ok shorter name ye [p]

[kohaku]

Okay so today is surprisingly a nice day, it's not rainy and shit like all the other Spring days I've witnessed in Taki.  Accordingly, I, Kohaku Takeuchi, have decided to treat myself to some ice cream and maybe some alcohol.  Or, I would, if I were old enough.  Ice cream it is unless I can find a cute girl, or god forbid a fucking dude, that will be willing to buy a minor some shnops.  Or, whatever the slang is.

Walking down the street I took in the copious amount of people that passed by.  I knew none of them but I decided that I hated them.  A few smiled at me, some nodded at me as if it was a new form of greeting.  I paid none of them respect; except for the considerably attractive woman that raised a hand to wave at me as she passed.  Being me, I did the same and high fived her,  I heard a giggle from behind as we departed.  I grunted and picked up my pace, gripping my hat and pulling the sides over my
 ears.  

Ughh, I inwardly groaned.

I reached my destination.  Slowing to a halt, I took in the sight of the ice cream stand.  Or shop, whatever the hell it was.  My point being, I was about to get some mother fucking ice cream.  Chocolate, god yes, chocolate, probably with some sprinkles of course.

Approaching the otherwise adorable girl that would take my order, I smiled as pleasantly as I could manage.  

"Hi," I managed.
"Hello."
"Can I, uh...have chocolate ice cream?"
She nodded. "In a bowl?"
"What? God, no." I crinkled my nose, taken aback by the awful question.  Who would choose a bowl given the option of a cone.
"Oh, alright." She let out a small chuckle. "How big?"
"Hella big."
"S-so a large, ma'am?"
Ma'am?? I looked younger than her, fucking what the fuck. I frowned. "..yea, that one."

She did something with the cash-holding-device, verbally giving me a specific amount of money.  Money of which I graciously handed over.   A few moments later I was given a fucking delicious looking ice cream cone.  I forgot to ask for sprinkles, but I couldn't wait.  I plunged that shit against my lips before I even strode away, lapping at it furiously as I stumbled across the checkered-tile floor, taking a seat at the bar on one of those circle chairs.  It was dark red, matching nothing in the vicinity.  I look up and took in the surrounding.  This place was pretty empty.  I might even consider staying for another ice cream.

[Deleted]

[Enter]

[/i] part. I didn't even live in it, I had just been a fucking brat who thought she was a fucking badass and could take that shit.

An entirely correct brat, but a brat nonetheless.

Grudgingly, I had to admit that there was some warmth in the familiarity of the place. Just a little taller than the rest of the crowd (and carrying a fuckton more metallic objects), I strolled along with my gaze aloft, immune to the intrusive glances from the general populace. It was almost as though they'd never seen a fucking ninja before. In a ninja village. Ugh. It had been so much nicer on the road.

Admittedly, the tower shield on my back was probably kind of obtrusive. I almost clanked as I walked, like some kind of robot. The unadulterated blue sky was a nice sight, I had to admit. Wasn't used to the sun being that hot though. Fuck. Any sort of heat really exemplified how impractical a choice of attire my heavy ass black coat really was.

My gaze descended in time to notice an ice cream parlor to my right, and my gaze lingered a little. Hey, I had just fucking aced a stressful (to put it mildly) exam, ostensibly advanced my military rank, confessed apparently requited feelings to... well, I suppose my girlfriend, and it was a sunny day.

There is literally no better checklist for icecream. Fuck it all.

Funny how militant I looked as I pushed open the entrance and crossed the threshold to the sound of your stereotypical little bell jangle, noticing that there was only one other patron as I reached up over my shoulder and unslung the bronze-painted tower shield from my back, setting it down beside the doorway. If anyone tried to nick it somehow, I could always smash their skull against the wall. That was an effective solution to a great number of problems.

It was difficult not to at least pass a glance at the other girl. She was shorter than me - about as tall as Isabella, but seemingly younger - with bright orange hair virtually the same colour as mine, but considerably longer. She wore a red jumper and a cat-eared black cap, which was kind of cute and funny-looking in the same instant. That's as much as I caught before my socially acceptable glance period expired, and I looked towards the server.

"Hello. What can I get you today?" She promptly asked, smiling at me. Meh, every flavor was ice cream, yo. Still: "Um. Just one serve of chocolate, I suppose. Thanks." I replied, probably examining this issue a little too deeply to be normal. "In a bowl?" Was her response. I frowned, almost offended. "What? No. A cone, thanks." Was my rebuttal. She looked almost miffed as she moved to comply. Um, the fuck?

I realized half way through her serving me that my money was hidden in a rather awkward compartment of my coat's interior, and I ferreted around in order to retrieve it on time, with no awkward as shit pause. The trade was made successfully; I had acquired ice cream for myself. Success.

I didn't move far from the counter: A nice medium between the woman and the girl was achieved, and I sat down peacefully to indulge in this little treat I had gifted myself - or well, paid for.

The girl, though. She was always in the corner of my eye, even as I began to lick at the cold sweet. Like, I had never seen anyone else with a hair colour like that. We could almost be related. Hah. Weird thought. You don't think that about strangers, surely?

Fuck, was I still staring?[/ul][/div]

[kohaku]

Loving up my ice cream, I barely registered the sound of the door bell jingling. Reluctantly, I picked up my head to examine the girl. I watched as shrugged off a ridiculously big shield, setting it down. Was she fucking stupid? Why leave something so shiny and pretty and fucking cool just laying there.  Regardless, I felt an odd sense of platonic longing for the girl.  For one, she was attractive, that was for sure.  But in a way that I wouldn't want to snog her, ya digg?  Like...well, I don't know, but isn't that how you should feel about relatives?  A sister, even?  

I let out a soft snort of amusement at that abundant thought.

She had short fiery hair, close to my hair colour in retrospect, which was an odd sight to take in considering most people around here got weird ass coloured hair, not usually a pretty red like that.  She was tall; very fucking tall.  In retrospect, at least.  And she was wearing a god awful cloak that I would definitely never, ever want.  I must have it.

I glanced away as the girl began to turn her gaze to me, hopefully avoiding a need to communicate.  The last thing I need is socialization.  Hah, fuck that.  I overheard her ask for chocolate, and the lady asking about the need for a bowl once again.  I snickered audibly, pressing my own chocolatey goodness against my tongue as the redhead took her seat fairly close to mine.

Assuming it was safe to look, I turned my eyes slightly, just enough to drink her in a bit more.  I gulped upon noticing she, too, thought it was okay to glance my way.  I averted my eyes, aggressively taking in my sprinkle-less ice cream nervously.  Fuck, why was I nervous?  I'm never fucking nervous.  Silently, I tried to pluck the wings off the butterflies in my stomach.

[Deleted]

[/b] Well, you know, I really couldn't think of anything better. I frowned mildly in her direction. "You alright?" I asked with that same moderate tone. I chuckled a bit, kind of okay with talking now that I was actually doing it. "Sorry for staring. I just liked the color of your hair, I guess. Which... sounds narcissistic because it's like the same as mine, but..." I did not look happy with my words. "Uh, well, it's... sorta rare, is all."

There. Damage control.[/ul][/div]

[kohaku]

Minding my business now, I licked at my cream of ice. But then she spoke. Her voice wasn't as deep as I would have imagined.

"Hey, kid."
Oh, okay, I'm a kid. Well, I mean...it wasn't offensive, actually. I am a kid, in actuality. I turned my head to her as nonchalantly as possible. "Yeh?"
"You alright?"
What an odd question, was I alright? I wanted to tell her not to ask me stupid questions, but she continued before I could accommodate.
"Sorry for staring. I just liked the color of your hair, I guess. Which... sounds narcissistic because it's like the same as mine, but... Uh, well, it's... sorta rare, is all."
Somehow, I knew what she was talking about. So, I replied accordingly.
"Yeah, I get that. I, uh, don't actually know what's wrong." I forced a laugh, but it got caught in my throat so I swallowed hard and returned my lips to my ice cream. I turned in my seat completely now, however, my front facing her generously. "Anyway, uh..." I held my ice cream on my knees, examining the woman more thoroughly now that I basically had permission. "I'm Kohaku."

[Deleted]

[/b]

The memories that resurrected were evident on my face; I froze momentarily, and stared, wide-eyed, right through the girl at something very far away and very long ago. The memories were vague and narrow in detail, but there was always frame that shone through in clarity; her little infant form, clutched to my chest, a feeling of infinite love and affection swelling next to where her tiny head lay.

My little sister. Stolen away so long ago, just like the rest of my family, one way or another.

What brought me back down to the earth was a cold trickling down my thumb - I looked back to my left hand and found a thin trail of melted chocolate progressing downward. "Shit," I cursed, and reached for a napkin with my empty hand, hastily dabbing the stickiness away and licking around the brim of the cone to protect against further invasions, before looking up again. I didn't know how to fucking respond, actually. She even... had the same color hair, but it couldn't be her. It was just fate playing cruel tricks on me, as it was wont to do.

I ended up just staring at the girl a moment longer, obviously trying to reclaim a hold on myself.

"Uh, sorry it's just, uh, it's a nice name I just... ahah, I... I had a little sister, once, with uh, the same name. But um," - I swallowed the newly forming lump in my throat down before continuing - "She uh, she was kidnapped when I was young." And when I continued to look at her, I had to apologize again. "Sorry, that's uh, that's fucking intense. It's just that, well you almost l-... nevermind. I'm Kaoru. Kaoru Takeuchi." And then I smiled again, a little sadly. "Nice to meet you, Kohaku."

Takigakure really wanted to press the shock of homecoming on me as much as possible, it seemed.

I would have to lick my icecream again. I'd forgotten that they could become a nuisance if left unchecked for like two seconds.[/ul][/div]

[kohaku]

Wow, she must really hate my name, then, considering the dumbstruck look on her face. But then she began to explain herself after cleaning up her small mess. What she began to say didn't seem nostalgic at all if not just depressing.

"Uh, sorry it's just, uh, it's a nice name I just... ahah, I... I had a little sister, once, with uh, the same name. But um."

Wait, that sounds...

"She uh, she was kidnapped when I was young."

No, stop, this isn't right, it can't be. No, no, no. Stop, I'm going to cry; you must be able to tell now, you're apologizing. I can feel my facial features tense as I clutch my cone to an alarming grip.

"Sorry, that's uh, that's fucking intense. It's just that, well you almost l-... nevermind. I'm Kaoru. Kaoru Takeuchi."

She smiled.
And my heart broke.

"Nice to meet you, Kohaku."

"No," I whispered in reply as I stood up quickly, looking at her, taking in her sight. "No, you'r lying," I hissed, my cone breaking in my fist.  "This is a sick fucking joke.  Y-you, no."  I felt tears in my eyes.  "Y-you don't really fucking expect me...to...no."

This would have been too convenient.  No, I fucking wasn't sitting eating ice cream with my fucking sister, no.  That!  That, above everything, is the one thing in life I would want.  So, no, life wouldn't fucking just hand my sister to me.  Life wouldn't hand me back to her, which she obviously displayed w longing for.

I wanted to believe it.  But I knew it wasn't true.

"Did Mei put you up to this?  Who the fuck are you?"  My hands hung at my sides now, chocolate and waffle cone dripping from my fingertips.  I was going to be sticky, but right now, I couldn't care less about anything hut the girl in front of me.  I prayed to anyone who would fucking listen that this was really happening.

"I'm Kohaku Takeuchi," I breathed.  

The lady who had served us was trying to avoid us now, presumably.  'Kaoru' was the only person I could see through my blurry vision.

[Deleted]

[/i] she displayed. Abruptly, she stood up, her stool wailing across the tiles at how suddenly it had been disembarked. Her ice cream was crushed in her hand, and I, for my part, looked shocked, confused, and a little hurt. What was going on here?

"No... No, you'r lying. This is a sick fucking joke. Y-you, no. Y-you don't really fucking expect me...to...no."

Slowly, with a frown on my brow, I, too, rose from my seat, and stared forth at her. What was with her reaction?

The more I looked at her, the more it struck me that we really were incredibly similar. She looked just like a younger me... it couldn't be her, surely, not after all these years, I couldn't know, there was just no guarantee that... WHAT THE FUCK WAS THIS?

"Did Mei put you up to this? Who the fuck are you?" Who the fuck was Mei? I almost said that out loud, but I was too awe struck to even speak. She knew my name, that was it, that has to have been it. Would my... my dad, even being the bastard he was, would he have mentioned me? Was this my fucking half-sister? That memory that I had left behind with my hometown, the pangs of sadness buried deeply with the 'what-if's and the'if-only's?

I hadn't even let myself believe that she was alive.

"I'm Kohaku Takeuchi," She breathed, the words thrusting through my heart like a spear.

The tears that welled up stung my eyes. I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from crying. Look at her, I thought. She was so beautiful and yet so terrifying. The abyss that I had gouged out between me and my past with years of drunken, mindless behavior, the probable source of the apparently infinite hatred that burned at the very depth of my soul... to see her standing there sealed it up in an instant, and the force of it hit me like a truck.

How fucking long had she lived here? Had we passed each other in the street, never knowing? Had she wondered where I was in the world, as I had for her?

I sniffled and set my icecream down on the counter, stolidly holding in my tears and swiping the escapees away with the back of my hand. "I don't know who the fuck Mei is," I said first, just to get that confusing little obstruction out of the way, "but I do know who you are." And it was that sentence that almost broke me again. I tried to bite down on the sadness and the regret and -

"...Sis...? I... I'm sorry..." But it came anyway. "I'M SO SORRY SIS! I didn't know where he'd taken you, I didn't know where you were, I didn't even know if you were still alive!"

I threw as many excuses and apologies out as I could, but it just made me feel worse; a ravenous beast was eating away at my heart, so agonizing that it took me a moment to realize something tragically amusing.

"Huh... you... probably don't even remember me at all." I said, a little more composed. I chuckled sadly and sniffled again.[/ul][/div]

[kohaku]

It was her. It was really, truly, honest to a nonexistent god, my fucking sister. This became clear as she stared at me. I barely had enough will power to softly shake my head in disbelief, my eyes never leaving her gorgeous green orbs as she wailed.

"I don't know who the fuck Mei is," was the first thing out of her mouth. I snorted, "but I do know who you are."

I was choking up, so when I tried to open my mouth to speak, nothing came out.

"...Sis...? I... I'm sorry...I'M SO SORRY SIS! I didn't know where he'd taken you, I didn't know where you were, I didn't even know if you were still alive!"

"It's okay," I breathed, but evidently she didn't hear me or even acknowledge my moving lips as she went on and on with her apology. She was throwing excuses at me. They were well-deserved excuses, I suppose, but, I understood. I held no anger directed at her, right now I was just overcome with so many fucking emotions.

"Huh... you... probably don't even remember me at all."

I froze slightly. I mean, I was...really young. Am I supposed to remember you? Was I supposed to remember...remember her, my big sister? Heh, that...hm...big sister. I can't even remember my mother. I want to. Maybe I should tell you that.

Taking in a deep albeit shaky breath, I wiped at the tears on my cheeks with my clean hand as I shook my head gingerly, a smile stretching across my lips I could feel as I let out a single hard laugh. I considered taking off my eyepatch briefly, but decided against it gently.

"No, sorry. I'm afraid I don't. I've tried so hard, to remember you and mom, but...I can't recall you or her. Dad, though, he told me...about you guys..." I gulped, turning my working eye up to her as I examined her exterior. I wiped what was left on my hand off onto the counter, staggering closer before wrapping my arms around her, whether she liked it or not. I hugged her. I inhaled her scent, I was hugging her. I feel like this isn't the first time we've embraced, this feels familiar. It feels right. "I...I'm so happy you're really you. I thought he was lying. I thought he was...I thought he maybe..." I choked.

Suddenly, my vocals were cut off. For a moment I had no idea why, but it came to my attention that I had been crying. The emotions that were making me dizzy had drowned it out, my voice had escalated and then faltered. I'm sobbing into her shoulder now as I clutch her, praying she'll hug me back.

"You must think I'm pathetic," I blubbered, rubbing my face into her neck and shoulder.

[Deleted]

[/b] And, almost as though she was acting unconsciously, she stepped forward and she... hugged me.

I didn't know how to respond. For a second I was stunned. This turn of events differed significantly from my expectation, to say the least. It summoned a warm feeling in me that was almost... familiar, like that little child I had once held and smiled down at all those years ago was finally returning the gesture. I think my mouth was agape, but I made no effort to close it. "I...I'm so happy you're really you. I thought he was lying. I thought he was...I thought he maybe..." I heard, slightly muffled, and then, clutching me, she began to cry. This woke me from me reverie, and slowly, almost experimentally, I hugged her back, one hand resting behind her head. I could scarcely believe this was real.

"You must think I'm pathetic," She mumbled; I shook my head, clutching her more tightly, before realizing she couldn't see. "No, of course not..." I whispered softly. I was having some minor troubles keeping myself composed, but if she really was my little sister, then, even if I'd never been strong enough to take it before, I had a responsibility to take care of her now, and she was crying.

I didn't want her to be crying. I didn't want her to be sad.

"Don't worry, sis. I'm the pathetic one. Always. I'm just glad you're alive, that you're okay. I'm so sorry, I can't imagine what you must have been through," I said then, thinking of my murderous father and hoping he had treated her with some shred of decency he hopefully contained. Was he here? In Takigakure? For a second I could almost imagine that her crying was all his fault, and it was, and my teeth gritted, threatening to form into a snarl. The more sympathetic part of me knew this was a bad time to ask, but I couldn't stop myself. My voice was a bit lower, even though I tried to keep the anger out of it.

"Where's Dad now?"[/ul][/div]

[kohaku]

Thank God she's hugging me. It's nice, so fucking nice to be hugged like this. It was warm and she smelled...um, well, she smelled kind of like she had been doing something profusely recently, but it was a scent that I was willing to inhale.

"No, of course not..."

This isn't the real me, I swear, I don't ever cry. I want to tell you this. But right now I'm drinking in what you say, your voice is like a fucking melody that I don't ever want to stop. What was with some people, claiming to hate their siblings? This embrace could last a life time, and it wouldn't be long enough.

"Don't worry, sis. I'm the pathetic one. Always. I'm just glad you're alive, that you're okay. I'm so sorry, I can't imagine what you must have been through."

That was reassuring, but I don't want you to feel pathetic.

"Where's Dad now?"

My entire body tensed. I stopped crying audibly and I felt my eyes open wide, even the useless one under the black patch. I picked my head up slowly, making eye contact now, disallowing it to waver. My arms slipped from around her but my hands rested on her shoulders as I leaned back enough to speak.

"I don't know," I said softly.

I paused. I should tell her why I don't know.

"I ran away," I assured her before she could interrupt, "a long time ago. After he...did this to me," I thumbed my eyepatch before placing my hand back on her shoulder, "I got the fuck out of there."

She was a lot taller than I would have imagined. I had to stand on my toes to rest my forehead on her shoulder and currently I have to look up, tilt my chin up, to make eye contact. I felt short. My eye darted back and forth as I tried to view both of her eyes at once.

[Deleted]

[/b] She replied. I had been so intent on her that it took me a second to get back on track with the conversation again. "I ran away. A long time ago. After he...did this to me. I got the fuck out of there," Came the elaboration.

And I had just been about to tell her that that 'was okay'.

I was no longer crying; my tears had dried up, but their stains remained on my cheeks. I couldn't control myself, in that moment. My mouth twisted into a snarl, my teeth gritting hard enough that it was a surprise they didn't shatter. I trembled with rage.

HOW FUCKING DARE HE? WHAT POSSESSED A BEING TO THINK THAT THEY COULD MURDER A MAN THAT MY MOTHER LOVED AND DRIVE HER TO KILLING HERSELF, ONLY TO STEAL MY SISTER AWAY, TAKE HER FROM ME, AND THEN DEFACE HER LIKE SOME KIND OF FUCKING DOLL?

A dark animal threatened to consume me, but fortunately some small essence of reason blew a breath softly over my mind; abruptly, the minute tremors in my body calmed themselves, and my expression died. I was left feeling exhausted, but aware. I let out a deep breath as I slouched a little, and it ended on an involuntary sob. I hugged her to myself, now only gritting my teeth to prevent myself from bawling. Pretty sure I had forgotten where I stood entirely, only that I was holding my little sister to my chest like I was protecting her from some great evil. The rest of the world could get fucked right now.

I hadn't meant to be, but I was crying.

"You should have killed him," I whispered, then amended myself between sobs. "I should have been there. I w-would have killed him for you."

I was saying horrible things, but I was pretty sure I meant them. Even tall as I was, I could lie my head down on hers if I stooped a little, and at that point there was nothing better I could think of doing. I was being consumed by a combination of relief and terrible sadness, and the only cure was to have her close to me.[/ul][/div]

[kohaku]

She looked angry. Like, really angry. So angry that I...wanted to giggle. I swallowed hard on the stifled amusement, my exterior remaining cold and bewildered and all together upset, the tears on my skin caking my expression. But then she began to tremble, so much so that I could feel it under my hands, it vibrated through me even. I, too, began to tremble, but completely through association. I slowly concluded that I was mirroring my sister, most probably in a futile attempt to appear as cool as she. I had only just met her and I was already envying everything about her. But, oddly, it didn't shame me to admit. It was a feeling that some siblings took for granted. I even felt envious of her rage, rage that I had unintentionally caused. Well, I hadn't caused it, our father had, but I was the messenger.

Kaoru hugged me now. Kaoru, my big sister. My big sister hugged me. It was nice to be held for once, instead of I being the holder.

But then she said something muffled, something I hardly managed to make out.

"You should have killed him, I should have been there. I w-would have killed him for you."

That, for some reason, hit me hard. I froze for the millionth time in her grip, even as she rested her head on mine. My eyes widened, even the useless one under the leather as I pressed my face into her. For years I'd wanted to murder him. For years I wanted to snap his neck or feel him writhe under my grip. For decades I've wanted revenge. And it had all been such a heavy wish, such a heavy desire that I had to carry by myself. And I thought I was alone when I thought those malicious things, I thought I was wrong. I thought it was immoral and an awful thing to wish. But, now...it turns out I'm not the only one who holds that sort of craving. I wasn't the only one hungry; a hunger that only my father's blood could replete.

I snaked my arms around her waist now, the rest of my person completely still and silent. I waited for her to say something. But she sobbed. It made me weak.

"It's okay, sis," I heard myself say as I subconsciously began to rub her back, turning my head to rest my cheek against her chest so she could hear me. "It's not your fault. You're not the one who needs forgiving, so you don't need to...say those things about him." I took a deep breath. "We can kill him together," I added jokingly.

I pulled further back again, needing to take a step back if her arms loosened enough. I had no idea what she would allow me to do. I reached up, taking her face in my hands gently to steady her vision, to make eye contact. My eye darted between both of hers again.

"I love you, sis."

[Deleted]

[/b] Maybe, I thought. But still I looked dispirited where she could not see. "We can kill him together," I heard her say, then, and it shocked me into a chuckle.

She pulled away from me again, and I met her eyes, almost frightened at her intentions, at whatever she must be about to say. She took my face in her hands, making her the second person I'd ever allowed to do that, and, yes, I was reminded of Isabella, even though I'd been apart from her all of fifteen minutes. I wondered what Kohaku was going to say. How much did she know? She knew about me, but... did she know about mum? About how she'd died? Where was Kohaku even living? Was she... an orphan, then, or had she been adopted by someone? Was it only just now occurring to her that I had wasted almost my entire life, when I could have found her so much longer ago? I hope she hadn't adopted the same kind of stupid habits I had, did not have the same self-destructive lifestyle that I regretted. I had to ask these question, but -

"I love you, sis."

Oh. Haha.

My head actually tilted a little ways forward as I exhaled my relief. My hands had been resting upon her shoulders, but the eastern rose to rest upon her cheek, rather alike to how she had mine. I smiled at her.She looked just like me, it was absurd. Her hair was longer, and her eye - painful to think about it in the singular - was blue, but it was almost like staring into the past, otherwise.

"I love you too," I responded gently. "And I promise you," I added on a harder note (my eyes had hardened to steel), "I won't let anyone take you from me again. Not ever." My hands were unusually strong, but there was delicacy in the way my thumb stroked her cheek.

It took a moment of this quiet, contemplating my questions again and the order in which they should appropriately eventuate, for me to grow sad at how much I realized I did not know. "Where do you live, Ko?" Was the first thing I asked. "Not by yourself, I hope. And what happened to you? All the thing you must have been through, your whole life, I..." I had to turn away briefly to gulp down the lump in my throat. "I should have found you sooner. I'd know all this." My hand returned to her shoulder, as I was finally reminded of our setting. "Maybe not here, though," I was quick to add, laughing through my dejection. "There's gotta be somewhere we could go. Just to talk."
[/ul][/div]

[kohaku]

"I love you, too."

Oh, thank motherfucking gosh. I let out my own breath as soon as those words left her lips and tickled my ears. My sight fluttered shut as I drew in my breath while she continued. I kept my mouth shut for the assumed entirety, listening intently. Her hand on my face made me feel at ease, my once tensed muscles like jell-o in the presence of her. Like, wow, holy shit. Finally being reunited with your sister after so many years of wanting such a thing really makes you HAPPY.

She started asking me questions now, my eye never leaving hers as she went on with them. Until she looked away, however, my hands dropping to her shoulders now. I hadn't even noticed that my hands had remained against her cheeks. Her hand left my face, dragging a sigh with it as my own hands fell to my sides. It returned, however, as did her eyes.

"Maybe not here, though. There's gotta be somewhere we could go. Just to talk."

I patted the hand on my shoulder with my own hand as I zoned back in on our rewlity. Through all this I had completely forgotten about our surroundings and now, a bit embarrassed, I frowned over the counter at the bowl-obsessor whom was quick to avert her eyes.

Whoops.

I looked at her, my sister, once more, nodding once.

"Anywhere's fine with me, yo."

I stepped back enough, hopefully coaxing her to lead the way. I was in too much shock to try and carry my feet somewhere without knowing where they would take me, especially if I were in the front of our two-party stroll.

[Deleted]

[/b] She replied. I suppose that meant I was choosing the destination, and I could think of only one place of sanctity in this city. I stood a little straighter, keeping an easy smile. "Alright. I guess that means my place, then. I've gotta unpack all my stuff anyway. Just got back from Tsuki no Kuni, actually," I boasted, hoping I was at least vaguely impressive. "Hence, you know, the giant shield and stuff."

I looked to the woman behind the counter. She looked slightly shaken, and, as I finally paid her attention, responded to my stare with a silent but angered one of her own, which glanced between the puddles of mess our family of two had made. Should have just asked for a bowl, I reflected, supposing she was thinking the same thing on a more exasperated note. "Sorry," I apologized with a sheepish grin. What would be fitting compensation? Oh, pff, money. I reached a hand back into my coat and resurrected enough to pay for our respective orders over again, and set the money down on the counter, wary of this woman and her now-stormy expression. "Really," I added sincerely, and, after muttering something incoherent, she took up the peace offering and nodded imperiously, before departing for the back rooms, ostensibly to fetch some kind of cleaning equipment.

Uh, actually, I'd probably paid her a bit too much. Oh well. I didn't really give a shit.

I turned back to my sister. Side note: Mentally referring to anyone by that title was going to take some getting used to. "Alright, let's go," I said happily, before retrieving my giant shield from where it lay and shrugging it temporarily onto my left arm like it wasn't shit. I pushed out the doorway, and waited for her to follow me before making my way back to the apartment building in which I resided, kinda hoping Kohaku didn't find my living quarters too disgustingly shabby.[/ul][/div]

[Exit]

[OOC: I MEANT TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING THREAD BUT I AM LAZY AND I MUST SLEEP SORRY]

[kohaku]

I nodded excitedly, suddenly too into everything she said to really register anything other than being able to see where she inevitably lived. I cooed with disbelief once she told me where she had returned from, admiring her genuinely as she paid for our disruption.

She was super fucking cool.

I followed her quickly, slipping out of this parlor with an uncharacteristic grin upon my exterior.

[EXIT]

//OOC: THATS OKAY HHHH SORRY ABOUT NOT WRITING REALLY ANYTHING EITHER FOR THIS POST HH STRAPPED FOR TIME RN