Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on May 1, 2010 2:44:50 GMT -5
Ayaka nodded, pulling up a chair so she could sit close by. "I'm really glad you did. I got off work early today, so when I got your note, I came right away. But it's not your fault I was worried. I mean, we're friends, right? So it's normal to get worried, right? Especially since... "Gah!" she exclaimed as her vision suddenly swam, and quickly scrubbed at her eyes with her sleeve. "I'm sorry! I promised myself I wouldn't do this. It's just... it reminded me of something. And when it did, I got scared, so.... "But it's fine now!" she exclaimed, putting on her best smile. "Because you're okay, right?"
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on May 1, 2010 3:39:29 GMT -5
What on earth.. Before Utsuro could really comprehend his actions, his hand was on her arm comfortingly. What was she so afraid of? "You do not have to be afraid of anything, Ayaka-san...I am fine.." He smiled softly, genuinely, raising his other hand so she could see the charm clutched within it. "Maneki-sama was here to keep me safe.."
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
|
Post by Tensei Kaori on May 1, 2010 3:47:01 GMT -5
Ayaka blinked. "Ehhh? You really kept him with you for that?" she asked, amazed, her eyes going wide. A moment later, her expression brightened into a happy, sincere smile, and she gave his hand a gentle squeeze as thanks for reassuring her. "I'm glad he could bring you good luck. It looks like he really was the right one to give you, after all. That's great. "Ah... but... what on earth happened? Did the Hokage find something bad during your checkup?"
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on May 1, 2010 19:08:53 GMT -5
"Of course I kept him with me...I am more ashamed I left him at the tent to begin with...but then.." He trailed off for a moment, squeezing her hand back as a thought occurred to him. "If I had not...I would have had no reason to return to the tent...and I would not have left you that note....which means you would not have known...would have worried more probably...." Utsuro looked down to the cat in his palm, grinning very faintly. "You are good, Maneki-sama.."
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
|
Post by Tensei Kaori on May 1, 2010 19:22:52 GMT -5
Ayaka wasn't sure how she should feel about the maneki-neko being the only reason Tsutomegi let her know what was going on, but at the same time, it made her happy that he valued her gift so much that he wanted it with him during surgery. But still... "Well," she sighed, "I'm just glad you let me know. I don't think I can find people as quick as you found me in that tree."
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on May 1, 2010 19:34:52 GMT -5
"Well...I would have tried to let you know either way. I just do not know if the Hokage would have let me send a message or not. So it worked out best the way it did. "And....you can thank Kyousei-san for that. He and his partner lead me to you. I..could not have done that on my own." Utsuro sighed, smile fading slightly as he settled back into the bed a little more, resting the hand that held the maneki-neko on his chest. "To answer your original question...the Hokage said that my chakra system was very badly damaged. Probably over half the reason I am such a poor excuse for a shinobi. She said they needed to fix it immediately, before something terrible happened."
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
|
Post by Tensei Kaori on May 1, 2010 19:38:42 GMT -5
"I... see," Ayaka replied a little confusedly, even though she didn't really understand. Well. Chakra was what ninjas used to do ninja things, so she supposed it made sense that there'd have to be some sort of system for it, she guessed. Even if she did have a little trouble fully grasping the alien subject. "So... she fixed it, right?" she asked anxiously, her grip on Tsutomegi's hand tightening slightly out of concern. "Nothing bad's going to happen to you now?"
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on May 1, 2010 19:50:10 GMT -5
"Yes. She said the operation was a success, though my chakra is temporarily locked up so I do not hurt myself trying to use it. I will probably be here for a couple of days while that happens, so it is a good thing you have Taka-kun to keep you company... "I would not want you to feel lonely, after all.." He tilted his head slightly to look at their hands, particularly her tight grip. "Ayaka-san......what is wrong? You seemed very upset just before..."
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on May 1, 2010 20:02:02 GMT -5
"Eh? Ah. That is..." Ayaka sighed sadly and lowered her gaze into her lap. When she finally spoke after a moment or two of silence, it was in a very soft, heavy voice: "The village I come from is very small," she explained. "It's so small we don't have our own doctor, because there aren't enough people to get hurt or sick often enough for a doctor to live there. So when something goes wrong, we usually just take care of each other. Even when someone does need a doctor, it's hard because it's expensive to hire one, and sometimes it takes them a while to arrive, so we almost never call for one. "The only time someone I know really needed a doctor.... or I guess, the only time until today.... was when I was six. My... my mom got sick. For a while we thought she would get better, but then she kept getting worse and worse. So we called a doctor, and he worked really hard, but even with the medicine.... "He said there was nothing else he could do. She died a few weeks later." She stopped, swallowed, tried to make her voice come out more normally, and continued. "So... when I got your note today and it said you needed surgery... it reminded me of that time. And I got really scared. Because if..." She trailed off, scrubbed her face dry on her shoulder, and forced herself to finish. "Because if something was really that wrong, I thought I might lose you too."
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on May 1, 2010 20:31:40 GMT -5
Utsuro listened intently, and at first, that was all he could do. Here was someone...his friend, baring her heart to him. Today, he had almost made her relive something she never should have had to go through in the first place. Utsuro, of all people, understood best how it felt to lose someone that important. But to lose someone so slowly..so helplessly.. He pushed himself up without really thinking about it, ignoring the heavy fatigue in his body. The luck charm tumbled across the mattress as he shifted and leaned over, wrapping his arms around her as tightly as he could muster. "I am not going anywhere, Ayaka-san. Ever. You are not going to be alone anymore."
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on May 2, 2010 1:08:16 GMT -5
For that first split-moment, Ayaka couldn't move. Never before had she been held this close, this tightly. Of course, until she came to Konoha, she had never been held by anyone but her own mother. But even then this was... different. It was his words, however, that really got to her. Not alone anymore...
Never again...
... That's right. I have friends now.And so Ayaka smiled, let out a small laugh of relief, and even as a few of those bottled-up tears managed to escape, hugged her friend back just as tightly as he was hugging her, if not tighter. An instant later and she was seated on the edge of the mattress, which made the gesture far less awkward and less likely to end with both of them on the floor. "You're right," she said into his shoulder. "I'm not alone anymore. Thank you." She just stayed there like that for a long moment, taking comfort in the mere fact that she had a friend, especially one who would go to such extents to comfort her. It wasn't something she had ever experienced before, but now that she had, she never wanted it to go away. Thinking of that brought a thought forward in her mind, one she just had to share: "But you know what that means, right?" she asked, pulling back just enough to be able to look her friend in the eye. One hand came up to scrub those pesky tears away, which - if only that moment - pulled aside the red-orange curtain that usually covered her face. "Since you're my friend, and I'm your friend, and you're gonna be here with me... That means we'll be together, right? So... "You're not alone either, Tsutomegi. Because I'll be here with you, too."
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on May 2, 2010 19:58:55 GMT -5
"Ayaka-san.." Utsuro started to reply before trailing off. What did he want to say? What COULD he say? He grasped for words, and came up empty, drifting between his proverbial fingers. But there was one thing he could hold tightly to. Arms around his friend...HIS friend...he smiled, even laughed a little himself. And Utsuro nodded, his dull gray eyes finding just the faintest spark of light. "You are right. You and I...we are here, now. We will look out for each other, and we will both be okay."
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on May 2, 2010 20:10:36 GMT -5
Ayaka nodded, the last of her tears finally vanishing to be replaced in full by a bright, happy smile. "Yeah," she agreed simply. But then... "Ah! I'm sorry! Just look at me," she sighed with a shy, embarrassed smile. "You're the one in the hospital, but you're the one who ended up comforting me instead of the other way around. It's not supposed to happen that way, is it?"
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strangevisitor
ANBU Squad Leader
Only a man looking for a dream
Posts: 1,754
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Post by strangevisitor on May 2, 2010 20:38:15 GMT -5
" My friend was upset. Of course I had to do something. What kind of a friend would I be otherwise?" Utsuro replied, still smiling. "Besides...just by coming to see me...much less waiting for me all this time..it was very comforting to know someone cared enough to do that."
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Tensei Kaori
Hokage
Konoha's #1 Henge Master
Taking over the world, one bishie at a time...
Posts: 7,888
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Post by Tensei Kaori on May 3, 2010 1:59:30 GMT -5
Ayaka blinked confusedly, almost looking more baffled by why she wouldn't be at the hospital, but she soon slipped into yet another smile. She had done it again: she had been helpful to a friend. It felt good to know she had done something right, even though she wouldn't have done anything but come to the hospital in this situation. "I'm really glad," she said happily. "Ah, but... are you sure it's okay for you to be up right now?" she asked, sounding concerned. "I mean, I'm really glad you hugged me, but the Hokage said you need rest. Well, I'm not telling you you have to let go or lie back down or anything, but I don't want you to get hurt or worn out because of me, but... I... I... "I think I just confused myself. None of that made any sense."
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