Growing Tales

Human Form/Present Appearance:

A causal day within Thunderpeak Campus as the storm of Kumogakure stirred outside, Hikari rested at a table with a multitude of books sprawled out before her. Her focus shifted from one to another as she was using other reference material to bounce around the idea that she was focused on, bloodlines and heritage. Though presently she did not look unique, her blood has a distinction to it and she was curious on how best to learn more about it other than simply trying to sort through her family's records. That was not an option as she shuddered. There was a lot of weight she needed to consider and get off her before she handled that but until then she knew she had more to focus on before her. She recently learned a bit to be attuned to the spirits around her as nifty little lingering remnants of spirits could be used to help bolster her techniques. She felt the chakra within her stir as it called out quietly though she could not make out the words.

A light sigh escaped the lips of the disguised Kitsune. She stared towards a window in the campus and looked towards the thundering skies that loomed overhead. She played her part so far and it was just a matter of time before she took on a new role within the village of Kumogakure no Sato. She wanted to grow and develop her power to become an asset to the village that had helped her stabilize as much as she had. Realistically it was a selfish wish to want to provide more for the village but it is one of those situations where her selfishness played a part in the whole. Yeah her actions were motivated by individualistic ideals and notions but Hikari was happy nonetheless with the results she was getting from her progression. As she was fostered by the village, she too would foster its growth. She saw it as a symbiotic relationship, to say the least. With that thought clearing her head she thought of her bloodline. Perhaps it was also a symbiotic relationship for her to consider. With that in mind, she closed the plethora of books that were scattered on the table putting them back where they belonged before heading to a different section of the library portion of the campus in pursuit of a different theory of thought.

WC: 400, TWC: 400

It was a rare case indeed that Akira would find himself deigning this place with his presence. He was more of a.... hands on type, the idea of reading was a bit out of his depth. But he was sure that even the Raikage would spend his time reading, at least somewhat. He had awoken early in the morning and performed his blood rituals, realizing that he was beginning to run low on his blood vials. Making a mental note of that as he left his home.

He would of course be wearing his best attire, as he always would. A stark black button up shirt with pearl buttons along the front, with his tight fitting black pants that hugged his form in a snug fashion. He would wear his overcoat, but he wouldn't have his arms through the sleeves, but instead having the overcoat just hanging over his shoulders as he walked through the village. He would have his massive sword hanging off of his back with it being within it's sheath. He would think of the beauty that it would be for when he can finally get his hands on the scythe that he been dreaming of for so long.

He considered going to the training grounds, as he would normally do on a daily basis. But his darling and lovely Asuka had beckoned him to the campus, something he had dreaded through the night. He was worried as he remembered when he and Asuka had gone there previously. They organized files and were neck deep with parchment, a place that he still had nightmares about. He brushed it out of his mind when he considered how much fun that day ended up being, so it wasn't a complete wash in his mind. He neared the campus, he could see it just around the corner, and he felt a sense of calm wash over him.

He knew that he wasn't there to organize files, thank the gods. But instead, he was there to begin to learn more about the bukijutsu and taijutsu techniques that were at the tips of his fingers, that he never truly gave the time of day in the form of pen and paper. That and when he got to come to the campus, he got to practice using his strange eye abilities to see people's chakra, and on occasion, he got to see the most beautiful of all sights, an ocean of blood when his eyes decide to treat him with extra care.

He would cross the threshold of the campus, and he would spot immediately a rather studious woman with several book before her. She would dance from one to the other with a rather impressive succession. "My, my. How horrid." He would think to himself. He decided that he would approach the woman, just as a means to say hi, and who knows, maybe gain a friend. Approaching the table, he did his best to not seem like his usual off putting self. Instead he took his notes that he had taken from Asuka. "Smile. Calm voice. No creepy eyes. Soft eyes. I can do this." He looked around once more for Asuka, his darling who was supposed to meet him there, but she was nowhere to be seen. He decided that he was still going to try and do this socializing thing... on his own. Even if it was scary.

He arrived at the table and sat down on the other side. He would do his best to have eyes that would be welcoming, and not worrisome, and his voice would glide through the air between them as he began to speak. "Why, hello there darling. It is a pleasure to see such a studious individual within this place. If I'm honest this amount of paper seems quite... daunting truly. You seem quite impressive." He would allow his words to hang there, hoping for a response from the individual before him.


WC: 660

Recently Asuka has been a bit more dedicated to her shinobi training, after spending time with Akira she found herself getting used to the idea of honing her skills. Though he knew she could keep up with his regular training routine, she wanted to take a more academic approach. Not everything needed to be difficult, and if studying some scrolls would help the process, she was more than happy to indulge in some reading. She knew however that Akira would much rather meet at the training grounds, but she had begged him to take a break and meet her at the campus instead.

That morning Asuka would awaken rather early in the morning and began getting ready. After making herself some breakfast, just some simple eggs and toast, Asuka would return to her room to get dressed for the day. She’d pull on one of her elegant white kimonos that had gold and brown embroidery on the sleeves and bottom. Since it was rather chilly, she decided to keep her long white hair down and not in some sort of bun.

Soon she would leave her home, ensuring to lock the door behind her upon her exit. At a relatively slow pace, Asuka would then begin to walk toward the campus. She was a bit stressed as she navigated the bustling streets around her, she hated having this many people congested in one place. It wouldn’t take her too long before she approached the campus, and after asking for some assistance she was directed to the library. She would make her way through the campus, though she’d soon find a familiar sight.

Sitting at a table with a young woman was Akira, just seemingly sitting down himself. She would pause for a moment, wanting to see what he was planning on doing. However, it looked as if the woman was rather busy scanning through various books at once so Asuka decided to intervene. She would quietly approach from behind Akira, not wanting to make herself known to him quite yet. Asuka stopped walking just as she reached his side, then she very quickly bonked him on top of his head gently before smiling sweetly at the woman.

”Hello! Please excuse my dear boyfriend, clearly he’s blind and has lost the ability to tell when somebody is busy. My name is Asuka, it’s wonderful to meet you”

She’d remove her hand from his head and offer the woman an apologetic bow.

WC:413

The hairs on the back of Hikari's neck rose at the initial comment as she turned to look at the man who had approached her. The call-out and words quickly sent a chill down her spine as she could tell she was in her true form and that her body would have viscerally reacted negatively to Akira's gesture. Her ears twinged at the words and felt her face flush relatively quick at the words that were spoken. It seemed kindhearted enough though her mind went racing immediately especially at the last comment as her eyes almost seemed to shift to that of a cornered animal before another voice entered the mental space of the table. A woman's voice eased her tension visibly as she released a bit of her body's initial response as Asuka's commentary reached out and did a verbal reprimanding of Akira's sudden greeting. Though it was clear to her that the young adult was genuine in his efforts, it was clear that socializing was something the two of them were more used to unlike the late-teen before them.

Hikari let the book down on the table and released a breath that was held before giving a slight bow of her head in recognition of Asuka's introduction, "It is a.. pleasure to meet you Asuka-san." She said with a brief pause, thoughts obviously spurring within the very visible bookworm. Her attire seemed a little out of place for the studious type as her chestnut hair was stylized and proper and she seemed a tad bit younger than her appearance would make her out to seem. Her headband rested on her clavicle indicating that she was in fact a genin of the village who seemed to find refuge and rest in a rather unorthodox place for the average shinobi. Kumogakure was known for its military might and the contrast of her rather stylish attire and dedicated book reading was sure to stir thoughts of the other two. Hikari took in both of their appearances to the best of her ability to start gauging them as she seemed to have a knack for running into young prodigies and older veterans of various situations within the village.

Recognizing a slightly longer than desired pause, her flushed face deepened a tad before she blinked a few times and returned a smile attempting to move the conversation along, "It is quite alright. I'm sure the blind still need lessons to read about." She said adding to the slight dig at Akira before returning her attention to the man. "It is a pleasure to meet you and your significant other. My name is Hikari Kobayashi. As much as the documentation before you is a daunting amount for you, my usual volume of literature and essays typically range from this for light reading to about triple the quantity for a wider range of qualitative analysis on my behalf." She began to speak waiting to see the older of the two's response to her rhetoric. It seemed to her that between the two, Asuka would likely get a chuckle out of this while Akira would likely shirk at the remark she made. She was curious to see the response variance between the two of them as she looked up and down trying to spot their headbands.

WC: 550, TWC 950

He felt a solid impact on the back of his head. He would recoil from the strike, as it felt like a familiar hand. He would look over and see the most beautiful woman in the village. His face would brighten as he looked upon her. "My dear, beautiful, sweet, and amazing Asuka!" He would speak slightly louder but still keep respect for the safety of the library. This brightness would quickly leave his face when she talked to the woman across the table, and his head would fall slightly as he made his realization, "Shit..." He began, covering his mouth when he realized he had sworn. "I'm sorry. I don't generally know how to speak to people in this setting. Forgive my being forward, darl-" he would stop himself. "Friend."

He would smile weakly, rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand. The woman would begin to speak about the amount of... stuff she would read. He would feign an interest, doing his best to seem as though that didn't seem entirely miserable. He would occasionally let out an "ah" and an "oh" as she spoke, trying to seal the illusion that he was interested in that level of reading, knowing full well he wasn't.

He would lean back in his chair, put his fingers against his chin, stroking it slightly. Finally, he would let go of his facade. "That sounds dreadful. But I am so pleased to see someone would find such an interest in the more," he paused, "academic endeavors." A crooked smile crept across his lips, trying to seem sincere. He would then turn to his dear Asuka. He would give her a look, hoping that she would just read his mind as to what he was saying. His face would portray a man struggling with his words, practically begging her to take over the whole talking thing.

He would stand up and pull out a seat for Asuka. When he stood, he would hug Asuka if she would allow it, whispering in her ear, "I failed at the whole socializing thing; please help me, darling. I fear I am not yet equipped for such a conversation. She's scary." He would say all this quickly and as quietly as he could, and she would sit on the chair beside him.

When he would finish pushing her chair back into place, he would bow and say, "I'm going to... go over there and grab a," he would wince at the thought, "A book." Another strained smile would plaster itself onto his face and he would walk away. He would spend his next few minutes grabbing a book that seemed not the worst thing to read, and he would return to the table that the girls were sitting at, hoping that Asuka had found a way to make his issues somehow go away with her natural pleasant and wonderful demeanor and attitude.

WC: 487
TWC: 1147

Asuka would rub Akira’s back lightly and giggled as Hikari took a slight dig at Akira. She knew how he could come off to some people, so she held no ill feelings against the young woman before her. Hikari would introduce herself and then continue to explain that this was light reading for her which Asuka appreciated. Though she wasn’t very studious, Asuka had found herself in similar situations while trying to figure out the correct amount of ingredients for different dishes. At times she would often have 5 or 6 different books open as she attempted to find the appropriate measurements for the various recipes she was creating.

Akira would respond as Hikiari finished speaking, nothing that he found the task to be rather ”dreadful.” Asuka sighed and gave him a reassuring look as he finished speaking and gazed at her. As he stood and pulled out a chair for her, she felt his hands around her waist as he pulled her in for a hug. After confiding in her, she’d squeeze him tightly, hoping that it would reassure him. Soon he would release her, and as he did she would smile at him then began speaking.

”Would you be a dear and grab me some books from the medical section? I’d like to look through some of them but am unable to reach the ones on the higher shelf.

She’d pat him on the back before asking Hikari if it was alright to sit with her while she waited for him to return. If allowed to sit, Asuka would happily sit in the seat Akira had pulled out for her. As he walked away, she would turn her attention back to Hikari and give her a pleasant smile. Asuka was seemingly a rather charming young woman who had a comforting aura that surrounded her at all times. Most would find her calm voice relaxing to those who listened to her.

”What are you reading about if I may ask? I could assist you if you’d like, unlike Akira, I find comfort in being surrounded by books and scrolls as well.”

Her offer seemed to be one of genuine interest and curiosity without a hint of malice. She would patiently wait for Hikari to respond as she kept an eye out for Akira to return with the books she requested.

WC: 397
Total WC: 810

Seeing the two interact, it was clear that they were together and Hikari shifted a bit. The difference in love that others show was something she was not well acquainted with. Thankfully it appeared that Akira was not long for a discussion to the level that Hikari spoke on. It was something that she shifted a bit in her chair as she began to gather up the reading materials in front of her to potentially pack up but it appeared that the duo were intending to be in Thunderpeak Campus' Library for the day. When Asuka brought up medical literature, if Hikari's ears were out they would have folded down but thankfully it was just her eyes that lurched towards her own assortment as any tell for Asuka to pick up on.

Akira was an odd one to Hikari but it was clear he was trying and that was more than enough for her to deem him worth some degree of understanding. She was not one to make friends easily and she was trying to get better at it. Even though these two seemed a lot more vocally present than she preferred, she did end up making friends with Hibiki who was her junior by quite a degree of years so making friends with others her senior in age would not be a bad thing too considering her sister was about a decade older then her and they were able to hang out and chat. With Asuka gesturing towards the seat that was pulled, Hikari would offer a nod before beginning to close a few of the books when the Hyuuga pressed for more information about what she was reading.

Hikari's face had an awkward smile emerge as she revealed the first two books she had closed, Space-Time Theory of Relativity and Applications and The Illusion of Reality, How to Coincide the Real and the Fake. Two drastically different books that were indicative of the woman that Hikari was. There was applicable knowledge in both books for her as much as one was clearly a scientific thesis on applicable mathematical understanding the second seemed almost like a comparative understanding of mirages and the assortment of situations where one's vision was lying to their brain. It was a heavy conceptual book of personal experiences. She shrugged at this, "Just exploring concepts pertaining to my intended focus for technique creation and development. Alongside expanding my knowledge base to better help work towards improving the village's systems and understanding." She began to explain before catching herself and giving a light nod.

"I look at figuring out more ways to help the village through my specialties." She simplified before rambling and further. She adjusted the two books and slid them across to Asuka so she could inspect the covers and the contents if she was interested in learning more about those specific subjects. "Perhaps the understanding of medical practices would be beneficial to.." She started and paused before she shuddered slightly then continued, "Better look towards Research and Development." She continued before adjusting herself slightly in her seat. She had a general knowledge base of medical practices through her father but it was not a pleasant idea to consider. She was small for her age and she attributed that to her life and energy being used to survive through ailments and procedures when she was younger. She expressly chose her present attire to reaffirm that she was not a child or a preteen.

It was when that thought train began to leave that her eyes focused on the pile of books before her. Perhaps she was escaping away from the normal means of making friends due to the fact that she found solace in understanding things that were more concrete or reading the stories of those who were unable to separate between reality and their own thoughts. She closed her eyes to refocus before returning to look to see what Asuka's thoughts were. Hopefully, the two books were distracting enough for Asuka so that Hikari had time for a small existential crisis before she took note of her reactions. Surely there was something that Akira could get involved in but Hikari was not sure.

WC: 700, TWC: 1,650

"Damn books" He woul think to himself as he fingered the many spines along the shelves. He was not one for reading, as he had been completely plain to the others in his life, and by others he means basically Asuka and Zansu. He found himself in a region of the library marked for "Research and Development". He wasn't sure just what books that Asuka even needed. Medical techniques, I mean that could mean so many things! But he didn't mind the vague instruction, she was kind enough to get him out of the conversation with that... individual and that was help enough.

She seemed like a fine person, but there was no way that he would be able to speak with that woman and have any semblance of a coherent conversation with her. It was during these times of contemplation that he realized that Asuka was very similar to this girl. They were both smart and intelligent, while he was more... He honestly didn't really know what to call himself. He had spent his adolescence in the orphanage, constantly in trouble, and then he would spend most of his young adult years that he had lived so far as a male escort for women who were just as lonely as he was.

Now he didn't have that part of him anymore, since he had sworn it off in exchange for having Asuka in his life. So now he was unsure of what he even was. He didn't have any particular skills, he didn't have any talents to really seem helpful. He wasn't very smart, read, or learned. Instead he was just something good to look at, but the only person that he cared to have look at him was his beloved. When he spoke to Asuka, she made him feel special, but when he spoke to people like the girl Hikari, he just felt so useless.

He would spend the next few minutes sulking to himself, feigning the searching for books to not seem so obvious that he was depressed. He would find a few books that had a symbol resembling that of medical practices, a red cross, a heart and the like. He was sure that he was grabbing the wrong things, but he didn't know what to really look for.

When he had some books in his arm, he began walking back to the table, dreading each step that he took closer to the table. He would turn the corner and see the two in a conversation. Part of him wanted to run out the door. Just leave this place behind him so he didn't have to face the woman and her intelligence, but he couldn't leave his Asuka. If he wasn't good at anything else, he was at least good at being determined to do something once he realized he wanted it. He would approach the table with a silent gait, but of course his sheer size would give away his position.

He would provide a weak smile to the two of them and set the books onto the table next to Asuka. He would sit down at the table, and he would stay quiet. He would try to catch some of the words that were sent between the two, and of course he would respond if spoken to. But he didn't want to show himself to be depressed like he was, or useless like he felt. So he would stay quiet and try to keep his confident and laid back facade that everything was fine within his mind. Asuka would likely be able to catch his subtle differences, but this stranger would likely miss it.

WC: 610
TWC: 1757

Asuka would watch as Hikari closed the two books in front of her, revealing them to be more than a bit of “light reading.” She would have a bit of a shocked expression on her face as she examined the titles while listening to Hikari speak. In all honesty, Asuka felt a bit out of her league, at least on an intellectual level. Out of her friend group, she was always the more studious one while Akira and Zansu partook in other hobbies. However, compared to the young woman in front of her Asuka was significantly less versed than her. Regardless if most of the information would fly over her head, she wanted to try at least to understand what Hikari was trying to tell her. The young woman thankfully would realize potentially that Asuka was having a bit of a hard time understanding exactly what she meant and clarified that she was simply looking for new ways to help the village.

She could understand why Hikari had such a goal. As a child, Asuka’s parents had tried to keep her away from her duties as a village shinobi in order to protect her. However, now she found herself feeling a sense of longing for something more in her life. She knew she would never be able to be one of the people on the front lines, she didn’t have the stomach for it and was unsure if she could kill another person if the need arose. For the time being she was primarily volunteering her time at the hospital and was focused on learning different times of procedures. She contemplated trying to become a doctor or nurse previously, but it never felt like a good fit for her.

Hikari would then slide the books over to her, and Asuka would pick up the one about space-time. She’d open it and began to quickly flip through the pages frantically looking for anything she knew about. The book may as well have been in a different language she thought to herself as she skimmed its pages. After a few moments of glancing at various pages through slightly squinted eyes, Asuka would gently close the book and place it on top of the other one. She would smile as Hikari brought up the “Research and Development” section, finally something she actually knew about. Although Hikari seemed rather uninterested or off-put by the subject Asuka would attempt to switch topics.

Thankfully as she was trying to think of what to say, she noticed Akira coming back to the table with a handful of books in his arms. Unfortunately, though he didn’t seem to be enjoying his time here as he looked to be a bit solemn. With a cheerful smile, Asuka would accept the medical books he had found and place them in front of her. After placing a reassuring hand on Akira’s leg, she took a few moments to skim through the pile with her other hand before shrugging a bit and returning her attention back to Hikari.

”I don’t believe I can be much of assistance to you unfortunately, I don’t know a thing about space-time! Though I would love to hang out sometime, I have a home just a little ways from here and would love to have you by for dinner one night! Maybe you can show me a thing or two about space-time and I can show you…. Hmmm.. I don’t know. Do you know how to cook and or bake? I could always give you some tips and tricks in that regard!”

Asuka smiled embarrassingly as she was unsure of what she could possibly offer to do with Hikari. Though she was a bit younger than Asuka, she didn’t think the age difference would cause too much of an issue.

WC:636
Total WC: 1446

Seeing Akira returning and the reaction that Asuka had to her own light reading, Hikari began to realize there was much for herself to improve on. She wanted to make a difference and coming off brash or rude was not the way to go about it. She had to recognize that just being overbearing for the sake of it was not the method of help that would produce a better village. There was much learning to do and in a lot of ways, the nerdy kitsune was lacking in a lot of ways for her social development. When Asuka's attention returned to herself as she spoke up once more. The words were coming from a place of genuine interest in herself rather than the words she had spoken about. There have always been a multitude of reasons for people to show interest in an individual.

Hikari's thoughts raced for a brief moment before returning to the conundrum at hand when her gaze moved from Asuka to Akira and gave a light nod. "Perhaps a change of scenery would be beneficial to the easement conversation and..." She paused a moment before offering a forgiving look towards Akira specifically, "Working to become friends?" It was unclear to her the reason for the discomfort or the small idiosyncrasies that plagued the man but the hand motion that Asuka did was one she understood heavily. There was a pang of pain that was behind her eyes when she recognized the motion and putting the volume of tomes collected and time away from the two, Akira's initial commentary and Asuka's reaction when he returned made it clear that Hikari was rude to their venture into Thunderpeak Campus.

She gave a light bow of her head as she sat there to the two, "I apologize if my actions have caused woes. My upbringing has resulted in a rather inept social understanding and most individuals I've more directly interacted with so far have been well ahead of me while also being generally healthier in a few avenues of comparison." She started looking at the books before she began to stack them. "It appears that my specialties are not standard within our village and I hope that gives me an avenue towards my goals in a different way as compared to most. Having the abilities and understanding of different applications of techniques from a wide spread of sections of shinobi arts is vital for the overall health of the village." Hikari spoke once more as her fingers idly traced the cover of the books she showed Asuka returning her attention to the couple.

"I think the spread of people here is a good balance of what we should be striving for as a village. The proportion of needs being met is one that we have to all recognize and accept. Perhaps I can do what I can to help support you two as myself and conversely, you two support me in ways that I cannot." She proposed to the duo recognizing that learning comes in many forms and the chances were that she would see them more in the future if their interactions together improved. The other piece to consider was how their friendship would grow and the impacts that would have on their professional growth and careers within the village. She had aspirations and knew no one truly went down the path of the shinobi if there was not a reason or rationale. It was one of those thoughts that Hikari had as she peered at the two, her eyes fixating on them, curious on their why.

WC: 600, TWC: 2,250