Kikkawa Compound. { pm for invite }

[⌈ addy ⌋]

— Kikkawa Residence —





Built upon one of the many rolling hills that litter Kusagakure's landscape, this prestigious yet humble abode is home to those of the Kikkawa family. It is erected upon the site where its predecessor once stood, symbolizing the fall and revival of the family itself. Many things about the compound have changed, such as the destruction of the fencing and gates that previously barred outsiders from entering without permission. The front of the house has a wondrous view of the village in which it resides, although the actual walk to and from each way takes more time than it originally seems.

First Floor

Upon entering the Kikkawa home, one's attention would immediately be drawn to the large fountain centered in the lobby. The structure is actually a statue is of a legendary beast of myth known as Watatsumi, a water diety. The god is a large stone dragon that swirls up to a height of ten feet, dangerous eyes made of sapphire gleaming out from sockets of silver. In fact, the god's whole body is made out of a polished, silveresque material. Streams of water pour from the statue's open mouth, as well as its hands. The glorious monument rests in a pool of perfectly clear water, the basin filling a radius of ten feet itself. Directly overhead is a large skylight that lights up the whole room, and whose glass is kept so clean it is barely visible.

Behind the fountain is a lobbyist's desk that wraps along the wall, eternally empty for lack of people to man the station. Swirling panels of wood make up the floors and the walls; along them reside skillfully painted designs. Many of these paintings appear to be expensive, depicting beautiful flowers, trees, and other greenery. There are the assorted beach and ocean scenes as well. Large trees grow throughout the home, some of which pierce into the second level of the building to give the impression of eternal life and growth. Their roots pierce the paneling of the floor in an intentionally careless fashion, cracking the wood but leaving the area safe to walk on. Because of the trees, the room always smells like fresh air, mingling in with the scent of soil.

Beyond the lobby a few stairs lead down to the home's leisure area, which goes largely unused. There is a spacious living room, complete with several leather couches that hug the wall, and matching armchairs for those who dislike social or physical contact. There are a few dark wood coffee tables to go along with the resting places, set up with several small pieces of fabric for placing drinks upon. Across from that side of the room, large aquarium is set into the wall. It's a communal tank, housing the fish of any Kikkawa who chooses to get one. Next to it is a small closet door; inside sits filter changes, fish food, and a joking list of the names of each fish in the tank. Beyond this area is the kitchen, lusciously decked out and always abundant in various types of food, from noodles, to meat, to tea. A small hall leads to the dining room, where a ridiculously long dining table stretches out in a room specifically built to fit it. Chairs line in a row down either side, with none at the end of the table but two situated at the head. This area is mostly used for formal dinners, and for the rare occasion of a formal family meeting.

Second Floor

There are two spiral staircases in the lobby that lead to the home's second floor; one at the Eastern wall, and one at the Western wall. The tops of both reveal long halls with many doors, some of which have been personalized by their occupants with various signs and notices. Each door leads to a room, obviously-- equally personalized, as no style or furniture set within is the same, less they be guest rooms or chosen to match by their owners. They each also have a door that leads out to a wide, connected balcony which wraps around the entire home, successfully connecting each room and opening up various means of mischief. Small tables and chairs are set up at the front and back of the house, as they are good witness to sunrise and sunset respectively. Several of these rooms are privy to the growth of the trees from below, whose branches reach high up and break through the ceiling, gathering light and growing all the while.

At the rear of both hallways, there is a connecting length of a room with five doors: the bathrooms that the family shares. Each restroom is equal in size, and all contain the same basic necessities, such as toilets, sinks, cabinets with various toiletry items, and a place to shower. The bathroom in the middle, or the third one from either direction, is different in that the center of the room houses a large, inset bathtub complete un lit candles and relaxing lotions. This bathroom has no limit on who may use it, but because the tub takes up so much space, this room lacks a shower and sink. Instead, the walls are lined selves, some with towels and others with more items to make a bath more.. luxurious and, of course, relaxing.

The Garden

This is, perhaps, the pride and joy of the Kikkawa family despite their fabulous home: one of the most beautiful gardens in the entire village, rivaled and out done only by the Hanakora's own. Located behind the house, a path of flat stone takes one down the gentle slope of the hill, enclosed on each side by row of cherry blossom trees. They seem to bloom more often than normal, although the reason for this is unclear. At the end of the path, where the ground flattens out once more, one beholds the garden itself. It holds a wide variety of flora, in so many colors it's quite impossible to not enjoy the view. The grass is lush and, because the Kikkawa are not completely obsessed, perfect for relaxing upon.

The same path winds in many directions through the garden, meeting up only once in its center. Here, a type of clearing is made, set on the side by a few tables with umbrellas reaching over them. This place is perfect for having tea if one does not mind the walk, and because the Kikkawa tend to remain in their garden rather than in their house, it serves as a social hub for the family. When informal meetings are being held, this is the place to come! The area is large, and although its ground is created by rocks, it has been designated a wonderful place to train-- though the favorites here are GenJutsu and TaiJutsu in the long run. Because this place is in the near dead-center of the garden, there is still a lot more to see. Traveling off the paths is a sport most recommended, for many types of animals are attracted to the sweet smells of the flowers all around. The end of the garden is symbolized by two giant weeping willows, who sit upon the top of a one-sided hill: the area of the garden is flat, and beyond the willows, the elevation drops. The bottom of this hill sports a pond, big and deep enough to swim in but small enough to see across, for at the other side the immensely grassy terrain of Kusagakure begins again.

[ Made by Addy & Yahiko. ]

Rules:

• This is a NON death enabled thread.
  
• Don't start OOC drama; keep OOC to a minimum.
  
• Try to keep it PG-13. Warn us if it's above.
  
• If you're not Kikkawa, PM myself for an invite.
  
• Training is allowed. RP interaction is preferred.

[⌈ addy ⌋]

— The Kikkawa Family —

History

In the beginning the Kikkawa family was once one of Kusagakure's largest Mokuton-user families, alongside the Hanakora. They held a strong presence within the village hidden in the grass; they were powerful, regal, and rich. Much like that of the Hyuuga, there existed a rank system of sorts-- the first son of the previous heir was always the one to have control over the main family compound. The second son would always be forced to live in the smaller complex on the outskirts of the village. The family did this to ensure that they would have a strong structure and that the head was always able to lead their family to greatness in their time. The first two in this line of command where called Hitsaguya Kikkawa and Gojiro Kikkawa. Upon birth, Hitsaguya became the heir simply because he was the first out of the womb. His brother became a leader of the outer complex; surprisingly, throughout most of their lives, the two brothers never conflicted more than was natural for a family. That is, until they had reached Jounin level within the village.

At this point, the brothers had different stand points on a strong focus in the family: which release should be the main strength. For countless years the Mokuton, or Wood Release, was taught exclusively to the youth of the family. However, Gojiro wished to change this, to expand their tradition and enforce the mastery of Suiton, water, as well. This would become the brothers' first great quarrel, and was quickly followed by a battle to determine which idea would be followed by testing the strengths of the two releases. In a valley several miles outside Kusa no Kuni they had their showdown; after a few days of intense battle, recuperation, and several heated debates an conclusion was met.. using force. A master of the Suiton release, Gojiro used his surrounding environment to ensure the defeat of his elder brother. This victory secured his teachings a place in the traditions of the Kikkawa family.

The argument settled, the two brothers returned to their village to live out the rest of their lives. The Kikkawa family thrived off of violence to settle debates that could not be talked out, and so no hard feelings came between them afterwards. Because of Gojiro, the family would soon see many generations of skilled Suiton and Mokuton users; however, this would not be the last time a civil war would break out amongst the family. Almost two hundred years later the outer complex members grew tired of their diminishing status, tired of feeling like the lesser beings because of their birth. Rising up, they challenged the the main complex, and were quickly overthrown by the current head of family, Hiraki Kikkawa. After the crushing defeat they suffered, the outer complex members were forced to scatter, lest they be killed off by the rest of the family. To the main complex, the whereabouts of these people went unknown after they fled the country, as they never bothered to track them down.

Hiraki's reign was a long one, but in his later years he finally handed down the leadership position to his son, Matsuya Kikkawa. Under this man the Kikkawa main complex entered another age of peace and prosperity, no longer riddled by the complaints of those they had lost. They did, however, change their traditions once again-- the outer complex was demolished, and all newborns after that, despite their birth status, were allowed to call themselves main complex Kikkawa. Lurking among the other countries, the threat of another Kikkawa rebellion still burns true in the hearts of those who were forced to flee. Matsuya was constantly aware of this, and he pushed his children to be strong, often over-working them. One day, the title of leader would be passed down to his first son, Matsuda. For a long time Matsu was ignorant of his destiny, but he soon learned the truth, even if it was not by choice. He was protected by his friend and family member Gansaku, who would soon play a key role in events to come.

It started with a man named Nagato Kikkawa. He had a brilliant idea, a fabulous idea-- let us move our family to a new place, one we could control and call our own. Amongst the battle-ready hearts of the Kikkawa, this idea spread rapidly, and became popular. The youth supported it, ready to free themselves from the reign of Kusagakure and the current Kusakage. Unfortunately, the elders who had spent most of their lives in the village disapproved, and the move was denied power. Nagato, not one to be deterred, began to plot with his loyal followers what they would do to make his dream a reality. His younger brother, Kakera, was malleable enough for him to control; he simply asked the boy to take care of the elders of the family. Kakera, in a show of his brute power and influence, managed to do just that: he slaughtered every member of the family who was old enough to be against Nagato's wishes. The elders, although very powerful themselves, were caught off guard by this attack. They stood no chance, though they fought.

Meanwhile, a new Kusakage was being voted for within the village. The one to be chosen was a young girl named Hotaru Hanakora; her being called Kage enraged more of the Kikkawa youth, for their families had been pseudo-rivals for a long time. They thought that one of them should have been inducted as Kage to run the village, a good alternative to moving the whole family to a new location. Gansaku, always the mastermind but eternally loyal to Matsu, came up with a plan to get one of the Kikkawa put in the position of Kage. They rioted and complained, showed the extent of their powers, until finally the council of elders proposed a revote. Despite this, Hotaru still held her inaugeration celebration at Lake Mizuho. On this night a Kikkawa woman named Beppin appeared before her, sporting the dead bodies of two grass shinobi. Gansaku watched from the shadows as Beppin said goodbye with a kiss, and both Kikkawa ran off.

But of course, they were up against a strong village. A boy that had been watching, Masakuni, chased after them with the intent to capture or kill, along with Hotaru trailing behind. Beppin was almost a prodigy within the Kikkawa family, having the blood of the infamous Hyuuga within her as well. She made quick work of Masakuni with her Jyuukan, just as Hotaru began to use her infamous Hanakora techniques to grow a tree. Gansaku threw a kunai at the Kusakage, and.. it exploded. However, the force of the attack was consumed by a wooden construct that appeared, announcing what they had been waiting for: the elders had made a decision about the Kusakage, the Shichidaime. It was to be a Kikkawa, Uekyuuchi! With this the Kikkawa disappeared from the area.

Although Uekyuuchi was the new Kusakage, their conflict with Hotaru only spurred the Kikkawa to continue on with their plans of relocation. Nagato never ceased in his continuance of this, despite the happenings with the village. He and his protege, a Kaguya, kidnapped Gansaku's youngest sister, Riou Kikkawa. Her headband was left as a tribute just outside of the village, and they began to travel toward their new land. Gansaku sent Matsu ahead of them with a few other Kikkawa for protection purposes, realizing that many disgruntled others would be out to get Beppin and himself. He was, of course, correct. As they tried to exit the village and follow after, they were attacked by a random shinobi, who was neither from the village nor recognizable. He was a demon. Without much effort he killed Gansaku, and spared Beppin's life, although her arm was severed in the process. She later died of blood loss in the hospital; two great shinobi were fallen.

Nagato's plans would have worked, had he continued on. Although many of the young Kikkawa had been killed, some were safe, traveling outside of the village. He, his protege, and his prisoner were making good time. Without rhyme or reason Nagato suddenly disappeared, leaving the young Kikkawa girl battered and unable to return from whence she came. Meanwhile, his younger brother Kakera stumbled upon the mess at the gates of Kusa, the deaths of Gansaku and others. He was devastated, but he still moved forth to follow after his brother, hoping for a new land. When he got to the location, there was.. nothing there. He had been tricked again! On his way back to Kusagakure he found Riou, and together they returned to their village and wrecked home. Matsu made it back safely as well, but died soon after-- the details are unclear to the family, but the loss was hard. Now there was no head, and no heir. But one Kikkawa remained strong, if shaken up, throughout. Riou realized that their family was going to crumble further without a leader, and because she was the closest in blood to the head family (although not a male, obviously) she took over the head position. It was slow and steady, but now the Kikkawa are back on the rise. A new main compound has been built, and the next chapter has been opened.

[ Made by Matsu & Addy. ]

Family Crest

This symbol.. can be found just about everywhere in the Kikkawa Residence. Burned into tables and chairs; hanging in picture frames, one in each room; proudly branded into the front door of the abode. Where one looks, there will be at least one of these, marking the positions as Kikkawa property. As well, many members of the family choose to have the crest somewhere on their clothing, whether it be in pin form or a decoration on a shirt or blade. This is the kanji of water, which is the source, the life of all Mokuton jutsu. It stands for so much, but most of all, it stands for Kikkawa Pride.

Guidelines for Making a Kikkawa

• Read all of this information (history, crest, guidelines, etc) as it is very important.
  
  
• ALL Kikkawa must have Suiton release at their start. Starting with Mokuton (and because of that, Doton) release is recommended, but not required, so long as you eventually go into them.
  
  
• Suiton is considered the life of all Mokuton. Therefore, family members generally MASTER water before moving on to wood jutsu. This is not required, but it is recommended strongly. It's part of who the Kikkawa are.
  
  
• Not being born a Kikkawa is allowed, aka adoption. However, these Kikkawa will have no strong say in family meetings and will be regarded as lesser beings by some of the old-fashioned Kikkawa.
  
  
• If you make a Kikkawa, it's perfectly fine to also have a clan or bloodlimit, as long as you can justify it. Was your mother part of that clan? Was your father? Make it clear in your history.
  
  
• Appearance-wise, character must have brown or hazel eyes. The gene for this color seems to override any others in the parent. The most common hair colors are dark brown and black, however, hair dye and genes from a non-Kikkawa parent may change this. Skin is always fair to tan.
  
  
• This leads to another point-- good bios. You've been given a lot of information, so a decent history, personality, etc really makes the Addy happy. Bonus points~!
  
  
• Finally, PM myself for permission to create a Kikkawa. I like active members, so I may ask for a roleplay example, but if you're new that's fine too. Just ask, I'm actually rather nice.

Family Roster

Males

• Kikkawa, Kakera — Played by: Kake — Position: Member.
  
• Kikkawa, Seito — Played by: Kuro — Position: Adopted Member.
  
• Kikkawa, Sohryu — Played by: Coma — Position: Member.

Females

• Kikkawa, Riou — Played by: Addy — Position: Head of Family.
  
• Kikkawa, Mimi — Played by: Megumi — Position: Member.

PM this form to myself after you have been accepted.[b]Name:[/b] Your character's full name.
[b]Mun Alias:[/b] The name you, as a writer, would like to be known by.
[b]Blood Kikkawa or Adopted Kikkawa?[/b]
[b]Bio:[/b] Insert a link to your accepted bio here.

[⌈ addy ⌋]

Long week.

That was the understatement of the century for many people, but none so much as the new, self-proclaimed head of the Kikkawa family. First there was the longest mission in history, which had been cut short by none other than Tsuro himself— she was still having guilt-pangs whilst thinking about whether the band had made it to safety or not. Sure, they had taken out the four assassins, but.. there were many others after the band. It was not normal for her to feel so terrible, but she had promised to keep them safe, after all.. Breaking promises was not in her nature. Not anymore. Then, to top it off, she had just got through training, all the while thinking of a lost companion. Narumi. The techniques perfected would be essential for her shinobi career, but what kind of ninja was so sentimental?

Useless drama. Hazel oculi shifted lazily to and fro as the girl closed the door that led to the family's garden, checking to be sure no one was in the general area. Clothed in only a bikini, which was still damp from her water session, she did not wish to be spotted by any members of her family.. or worse, their friends! The bright robin's egg blue of the fabric clashed with the paleness of her skin; the boyshorts-esque bottoms flattered her more than showing more of the flesh would have. After checking a few more long seconds for sign of human life, bare feet took her forward down the path. She, too, was still fairly wet.. footprints remained in her wake, along with tiny droplets of water that fell from her hair.

"I hope the cherry blossoms are pretty this year," she finally whispered to herself, hesitant to be speaking outloud less more unpleasant memories surface. Generally there was a reply in the form of a purr or growl; that was not something she could count on anymore. "It will be a nice way to raise morale within the family, I think.. The trees we molded into life growing healthy and strong." Chin tipped up a fraction as the girl stopped, redirecting her attentions to the branches up above. A light grayish-brown, they were barren, lacking the beauty they gathered during the warmer seasons. It was winter now, but soon, they would return to glory.

Thinking about the trees in this state, so ugly as they were, seemed to trigger another bout of emotion within the girl. One hand rose up slowly, slender fingers splaying and pushing through the dark, honey-colored bangs. They were clinging to her face with their wetness before, as was the rest of her hair, freed of its normal pigtail bondage. Now, however, attentions had been shifted to the kunoichi's hand, which had mussed them up fairly well. "I need to stop being such a baby," she growled out. Despite this, with a deep inhale the girl sunk to her knees in the center of the path, and eventually fell lightly down onto her bottom. It was lonely, without Narumi, without Gansaku or Asko, or hell, even Kakera. Stress. Could someone die of stress?

"God damn it!"

[/font]

[→ Alterity]

Her.

Slow graceful steps led the young kikkawa male up to the establishment, his one left eye peering out hungrily at the beautiful site, taking in all the exorbitant detail. Is this how the kikkawa had lived since his own exile? He couldn't help but be jealous, it was a well supplied haven of sorts -- the polar opposite of the cold, dark, and damp dojo he had lived his own life in. Still, he harbored no real animosity toward it, instead feeling welcomed by the site, for he had returned -- much to no one's care. However, he had only returned to catch a glimpse of a certain someone and even perhaps a reminiscing conversation.

He took no heed in any structural aberration in his way as he made his way pass the fountain of which depicted some sort of god or goddess, or so he assumed, reaching what must have been the front door, for all intents and purposes anyway. Of course, it took little inspection to know there wasn't anyone about in this part of the complex and even less to know that this portion, being a lobby of sorts must have not been used often. The right hand of his rose in spite of this, lightly knocking on the glassed door.

"Anyone?"

A left hand rose to the horizon, shadowing his face from the beaming sun, as he peered about again. It was pretty hot on this particular day, and the darkened blue/black tones of his pants, button-down shirt, and jacket didn't make it any better. Then again, it was stylish. A simple light shrug to himself marked the conclusion of the idle thoughts, as he continually looked about.

[⌈ addy ⌋]

She repeated: "God damn it..!" This time, however, her worries were set in not the hurtful memories but the realization that she had broken down once again. She was a sorry excuse for a Kikkawa; she could not attack without hesitation, could not conceal her emotions, could not.. control herself. At least no one had been around for this outburst, a similarity shared between each sickening display.

Pulling her hand away from her head, the messed up bangs fell back into place, protesting only in the form of the slight frizz that had developed. But she was not one to care much for her own looks, especially when it came to her family. They were all genuinely beautiful people, but she wasn't quite so vain as to care. Glancing to her left, she picked out a comfortable-looking spot under one of the trees and slowly pushed herself onto her hands and knees. Crawling slowly across the slight incline that was the hill, she managed to reach this spot, and collapsed in the cool embrace of the grass that grew there.

Chest heaved minimally with her breathing; she reflected that, should someone walk into the house, they would probably know where she was. The girl had left her real clothing by the door that lead to the garden, a universal sign to the others that lived with her that she needed to be alone. They never bothered her, really. Not unless she wanted them to. Only a few people, such as Mimi, ever had the courage to take a stroll out in the garden to see what was troubling her or, in other cases, what she was training.

Shaking her head, plush lips twitched and slowly pulled into the faintest hint of a smile. Mimi, her cousin. The other blonde was a good friend as well, and one day she would need to thank her for such. Uncurling from around herself she stretched out and yawned, muscles cracking with the movement. This was a comfortable spot. One arm slowly rose from her side (the other was laying upon the grass, flopped down above her head) and she draped her arm across her eyes, hiding from the harsh winter sun.

[/font]

[→ Alterity]

The clothes that were littered in a haphazard fashion toward the garden were an unexpected and rather belated sight. Further inspection, he squatting down and picking up one of the garments, showed them that they were of course female clothing. Sohryu, who hadn't seen a female for quite a bit of time was rather. . shocked? No, a bit curious more like, the female form lingered in his mind as an opaque pastel painting blurred indefinitely. O' how he wished to stop having to conjure the sight up from his memories; and it looked like this had been just the chance.

Of course, he didn't want to look. . too happy to see it, or surprised, he figured he just show no emotion toward, feign like if it was nothing. Inner turmoil plagued him with every step, after he had dropped the clothing and started down the path toward the garden. He went through the motions of casual conversation that could erupt after meeting the female, but seldom did it ever turn out well. How would he stimulate a conversation with one so exposed? It was probably better not to speculate, and to just wing it.

Eventually, having made his way down the path and to the garden itself, his eye spied Riou, who seemed to be relaxing underneath the shade of a a tree which happened to be placed in a perfect position for him to view, even with his own sight impaired. There however was an adverse reaction, like the sudden recollection of memories that had previously been lost. He knew this girl, from somewhere at sometime, he knew her. Was it from childhood? Would she recall him too?

A simple wave would be made as he made his way down the remaining portion of the path, "Hey. . ."

[⌈ addy ⌋]

Riou heard the door open and subsequently close. Like a cat, the girl's head seemed to perk up with the sound, arm following along to keep her eyes concealed. If anyone had decided to come down the path she could not hear them, even as she strained her ears to pick up the faintest sounds she could manage; it was in vain. With a quiet sigh that milky arm was lifted from her face, just in time to watch as an older boy strolled down the path in her direction. She was instantly aware of her partial nudity, but if he was here, then he had to be family.. right? No one else ever came alone.

"Hey."
-- Unknown.

Polychrome eyes stared emotionlessly up at the boy-- correction, the man-- that had spoken. But the longer she stared on, and the longer she contemplated his voice, the wider they got. So familiar. His face, the lilt in his voice.. sweet, soothing. Long lashes fluttered hopelessly and she rolled onto her side. The motion led to an elbow digging into the soft earth, a prop that helped her as she pushed herself up into a kneeling, and then standing, position.

"Hello..?" the teenager breathed out, cheeks painted a light pink when she realized how exposed she was to this man she seemed to know. Arms, one stained slightly green from the grass, moved to cross her bust, hiding the slight cleavage. Tongue flicked out to moisten dry lips and she stook a slow step forward, closing whatever distance he had already been working on. "Soh.. Sohryu-sama?"

How embarrassing would it be if she was wrong!

[/font]

[→ Alterity]

Luckily, she wasn't, Sohryu was standing before her alright, only several years older. However, retrospect here was a variously older Riou standing before him, the time being more gracious to her than he. She still seemed as beautiful as ever, the epitome of the womanly perfection present in the kikkawa bloodline. His eyes amended their glance from anything that she had inadvertently veiled, which was pretty much everything, his face fighting back a lingering smile toward meeting his only childhood friend.

"Riou. . " Was all he managed to mouth in the instant, as the smile won, visibly showing on his face. "I'm back."

He had wondered if his leaving at phased her as much as it phased him. It was a detrimental thing to have been exiled at such a young age, and he'd thought of his family and friends every day since. It was sad indeed, but he needn't think about it anymore. Since his return he had learned of his own parents demise, and Riou's continued survival -- trading one social vice for another. As long as she was alive, he'd probably have some place in the world again, and could perhaps realign himself with his 'family'. Despite the undertones of grief this day was a happy one.

[⌈ addy ⌋]

Conflicting emotions. Disbelief, happiness, sadness, .. more happiness. Shock. They flickered across the pale face so fast that it one would barely have been discerning one before the next took its place. He spoke her name, he smiled. It made her heart thump loudly in her chest-- so much so that she was sure he could hear it-- and then began to beat quickly. He always had this effect on her, ever since the day they had met, so long ago. It felt like forever.

I'm back, he said. Her face seemed to settle on a mixture of shock and pure joy, even as she launched herself forward, leaping up to coil her arms around his neck. He was a bit taller, but she didn't care. Hell, she didn't even think about how inappropriate it was for her to be hugging him at all, much less in a bikini! "Sohryu! Sohryu-sama!" She cried out, mind racing to form the words she wanted to express. Pulling back from him, the blonde flashed a brilliant smile before pulling one hand away, if only to lightly shove his chest. "You've been gone.. so long! No goodbye, nothing! I thought.. you were dead.. too!"

Fake anger. Of course she had been worried about him, but that was simply because no one was willing to tell her what had become of him. No one had really known them to be friends, either-- Riou was just as solitary as Sohryu, for the most part. She used to have no companions, back then. It wasn't much different now. "But you're back.. I'm so.. glad."

[→ Alterity]

"I'm really sorry, truly. I didn't have much choice in the matter. " He attempted to explain, after she quickly attached herself to him, coiling her arms about his neck. A light blush came to his face during the action, followed by a gulp, as he searched for words. This position, though enjoyable, seemed so very inappropriate given the circumstances. Of course, he couldn't bring himself to detach her, so he just tried to push the position from his mind altogether.

"I had to flee during those harsh times, to not be persecuted." He nodded, then shrugged. He didn't know what else to say, because it was utterly sad that there wasn't much else to say on the matter at all. Like a coward he fled, or rather, was forced by his parents. Cowardice he had to live with, cowardice that haunted him with the faces of family and friend since lost.

"It makes me happy to at least know, you're okay, doing well I might add." His hand motioned all about the complex, it being rather lavish, even compared to many of the upper-class homes which littered the kusa streets. It surely was a haven from the life of a ninja and the stipulation of being a kikkawa. Truthfully, he had juggled the thought of asking her what had happened to everyone else, who was still alive, who was doing well, all those things that came with such a reminiscent meeting. He wasn't that sheltered and oblivious however, reasoning it was likely a touchy subject.

[⌈ addy ⌋]

"Didn't have much choice?" the smaller girl whispered, confused and questioning the words she was hearing. She wondered what really could have made him leave the family for so long, but then.. most of the others had wanted to leave, too. Wasn't that why the adults were slaughtered? Everyone else had always hated them, showing compassion outwardly. Yet she, the one who defied her parents on a regular basis and never listened to the elders, would never have done such a thing.

He went on to explain, to put to rest the thoughts that bounced around in her head. His parents had made him leave, for protection. Which meant that he did not have a hand in killing everyone, not that she assumed he would. Sohryu had always been kind. To her, anyway; she wasn't sure about others. "That's okay. I'm just glad you're okay, too. If everyone was gone, I don't think I'd be able to put up with all this." Lips pursed as she paused, one arm still curled about his neck whilst the opposite hand rested on his chest, where she had lightly pushed him. It was a belated moment after that she realized the compromising situation she had put both of them in, and quickly pulled away, blushing furiously.

"S-sorry, Sohryu-sama.." the blonde muttered, raising the right hand up to run fingers through her bangs, flattening them. There was a topic change in order, and she had the choice: depressing or reminiscent. Both? Turning on the flat of her heel the scantily-clad girl faced one of the unflowering trees, lashes falling half-mast over hazels. "You know, Gansaku died." It was a short statement, but she knew it would get the point across. Her elder brother had always picked on her the most, or ignored her when she needed him. Sohryu had always been the one to listen to her rant, without even complaining! Still, it hurt to have lost her brother.. and to not know where the rest of her immediate family was. "And, I have become the head of the family in Matsu-sama's place."

[→ Alterity]

His head slowly shook an 'it is fine', as he watched Riou pull away in embarrassment. He too had indeed become somewhat embarrassed by the combination of the situation and the closeness -- but the embarrassment had been overcome by the warm feeling of closeness between the two childhood friends.

As the topic changed his head couldn't help but lower on cue, he somewhat ashamed he hadn't been around to potentially help Gansaku or the others at the time. Even if he would have been a liability, and simply served as a distraction, everything could have had a better outcome. It was both a travesty and tragedy how their friends and family had been 'exterminated', but it was in the past, and they couldn't do anything about it at all now; dwelling on it would only serve to further sadden them.

"I know, I only came back to see if it was all true. . You really became the leader, huh?" An idle right hand rose to her right shoulder respectively, a thumb rubbing against her back a tad' as the hand patted gently, taking into consideration her small stature. "That's really great. Better than anything I have to tell." Again he smiled, hoping to at least cheer her up a bit, and perhaps incite another topic change in the process -- he was perceptive enough to know that this wasn't the best 'homecoming' topic.

[⌈ addy ⌋]

"Yes," she whispered, a smile slowly curling plush twins into a catlike expression. "With everyone else gone who has the experience to do it, there is only me. But I feel confident in my abilities to run this place; soon, we'll have a meeting to sort things out and see who wants to.. fight me for the position." A slender eyebrow rose and the smile flashed to something more sinister, a grin that showed off pearly slates and vaguely pointed canines. No, she didn't like to kill, not just then.. but she was more than determined enough to hold her own against any of the family who thought they could handle the head position better than a female.

And then the expression was gone.

"Oh well!" Riou chirped, running her fingers a second time through honey-hued bangs before allowing the appendage to fall limply at her side. "We'll see what happens, when it happens." That said, the smaller girl leaned forward, the change of subject flashing in the muddy-green depths of her eyes as she began to study him. He had been gone for a while, after all. Whilst he did look mostly the same, there were changes. For one, she was catching up to him (slowly) in height! Before she had been much shorter, and he didn't seem to have grown much more. His skin was just as flawless as ever, and his hair just as silky. His eyes, though--.. his eyes! With a gasp the girl launched herself forward again, leaning flush against him as she pushed onto her tip-toes. The hand that had been molesting her hair moved to flick his own away from his right eye.

An eyepatch!

"Sohryu-sama!" She gasped again, eyes widening and lips parting in a shocked 'o.' "What.. happened to your eye? Is it okay?" Letting the darker locks fall back over his face, her fingers moved to touch where the eyepatch met the flesh of his cheekbone, caressing it slowly. "Does it hurt..?"

[→ Alterity]

"Fight you for the position?" He couldn't help but laugh a tiny bit, shaking his head toward the comment. "I don't think anyone would ever fight you for that position. . and live anyway."

As her hand raised to his face, his right would meet it, following it as it seemed to probe around his eye. His whole body would turn, turning to hide the eye-patch. It had been, for lack of better term, a 'battle scar'. There were consequences to failing at the daily training exercises and even bigger consequences to lashing back out at Magoichi, his former master of SKK.

"The eye is useless now; I can't see anything out of it." He shook his head a bit. "It doesn't hurt either, not anymore." It was his own fault the eye ended up like that, he shouldn't have rebelled. He had pushed the whole ordeal from his memory, it being one of the more morbid topics of his exile.

"On a much lighter note, Riou. I suppose there are some of 'us' left right? Where are they?" It was pretty odd, or so he at least thought, that such a lavish home was barren and desolate. Where was everyone else that had survived the Kikkawa ordeal? There must have been some besides himself and Riou who had survived. Anyone who thought that the Kikkawa would just lay down and disappear so easily was sadly mistaken.

[⌈ addy ⌋]

"You're probably right.. I have a lot of loyal followers, anyway," the blonde laughed out, wrinkling her nose in obvious amusement. The funny part (to her, of course) was the fact that this statement was not entirely false. No one had really protested her snatching up the position; a few had even mentioned their support on the idea. Afterwards, anyway. "But if it does come down to it, don't think I won't fight to kill. I may be young, and I may be a woman, but I know this family better than anyone else alive!"

His aversion to her probing fingers was noted, and she quickly ceased the action. The wound obviously made him uncomfortable, and her asking about it.. even more so. Despite this, he answered her silly questions fairly well, and she could not help but to drop that subject as well. It wasn't awkward at all for her, this going-between of topics. Though she had known Sohryu for a long time, the little Kikkawa still did not know how he would react to all things, and it was interesting to find out. That aside.. after retracting her hand with a brush of fingertips along his chin, she took a step back and smiled.

"Of course there are some of us left. Some being a very, very heavy keyword there. Most everyone is dead or gone. Hell, the missing ones are probably dead as well. But the ones alive, well.. they're off doing their own thing. Missions, training.. regular shinobi pasttimes. Lately no one has come to this place much; it's not like our old home. I don't blame them really, either. We grew up there, and now the house is gone." She paused, realizing her speech was rather long in comparison to usual. Shrugging to herself, she fluttered her eyelashes at her companion and then glanced back toward the house she spoke of. "That'll change, with the.. meeting."

[/font]

[→ Alterity]

His smile continued to shine through all of his apprehension in showing emotion, Riou having this effect on him, he unable to continue hiding his previously hidden emotions around her. She was probably the only person in the world who had this effect on him.

"The meeting?. . " He spoke, as it was the first thing he could really reply to, and piqued his interest.

It didn't take much observation, given the context to understand what Riou meant. Likely what she was talking about was some meeting of the remaining Kikkawa. As he pondered the notion he couldn't help but feel it was a good idea. Not only would he be able to meet all the remaining Kikkawa for the first time, but they would all finally come together as a family once again. He couldn't help but feel somewhat excited, though, he managed to suppress the urge to convey this visually.

"A meeting of the Kikkawa, huh?" It had looked like if his childhood friend was already making leadership quality decisions, certainly affording him a slightly altered perception of her. As his solemn gaze casted over her frame once more, he shook his head with a smirk. Things were certainly different.

[⌈ addy ⌋]

"Yes.. A meeting of the Kikkawa," the little girl restated, eyes partially closing in an expression of content. "It will be fantastic."

She took a step forward again, arms outstretching to allow slender fingers to curl through the blue teeshirt that buttoned up his front. Smiling slyly, the blonde kunoichi leaned up and planted a chaste kiss against the bottom of his chin before whispering, "Come to the gardens later. The meeting will be there." With that she released him, and on that note she brushed past him, walking back toward the house to prepare herself. "It was.. nice seeing you again, Sohryu."

[exit]

---

Sohryu exited as well!

[/font]

[⌈ addy ⌋]

Ahhh. Wonderful..

Long lashes fluttered, dark hazel oculi shifting languidly about the garden square as the young Kikkawa made her way to the center. A waterfall of wet, honey locks were pulled back into a loose ponytail; bangs hung messily against her face, framing it. The sky above was a dark, velvety navy, flecked with stars that were tiny and rather dim. The lighting came from the lampposts that stood around The Square; beyond that: darkness.

"Let us see who will come, shall we?" Riou whispered to herself, fingers wriggling around the straps of her new purse. Inside several items jingled as she bounced her way over to a stone podium that rested between two rose bushes. The purse set down, she leaned against the structure and brushed invisible dust from the skirt of her furisode kimono. It was a garment of red, more lush than blood, and patterned all over by colorful flowers. She thought it.. appropriate to wear this outfit, for this event was very much a Coming of Age ceremony for herself. Right now it was left open, exposing her bare body to the night air as it was still drying from her bath. Smiling slyly, she pulled the right side over and wrapped the left around it, before securing her obi in a bow.

"Come, family.. Come."

[/blockquote]

[ryo]

"Such an odd aroma..."

This wasn't the usual nighttime smell that graced the boy's senses. As the Chuunin made his way up towards the prestigious Kikkawa Complex, he found himself surrounded by the smell of flowers ; though unlike the norm of Kusagakure, these flowers smelled...different in a way. Skin lenses concealed Emerald hues for a brief moment, as the Chuunin reached the top of the hill. He inhaled the wondrous fumes, smiling slightly as sharp azure locks fluttered in the breeze. Amazing...

"Wonder where Goldy-Locks is...", he said to himself, taking a gander at the large establishment before him. His hands slid into the pockets on his Chuunin vest and his eyes narrowed, piercing into the homes windows. It was dark. Darker than the evening sky. Maybe she's training around back... Or she could be asleep. Either way, the home had sparked the boy's curiosity ; maybe there was a garden around back. It would explain the tantalizing aroma that surrounded what was surely a humble abode.

Besides, as sensei, it was his duty to check on his students every now and then.

Steady footsteps carried the boy around towards the buildings rear, silently, except for all of the extra equipment he had jangling around on his body. Two arrow holsters, a katana, a few extra vests ; it was like Tsuro was going to war! Hopefully a shady warrior who sneaks around behind peoples houses at night, armed to the teeth, wouldn't startle anyone. "Hey Riou, you here!?", he called out as he turned the corner.

[⌈ addy ⌋]

"Hey Riou, you here?!"
-- Tsuro.

[/i]

The sudden calling of her name startled her. Turning away from the podium, eyes widened as she stared through the darkness. She couldn't see anything, but honestly, she didn't need to see much to know whose voice that had been! It was her sensei, the one the young Kikkawa had just acquired during her last mission. Kind of short-notice.

"Yes! Tsuro-sensei, I'm back at the gardens--" she called, one arm raising up to pull her kimono tighter around her bust. The kunoichi's cheeks had flushed, quite embarrassed that an outsider was at their house, and about to see her like this.. "Just follow the lights!"[/blockquote][/font]