Guilty Mind [NDE - Private]

[bashiku]

This was first time in ages Emi felt like this, her mind dragged down like it had an illusionary chainball attached to it, not being able to lift it from her knee's as she spent whole day and night feeling bad, first for herself, later for Hannah and Jules. Even as mean as Emi was, she didn't mean to hurt those two. She actually liked them, well liked Hannah from the start, but Jules not so much. Hannah and probably Jules too, were like mean realistic and evil sisters she always wanted as she grew up. Someone to relate to, someone to comfort her and to slap her, someone cold, but who could care.

Her mind rushed with uneasy feeling of thousand little demons poking her brain. This was feeling of guilt, and even though this was first time she felt it, she knew it all too well.

She wanted to lay down on her fluffy feather bed and relax, but she couldn't. Their images were burned into her mind. There was only one thing she could do. Apologize. But just apology wouldn't do, she had to make them a gift. What a lousy timing, as she released all her servants for a day off.

Deciding that she doesn't need those pest, she marched by herself into the kitchen for the first time, wearing nothing but an apron at the moment. Oh how clues she was about this part of life.

First hour she spend on looking where the dishes are, second hour looking for ingredients, never thinking they could be in thing they call, fridge. After that she wondered what were whisk, spatula and few other utensils for. Four hours from the start an upside, though not with original intent, was made.

It was brown looking, supposed chocolate cake, with two whip cream decorations on the top. It should've been feathers, but Emi made them look like leaves instead. Still cake looked better than Emi. She has cream filling all across her face, her hair was a mess and her apron was burned to crisps. Now she only needed to deliver this cake to them.

That's when it hit her. She didn't know where they lived. Gritting her teeth in anger as she packed the cake carefully, she knew only one person that could've helped her in this matter. Hate was boiling inside of her at the very thought of it.

"I need to ask you for resident of Hannah and Jules, ninja's from our village!" Emi said with a full bow, half an hour in the future as she approached the person who irritated her in the past. The Takikage.

[Wolf of the Falls]

Axel had been taking a shower in the private kage's quarters adjacent to the office. He was relatively dry while ind clothed from the waist down while his massive raven black wings were wide open air drying. He hummed a soft tune under his breath while drying his hair with a towel and pacing around his office when his turned slammed open making him jump and look over his shoulder at the intruder.

"Emi.... Why should I help?" his long crimson hair draped down his back between his wings making droplets of water roll down his lean toned body. The memories he held of this girl were not found and he doubted they would get any better as Hime and Rey both looked up from their spots beside my desk watching her while my cloak, shirt, blazer, pouch, and blade sat on top of his desk.

"I believe we were at odds last we met so why should I help you now?" Axel said turning to look at her while the light behind him gave a blue glow to his wings. More then the glow of the light however was a horrific scar gashed across the left half of his collarbone. He inspected her appearance seeing the scar that he knew and the box in her arms. "Well?"

[bashiku]

This man was just getting on her nerves, plus he was going on illogical fight. He hated her because she was realist and a good ninja compared to his others underlings. She didn't forget him either, but at least Emi knew this man was bad at arguments.

"Oh my... did Takikage retire and stopped helping our village? Plus you aren't helping me. This package is for Hannah and Jules, if its not delived I don't care. They might care." Emi said with a wicked smirk on her face, but seeing her rings under the eye, her messed up hair and leftover cream on her cheek, it wasn't so intimidating.

She could just wait for him to decide what would he do.

[Wolf of the Falls]

Axel hated how she spoke and sighed and was about to dismiss her when she mentioned two others Axel didn't know them but being takikage obligated him to meet them. He shrugged yawning slipping on his equipment as Hime and Rey went back to sleep. "Fair enough I'll help you"

He looked through a file and shut it before heading to the window opening it while his wings were already gone. "Come on"

Axel jumped out the window hoping across the rooftops towards the address listed by the file. the trek wasn't far and he knew that Emi was on his tail as he dropped down onto the road looking at the building as he waited for the snobby girl to catch up.

[bashiku]

No elegance, but even less of the elegance, no care about her fragile gift. Couldn't he just push her over the edge and smother her face with some more vanilla cream inside of cake? Still she had to follow him, there was no other way and he might run out of her sight if she tries to find alternative. With tips of her shoes on the window frame she send her petite body flying into the air, hugging her fragile gift and hoping it wouldn't be damaged.

Her feet landed on the nearby roof, sliding downward like she was surfing, one leg protruded forward and straight while other was bend and kept close to prevent balance disorder. Inexperienced with this setting Ibitsu girl almost dropped cake, thumbing it and roughing it up a bit.

[+12% Damage]

This wasn't the end though. Getting to the edge she had a choice of jumping on the solid ground and possibly ending a little rough on the edges or to brake her fall she could cling to the edge. Without much time to think about she bend her knees like an acrobat, letting her body take the full blow of the wind that slowed her down drastically. Her eye teared a bit and the cream from her cheek flew away, her hair dancing like black demon of the hell. The thrust from her ankles made a new sparrow in the sky, shaking a cake a bit more, but the decisive damage was done on the moment of landing. Creamy delight almost got ruined.

[+35% Damage]

From this point onward it should've been a pleasure delight, just following Takikage through the streets till they got to the building nearby. It wasn't a pleasure delight. The streets were so crowded by locals that they bumped into small Emi two steps, making her angry and saying words even her mother would be ashamed of. It was more shame that here cake was damaged some more.

[+25% Damage]

By this moment they were in front of twin's household, but cake was almost ruined. Emi couldn't see into the box, but judging from the box's condition, cake didn't do all to well. In fact the state inside of the box was worse than imagined. The feather whip cream was stuck on the cover, cream oozed out of every crack and there were dozen cracks. And due to the heat the chocolate started to melt up. If Emi were to open this cake right now, she would be embarrassed to no end by a Mush Cake ®. For now she could just growl and anticipate how badly will her apology go with Futakongo twins.

[Cake damaged 72%]

SPOILER: Click to show

You can make few more obstacles and ruin cake a bit too.

[Hannah//Jules]

[Enter]

The house of Hannah and Jules was not an impressive one. It wasn't anything close to the size of the Takikage's tower, and there certainly wasn't enough room for any number of servants inside. The girls had been living on their own for several years now. This house, small as it was, was everything they needed for shelter. They were two girls that, more often than not, were merged as one. As Emi and Axel approached their door, the house was relatively silent. There was some kind of noise that could be heard from inside, but it was so quiet, and behind doors and walls that made it sound as soft as whispering voices.

After they knocked on the door. Silence would blanket over the house, inside and out. It would take a while, as if the girls had been preoccupied and took them a moment to break away from their activity to reach the door, but roughly a minute later, Jules appeared behind an opened door, and she was wearing nothing more than a simple white tank-top shirt with bright pink panties that had small decorations of red and orange flowers dotting the fabric. Jules's short hair was soaking wet and looked like short blueish locks were glued directly to her head, and as usual she wore those steel earring studs. As she opened the door, it was obvious her face was flushed and she was panting ever so slightly, moisture dotted her forehead, her nose, and her chest, glistening ever so slightly as the sun reached into that door and caressed her skin.

"Emi? What are you doing here?" Jules, though for some reason was despised by Emi more so than Hannah was, was the nicer of the twins. Where her question was genuine curiosity, Hannah asking the same question would be more violent, rude, and might sound more like 'Why the hell are you bothering me?' Jules was pleased to see Emi was alive and well, even if she looked like she had just been dragged through hell. "Here, come in. Hannah and I just finished eating." She giggled behind those faint pants for respite.

Then Jules took a good look at Axel. She must have gasped, without realizing it, and took a few moments to catch that she wasn't breathing. It was a shock to see the Takikage here. I mean, the girls never personally met him, but they've seen him before. They know who he is. Jules wondered if it was a good idea to introduce him to Hannah. Surely she wouldn't be crazy enough to attack him, not yet, not here. A proper challenge someday, but not here and now, right? "Takikage? I... Here, come in."

What if they were in trouble? Perhaps Emi told the Kage that they left her behind on a mission. Members of a team would never do that, but they weren't a team. Did Emi and Takikage come to punish the twins. That wasn't a happy though for sure.

[Wolf of the Falls]

Axel watched as Emi show up after the short journey and felt a pang in his chest as he saw the fragile box roughed up as it was. He should have offered to carry it for her considering he didn't truly know the extent of her talent. As she knocked on the door soft shuffling could be heard from inside the residence and after a slight stretch of time the door opened to reveal a young woman with white and blue hair seemingly in her pajamas.

Axel's eyes and thoughts drifted as the girl spoke to Emi her figure was pleasant as she leaned in the doorway before letting Emi in and turning to me gasping quiet. The sharp sound raised my eyes to her own as the two were like a turquoise lake in an emerald forest. The crimson fangs on his cheeks lifted into a soft smile as she invited him in.

As he stepped inside he looked around briefly before turning to her while taking her hand and kissing the back of it. His sharpened canines softly brushed the skin lightly as he stood straight again just slightly taller than her from the age difference. "Hannah or Jules? Thank you for gracing me with permission to enter your home. It's denizens are lovely I'm sure"

[bashiku]

Ashamed she appeared like this before them, Emi couldn't help but circle with the tips of right toes on the ground, like a shy schoolgirl would do. She never did something like this and it was so exciting, but scary as well. Putting the gift in front of herself, she proclaimed words nobody excepted to hear from her mouth.

"I am sorry!" A moment of silence deadly as blade of any ninja weaponry started with only wind rearing its ugly head "I... I acted unlike a ninja and a fellow teammate. I messed in critical moments, plus I was a bother whole night long."

As she proclaimed she was a bother she watched at Jules. The two of them knew what has happened, but if Hannah knew she was up for a time in hell. Now she had to wait for an reaction from Axel, from sisters and plus she had to see how they liked her cake. Mush Cake destroyed in transport which was currently unknown to her.

[Hannah//Jules]

Whatever fears Jules had of the village kage coming to lay down the law and punish the girls was swiftly ended as Axel, accepting her invitation to enter their modest home, introduced himself so warmly. Very warming. Almost too boldly. Actually, it was very bold, very bold indeed. And if it had been the other sister, Hannah, she would have back handed the man with all her might, Takikage or not. Then again, Hannah hated men almost as much as she hated them touching her. Jules, not so much.

Jules's cheeks shifted to a faint pinkish color, not too different from that already flushed face, as Axel took her hand in his and gently planted a kiss across those knuckles. "Oh my." It was all Jules could say for the moment before shaking some sense into her head. "I'm Jules. Hannah is somewhere around here, but she's cranky about something." Jules smiled, either unaware or simply unabashed that she was in nothing more than panties and a tanktop.

"Emi... I... You don't need to apologize. Everyone got to Takigakure safe and sound. The mission was completed, we won as a team. That's what matters here. Here, come inside and make your place at home. Both of you." To Emi, it was probably only growing clearer the differences between Hannah and Jules. Hannah was cold, heartless, and would do anything to get what she wants. Jules, such as being a secret pervert and a sucker for meaningless words and casual caresses (as Emi witnessed just now), was very different. She was, to some extent, kind, polite, if not a little scatterbrained to accompany it.

[Wolf of the Falls]

Axel smiled faint seeing that the young snob truly had a heart somewhere under all the ice. Axel watched Jules as they both interacted seemingly friendly enough as he shrugged his cloak off and draping it over a nearby chair along with his blazer that still held his Waterfall plate on the left shoulder.

"Would either of you like to tell me what happened?" He said as his eyes scanned both girls. Axel knew that supposedly there was another woman in the house and was curious where she was. His animal senses amplified slightly trying to here anyone else in the residence.

[bashiku]

"No~o." Emi replied to Takikage's question shortly, but with intense dose of cuteness and some fraction of coldness. As nobody wanted to take her gift box she just put it into Jules hands by force and attached herself to her left thigh, like a small kid would.

Still the difference in sensation was quite obvious, for both. While Emi enjoyed the softness of Jules's thigh, Jules would have to suffer the feeling of Emi's nails on her inner thigh, slowly creeping and teasing although unintentionally. While Emi enjoyed Jules's warmth, Jules had to suffer under Emi's coldness as she had naturally cold skin that would give anyone goosebumps. Nails made small circles almost relaying a message to teased Jules, 'Protect me or else...'. How Emi managed to relay such a message in such a cute manner nobody could understand, but even less people could understand how could she glare Takikage with intense hate, creating electrical sparks that would bounce off his wide chest.

"I don't want to say it..." again Emi spoke, but this time burrowing her face into Jules thigh. She almost turned beat red as she felt Takikage's glare on her, ashamed she was so weak, not wanting to show this man the weakness of any sort.

Still situation changed somehow between Jules and Emi. At first she didn't like her for being a bearer of bad news that Hannah didn't like her, but now hugging her, she felt comfortable around her as much as around Hannah. Though this could change for better or worse she wanted to be with two of them for a long time.

[Hannah//Jules]

Nearly dropping the box with who-knows-what inside of it, which was also leaking a little, Jules took the cake from Emi, since she really had no choice, what with the box being thrust at her like that. She fumbled with it for a moment, trying to find a sense of balance or level area to hold it. Whatever was inside, it didn't quite feel symmetrical. "Well..." Jules had begun to explain to the Takikage when Emi just blurted out 'No'. Was it a secret? If so, why even bring the Takikage in the first place.

Which reminded Jules, she didn't even know why he was here to begin with. Emi, she could have a few reasons, such as wanting to kill the sisters or scream at them for abandoning her, and Jules would never have expected an apology like she got. She still didn't understand why exactly it was such a big deal to Emi.

When Emi had latched herself onto Jules's naked leg, she grinned awkwardly. She wasn't particularly used to people being so close with her, especially children. Especially such a cold to the touch child. Especially such a cold child with threatening nails and a sense of ominous violence about her. Jules help up her awkward smile as she crossed the room (only able to drag her left foot behind due to extra weight) and set Emi's gift on a small table, large enough for two, and little more.

"Takikage, we were attacked on our way back from the escort mission. We killed the assailants. It doesn't seem like the witness was their target. I'm thinking they were simple highwaymen. That's all." Of course, that wasn't all. That wasn't even the problem. Emi didn't want people to know she was rendered useless in the fight, right? Well, there. Her story was safe with Jules.

Now, with Hannah, that might not be so.

And speak of the devil, she stepped into the room. She was, unlike her kimono dress she wore the previous day, dressed up in simple sweat pants, gray. and a black hoodie-sweater. His hands were tucked inside that stomach pocket and her tongue idly licked at a small swollen lip that was, yesterday, split open by a well placed kick to her face. Evidence of their fight, and their breath was evidence of their victory. "Girl, what are you doing here?" Jules questioned Emi first, and it was as Jules warned, Hannah didn't seem to be any more cheerful than she usually was. She then turned to the Takikage. There was a shimmer in her eyes for a moment, likely she was considering battle strategies and what-not, but who wouldn't confuse such a look as respect, or something equally arrogant? "I didn't expect to meet the Takikage today. I'm Hannah. This is my sister, Jules."

Usually, Hannah's hair was in some sort of crazy fashion. Today was an exception. straight down, long bluish hair, and mostly hidden by being tucked into the hoodie she wore. She was neither pleased to see company today, nor did she fake pleasure in their presence.

[Wolf of the Falls]

"I don't believe that, Emi wouldn't have gone through the trouble of creating some sort of gift you were in a simple fight" Axel's eyes became hard like ice as the emerald green faded from them and a slight veil of frost vapor draped along the floor like dry ice. Although the contact and actions between the two looked caring like siblings he could see the unexpectedness in Emi's actions.

There was the soft sound of foot falls as Hannah came up joining them. Axel's chill thawed a bit making the mist stop as he observed the girl with malice. As she looked at him her gaze became calculating as she no doubt tried to find a way to beat him. The direct want for a fight pleased and stirred the wolf in Axel's heart as he stepped up to her holding his hand out while his fangs glinted soft in the light. "Axel Inuzuka nice to meet you, maybe... would you like to spar sometime?"

[bashiku]

And finally Hannah appeared, bearing the dark aura that she and Emi shared, almost making little girl drunk with ecstasy of her arrival. Her cruelty and coldness seemed natural, but Emi wondered if there is something below that facade. Something else they shared. Could they both be little girls inside, or was that just Emi's wishful thinking?

Gently caressing her with her eye from the distance, anyone could see that Emi has some sister-wanna-be bond with Hannah and seemingly with Jules now too. For a moment longer Emi clang to Jules, almost disappointed she had to separate from her, but this situation required to do so. Although proud and raised to be a noble, she had her own desires. Her desire was to make these twins her best friends.

No longer clinging at one sisters side Emi regained her stature and posture and with serious face she bowed down in front of Hannah. If anything she though that Hannah would appreciate the seriousness she put into her apology and desire to work harder and better next time, not that she was slacking off this time. As far as she remember, it was Emi who guarded the whole night long, the one who was most tired, but it were twins who did the real work.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior. It was far beneath what you deserved. If there is anything I can help with ever, don't be afraid to ask. My mansions doors are always open to two of you." Emi said little serious, but then she smiled as she thought Hannah wouldn't bother ever coming "Together or separate."

With that said she raised her head and looked warmly both Jules and Hannah. Then she looked at the box with the cake and was terrified. It didn't look so badly damaged when she gave it to Jules, but now she was heart broken. They would probably throw it away or something because it wasn't perfect.

"I am sorry for rundown gift, I tried making it myself and it was alright until Takikage decided to forget the use of doors and made me run over rooftops with cake in my hands! If there is something else I can do, please tell me I will gladly comply." Emi said as she remembered the gruesome trial she had to pass to get here. It was horrible that all her effort wasn't even appreciated by Kage, and she was more than pissed at him not only for that, but for being so lenient with Hannah.

[Hannah//Jules]

Jules stared at Axel for a long moment. She hadn't lied, yet he still accused her of something. Perhaps, masking the truth. It seemed a little inconsiderate to treat someone you just met like a liar, especially in there house. Forget whether or not they actually were hiding some facts. "Believe what you will Takikage. It's difficult to know the heart of a woman, young, prime, or old." Jules grinned. She was proud of herself for thinking up such a comment so quickly. Women were, as any husband could tell you, as complicated as people got. Hot one moment and cold the next, and rarely did they fit the mold like you wish they would.

As Axel got a whiff of aggression (could Inuzuka detect something as minute as that?) and flashed his pose and offered to spar with Hannah, she merely stared at him. Unimpressed. Was this how a Kage acted? Making house visits and challenging strangers to sparring matches. She would make sure to be more professional when she was Takikage. "No, I don't want to spar." Hannah stepped past Axel and approached the cake of chaos that Emi had both constructed and annihilated in a single day, and she opened the box.

For a few moments, Hannah only stared at the food (should she stab it to make sure it was dead?), then closed the box. Despite looking like a disaster, it smelled, and most likely tasted, otherwise. She, however, did not comment on the thing. She merely turned to face Emi, giving her the first real acknowledgement of the day (excluding the short interrogation as to her being here). Hannah was in a foul mood, as Jules had warned. "Well, that was very inconsiderate of the Takikage." That was all that Hannah would say. Was she teasing Emi? Being sarcastic? Honestly being mean at the Kage's expense? Who knows. Even Jules seemed puzzled.

"Emi, dear. There's nothing to be sorry for." Jules continued to try and comfort the girl while Hannah simply walked across the room and into the tiny kitchen of theirs, which was pretty much empty of anything. There was no messes to be found, no dishes to be seen (only a limited number in their drawers), and you had to look around to find any sort of food. "She's grumpy today. I'd let her be alone for now."

[Wolf of the Falls]

"You really do have a heart" Axel said softly acknowledging Emi's care and affection for the sisters as she didnt seem as dark as before. Jules' comment humbled him quickly having a paranoid reaction to many things. Although he wanted to try and help with anything he could he felt guilty for accusing the girl of not being truthful. "I'm sorry Jules I'm paranoid.. I haven't been kage long.."

Axel's temper was edged on as Hannah looked at him like he was simply an uncivilized beast. He was a seventeen year old with an affinity for wolves trying to be an alpha. He was still getting used to leading and interacting with people considering he was literally raised by wolves without his parents. His fists clenched softly as his claws slipped through the epidermis slowly staining his cuticles. "I didn't realize she was unfamiliar with roof running or her box was fragile... I'm sorry Emi..."

Axel bit into his lip looking down feeling like he had already failed at his duty as a leader. He looked up at them seeing a strange but existent bond between the three girls. "If it could make up for my actions... I could make the three of you an official squad of Takigakure..."

[bashiku]

"I know Jules, I don't mind her. I... I think I understand a bit." Emi said to Jules as she hugged her once more around the thighs, before glaring at the Takikage and rolling her eye "Well I might be spoiled a bit, but I know when I am right and when I am not. I am great enough person to admit a mistake."

Still Emi was surprised to hear about Takikage's offer. It was perfect opportunity to garner better relationship with the twins and she could use some more firepower behind her, or besides her in their relationship. Disregarding the Hannah's tough girl behavior and Emi's insecurity, they could be a great team, but they needed to train together. This she could use to meet them more and more.

"I-I-I think its a great idea! How about you gals? I mean we could work together and become stronger faster." Emi said cheerfully, just a moment before her face approached Jules face and changed for a wicked smile "Plus I would like to see you laugh a bit too... possibly more than you sister. I wonder if your smile is as cute."

Last words were said whispering, so only two of them could hear them, but to others eyes Emi would mask the whisper with a single peck on her cheek.

"Well I agree with terms, if you agree then we won't impose for longer on your hospitality."

[Hannah//Jules]

Hannah, though in the next room, still heard everything that the Takikage said. He was guilty, such a weakness for a man in his position, well, Hannah would still say he is a boy. Still, boy or not, he was Takikage. She slowly crept back into the main room, allowing for a deep sigh escape her lips as she pondered the idea. She didn't much like the idea of being forced closer to people for who knows how long, or often, but there were pros as well. Plenty of pros. Having the Takikage close-by meant she could watch him, read him, study him. But, it worked both ways. He would not only know everything she and her sister learned, but would quite likely influence their style. Jules especially, she was never one for shutting out the opinions of others. She absorbed them. A dangerous quality of her other half.

Jules merely smiled at Emi, as if giving approval and, in that faint glimmer in her stare, accepted her words as a challenge, but said nothing. Emi treated her childish threat like it was a great secret to hold, so Jules would respect it. "If my sister agrees, then I'm with her." Hannah nodded slowly. She knew Jules meant it. It was, again, that easily influenced part of her. Hannah was the one person that could talk her into or out of anything, almost. Still, it didn't quite settle well with her that Jules agreed so easily, without consideration of so many important facts.

"You've done no harm to my sister and I, Takikage. I don't see why you are being so gracious as to extend your offer to us. Do you have ulterior motives I wonder. Well, I will accept if we find a fourth member." Hannah said forth, obviously counting Axel, Emi, and the twins as a single unit. They were, after all, more of a single body than two separate beings. "If we are going to be a team, Takikage, I expect that we will not be doing clean up work around the village forever. I have goals to reach, and I'll not be slowed down in achieving them. Our destiny, that's all my sister and I have to keep us afloat in this world."

Jules stared at Hannah for a moment. She understood what her sister meant, and for Hannah that was exactly that. Without her goals, Hannah had nothing she deemed worthy to live for, except Jules of course. Jules, she could survive and be well off. She could make friends. She could have a family someday. Hannah, she couldn't. She was incompatible with people, they held nothing she wanted except the power they could offer. It was almost frightening to Jules, but she supported Hannah regardless.

"If we have a full team, then I will accept your offer."

[Wolf of the Falls]

"I just want to make everything right that's why I'm offering." Axel said softly as his claws relaxed and slid from his skin. The girls seemed to be close enough that they would work fine together. Axel just hoped he could work together with them well.

Axel's gaze left three looking around the home seeing how decrepit the building was and how few materials for living was around the home. Axel hoped he wasn't going over his boundrys with the three girls. "I dont mean to upset either of you but I could offer some funds to help you out. I care enough about my shinobi to try and help them..."

[bashiku]

"Well I am just glad I got accepted into a team." 'With Hannah and Jules' Emi said as she thought about her situation. It was wonderful, it was great, it was going better than expected. Takikage had some use after all and she was ready to forgive him for his behavior in their earlier encounters. She even graced him with small smile, before packing her stuff and going toward the door.

"I am sorry for cutting this visit short, but I have to go home and train a bit. I am glad we sorted all things out. Thank you again, bye!" Rushing out the house with a single bow, Emi ended her short, but sweet visit.