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 Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 5:03 am
Hanabira didn't try to sneak in the room like Karite was. She merely stood at the entrance to the room and watched him slip silently in. Hanabira furrowed her brows at Orika's state and had a heavy feeling that she was now just going through the emotional stress of her mother's death and continuing living the life of a shinobi. Hanabira had gone through the same thing. Leaving the room for a moment, Hanabira went to get a glass of water from the tap for Orika. She would leave her and Karite alone for a moment before she sat down with Orika too. The freckled face girl wouldn't want anyone other than Shinobu or Kane comforting her first.
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Aznka rolled 1 20-sided dice:
7
Total: 7 (1-20)
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Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 6:39 am
In that period between sleep and waking, Orika tried to remember what she was dreaming about. It had to be something since she didn't believe in dreamless sleeps, just ones people can't remember. No, nothing. Even her dreams refused to reveal anything. A scraping against linoleum snapped Orika out of her floating state. One of the nurses must have returned to check on the place. "Hi!" she squeaked, drowsily waving a hand at the woman. A quick rub of the eyes revealed still more darkness. She couldn't see anything, but the girl did smell... lion. Maya was away... so... "Karite!" Orika squealed, always glad to see her best friend. She staggered to her feet, regained her balance, and wobbled over to give him a big hug, throwing muscular arms around the boy's neck. He always smelled so good. Letting go, she remained on his lap and fired away with questions, "How are you? How were the exams? You don't have a headband! Did you fail? No, you two can't fail! Where's Hana-chan? You look so sad! Oh, don't tell me you two couldn't do it!" It was as if she weren't even a part of their team.
Hearing Karite
1d20 + Detect [7] = 14
DC: 11
Success
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Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 7:32 am
Karite was not surprised the girl knew he was there. She knew him better than anyone, and she always knew when he was around. As the firey young girl swung her arms around his neck he felt...he felt at ease. It was surprising, but she always put his mind and body at ease. He was never tense around her. That is why unlike Hana and Shin they worked well with each other. As she continued to sit on his lap and bury him with questions the boys eyes started to water. As long as he had been with her, he had never apologized. He had never even tried to remember it. "I am sorry, I am sorry Orika." Karite looked at her his silver eyes glazed with tears. "I let you down, I let Mai down, I let Kore down, I let the village down." Karite felt his heart stop cold in his chest. "I failed as your friend and as a shinobi. I am sorry." The boy had finally come to terms with Orika's pain and finally accepted his mortality as a single person who could not save everyone. He was bare and open. The secrets he held were out and open for her to see.
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Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 10:07 pm
Karite, the boy who was always so sure of himself and his place in the world had been suffering on her behalf? Orika never knew her boyfriend to be anything but strong and happy and always a go-getter and she couldn't do anything but stare blank-faced at him while he choked on his words. "No, no, no!" she whimpered, wiping his tears away with a gentle hand and hugging his head to her chest, "Please don't cry! There's really no reason. I... I don't even know what you're talking about!" She racked her brain for anything that he might have done to offend her, her mother, Kore, everybody! "I've never seen you do anything to hurt the people you love and I know you love me and Kore and Shimagakure very, very much. More than yourself, always!" she said without hesitation, cupping his head in her hands and forcing Karite to look her in the eyes. The pain in his eyes cut her like a knife and Orika found herself struck with a bolt of sudden misery. She really didn't want to see the one she cared for so much like this. It was unbecoming and well, made her feel like she'd done something wrong by letting Karite cry!
"Please...?" Orika asked, taking hold of his hand and squeezing it just enough for him to feel the pressure, but not to hurt. Now was not a time to hurt. Speculative thoughts began to flood her mind. She trusted Karite more than anyone else on the island. If he was so upset like this, then there had to be a reasonable explanation. The girl gulped and held back the tears that threatened to spill over her own face. She let her vision grow blurry instead. "Please tell me what's wrong. What did you do that was so terrible? You know you can tell me anything! Please, don't hold this from me..." Karite said he let so many people down that she knew it was going to be something so terrible she'd want to lock herself in her room for days and cry. Her, Miss Happy-Face! Her brain tried to come up with the worst thing that he could do, but this was Karite! He would never do anything to hurt her. Never.
"You know I won't ever stop caring for you," Orika whispered, brushing her lips against the teenage boy's nose. She tasted the bitter salt; It was just a taste of the bitterness inside Karite right now.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 1:58 pm
Karite tried his best not to cry anymore. Looking at her he felt his heart sink. The war took her mother's life and a large part of this villages heart. Kore was injured and he learned there were stronger people in the world. As he tried his best to breath long enough to tell her why he was crying he stood from his chair and held her. "I passed my exam, but I failed a promise I made to you. I promised to always protect you and this village. I promise I would always follow my shinobi way and do things my way. I took orders to the letter and because of that your mother and a strong part of this village is gone." Karite, held Orika firmer then had in a long time. She had been the first person he kissed, and the first person he cried in front of. "I want to make it up to you, and to the village. I need your help to do it though." Karite had never been a loner but he had a problem asking for help. Now he was coming to her asking for the hardest thing ever. He need Orika to achieve his dream of promotion.
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Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2009 4:31 pm
Orika numbly let Karite hug her. Karite was never the most direct person, always expression himself through vague generalities and poems. Over the years, she learned how to interpret his words a lot better. But what he was saying now she didn't want to believe. She didn't want to hear how Karite failed to protect her mother on the field. She didn't want to hear how now of all times he wanted her to become a genin with him. She wanted to say that it wasn't his fault and that he was just a kid following orders like he was supposed to and that there are always casualties in war. Stuff like that. Brave stuff. Instead, Orika very quietly, almost in a whisper, said, "You let my mom die... You saw how I've been. You..." The first tear came crashing down as her world caved in. It was followed by many more and for the first time, the girl just let her feelings out in the open. By the time she had realized she was crying, Orika was sobbing so badly she couldn't speak, couldn't tell Karite that she loved him so much, couldn't ask for details like a rational person. She just cried and felt the pain she'd been hiding for two years. One strong hand gripped the loose part of Karite's pants. The other wrapped itself around Karite's back. She was so confused. The very person she should be mad at was the one she always came to for comfort.
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Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 12:49 pm
Karite could do nothing but hold the girl in his arms. She as much as he had come to terms with the events of that war. He however had tried his best to fix it. Now he had come to face the last hurdle of his path of forgiveness. "I am sorry. All I can do is get stronger and try harder to protect this village, and you. That is what I am trying to do now, but I need you to accomplish it." Holding her closer to him giving her a reassuring grip he spoke again. "Will you trust me once more to keep my promise? Will you count on me like I have come to count on you?" Karite kissed the girl on top of her head and let a tear fall from his eyes. "Baby, will you trust me?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 5:02 am
He was asking a lot. The way Karite phrased his words made it sound like he was more interested in defending the interests of Shimagakure... and her than doing what was right. But right and wrong were so subjective! Orika let Karite kiss her and laid her head on his chest. "Every day, I wonder if we'd have been better off if shinobi never existed," she mumbled, "Ever since Shima was created, there's been so much war and bloodshed and fighting. They say that we're always right and they're wrong, but how can I believe that when the people I loved most are torn from me? What kind of solution is that?" She remembered how some people had blamed Ichi for the Orochi War, then Shinichi for the Meho War. They might have just been doing what they felt was right, but that didn't excuse them from the consequences. Suddenly an idea came to mind. Orika pulled out a kunai and wiped it clean of the day's dirt with a cloth. "I do trust you..." she whispered, standing the knife on its end so that the handle rested on her lap, "Let's make an oath." The girl pricked herself on the kunai's tip and held up her bleeding finger, holding out the kunai for Karite to do the same. "Do you, Tategami Karite, solemnly swear to make every decision based on two basic truths, that all people deserve life and respect? That we all deserve the basic right to pursue true happiness and that anyone who tramples on those rights and the right to life must be dealt with? That you will protect me to the end of time, but... never at the expense of the above? If so, spread your blood on one side of this kunai and I will do the same for you. Break this oath and may your nightmares be the least you have to worry about." Without hesitation, Orika ran her finger over one side of the blade, spreading an even layer of blood. Her actions conveyed the unfortunate reality, that she would not become a genin in his squad until Karite swore that he would work with her to better the world.
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2009 7:50 am
Karite did not understand what was happening. Orika seemed to have some kind of reason to protect everyone's rights, but some people didn't deserve rights in the first place. People like the Meho's, he would not take a life he didn't need to, but he would never let anyone harm his squad, or Orika. Bitting the tip of his fingers with his own fangs he ran his finger down the side of the Kunai looking into the girls eyes. "I swear." The only words that left the boy's mouth. He had just transformed his image of the shinobi. His style of hiding in the shadows would have to be developed. His use of weapon choice had been wise, and his fighting style was well planned. Now all he had to do was train to be the perfect fighter for Orika's sake.
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Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2009 5:11 am
Even if she had just slightly manipulated her boyfriend into taking an unbreakable oath, Orika felt at ease, her fears and anxieties slipping away like fat off well-cooked ribs. Their blood blended together on the edges of the kunai, sealing the bond. Orika said nothing as She set the kunai down carefully to dry. She didn't like to use the tiny knives, but would still keep it in her possession at all times to remind them both of the promise. "I'm ready," the girl whispered to Karite, closing her eyes and holding him tight. The feel of his skin against hers, his warmth made her feel like she was in a cocoon free from all life's worries. "There are some other stragglers around that I'll test with, okay?" Without opening her eyes, she lifted her head and planted a quick kiss on Karite's lips, then rested her head on his shoulders. "Mm," Orika mumbled, "Wanna sleep here tonight? It's just as cozy..." She was already falling asleep...
[Exit to Next Day]
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Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 4:27 am
{Sorry, I posted, but it must not have gone through! Hanabira will just have exited peacefully without disturbing Karite and Orika.}
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Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 6:21 am
Karite simply stood there unsure of what he just did. A part of him felt dead, it was hard to explain but he was a hunter. Killing was in his name, Tategami were known for being very strong and monsters in the own name. As he looked at Orika he shook his head. "I cant, I have orders to return to the lagoon. I will talk to you later Orika." Pausing to hug the girl the boy wrapped his arms around her, before confusingly turning and walking away. Snapping his fingers Kore followed suit as they made there way back to the lagoon.
{exit to Lagoon and next day}
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Posted: Sat Sep 19, 2009 11:40 am
Tenko arrived at the Clinic a bit later than she normally did, but quickly began to set up everything for the day. It didn’t take very long for her eyes to set upon the body of Orika, sleeping alone in the room. “Um, excuse me,” she said tentatively, her voice but a whisper in the silent room. Walking to the girl’s side, she gently tapped her on the shoulder, once more requesting her arrival into the world of the awake. “Excuse me. What are you doing here?” Tenko could feel a cold sweat bead on her forehead as she began to worry something had happened to the girl while the Clinic was closed and she’d have to make an emergency call to Kumiko and Tenmoki-sensei.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:05 am
It was cold in the clinic. Orika's goosebumps made it uncomfortable to sleep, but she didn't feel like going up to get a blanket. The girl sucked on her finger, wanting to feel happy, but something was still wrong. Karite's expression... it was genial, but felt like he was hiding something to make her happy. But... but... he had just taken a sword oath and he can't break that EVER! Orika felt the kunai press against her shoulder in a dream and stirred. In her mind, she was letting the kunai pierce into her. Would that make Karite happy and understand her pointm that only the most idiotic could kill without feeling, for they simply ignored the consequences? A mousy voice jolted the girl awake and she opened her eyes to a blurry world. Orika rubbed her eyes and sat up to face Tenko. "Hi," she mumbled, wondering what would explain things to the woman. Well, why not the truth? "So I didn't want to be a genin and so found Senri and we stayed out too late to train and all the shops were closed so we made dinner and-" she paused to tilt her head at the nonexistent mess in the other room. Oh, no! They'd left a glob of that weird cheese on the ground. There was half a cockroach's legs sticking out of it. "And then Senri left and I was going to lay down so my tummy won't be upset but then it turned out to the bed my mom died in and then I got really say, but then Karite came and I made him swear that he won't kill unnecessarily and he seemed really disturbed and left me all alone and... and..." The girl's voice cracked as she gasped for breath. She wondered what her puffy eyes meant to Tenko. Allergies confused Sure. Anything but the truth. The truth was too painful to talk about, well, slow enough for Tenko to understand, at least.
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Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:29 pm
Tenko held a meager smile as Orika rubbed her eyes and greeted her. At least the girl wasn’t hurt in any way. At least physically. Tenko’s eyes slowly widened as Orika awoke and immediately began to expel all the information from her previous day. The woman could feel herself becoming slightly confused as to why she would do so. “I, um.” Unaware as to what she could possibly say to make the child feel better in her situation. “I’m sorry…” Tenko’s eyes began to swell with tears, her voice cracking the same as Orika’s. Sensitive towards the younger female’s pain, the woman straightened her back and weakly attempted to hold back the tears that wanted to overflow from her eyes. “Well…if there’s anything I can do please let me know.” Tenko smiled towards the girl to try to get a positive reaction back. The woman nodded to the girl and quickly got the image of the strange substance on the floor and disappeared into the next room to get a cloth and a bag of water to clean it up.
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