TsukiOni Beneath The Stars

The grass underneath where her body laid was still slightly wet from the night’s hymid setting. That did not really bother Meika though. Her phantom lit eyes gazed at the twinkling stars thoughtlessly, not a single thought behind those silver eyes. Right now the Kamigawa was lost in her own little world. Lost in the stars. 

They were so damn beautiful ~

Meika always found herself captivated by the night. She was the highlight definition of a night owl. She rarely found herself awake in the early morning, unless she was going to bed just before the peak of dawn. Now that did not mean she never did. Just rarely.

Tonight was one of those nights where she was having trouble falling asleep, so she came out here to put her mind at ease. And it was working. If the lass wasn’t careful, there was no doubt that she could easily fall unconscious under the winking lights. 

Her fingers delicately brushed across the damp grass. A black curtain of tangled hair formed like a halo of darkness beneath her head. 

Most would probably assume that she was crazy, and not have the abilities to understand or share her love for this. 

Something soft and fuzzy grazed against the back of her hand. Her attention left the stars to gaze within the direction of the ash grey feline that was beside her. The cat was displaying its affection, rubbing her fuzzy cheek against Meika’s hand. With a soft grin forming on her soft lips, Meika returned the love by giving the cat some gentle pets. 

This was right, this very moment Meika couldn’t help the feeling of happiness that ran through her being. Right now she was at such peace. This was her euphoria. 

The cat circled within its position a few times, before plopping down within the grass. A big yawn stretched from the cat’s mouth. “Maybe it’s about time to choose a name for you.” Meika felt guilty for how long it has been since she’d first rescued the cat from the streets, now not having the right name to give it. The cat’s name was long due. 

Meika glazed back up at the stars. Falling into a trace as she pondered deeply in thought. Names were supposed to be something special. They were not exactly something that someone hastily decided on without some sort of thought or meaning to it. Her brows furrowed together. Deep in thought. 

“Bincho-tan. . wow what a mouthful” Meika tried the name out. It wasn’t the cutest of names, but she knew that it meant white charcoal. Which is what the cat’s ash fur reminded her of. “I’ll call you Bincho for short.” The cat only gave her a close - eye expression in return. Well. . it didn’t seem like she minded it. Which was good. Whether or not she even understood what the Kamigawa was saying. “Sorry for making you wait so long for a name, Bincho.” Meika spoke while offering the cat a side glaze. 

She took in a deep breath. Her mind once again wandered to the thought of her hunter mission. It was as if she was gaining some sort of obsession, but what ninja wouldn’t? It was a huge piece in the development of a shinobi. An objection that some ninja seeks to smash in hopes of praise and a new rank. 

“If I don’t make it back to you Bincho, I’ll be sure that there is someone to come get you.” Her lips spread into a devious grin, not something one would expect during such a conversation. “However, I don’t plan on abandoning you so soon. Just make sure you pray for me, in whatever way a kitten could pray.” 

Yeah. . Meika was certain that the feline had no idea what she was spewing about, let alone even paying attention to the fact that she was speaking so much. She didn’t really mind though. Sometimes any company was better than none, and Meika was quite the lonely lass. Maybe she was fated to be some depressing cat crazed woman, who’s main company is the furry felines. It did not sound too bad, to be honest. 

The light of the moon overhead ended up being swallowed by a group of clouds, causing the night to fall into almost complete darkness. Meika took in a deep breath, soaking in the shadows like a hungry wraith. Everything was so hushed; peaceful. She almost wished for something to happen. Something to temporarily end this sense of tranquility and enlighten her with a sense of energy. Something to make her life a little more interesting, even just for a brief moment. 

Sometimes too much peace can end up being a little suffocating.

And then, as if her wish was being granted by some sort of invisible force, or by just mere coincidence, there was a droplet of water that fell from the sky and landed on her cheek. A low rumble shook the night. Meika rose from the ground to sit up. Bincho jumped from her resting spot, the fur on her back prickled with unease. The poor feline didn't seem all too happy with the crackling thunder. “It’s okay Bincho~” Meika attempted to soothe the cat with her words of reassurance.

Then it began to sprinkle. 

This wasn’t exactly the thing that the Kamigawa was asking for, but she didn’t mind the rain. 

Bincho hopped into her arms as Meika rose to stand. She let the cat crawl underneath her shirt, with her arms hugging her to offer more shelter and security. Although, she wasn’t ready to go in just yet. 

Meika raised her face to the sky. The rain was growing even more dense. Softly pelting her face and trickling down her slender, pale neck. It was so soothing. It felt like letting go and being free whenever Meika was under rain clouds. The sky was weeping, and she let herself endure it. The sounds of thunder were so beautiful and seemed so much louder here within Kumogakure. Poor Bincho was probably not happy with Meika for spending so much time in the rain, but Bincho was not forgotten. She knew the rain wouldn’t hurt her, and would make sure to make Bincho a nice meal later with a nice warm towel wrapped around the sweet feline.  

Meika’s eyes opened up to the weeping sky. Her full lashes were heavy from the moisture. She glanced down to see some of the black dye from her hair trailing down her arms. There were probably a few strands of ghostly white peeking from the raven black locks. The rain was washing away some of her false alterations that she usually kept to provide a mask from her true self. 

There were times when Meika wanted to drop the mask all together, and let her hair be the way it was. But there was always a piece of her that coward back from that thought. This was who she was now, who she was becoming. The girl from the desert was contained in a box, far far away. The girl was just a weakness, and Meika didn’t need any more weak points. She already had one too many. That one was Mizuchi. Mizuchi was the past that Meika will perhaps never be able to escape from. 

Which she has accepted. Meika didn’t really want to move from him or ever forget him. 

His smooth skin, scarred shoulders, and beautiful dragon tattoo. The fragrance of the spearmint wash that seemed to surround him would only draw her even closer. Meika also missed his gorgeous eyes. A part of him that she would always get lost in. 

Meika has come to accept the possibility that she would probably never find love like that again. The Shinobi life was a busy one, many didn’t have the time for such emotions. Some were scared to fall for another in such a vulnerable way, scared to experience loss if something was to happen. And some just simply had no interest in it. 

The rain ended up growing heavier, signaling that it was about time to head back inside. Bincho meow’d from within Meika’s arms to remind her that she was not enjoying the weather and wanted to go somewhere that was dry and warm. Meika gave a little smile. Looking up at the winking stars one last time before heading inside.

 After heading inside, Meika was sure to fetch a fluffy towel for Bonchi to snuggle in before heading to take a hot shower. The fragrance of the flowers that hung from her bathroom walls mixed with the hot steam was almost therapeutic. Meika did not bother re - dying her hair for the time being. There were only a few strands of ghostly white peeking from her raven black, and honestly, she didn’t mind the looks of it. It actually looked kinda cool. 

Meika wrapped herself in a towel after drying off and left for her room. The sound of rain pelting against the roof was oh so soothing. Bonchi was still curled up in her own personal towel to soak the dew from her ashy fur. Meika kinda felt bad for keeping her out there in the rain for so long, but Bonchi was always forgiving, especially after a good snack. 

With that, she went to the kitchen to prepare some light food. Meika still had some fresh yellowtail sashimi from the market. She pulled that out of the fridge with some eel sauce and retrieved some rice from a cupboard. It wasn’t a difficult dish to whip up. Just some steamed rice to make some hand rolls with the yellowtail and some cucumber to add a nice crunch. The eel sauce was one of Meika’s favorite sauces to use for sushi. She then laid some of the yellowtail sashimi on a small platter for Bonchi to enjoy. Bonchi really did enjoy sharing meals with Meika.   

The yellowtail sashimi seemed to melt in her mouth with every bite, and the soft sticky rice helped make the meal a little more filling. The crisp crunch of the cucumber was perfect. The only way to complete her light meal was with a nice warm cup of tea. Meika decided on a simple cup of green tea, with a few sugar cubes for extra sweetness. The tea was the perfect thing to sip on as the Kamigawa cleared away the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen area. 

After her nice light meal, and everything was said and done, Meika went to her room to grab one of her hooded shawls. The rain seemed to have died down a little while after her shower, and she wanted to run a simple errand real quick. The temperature outside was sure to be crisp and probably a little chilly. Spring was taking its sweet time. 

The shawl felt snug upon her shoulders. Meika gave Bonchi a quick pat on the head before heading back outside into the night. With her, she had one of her water summoning papers in place. She had recently placed one at a waterfall some time ago and felt like it would be better if she left another somewhere along the stream just in case. She wanted to be well prepared for her water based techniques. And placing the water summon papers only helped her with that preparation. 

Under the stars, Meika wandered along the trail from before. She probably looked like some sort of ghost or night demon. Her pale skin was vibrant against the night, and her hair just as dark with strands of ghostly threads peeking from underneath its raven black curtains. 

Meika tugged the shawl closer to her form. She was ready for the weather to start becoming warmer. The lass did not really mind the cold, but she did miss the flowers and their colorful blooms. Maybe she should pick some up from the market to decorate the interior of her home with? She really wouldn’t mind having some baby breaths and forget me nots along some of her walls. The colors and sweet nectar fragrance would be a wondrous addition to her home decor. 

“TsukiOni. . hmph. . “ Meika sounded the name to herself. It was a nickname she acquired from her past. When she was running away from her old life. Running to escape the fate that wasn’t rightfully hers. She no longer remembered who that crowd was, that chased her from her home land. All she knew was that it was somewhere within the dunes of the brutal sands. Her bloodline wasn’t very favored by others who wanted to use it. Meika never got to grasp the truth behind it. Mizuchi died before he could explain everything he wanted to. There was much that he promised to show her, but their time together was cut short by a savage blade of a killer. 

When the secrets of her bloodline became exposed to the ones that murdered Mizuchi, they chased her out, all the while they shouted the word ‘TsukiOni’ at her back. As if they were trying to chant some sort of dark curse on her. In their eyes, she was some sort of moon demon. What a joke. 

Maybe she will become something along the lines of a moon demon just to humble them. Wouldn’t that be an interesting turn of events. 

But here it was different. Meika was certain that Kumogakure had information that pertained to her clan's name, as well as its bloodline, and so far she had no troubles with greedy or hateful people. The people within these mountains didn’t really seem to mind, let alone even bother giving her name a second thought. That was the way she liked it. 

“The moon is beautiful anyways. .” Meika’s voice was hushed within the night as she gazed upon the sky. She was a night owl, someone who felt at peace with the dark hours. She wouldn’t mind being some demon who thrived beneath the glowing light of the hanging moon. 

It wasn’t as if demons frightened her anyways. Her clan was associated with the concept of spirits and astral abilities. 

Besides. . Meika had plenty of demons within her thoughts. What kind of ninja didn’t. 

This sort of life wasn’t something one could live without being chased by something within themselves. 

“Ah- that is something else I need to remember,” Meika recalled something she decided a little while back, during one of her doctor visits. After talking with the Enyo woman, Meika had made the decision to purchase a weapon before her big mission. Just something simple just in case. It wouldn’t hurt to have a tool of steel hidden at her side. She needed to stop forgetting about that. Maybe she will go ahead and visit one of the blacksmiths tomorrow? Take a look around and see what was available for her. Nothing too big. 

Some time had passed as the woman was lost within her thoughts. To the point that she had hardly realized the sounds of the running water against rocks. Meika almost didn’t realize that she was already walking along the side of the stream. The one that she visited before. 

During her last visit at this stream, Meika witnessed a beautiful scenery within the clear water. The two yin yang koi fish was a memory that was engraved within her head. She never wanted to forget that time. The black and white fish dancing amongst themselves, two lovers circling each other in their own little world. If Meika would hope for anything, she hoped that those two yin yang fish lived on together. Never shall they be forced apart. Shall they live on side by side, capable of dancing forever. And shall they leave the world as one. So that the other doesn’t become lonely. Don’t let them live the same fate as her. 

“Fish probably don’t have feelings anyways. . I’m just being silly and sad.” 

Two fingers withdrew a summoning paper from within her shawl. The paper was slightly wrinkled, but a very useful tool to matter. Meika placed the paper carefully within the flowing water, a few rocks on top to hold it within the place. The water wouldn’t sweep it away. 

After that, Meika felt satisfied. Her hands fumbled with her shawl as she looked within the water. She was searching for those two special koi fish, but her phantom eyes failed to find them. Her lips formed a small frown of disappointment. “Well. . I guess it is about time to head back. “ -Exit-

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{TWC: 2,757}
{Claims} 25% discount from max stats
Singularity (750/750) training the A rank from B rank
Minus Field (750/750) C rank
Basic Sealing (375/375)
Temporary Paralysis (882/1,125) C rank

Also dropping another one of these in the water. . 
Water Summoning Paper

All looks good to me, so approved! Please don't forget to add your claims to your stat page