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 Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 5:35 pm
Another family torn apart. That's horrible.
Before she can start to dwell on her own family, her own tragedies, Iri shakes her head. Too much. After all the stress, thinking about her family is too much. Instead, she looks to her clothes and gives a wry smile.
"I wouldn't worry about it. Won't be long before I can wear something else. Every once in a while, I cheat and wear something other than white. But Dad likes to sneak into the academy unannoucned, and he would have Mom tear me a new one if he saw me in anything else." Remembering that Lina knows nothing of her culture, she gives the dragon an apologetic grin and continues. "Wearing white is a mark of purity in our clan. Everyone wheres white until they turn twenty-one years of age, or they find a mate. Me, I figure I'll turn twenty-one first."
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:08 pm
"Ahh, family matters"
She decided not to mention the bizzare nature of hoer own family.
She tilted her head after thinking on the tradition for a while.
"I remember something like that way back in the old days... Yuukata's and swords at the hip, Brother was always wore Red, I was green... It might have been our branch of the family, I can't remember Ishira sticking to a color. I don't remember why anymore though."
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 7:38 pm
"Maybe because Ishira switches loyalties too often?" Reeve says, with a slight bitterness. It had taken ages to get his tired frame down the hallway, but he leans on the door casually, if a little more fatigued than usual.
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 7:48 pm
She tilted her head.
"I thought you'd stay asleep longer"
She leaned back.
"I didn't mean Ishira not participating, I meant I didn't remember why that family tradition started... or why everyone seemed to stop caring about it."
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:04 pm
"Sometimes what used to matter eventually matters very little to some people..." In keeping with his bitter mood, he nods toward where Nekojiri's office used to be.
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:21 pm
The girl sighed and looked at them.
"So, should I just go and cook something for everyone? Probably won't have much meat."
She didn't mention that when saying not much she usually meant that there was probably no meat at all in her planned cooking.
She tilted her head back.
"I really figure you both have stuff to talk about after all"
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 4:17 am
Iri wants to object, but doesn't say anything. She just crosses her arms under her breast and looks to the side. Why does she have the feeling that this will be unpleasant?
Finally, after a discreet rumbling of her stomach reminds her of the need to eat, she nods to Lina. "Yeah, I'm running on empty myself. Haven't even thought about eating lately."
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 11:53 am
The currently fox-girl walked back to her 'little' maze before returning to the basement and walking around for a while deciding to figure out just where and what the kitchen in the Dojo was like. She chuckled when noticing everything was electric.
"Why am I not surprised" she muttered to herself.
She started making some very strange smelling soup broth. She thought for a moment before making rice as well. After looking through the kitchen for supplies, and eventually she started making curry. She resigned herself to cooking a meat dish involving chicken upon thinking how long it would be good for given that it was at least a couple of days old already. She shrugged and prepared a few of the usual Asian styled sauces for whoever was after the dish in the end, figuring someone would find the stereotypical meal funny in the end.
Lina would be dancing around the kitchen for a while while everything heated up.
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:11 pm
Evidently, the choice wasn't up to Reeve. That's just as well- he needs to eat anyway, whether he decides it or not. As Lina leaves, Reeve puts his gaze on the floor.
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:45 pm
Iri glances up at Reeve for a moment, then her eyes shift down again. The silence is so thick, she feels like trying to cut it with her kunai. And it's awkward. Not wanting it to continue, she finally clears her throat to speak.
"Eh, I'm sorry. For losing my temper earlier."
It's not much, but she's just hoping to break the ice.
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 3:26 pm
"You don't need to be," Reeve replies quietly. "You have to understand, we will never - I will never come that close to ending Nekojiri, ever again. It would have been worth it."
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 7:31 pm
Iri nods, thinking about it. The possibility that coming that close to killing Nekojiri again is very slim. Especially after confronting him on his home turf like that. Air spies warned Iri that his hangers had been destroyed, turned to glass like the villages Reeve had spoke of. Odds are he'll do something similar to that place. There's no telling where he'll pop up.
"I can't argue with you on that point. But, think of this: Would death be the best punishment for Nekojiri? I don't think so. Especially if it had meant you went down with him. He needs to be paid back in a much more fitting manner. Also, would killing him have guaranteed the return of your son?"
She shakes her head and takes a couple steps closer to Reeve.
"Neko dies first, and there's no telling what will happen to Dalcon. We need to rescue him first. Then take care of Nekojiri and his pawns." She tilts her head to the side and a light grin plays at the corner of her mouth. The expression is conspiratorial. "Eventually, he'll send Dalcon out to test him. I've already got a strategy laid out. Provided he does what I believe he'll do."
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 7:38 pm
Reeve shakes his head, suddenly very vocal and highly upset.
"Iri, you don't have any idea of what that man is capable of doing to my son, or what he is capable of making him do! That kid- my son- is half youkai besides everything I am, and youkai were literally, actually made for war. He's a perfect specimen for Nekojiri and the possibilities are endless. I'm not afraid of not finding Dalcon, Irianna," Reeve continues, his eyes welling slightly as he uses her full name for possibly the first time since they'd met, "I'm scared of finding something worse than you found when you found me. He sent me out to be tested, too, you know."
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:00 pm
The grin fades and Iri looks to the ground again. At the use of her full name, she winces. It's not just the fact that she prefers her nickname. It's that she really can't remembering him having used the name. Not since they first met. As far as Dalcon goes, she had never known exactly what the boy was. Or the nature of a youkai, for that matter. It's something she hadn't planned on. And the strategy she had may be null and void now. Aside from that, is fixing Dalcon going to be as easy as fixing Reeve?
Still not looking at him, Iri says, "Were Lina and I supposed to watch as you both died, you and Nekojiri? You know I couldn't do that. Neko's pretty much dead in my book. The man I knew and respected, at least. I don't know if there's any help for him. But I could still help you."
She finally looks up at Reeve again, and it happens. Just seeing him so upset brings tears to her eyes. It's a rare display for her, something she hates doing in front of anyone, even Psyche and her family. Iri doesn't think he's ever even seen her cry. "So you were going to die to keep Dalcon from getting hurt. You see it as me getting in the way of protecting your son. I really am sorry for that. You have to understand, he's also my student, and I'm already attached to the kid. But letting you go would have been much more painful, and considering the current state of this academy, something I couldn't afford to do. Hate me for it if you want. I don't blame you. But I just couldn't let it happen."
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:10 pm
"You know me better than to think I could hate you," Reeve says, fluidly, instinctively wrapping his arms around her. "Especially for saving my life. But at no point is fighting this two-front war going to be easy."
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