful stained glass made her feel at home. A feeling she only ever got with Yozei now, a feeling that reaffirmed that she was doing the right thing not only for Suna, but for herself. She found herself humming through the empty halls, her enigmatic Lucent nowhere in sight as she traversed the holy scenery and found herself a comfortable enough bed to perch on.

Folding her legs up underneath herself, she closed her eyes and let the energy around her bring her mind to a steady thrum as she worked on reaching out to her mind palace. A place where no one could touch her and she was able to exist and reflect upon her shortcomings and troubles as much as her triumphs. That is, until a very loud and exuberant voice echoed out in her direction. Sighing with a mirthful smile on her lips, she cracked one eye open and saw the young joyful Indra before her. Skipping through the halls and immediately going into a spiel about Sunanada. A graceful laugh leaving her lips as both of her eyes now open crinkled from the young mans infectious energy, his excitement palpable in the air between them as he plopped himself down on to a bed across from her.

"Good morning to you too Indra-kun! I wasn't expecting to see you today." Hearing about the greenhouses and the sheer size of Sunanada had her heart aching nostagically. It was the last place before Grass Country where she had gone with her father. A sort of send off to remind them of home and everything that they were fighting for. "I imagine everything there has changed much since I saw it last. Hopefully when I'm free of these shackles, I can return. Or perhaps you can sneak me in." She winked conspiratorially at him, it was always easier to forget her worries and just have fun when they were together. He reminded her a lot of her sister before the invasion.

She giggled again as he seemed to catch himself, realizing that he was talking a mile a minute. It was something she enjoyed seeing, the unadulterated expression of joy and something to look forward to. It always brought a new sense of hope with it, warming her heart and making the sun shine that much brighter. "You know me, busy making friends and maybe stumbling a bit on the way. Hopefully it's nothing I can't fix when the time comes though. You must be happy to be home? It's been awhile since I've seen your pleasant face in these halls. Tell me everything." She reeached over and placed a hand on his knee, giving it a pat as she beamed at him. Ready to hear all about his adventures.

[Ace Trainer]

Datura was such a kind soul, light poured out of her in a figurative sense. When she was near, he could feel the soft hum of her soul - something he felt was akin to a campfire. It was warm, welcoming, but had this subtle nature about it that allowed it to quickly become intense. As he spoke, she seemed to sort of swell up, the warmth radiating from her soul increasing as she enjoyed this moment. "Honestly, theres so much happening there I don't even know if they would notice you there!", he said excitedly. Perhaps Datura would be able to join him on his mission there, she would be a great help, people would be inspired to follow her, he was sure of it.

She mentioned stumbling, and he'd look at her closely, his eyes softening as he tried to get a sense of if he should be worried. She moved past it though, and he pinned it to the back of his mind to revisit later in the conversation. "Well, I wasn't planning on being back so soon. I still have families to meet in Sunanada, you know. There are so many noble families there and they aren't exactly easy to get the attention of...especially with everything having happened. But, we're making some headway. I've met a couple and its promising so far...", his voice trailed off, his eyes diverting from Datura and looking off into the room as his mind searched for the right way to say the next thing.

"I'm guessing you haven't heard yet...?", he asked. He wouldn't give her a chance to answer, the question mostly rhetorical, "We got word of someone pretty important traveling from Iwagakure. I went out to do some investigation. I don't know if you're familiar with him, but he was there when they attacked Sunagakure. He and I fought briefly, and then I was able to capture him. We've subdued him, and he's here in the temple...", he paused here, looking at the ground and then finally looking Datura in the eyes.

"We captured, Komiya, Shizuo."

[Kaida]

The giggle that left Datura at Indra's optimism was childlike in nature, his demeanor had always put her ease, a kindred spirit in a sense. The warmth that radiated between them felt like She had a hand on both their shoulders as they were being guided down this path. "Perhaps I could sneak away for a day or so. Though I'd imagine I'd have to bring my guard and fiance." She faux whispered between them, as if elaborating on some big secret to keep the game and energy alive. The more time she spent with the young man, the more she was reminded of the life she was fighting for. How she wanted her children to be able to grow up and have that same care free joy and wonder that a peaceful life brought. It made her feel at home with her decision to pursue something other's had deemed reckless.

She clicked her tongue behind her teeth quietly as Indra spoke of the families in Sunanada, the population further out from the main village were a different breed. And disparaging any Iwa propaganda as well as rallying support would be more difficult in that region. "I can't say I'm surprised unfortunately, noble families are usually too preoccupied with their own internal politics to care about the world around them. Though, if you have one family that is already allied with the Hokori, it would make introductions easier. Perhaps even having a Suna clan leader with you might help...though that requires me to get further results with my recruiting first." Her hand subconsciously rubbed the back of her neck in a nervous gesture, she wouldn't say she had struck out with her uncle. More like she hadn't yet determined what it was that would sway him and get him involved in the rebellion. She was sure it would come to her though, sooner or later. Preferably sooner if she was being honest.

As the young man spoke about someone important traveling from Suna having being captured, Datura felt her heart begin to race and her fingers grip at her dress. Her mind immediately panicking at the thought that in her brief time away from Yozei, someone hadn't been informed of the deal to keep him safe and he was locked away underground. It was only when Indra uttered Shizuos' name that she felt like she could breathe freely again, her face relaxing and eyes closing as she let the adrenaline slowly leave her body. "Wow...Indra that's amazing! A truly wonderful achievement indeed! I had heard that Iwa shinobi within Wind Country had been put on notice, but I hadn't yet heard that we were actively hunting heavy hitters as they traversed the roads." Though her heart had slowed from it's erratic pace, she still felt nervous and wondered if Sakaze had mentioned the deal to Indra; and how her young friend felt about such a controversial thing. "Have you had a chance to speak with Sakaze lately?" Her inquiry was timid, voice soft and careful as she prepared for one of many worst case scenarios that could come from this conversation.

[Ace Trainer]

Fiance! Fiance!? Indra's eyes grew wide, but he elected not to comment on it. Again, pinning it to the back of his mind for future conversations, he knew she had a new interesting but this was...big! Life in this temple - in this rebellion - had been so interesting. Despite adversity breathing down their necks, Indra learned that the people that clamored to support the Hokori still lead normal lives. There had been weddings in this temple already, children born, friends and families formed, and Datura even if it had occurred outside the temple was a testament to the enduring spirit of humans. Tyranny could not hold them down. He tried to be intentional in remembering things about everyone. He was no Kiyori with a perfected memory, but the little details were the details that mattered.

Her excitement when he shared the news was quickly mirrored, his nervous look melting away into a wide smile, his hazel eyes sparkling in excitement. [color=coral["Well I wasn't really planning on it."[/color], he said with a timid laugh, "But the opportunity came and well...it wasn't one I could pass up on. It wasn't easy, but we pulled it off.", he sighed. "Hasn't exactly been popular news having him here, so I'm glad you're not angry too.", the happiness fading slowly as he thought about it.

Indeed, it had been a controversial choice to bring Shizuo here, and an even more controversial one for Indra to basically forbid anyone from interacting with - or perhaps more importantly harming - him. Even now, Indra basically had the room locked down to prevent any nefarious intentions from getting in the way. It had been hard smoothing over the negative response, but he was managing. "Yeah, I spoke with her first thing when we got back with Shizuo. She did all the fancy restraints and everything for his chakra. We spoke about some other things. Including some to do with you.", he looked at her coyly, as if he was in on some big secret she was about to spill. That wasn't far from the truth, actually.

[Kaida]

The comical way Indra's eyes widened into saucers threw Datura into a fit of giggling. Her eyes watering at the edges as she clutched at her stomach, the familiar joyful pain as she lost herself to a moment of pure unadulterated mirth. Once she reigned herself in, she held out her left hand to show off her glittering ring. Yozei had made a big deal about buying something extravagant and asking her to marry him properly. As if over breakfast after a bout of passion was somehow unacceptable. "It's a recent development and it happened far sooner than I had expected, but I'm so happy." Her eyes lit up like the sun itself, a golden beam of pure happiness dwelled within the bright orbs as she softly spoke into the space between the two Suna shinobi.

A look of adorable confusion passed over Datura's angelic features as Indra spoke of other members being upset with Shizuo being held captive. Her uncles' nagging words in the back of her mind calling her naive. Perhaps this is why she felt so at home with Indra in comparison to Sakaze. The young man and her shared the sentiment that there is more than one way to win a war and achieve success in the rebellion. "I would have no reason to be angry with you Indra-kun. You've done something incredible, and you didn't lose yourself in the process. If we are to succeed, then we have to rely on our strengths as a nation. Our empathy and compassion are not weaknesses. They propel us forward, further in life than most others will go. I'm a firm believer in being the change you wish to see in the world. And though it might not mean much, I believe you have done a very good thing." She raised her hand to pat at his head and ruffle his hair, a knowing look in her eyes and a kind smile on her face. She couldn't imagine the difficulty of the responsibility that lay on this young man's shoulders. The last thing he needed to hear was discontentment and a questioning of his decisions. Especially from her of all people.

Knowing that Shizuo was heavily restrained made Datura's breath come easier, the man was a formidable foe. Keeping a close eye on him was important, as was making sure he was safely secured and out of the fray for them to have more of a chance. "I'm glad Sakaze-san followed your lead with this. I'm sure it will work in our favor for the future as we progress further into the belly of this particular beast." Her head nodding with resolve and confidence, even though she still felt a wave of nerves run through her as Indra indicated that the two leaders had spoken more about her...situation. "I'm curious to hear your thoughts on what she told you, if you feel so inclined to share them."