Giving Life a Purpose (IO)(NK)

Before they left for the restaurant, Murata left to go wash herself off from the day's worth of training. Ban felt a little embarrassed that she didn't notice her discomfort from the sweat. Murata arrived out of the showers with damp hair and carrying her armor in her hand. Her freshly cleaned body shone with her pale skin and dark tattoos. The slight change was strangely beautiful to Ban, she didn't understand why yet. 

They got to the sailor's restaurant and went to pay for both their food before Murata put down her own ryo to pay for her end. She was confused, she suggested the restaurant, why is she paying for the food? Ban then saw the discomfort of her paying for Mur's food on her face. Ban didn't object when Murata put down her own ryo saying that they had the same job. She also said was confused about why Ban wanted to pay. "Oh, sorry, I thought since I suggested the restaurant that I would pay." She felt kinda embarrassed about not knowing social cues. "I guess I've never been on a date before..." She quickly realized what she said. "I mean, like with a friend date." Goddammit, Ban. She thought to herself. 

Shortly after they got their food, Ban was able to compose herself a bit more to finally explain herself. "Murata. I don't how to say this well but...I think I like it." Her face flushed and she rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "That's why I've been so...weird." Her deep calm voice returned. "And I've never really had a 'friend' before." She put her hands up in air quotations. She waited quietly and anxiously for Murata's response to her confession. 

WC: 288
TWC: 1709

It takes Murata a few moments to comprehend what Ban is saying through the confusing mixed messages.

"I see."

Murata plays nervously with her food, suddenly very intent on looking at her dish and nowhere else. She pushes a shrimp under the surface of the curry sauce with her chopsticks and then allows it to bob back up. Her immediate thought is to respond with a chiding rejection, to allow her quills to draw blood from Ban's outstretched hand. Murata barely knows her, and Ban knows precious little about Murata. This instinct is tempered by her ethical obligation to have patience, as well as the suspicion that Ban does not really understand what she wants, either. She is not suggesting something that neither of them are ready for simply by admitting affection or attraction.

Ban is handsome, of course. What else is she to Murata? Somebody who she is afraid to disappoint? Ban doesn't seem to have realized that, in a small but important way, Murata had already rejected her at the training facility.

She lifts the shrimp to her mouth. It's delicious.

"I would like to get to know you better," Murata says, forcing her eyes back towards Ban's, trying her best at a reassuring smile. Allowing Ban to get to know her better, of course, may be a different matter altogether. Why does her ability to be vulnerable ebb and wane so? It wasn't this hard before. She searches for something to give in response to Ban's offering, something that doesn't make her want to hide so badly.

"I did, once. In a way. Her name was Kurumi." Murata refers to Ban's statement that she has never had a 'friend'. The name brings sad fondness to Murata's expression, breaking the stone that had spread over her face. Murata is not sure whether this will scare Ban off or garner undeserved sympathy, and she is not sure which she would prefer. "We were quite young, so we didn't quite know what to call it, nor was it really the time or place."

---

343
TWC: 1789

The tension was extremely thick; you could cut it with a kunai knife. As Murata nervously looked at her food avoiding a gaze from Ban, the Hozuki's shoulders dropped. She was disappointed but not at Mur but at herself. She confessed too quickly she felt. Perhaps she should've kept it to herself at letting it die out slowly. After all, she knew that she wasn't romantic or even a friendly life. 

Mur explained that she was fortunate enough to have a friend like the one being described before although at the time they didn't realize it. "Well, I glad one of us has had that feeling," She said in a soft and cracked voice.  Her disappointment was slowly turning into a rage- rage against herself and her emotions. Ban wished none of his happened and was getting ready to storm out of the restaurant to leave Murata to herself. Before she could do so, prying ears would soon interfere. 

"Ah! I hope you two are enjoying the food!" A man's cheerful voice came out of the doors that led to the kitchen. It was the owner and chef of the restaurant. His accent was not from around Kiri it was from the land of tea.  Ban, being caught off guard, cleared her voice. "Y-yeah. you've always got great food, Captain." This wasn't the first time she and the captain met, as said before she would come here often when visiting the beach. He was a heavy-set man with a long unkempt white beard wearing a sailor captain uniform with a black apron on the front. His attention turns to Murata. "Ah! A new face! What is your name, my dear?" He would wait for Murata to say her name. "My name is Captain Takanami. But you can just call me Captain." He gives a bellowed laugh. "You know, I'm glad you brought someone in here, Ban. I was starting to think you'd be the only one coming in here by your lonesome." The captain could sense the tension between the two at that moment, he had been eves dropping on the conversation after all. "Hold on, one moment." The captain would say unprompted and left the two alone to grab something from his storage.

After a moment of rummaging in his own storage, the Captain would take out a large camera with a coat over the top. "Say cheese!" He wouldn't allow the two to pose for the picture and quickly ducked under the coat and snapped the picture. Without much preparation from Ban, he caught a picture of them when Ban looked at the camera surprised and very embarrassed. The captain gave another bellowed laugh. "I take a picture of couples in the restaurant. I do it to show the couples what they look like to me." The picture prints off and the Captain removes it and shakes it off so he can show the two. He chuckles again after looking at it and hands Murata the picture. 

WC: 499
TWC: 2208

Murata can only parse those soft, croaked words as resentment. It immediately raises her hackles. Murata's face returns to cold stone, her own fury aimed directly outwards. Of course this sheltered idiot would be jealous.

Murata folds her arms over her chest and leans back. Ban seems to be taking the initiative to leave wordlessly herself - fine, run away. Murata is content to let her go. The unpleasant stew of emotions at the table is interrupted before any more hasty words or actions can occur. Murata watches the owner approach with an air of cool, neutral appraisal.

"Murata," she replies. She remains impassive for the entire torturous interaction, her natural curiosity about this restaurant and its owner for the moment drowned in rage and embarrassment. Please, please leave, she silently begs him, mouth a thin line and eyes hard as he decides that this is the perfect opportunity for a photo op. Stiffly, mechanically, she reaches to accept the photograph that has been thrust into her hands, eyes drifting down to look at it.

She has only ever had a photograph taken of her once before, for her identification papers. Her eyes linger on the picture, and her posture softens, the woman exhaling deeply and lifting a hand to rub against her forehead in frustration. Look at her. Why is she behaving like this? It is alright for her to be angry, but to collapse in on herself is not the way she was raised. Ban doesn't understand why it would hurt her to be spoken to that way because Murata hasn't told her.

"...would you like to see it?" Murata says to Ban, voice softening just a smidgen, offering the photo to her. "It is only my second photo. I think I looked better in the first." She turns back towards the table, giving the captain a significant side-eye, expression indicating that his presence is still quote unwelcome. "...thank you for the food. It's very good."

If he takes her hint and leaves them alone, Murata will run a hand through her hair, sighing.

"That was not meant to be the end of the conversation. It was the beginning." Murata takes another bite of her meal. Lesson learned - responding to a confession by immediately bringing up unpleasant love stories from your past is not a great idea. "I meant only to say that I understand your feelings and I take them seriously. That is why I am afraid."

---

409
TWC: 2198

Murata did NOT like the Captain's presence making that two people at the table. Ban took a look at the photo. None of them looked very happy in the photo. Ban sighed, seeing that Murata was picking up her angry and distributing it back. The captain tugged at his collar, seeing that this was not the best 'couple' to pull this on. "Sorry, ladies. Holler if you need something else." He quickly retreated to the kitchen. 

Ban took the photo and looked at it as Murata continued to explain that she didn't mean for it to end the conversation but in fact the opposite. Ban couldn't help but feel that Murata was comparing it to a hopeless relationship- which she took as rejection. 

"I meant only to say that I understand your feelings and I take them seriously. That is why I am afraid."

"Wait...you're afraid? Afraid of what?" Ban looked up at Murata with saddened but also confused. What did Murata have to be afraid of? She had friends. Ban thought to herself. If anything, Ban was more afraid that she would lose Murata as just a friend. She wouldn't know what to do if lost a potential friend because she opened up. It would ruin Ban, potentially making her unable to open up to anyone ever again. 

WC: 198
TWC: 2406

Murata hesitates, but it is a much more thoughtful silence than the previous thick tension. She is slightly more relaxed, and more careful in her body language.

What is she afraid of? Plenty.

"I am afraid... no, I know that I am not good enough," she says, a grim smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "I would disappoint you."

Murata looks into Ban's eyes, expression soft. The bravado and poise of a woman of faith and discipline has melted away, allowing a glimpse of the shaky, conflicted core. Murata does think of it as hopeless, right now. She has no information to work off of. She barely knows Ban. She doesn't know why Ban is interested in her. All she has to fill in the blanks is her own pessimism.

"...and I don't know you well, Ban," Murata adds, with a slight emphasis, trying to bring the conversation back to the fundamental issue. Away from the parts of her heart that will prick the other woman's fingers. Some part of her wishes to reassure Ban that Murata herself could change, that she only needs time, but that is not something that she can promise in good faith.

"So I cannot reciprocate your feelings right now... but I do want to be your friend. Is that alright? This does not have to change anything."

---

225
TWC: 2423

Ban looked surprised when Murata said thought-nay, knew- she wasn't good enough. That's what Murata feared most and that she would only disappoint Ban. "Are you kidding me?" Ban sounded almost insulted. "You're the kindest, smartest, and most generous person I know! You went out of your way twice to get me something I never asked for because you were just being kind." Ban was hoping to remind her of the time they went on their first mission together. "From the first mission I met you, I knew you were someone special because despite not having many friends I've still met plenty of people. Plenty of people who wouldn't even bat an eye to help another person, even just in a small way like getting tea for the other person." Ban didn't realize it, but her awkwardness went way when she was passionate about the thing she was talking about. 

Ban sighed after her little tangent, allowing Murata's words to settle in. She stopped herself from blaming herself. Murata wanted to just be friends because she couldn't reciprocate Ban's feelings. "You're right." She would give a small smirk. "I wouldn't mind just having a friend too." 

Ban finished her food and allowed Murata to do the same. "Thank you, Captain." Ban bowed to him before the two of them left the restaurant. "Aye, No problem ladies! Come back at any time." Ban would stop outside the exit of the restaurant and face Murata. "We should probably part ways. Thank you again for the book, friend." Ban would give a short smile before disappearing off to head back to her empty home. 

When she got home, Ban scurried to find a picture frame. She found an old one in one of the drawers that was the perfect size for the picture if just a bit too large. The Hozuki would put the picture next to her family's photos. It wasn't a flattering photo, but it was still a good reminder that she had a friend. The picture would make the home a little less lonely. 

WC: 344
TWC: 2750
EXITING
CLAIMING
Quickdraw (1000/1000)
Deflect (1500/1500)
Flying Swallow (250/1000)
27 stats

Twice?

Ah, right... the tea.

Murata smiles a little. Ban had been so annoyed at the time. It's fascinating how changed feelings can recontextualize a memory.

The two eat in comfort, the tension between them erased. When it is time to part ways, it is done amicably. Murata steps through the streets, Fish Eagle on her shoulder, and she watches the throngs of people pass by. Ban had said that she didn't have many friends. Her parents are gone.

Before this, when was the last time Murata had spent time with another shinobi in a casual setting? With Yosei? The job has not done much to encourage strong bonds. Her mission partners change week to week... she feels motivated to take time for personal goals, now, and to bond with her fellows in a meaningful way. To help them bond with one another.

---

143
TWC: 2566

forgetting 12 points of Strength, training 12 points of Chakra
putting 1,000 words into mastery of Summoning Technique (ability to summon in and out of combat situations)
putting 1,000 words into mastery of Mark Tracking (reduced handseals)
putting 500 words into learning Storage Displacement

Approved