Don't Forget Me [Open/Semi-Open]

[Kazehi Ren]

Ren laid flat on her back in her older cousins living room, staring up at, or better put perhaps through, the ceiling. Her gaze was far away from just the small room as she sprawled, her feet half under the table. Her hair was undone and splayed up and around her head, across the floor like an ink spill on parchment.

She was waiting for her cousin to get back, mostly because she wanted to talk to him. Since so much had gone on, with his new role in the village, and adopting a cat, and a kid too, she hadn't really seen much of him. She had been busy as well, diving straight into learning a new language, and obviously keeping up on her studies, but she felt like she hadn't seen or goofed around with him for ages.

Over all she felt a visit was quite overdue.

She didn't admit to herself that a driving force for her stopping by and lying in wait for him had anything to do with the slowly rising panic that he would be too busy to continue being a presence in her life. That he would have too many duties, to the village and to his new family to spare a moment with her anymore. She felt like she was losing her mentor and it shook her, emotionally.

But she didn't admit this to herself and obviously wouldn't even imagine admitting it to anyone else. She just felt like dropping by, making sure her older cousin didn't turn into an old fart that doesn't know fun unless it bites him on the nose. Yeah. That was it.

She let out a sigh.

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

Ryu dropped down through the spires, level by level as quickly as he could with a pack full of groceries slung over his left shoulder and the stone coated fingers gripping the strap; his new life as a father figure required him to keep a larger supply of food in the house than normal. A growing child needed proper sustenance after all, so she would grow up right; his own father stressed a healthy, if modest, diet. While Shizuko wasn't likely to turn into a towering giant, she'd grow in her own ways and with a smaller body she'd likely need all the supplement possible to maintain a solid muscle tone.

He arrived quickly enough, the door opening and closing quickly with his entrance before he unlaced his boots, tucked them away in the shelf slots all in smooth, habitual motions. He paused putting the boots in his usual spot and stared at a set of shoes in the shelves, a sigh escaped his lips and he simply shook his head slightly before tucking the footwear in and striding through the short entry hall. "It's not nice to break and enter, you know." The smallest of smiles quirked the towering man's lip while he strode over, sliding the pack he carried off his shoulder and setting some of the weight of it on his little cousin's face as he passed. "While you're here, come help me put things away." Striding on, he set the pack on the floor in the kitchen, the full container coming up to the middle of his thigh and looked positively stuffed to groaning.

Opening the pack revealed the first layer of groceries, greens ranging from broad leaf, green lettuce to leeks. He turned, opening the boxy, tan colored fridge with a finger of his right hand while the left got tucked into the fold of his sleeve and pulled against his body while he rummaged through to make space for the new stock. "Something bothering you? You've got that look again. Like someone called you Shortstack McFlatchest again." He shot a sidelong look at the kid who was still shorter than him despite the man crouching. He hadn't ribbed her in a while though, it was a pre-preemptive effort for the comments he knew inevitably would launch out of her mouth.

 

[Kazehi Ren]

"It's not breaking and entering when it's family!"

She grinned up at him, only to sputter and flail about on the floor as the bag was set on her face and glared at his retreating back as he went to the kitchen. Rolling over on the floor to the kitchen and eventually standing up she sighed. Looking over the food, shess helped set things away. Grabbing a leak she set it in the sink and huffed, sending him another glare at the name calling, the insult obviously ruffling her feathers.

"No one but you calls me that anyways, you old fart!"

Mumbling to herself about old men and rude comments she tossed a few of the groceries around on the counter and sighed again, quietly.

"I came by to make sure you didn't turn into the fuddy duddy grandpa I always knew was just hiding below your crusty old man exterior. You're always so busy lately after all, what with the village...or your new family..."

She looked up at him, it was hard not to have to crane her neck a bit just to stare him in the face. She frowned more. "Stop being so tall, you're hogging up all the good genes and leaving me behind with this." She gestures at all of herself and growls lightly, before crossing her arms over her chest and plopping down on the counter, legs kicking at the air moodily.

"I worry about you being too busy to hang out with me...I'm not all that important anymore with all your duties." She mumbles.

Shaking her head as if snapping herself out of it, she jumps off the counter and fills a glass with water, before pointing at the sink.

"You have a leak in your sink by the way, cousin. Might want to check that out."

She sips the water and looks away from him, embarrassed to have said anything so personal all without any real meaning to do so. It just sort of slipped out, what was she supposed to do about it other than completely and utterly ignore it and attempt to distract from it with cheap jokes?

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

He stashed the produce and various other items handed to him by Ren in an orderly fashion, tucking everything neatly so there wouldn't be issues finding or removing items from the fridge. "Ah, is that so?" He glanced at his cousin, an eyebrow slightly quirked for a second before turning back to continue arranging and making sure nothing would get damaged when the fridge closed. "Wonder if it has something to do with that short temper of yours." He stood up and gently swung the fridge closed, the contents of the pack having been fully stored...but for a leek apparently.

He loomed over his small cousin, planting his left hand on his hip and fully raising an eyebrow at her. "No matter my position in the village, you're no less important. As well, I thought you would be excited at the prospect of having someone your age to play with instead of some 'fuddy duddy grandpa'." He plucked the leek from the fridge and flickered it so the base wound up plugged into her mouth suddenly but only so far that it was held in by her teeth. "Funny. Since you seem to have sprung a leak, Little One. You really shouldn't mumble, either. If you speak your mind, never obscure it, let your thoughts ring loudly or keep them to yourself." He rustled her hair about fondly before picking up the empty pack and rolling it tightly down and striding off to put it in a cubby by the front door. "How are Akio and Momoka? Well I hope?" He rolled his shoulders, peeling himself out of his kimono top to reveal the sleeveless grey compression shirt and the various pouches he wore around him on the inside of the garment. He didn't mind Ren seeing the state his left arm was in, after all...now that he was Tsuchikage all the village would see it to one extent or another. Folding his kimono top into a neat square, he settled down at the table with a sigh, putting the garment on the table top before resting the elbow of his left arm on it. "Excited to graduate?" He knew it wouldn't be long before Ren was going to take the exam, from how things were looking she would wind up graduating with Shizuko. His adopted daughter seemed to have quite a...knack..for learning and the ability to put her skills to use.

 

[Kazehi Ren]

Sputtering and flailing she eventually calms down enough to take the leek out of her mouth and stick it back in the sink again, making a face as she wipes at her mouth.

"I like hanging out with you though. And I don't really know her a whole lot. I'm kind of nervous really. What if she doesn't like me?"

She shrugged, attempting to look nonchalant, and hugged herself as she looked over at her cousin.

"Mum and Pa are good. Pa had a cold last week and Mum babied him mercilessly. He tried to sneak out of the house four times to watch me train before Mum threatened him with one of her kitchen spoons. He's feeling better now."

Jumping down from the counter she came to the table and leaned on it with her elbow, head propped up in one hand, the other reaching out to poke Ryu's forehead experimentally, just to see if she could.

"I guess so. I've been working really hard but I don't really think I'm ready... I feel really far behind. There isn't much that I can say I'm good at. I'm just average at everything!"

She sighs and face-plants her head into her hands, the picture of dejected. Flinging her arms above her head she flops dramatically onto the floor and lays an arm over her face. Sighing again, she peeks up at Ryu under her arm, and when she realizes he is watching, goes back to dramatically lamenting her average-ness on his floor.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh. I'm just so average."

She rolls around a little, just to add to the drama of "oof"d softly when she accidentally rolled into his legs. Rubbing her nose she frowned and sighed again, before just laying there, staring up at her older cousin.

"How do you know what you'll be good at, when everything you do seems to be so utterly normal. I don't feel like I have any huge amount of skill in anything I try, I'm proficient, but I'm not fluent... Do you get what I mean?"

[MFT]
[WC= 342 words 1827 characters]

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

He nodded and watched Ren toddle up to him and reach out to try to poke him in the forehead, which earned her a prod in the stomach, about where he figure her navel to be, with his right hand. Of course her flop over had him raising an eyebrow. "Time and hard work, your views will keep you humble while you gain strength." He patted the pack of her head and chuckled. "When Father was training me, I had no time to worry about being average nor what I would be good at. His eccentricity usually always kept me off balance until I got a handle on it, but by then he bounced us to something else. I suppose that became 'normal' for me." He wrinkled his nose a moment at the memories of the borderline insane training his father had put both of them through in the name of betterment.

With a slight shrug, he dismissed the memories and looked back at his cousin. "You know that the steps to knowledge are first started by exploration. You should at least meet Shizuko, then you can learn about her. I'm training her, so I'm sure you two will be able to challenge one another to new heights as you grow." He knew for a fact that Ren wasn't anything in terms of 'Average', she had an excellent mind and had already basically devoured the knowledge of their family's logged lineage. She might not be old enough for the Rites to be a recognized member but she was going to definitely have all the means and ability to do any of them.

 

[Kazehi Ren]

Shrugging softly as she laid on the floor she let her gaze skitter away from his gaze and frowned softly.

"I suppose it wouldn't be the end of the world to just meet her and hope for the best. Can't hide forever after all..."

She swung her body up and stood, pacing a little as she chattered at Ryu.

"I'd like to have a sparring partner that isn't already set to beat me the minute I so much as move.."

She glanced at him ruefully as she said that and gesticulated as she continued to wear a path in the floor with her steps.

"I guess I should make friends anyways, it's not like I talk to anyone else but the oldest fartiest man in the village."

She stuck her tongue out playfully and made sure to be outside his immediate range as she did so. She had learned over the years somewhat, after all. She stopped pacing for a moment and looked over her shoulder at Ryu, with a mildly nervous look plastered across her face.

"When... would be a good time to introduce myself?"

Her fears all rode on the idea that the girl wouldn't like her. And not just dislike her, but some how turn her cousin against her and make him hate her as well. Because parents always take their kids side when it comes to such things, don't they? And she didn't want to be tossed out on her end from his life like that. He was too integral a part of her life as this point, as a mentor and role model. A confidant she can rely on, despite him being so much older than her. When she was too embarrassed or felt her own parents wouldn't understand, he was the first one she sought out to talk to.

Without the rock that he was to her, she felt she was sure to drown. Okay maybe that was her just being overly dramatic as she was prone to do, but the statement still stands!

[MFT]
[WC = 340 words 1734 characters]

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

He watched as Ren paced nerviously, eyes following steadily while he remained quiet until she had vented all her concerns. Ryu couldn't help but be moderately amused at just how nervous Ren was to simply meet another girl in the family. "Little One, you always fuss over the smallest of matters. Think of it as an intellectual opportunity, you stand to gain knowledge, a friend, and someone to train with. I can assure you Shizuko can be just as fidgety as you are right now, you'll get along just fine." While he really couldn't understand the reasons why, his cousin seemed to be a little more socially awkward than himself; which was a feat of it's own considering how little social skills he really possessed aside from manners, honor, and respect but they got him by despite the fact that he had a hard time keeping up a conversation sometimes.

With shake of his head, he tapped a talon of his left hand against the wood of the table for a second while he thought. "We could sit down and have dinner, or perhaps you could join us for training at one point." He mused out loud, thinking of other various things to do. "I could talk to your parents and perhaps go camping for a couple days in the country side." There were various ways to go about these two meeting and spending time, but the limiting factor would be just where and how comfortable both of them would be. He just really hoped this wouldn't be like trying to put two magnets of the same polarity together and expect them to stick together.

 

[Kazehi Ren]

She made a face at the mention of a dinner, images of her parents attempting to have a formal dinner coloring her view of that plan dark.

"I don't want to try to be all proper at a dinner... Sparing sounds like fun, but camping sounds like the most fun. Although it's also the one that's likely to go the worst..."

She plops down onto the chair opposite Ryu and sighs, hunching her shoulders up to her ears as she thought about it all. One could almost imagine the smoke curling in the air and rising from her ears, she was staring a hole through Ryu's shoulder with the amount of concentration she was dedicating to thinking about the pros and cons of a camping situation.

She suddenly looked up at Ryu with a stricken look.

"You wouldn't make us share a tent if we went camping would you?"

Her voice cracked a little in the center of the sentence and she coughed awkwardly afterwards, as if trying to cover up the fact that that had happened at all.

She stared resolutely back down at her hands clasped together and set on the table, knuckles slowly regaining their color as she forced herself to loose the hold she had on herself at the moment. She had tensed far too much too suddenly at the thought of having to not only meet this girl but also be revealed all at once right away. Meeting someone she was already worried enough about meeting was one thing in and of itself, but also baring her more private of secrets suddenly hit her with the force of a well placed punch to her gut.

She felt queasy.

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

Ryu cocked an eyebrow at Ren while the girl made up her mind, well, at least tried to anyway. He didn't understand just how things could go "the worst" with a short trip into the countryside; sure there were some fierce creatures out there but Ryu was certain of his ability to protect the girls, and either of them getting lost wasn't a very high possibility. I only have one Tipi, so of course." He wasn't dumb, but he certainly failed to grasp the logic behind the concern and tension Ren seemed to have built up in this particar conversation.

 

[Kazehi Ren]

She worried at her bottom lip with her teeth and sighed, before admitting defeat in the face of her oblivious cousin.

"...Okay..."

She rubbed at her face absentmindedly, as her mind raced. She would have to make sure to bring baggy clothing and to have as many layers as possible, as well as to make sure to not get too dirty at any given time to make full body absolutely necessary, as well as make sure to have enough layers if they came across anywhere were they would potentially swim.

She was making a mental checklist of all the things she would need to make sure that everything was as casual and still set up in such a way to keep her privacy at its maximum capability.

"Am I going to need to find a sleeping roll to bring myself or do you have a bunch hidden around?"

She finally opened her eyes after a few minutes of contemplating all that she'd need to do to prepare properly and looked up at Ryu.

 

[Kazehi Ryu]

Ryu ran a quick mental check of what he had and what he'd have to stock to be able to feed them for a family outting. "I can pick you up one, Shizuko needs one as well." He didn't really understand the growing process of girls, he knew they either got along great with someone or they hated eachother's face but would still pretend to be pleasant sometimes. Then again maybe he read too many novels with sterotypes in them. He was sure the two would get along just fine, no matter how much cramped space Ren was worried over.

The last item on the list, as it were, was to get Shizuko interested. It might not be all that difficult since the girl rather liked exploring anyway. "It wouldn't be for a while, but I can set things up. No worries, I'm sure she'll find the way you awkwardly run at the mouth charming." He clapped Ren on the side of her shoulder with his right hand lightly before standing up from the table. "In any case, I have some paperwork that needs tending to. I could put you to work a bit if you're bored." He was stone faced enough that the tiny smirk at the corner of his lip seemed dangerous if Ren was observamt enough to spot it. Shizuko had chores just as Ryu did, but he was sure he could come up with something to keep Ren busy.

 

[Kazehi Ren]

She shook her head with a horrified expression, but it was playfully exaggerated.

"No, you taskmaster! I'm outta here!"

She laughed as she jumped up and jogged towards the door, slipping on her shoes, and looking up at her cousin to wave a goodbye.

"I'll tell Mom that you are doing well, and see you next time we can have a training session. See you later Itoko!"

She bolted out the door, half laughing as she went. She knew the kind of work that Ryu would throw at her would be rigorous at best. Downright killer at worst. She was out and practically running to her house, if she was going to do chores she was going to do the ones at her own house. Her mind mulled over the future camping trip, and she sighed a bit, her smile fading as she slowed down and walked.

She wasn't thrilled at the idea of being in such close proximity to someone she really didn't know all that well all at once upon meeting them. But...The girl was adopted by Ryu after all, she can't be too bad. And Ryu wouldn't let her turn him against his own flesh and blood anyways. She was just overreacting. The word jealous popped into her head but she waved it off, as if it was an insect. Nooo. Not that, definitely not that.

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[Kazehi Ryu]

The quickness of which Ren dodged out of the situation made Ryu grin all the more, picking up his folded kimono and taking it into his room and putting it away. He'd likely be working on the roster of the village until Shizuko got home in any case, so he lit up his desk with a small chakra-crystal lamp, settled into his chair, and began pouring over the names of the members in each Branch and staring at the faces beside each hoping that he would be able to remember all his people...

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