Re: Flow Like Water [Yuri]

Thu Nov 25, 2021 1:04 am

A culture gap, she said? The fact that Yuri admitted so openly that she would rather not learn ninjutsu was surprising. If that was the case, then why exactly was she a ninja? Those strange quirks- those oddities she encountered in each of her interactions- was why she always took the time to interact with the rank and file of Kirigakure no Sato. It was one thing to work alongside other ninja, but to truly understand them she had to slow down. What had they been through? Why did their path differ from her own? And how could she learn from it?

“I think I can understand that, somewhat. Feeling that you owe it to your family to pursue a certain path. I guess, in a way, that’s part of why I became a ninja.” She would chuckle for a moment, before feeling memories slip through her fingers. Gentle sunlight. The glimmer over the ocean and its waves. The cry of gulls, and her mother’s singing in the distant. Feeling soft cloth beneath her fingers. A warm belly on a cold night. Those things- those beautiful, ephemeral, kind moments- were what she fought to protect. She could never turn her back on them, try as she might. She loved her family, and she loved her village. In that wider view, she loved this world itself- full of wonders and strangeness as it was. To experience it fully, to understand it, to protect it. That was why she was here. But how could she ever express that through mere words? She simply didn’t know.

And so instead she would nod at Yuri, letting a smile come to her face at the offer. “A break sounds good, if you don’t mind. I guess I’ve already gotten sweaty enough for the day. There’s all sorts of stuff here, after all. As for places...well, there’s all sorts of things, you know? These facilities have a spa I use every once in a while, and outside there’s a few benches that are good for birdwatching. Hoshu’s food stand has good pork buns, and there are a lot of good stalls...honestly, just about everything you can think of. Whatever you’d like, you know?”

[1825]

Thu Nov 25, 2021 4:23 pm

"A spa would probably be good after all this exercise, though hitting the showers first is probably a good idea. We've been sweating a lot, or at least I have and I'd rather not catch a cold, it'd probably get in the way of anything else productive."

She came off as very practically minded the more she talked, even as her eyes wander, following her own train of thought as she continues talking. Kikuko didn't seem like much of a forceful personality, and it was a little awkward to be put back on the spot when she tried to hand it off to the girl so that she could plan out the day's events since Yuri was still a new, though maybe she shouldn't have been surprised.

"A spa before grabbing pork buns to go bird watching sounds good. Just have to wash up first and then we can head out."

Yuri went off to the locker room to shower. The hot water would definitely help to ease her body and get her out of her little training mindset to focus on something else for a while. Kikuko felt kind of awkward, and cutting her training short for today wasn't the best but it wasn't like she could just say no. That'd be plain rude.

WC: 2115

Thu Nov 25, 2021 10:56 pm

“Yeah! I agree. There’s a changing room around the corner we can use- it’s pretty well maintained, so don’t worry about germs and that sort of thing.” Oh dear. Did she stink? There was a possibility, what with the training she had been undergoing before speaking with Yuri. The only option was exile, clearly, exile and- come now, calm yourself Kikuko. A few minutes under hot water with some soap would clear away all the impurities and leave you freshly restored.

Following Yuri into the locker room, she would grab ahold of her own stall before showering-making sure to rinse away all the aches and the pains of the day while being careful not to wet her own hair too much. There was always a noticeable difference between the water that came to rinse her when compared to the sea- no crust that stuck to her even after she was well and dry. It was flat, and yet somehow refreshing at times. Unbidden, a tune began to emanate from her throat. Was she...humming? She hadn’t done that in a while. Not since she was a child. It wasn’t so much that she had grown out of it that one day it had simply quieted. Why was that? She still enjoyed it, even now. Perhaps she should start again.

Fresh and cleaned up, Kikuko would pop out wearing a complimentary towel- ready for the springs and the ‘healing powers’ they touted. Now, where was Yuri? Oh, she would be feeling awfully silly if she was ditched. Heck. Did she come off as too strong? Not again...

[2091]

Sun Nov 28, 2021 3:37 pm

It was nothing like home. It couldn't be. Feeling the too hot scald of water on the skin with the ticklish sensation gave a nostalgic sense of pain and pleasure. She was used to her water hot, there was a little spring near her house with mineral water in it. It was the best, and only, way to clean herself really but this water was nothing like that.

The smell was wrong, the feel was a little off, she was standing up instead of sitting down. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't immerse herself in it, so the slight glow on her face as she scrubs herself slowly dims into a passive little neutrality. Listening to Kikuko sing during her own wash.

It was strange, it felt like Kikuko really wanted to be her friend. It was a strange experience, they seemed like an awkward person, and thinking about this it made something in her turn. An unfamiliar feeling to be the object of someone's focus like this. Though it didn't feel bad. The discomfort wasn't because she didn't want to be friends with them. It felt more like she was scared.

Taking a deep breathe, she begins talking to herself, all she needed to do was let herself relax a bit and get into this. Enjoy the moment, enjoy some company and just get to know someone, there wasn't any need for any social anxiety in a situation like this.

"There's no need to worry about the past, or the future. I'm sure this will be fine, it'll be fine, everything will be perfectly fine. So I'll just go out there and talk to her and it'll be fine. Simple as usual right?"

Muttering to herself as she turns off the water, the steam had gone and filled up the entire space while she was in her own little world and the stall had about as much visibility as a proud man's self awareness. Putting the comparatively cool fabric of the towel against her skin she gets to drying off. Letting her mind blank in the automatic movements of dressing up. Running her fingers through her hair one more time as a smile comes on her face.

"Yo."

She follows not too far behind Kikuko, a slight smile on her face as she waves the girl down. She'd switched out the light exercise for her usual baggy pants and jacket. A constant friend as she travels the misty streets of Kirigakure. Putting one hand in her jacket pocket as a free hand grips on to the strap going over her shoulder and latching on to a small pack where she kept her clothes and basic essentials.

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. I was always a fan of long showers though I guess this time I took even longer than usual, apologies. Lead the way, we can walk and talk and all that on our way over there. It's not that far away is it?"

WC: 2615

Sun Dec 05, 2021 9:28 pm

Ending the cleansing process of her body, Kikuko would breathe in, breathe out. Somehow, it felt like there was a new energy. Beyond the refreshment of water, a certain buzz that started in the depth of her soul before finally reaching the edges of her body. She had a new goal, she realized. Today, at this time, in this moment, she had met a person- a person who she now was attempting to reach. Why? What did it serve her? Even she was not particularly certain. And yet, she had to. She wanted to learn. She wanted to understand her.

“Hello! No worries about the time. I got out just a few minutes before you, I think.” She would wave, before wincing- it seems that the water had begun what was likely going to become a nasty knot in her hair later. Oh well, she would simply have to brush it out. Or perhaps she could use a shadow clone to do that? It would be good practice, she felt.

Toeing the ground, she would still be humming a little bit under her breath. It felt good to visit these springs with a friend- or a potential friend, at least. Relaxing was always good, but somehow with others it became better. Social gatherings, while exhausting, at some times she found to be healing. And so here she was. “Follow me. It’s just outside, still technically on the grounds. Is it your first time?”

Taking a meandering route, it would take them roughly two minutes to reach their destination. Passing coastal flowers, trees, fences between them and the outside world. Eventually, however, their ‘journey’ would end outside of a separated hot spring- simply cloth barriers denoting each section. Pulling aside the cloth to the women’s section, she would beckon her to follow.

“Come on, come on. The waters just fine, I promise!”

[2402]

Tue Dec 07, 2021 4:26 pm

Yuri nods. It was a quick fare to undress again, put away her belongings, and climb into the springs. The hair that came down to the center of her back floating in the pool of water, circling around her as she watches Kikuko. Having had the time to think, she knew she wanted to bond with her so all that was left was action. The girl was kind of anxious seeming so the best thing to do was just talk and let things get casual from there. Waiting for Kikuko to settle in before, suddenly, she says.

"We want peace ya know?"

Out of nowhere. If Kikuko wouldn't interrupt her. She would continue speaking, a relaxed expression as she leans back against the rocks that line the edge of the hot springs.

"Maybe that's cliche to say, but in a way I'd say I'm jealous of you Shinobi. The way you talk about your time before becoming a ninja it sounds so peaceful. I know it's not like that for everyone but just the freedom you were allowed..."

Shifting in her position, as the tip of her knee pokes out of the soft yellow green waters. A hazy, glum look on her face. Maybe even numb, as she recollects her past in the land of Iron. Her shoulders hunching forward slightly as she continues.

"As a child, the moment I could walk, I was raised a warrior. It wasn't something limited to just clans. Even when it was just me and my father. I never even knew my mother. He says I'm like her alot, though I don't really know what that means."

Her lips turn into a pained smile. A nostalgic rememberance of the old days taking her over as she looks aside, staring at the plain tiled walls of the bathing room.

"It's kind of weird isn't it? Saying I'm like someone I never met. I guess, even though I compare this place to my home, and I'm fond of it, I do still have some resentment about the things we don't have there. Better to say, the things I didn't have there."

With a slight tilt of the neck, her hair drapes over one of her eyes. Running her finger through it as she lets out a heated sigh.

"This is alot to take in, though I guess what I'm trying to say is...not much I guess. I want to get to know you better, and I think...or hope that you want to get to know me better. So I'm hoping that at the very least all of this talking is a good first chance for us to get to understand each other and do just that."

Looking at Kikuko, a toothy smile on her face there was a warmth more gentle than the hot springs heat coming off of it.

"So, I'm Yuri Karuma. I'm a fresh genin from the Land of Iron and I hope to be in your care. It's a pleasure meeting you."

WC:3115

Thu Dec 09, 2021 10:48 pm

There was a curious serenity about her compatriot, Kikuko noted. Certainly, there was a tension that thrummed through her very being, a stoic sense of propriety and duty that kept her aloft, and yet watching her slowly sink into the waters she couldn’t help but imagine that those strings loosened somewhat. And then, just as she began to contemplate it further, she said the words.

Peace. Yes. She wanted peace too. It was all she strived for, if she was honest with herself. She loved this simple life where she could help her father bring in the day’s catch, where she could wear all the outfits her mother had spun and imagine that her blessing was with her at all times. Where she could walk the docks and she knew everyone’s name, and everyone knew her name. Where war was only a distance thought on the horizon, and everyone looked towards the future with a smile on their face and hope in their hearts.

But it wasn’t a universal truth. She knew that not everyone was as fortunate as she was. Not everyone had parents, and even those who did often grew up with scars from the results of poor parenting. She was lucky, and she knew it. She was raised in these kind waters, and she had grown up to be kind. Yuri was raised amid those mountains. Among the snow. She could see how she had become the person she was today.

When Yuri was finished, she would allow for the silence to stretch for a few moments before responding. This sort of thing was not to be rushed. Rather, it was to be given its own time. Contemplated, thought over, mulled until reaching the appropriate conclusion. And so it was.

“I think…I understand what you mean. To want to learn. To understand. Even if its beyond the grasp of who I am in the moment. I want to learn what that means, and grow from it. I want to talk, and I want to listen. So. With that being said…”

Brushing a lock of hair out of her face, she would continue. “I’m Kikuko Hayashi. A Chunin from Island Country, and a proud practitioner of ninshu. The pleasure is all mine.”

And then, pulling ever so slowly closer, she would raise a finger. Methodically, slowly, without sudden intent or speed. It wouldn’t do good to scare the girl, after all. Ultimately, she felt that certain things could only be communicated through experience. Placing two fingers upon the Genin’s forehead, she would see.

===

The free floating sensation of water carrying her body, beneath the deep. Watching schools of fish float around her in a world all of their own, a visitor to their secret dance. The cry of the gulls over the horizon, and the nets of her father’s boat being cast into the depths. She breaks for air, and the sun is warm and filled with the promise of life and change.

===

[2898]

Mid topic claim:

1500 words towards Advent Hop Ticket [1500/1500]
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Thu Dec 09, 2021 10:55 pm

Approved Midtopic Claim <3

Fri Dec 10, 2021 2:07 am

===

The bite of the cold ice on one's back, the heat of flames at their front and the howling winds softened by thick walls. The ever present feeling of isolation, the glint of metal and the weight of beliefs. Words that echo, if not literally, in memory.

"People are like swords..."

===

It was a self steeled through hardship over a long period of time, that bore itself as the sharp glint in her eye. Yuri taken aback for a moment. The entire experience was familiar to her, reminding her of when she'd first met the current Mizukage. That feeling of an exchange of not just memory, but experience. The honesty was a relief at the very least.

"How familiar, I could swear I had a similar experience with the Mizukage when they were teaching me something. Ninshu, the creed of the ninja. I'd never experienced it before but I'd studied alot before coming here and after my experience with the Mizukage I had wanted to look into it. Though despite finding out the name I learned little else."

Yuri lets out a sigh, leaning against the edge of the pool as she looks at Kikuko with a more pensive expression. She didn't expect to have those kinds of memories dredged up so suddenly ringing like hammer against metal in her ears.

"People are like swords...it's an old saying, from a leader of the Land of Iron if I recall correctly. It was about how ultimately people are like swords, we can sharpen ourselves over time or slowly lose our edge and turn to rust. Our bodies, and our ideals, have to be honed, and eventually like swords those ideals are passed down to future generations and become something legendary."

She shrugs, letting out a sigh. It was something core to her identity, but there was still that lack of self security that made her doubt the worth of such a view.

"In a way the best sword works to make itself irrelevant. Once an unbeatable sword is formed and realizes its goal, the purpose is gone and ultimately it collects rust. I could go into this really long diatribe about cyclical violence, but really fighting for even temporary peace is still a good thing to me. Though honestly right now I'm less worried about ideals and realizing that honestly I kinda just don't know what I'm doing trying to live day to day. It's one thing living by yourself but I'm realizing I'm not really good at hanging with people."

Dipping the tip of her finger in the water as she moves it in small circles. There was an awkward feeling to her. She was starting to realize it was alot easier to say what you needed to say when she stopped thinking and just let the words come out.

"Plus I don't really seem to share the same interests as people around me, I don't even really know what my interests are, since I've just been doing a couple of things my dad told me for most of my life. So is it weird to say all the sudden agency has just kind of caught me really off guard?"

WC: 3645

Tue Dec 21, 2021 10:08 pm

She was cold. Her throat was, rather. Those memories she didn’t know, and yet remembered as clearly as though they were her own. And they were, for that brief glimmer. There she was next to- no, she WAS Yuri- feeling the metal surrounding her. Not just the physical metal of walls. But that of determination, belief, duty, tradition. The life of one forged by the cold and tempered through discipline. It was one that was nearly opposite of hers.

And yet, from that, she drew no hostility towards the other. And why would she? She had just learned something deep about her, from a fundamental level. Shaking off the brief haze that always came about her whenever she practiced, she would blink out the sleepiness as Yuri expressed her recognition. So somebody else had connected with her before? Even more importantly, the Mizukage? She still had yet to meet the woman who had recently taken on the mantle, but the fact of the matter was that more and more it felt as though they desperately needed to meet.

Closing her eyes, she would listen to Yuri speak while floating languidly in the water. It was hot, but not too much, scalding her in just the right way that set her simultaneously on edge and completely at peace. It was a good temperature for listening, for thinking, for pondering. And so, she would voice her thoughts aloud.

“I think that’s beautiful.” She would speak, nay, whisper aloud. “The idea that one’s own life is a work of art, a creation. Worked on by many hands. And everybody searches for their perfection, in a sense. But it would be perfection that would rob them of their reason to be. Their drive.”

Staring up at the sky, she would let out a sigh.

“Yuri. You’re here, with us. In Island Country. For once in your life, it is your choice to make your decisions.” Kikuko would state. “Why not attempt to embrace it? Just this once, just for a moment, why not become something other than a sword?”

[3308]