Steal the Sky

[Trurouno]

The sun was growing low after a cloudy day. Looking up, Hisao could feel how cold the day was starting to get and sighed slightly as he took another bite of an apple. Grey walls stared up at him from the residential side of town, perfect stone seeming to reflect back what little light left there was. The red of the heavy sun tried to paint Iwa a different shade but even that ended up repetitive when every wall reflected it. Instead Hisao tried to find variety in the pile of books sat next to him, but even those were just different shades of brown leather. Perhaps the only variety there was in quality, the ones at the top being the most faded as Hisao remained reluctant to place such old books anywhere near the ground. The newer books weren't so lucky, they could have done with a bit more colour. Hisao bit into what could have been the only exception on that side of town, the green apple. With how hungry he was he doubted the village would be blessed by its little touch of variety for much longer.

The boy thought back on the browns and green of where he had grown up, they seemed so far away from the repetitive stone. For all of Iwa’s strengths Hisao couldn’t help but think back on all the beauty of the forest. There was a tender simplicity to it all, enough to know that every little thing struggled for life and was beautiful because of it. Falling back with another sigh Hisao looked up at the red sky and for a moment actually thought it was rather beautiful. All the way up there he wondered just how Iwa looked, whether it appeared just as unattainable. Still, with a little smile he thought back on the meeting a couple of days before. "Unattainable huh?" he mused. Glancing to his side Hisao took a glance over the books he had taken out from the library this time. No missing people records, no bingo books, these were light relief in comparison. All these books where stories, from historical records to the most fable of fables, but they all had important similarities. Hisao was having a look at his predecessors, at heroes. He had promised to become one himself, he had to know what to live up to, or perhaps reading was missing the whole point? Still, the dream seemed far enough anyway, he didn't mind making it a little harder. It would always be an unattainable dream, just like stealing the colours of the sky.

Hisao let out another sigh, but without even realizing it his tired mood was replaced with a smile. Taking a bite of the apple he pulled himself up and craned his body to reach for the pile of books. Running a finger across the pile of leather spines he read each of the titles in turn. "Issue 8, Okuni-Nushi and the God of Thunder" Hisao read aloud, "sounds appropriately passionate." The book was one of the older with what appeared to be an old painting etched into the cover, but even with so many clues Hisao couldn’t guess which character was Okuni-Nushi and which was the God of Thunder. The etching was unsurprisingly in rather bad condition, especially the faces. With another bite the boy forced a finger against the book, attempting to dislodge it from the pile before he felt the tower shake. The whole pile of leather rocked as Hisao watched it carefully. "Ahh" the boy mumbled, "damn." With Hisao still watching the book promptly found a way to slip from the top of the pile and throw itself to whatever fate awaited down below. Hisao watched carefully. Within a second the book was already out of reach, he wasn't quite sure what he could do. Normally it wouldn't be a problem, he would just have to pick it up and dust it off. This time he was five stories up and the book was already busy sailing past the windows of whatever unsuspecting resident lived below. He couldn't help but think he needed to find a better reading spot, but that still didn't stop him from taking another bite of the apple.

[Amy]

The red night sky was beautiful. It painted everything in its own hue and the calmness of the night was purely delicious. She didn't have anywhere she was going so she wasn't walking with much purpose. Her hands were huddled in the pockets of her vest and her hood shielded her face from the cold wind that blew through the streets. Whatever heat had been brought on by the sun had quickly fled and she made a lovely little cloud in the sky with every breath she took. She stopped and closed her eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath and enjoying the mild pain that was induced by the frigid but refreshing air surrounding her.

Like any other person wandering around Iwa so close to dark, she had something on her mind that kept her from going home to sleep. Her parents had been lecturing her a lot about where she was going where she had been. She was growing up and needed to start planning for her future, and the same things over and over again. Thanks to them her brain was turning over a thousand things and while she was calm she knew that there was no rest for her in the nearest of futures. So what better way to work through one's problems than to take a walk in the brisk dusk air of Iwa.

She looked around herself suddenly, taking in her surroundings, and realized for a moment that she might actually be lost. In the shadows of the night she couldn't recognize where she was and for one moment her heart beat with the excitement that came from an adventure. Two hurried steps later and she knew where she was again. She had merely wandered back into the residential area of town, the side opposite she normally frequented. Shrugging, she continued on her way and was surprised to say the least when she saw another girl ahead of her. She was tall, but small with long hair though color was indistinguishable in the red of the night. She was about to cross the street, uninterested in having a conversation with a stranger when her ears caught something in the still night air when she was nearing ten feet away from the other girl.

A soft voice and a flutter from above, Aimi didn't bother to look. Her ears had pinpointed the noise and her eyes had pinpointed the girl and they matched up too perfectly. Without a word, she dashed forward and pushed against the girl, pulling her out of the way of the book as it his the ground with a loud thud. The momentum of grabbing the other girl was too much for Aimi to displace and rather than slamming a stranger into the wall she took the hit herself, knocking the air out of her lungs when her back hit the brick wall.

"Sorry," she said breathlessly, releasing the other girl. "I didn't want that book to hit you. Speaking of which, when did it start raining literature? You okay?"

[Trurouno]

The book sailed through the air as Hisao glanced away, pulling himself to his feet as he sighed loudly. Brown leather became soaked with the red of the sun before dirt was thrown across the cover and the Storm God’s beard became a few shades darker. It seemed like a lot of work to jump down the building only to treck back up, a real shame when Hisao was trying to focus on his mind instead of body. A few seconds and he heard a soft thump, probably just the leather backed book finally hitting the ground. He casually took a bite of his apple before quickly realizing there was something off. It was the second thump that really bugged him. Looking down he caught sight of the two girls laying on top of each other, his book only a couple of feet away. At a slight loss for words he found himself replaying the whole scene in his head. Five stories up he couldn't see a thing but he could at least understand he was the one at fault. That was bad. He was meant to be cool and calculating, a proper hero. He didn't want to build up a bad reputation, if he had learnt anything from those books it was that the heroes were never the ones that made the mistakes. They were the ones that took advantage of them and came out on top, they were the perfect ones.

Slowly looking back towards the pile of books Hisao felt the gears in his mind begin to turn and a few plans come to mind. He could kick the whole pile off, see what sort of reaction that would get and hope for the best. . . or he could just leave. . . Hisao glanced back at the edge of the rooftop, the one barrier between him and the two. He couldn't see them and they couldn't see him. They could all just remain as strangers, all blissfully unaware of each other. A nice happy ending, except for the bill he would have to shoulder from the library. He couldn't afford that, it would burn a hole in his pocket for the next month. Hisao's calculating mind was falling short and his pride was the only thing maintaining the more cowardly ideas. But it was then that one of the girl's voices floated up from between the buildings. Hisao felt every muscle clench, his pride had no footing when it came to that girl.

Carefully edging forwards he glanced over the edge of the rooftop as he caught sight of the blur of brown hair. Turning on his heels Hisao felt the urge to run clawing at him but something held him back, he could already feel the debt. Pausing for a few seconds he eventually found himself back at the edge of the rooftop before taking another look at the pile of books. He began to replay a couple of his earlier plans and for a moment they seemed not so ridiculous. They wouldn't be hit. . . they were virtually expecting it. . . he would be the only one who would know. . . Edging a couple of paces closer to the pile Hisao gently rested his foot against the top of the tower. The stack of leather and paper tilted slightly. "Oops. . ." the boy said lazily before the whole pile tumbled forwards over the edge of the building. A little sweep of his hand and the green apple fell right after them, bright colour the only blemish on the red horizon.

Bringing a hand to his mouth Hisao coughed loudly, exercising his voice as he took a few more paces towards the edge of the building. "Oh dear" he yelled loudly, jumping from the edge of the building just as a few more of the books thumped across the ground. He landed in a second, falling to his haunches as he began to fish up the books. "I'm so terribly sorry" Hisao began, not quite sure how effective his panicked voice sounded. "I. . . I wasn't watching and they just collapsed, I hope neither of you got hurt" the boy continued, adding in a bit of pleasant sentiment with the vague hope it would sound a bit more convincing. He also very obviously avoided Aimi's gaze as he reached for each of the books lying on the floor. He didn't want to deal with anyone who had already met him right then. At least if they were like this he could get away with it being a 'mistake', then he could just feint surprise. No one would be any wiser, they could all live happily ever after and only his pride would have to suffer. "I really do apologize, I should have been more careful. . ."

[Amy]

"Tanaka, Aimi" she said shortly as she regained her breath and composer along with it. She was quiet for a moment as her brain ran a quick scan of her body, checking for injury. Once assured that she was okay she turned back to the girl with an odd look on her face. It wasn't every day she saved someone from a bad head injury only to be threatened. Perhaps it was an odd sense of humor the other girl possessed or perhaps it was just a general lack of manners. She didn't really know much about Shoshiki clan. Either way, she wasn't one to judge a complete stranger and it was likely that they would be parting ways soon anyways, likely to never see one another again. There was still the mystery of where the book had come from. Obviously, from above, but last she checked books didn't tend to fall un-aided from the sky. Blowing her cheeks out in thought, she reached out for the book. She wanted to see it, see if maybe it didn't have a name in it. If someone was purposefully throwing books off of buildings, that was just plain old dangerous. She glared up at the top of the building. The darkness kept her from seeing anything but she had half a mind to climb up there to see if the perp was still there.

The book in hand she flipped it open, glancing over the back of a cover for a name and was rewarded with nothing. She moved to close the book when a thought hit her and she flipped it open again, this time to the back. Sure enough, stamped there clear as day was the name of the library she visited all the time. She had thought she recognized the title and the binding. Her fingers traced the raised edge of the title as she recalled her last visit to the library, a visit that could only be referred to as appalling. She had been avoiding the library since, not wanting to risk any further awkward encounters. It was frustrating to her, she had every right to be there as anyone else but the spectacle she had made of herself last time was just embarrassing. Sighing, she bent down and leaned the book against the building before leaning against it herself, her hands in her pockets once again. Her head tilted back, she stared up at the night sky. It was always one thing after the other and it was nice to take a moment to enjoy the night sky.

It was because of her position that she noticed the blur of movement on top of the building. Her eyebrows drew together as she stared up, trying to decipher what exactly she had seen. "Did you see...?" she asked quietly as she tried to figure out if she had seen anything at all or if it had just been the night playing tricks on her eyes. One rushed breath later and a flash of a shadow and her eyes widened. "Hey, watch out," she said quickly but with little panic in her voice. She knew the other girl wasn't in the way of the falling books but she didn't want her wandering into the path. She didn't miss the half-hearted "oops" from above and she was tormented by the fact that she was positive that she recognized the voice. The books, precious books, falling to the ground was heart breaking but the flash of green before a splatter was enough to draw a small smile from her.

When the figure dropped to the ground, Aimi's eyebrows raised and her mouth opened just slightly. She did recognize the voice. Of course it was none other than Hisao. His words were heard but she merely took them in. Her head shook slightly back and forth as she watched him gather books off of the ground. She could have helped him. It would have been nice of her to help him. But since she found out it was Hisao she was feeling less inclined to believe that what had just happened was an accident. Especially considering that he was pretty much completely ignoring her existence other than his generalized apologies. She just couldn't let him get away with that. When he reached for a book near her, she planted her foot gently but firmly on top of the cover, preventing him from lifting it.

"Yes, you really should be more careful, Hisao," she crooned, her voice soft in the increasing darkness. "You could have hurt someone." She didn't necessarily mean to be antagonizing. It seemed to just come around naturally when she was around him. Her eyes waited for his to glance up to meet hers and there was no way he would miss the amused look plastered on her face. Without removing her gaze from Hisao she spoke out to Amaya. "You didn't get hit, right? I'd hate for us to have to fill out a lot of silly paperwork..." she couldn't keep the laughter out of her voice, repeating what the other girl had said only moments ago.

[Trurouno]

Suddenly Hisao's meagre attempts at escape were faltered, one of the books was. . . stuck. Pulling a little harder he glanced up and steadily noticing the girl's foot he traced up her frame before eventually catching Aimi’s eye. She knew, she definitely knew, but something inside of Hisao somehow kept him together. Sure, he was sweating, in fact he was pretty sure he had turned bright red, but something deep inside still held onto the mistaken belief he was somehow convincing them. "Oh. . . Aimi. . ." he spluttered, voice high enough to get most of the dogs in the area barking. "Fancy meeting you here. . . ha. . . ha. . . ha. . ." he trailed off as he tried to pull the book a little harder, looking down for a second before throwing another unconvincingly positive smile Aimi's way. Every nerve in his body screamed for him to say something clever, unfortunately his tongue felt like it had wrapped itself into a knot and was trying to hang his tonsils in the process. It wasn't a good feeling and with his hunched back and fearful gaze he couldn't help but think the power balance of the situation wasn't exactly in his favour.

"Ha. . . ha. . . ha. . ." Hisao chuckled along with Aimi as she made what he could only suppose was a joke. Of course he had no idea what she was talking about, he just supposed it was probably hilarious no matter how monotone his doomed voice sounded. "Um, Aimi?" he eventually began, glancing up at the girl as he tried to pull the book a little harder. "Do you mind?" there was a small smile crossing over Hisao's face this time, it looked goofy and unnatural. If kind words had failed then he always had his masks, though thinking about it now he had never really been one to practice expressions. He envied Hoten right then, perhaps a bit of idiocy would have helped out then! In fact, teeth grinding against each other, he made every attempt to try and displace as much blame as he could. Sure, he was making a right mess off this but if he was imagine how bad the Shoshiki would have done! Yeah, he would have fallen apart like a paper mache canoe. Of course how was Hisao meant to know Hoten and Aimi were already on such good standings?

Suddenly the book was released from under the girl's foot, luckily enough this was just when Hisao was making another good attempt at hefting it out from underneath her. Naturally he was sent tumbling back in the opposite direction, stumbling and landing on one knee as he dropped a couple of the other books. "Thanks. . ." he said angrily, not really trying to hide the emotion as the fake smile broke and vanished. He didn't look back at her after that, he just focused on recollecting the books almost certain the girl was watching his every move. The last time they met she had played him like a cheap harpsichord, he had no reason to think this time would be any different. Again every cell in his body was screaming for him to run, only difference was that at this point he was very happy to comply. At the point he stood Hisao had already collected up the rest of the books and shot one more glance at Aimi. Taking a step back he felt something crack under foot. The glossy juice of the apple soaked out from its shattered core, a good metaphor for his sense.

"So. . ." he began slowly, watching Aimi carefully as he tried to hold his ground. Yes, everything was telling him to run but it had said the exact same the last time they had met. He had lost that last time and couldn't forget it. He didn't want to lose a second time. "It's been awhile hasn't it Aimi?" he began, coughing through the sentence as he tried to gloss over the embarrassment he had just made of himself. "You look. . . well. . ." he mumbled, glancing her over as he flawlessly spoke the lie. She looked just as demonic as she did the last time, only perhaps a little more grumpy. Putting on a strong front Hisao gripped the dust covered books under one arm as he tightened his fingers into a fist to stop them shaking. Calmly placing his hand behind his back he watched her, ever hesitant, completely terrified. Yes he had lost the first time but that had been for a good reason. This girl, Tanaka Aimi, she had seen through every little bit of him then, the sort of person he couldn’t relax around. Green eyes tightened as his harsh gaze glanced her over and in the shade of the cold night Hisao felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand to attention.

[Amy]

Watching Hisao squirm gave Aimi an odd and unusual sense of satisfaction. She wasn't usually so provocative but there was no denying that something about Hisao that brought out the antagonist in her. Perhaps it was an air he had about himself, perhaps it was the way she could make his cheeks brighten, or perhaps it was even the way he seemed to lose his ability to speak when he was around her. Whatever it was, it made her chest swell and her mouth turn to a smirk. Her eyes were narrowed and there was an unusually calm smile on her face when she lifted her foot off of the book with a quiet, "Whoops, silly me." She started though when as soon as she lifted her foot he fell backwards, becoming one with the sidewalk for a moment in the shadowed road. Her eyes widened and a hand covered her gaping mouth. She had officially made a mess of things.

"Hisao, I'm really sorry," she said, stepping forward quickly, knowing her apology would sound fake and that it would probably go unheeded. She wanted to reach down to help him up but she was pretty sure she had hurt his pride enough at that point. Silently cursing herself, she bent down and collected the books that remained on the ground near her, trying to figure what to say. Her parents were berating her in her head. They had always taught her to be respectful and polite, especially to other Shinobi. And here she was downright taunting the poor fellow and she was enjoying it. Sighing at herself she straightened up and gently set the several books she had gathered on top of the pile in Hisao's arms. Her own face had a warm flush to it and she stood quite awkwardly, her mood squashed down to feelings of being ashamed.

She was sure he was about to walk away from her and it would quite serve her right if he did. She would, of course, have had to chase him down to apologize so it was her own luck that for whatever reason he decided to stay in front of her, looking altogether unhappy in the shadows cast by the moon. His eyes looked clouded and guarded and for the first time that she could remember, she couldn't meet his gaze. Her tongue ran along her lips while she sucked in a deep breath, hands clasped in front of her. She couldn't have made things more awkward if she had outright tried to. When he began speaking though she couldn't help the pursing of her lips, the drawn together eyebrows, the slightly narrowed eyes. He sounded as though he thought she was a snake, ready and waiting to strike at any given moment. It was a curious thing, the relationship they were building as unsteady as it was at the moment.

"Mm, yes, it has been, hasn't it? Seems a bit like just yesterday, though, no?" The smoothness of her voice surprised even Aimi. Inside she was as nervous as Hisao looked but it seemed as though she was able to preserve her steadfast appearance. It wasn't unusual for her. She wasn't one to often show her true feelings to people who were still almost complete strangers. That wasn't the surprising part, no, it was the sharp coldness to her voice and the overall lack of seeming to care that made her seem so dismissive. It was quite curious and it only drove her eyebrows deeper together, especially when Hisao spoke again. Her head tilted to the side, her trademark move, and her eyes questioned him. He sounded honest enough but there was something about his body language that made her think he might have just been fibbing. She opened her mouth to call him out but snapped it shut, a grunt being all that escaped. If she was going to try to repair the damage done, she was going to have to stop with the smart-ass instigating comments.

Clearing her throat, she nodded, smiling graciously. "Thank you, you look well yourself." That was good, she coached herself. Nothing intimidating, instigating, or annoying about what she had said. Her head bobbed along as she checked these things off in her head but it was a sudden click that her head popped up and her eyes found Hisao's, even in the night. Her mouth opened and the question was half out of her mouth before she clamped it shut again. She didn't believe for one second that those books dropping was an accident and it was suddenly burning her up inside, wanting to know the truth. She knew though, that she wouldn't be able to keep herself from being snide so instead she choked the words down and quite painfully asked instead, "What're you doing out here so late at night anyways?" As she fought to remain impassive and try to be nice, the struggle would be clear. The unsettled feet, the beginning of a sentence quickly fought down. But, she was trying to keep from pissing him off any more than she already had. Maybe that counted for something? "Doya want me to hold some of those books for you?"

[Trurouno]

Scowl still firmly planted over his face Hisao took in each of Aimi's words with all the suspicion of a man making a contract with Satan. Sure, her words sounded nice and cushy but in a second she could turn into the heartless thing that had so much fun bullying him before. He had never liked bullies, and that wasn't going to change so easily. But unfortunately, as the words began to process in his brain and actually make sense he came to the rather shocking assumption that she was actually telling the truth. She wasn't implying anything, she wasn't even asking about the sudden downpour of books. She must have known, he was almost certain of that. She had shot him a death glare earlier that had been clearer than any words, but now?

She could have been lying, but for what? She could have been diverting his attention, but then why was she being so nervous? It was true she seemed to be choosing her words but not because she was trying to get something out of him. "I live around here" he said angrily, "is that a problem?" unfortunately his voice now sounded about as antagonistic as imaginable but glancing back at her he realised something dreadful. Against this nervous little girl he was the villain! Wasn't he meant to be the victim here? He was the one who had been forced down before and bullied after all. . . though that was originally because he wouldn't answer her question. She had been. . . poking fun. Was that really the same thing, or could he just drop it like the responsible adult he wasn't? It was happening again, his head had split itself into two factions and now they were happily at blows while he stood there quickly becoming as nervous as she looked. He had to make a choice and with a grumpy resolution he fell on one like a general on his sword.

"I was reading" he explained, indicating the books. "And don't worry, you don't need to do a thing" he confirmed, looking away from her as he angrily tried to seem at least as amiable as her smooth voice was putting on. "It's just. . . nice to. . . see. . . you weren't hurt. . ." he felt like he was choking on each of the words. He was forcing a different mood, no matter how much he hated the feeling of giving in. But sure, maybe the challenge wasn't being two faced this time but that didn't mean he was going to lose! She wasn't the only one who could be charming, he could manage it. Mind conjuring up all sorts of cheesy lines Hisao felt himself go silent for perhaps a little longer than was ever necessary. By the time he thought of something to say he was choking on the words like they were being shoved down there by a guy in a balaclava. Instead, frown still on his face he took another nervous glance at Aimi before sighing loudly.

Things were becoming quite horribly awkward but before too long Hisao just found himself saying something. "Well, I was eating as well. Though. . . if you'd like I was thinking of getting something else." The sentence sounded horrible, he didn't even get to the point. He was trying to ask her somewhere, but of course his confused mind had gone straight to food. That sounded almost too painfully predictable, but at least he was trying! "I still owe you for last time" he continued, coughing loudly to try and break the tension. "And I recently did a mission as well so can pay" he added, barely catching air before he continued on his mess of a sentence. Unfortunately at this stage the words were already out in the open, the new challenge he had made for Aimi. She would show him her appetite and he was sure to beat her in that! No, this was a challenge to be polite instead and this time he would win!

Of course there was always the possibility that all the books and stories had finally burnt out Hisao's poor mind. But, gaze still grimly set into a frown he looked to the girl for a favourable reply. The pile of books was still comfortably under one arm, though his house was only a short walks reach away and they could be dropped off easily. . . but that could create problems in itself. Sitting there in the silence Hisao's mind was suddenly thrown into a brand new problem, how to avoid Aimi seeing the broom closet. He was sure that if she saw that then he would have lost forever. In fact there was so much new commotion going on in Hisao's head that perhaps his expression softened slightly. If he had noticed then perhaps the disaster could have been averted, but now anyone might have thought he was beginning to like Aimi! Instead he was continuing to worry about books and with that the endless grudge match between the two halves of his overworked little brain carried on below the thick skull of the would be revolutionary.

[Amy]

She couldn't hold back a wince as his words cut through the night air like a sword. Allowing him time to seethe and maybe cool off just a little, she contemplated why she was so different around him than anyone else. She wasn't one to talk, one to poke fun, she wasn't even one to lead an interaction. But yet she was two for two now in royally pissing off the same boy without even meaning to. With her head still laid to the side she tried to figure out what it was about him that would constitute their interactions to be so strained. She searched herself eagerly for an answer, wiling to admit that the problem was herself, but all she really could think of was that he had the one personality that hers just battered itself against. This did not work to soothe her guilty conscious and she was momentarily relieved when Hisao spoke again, a hint that perhaps he was cooling off slightly.

"I didn't realize that you lived around here," she said before falling silent. His words poked at her and all of the things that ran through her head would only serve to make the situation worse. The sentences were filled with sarcasm and irony and it took her a lot longer than it should have to decide on the least offensive thing she could think of to say. "I mean, I can hold some of them for you if you want...I really don't mind. But yeah, I'm just fine, though you don't honestly sound all too sincere there." She couldn't help it, a chuckle blew through her lips at how forced his words were. She didn't honestly think that he had wished that she would get hurt but it was amusing how hard it was for him to say something so simple to her. She had given him a very bad impression of who she was, that was the one thing that she could decide on.

She ran a hand through her hair, making it stand on end in a few places before crossing her arms in front of her chest. Her heels clicked on the sidewalk while she tried to survive one more awkward silence between herself and Hisao. She watched him curiously while he seemed to fight with himself. He seemed to be having almost as hard of a time deciding what to say as she was having, though she had a feeling his reasons for that differed than her own. Before she could stop herself, she mumbled, "You would probably feel better if you just yelled at me like you want to. Choking down your feelings is just going to give you an ulcer." She was still shaking her head at the ridiculousness of it ll when he spoke again, causing her head to snap to attention and her eyes to widen.

He was, in some odd and distorted way, asking her to go with him to get something to eat. His awkward first sentence would have sent her into a peal of giggles had it not been followed by several more sad attempts at explaining himself and his request. It took everything in her to not drop her head into her hands and shake her head back and forth. He was trying so hard to be nice, it was probably slowing killing him inside. She wondered what he wanted her to say and that sent her mind traveling down a path similar to the one that his own head was traveling down. He clearly wasn't all that interested in her considering the display she had been putting on. But if he hadn't been interested in getting to know her better would he have asked to take her to dinner? She didn't really think that he owed her anything. She had used her food to taunt him before, that was hardly something to repay. Her face grew hard in concentration as she tried to figure out what the right answer was.

She looked up, ready to say no, thank you, but when she looked up and saw that his face had softened slightly, she couldn't bear to say no. This might be her last chance to show him she wasn't so evil and mean. "I would love to go grab something to eat, Hisao-Chan," she said, her voice almost choking on the last part of her sentence. She was trying, but she realized after she said that that it might have been a little over the top. Sighing at herself, she shook her head and tried to redeem herself. He didn't seem to be making any progress with his inward battle so she decided to make the first move, she had to. "Did you have any specific place in mind? I know of a couple places but...well, to be completely honest I got a little lost on my way here and I'm not sure I really know how to get anywhere from here." That was hard for Aimi to admit, but she was realizing that their relationship had been very uneven, with him baring his soul and her just taking it all in. She had never been the give and take type, more willing to listen to other people's problems but her relationship with Hisao was starting to show her that that didn't work with everyone...least of all with Hisao.

The toe of her shoe dug into the ground and she hesitantly stepped closer to him. She didn't know that she could ever stop teasing him, she didn't know if it was possible with the way they meshed together. But she could at least work to show him that she didn't mean any harm against him by it. It was perhaps just the way that they worked together. She smiled as sweetly as she could and stepped closer, within arms reach. "I'm ready when you are...on our way you can tell me about what you were reading?" The question in her voice was clear. She didn't know how mad he still was and how well her efforts to diffuse the situation were working and so her voice was still hesitant even as they would begin walking towards whatever restaurant he picked. "Oh, and you said you live close by? Did you want to stop an drop your books off?"

[Trurouno]

It was oddly reassuring that Aimi seemed to be going through as much a mix of feelings as he was. But despite this Hisao couldn't help but feel her coarse laughter digging deep into his mind. She had pulled him apart the last time they had met, all with that laughter. Now that she was commenting on his words all over again, happily finding flaws, he couldn't help but feel his defences rise a little bit higher. But despite this he was surprised by her sudden analysis of him, the idea that he should yell at her. Perhaps he should have been satisfied with that and happily screamed his lungs out, but he stayed quiet. It was like she was issuing another challenge, even if she didn't mean it. He was trying to be amiable as well, he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of so easily predicting his emotions. And anyway, when was the hero the one that pulled a fuss? He would stay quiet this time, he wanted to beat her at least once before so readily giving into the crazed little voice in the back of his mind.

At least Aimi seemed to be more helpful this time, happily agreeing with his offer as she so lazily added the little prefix to the back of his name. The 'chan' shocked him more than it probably should have. It felt like an arrow stabbed into the conversation, begging for recognition. He chose to politely ignore it, the option with the least landmines he decided. Still, perhaps his ignoring quickly turned to another odd form of pouting. Aimi continued on with whatever else she chose to throw into the conversation, the polite pre-amble expected of her. Hisao ripped each of the words to pieces, but to his astonishment he couldn't find a problem with them. It was suspicious. Either she was lying really well or, god forbid, she was actually trying to start a decent conversation between the two of them. She was doing a good job, definitely earning a couple of tallies for herself but when the turn came to Hisao he wasn't quite sure what to say.

She was obviously a lot more experienced in this 'art' than he was. He just wanted to continue being passive aggressive, he wasn't ready for all these niceties. "I’ll explain on the way" he replied simply, almost weakly. "I know a place and the books. . . well, I can tell you plenty about those" he added half-heartedly before moving to trudge alongside her. "And yea, I think I might" he said slowly, trying desperately to ignore her sickingly sweet smile. It seemed that, oddly, they were quite in tune with each other and although Hisao had his doubts he began to plan out a route to his house. He eventually came to the decision that it would only take him a minute to put away the books. Yes, it would be the loss of an excuse but it would allow for his undivided attention. That way he could focus a little better, she was making too much of a habit of showing him up. In the end he ended up being silent for quite a while as they wandered through the dark streets of Iwa.

The moon was still low by the time they reached the apartment structure of Hisao's home. Dirty and old it stared down at them, a mess of cracked paint and wires. He was sure wherever she lived was nice and neat, nothing like this. He started to think he had made a mistake but the books under his arm were quickly becoming a nuisance he couldn't ignore. What was more, he couldn't risk them anymore than he already had. The continued threat of debt still loomed over Hisao like a bad dream and close proximity to any soup at all was out of the question. There wasn't much conversation, Aimi's smile had failed in its job and Hisao still remained quite obviously unamused. Glancing over at her he smiled meekly, a meagre attempt to match her before turning towards the building. "Here we are" he explained, smile draining away like water from a window. Books still under one arm he made for the entrance to the building, pausing for only a second as he glanced back. "I'll only be a minute" he mumbled, sound half guttural as he slouched into the door and escaped into the building.

Throwing them down on his bed Hisao turned to make for the door before sighing loudly. He hated it so much but right then the lonely little room seemed to be the closest thing he had to an escape route. She was waiting outside, but there was no reason he couldn't just sit there and pretend she had already left. . . It would be horrible to do that, but it was honestly tempting. A mix of emotions plagued his mind but the answer was already right in front of him. He knew he had to leave and knew that if he did he would have to be as pleasant as he could. He couldn't just sit there forever and as Hisao slinked out of his room and made his way down the stairs he did his best to think of a topic of conversation. The books came to mind, she had shown interest after all. It was easier like that, less surprises, but when it came to it, face to face with Aimi all over again, all he could utter were directions to the restaurant. "Those books" he finally began after a long pause, "they were mythology you see. Nothing like the sort where I come from, a lot more structured."

Their progress was slow but Hisao did his best to try and tell Aimi about what he had learned. He told her about Izanagi, Izanami and Amaterasu. About Susano, Tsukuyomi and even O-Kuni Nushi, all the big ones, but his explanations weren't very good. In the end the topic seemed to fill time more than anything else, and that was a great improvement when he remembered the silence that had ate away at them before. The only problem was that the conversation wasn't really two sided and with the end of every sentence Hisao was expecting Aimi to chime in with some smart comment. By the time they reached the restaurant Hisao was so on edge his voice sounded like he was trying to tell the stories to a panther. He tried to be subtle about it of course but his heart was beating and his mind was hazy with worry. It was a relief to see the restaurant, but a dreadful surprise to see the long line stretching out from the entrance.

[Amy]

Walking next to Hisao was a challenge in and of itself. The silence was normal for her, needless and aimless chit chat was no concern of hers. It was the strain in the air, the tension that bit through them, the feeling of harsh electricity that passed between them was honestly exhausting and not peaceful like silence should be. The air was filled with words that they both wanted to say. She smiled to herself, imagining all of the things that Hisao probably wanted to say to her. All of the names he wanted to call her. It was a curious thing to her why he held back if she was bothering him so much. She also didn't attempt to cause conflict but she also had never found herself as bothered as Hisao was. Perhaps he thought he was hiding it well but the frown in his eyes was easily read and his body language said more than he ever could have. Despite her best attempts, she hadn't broken through the wall she had caused between them and though she wasn't ready to give up, she was wondering if it was possible to repair the damage that she had done.

The night was beautiful with the moon still climbing the sky. She focused on that as much as possible and she was almost surprised when they reached his apartment. Despite Hisao's assumptions, she didn't even take notice of the quality of the apartment. She wasn't one to put value on "things" rather, she appreciated the things that made a house into a home. A flash of hurt would cross her eyes for a mere moment, fast enough that one would question if it even happened, when Hisao left her standing outside. Once he was out of sight, she sighed loudly before dropping her face into her hands and groaning loudly. Her head was spinning in confusion and she couldn't believe the mess she had gotten into. A quiet stroll had turned into a hell of sorts and she couldn't seem to work her way out of it no matter what she did. Her smiles went unanswered and conversation seemed to be impossible. She paced back and forth for a few moments before sitting on the stoop.

Her elbows rested on her knees and her chin fell into her hands while she waited. After a few minutes her stomach dropped as she considered the fact that he might just not return. That maybe she had damaged what minuscule relationship they had so much that as revenge he was just going to abandon her there. Her resolve hardened and she knew that she would sit there as long as he left her there. Even if she had to wait all night, she would prove to him that she stood by her word. Her face grew more and more stern and she grew more and more focused on waiting him out, so much so that she jumped up into a halfway defensive position when he came back outside behind her. She stuttered for a few moments before rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. She felt her cheeks redden in embarrassment at expecting so little of him. She could only hope that he wouldn't guess why she was so flustered.

No matter how worried he was about telling her about his books, he easily drew her into the stories. She loved reading just as much as he did and he told the stories well. She felt no need to interject and only encouraged him with a quiet "mhm" when he seemed to stop and wait for her to say something. She supposed that maybe talking about something he loved and was so interested in would relax him but when they got to the restaurant, one of the more popular ones and one that she frequented often, he seemed to be more on edge than ever before, biting his every word, sounding altogether like she was doing something to antagonize him. A piece of her was relieved to see the long line but another piece dreaded it. At least inside and at a table, they could pretend to look at the menu but standing outside would only highlight the silence that threatened to surround them again.

Taking a deep breath as they got in line, she turned to him and she tried to look as sincere as possible. "Thank you for telling me about your books...I read a little bit of mythology but to be honest you tell the stories much better than the books do." As she spoke, she realized that what she said was true. When she tried to read mythology she often found herself bored and bogged down by the heavy material. Listening to Hisao though, that was easy, and she found that listening to him for no time at all had taught her more than she had ever learned from a book. She didn't tell him this though, no, that would be going too far. She left her words as is but there was something she wanted to ask him, something that she had let slip by last time. It wasn't the first time he had talked about Iwa as though he didn't belong and this time he had mentioned strongly that he came from elsewhere. She supposed that she could have guessed it based on his appearance but she wasn't one in particular to care about something like that.

As they got closer to the entrance of the restaurant, she fought with herself. He was the one who mentioned being from elsewhere so he can't have been all that shy about talking about it. But he also hadn't offered the information, save what he had told her on their last meeting. Her curiosity was hard to quench and while they were still a ten minute wait from being seated she turned to him, trying and failing to hide the hesitation in her eyes and in her tone. "Hisao? I don't really mean to pry but you have pricked my curiosity. Where do you come from and why did you come here?" It was clearly a hard question for her to ask, afraid that asking that seemingly simple thing might undo any progress that they had made. She wasn't one to tiptoe around though and if she couldn't even ask him questions she didn't know what sort of relationship they could even have.

Her fingers wrapping around each other, they finally made their way to the front of the line. One of the most popular sandwich shops in town, they were always busy. Aimi spoke up, requesting a table for two, her face blushing lightly as she realized that they probably looked like a couple. This was only secured in her mind when the waitress set their menus together on one side of the table. A slight grimace was on her face while she moved one to the opposite side of the table and sat down rather pointedly. Iced tea for herself, she allowed Hisao to order before picking up her menu. She glanced up at him periodically, listening to his story if he chose to tell it. She couldn't keep her hands away from her temples, rubbing them, trying to soothe the pounding in her head that ha been brought on by trying so hard to not be herself.

[Trurouno]

The line felt like the final death of their conversation. It was a situation where they had to talk to look normal and so of course they would fall apart at the first hurdle and almost certainly wouldn't forget it. They clearly weren't both in the best condition. Being polite to each other wasn't what either of them really wanted but this shaky agreement at least kept them within feet of each other. Hisao was still paying careful attention to the power balance between the two, one of the only things stopping him leaving since he was so clearly losing, but with that many distractions the conversation was dying a death worthy of biblical storytelling. But Aimi did thank him and more than he expected Hisao was glad. He loved the stories, their diversity and their dream like world, to him they were what the world should be and deep down he told himself Aimi wasn't lying. He was glad she had listened but perhaps that wound itself up with the embarrassment of how on edge he was before.

"Well, they are stories that are meant to be told!" Even accepting praise he sounded grumpy, but quickly realising his mistake Hisao looked back at her. "But. . . thank you." She had listened, that was at least some progress. More objectively it was a link and something that at least gave their mess of a relationship some kind of direction. He wasn't going to start delving back into the mythology after that but it did at least promise a little bit of satisfaction when this was all done. He could wait silently without it all being too awkward, without him having to suddenly start making pseudo-intelligent comments about the queue or weather. He could probably use the burned out excuse as well, they had been talking for a while after all.

Everything looked like it was going to work out fine as Hisao refocused his attention on the crowd, but then Aimi said something else. The question came as a surprise, even if it shouldn't have. Maybe it was just the situation or the social constraints Hisao expected. Maybe he expected it to sound more aggressive? It was definitely sudden but he couldn't help but feel that was only because of Aimi's real need to know. In fact when he looked back at her he wasn't offended or angry at all, not like if someone on the street had suddenly asked him. Hikai and Hoten had never asked him for his life story. They had let him tell it himself or just keep his silence, even when he had asked they had never felt a need to know. Was it weird that Aimi's question was oddly hopeful to him? Like something he could believe would really lead to an understanding on both sides.

"That’s right. I've told you I’m not from here before" he began slowly, hesitantly. "My background is complex. . ." going silent Hisao looked away for a moment as he thought over his words. There was a lot to say and a lot that didn't need to be heard but before long Hisao had made his decision. "Aimi, I came here for a reason I’ve already told you about. From a town in the north just like one of those in myths. Quiet and shut off, uneventful but close nit. I left it because I needed to find my own answers and because I felt it was something I needed to do. . . And I needed to find my mother. . ." His sentences were full of silences while he explained, some just because he didn't know what to say and others just down to hesitance. By the time they had got to the front of the line it wasn't too much of a surprise he suddenly went quiet while they were led in and sat down.

The two menus came as a bit of a surprise but Aimi seemed just as quick to react as Hisao was. He had thought about doing the same as her but when he eventually settled into place he pushed down the menu and leaned in close before speaking. "I came to Iwa because I felt I could do something here. I loved my home but I couldn't have stayed there. Maybe my mother was the perfect excuse. Maybe now more than ever she still is, but these days I have a real reason to live and keep on going." The hesitant stops were gone now, Hisao was confident with his words. It was like a soliloquy in his eyes, regardless of whoever his audience was. "If I could help I wanted to do that, if I could find my mother then that was fine as well. But now. . . I want to make a difference, that's my reason for staying."

"I don’t go to the library as much these days. I have something else now, something I need to work for." Looking away as he leaned back he thought back on the books. "Although today was an exception, that was just for recreation" he explained with maybe just a hint of a smile. "I want to make a differance" he finally explained, looking up at the ceiling as he continued to seamingly muse to himself. "Even if i'm just a pebble to the mountain."

[Amy]

She listened quietly and seriously as Hisao explained his past to her. The past could be a difficult thing to delve into and here she was asking him to recount probably a more painful or at least worrisome piece of his past. At the very least, she could sit quietly after folding her menu book down, and give him his full attention, being careful to not stare and make him nervous but also to not glance around, lest he think she had lost interest in his story. She was riveted, feeling her heart reach out to Hisao and his plight as a young man. It was never an easy thing to leave a place that was your home, no matter what the cause or reason. Knowing that it didn't take much of a move from her to get him riled up somehow, she kept her hands in her lap, neglecting to reach out for him like her heart was telling her to. Her eyes were soft though, and she carefully kept her mouth closed, knowing that any word or sound could be so easily misconstrued.

When he finished speaking she knew that there was nothing that she could say. There was no apology she could offer, condolence that she could make, or solace that she could give to him. All would either be construed as fake or condescending, neither of which she was. Rather than offer anything that could be misunderstood she chose the simplest thing to say that she could think of. "Thank you, Hisao-chan, for telling me your story." A small smile lit up her face as she tried to show her sincerity to Hisao. There had been so much confusion between the two that she was hesitant of every move she made. It seemed that she couldn't do one thing without it being taken wrong and she was yet to be decided on if that was her fault or Hisao's fault or maybe a mix. Maybe they weren't supposed to have a normal relationship were you always gave everything you had and the other person did the same. Maybe together they needed a give and take relationship, the sort of relationship where you never revealed too much too soon until you had something that belonged to the other person. And in that one regard, with that one thought, Aimi realized something. That if that was true and if that was how Hisao was seeing things as well, then she had done all of the taking and none of the giving. And that put them at huge odds.

A miserable look crossed over her face while he was looking at the ceiling. She had to find a way to fix this. While she debated on how to do so, their order was taken and their menus put away, leaving her with no buffer as she attempted to patch their relationship. She started off more hesitant that she ever had before. Never one to fill the silences, never one to talk about herself, it wasn't an easy step for her to take and that would be clear if one chose to look into her eyes. She hoped that she didn't seem abrupt and she hoped that he saw what she was doing. "You know, Hisao-chan," she said, the suffix coming easier now. "Both of my parents are ninjas. They've been so ever since long before I was born. They never really planned to have kids as they both enjoyed what the did. Then I came along," she smiled softly. She didn't mind telling her story too much to Hisao. She doubted he could judge her any more than she was currently judging herself.

"Once I was a few months old, my mom started taking missions up again, leaving me with various sitters and family. I saw them very rarely and even now, they're out and about. I don't resent them, I guess. The hardest part was growing up feeling pitied. Everyone around me assumed that I was a poor, neglected child that wasn't loved by her parents. People just...assumed, without even asking me. I was so proud of my parents, growing up. Or, who knows, maybe that's just what I told myself. But, there's no sense in crying about something that isn't going to change, you know?" She finished her strange and sudden speech with a shrug, thankful to see food being brought to them, hoping that it would once again provide a buffer between the two Shinobi.

[Trurouno]

His heart was on a platter and Aimi gracefully accepted it. Her thanks was the greatest reply she ever could have given and with a soft, uncharacteristic smile Hisao let his dreams get the better of him. "Well, maybe this is another story that is meant to be told?" he mused aloud, glancing down at Aimi quick enough to catch her hesitance. The sudden shift caught him by surprise, the noticeable change in her demeanour was unexpected and quite frankly odd. He was used to her poking fun and yet, here they were, being shockingly honest to each other. In fact her shy smile seemed so forced that Hisao couldn't help but doubt it. For a moment he questioned whether her words had really been sincere or whether they were another attempt at this seemingly forced kindness. He quickly dismissed the idea and chose to think better of her. Aimi's problem didn't appear to be that she was unsure what to say anymore, more that she was obsessing over something. If Hisao couldn't even see something like that which he was so used to himself then he had no right to ever analyse people.

Aimi's struggle forced Hisao to his proverbial knees. He watched and waited and when she finally began to speak came to attention with a jolt as he listened carefully. He didn't know what she was going to say, but her view of the power balance was very different to his own. To him the admittance of something was a defeat, not a victory. She had thought she was losing but in his eyes she had long since won. He had been the one who had given in and offered his heart and dreams whether she accept them or not. Perhaps that was why her own story was so touching to him, because she never needed to tell it. He hadn't asked her, he hadn't expected a thing, all he had expected right then was something to eat. Instead, her story dug deep and told him something very special about her: Past all their mind games and endless spiral of competition she was just as human as he was. She was just as much trying to make a mark on the world. Something inside him listened carefully, but it took a while before he realised it was the dream he held onto so strongly.

She spoke of the past, the present and the future. What she felt, what she dreamed for and how people had looked at her through all those years. Just words, but each one touched Hisao deeply. He understood everything she told him, found similarities and differences along the way with the core emotions that made the two of them human. Aimi looked to him for acceptance and with the slightest pause Hisao looked back with a smile. "All too well. My father was just the same, he never told me a thing about my mother. The townspeople looked at me the way people looked at you. They didn't know who she was either but to them it seemed to matter so much more. Even the rest of my family. . ." Pausing for a moment Hisao looked at her carefully. "But, action defines a character not tears, and I was always proud of my family as well, even if I knew nothing about them."

A silence swept over the table for a moment as the dull thud of the plates was placed down in front of them. Hisao didn't have much of an appetite anymore, even if he did he knew he wouldn't taste much. There was a question on his tongue, a dream that begged to be shared. He had spoken this whole time about their 'generation' but had never seen Aimi that way. It had always just been a competition between the two of them, or at least that was how he saw it. Now that was all swept away as he spoke. "Aimi, I need your help with something. . . I still really hope I can make a difference and I was hoping that you'd join me. . .”

[Amy]

OOC: Sorry for the absence...;-; I think I should be all set but you'll have to excuse the slow post while I get back in the swing of this



Absentmindedly, Aimi picked at her dinner, eating lightly but steadily, knowing better than to let a good meal go to waste. She knew that later she would strain herself, trying to figure out how they had made such leaps and bounds, as sporadic as they were, to end up in this place. Not the physical place, a restaurant seemed the perfect fitting for the duo. It was the mental and emotional place that was boggling to Aimi. Bearing their souls and accepting each other for who they were, who they had been, and who they were striving to be. Shaking her head just enough for her hair to sway lightly around her face, she could hardly wrap her head around the situation.

Hisao's words jumbled around in her head, arranging and rearranging as she tried to make sense of them. Join him? Make a difference? What had she started in his mind that would make him extend such an offer. She had been sure that after today he would never want to see her again, not after all of the trouble she had caused him. And yet, here he was extending some sort of an offer, one that she didn't quite understand yet. She let a long silence hang after his words as she tried to make sense of them, tried to figure out the best course of response. To sound overly eager or overly uninterested would lead to equally disastrous endings. They were finally seeming to find a middle ground. Unstable and rocky, granted, but a middle ground nonetheless.

Her tongue running over her lips quickly and deftly, she pulled one leg onto the chair with her, her hands holding her ankle, the position a comfortable one for the young girl. She was about to speak but first, she went back to studying the boy in front of her. He was a curious thing, this boy. There were not even words to describe what he appeared to her as. The corners of her mouth uplifted just enough to show that she was interested, she had to question what Hisao was leading towards. "My help?" she questioned, and she would be chaste to admit that she hadn't quite been able to keep the shock out of her tone. "I'm not really sure how to respond to that, at least not without a bit more information, perhaps...?" The inclination was clear. Her interest was piqued and she was mildly willing, but she needed something more to go on and that is what she waited for across the table from Hisao.