[Graded]A Shiny Distraction

[Kabu]

Having finally been let out of the hospital after several months there was a lot that Eiko had to do. The house had been left unattended for the past several months and so most of the food had to be thrown out and the entire place was in desperate need of cleaning. As such she found herself currently in the shopping district, for food and cleaning supplies along with a few other necessities. Luckily from being laid up she still had most of her living expenses though she would need to get an extra job or beg Hayate for an allowance sometime in the near future. She couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh at the thought. No, she couldn't go to Hayate for money, he was far too busy for such trivial matters. Well, for the time being at least she would be okay so there wasn't really much of a need to worry about it at the moment.

Breaking out of her thoughts she heard the sounds of a crowd gathered around a nearby shop, her gaze turning towards that direction and her head tilting to the side as she attempted to make out just what it was they were talking about. "That's right.. there's a silver shop around here. I've never really been inside though. Maybe just this once.." she muttered to herself. She didn't really have the money to spare but surely.. looking never hurt. Yeah, she would just look.. nothing wrong with that.

With that in mind she pushed her way through the crowd as best she could, putting away her cane so that it wouldn't get seperated from her in the hustle and bustle. Once she finally got through she let out a deep breath and got her cane back out just in case she would need it before heading further in and beginning to look around, making sure to be as careful as possible, allowing herself a small smile as she did. This really wasn't so bad once in a while.

[Willoria]

There had been a decent crowd gathered around the shop for the better part of the day, due largely because of the owner's return. The shop had been closed for over six months and while it had happened again a couple months ago, the windows had still been dark much of the time as the owner wasn't too fond of visitors. It had taken time for Ishiguro Souma to get things moving again, it had taken time to get his inventory back and a great deal of labor from him. But when he'd first fully opened his doors he had found interest in his shop sorely lacking, and that just wouldn't do. Not only because of his need for money to live, but because the man had reopened the doors that he might begin to live despite his family tragedy several months ago, the loss of his young wife.

And so like many merchants, Souma decided to bring something new to the table. He had learned a new trade some time ago but hadn't had time to implement it into the shop before his wife's death, yet now he was. As Eiko walked into the shop she would feel a blast of hot air on her face, the shop was more than a little warm but no one seemed to mind. They were all gathered around a counter at the far end, a counter that had raised glass in front of it to keep the crowd separate from something going on behind it, and behind that glass was Souma. The man's hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, a few strands of hair hanging in his face as sweat decorated his brow, and the man didn't have his normal shirt on. It had been discarded and was hanging on the wall behind him, his suspenders dangling at his sides and his entire upper torso decorated in sweat. Yet the sweat-covered shirtless man wasn't even what everyone was watching, it was his work. As he faced the crowd his eyes were cast downward, focused on a bar in his hands with a ball of molten glass on the end. He was blowing into the pipe a moment before he smiled as the molten glass expanded and he stuck it again into an oven to his right. As he withdrew it he slowly dabbed it into a metal container of beads of glass, many different colors, until the molten glass was flecked with it. When he withdrew it he rolled it slowly across the top of a metal table, watching as the colors molded into what he was making. This was not manipulation with chakra, this was nothing like that clan in Iwa or what they did, this was in fact a very old world of doing this, this was glass-blowing.

He was smiling, enjoying both the heat and movement of his work as people looked on in surprise and fascination. On shelves on either side of his display where he worked there were glass vases of many colors for sale, even cups and pitchers. There were even a few small figurines, animals and, most noticeably, an entire row of dragons. Behind Souma there was a larger figurine, among others, on a shelf but one stood out. It was a girl who looked like a silver dragon as well. The colors were vibrant and beautiful, and if Eiko looked close enough she might recognize the figurine's inspiration, her friend Ishiguro Misaki.

ExampleShow

Just an example video of similar to what he's doing. Many things in the video are on a larger scale:
[flash]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM9pmmrKXKA[/flash]

[Kabu]

At first Eiko wasn't sure why the shop felt so warm, also confused as she felt a blast of hot air on her face, not that she really minded either way but she did wonder where it was coming from. It didn't take long to find the answer though, if she had been paying attention earlier she would have noticed a man at work on the far end of the shop and the crowd watching him work. Honestly, she wasn't entirely sure how she had missed that at first but now that it had come to her attention she found herself strangely entranced, almost absentmindedly pushing her way into the crowd around the counter, her eyes growing wide at the sight awaiting her once she made it through.

The man himself was quite a sight, she easily recognized him as an Ishiguro but the surprise came in the fact that for a member of such a frail clan he was surprisingly well muscled and fit, the sweat highlighting the bit of muscle that he had.. and she had to admit that he had a fairly handsome face as well. She wasn't here for ogling though, at least not for the moment and her attention was soon enough drawn to his work as with the rest of the crowd. This was certainly something that she had never seen before and it fascinated her, so very much. Even more impressive than the act itself though were the works surrounding him, notably the figurines. She recognized a few animals, dragons.. and then she found herself drawn to one figurine in particular. It was a dragon girl, one that looked very familiar. It definitely looked like one of her friends.. She tilted her head as she focused on it, her face soon lighting up in realization. It was Misaki, she knew it was. She knew no other dragon girls but more than that, there was no mistaking those features. "It's so amazing.." she muttered, staring down the figurine for a while longer before finally tearing her gaze away and back towards the man at work, he certainly seemed to enjoy his work.

Eventually she found herself unable to resist very lightly clapping, just once. She was genuinely impressed with the quality of his work and on top of that.. well, she found herself fascinated by the very art itself. Although, she had to admit that the man doing the work wasn't all that bad himself.

[Willoria]

As the man continued his work it was as if the world all around him disappeared, and it was moments like this that he cherished in his work. As he worked the molten glass the heat of the oven felt more like the hands of his wife as she hugged him, resting bare hands on his chest and her forehead against his back. A smile as the scene flooded his mind came across his features and for a moment that lingering sadness in his eyes was gone. It was a fleeting moment, but it was enough. He turned the pole upwards and rest his finished piece on the table, yanking a pair of metal scissors of sorts to cut it away from the pole and set them aside. He took a smaller metal rod and worked quickly to round off the top and complete it all. Once done it was a clear glass vase that flared out in ripples at the top and flecks of many colors all over. It was a beautiful piece like many others. As he stepped back and grinned at his audience many clapped and spoke their praise of the work.

Souma grabbed a cloth from nearby and dabbed his forehead before moving out from behind his work and grabbing his shirt, pulling it on and buttoning it loosely as he walked over to where his register was. He stood behind it and motioned for people to get in line. Some clutched in their hands sets of silverware or cups, or glass items for sale through the shop. Many turned to leave as his show for now as done and Souma waited on customers now instead of blowing more glass.

Many thanked him as he took their money, paying for whatever precious items were clutched in their fingers. Many of which he put into boxes or bags after wrapping them carefully. Business was going well for the man clearly though the smile he bore now didn't seem to truly reach his eyes, the greatest clue to the reason being the woman's wedding band he wore on a necklace around his neck. As the line dwindled, and the crowd, Souma's eyes turned to Eiko. Though he had been absorbed in his work the man was known for still noticing the crowds who watched. He was always watching for new people, and Eiko was certainly that.

"Enjoying your first time in the shop?" he asked kindly. "Seems my newest trade draws quite a crowd... and many new faces..."

[Kabu]

It took Eiko a moment to realize that she had been spoken to, her attention almost entirely focused on a single thing, the art in front of her. Eventually she blinked, Souma's voice finally registering with her and a slight blush rising to her cheeks as she realized that she had been distracted. She really needed to learn to pay attention to her surroundings. "Ah, yes. It's a wonderful place, and with such wonderful works of art it's not hard to see why a crowd would be drawn." she responded, her lips turning up into a small smile as she got a good look at him. Now that she could see it in full she saw that he definitely did have a handsome face, though it wasn't hard to see that something about his smile didn't feel entirely.. real, and she had an idea of why based on the ring on the necklace around his neck, though as for specifics she didn't really want to think about it.

"I really do love your art, it all just has such wonderful qualities." she honestly spoke, motioning to everything around them, though her attention was eventually drawn once more towards the dragon girl figurine. It was possible that it was just because it was based off of her friend but something about it captured her attention more than anything else had, it was just so detailed and lifelike. "I especially love this dragon girl figurine. It's just so beautiful and lifelike." she admitted, giving voice to her thoughts. Part of her wondered if maybe she was simply being a bother but for now at least she wanted to talk, as part of her wanted to hang around for a bit. It had after all been a long time since she had made any male friends and honestly.. right now that was part of what was driving her.

[Willoria]

Souma turned to look at the figurine as she spoke of it and she couldn't help a wry smile as he walked over to it a moment, reaching out to stroke one of the wings before letting a hand rest on the counter. His hands were scarred and rough, and rather filthy from the work of the day. He turned to look at Eiko as his eyes seemed to sparkle with a mischievous thought. "That's because she's alive." he said, watching her reaction a moment to see if his little misleading remark worked. Often people thought he was referring to the figurine itself when he said such things. But after a moment he'd continue to explain what he really meant. "What I mean is, she's my little sister." he added. "You see, my little sister loves dragons so much she did something most of the family, and my clan, thought was crazy. She had herself changed and became what she loved most. It makes her one of the most unique people in this village. When I first started doing this she asked me to make the figurine for her. After I did she told me to hang on to it, to keep it in the shop so I could hear her voice whenever I wished." He was leaving part of the story out, turning to look at it again as he thought it all over. Fact was, he finished it days before his wife died, and it was after she died that his sister told him to keep it. She had pestered the hell out of him, pulled him out of a vary dark place, and the words she said to do so were exactly the words she wanted him to hear every time he did. And it seemed to work.

He turned to look at Eiko again and his smile returned. "I am Ishiguro Souma, by the way." he mentioned. "Did you come in looking for something in particular or just to see what was here?" he asked, turning and walking behind the counter again as he looked through some of the shelves from a distance, contemplating what items he'd need to make to replace what just sold to the crowd.

[Kabu]

Eiko tilted her head to the side, raising a brow at Souma's intentionally misleading remark. Admittedly before he clarified she could have sworn she felt a shiver crawl up her spine as she momentarily thought back to a story that she had read about statues come to life at times. As such with the clarification that came she couldn't help letting out a sigh of relief. She should have known better but.. events from her books seemed to have a tendency to actually happen so she wasn't about to doubt that it could happen again. The truth however was absolutely wonderful though, not everybody would be willing to make a figurine of their own little sister.

"I'm Fuyuki Eiko." she said, returning his greeting, the implications of what he had said not having settled in just yet. "I actually just came in to look around while doing some shopping.." she explained, trailing off as a switch flipped in her brain. "Ehhhh?! Misaki is your sister? She never told me that she had a brother." she spoke suddenly, obviously shocked as she made the connection. There was only one dragon girl in this village so there wasn't really anyone else that it could be, plus the details matched to a T. It was certainly a shock but at the same time she found herself pleased by this meeting.

"I'm sorry for that. I was just surprised. You see, I actually met her a while ago while I was in the hospital and she helped to pull me out of a funk and we became friends. I just didn't know taht she had a brother." she explained as she relaxed, the sudden shock settling down. "Again, I'm really sorry for shouting like that. And, it's nice to meet you."

[Willoria]

Souma couldn't help an outright laugh at Eiko's momentary outburst, only snickering as she tried to apologize for it and he waved it off, even reaching out and tapping her lightly on a cheek with two fingers. "Oh don't worry about it." he replied. "Misaki is pretty... self involved, at times. She still stops and stares at a mirror for a good ten minutes every time she sees one. Her siblings probably don't come up much in conversation. But she actually has two older brothers." he replied as he walked over to the statue of his little sister and reached up to touch a wing.

"I do everything I can to protect, Misaki, I think she hates talking about me though." he added, cutting himself off before he said why. He felt the girl was ashamed to be his sister but not because of anything he had done. He was certain she was ashamed that while he had protected her all his life, she had never been able to protect him from his own tragedies.

He turned to look at Eiko again and smirked as his mind came back to business. "So anything in particular you like here?" he asked, "Or just more interested in the show?" he added with a wink. Souma wasn't typically the type to flirt, but he knew people came to watch him work the glass more often than not anymore. It had been awkward at first, it had taken time for him to realize people were watching the glass rather than him. For a time he had thought they were watching him, and he had felt that old embarrassment climbing up the back of his neck from his genin days, the days when he had worked so hard to try and be like others. He had wanted back then to be the strongest he could be despite his clan limitations. He had since come to embrace those limitations as strengths but in moments like this that old idea came crawling back.

"If you don't mind me asking, why were you in the hospital? Anything I can help with?" The apple didn't fall far from the tree after all. His little sister and he had many similarities in the ways they tried to help others.

[Kabu]

Eiko couldn't help but chuckle as Souma spoke about his sister, a smile coming to her face as she remembered when she had met the woman. Somehow she could picture it, especially with how proud Misaki seemed to be of her own transformation.

As he asked if she saw anything that she liked, she had to fight back a blush, mostly succeeding though a slight red tint still came to her cheeks as she remembered the way she had stared at him at first. "Well, I didn't get to look at much but there are a few things that... captured my interest. Admittedly, I didn't even notice the show at first as I had been a bit distracted." she responded to his questions, leaving her answer vague as she was too embarrassed to admit that even once she had made her way over she had very briefly checked him out, and then done so again just a moment ago. At this point she had actually nearly forgotten that she had only come in to take a quick look around since she couldn't just pass it by once her attention had been grabbed.

As Souma asked about what it was that she had been in the hospital for she hesitated a moment. She didn't really mind sharing, especially since he seemed to be willing to help, but she just wasn't entirely sure how to talk about it. After a moment's debate she let out a deep breath. "Well, a lot of stuff happened and eventually the stress just piled up and one day I collapsed." she began, pausing a moment to gather her next few thoughts. Hopefully this next part wouldn't be too difficult to say. "My mom.. had a bad heart and so do I. I don't really know many specifics though, I've been too nervous to really ask." she finally spoke, purposely leaving one thing unsaid. It was the one thing that she still had yet to come to terms with herself, plus there wasn't really much use in bringing it up, or at least that was how she felt.

Still she couldn't help but let out a quiet sigh. "They're letting me go home but I'm honestly nervous. In addition to my condition my sight is nearly gone and I don't know if I can handle all the lifestyle changes. It's just, it feels like too much is happening at once."

[Willoria]

Souma's brow furrowed as she spoke but he didn't say anything for a good awhile, allowing Eiko to fully explain things. After a few moments he walked over to her, rather close to her, before reaching up and tucking two fingers under her chin to angle her face up that he might get a better look at her eyes. "I see..." he muttered before taking a step back. He picked up a cloth from a nearby table and tossed it into a bin of dirty ones as his mind seemed to work. "I think my sister actually mentioned your case to me..." he added, though he left out the other part running through his mind.

He knew she was Hayate's adopted daughter, and for a moment his body language turned cold as his back was to her, the man taking a moment to compose himself. His wife had died in the civil war of Kumo, what many where calling Hayate's war. He had worked hard to separate her death from that, to not see his own Raikage as the blame for his love's death. But it was hard.

A moment later the cold was gone and Souma turned around with a half a smile on his face as he looked at Eiko again. "Maybe I can help you relearn things when you lose your sight." he mentioned. "I'm not bad at a few things myself, even managed to work my way through some decent taijutsu." he added, tapping a pair of blades on the wall, his own swords.

Suddenly he turned and walked behind a counter, crouching down behind it as he could be heard shuffling through various bits of glass, the tell-tale clinking echoing through the room. "You know, getting out of the hospital usually means gifts from others!" he called from where he looked around for something in particular.

[Kabu]

Eiko tilted her head to the side as Souma's body language momentarily turned cold, wondering what could have been running through his mind. Somehow some part of her felt that it had something to do with Hayate, her own father. If Misaki had mentioned her case to him then she had likely also brought up her parentage, and from the mixed opinions of her father and the war he had caused running through the village she couldn't really blame him for such a reaction, even if she had no idea of the actual specifics behind it.

Nonetheless she was more than a little pleased when he more or less went back to normal. It had been a little unnerving seeing someone act that way right in front of her. "It would be nice to have a bit of help to learn how to do things again. So yes, I would love to have your help when the time comes." she responded to him, giving him a small smile. This man certainly would know a thing or two about overcoming limitations based on his physique, as she knew that Ishiguro were typically frail and not exactly the greatest at straight up physical combat.She had to wonder though just how much effort it had taken him to reach this point, though either way, the mere fact that he had wanted to surpass his clan's limitations was impressive, not to mention the fact that he had actually done it.

While she was in thought she didn't notice him move behidnd a counter, that is until he called out. "A gift? I.. I appreciate it, but you really don't have to." She was obviously flustered, not used to really receiving gifts, though she was in fact pleased, very much so. It was just a little embarrassing was all.

Even though her embarrassment though she did have to wonder what it was that he was looking for. She didn't voice her curiosity though, realizing that she would get her answer soon enough. What would that answer be though?

[Willoria]

"Pfft." Souma made a sound from behind the counter that made it clear he wasn't going to just not give her a gift at this point. Instead he called out in response, "Now close your eyes." When his head popped up above the counter he'd wait until her eyes were closed before he came out from behind it. He'd walk over to her and take one of her hands in his and set something small in her hands. "Now open."

When Eiko looked in her hands she'd see a small statue. It was a silver goblet and in it was a small baby dragon. His head peaked above it and his tail hung out of the goblet and curled back up again, the eyes were rather large and looking up at her adorably. The entire thing seemed to be made of glass and the dragon itself was a little red. "Now you have a dragon of your very own." Souma said almost happily as he grinned down at the girl before him.

Souma's life had been full of disappointment and pain as of late, but moments like this were where he found actual happiness for himself. He loved to make others smile, if it was the only way he could help his village and make others feel secure, he'd do it. Of course before long he'd not only be in the shop, he'd be out on missions again, but for now he'd found this was a wonderful way to both make others happy, and to ease his own pain.

[Kabu]

Eiko was still a bit flustered but still she did as she was told and closed her eyes, admittedly excited to see what he was about to give her, though she would never actually admit to that, mostly as it was embarrassing. After a few moments she felt something being placed in her hands, her face lighting up at the sight awaiting her once she opened her eyes again. "It... It's amazing. Thank you so much." she spoke as she looked down at the statue in her hands, a little red dragon sitting inside of a silver goblet. The way it looked up at her with it's large eyes was adorable and really just looking at it helped to put her mind at ease.

Looking back up at Souma she couldn't help but to give him a bright smile, perhaps one of the few genuine smiles that she had actually given in what felt like a really long time. It was just a small thing but still she found herself strangely happy right now. It was honestly a bit of a strange feeling, for what felt like ages now she had been wavering between uncertaintanty and straight up fear but after all that, this wasn't such a bad feeling.

"It's strange... I'm still scared but suddenly I feel a lot better." she quietly said, putting voice to her thoughts, though who knew if it would go heard. Moments like this were rare nowadays but it was much better than feeling sorry for herself.

[Willoria]

Souma grinned as he watched Eiko admire the work. He didn't tell her that it had been one of his first creations, something he couldn't bring himself to sell. But somehow he felt like all the hard work he'd put into it, all of his nervousness as he had fought against the clock of cooling glass, he felt like that was exactly what she needed right now. "Good." he told her simply as she spoke of feeling better, and the man reached out a hand to rest on her shoulder and giving it a light squeeze as his eyes drifted up to a clock on the wall.

The clock itself stood out from the rest, it wasn't glass or silver like everything else in his shop. It was made of simple wood, yet there was clearly a sentimental value tied to the item otherwise the man would have replaced it as his own talents grew. "Well it's actually time for me to close up." he mentioned as he stepped around Eiko to the window and turned around the sign that had proclaimed the shop 'open', so that it now said 'closed'. He looked at Eiko and motioned towards the door. "How about I walk you home?" he asked. "Fresh out of the hospital and all, I think my sister would have my head if I let you walk home alone."

[Kabu]

To say the least Eiko was a bit surprised at Souma's offer to take her home, though it was only a moment before she gave him a light nod. '"I'll take you up on that. I think that she would have both our heads if I were to refuse." she responded, unable to help a light chuckle as she turned to lead the way out of the shop, the little statue clasped tightly in her arms. The sun was just beginning to set over the mountains as they stepped outside, the horizon and streets being bathed in the reddish orange twilight. It was an absolutely beautiful sight, and for now at least it was a wonderful sight, one of many that she would have to make sure to engrave in her memory before it was too late. Though suddenly another thought came to mind. "I think that I'm forgetting something though.. I just can't remember what it is." she muttered to herself as she led the way down the street, occasionally making use of her cane or Souma's arm to avoid obstacles that she couldn't really see all too well.

Well, whatever it was, it probably wasn't that important. she thought to herself, wondering what it was that she had forgotten. She had a feeling that it actually had been important but well, for now she would simply enjoy this moment. It was strange really, she had been feeling absolutely miserable until a short while ago but when it really came down to it her friends' efforts to cheer her up had really worked and while she still felt nervous about what was waiting for her, at the same time she felt like she could take on the world.

"I have the greatest friends in the world." she spoke, looking up at Souma and added, though under her breath for it to go unheard. "And now one more to add to that list."

[Willoria]

Souma grinned as she took him up on his offer, though as usual that smile didn't quite reach his eyes, almost maintaining a smoldering sadness within. He walked outside just after her and locked up the shop behind him before offering her his arm and leading the way. He reached back and pulled the strand of ribbon holding his hair back and let it fall to his shoulders, sighing to himself as they moved. As Eiko mentioned forgetting something he couldn't help a light chuckle. "Well if it's important, you'll remember it eventually." he told her.

He heard her initial remark about having great friends and for a moment the smile was genuine, even as he reached across himself with his free hand and ruffled her hair a bit. "So tell me, Eiko." he began. "What was your focus before you started losing your sight? What kind of jutsu do you prefer?" he asked, genuinely curious as to what kind of lessons she may need coming up as she lost her sight and he knew he would fight to keep his word to his wife. He would help all he could, and protect as many as possible, starting with people like Eiko.

[Kabu]

"My focus from before? It's been a while but, I focused on Taijutsu primarily, I'm a hand to hand fighter, don't really use any weapons except for a pair of tonfa and I only really use Ninjutsu for support; traps, protection, stuff like that. Though I've been thinking that it might not hurt to add a bit of offense into my roster, just in case." she answered Souma's question, her head slightly tilting to the side as it all came back to her. She was sure that she was rusty by now, not having trained once while she had been laid up. It was more than a little nerve wracking to think about how much work it would really take for her to get back up to par, especially once her sight was gone. It definitely wasn't going to be something achieved right away, it would take a period of consistent practice before she even really got to the point where she could start practicing her techniques again. With that said though, she was definitely happy that Souma was willing to help her out, there was no way that she would be able to get back up to full power by herself.

[Willoria]

Souma listened as Eiko told him about her past work, and what her focus areas had been. He wasn't all that surprise, it was as much as he would have guessed about the girl though he didn't say as much. After she'd finished speaking he had remained in silence for a few moments before finally speaking aloud to the girl. "Well maybe we should start training you again, starting tomorrow." he told her, turning to look down at the girl.

Worry lined the corners of his eyes, a sign he was trying to hide it for the most part but as with many human emotions, it couldn't be erased entirely. "I know you're worried about your sight, but that just means we need to train your muscle memory, and maybe once that's done start working on reaching out with your chakra. I've heard such things are possible... maybe we should see what you can work out in time. While your sight goes, your body might be able to guide us to the answer to all of this."

[Kabu]

Eiko couldn't help but blink in surprise at Souma's suggestion that they start her training back up tomorrow, the thought of starting so soon having not once crossed her mind. It made sense though, considering her circumstances it was probably best to start as soon as possible. "Starting tomorrow is good with me. I'm a bit nervous after having been laid up for so long, but I'm also pretty excited to start training again as soon as possible." she responded, looking up at him, seeming to study his face for the briefest of moments. It was hard to miss the apparent worry that the man had, especially with the way he was trying to hide it, though it was for that same reason that she chose to act as she hadn't seen it.

She couldn'thelp but furrow her brow as he spoke once more, silently nodding once he had finished, taking a moment to process it before speaking. " I've heard of people being able to reach out with their chakra too.. but it seems ridiculously difficult." she spoke, falling silent again as she thought about her next words. "Though, before the most important thing is to get my body moving properly again. Hopefully it still remembers how to move at least a little otherwise there's a lot of pain ahead." she continued, though the last part was mostly her thinking out loud, though she hadn't quite realized that much.

While she had been speaking though, she had realized one thing, that in hindsight she probably should have realized earlier. "This is going to be so much more difficult than I thought it initially may be, though I'm willing to put up with it. I had been offered the chance of a quiet, early retirement but I chose to fight. I know it may not seem like it, but this is the life for me."

[Willoria]

Souma was listening as Eiko spoke, or at least he was mostly listening. As they walked he became increasingly aware of someone following them, or something at least. He sighed to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to force himself to focus on listening to Eiko and looked at her as he heard her last statements. "It's good to be a fighter, sounds like you're stubborn. That'll serve you well in training." he said, pausing a moment as he stopped even walking before looking behind them.

"You gonna catch up or what, Manami?" he called out, sighing as he waited for her.

The young snow leopard came out from behind some boxes and padded quietly over to the pair, sitting down in front of Souma and looking up at him as if waiting for something. The animal didn't move until Souma knelt down and scratched behind an ear and the young leopard leaned into it. "This is Manami, Eiko. I hope she doesn't startle you, she's just a cub." he told her as he scratched the animal. "She's a bit insistent on keeping me company sometimes. I can't tell if she hates being alone or if she hates it when I'm alone, yet."

[Kabu]

Eiko was admittedly a bit confused when Souma suddenly stopped, seeming to call out to someone or something, more likely a someone. Apparently they were being followed, and she hadn't noticed at all despite the work she had been putting in to pay more attention to her surroundings. Obviously she needed more practice in that area as well. Oh well it was just one more thing to add to her training regimen.

She was even more surprised at the sudden appearance of the snow leapord that emerged from behind some nearby boxes. The little creature was just so cute, it took everything that the young woman had not to squeal out in awe of the adorable creature. For a moment she didn't dare speak or move, instead simply watching the interaction between pet and master. The young creature looked a bit timid but it seemed as if Souma had her complete trust. She had to imagine that it was somehow related to whatever event had brought them together, though she wasn't about to ask. "She's adorable." she said simply, kneeling down and looking towards the creature. "It really looks like she doesn't enjoy being apart from you for any period of time., I can tell that you two seem to already have a really strong bond.. " she said, pausing as another thought clearly pushed itself to the front of her mind and she very hesitantly held out her hand. "May I...?" she asked, biting her bottom lip. She wanted to pet the young leapord but she also didn't want to startle her.. Hopefully it would be okay but if not then she would understand.

[Willoria]

Souma grinned as Eiko asked about petting the animal and he simply nodded. "She's always within ten feet of me... whether I want her there or not." he informed her as he reached over and took her hand, guiding to just in front of Manami. "I found her on a mission, I was sent to track down some poachers. They had already gotten to her family, but her mother must have hidden her in the chaos." he was telling her even as the leopard looked up at him before turning her blue eyes on Eiko.

Manami sniffed the outstretched hand before carefully nudging underneath it, so that Eiko's hand touched the top of the leopard cub's head. Souma let go of Eiko's hand to let her pet the animal herself.

"It was sad honestly, I could hear her cries in the brush. Since her family was gone, I brought her home. She's been with me ever since." He watched with a small smile as the two interacted, though he kept a hand on Manami's back and gently pet her for moments at a time, letting the animal know he was still right there.

[Kabu]

Eiko couldn't help the small smile that made it's way to her face as Manami nudged her hand and allowed her to pet her, though it faded just a little at the story Souma told of their meeting. "That's horrible, I hope that you were at least able to punish the people responsible." she said, looking over towards Souma a moment before turning her full attention back to the leapord, moving to scratch her behind an ear. It was a story that got to her every time, as she couldn't know what it was like to lose your entire family at once like that since she had never had one.

Despite, or perhaps because of that though she could at least empathize with what it was like to be alone and to have someone rescue in your most desperate moments, even if it wasn't entirely the same. "I'm glad that you were there to help her out." she spoke again, seeming to fall into thought for a moment. "That explains why she's so desperate to stick close to you. Maybe she sees you as something like a savior, or a parent maybe." she added, smiling again as she continued petting Manami's head. "I hope that we can become friends." she whispered to the cub, not entirely sure if she could understand her, though it was fine either way. Regardless, it was something that she was going to work towards.

[Willoria]

Souma shrugged as he watched the interactions between Eiko and Manami. "Well, I did deal with them... they're lucky I found her after I found them, and not before. Otherwise it would have gone much worse for them." he replied as he turned and reached out a hand to pet the leopard down the back. Manami responded by turning towards him, practically climbing into his lap as the man began to laugh. "Silly girl." he muttered as he stood up with a sigh.

Manami perched herself with her hind legs in his arms, her paws on his shoulder as she looked over him and at all the people around them as he started walking again. "She loves to do this, to just watch people." he explained to Eiko, grinning once more. "She's quite curious, though also heavier than she looks."

[Kabu]

Eiko couldn't help but laugh at the way that Manami had perched herself on Souma, her smile back in full force as she attempted to hold back her giggling, which was made just a little bit easier as they had started walking again. She had to admit that it was really cute how the cub was looking around at their surroundings, a keen eye on the people that they passed, though with the way that Souma was carrying her she couldn't help a light jab. "You say that she's heavy but look at you carrying her with such ease, you big strong man." she said, her lips turning up into a slight smirk. Really she couldn't help but keep being impressed with his physique and physical abilities, even despite the inherent limitations that came with his clan. She couldn't even begin to imagine the amount of work and years of dedication that it must have taken and would still take even now.

[Willoria]

Souma was keeping his right arm up and against his abdomen for Manami to perch on, her backside sitting perfectly on his arm with her tail trailing down and out as it twitched back and forth. Her front paws were on his shoulder as the young snow leopard looked around eagerly, even panting with her tongue out from time to time, a sign the young cub was truly excited to be able to see everything and everyone around her. As Eiko spoke, Souma simply grinned and looked down at her, not wanting to admit the cub was a bit heavier than she looked.

He looked around as they came slowly out of the market district and more towards the ho mes. "We almost to where you live?" he asked, suddenly turning and lifting Manami from himself and setting her on the ground. The animal looked a little put off at losing her perch but she shook herself and took up a position walking beside the man as if it had all been part of the plan.

Souma himself was a little nervous, knowing they were probably stopping at Hayate's home. He tried to separate what had happened to his wife and Hayate's rumored hand in it, but often it was hard to do so. The man was still grieving in many ways.

[Kabu]

"We're getting pretty close, and don't worry about dad. He's been busy so for the time being at least I'm living by myself." she answered to Souma's question, not entirely sure why she added the last bit, though as she said it she couldn't help the hint of bitterness that came into her tone, a bitterness coming from a sense of loneliness that she never really expressed but rather kept buried. Since Hayate had gone straight to becoming Raikage after coming home the house had been neglected this entire time, and at that she suddenly stopped, it being like a switch had flipped in her mind. She had just remembered what it was that she was supposed to do earlier, and now she was beginning to wonder how she could have possibly forgotten.

"I was supposed to go shopping!" she suddenly shouted with the house just mere feet away. "Oh well, I guess that I'll have to do it some other time." she muttered, letting out a quiet sigh as she turned towards Souma. "Hehe, I just remembered that I was supposed to go shopping for food and cleaning supplies since the house hasn't really been lived in for a while." she spoke, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.

It really was embarrassing, and now it was too late to do anything about it, all the shops were closed or beginning to close. "Hey Souma.. tomorrow before we begin our training... could you.. help me with my shopping? Please?" she asked, looking towards him again and giving him the most pleading look that she could muster, though she had to wonder if maybe it would look a little weird given her eyes' current state.

[Willoria]

Souma smirked lightly as they came to the door and Eiko spoke up about her father not being there. He watched her face as she said it, heard her tones, and he simply reached over and rest a hand on her shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. All of his troubles, all the villages troubles, caused by the man but Souma was certain that all paled in comparison to the girl. He didn't react much to her comments about going shopping, his mind far away as he thought things over. Though he looked at her as she addressed him directly again and he simply nodded. "I can do that." he assured her.

But he leaned against the doorway and looked at the girl before him, a line of worry on his expression. "Eiko. Has he spent any time with you since getting back?" he asked quietly. It wasn't curiosity, if anything he didn't want to discuss the man at all. But something was eating at her, and he simply couldn't ignore that. He had promised his late wife that he would help anyone he could, even in this.

[Kabu]

Eiko frowned at Souma's sudden question, quietly shaking her head and taking a moment to figure out how exactly to say it before answering, having been more or less ignoring the issue herself as she had tried to hide how she was feeling. "No, not outside of business at least. He didn't even bother checking up on me when he got back." she spoke, letting out a quiet sigh and leaning back against the wall as she looked up towards the sky, the moon having risen and several stars beginning to shine. Hayate being more or less absent was really weighing on her more than she really wanted to admit, and it had only gotten worse now that he had come home. Though she had to wonder if she was really doing a good job of hiding it all. After all, it seemed that so far everyone she had met had been able to read her like a book so maybe there wasn't much point in trying to hide it.

"Honestly, I'm not even sure of my own feelings on the matter. I've been ignoring it so I don't really know how to feel, other than lonely." she spoke again, letting out another, slightly relieved sigh. She was actually beginning to feel a little better talking about it, though it wasn't much. Just the knowledge that she didn't have to ignore her feelings was good enough for now but eventually she would need to actually do something about it, she knew that.

[Willoria]

There were a lot of things Souma himself was feeling in that moment, but as Eiko spoke he knew that she was probably one of the greatest casualties in Hayate's war. Would the man ever be able to repair the relationship with his adopted daughter? So far he clearly hadn't even tried and so Souma thought that perhaps Hayate knew that. The man likely wasn't ready to even try, and knowing that when he did try it would likely fail probably wasn't helping that feeling at all. Watching Eiko was opening Souma's eyes to a lot of things and in the back of his mind he made a note to find a way to put all his personal feelings aside, even about his own wife, to speak to Hayate about this matter one day. But in the meantime...

Souma stepped closer and reached over to take Eiko by the shoulder, gently pulling her to him to rest her head against his chest. One hand behind her shoulders, the other against the back of her head as he leaned down and rested his head against hers, at first without even speaking, hoping she understood just what he was trying to do. "Well between my sister and I, you're not alone." he told her quietly. He reached out and pushed the door open before scooping the nearly blind girl up in his arms and carry her in almost bridal style. "It's getting late, let's get you into bed. I'll stay until you fall asleep." he assured her quietly.

It was a small thing, to sit with someone until they slept. But just perhaps that would be a step in the right direction for the young woman, or so Souma hoped. He may not know her, may even have his own reasons to despise her father, but his wife had always spoken of helping people like Eiko, and he would do so.