[closed] Recovery time!

[TyDie]

By the time Sakaki finally awoke from last night's ordeal, the sun was hanging quite low in the sky. Her eyes slowly but surely fluttered open, and the first thing she noticed besides the sun was a warmth behind her knees that felt unusual. Upon shifting her body, she found that that warmth was a solid mass, and with a hint of curiosity she lifted her head enough to see what it was... And almost squeed with delight as she realized Hara, the Fennec Fox belonging to Souta, was asleep with her. The fox must have noticed that she was awake, because it's eyes opened too, and a moment later the little fox was in her face licking frantically.

The sound of spitting and sputtering could be heard in the main foyer of the orphanage, followed by Sakaki flopping on to the floor in a heap as she fended off the energetic fennec who wanted a playmate. "Alright Hara, alright! I'm up! Sheesh!" A few moments later, Sakaki opened her door, allowing the fennec to tear off into the building ahead of her. When Miss Miami finally caught sight of the young Genin, she couldn't help but chuckle at the severe case of bedhead she had, and the line of drool down her cheek. "Uh, Honey... You might want to clean up." Sakaki tilted her head in confusion, looking down finally to realize that her Kimono was a mess, and she could see the tangles and knots in her hair just by looking at the hair she could see without a mirror. She must've been one hell of a sight.

We're back to this then, hmm? I would take the woman's advice, child. You look atrocious. The voice in her head did little to her now, she had grown used to it over the past few weeks. Still, if Shishire agreed with Miss Miami, there was definitely something that needed to be done... wait. "Miss Miami... what time is it?" Miss Miami smiled at her, a sort of playful grin, before pointing outside at the sun setting in the west. "Judging by the sun, at least 3 o'clock. You've been asleep almost 14 hours dear." Sakaki's eyes grew wide with shock... 14 hours? How on earth did she sleep so long? What exactly happened last night? Everything was still so fuzzy... But she did know that she had slept most of the day away.

"By the way, Souta asked me to hand this to you once you awoke. He brought you home in his arms last night... You were fast asleep. Whatever happened, it must have been rough." ... He did what now? What on earth happened? Sakaki rushed over to Miss Miami and took the note from her hands, reading it over quickly. All it said was "Last night was rough, time for recovery. Come to my house. P.S. Bring the little scamp." Followed by his address. "Souta? Recovery? Wha-" It suddenly all dawned on her again; the ritual, her mother's soul, and the overwhelming trauma. It didn't hit her as hard this time, perhaps she was still numb to it after all the crying she had done yesterday... But she remembered.

"Right... Recovery... Okay Miss Miami, I'm going to clean up and head over to Souta's. Thank you." Miss Miami rose from her chair and approached Sakaki, caressing her face gently before delivering a small kiss to her forehead. "Of course dear. Anything you need, I'll always be here." Sakaki nodded and smiled before returning to her room for about another half hour, fixing all of the problems with her appearance one by one. Once she returned, her stunning beauty shined through once more... and was totally offset by the yapping fennec at her feet. Can't you do something about that beast? It's so... unseemly. Hey, I made a lot of changes for you, but Hara doesn't know any better! Leave her alone, she's adorable! Shishire merely sighed with annoyance, returning to the darkness within her mind to ignore the beast.

"Bye Miss Miami!" Sakaki waved to the woman, who in turn smiled and waved back, before Hara and Sakaki left the house in pursuit of Souta's. It only took about 20 minutes walk to get to the address listed, and before her was a decently sized walkway with palm trees and cacti lining the side of the paved area. The house too looked huge, far bigger than any she had been to before. This was clearly a very wealthy neighborhood... But how did Souta afford all of this? She'd be sure to ask him soon, as she wasted no time leading Hara up to the front door and delivering a few knocks.

[Willoria]

Rather than his normal garb, Souta wore something quite different as he walked around his house. He had no weapons on him, and no shoes instead choosing to walk barefoot through his home. His clothes consisted of a loose pair of grey pants that reached his ankles, and a loose shirt that hung down to his thighs. The shirt was a no-sleeve, exposing his arms to the air, and his hair was loose and down to his shoulders rather than pulled back like normal. He had been in a back room when he heard the knock at the door and the tell tale squeak. His front door had a very small door in the bottom of it that Hara immediately pushed her way through, causing the squeak, before she made several excited yips and ran to Souta. He paused to pet her before continuing to the door and the little animal raced off to disappear into another room.

He pulled open the door and offered a small attempt at a smile as he saw Sakaki. "Looks like you rested up, that's good." he remarked, stepping aside and motioning for her to come inside. He motioned to a small mat nearby where a pair of his sandals already lay. "I just ask that you remove your shoes before coming in." he explained before leading the rest of the way inside. The house wasn't small by any means. The entryway was a small square with a step up to the hardwood floor that extended through the rest of the house, and revealed a fairly large living room. Souta would lead the way through the small room and past a low table before entering the kitchen. The kitchen itself was rather large with just about everyone one could need. To one side was a food prep area, and to the other was a large dining room table, with a high table in the middle. Souta motioned to a stool in front of the high table while he moved to the other side. "I assume Hara didn't cause too much trouble? She was pretty sleepy herself, staying up so late and stuck in the pouch I carried the entire time."

As he spoke, Souta began to reveal just what kind of surprise he had for Sakaki. On the high table, the kitchen island, he laid out rice paper first to keep the space clean for prep-work. From there he laid out three fairly sizeable pieces of fish, all of which were colorful in their own right. One of them was clearly salmon, and another was tuna, but as he laid out the third piece it became clear it was actually several long pieces of crab meat. The Salmon and Tuna were both raw, beautiful, and sushi-grade.

[TyDie]

Sakaki gave Souta a warm smile as he opened the door for her, and couldn't help but raise a brow as she noticed his attire was much more revealing than it usually was. Huh... I never noticed how much muscle he had under his usual clothes. Souta is a lot stronger than I thought he was... It wasn't a form of attraction or anything, but she was rather taken aback by the sudden muscle that she had never seen before from him. She gave a light bow and walked in the door, taking off her sandles where instructed before entering the man's less than humble abode. "Goodness Souta, this place is huge! How on earth can you afford such a home? It's fantastic!"

As Sakaki ooh'd and ahh'd at the man's home, she found herself being lead to a large and luxurious kitchen space, with all manner of cooking tools she had never before seen. "My goodness... Usually we just use a wok back at the orphanage, lots of stir fried veggies and meat when we can afford it. This though... I've no idea what kind of things you could cook with all this stuff." As the man prepared for whatever he was about to do, he asked about Hara, to which Sakaki gave a small chuckle. "She was a bit of a handful this afternoon when I awoke... playful little thing licked the hell out of my face and made me fall out of bed! But other than that, she was good to me."

Hara ran by as she heard her name, and Sakaki held down a hand to the creature who gave a few playful nips before taking off like a missile into another room. As Sakaki looked back to the table before her, she quickly noticed what Souta was preparing to make. She had never seen it made before, but she recognized the appearance and smell of the fish... She took in a deep breath of the aroma, her eyes fluttering as she did so. "Souta... Oh my goodness... Is that Salmon? How in the world did you manage to get your hands on all that!?"

[Willoria]

Souta didn't immediately answer Sakaki's questions, instead giving her time to admire the home as they walked through, and waiting until she noticed the fish. "If you had seen me back when I bought this home you would have seen a very different man, Sakaki." he told her, chuckling a bit. "I bought this with the help of someone I was very close to. We were planning to marry, have children, a dream. So this house reflects that, even if it never did come to fruition." He motioned to the fish however, and chuckled, despite the almost depressing tone to what he had already said. "And this, I have on hand all the time. I thought about telling you when you said your favorite food was sushi, but also thought it might be a good surprise after a hard day. And after last night, I thought this would be the best time." He shoo'd Hara away as she sniffed up towards the table and the little fox took off to another room again, disappeared for the time being, as Souta motioned for Sakaki to follow him.

"We all should have a passion to see us through the darker days, and mine is cooking. I've been cooking since I was about your age, and sushi is a particular favorite of mine but was always so hard to practice in the desert. So expensive. So I contacted a Naegi friend after I bought this house and we both came up with a unique solution." he explained, as he walked to the back of the living room and pulled open a shoji screen and stepped through. He motiond for Sakaki to enter, and waited for her reaction.

Before them was a decently sized room with a pond in the middle. But all sides of the room, and even within the pond, were plants that normally weren't seen in Suna due to its harsh climate. And within the pond were many fish of varying types and sizes, even a handful of crabs wandered the edge and settled into a sandy area towards the back. "Behind this I have a small hatchery for fish eggs and the like to mature. I have my own supply that is already large enough that when I retire I can start my own restaraunt. Not sure when I'll retire yet, I'm probably not far from those days, but until then this is a hobby that helps me keep my sanity, no matter what my mission may be."

[TyDie]

Sakaki was super excited for the idea of having fish with Souta, now that she knew the man somehow had access to such exquisite cuisine. She could practically taste is already... but that taste quickly turned bittersweet as Souta revealed the truth of his home, and all of the extravagance that came with it. This home... was meant for more than just him. "Oh... I had no idea..." She felt terrible for bringing it up now, but his tone seemed even and calm, so he didn't seem to be upset about the conversation. She would refrain from an apology... She found that could hurt worse when the person wasn't displaying pain already.

Plus, she hardly had the time to speak before she was lead to the man's greenhouse set up, complete with various plants that one rarely saw in the desert and a pond complete with various forms of fish and crab. It was a beautiful sight, and the story that accompanied it was even more incredible. His 'hobby' as he called it was the most beautiful place Sakaki had ever seen in the village. In contrast to the sand and sparse foliage found throughout wind country, this little greenhouse had lush green grass, fine sand for the crabs to shuffle through, seaweed for sushi wraps... in short, to Sakaki it was heaven. Her eyes were all aglow with her fascination.

"Souta... This is amazing! You call this a hobby? I'd say this feels more like a calling!" Sakaki giggled as she walked through the small housed in pond, getting close enough to the water to see the fish within and giggling as a crab scuttled away from her in shock. "What I wouldn't give to have something like this..." Sakaki thought to herself for a moment before realizing that Souta was right; she needed a hobby. Already she had realized that this world, the world of shinobi, was harsh and unforgiving. It would put her through things she never imagined herself to experience, as was made clear by Shishire's existence. She needed an escape like this, something she could do to take her mind off of the mission.

"...When I get my own place, you're gonna have to point me in the direction of your Naegi friend. But for now, let's see if your fishery tastes as good as it looks!"

[Willoria]

Souta could have explained more about his plans for the home, about the life he had almost had with Hotaru. But he had glossed over it on purpose, if only to keep himself from reacting to it. It had been years, but to him the pain often still hurt as if it all happened yesterday. He was happy to see though the way his 'hobby' caused the girl to light up. He had a hunch this was just the break she needed from the complications her life had become, and he was overjoyed to see he was right. Of course, all that could be seen on the surface was the fact that he smirked slightly. "In the mean time, you're welcome here any time." he told her, as she spoke of wanting something similar in her own place. He lead the way back out of the room, sliding the door closed behind them to make sure Hara didn't get into it, and moved back into the kitchen.

"Now as you can guess from all the fish.. my favorite thing to make is sushi. It isn't just food, but some say it is art as well." he told her as he got out a very sharp knife and began cutting the fish into long slices. He made quick work of it, moving on to a bamboo mat and getting out seaweed he had already prepared and dried, making salmon rolls and crab rolls. By time he was done, he was laying out Tuna and Salmon Sushi, salmon rolls, tuna rolls, crab rolls, and even something he had prepared before Sakaki arrived. It looked like a complete mess, but were large mushrooms stuffed with crabmeat, rice, and deep fried before being drizzled in a slightly spicy sauce.

He sat at the table with her and chuckled at the look on the girl's face. "In my opinion a shinobi's best tool is what they do at home. We live a life exposing ourselves to horrors, we need something at home that calms us. For me that is food, I love to prepare it. The results are predictable, usually, and sometimes even looks good." He pointed to the messy stuffed mushrooms. "And sometimes it's chaos no matter what, but when the dish is jokingly named 'monkey brain' I can hardly expect much more."

[TyDie]

Sakaki gave him a warm smile as they walked back into his home, nodding happily as he stated she could come by any time. "I'll definitely have to take you up on that Souta... But isn't all this stuff expensive? I mean... I don't want to be a burden to you." Don't forget child, this man has killed one of my previous hosts before. Do not get too comfortable with him, lest you forget... Sakaki turned her head to the side and mouthed a curse, rolling her eyes at the voice in her head. Of course Shishire chose now to remind her of that fact. Perhaps... If she knew more...

She tried to hide that thought for now, instead choosing to focus on the fantastic presentation of the sushi before her. He moved with skill and grace, carefully slicing long strips of the fish and forming rolls like a master chef... which he probably was, come to think of it, given his age and how long he had been preparing food like this. The deep fried mushroom seemed... less appetizing than the other stuff, but she would at least have to try it. After all, if it was half as good as the rest of the food Souta prepared, she'd love it just as much.

As he spoke, he explained to her the same thing that she had just thought to herself a few moments ago. "I was just thinking that myself Souta. I don't really have anything like that... I think I should fix that. But before any of that..." A sly grin crossed her face as she reached for a pair of chopsticks set on the table, grabbing them gracefully before slowly inching towards one of the salmon rolls. He hadn't said it was time to eat of course, but a part of her was curious to see if he'd let her or stop her.

[Willoria]

"Stuff is just stuff, Sakaki. There are far more important things in the world." Souta realized he was starting to wax poetic once in awhile and he himself cringed at it mentally. When he thought he noticed discomfort from Sakaki, he just assumed it was for the same reason as his own cringe and pressed on. Once the table was set he saw Sakaki reach immediately for chopsticks to get some of the salmon rolls and he simply chuckled. He made no move to stop her, and instead moved to the kitchen again, returning with hot tea for the both of them. He served them both before sitting down himself and taking a pair of chopsticks to get some of the tuna sushi.

"If you like, I can teach you some of what I know in the kitchen." he told her. "Honestly I was thinking of offering lessons to the others at Miss Miami's as well. She has her hands full, and it would be a good skill for more than just a hobby, but perhaps help the others who aren't shinobi to find a place in the world." He was speaking idly now, sharing thoughts he hadn't really fully considered yet. All of it signs of a side effect he hadn't expected at all. When he had chosen to take a more hands on approach with Sakaki than he had with the last host, he hadn't anticipated a desire to connect with the other children in the orphanage. Yet as age began to cling to the man, he found the loneliness he had experienced since Hotaru's death had only grown, and after talking to Miss Miami just the day prior he had begun to wonder if helping around the orphanage would be a way to alleviate it.

[TyDie]

Sakaki lit up with joy as she popped the first piece of salmon into her mouth and squealed with delight as the flavor covered her tongue. She practically melted as the various ingredients tantalized her taste buds, eyes aflutter as she slowly chewed and swallowed the food, savoring every moment. "This... This must be what it feels like to join Her Light, Souta. This is better than any other Sushi I've had. I feel bad for those other sushi restaurants in the village when you open up yours, all their business is gonna flock here." She went to reach for another roll, this one made with Tuna, but she stopped as Souta mentioned the possibility of teaching not only her, but the other children from the orphanage, on how to make such cuisine themselves.

"I think that's an amazing idea Souta! Honestly, we don't get very many visitors like that... A lesson in cooking would light up some of those kid's days. Plus, everyone should know how to cook at least something for themselves to eat, and some of them may even make careers out of it!" She took another bite, reaching for that Tuna roll she had been eyeing... And then, right before popping it in her mouth, she blurted out an earlier though with no warning at all. "So Souta, why did you have to kill a Jinchuuriki?" The question was so sudden, even Shishire made a sound of shock.

Ooh, how fascinating! Putting him on the spot like that, making him squirm... Color me impressed, child!

[Willoria]

Souta himself had just taken a piece of the stuffed mushroom when Sakaki suddenly asked her question. He coughed, hard, nearly choking on the food before he grabbed a napkin from the table and spit it out. His throat and lips burned from the act, as well as the sauce on it, before he cleaned up and looked at Sakaki for a moment. Part of him wanted to get angry, leaning back in his chair a moment before pushing his plate back, his appetite lost at the mention of the particularly bitter memory. "Because she was gone." he said, his tone rather flat as he thought how best to explain it to the girl. "You ask the question as if it's casual, or maybe you think it is no big deal for me." he added, sighing as he stared down at his hands a moment. "I didn't tell you about that because I was callous or unfeeling about it. I told you so that you might understand the risks."

He sighed, reaching up a hand to run through his hair a moment before pushing his chair back and standing, looking down at Sakaki almost mournfully. "Her name was Henrin Sachiko, and she had an older sister that, rumor has it, is well on her way to becoming our next Kazekage. Growing up she was always jealous of her sister's successes. When she was offered power, she took it without hesitation, and the first challenge she faced, like the night you had last night, she failed. She lost control of Shishire entirely and he took her for himself. When I was forced to kill her, there was nothing left of her, she was gone. Husked." He pointed at Sakaki a moment, though in truth he was point at Shishire. "I may have killed her body, but that thing in you killed her soul, destroyed her, and he will constantly try to do the same to you."

He stepped away from the table for a moment, standing in the doorway between the kitchen and living room with his back to Sakaki as he composed himself. "There is only one memory I have that is worse than that night... but when I was a guardian for Sachiko I did as I was told and I never let her see me. She had herself to guide her, and I was harshly instructed to guard and watch only. I received the same instructions about you, but I refused to follow them. I thought maybe she needed someone at her side, not at her back, and certainly not in the shadows. So I'm trying something different with you, and already you've surpassed her." He stepped away and left Sakaki alone in the kitchen to sit in the living room by himself for a few moments.

[TyDie]

Sakaki didn't really understand how awkward she made the situation until Souta recovered from choking on the monkey brain, and explained just how dark and depressing of a memory it was for him. She had been lead by Shishire to believe that it was just part of his job, that he was callous to it... but no amount of Shishire's manipulation could hide that pain from her eyes. She didn't dare to interrupt as Souta explained everything to her; About Sachiko, about Shishire husking her and destroying her soul, and about how much that memory haunted him. When he finally finished, explaining that his approach this time was different and he was already happy with the results, he left her alone in the kitchen for a few moments.

A part of her wanted to cry, as she felt terrible for making him relive that. But she knew that wouldn't fix anything... Do not let him twist you child. I took that girl because she was weak, she could never hope to harness my true potential. It is the way of life; the weak die, and the strong survive. You have proven yourself far superior to her... Sakaki did hear the words of the genma, but she had no mind to speak to it right now... Shishire was known for it's deception, of that she was certain, but now she couldn't tell who was manipulating who in this triangle. All she knew was that she had to make it up to Souta.

After a few moments, Sakaki rose from her chair and moved towards the living room, finding Souta seated at a couch deep in thought. "Souta... I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to prod like that, but I admit that I had my reasons. You see, I wanted to know how the other host failed, and why she had to be killed. I'm scared, Souta... I don't want to end up like that. I have to learn from other's mistakes, so that i don't make them myself... Just as you did. After all, you said it yourself; this approach you're taking to being my guardian is far more successful already. You learned from the past, and I must do the same..."

Truth be told, her words were thick with Shishire's influence; turning a negative into a positive, explaining her reasons for crossing lines away as if the ends justified the means. But at the same time, tears welled in her eyes; proof enough that she felt genuinely bad for upsetting him. "I... don't want my inappropriate question to ruin the rest of the day. Please... Come teach me to make sushi?" She gestured to the kitchen, then moved closer to Souta and reached out to grab his hand, pulling him gently as if a child trying to show their parent something. "Come on..."

[Willoria]

Souta was a man who buried his emotion, as both samurai and shinobi he knew he had to maintain a certain demeanor. But killing Sachiko, a thirteen year old girl, had brought up all that old pain of Hotaru dying in his arms. Even just thinking about it could lay the man low, it had taken everything he had to maintain composure in that kitchen. By time Sakaki came to him, he was leaning forward in his seat on the couch with his elbows on his knees and forehead resting in his hands as he stared down at the floor. As she approached she might have noticed a couple of damp spots on the floor, or the slight sniffle before he cleared his throat and sat up. His gaze was not sorrow, but it was numb, closing it all away already as he looked to the girl. He could almost hear Shishire in her voice and sighed to himself, but also knew it was inevitable. The two needed to work together in the end after all.

He hardly had the heart to respond as she spoke to him, but then she reached out to him and took his hand and for a moment he simply stared at it. Her hand was so small compared to his, so soft compared to his, a perfect portrayal of innocence contrasted with a life of violence. But after a moment he sighed and gave her hand a light squeeze and he stood. "There's nothing to forgive." he told her. "I would have needed to explain eventually, I knew it might eat away at you." he admitted, standing and following her back to the kitchen.

"I actually have another gift for you though first." he told her as they got back to the prep area, and he moved into the back of the kitchen where a large, but flat, black box sat with a dark purple bow on it. "I'm glad you slept in so long, or I wouldn't have had this ready." he told her, taking it over to a clean counter and setting it down to motion Sakaki over to it. "Someone once told me a Kunoichi must hold her to a different standard than a Shinobi. They are violent, but also grace and beauty in one. I saw your new clothes and frankly those are going to get torn up in this kind of life, but I happen to know someone who can create something that is a perfect balance of grace, and a hard life. This may survive a little better."

[TyDie]

Sakaki was filled with delight as Souta came out of his sad stupor, caused by her, and stood to follow her to the kitchen. She still felt really bad about the situation; that look in his eyes was one of absolute pain. If it was up to her, she'd never see that look in his eyes again. As they were about to go to the kitchen, Souta surprised her with another gift... A rather large box, complete with a bow on top. Her face lit up with excitement in response as she rushed to the box. "By the Light, Souta! You didn't have to get me anything like this... But what is it!?" She tried to act grown up and adult, being polite and stating it wasn't necessary, but the kid in her was as excited as could be. As an orphan, she didn't often receive gifts unless it was a holiday.

She'd immediately open the box as Souta spoke about Kunoichi needing to be graceful and deadly all at once, and her eyes went wide as she removed from the box a gorgeous looking Kimono. Upon closer inspection as she felt the fabric, it wasn't made of silk like hers, but rather a sort of polyester that was tougher and harder to rip. It was also slightly modified to make combat easier by having two slits along the sides leading up to the hips, allowing more freedom of movement. For the sake of concealment, a pair of black shorts were included as well. It looked almost exactly like hers, ribbon for tying it shut and all, but it was much sturdier and would survive wear and tear. But most notably, if it ever was destroyed, the materials needed to mend it would be a lot cheaper. This meant it'd be easier to replace as well.

Sakaki was delighted, as she had been so careful up until now making sure that her current attire didn't rip or get damaged. After all, she spent over two years worth of saving for the outfit! "This is gonna be so much better for mission wear! Thank you Souta, this is wonderful!" Without even thinking, she dropped the clothing back into the box... and lunged towards Souta for a hug, aiming to wrap her arms tightly around his stomach and squeeze.

[Willoria]

As the girl lunged to him for a hug, she probably saw and heard something from Souta that she had never seen before. He both smiled and laughed. He returned the hug with one of his arms, the other touching the counter as if to steady himself. He had never seen someone so happy to receive clothes before, at least this kind of happy. He could still remember the way Hotaru practically lit up when he picked something out for her she liked, as well as her shock, but this was different. The life and raising of the girl before him had left moments like these so very rare they were truly non-existent.

"You're welcome." he told her, still smiling. "I'm glad you like it. I wasn't sure if my memory would serve me well describing it to the seamstress I know, but it seems she knew exactly what dress I was describing and how to make something just like it that might survive better." He was glad to see how much she liked it. He knew girls could be finicky about clothes and not appreciate some kind of replacement. But clearly to Sakaki this seemed to be the best kind of gift.

[TyDie]

She would hold him for quite a long time, burying her face in his chest as she made clear her glee in regards to her gift. Meanwhile, a loud, obvious sigh rang out through her head as Shishire voiced his annoyance. Yes, yes, the man bought you clothing that is inferior to your own. I don't see the appeal. Sakaki started to feel dumb for liking something that Shishire didn't like... but then it dawned on her that just because they needed to work together didn't mean they had to agree on everything. Listen, you don't have to like it. I grew up poor Shishire, in an orphanage my whole life. Forgive me for not being able to afford all of the finest clothing, but this outfit looks incredible, and it'll last far better out in the elements than this Kimono will. I'm a shinobi, Shishire. This Kimono wouldn't last a week out on mission. That one will. So please, just... let me have this, okay?

The genma in her mind scoffed and clicked it's tongue, a clear sign that it was upset... But it didn't have the time to argue over such a trivial matter. ... Do as you will, child. It was the only response she received before the genma went silent once more... and finally she realized she was still holding Souta. In a flash she pushed off of him, blushing profusely as the hug had gone on way longer than she meant. "Oh gosh, i'm sorry! I got, uh, interrupted." She pointed to her head, attempting to gesture to the voice of Shishire.

As she walked back to the kitchen with Souta, leaving the box of clothes in the living room, she took his hand once more if he'd let her and practically skip into the kitchen with him. It was then that she realized something, something she had to tell Souta. "Souta... I just want you to know that I trust you. I understand what your duties are, that one day if things go wrong... well, I don't want to dwell on it. But if it happens, I understand. I'd rather..." She looked to the side for a moment, taking in a deep breath as small tears formed, but they were not tears of sadness. "I'd rather you do it then someone else."

[Willoria]

"It's alright, nothing to apologize for, kid." he told her, nodding as she seemed to almost come to herself in his arms. He laughed a bit at her blush, turning to follow her when she suddenly turned to speak again. What she said next felt like someone had just hit him in the chest with a sledgehammer. For a moment he simply blinked, staring at her as he fought the sudden swirl of emotions that fought for a place within him. He felt like he was fighting for control though in truth his face was an indiscernible mask. "I would never do it if you had a chance, Sakaki." he finally managed to say, attempting a smile though it never reached his eyes. "Just promise me you'll never give up, too many have died in my arms, if we can help it, you won't be another."

It was a somber silence that followed as he stepped over to her and reached out a hand to touch the side of her face, a hand on her cheek, as he leaned down and kissed her on the top of her head briefly before stepping into the kitchen. "Let's start with the prep. I know it's the boring part, but it is possibly the most important part." He began his lesson on making sushi in such a way that to an outside viewer it might have seemed he moved seamlessly from one moment to the next, but likely Sakaki would know better.

[TyDie]

Souta tried his hardest to hide it, betraying nothing in the face or in his body language to suggest his shock and sadness in regards to Sakaki's statement... But she felt it. Whether it was her own empathy or Shishire's influence causing her to notice things she never used to notice, she knew deep down the idea of having to kill her hurt him as much as it hurt her... perhaps even more than it hurt her. If I have it my way Souta... You'll never have to do that. In the back of Sakaki's mind, Shishire laughed, but did not speak a word... Just that snake-like, hissing laughter that she had grown to hate.

As they made it to the kitchen, Sakaki was ready to make her first sushi roll with his help, but she wasn't ready for the sudden kiss he placed on her forehead. Her blush from before came back even stronger now, but still she smiled and even giggled slightly in response. And then in the back of her mind she wondered... Was this what it was like to have family? Maybe one day she would know that feeling, and could compare it to how she felt in this moment... But for now, she would take what she could get, and put on her determined, serious face as she prepared to take in all the instruction Souta had to give her. She would make the best damn Sushi roll ever!

... Just, maybe not on the first try. Or the second... Or...