Quiet and Contemplation [Saya]

Mon Jul 19, 2021 11:04 pm

There was something about today’s tofu that just didn’t taste right.

Maybe it was the way that the oils clinged to her tongue, like serrated knives that assaulted her sinuses with lethal precision as they slid down her throat. Maybe it was the texture of the tofu itself, spongy and lacking in warmth has she ground it into paste through the sheer might of her taste. Perhaps it was even the scent of it, interfering with her perception of its flavors and causing her to be turned off from consuming it. But if she was honest with herself, the tofu was fine. It was quite delicious, actually. No. The thing that wasn’t right was her.

She still had nightmares about it. She would wake up in a cold sweat, expecting for the room around her to be engulfed in flames. The voice of a girl echoing in her mind. Never stopping, never ceasing. No matter what she did, she could hear that sentence over and over again.

‘You bastard.’

The crackling of fire. The collapsing of rumble. The crunch of a body buried beneath charred stone. And it was her fault. Sure, Gafas had dealt the fatal blow. But Gafas was her summon, her responsibility. It was her Rashomon that had caused the building’s integrity to fail, and her lack of wherewithal that had caused civilians to be struck with her suppressive techniques. She had taken down an arsonist, but with tactics that many would hesitate to call well executed. In fact, there were many who would declare her actions to be outright idiocy.

And yet they had congratulated her. Patted her on the back. Said that she had once again cleared the streets of dangerous elements, and that Kirigakure was a safer place thanks to her. The civilians would get treatment, and all would be okay in the end. What’s worse- they promoted her. She made a mistake, a screwup, an utter catastrophe. And so they gave her an award. It burned her deeper than any flame ever could.

Huh. It wasn’t all that spicy today. Or perhaps it was? If taste was based in perception, there was no doubt that she wasn’t tasting the fullness of flavor. It had been hard to appreciate anything in a grander light since that day. She knew that she was being trapped into a vicious cycle, but knowledge and action were two very different things when confronted with such a challenge.

Bite, bite, chew. Swallow. Another plate, another round of water. Eventually, it would make her feel better. That, or she would grow full of food. Whichever came first.

======

[437]

Mon Jul 19, 2021 11:26 pm

Just outside of the old lady's tofu shop, where for so long there sat a ruined and broken shell of what had once been a home, now stood a new building. It couldn't have been more than a five meter square, but the walls were brand new, and in the misty morning the scent of fresh wood mixed beautifully with the soft water in the air. This was not exactly something Saya would notice as she pulled herself from the bed. She needed training. There was no other way to explain the horible day she'd had yesterday. She needed to put asside joys for a bit and actually put focus on her combat or this feeling would never end. Was it embaracement? Dispair? It didn't matter. While fighting and working on jutsu would help her push her body to the point that she was more confident in her skills, the real purpose was simple.

She didn't want to think about either of the missions she'd done with Daiko.

She chose not to get dressed today, instead staying in a set of yellow and white rubber ducky footie pajamas as she motioned for her team to follow. Only one came. It was almost as if they knew, which wouldn't make sense because they were wooden creations, but would absolutely make sense if one considered the way her mind personified them, but either way Pinochio made no movement to follow as Saya headed towards the elevator and up to the top floor with her sister in tow.

There was absolutely nothing that would make her think about the horible tragedy of her previous missions. No way anything that could show up to stop her from closing her mind to thought and simply acting on instinct, right up to the point when the door opened and her butterfly summoning friend could be seen outside of Saya's favorite lunch stall.

The twins crossed the distance slowly, with Ai whispering words of encouragement. She stopped at the stall, but held her hand up before the old lady could get to work on her favored lunch.

"Heroes get Mappo tofu grams. Today it'll be rice balls for me." There was an audible scoff from Ai as the melodramatics flowed from her sister's lips. She could empathize with the stress of her shift from having brutally murdered and disected a woman to finding herself too unskilled to capture a single shinobi. Granted that guy was a chuunin who'd probably been a ninja longer than she'd even been in the village, but her skill came from her genius. If she couldn't defeat those who'd been around much longer than she had, what would she do.

"Hey kiku. Little sis is kind of having a day or she would have said something sooner. How are you?" Ai took initiative. They needed to greet their friend, and honestly she expected that spending some time with the girl would help her deal with her funk, but it was dificult for the puppet empathically connected to her master to shake the dregs of their emotions.

(TWC 513)

Mon Jul 19, 2021 11:38 pm

The rustle of footsteps. The smell of wood and varnish. Who could it be?

Ah, but of course. She had known that Sayatria had lived around these parts, the ruins that had once been her home now unrecognizable in their restoration. And yet, there was something about the Senju kunoichi that was inherently off. There was no pep in her step, no joy, no soul. It was as though somebody had pulled the plug on a drain, letting all the water swirl into the bottom and into inky blackness. Leaving only an empty container behind, and aching void completely unfilled. And where was Pinocchio? Perhaps he was house sitting- or what he could manage in house sitting, for a lack of a better word.

Rice balls certainly wasn’t she expected for her to order- as far as she understood, mapo tofu was the Senju’s favorite meal. For her to deny herself that probably meant something had happened- big enough to shake that endless confidence of hers. Turning her body towards the siblings, she would listen to to Ai’s explanation before nodding calmly. It seemed that they fortune had turned for the worse today based off of the downcast mood that surrounded the two of them. Well then, there was nothing to it. She would need to set aside her own feelings for now. There was no point in infecting Sayatria with her own sadness over her own actions. There was nothing that could be done to fix it. These sort of things can’t be undone.

“It’s been a rough few weeks. Been receiving a lot more missions than before, and they’re getting harder. Have a seat?” She would gesture to the stool next to her, offering her friends a spot closer to her.

======

[730]

Mon Jul 19, 2021 11:53 pm

Saya wouldn't move for several minutes. She gave a nod to her friend, but her eyes failed to fully meet the taller girl's gaze. AI let out a deep sigh. Clearly she would need to take more drastic measures. Raising one hand, she would start to shift and move her fingertips. As she did the blue threads of Saya's pupetry control skill would come into view. Ai was already set in a way that she could run the threads through her hand, giving the illusion that they were coming from her own fingtertips, and after a few moments, and with a huff, Saya moved to sit down beside Kiku, immediately laying her head on her friend's shoulder.

"Yea. Had two missions yesterday. Probably shouldn't talk about them out in public. Was gonna eat rice balls and then just train until I couldn't stay awake anymore.... Nice to see you" Even with her tone making it clear she was not up to snuff, the cadence of her statements was the Saya standard. Her words blended together as she spoke them quickly, her lips curling in a pout as she finished.

"Kiku, would you like to come to our place and finish your lunch? I don't think you've seen our home yet and its got tons of space!" The excitment from Ai felt a bit forced, but like she was clearly trying. It sounded a bit like both girls were struggling. Maybe this meet up was exactly what they needed?

(TWC 761)

Tue Jul 20, 2021 12:03 am

Whatever was the matter with her friend, it was clearly a matter that was more than simply superficial. She could see it in her movements, her body language, her breathing- or rather, her lack of it. The way that her eyes drift when making eye contact, as though afraid to meet her own gaze. The look of somebody cornered and unhappy about it, much preferring to be alone in a hole with nobody to bother them. It wasn’t a look that was usual for Saya, and it made her all the more worried for her. In a morbid sense of way, it was yet another mystery for her to pick up and solve. What had happened to send her into such a state?

Eating the last bits of her current platter as Saya spoke, she would nod in tacit approval at the kunoichi’s hesitation. Ninja business was always best spoken of behind closed doors- beyond the fact that it was simply illegal for them to share specific details in the open, what they didn’t wasn’t exactly the most glamorous of tasks. A thing that she was struggling with now, and finding difficulty in accepting. Ah, how her heart ached. She couldn’t escape the sound. Her voice. The scent of smoke and flame. “It’s nice to see you too, Saya.”

Polishing off the rest of her glass of water, she would place her pay upon the table before standing behind Saya. She would stare at her for a long, awkward moment. And then, with a sudden movement, she would sweep her up into a princess carry if nothing was done to stop her. “Ai? Can you be a doll and pick up Saya’s food? Looks like my friend here is in a bit of a funk.” Already trundling away towards the Senju’s house with the girl in her arms, she would hum a little jaunty tune. It was far easier to deal with another person’s problems than admit her own. Of course, she would never admit that aloud. “And there’s nothing to wake her up then a Kunoichi to Kunoichi talk- complete with rice balls.”

======

[1084]

Tue Jul 20, 2021 11:31 am

"eek!" Saya was thrown completely off guard by this blatant and obvious attack. And then she was.... floating? Instinctively she wrapped her arms around Kiku's neck for support. While she wasn't very large by anyones measure, it was surprising that the girl could heft her up so easily. Even before Kiku had asked, Ai crossed the distance between where they had sat and the stand, giving the woman a motion unseen to the pair as she placed her back in line of sight.

"Of course. Sorry if the place is a bit of a mess, we are still trying to get fully moved in again." Saya's eyes were alight with intrigue at the sensation of being carried by someone. Sure she'd ridden on her puppets shoulders, and inside them, and even been kinda half carried half flung short distances while holding onto one, but this was different.It was a bit scary and dangerous due to the lack of control she had, but something else. It was warm. She wasn't in physical contact with actual people often, so she forgot that human bodies had this delightful warmth that puppets didn't.

When they got to the house, Saya would open the door with a flick of her wrist, the chakra threads easily stretching to turn the nob. inside was exactly how it looked. It was a single room with two kitchen table chairs in the center and several boxes stacked u p to one side. To say this house was small was an understatement. There was no bed or kitchen area. Just a single tiny living room and a closet in the very back center.

"We uh. We need to go to the closet if you'd please..."

(TWC 1046)

Tue Jul 20, 2021 5:07 pm

Noting Saya’s confusion and startled demeanor upon being picked up, Kikuko would shuffle her slightly so that she would be as comfortable as possible in the short distance that the girl was being carried. Certainly, Saya was not the easiest of things to carry- small or not, she was still the size of an adult- but she would do her best regardless to not drop her all the same. How often was it that she actually had contact of this sort? She had never heard her speak of her family in much detail. Perhaps they weren’t around? Or maybe she was already living on her own?

“No worries about the mess. Nobody’s perfect.” Noting the way that Saya’s eyes would alight, she couldn’t help but smile just a bit on her own. Her own worries were still there, sure, but there was something about the Senju that allowed a little bit of hope to sparkle within her. Maybe it could be filed as a sort of co-dependence, but that carefree attitude to a certain degree was able to lift the clouds over her heart. Or at least let her forget them, if only for a moment. Come Kikuko, you’ve got this. She’s not that heavy, so there’s no need to drop her yet.

Surveying the house as they entered, she would note just how small the building really was as she looked back and forth. Compact was a nice way to describe it- although without a bed, she was forced to consider the idea that Saya slept on the floor. Surely that couldn’t be good for her back. Was she unable to afford one, even with her salary as a Genin?

“Sure, we’ll head over there.” Stepping around the chairs, she would bring her over to the closet. “I guess that you end up eating out a lot?”

=====
[1392]

Tue Jul 20, 2021 8:03 pm

As they made it to the closet door, Ai would walk into the small house carrying a parcel of hot treats for the small konoichi. Without skipping a beat she spoke in unison with her sister.

"Oh. No,this isn't the messy part. you'll understand." Saya kind of... wiggled? in Kiku's embrace, trying her best to kick open the closet door. It took no time for her sister to cross the tiny room, and as she reached the pair she placed a hand on saya's foot to still her before opening the door. While it looked like your every day run of the mill closet, behind the door would be..... A metal door? To the right side was a fuinjutsu seal with the kanji for "down" painted above it. Ai placed her hand on the seal and for a moment it lit up, and then the doors opened to reveal a small room with metal walls and a throw rug across the floor.

"Uh. This way. Sorry. " Ai would help the pair maneuver the horizontal girl into the doorway without banging her head or legs against the door, and then step in herself. Inside was a panel of other Fuin seals, each numbered 1-22.

"Thirteen thirteen thirteen" Saya sounded a little bit excited as she bounced up and down, though her usual vibrance was muted. If she was still being carried, this would probably be quite the pain for kiku. Ai shook her head.

"Aya its fourteen remember? You always mix the two up." She pressed the seal, which flashed and the room they were in, assuming Kiku walked in would shift as they descended down. My dear listeners, if it wasn't readily apparent, what they'd entered was a sort of elevator that she'd had made to work with chakra instead of mechanics because well. Honestly we aren't sure if the technology is available yet, so this seemed the best plan.

When the door finally opened, the difference between the first room and the lower levels would be very clearly apparent. This floor was at least fifty meters wide, with all sorts of furnature, couches, and tables spread out to make the place look like an unbelievably large leisure room. This was the first family room. It was at this point that saya would recognize that she'd been asked a question.

"Oh. Uh. I mean Ai cooks on tuesdays but I do really like eating at the shop across the street. Why?"

(TWC 1458)

Wed Jul 21, 2021 11:53 am

Oh, but those treats smelled good. No, stop it Kikuko. You still needed to keep your head in the moment. Keep moving along, now.

She’ll understand? Well, to be honest she didn’t understand at all. Still, she trusted her friend, and that was enough for her in the meantime. Manipulating Saya so that it was easier for her to kick open the door, she would in the end back away so that Ai could open it up the normal way. But what was inside? She had certainly never seen such a room before in her life. And in a person’s house, no less. Why have an elevator in a closet of all places? Unless…

“How did you even do this?” Stepping into the elevator, she would look around in wonder as they descended into the earth. “I thought you weren’t into Fuinjutsu!” The idea of utilizing seals to power machinery already was setting her into motion. It clearly was communicating some form of information, and alongside that likely a power source as well. Perhaps it was lightning aspected? She could do something with the concept, she figured. Not now, however.

Stepping out into the room, she would gasp at the sheer size of the house she had entered. She took it back- this place was larger than her entire family’s home by a large margin. Saya wasn’t poor at all. If anything, she was stinking rich! At least, compared to her own standards.

“This is amazing.” Blinking slowly, she would gaze upon the entire room before eventually depositing Saya upon a nearby couch. “Nevermind about the food. I haven’t seen somewhere like this in my entire life.”

[1669]

Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:48 pm

"Do what? Fuin...huh?" Saya turned to face the girl who carried her, which was incredibly easy considering the short distance between their faces. She wasn't following the girl's line of thought at all. Thankfully AI was.

"Saya made most of the structures herself. All the furniture, walls, and floors she made using mokuton. The elevator we contracted. Paid a pretty penny to some designers who had fuinjutsu skill. They said they could set it up so the seals self sustain by drawing energy from the air or something? I dunno. They come by every few weeks to recharge if it's needed and do upkeep. " The explaination was simple. ALot of the word was just saya, but the parts that were remarkable she'd used her mothers hush money to build. Tale as old as time.

"Oh. Yea, I wanted to make like. A mansion cuz I was going around the village looking at estates and noticed theres several really big ones, but I only had this lot. Then I realized that underground didn't really like. have anything in it so I designed a floor plan that looked really small but was actually huge and just hidden underground. Pinochio refused to let me go any lower than twenty two floors though. Something about a water table or the sea or something. " She landed on the plush sofa with a soft thud, immediately sliding her legs over to curl up length wise on the furniture. She'd give Kiku a few moments to take in the room before she finally started.

"Ok listen. So uh. I did some pretty tough missions yesterday. Ai kind of killed someone. Then we failed to capture a super dangerous criminal and like. I haven't actually failed something since i was like eleven" Ai was quick to correct her as she thought about the last time she'd felt like a failure. It was elemental training in her mother's estate.

"Ten and a half actually. Her mother required her to learn two elements by eleven but she couldn't focus long enough to fully grasp one."

(TWC 1803)

Quiet and Contemplation [Saya]

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