The First Steps

It was not often that he dressed down, though it was more of a recent occurrence the past couple of days. Shin had yet to buy a new wardrobe, so he was stuck wearing a loose black shirt with a v-neck and light grey sweatpants. With Shin having halted the contractors progress on his childhood home – once he had discovered it was indeed his home – he went to his house daily to not take a look around for remembering the past but finding any potential clues that could help solve the mystery that was his parents' whereabouts. Thus far his search had resulted in nothing. With the couple of days he told the contractors to take a break, today was the day where they would resume their work on restoring the house to be habitable once more.

Shin found himself at the entrance of the Muramatsu clan district, waiting for the head contractor to arrive to go over the plans in place for the house. Casually, the recent returnee was leaning against a wooden post, his eyes staring at a dirt patch a few feet in front himself. The clan district itself was as busy as he found it the very first day when he returned – active yet still with a sense of being emptier than what it once was. His own memories of the place were still foggy, he still had yet to go over the personal possession in the house itself, but today it was more than likely he’d need to see them. Given the work that needed to be done on the house, he would need to temporarily move the items out of the house and into temporary storage until they could be brought back in. So far, Shin had avoided seeing images of his parents, always turning his eyes away from them aside from the very first day. With a sigh, Shin would continue to wait to see if the contractor and his crew would arrive anytime soon.

Mitsu had been wandering through the village, doing her best to keep a smile on her face. She was uncomfortable, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on the why of it. Every time someone walked too close or moved quickly near her she found herself flinching. It was an annoying physical and unconscious reaction that were she smarter, she would have attributed to her recent fight with Chen, but instead she was just confused and mildly distressed by her inability to behave how she would like.

That had nearly immediately made the marketplace a no go, and she had moved on as quickly as she could to the quieter areas of the village. She had wrapped her red and gold fur cloak tightly around herself, giving her another barrier between herself and the people around her. It was getting colder, at least by her standards, and she was just about ready to head back home to be miserable in the comfort of her own solitude when she spied a face she recognized outside the Muramatsu Clan district. She could see Shin leaning against a wooden post and looking like he definitely wasn’t busy and probably needed a friend to talk to. She was making that part up, but it was all the justification she needed to walk over and call out to him cheerfully. “Shin! I couldn’t help but notice that you’re not doing anything, and I’m not doing anything either! Maybe I could join you?” Mitsu was in desperate need of a friend at that moment, and while her voice was cheerful her pink eyes held a sad hope that he wouldn’t turn her down.

There was little that would disturb him during this time of day. Aside from making an acquaintance –  perhaps even a friend – of his clansman Mal’Zeth, there was no one that really bothered him in the Mutamatsu clan district. Today, if he thought about it, aside from the workers who would be working on his house, he would be relatively undisturbed. There weren’t many people who he knew by name in Iwagakure no Sato, and such was why Shin wasn’t expecting a female voice to say his name. If there was someone who he was expecting to call him out, it would be the contractor responsible for fixing up his home, yet as his eyes travelled to the source of the voice he found the person that had made it possible for him to return him. Mitsukira Tatsudashi.

Contrary to their first meeting, Shin could tell that her disposition vastly differed compared to then. As to why that occurred, Shin could only assume, but it certainly wasn’t something he was overly concerned with at the moment. She was wrapped in her furs, though Shin did not think it was cold enough to warrant such material, though he had already done some work around the house so his lack of cold-weather clothing could be attributed to his body simply not needing it while active. He watched the women approach, fully registering in her words before responding after promptly. “Tatsudashi-san.” Shin would nod in her direction before keeping his eyes looking about, past her, to see if the contractor could be spotted anywhere. “I wouldn’t say I’m not doing anything… rather I’m waiting for the contractor and a restoration crew to arrive. House repairs and whatnot.” At her words of joining him and the look in her eyes aimed his way, he would extend an invitation that was likely to be declined. Who would want to go ahead and help someone they barely knew clean their home; if they weren’t hired help? “You’re free to help out if you wish, though I cannot promise payment. Perhaps a lunch later in the day.” It was an honest statement, should it be accepted. While he couldn’t offer a monetary benefit, which it seemed Mitsukira was not seeking out, his time was something he could spare; while he wasn’t busy with his own thoughts.

Shin at least remembered her name. Not the name she would have preferred that he use, but it was something. He also said he was doing something. Waiting. She didn’t really count that as the doing of things, but she did feel a bit bad that he had to wait all alone. She perked up as he invited her to help out, and a bright smile would cross her features. “I would love to help! And I don’t need to be paid, what are friends for? Lunch later sounds amazing though.” Lunch did sound amazing, though she doubted she would eat much. Again.

Moving closer to Shin she would look around for what she could help with. Mitsu was a very hard worker, and menial labour was sort of her specialty. Her favourite activity in the desert had been ‘team building exercises’ after all. A shovel and some sand and digging until it was too dark to see. Which for her was, well, never. Her eyes gave her the peculiar ability to see well in the dark, even though her eyesight was abysmal during the day. Even in the shadows of daytime they would glint slightly as they reflected more light. “So what are we doing? Do you need me to dig stuff? Or paint things? Or carry boards or something?” She was genuinely excited to help Shin repair a house, and she even started taking off her cloak in preparation for hard work.

The waiting aspect of waiting – really all of it – could have easily be done from his front porch, letting the contractor come to him, but he could have answered any further questions the contractor had before they started their work on the site. Regardless, his waiting at the gates to the Muramatsu clan district resulted in Mitsukira coming across him. He didn’t mind the presence of the overly friendly woman, though it certainly wasn’t a meeting he had been expecting today; today was expected to be spent working all day. Not that it mattered anymore, for his invitation was accept, both for helping around the house and for lunch afterwards.

As Mitsukira looked around for something to do, Shin had to let out a light laugh. It seemed ridiculous from his position, as there wasn’t anything that needed to be brought in from the gates – the contractor and his crew would be bringing in all the things they would need. “Well, there certainly isn’t anything we need to do right now. When we get back to my house, I’ll need some assistance moving out my personal possessions. Nothing ridiculous, just heirlooms and pictures mainly.” Shin would inform Mitsukira about what they were going to do. “As for the painting and carrying boards, that will be taken care of by the contractor’s crew. We’re basically just moving out things I don’t want to be lost and they’ll mainly take care of the rest.” As Shin finished speaking, he would notice the contractor finally arrive, immediately recognizing him from the short meeting they had just two days ago.

“Nobuo-san, I take it the crew is on their way?” He approached and asked the man, his voice would carry over if Mitsukira had remained near the spot he previously stood in. “Yes, they are. Have you finally decided on what you want to be done with the house?” That had been the conundrum Shin had faced, either restoring the house to what it once was or to renovate it entirely. Deciding between the past and the future was a difficult step, but ultimately, he decided on a decision that he would be satisfied with. “I have. Just inform your crew if they come across any personal possession to place them outside the house, I’ll eventually have them put back once the work on the house is completed. As for the furniture, that can be destroyed. Do the renovations where they are absolutely required, as that bathrooms certainly need it as well as the kitchen. The rest of the house can be restored to the way it once was.” Shin would instruct Nobuo, having thought about the best way to go about things. Ultimately, he figured he was fine with the house remaining how it once was – the sad memories that appeared when he thought of his parents would eventually wane. When Nobuo indicated he would ask him further questions as they popped up, he decided to go on ahead of Shin to the house to make note of the items to be destroyed, as they would need to be removed from the house first – his crew was lagging five minutes behind.

Stepping back towards Mitsukira, Shin would turn to face her, his amber orbs meeting her pink ones. “It won’t be an exciting day, so if you wish to leave early, I understand. Like I mentioned, it’ll be old family pictures and heirlooms that we’ll be moving out of the house while repairs are happening.” Shin would clarify once more and then turn to face the direction of where his house located, it would be a bit of a walk – two or three minutes at most. He would gesture to Mitsukira to follow, “The house is only a couple of minutes away.” Shin said as he would begin to walk in the appropriate direction.

Mitsu was actually excited to help Shin. It was exactly the kind of distraction she needed right at that moment, and a familiar relatively friendly face was just icing on the cake. If cake were the needed distraction. Hearing Shin’s laugh as she looked around for something to carry or fix, she would turn and grin. She didn’t know why they were laughing, but she liked laughing and so she always joined in when she could. She was a bit disappointed that she wouldn’t be doing any painting or carrying boards, but moving things out of the house seemed fun too. “Oh! Well that makes sense I guess. I can carry things if you show me what to carry.”

Mitsu ‘patiently’ waited for the exchange between Shin and the contractor to finish. Patience she had in spades, sort of. What she considered to be her having patience, most others would take as her just being easily distracted. She had found a few small pebbles on the ground while looking for boards and paint cans, and she was now attempting to balance them on one another on top of a fence post. It was a near futile endeavour, but one that kept her occupied, entertained, and notably outside the realm of eavesdropping while Shin discussed the future of his family home.

Once Shin moved back to her she would abandon her rock tower, five of the seven pebbles immediately falling to the ground with a small clatter, and two of them remaining balanced on their perch. She would grin triumphantly at her moderate success, gesturing at the tower for Shin to observe, though she would quickly give up pointing it out if he didn’t look. She would nod emphatically as he spoke, making sure to assure him that she understood. “Everything is exciting if you make it that way. Or, well, everything is for me. Mostly. I’m sure I won’t want to leave early, what’s the point in helping if you don’t stay for the whole job anyway? Thank you so much for letting me help. It really means a lot.” She would follow after him towards his home, grateful for the company.

As Shin spoke with the contractor, he noted out of the corner of his eye that Mitsukira had been keeping herself entertained, somehow. Whatever it was she was doing, Shin could not tell while he spoke to Nobuo. The conversation wasn’t too long in retrospect, but regardless it felt like an eternity for how many words had escaped Shin’s mouth. Between his entrance to the village of Iwagakure no Sato; led by Mitsukira, to the current time, Shin had spoken more words to complete strangers than he had thought he would. It felt like a lifetime of words had escaped him now, no longer attempting to bottle them up in Kumogakure. But, still, some habits stuck around.

Once he stepped away from the contractor and towards Mitsukira, he noticed the small tower of rocks she had accumulated that was now off balance. Five pebbles fell listlessly to the ground, the base remained unmoved with the one perched above it only slightly moving, before ultimately settling in its spot. A shake of his head with a small smile plastered on his face, out of amusement, escaped with a small chuckle. It felt odd, for Shin, being back in Iwagakure no Sato. He certainly didn’t feel like how he had for the past decade. Ten years away and he finally felt at home, able to open up just a bit. Not too much to others, but more admittance to himself than anything else.

Listening to Mitsukira state that things would be more exciting if you made them, certainly was an interesting viewpoint to Shin, just not one he ascribed to. To him, if something was boring, it was boring. There was no way around that fact. He would nod in response to her statement that she wouldn’t leave early, though Shin certainly hadn’t taken that card off the table; people were often prone to changing their decisions. “Well, I should be thanking you for helping me out. I would’ve spent the entire day likely working around the house otherwise.” Shin would respond to Mitsukira’s offer of a ‘thank you. He didn’t do much and he was the one receiving help. “If there’s anything you need, do not hesitate to ask.” He continued, an open offer to be interpreted however; if she needed something to eat or simply to talk. It seemed like she needed the distraction and he wasn’t sure if she wished to talk about her problems. Eventually, they would approach the building that was his home; much hadn’t changed since Shin first arrived here that first night. It was clear to see the house had been unoccupied for ages; the grass overgrown, the windows covered in a layer of dust. It looked like it hadn’t been lived in but still was foundationally solid. “Well, this is it.” Shin would indicate towards the house before them, “Home sweet home.” He muttered. He’d wait a moment to see if Mitsukira had anything to say before he would lead the way towards the front door.

Mitsu was genuinely excited as she walked with Shin, though there was a tiny worry in the back of her mind. A worry that somehow she would make a mess of this too. Since she was determined to keep her worry pushed as far away as possible, she would focus on the things Shin was saying. “Oh you don’t need to thank me. Really. You haven’t even seen what my help is like yet, and depending on who you ask about my help in the past you might come to regret letting me help at all.” She tried to keep the comment light hearted, but even as she spoke the words they stung with the tiniest bit of truth. Her ‘help’ with the war efforts had been anything but actually helpful. As her mind wandered to thoughts of the war and what came after her hand would move to touch her side unconsciously as her scar throbbed momentarily.

She heard the dark haired man offer her the freedom to ask for whatever she needed. And in truth she didn’t know how to respond. Normally Mitsu played the part of a gracious host and never gave much consideration to her own needs. Not out of some lack of self respect or other such self deprecation, but rather she just enjoyed making everyone around her happy and if that was happening then what else did she need? “I can’t think of anything I need right now. But if I do, I’ll be sure to ask, thank you Shin.” She would smile and walk along with him, lowering her hand as she realized what she was doing.

Once Shin’s home came into view she would pause and take it in, thoughts of her fight with Chen and her failures in the war successfully pushed aside. She was enthralled, and she would clasp her hands together excitedly in front of her as her voice went up in tone an octave. “Oh Shin! This is beautiful! This is your home?” She was beside herself as she took a few steps forward to examine the home. The yard was filled with lush grass and dotted with beautiful wildflowers, she could imagine sitting in those windows and staring out at the sky and all the people that lived in the clan district. “You know, before I lived here I didn’t have a home exactly. Not that that’s a bad thing, I grew up in the desert and usually my family and I just slept under the stars. No walls or roof, nothing solid or permanent. I’m sorry that probably sounds silly. I loved it of course, but part of me always wondered what it would have been like to grow up in a real house. A place where I could store my treasures you know?”

Unless Shin stopped her, Mitsu would move up to the front outside wall and place a hand lovingly against it, marvelling at the architecture. She didn’t regret the way she had lived in the Land of Wind, but part of her had always wondered how different her life would have been if she hadn’t slept in the sand, moving as the dunes did. “I’m here to help and don’t worry, we’ll get you fixed up.” Her words were spoken quietly to the house, as though she thought it might be concerned about her entering it or damaging it. It was the same reverence she had shown to all of the natural world, she wasn’t silly enough to believe that the house could communicate with her in any way, but she had always been taught that the Universe deserved respect and consideration.

His offer was neither declined nor accepted by Mitsukira, though it did not concern Shin in the slightest. A person always functioned at their own pace, he was evidence of that when he would compare himself to others. Shin would respond in response to her statement and assume she would come to him – if she wanted to – with whatever issue was troubling her. Her current predicament did not need to be pressed and instead, he seemed to offer her a distraction, whether it was helpful or not remained to be seen. He noted the movement of her hand lowering to her side but otherwise continued on.

Her exclamation about his home was completely different than he viewed it; it was no longer the childhood home he had. It was not as beautiful as it once was, the lawn had gone far too long without proper tending, the exterior of the house looked… dull. The comparison of how Shin saw his home now compared to his childhood goggles presented a clear difference. The first day he was here, when he had stepped inside and had seen the interior – the pictures – it had been too much all at once. Of his current twenty-one years of age, eleven of those had been outside the walls of Iwagakure no Sato – not as a shinobi on a mission, but rather having to travel and then temporarily abandoned be forced to relocate to another village. The mystery behind his parents’ whereabouts? Still a mystery. He had tried to see if he could find any clues within the house, but the lack of willpower had resulted in him finding nothing, for a complete lack of trying.

Regardless of his own views, a small smile would grace his features in response to Mitsukira, an insight provided to him of the woman who had allowed him to return home. He would store away the knowledge of the slight history of her past, it was only right to remember things about people who were his acquaintances. It seemed they had a little in common, he supposed. She was an outsider who made Iwagakure her home, while Shin himself had been forced to become an outsider, even when it came to approaching his own childhood house. He would not stop her as she approached the house, he heard some words escape her, as she would utter towards the house, but Shin gave her that moment of privacy before stepping forward. “There’s nothing to be sorry about.” He responded in reference to her calling her story silly. “There’s not much we can do about the circumstances of our childhoods. Sometimes a loving family is more than most people can get.

Shin would hesitate, noticeably, as his right hand would reach for the doorknob. With a slightly shaky breath, he would push the door open and step aside to let Mitsukira step forth first. “I don’t remember much of the stuff I had left here when I first came back. Haven’t stepped in a few of the rooms… it didn’t feel…” Shin paused, his words escaping him. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he would once more continue. “As much as I want it to be… it hasn’t felt like home yet. It just feels wrong being here alone.” Once they would enter the house, whether it was Shin first or Mitsukira, his gaze wouldn’t travel far, only travelling to the lights as he flicked them on and then to the floor and the area directly ahead of him, avoiding the images of himself as a child with his parents.

[Claiming EXP up to and including this point]

Mitsu blushed slightly as Shin commented on her unnecessary apology. She had been doing that more and more lately, apologizing for her very existence. It was unlike her to do it since she’d never been concerned with her place in the Universe until recently. She had always known that she fit and that others around her either would or wouldn’t fit beside her. It wasn’t a stress and certainly not something she had apologized for. He was right of course, the circumstances of her childhood were not something she had any control over, and in truth it didn’t really bother her, it was just something she’d wondered about.

After paying her respects to the home she would look over to Shin and notice his hesitation as he reached for the doorknob to open the front door. Walking up to him she would tentatively attempt to place a reassuring hand on the taller man’s shoulder. “I’m right here Shin.” Mitsu wasn’t sure why Shin was having such a hard time, but she was at least smart enough to put together a working theory. She was standing in front of a childhood home that hadn’t been used in what looked like many years. She also knew from meeting Shin outside the village that he had considered returning to Iwagakure a ‘homecoming’, which had to mean he had been displaced for quite some time. And in all of the discussions with Shin the only mention of his parents or siblings had been an ambiguous sentence involving ‘family matters’ and today mentioning ‘family photos’. She didn’t know where his family might be, but they certainly weren’t here and hadn’t been for some time. While she had been separated from her own family for years at this point, she still knew where they were and that they were well, so it didn’t cause her any anxiety or stress to bring them up casually in conversation.

Mitsu would walk into the house first as Shin stepped aside to let her pass, turning around as soon as she did to smile encouragingly at her friend, her eyes shining in the dim light. “Thank you for sharing this with me Shin. I’m sorry that this is difficult for you, but whatever you need I’ll be here.” She would glance around the room, her pink eyes blinking several times as they adjusted to the harsh artificial light, the sting only momentary but enough to cause her to rub at her eyes.  

[Claiming EXP up to this point]

Her words of being ‘right here’ brought Shin a sense of resolve that this was something he could do. This was the home he grew up in. The house where he learned to crawl, talk, and walk. The house that had all the fond memories he had of his parents. Yet, there was still that sense that he couldn’t… shouldn’t. Let the past remain that, the past. There was no getting any of that back, so was there a point in constantly dwelling in it? To Shin that thought process simply did not work. It was something tied to his past and most likely his future; he needed but a single answer at the end of it all – dead or alive. Of course, a forced smile would grace his features as she patted his shoulder and said those kind words, she had her own troubles and he truly did not need to add his own controllable ones on her.

“Thank you for coming to help me.” Shin mentioned. Shin had planned to be here alone and who knew how things would go. It was likely Shin himself would get little work done and thus the removal of his personal possessions would then fall to the restoration crew had little concern for keeping them intact. He was about to continue, though he noticed her rubbing her eyes; they had been shining just a mere moment ago. “Should I turn the lights off? I didn’t think they’d trouble you.” He inquired, as it seemed to affect her far more than it should. Should Mitsukira respond that she’d like them off, he would flick the lights off, otherwise, he’d hesitate but simply let things be with the lights on.

“Come on.” His voice was quiet, the emotion clear, as he would take a step forward and then another. It was a short distance to reach the main family room; the room aside from his bedroom where he spent most of his time. The family pictures were plentiful, yet his gaze only slightly travelled over them before shooting elsewhere with less personal memories; which in truth was everywhere. “We can leave the furniture, that will be thrown out by the crew… the décor and… pictures… we can place off to the side and move them outside later on.” He paused his eyes once more travelling to his companion, realizing that it was rude to be… ordering someone around that had volunteered to accompany him. “Sorry… I don’t mean to be overbearing. It’s just… still a lot to process. I’ve had a few days and I still don’t know what I should be doing.” The apology he truly meant, for whatever reason his mind seemed to jump from one state to another. On his own, he was used to things being done as quickly as possible, but that was when he wasn’t home.

Mitsu smiled back at Shin as they entered the house, she knew a forced smile when she saw one, but short of bluntly asking him to tell her what troubled him she didn’t know what else to do that would help. The sudden switch in light had left her eyes stinging and her trying in vain to physically remove the discomfort. She quickly nodded her head ‘yes’ as he asked her if he should turn the lights off. “You couldn’t have known, and yes if it isn’t too much trouble having them off would be better. I see much better in the dark anyway.” As soon as the lights were flicked off again she would breathe an audible sigh of relief, the stinging fading with the brightness, and her eyes shining once more as they took in the ambient light to aid her eyesight. “Weak eyes, I’m sorry. If you need the light to see though, it’s alright I can get used to it. It’s just sudden changes that are unpleasant.”

She followed him through the house to the family room, she could sense the tension coming off of him in waves. Not through her sensory or anything magical, just an intrinsic understanding of emotions and how they affected people. The room was filled with personal things, a myriad of pictures that told of how Shin had lived here once when he was younger. There were less personal things as well, couches and chairs and tables, but even those held a certain charm for the woman who had grown up a nomad. She listened attentively as Shin laid out the plan for what was to be done with everything and was surprised when he offered her an apology. “Please don’t apologize to me Shin, these are your things, this is your home. You could allow me to just willy nilly go through it and do as I like, but that doesn’t seem reasonable. I’m not offended or anything. I’m good at taking orders, so you just tell me what to do and I’ll do it. I can even sing while we work if you like.”

She could tell this was hard, and she wanted to make it easier for him, her cheerful attitude was somewhat lacking as of late, but the core of it was still there and she drew from that core to try to put a smile on his face. Passing by him she would offer another friendly pat on his shoulder as she moved to begin taking down the pictures. These in particular seemed to be hurting him, the pause in his voice when he even just tried to say the word was very telling. She was desperately curious but knew that prying was probably not the best thing. So instead she would move them carefully onto the floor off to the side as he instructed, making sure they were securely leaning against the wall. She would sing if he indicated that he wanted her to, otherwise she would work happily in silence. After a few minutes she would speak quietly to him, being careful not to pay too much attention so that her suggestion wouldn’t put him on the spot. “You can tell me about this if you want. Your home, these pictures. You don’t have to of course, but I’m willing to listen if you want to talk.”

With the lights off, it took Shin a moment to readjust to the change in lighting once more. He was not used to seeing things in the dark, though it was not to say he was completely clueless about where things were. Sunlight would still filter into the room through the dusted-up windows; highlighting the dust that remained after all these years. He would nod in acknowledgement to Mitsukira’s statement on her eyes being more suitable for a darker environment. He had a question on the tip of his tongue to ask her about what had been brought up, but Shin let it slide; there were other things that were preoccupying his mind and while a distraction was nice, it was best he get to the task at hand sooner rather than later.

“Sorry.” The word had escaped him before he could even think about what his tongue released. He was apologizing to Mitsukira about apologizing to her. His eyes would be downcast once more, his brain rifling through thoughts on how to make things right. Here he was supposed to be fixing up his house and had decided to help Mitsukira take her mind off her issues, not to allow his own innumerable issues to come forth. Shin would, after a few countable seconds, turn his eyes back up to look over at Mitsukira, a sincere expression on his features instead of his stoic self. “I don’t mind if you sing. It’d be nice to listen to something lovely instead of drowning in my thoughts.” Not paying too much attention to the words leaving him, Shin would finally turn his eyes to one of the many pictures of his past.

As his eyes had turned and Mitsukira once more patted his shoulder, already moving on to one of the many pictures hanging from the walls. Slowly, Shin would move to another one, a more formal family picture of himself with his parents, this one having been taken when he was around the young age of five. Shin would glance over at Mitsukira every few moments to see how she was doing, to see if that expression in her eyes would return once more. At her query asking about his home and the pictures, Shin was at a slight loss of how to really tell her anything about it. For most people, he’d likely remain silent and simply let their curiosity die, yet here with Mitsukira, Shin felt it was fine to share. “I lived here with my parents. It was always just the three of us. Looking back, I think my parents had an idea about the war before it reached Iwagakure, so we left the village. Spent a few months travelling before we ended up in Kumogakure no Sato. We stayed with some friends of my father… I believe. One day… they just weren’t there anymore. I tried asking but never got an answer from my father’s friend. My father’s friend eventually relocated me to a small hut on the outskirts and I basically spent the next ten years of my life there. Then I left and was travelling until you found me in the Great Chang Mountains.” He wasn’t sure if his answer would really answer anything… he wasn’t even sure if this was what Mitsukira was asking for. Was she asking what happened? Or what his parents were like? He hoped he was able to answer her question, yet at the same time doubted it was what she wanted to hear.

[Claiming EXP up to this point]

Mitsu grinned as Shin apologized for apologizing. She didn’t think she needed to point it out though, as it might just end in a series of unnecessary apologies. Which was amusing, but considering the man’s apparent struggle with being in his childhood home, she didn’t want to add to his distress. She did smile happily as he said he wouldn’t mind if she sang. Happy to provide a distraction she would sing as she worked her way through the main room, taking down pictures and trying to organize the personal items as best she could. She would look at the images as she carefully placed them in a pile, she wanted to sit down and just pore over the pictures as she asked Shin about them. While they weren’t her memories, they still hurt to look at. Seeing the elegantly framed family made her miss her own parents and cousins. Her pink shining eyes glittered just a bit more as she felt a wave of sorrow fill her. For Shin, and surprisingly, for herself. She had spent nearly her whole life without sorrow and fear, and now it seemed that was all she had to cling to.

Shin explaining a bit of his life, at least as it pertained to this house, was a welcome distraction. Breathing out slowly she would swallow the lump of sadness in her throat and turn to listen to him. As he spoke an understanding of his apprehension dawned on her. He didn’t know where his parents were. She didn’t know where her own parents were exactly at this moment, but she knew approximately and she also knew they were safe. Her heart broke for the man and she would stand and move towards him, her arms outstretched in an offered embrace. “I’m glad I found you then. I wish I could help you somehow, is there anything I can do for you? Other than helping to clean out the house of course. You’re so kind, I can’t bear to see you sad.” Her family had been her rock throughout her life, not knowing where they were would have caused her to fall apart so many times. Her own sorrows forgotten again she could only think of how she could ease Shin’s troubles.

Amber orbs would finally move away from the frame he had been staring at and finally chancing a glance over at his companion. She seemed to be relatively fine from what he could tell; his sight likely was not as great as Mitsukira’s when in a dark environment. It was somewhat of a relief for Shin when the words had escaped him for Mitsukira to hear; Shin considered himself to be a very private person; not that he had much choice in the matter for the past few years where he knew no one and never befriended anyone. His time in Iwagakure to date – all four days – seemed to defy what Shin thought of himself and how he presented himself. He did not think he’d ever share the details he mentioned about his parents to anyone; simply because it did not matter to other people what happened, but here he was willingly opening up about the one aspect in his life that was constantly gnawing away at his brain. Not knowing was simply worse for Shin than it was to know. Whatever became of his parents’ fate, at least knowing what happened to them would ease that constant need to know. Dead or alive, he could handle that answer, but it was simply one he did not know, nor know any way to find a definitive answer that would soothe some of his worries.

Shin must have reabsorbed himself back into his own thoughts, for he did not even notice Mitsukira approach him. One second it seemed like she was where she had stood while he told her about his parents and the next she seemed to reappear in front of him. “Thank you.” Shin would say, accepting the open offering of a hug. He would take a moment to enjoy the human contact, though he would give her space back once more, stepping back a respectable distance, yet not too far. “You being here is more than enough.” His answer was honest, and while Shin wasn’t sure if it was due to it being Mitsukira or him simply sharing his story, he felt better in this house than the very first day he had been in here alone. Shin didn’t think he was kind… he simply existed and did what he thought was alright. Kindness was going out of one’s way to help another person; something Shin simply didn’t do too often. “I hardly consider myself kind.” Shin would state with a slight grin, his expression clearly trying to get away from the focus of his past. “If there’s anything I could do in the future to repay you for your time, both for helping with the house and your ear, just let me know. Whether its to return the favour of moving things, listening, or just about anything within reason.” Shin added, his arms going to grab a picture that he had left against the wall that seemed to be sliding down further. He would go ahead and pick it up, inspecting it once more; a picture of him alone with a wide smile as a toddler. Letting his mind reflect on that memory briefly, he would set it down once more, ensuring it wouldn’t fall, before turning back to Mitsukira.

Mitsu sighed happily as Shin accepted her embrace, taking a few moments to squeeze him tightly she would eventually - reluctantly - let go. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed something as simple as a hug, and as soon as it was over she felt a subtle melancholy fall over her. The human contact should have relieved the sadness she felt, but instead it had seemed to rekindle it. The way an appetizer stoked an appetite. She noticed Shin step back though and would move towards the nearby sofa, perching herself on the armrest with her knees up. She would wrap her arms around the fronts of her shins, choosing to hug herself rather than bother Shin again, and rested her chin on the tops of her knees. “I’m glad I can help.” She would say with a soft smile, her white hair falling around her like a blanket as she peered up at him.

She noticed the grin and it’s odd timing, moments before he had been opening up about his past and now was intent on changing the subject it seemed. She would allow it and would offer a grin of her own in return. “Have you met you? You’ve been pretty kind to me, and since I’m the one giving the opinion I feel like I should know.”

She would rock her head gently to the side, her chin still resting on her knees as she considered what she could possibly want in return for just listening to him. She never really asked for anything, and she didn’t expect payment for helping with his house, and especially not for being an ear to his troubles. She wondered if it was usual for people to expect compensation for their time like this. “I really don’t need anything in return, Shin. I’m happy to help you and honestly you’re about the closest thing I have to a friend here in Iwa, so just being able to spend time with you is wonderful for me.” Since her arrival in Iwagakure over a year before she had only spent time with Masaru and Chen, and those relationships had been polar opposite. Despite being a ridiculously friendly person she had somehow managed to not make any friends within the village in that time. She smiled again, though there was the tiniest bit of trepidation on her features as she wondered if perhaps she was making herself sound needy and like the type of person someone like Shin wouldn’t want to be friends with.

A hug was something that had been foreign to Shin for the past decade; this being his first one since the last night he had spent with his parents all those years ago. Instead of feeling dread from the action, Shin welcomed the embrace. The action still felt foreign to him, yet there was that sense of familiarity and want. Human contact was something he was depraved of on an emotional level, yet Shin still found himself functioning normally – his instincts had always been tuned for survival. Ever since having arrived in Iwagakure no Sato, thanks to the woman before him, he had been able to let his instincts take a break and simply exist; living a relatively normal life while still constantly pursuing the only goal he had in life. He would watch Mitsukira perch on the armrest of the couch; one that was in clear need of being thrown away or being reupholstered. As she would bring her knees up, Shin would advert his gaze for a moment, absorbing the living room, something he clearly had not done well thus far. His attention would return to her when she spoke up, and he would return her smile with one of his own.

A light laugh would escape him, followed by a shake of his head, indicating his disagreement with her assessment of him. “I suppose it could be seen as kind. Though, I just do what I feel is right. If that’s all it takes to be kind… well, then everyone should be kind.” Shin offered her his words. He didn’t feel he did anything out of the ordinary; whether it was kind or not, did not matter to him, he just did what he felt was right.

At her indication that she did not require anything from, Shin would simply nod, figuring there wasn’t much he could do to convince her otherwise. “Well, if that is the case, let’s just put a raincheck on it. If there is anything you ever need help with, such as getting rid of a couch, a friendly ear, or anything else, never hesitate to ask. My door will always be open… well, locked but metaphorically open.” His eyes would reflect his sentiment, warmth emanating from the amber orbs. Shin, for all of his own personal troubles, still would make time for someone who was important to him. And while he did not know Mitsukira too well, she was the one that allowed him to return home and was someone whom he would consider a potential friend. “I’m glad you at least consider me something akin to a friend, Tatsudashi-san. While I don’t know much about you and you don’t know much about me, I would like to consider you someone I could be friends with… if we aren’t already.” Shin hoped his words would alleviate some of the worries she had; while he did not know what was troubling her today – both before meeting her and at the current moment – he hoped that his words would at least lighten whatever burden was on her shoulders.

She enjoyed when Shin smiled, it made her feel like she hadn’t horribly messed everything up. It left her with a sense of relief from the anxiety she had been feeling as of late, and like even if it was just for a few hours, she could be happy again. She heard him dismiss her notion of him being kind again and she would shake her head, a rueful smile on her pale face. “Have it your way then. But my assessment of you still stands, at least as far as I’m concerned.”

She still sat hugging her own legs and listened to him speak of his offer to help her. “It’s not that I wouldn’t want your help, you know. It’s that I don’t usually ask. For help I mean. I grew up learning to be self sufficient, I know how to survive on my own just fine. In the desert at least. I could tell you all about where to find water, how to find food and then prepare and cook it. Which plants are dangerous and which aren’t. Where the best spots to sleep are, or to hide from a sandstorm. I’ve also never run into any trouble with bandits or anyone trying to hu-” Her voice was high pitched and fast, clearly she was excited when talking about how she had been raised. But as she was about to say the words ‘trying to hurt me’, she had to pause and she looked down and away from the taller man. She couldn’t say those words because they were a lie now. As she thought of Chen she felt a painful stabbing sensation where her scar was, and she hugged her legs tighter as she tried to ignore it.

Her voice had stopped abruptly mid word, and after a few moments she realized that she wasn’t speaking out loud anymore. With considerable effort she would raise her eyes towards him again, trying to smile as she thought of how to push past the awkward moment she had unintentionally created. With a forced smile she would speak again, trying to inject friendliness and warmth into her voice where she knew there was now only fear and pain. “Of course we’re friends Shin. And sure, we may not know much about each other yet, but there’s time for that. Why don’t you tell me something about yourself?” She was pointedly ignoring what she was speaking about earlier, moving to another subject in the hopes that she could pretend she hadn’t been almost murdered.

He listened to Mitsukira explain her perspective to him regarding her self sufficiency and the lack of needing the aid of others. As her voice picked up pace and became higher pitched, Shin knew there was something troubling her; someone speaking faster was usually equated to being nervous if they were not excited. From his own view, and what he had perceived of Mitsukira Tatsudashi, she certainly was not excited at the current moment. As far as where Mitsukira had cut herself off, Shin could only assume where her words were heading, yet with her looking down and away from him, it certainly seemed like a topic she wished to avoid. A better friend, he assumed would not let the issue slide entirely, but Shin certainly was not as close of a friend with Mitsukira to pry into an issue she wanted to avoid. He barely knew anything of the woman aside from the basics.

A silence would emanate in the room, Mitsukira from wishing to stop speaking of her previous train of thought and Shin uncomfortable about assessing it further. He tried to figure out something that was more helpful to her than hurtful and for him it seemed a change of subject was required. Yet, before the words could escape him, to divert to a completely different topic, Mitsukira would present him with a smile and bring up the topic of their ‘friendship’. At the line that they could know each other more over time, Shin would return a smile, a genuine, but restrained one. What was there that he could tell her about him that would be interesting at all; Shin found his life was pretty mundane and there was not much to share. No direct family that he could tell without painful memories arising, no real decent childhood memories that would not be clouded. His adolescents in Kumogakure no Sato was also relatively… lacklustre, he found. It was a day to day process he lived through, focusing on one day returning, yet it was rather uneventful when he reviewed the memories he could remember. “I, honestly, don’t have too much to share. My past has been rather… uneventful… with the exclusion of a specific part of it.” A rueful smile would present itself, before he would quickly deviate. “If anything, my return to Iwagakure no Sato has been far more… enjoyable than I anticipated. I had doubts I would stay, but even being here for a few days, I don’t think I could settle anywhere else if I wanted to.” There was a pause, probably not the most upbeat of answers and likely what Mitsukira was not seeking from him. “I apologize, I’m terrible at answering these questions. Perhaps if you wished to know something more specific, I could provide better answers.”

Mitsu would shake her head and sigh playfully at Shin’s answer. She hadn’t explained what she wanted from him clearly enough, so she wasn’t surprised at his reply. “No, silly. I didn’t ask about the most exciting thing you’ve ever done. I just want to know about you. What you like, what you don’t. Favourite books or animals or foods, that sort of thing. What do you do in your free time? Do you like dancing, or singing? Have you swam in the ocean? Eaten strawberries? Had tea?” There was a warm smile on her face as she spoke, and she would pat the seat of the couch beside the arm where she was still perched, an invitation to have him sit beside her.  

She would wait for him to sit, or if he chose not to she would pause a moment before continuing. “I’ll go first, and then you, and then me again and so on. You’re doing fine by the way, your answers are perfect considering what I asked. That was my fault for not being more specific. So my favourite thing to do, in my free time or any time, is dancing. And I guess my second favourite would be singing. Which is why I was singing earlier.” The sparkle returned to her pink eyes as she spoke about dancing and singing, the metaphorical dark clouds of angst lifting from around her.

His head tilted to the side slightly as Mitsukira’s response to his words. Perhaps he just wasn’t well suited for speaking with people when it came to getting to know a person; he had, apparently, failed miserably in answering Mitsukira’s question. Things he liked and did not like, his favourite books, animals, and food - these were the things she sought from him and he had not been able to provide such an answer for her. At her invitation to join her on the couch, Shin had an idea in mind, one that he had mentioned earlier in the day and simply shook his head to indicate his declining of her invitation to join her on the couch. He would listen and try to remember the details Mitsukira provided regarding her two favourite things to do; one of which had been aptly displayed to him before. The mood had seemed to lift he found and he much preferred the Mitsukira before him now than the one that had been present for the majority of the day thus far.

“Tell you what… I’ll answer all those questions if you answer one question from me.” There was a pause, a hesitant eye roaming the room before settling back on the woman who offered to help him out today. “How about we go get that lunch I promised?” Should the question get a negative response, Shin would answer her questions and resume the matter of prepping the house for the necessary repairs. A positive response to his invitation would be met with a smile and an extended hand to help her off her perch at the arm of the couch.

Mitsu was a bit disappointed that Shin shook his head at her silent offer for him to sit next to her. Only for a moment though, as he made a counter offer that she found she much preferred. She had been expecting a straight ‘no’ and probably an excuse as to why their time together should end. She’d been finding recently that what she thought she understood about people was way off base. So far off she might as well be an alien when it came to dealing with people. So when Shin asked if she would like to go get lunch, her face lit up with happiness. She had all but forgotten about his earlier offer, or rather didn’t have any intention of holding him to it.

“I would love to go have lunch with you!” Her voice echoed off the mostly bare walls of the home in her excitement. Looking at his outstretched hand she would smile shyly and tentatively place her hand in his, allowing him to help her stand. “Sorry, that was loud. Well then friend, what would you like to eat? I don’t go out much here, or at least I haven’t yet, so I’m not sure what’s good. Oh but. . .” She paused for a moment, her eyes downcast and her hand still in his should he allow it. “. . . would you mind if we went somewhere quiet? Or with less people I mean.” She still couldn’t explain her new aversion to being physically near people, the anxiety and fear that came with groups of strangers. But as she thought of going to the busy marketplace again she could feel tiny pricks of pain in her abdomen as her grip on his hand tightened ever so slightly.

Shin was glad his suggestion to grab lunch was met with acceptance; while he could handle being in his own home, the memories still remained far too fresh at times that he would wish to escape them for a little while. At her exuberant reply, followed by the shy smile that followed as she accepted his assistance to help her to her feet, Shin would keep the smile on his face. He was glad he’d at least get to know at least one person within the village of Iwagakure no Sato somewhat, he still felt like a stranger at times only having met a handful of people. “There’s no need to apologize Tatsudashi-san.” He would take note of her mood sombering a bit, and her wish to seek out somewhere quiet. Her request of being around fewer people was something Shin would make a mental note of, yet it did not seem like a topic he should broach at the current time. Shin would allow her hand to rest upon his until she pulled away from him. “Of course, that’s no problem at all.” His response was directed at finding a quiet place to eat, he could think of a few, yet the topic of food still remained a question.

“Seeing as you’re my guest, we should try something you would enjoy. If not, I know of a couple of restaurants that would be a quiet place for us to talk.” His hand remained where it was, though he would note the slightest change of pressure when it came to the woman’s hand in his. “There’s no need to be worried about anything. I’ll make sure no harm comes to either of us.” It was a promise, one he was not sure he could uphold, but he hoped his words would be reassuring enough for Mitsukira that venturing out today would not pose an issue.

Mitsu kept holding on to Shin’s hand, finding comfort in the physical closeness much as she had their embrace earlier. As a rule, Mitsu trusted easily. It was not in her nature to be immediately distrustful of people, a core part of her personality that had frequently led her astray, though she was not in any hurry to change it. Shin had been nothing but kind and polite, even supportive, towards her since she had met him in the Great Chang Mountains. So while she was generally uncomfortable being near others since the throne room, she found the warm smile and comforting words from Shin to be soothing.

She would smile at his calling her ‘Tatsudashi-san’ again. She wondered if he would ever use her actual name, and the thought of being referred to so formally made her snicker. “That’s never going to be not weird. Calling me Tatsudashi-san.” She was the least formal person she knew of, being called anything other than Mitsu seemed more serious than was warranted for most situations she found herself in. She was glad when he agreed to somewhere quiet, she was equally glad that he didn’t ask why. She would have told him, as best she was able to with her limited understanding of it, but it was a complicated subject and not exactly the ‘let’s break the ice and become friends’ first conversation topic.

When he suggested that they eat somewhere she would enjoy she would hum thoughtfully. “You know what I miss? Fruit. Cactus fruit specifically, but I don’t know if we have that here. But really anywhere that serves fruit would be amazing.” Since talking about her home and her family she had become somewhat nostalgic, which apparently included her appetite.

Shin’s promise to ensure no harm came to them took her by surprise. She had been worried about that very thing, but didn’t remember communicating it to him. Out loud anyway. The relief she felt at his words though was palpable and would show clearly on her face. “Thank you, Shin.” Her words were only slightly louder than a whisper as she felt emotion straining against her voice. In that moment she realized exactly what she had been missing, and how deeply it was affecting her. She had been missing friendship. A human connection. In a village full of people she had felt utterly alone for too long.

Shin would let out a slight laugh, though caught himself and stopped it immediately when it came to him calling Mitsukira ‘Tatsudashi-san’. It was something he had called her on the first day they had met, and three days later he still called her such. While Mitsukira had deemed them friends, Shin still felt anything but that, not for her lack of trying, but knowing next to nothing about the woman before him that most people would know as well. “Well, perhaps I should get to know you better and find out why you find that odd, Tatsudashi-san.” Shin would likely refer to Mitsukira by her name if he knew her better, to actually be able to say he was her friend, rather than stating it while it did not feel true.

Cactus fruit was certainly something he hadn’t tried, nor did he know of any places that served it in Iwagakure no Sato. As for places that served fruit, that list opened up a bit more, yet still was barebones when he could count the places on one hand; it took both of his hands to count the number of restaurants he was familiar with by name alone - three days was not enough for him to know about their menus. So, his offer of lunch was probably not the best one a person would receive; someone more familiar with the local cuisine would be better suited for the task. “While I can’t promise you cactus fruit, I’m sure there’s plenty of restaurants that have fruits available on their menu.” The market was more suited for finding fruits, yet he already reasoned Mitsukira did not wish to head there. “I’ll have to see if there are any restaurants in Iwa that have cactus fruits on the menu. I’ll be sure to let you know if I do.” If he could assist Mitsukira in finding something that would bring her joy, he would. Yet, there was little he could do right now to help her with that end.

“You’re welcome.” While he did not feel he deserved the gratitude Mitsukira presented him, he would respond in kind to the matter. He got the sense that it would result in an argument that would lead nowhere. “Well, let’s go then. Hopefully, a restaurant or two catch your eye and it would save me from getting caught about not knowing which restaurants serve fruit.” He would tug Mitsukira’s hand gently, the one still placed in his own, to draw her away from the couch and lead her towards the door. If she followed, he would eventually let go of her hand when he would need to open and close the front door.

[exit thread]