[attr="class","APP3"]An anger fermented in the belly of Sechii, an anger brought about him by the very land itself. Albeit, his own rage was of his lack of preparation and self-induced. It was his ill-execution of appropriate volition when it came of learning the land and what she had to offer that left him this way, having considerable trouble in finding aid for his wound. In his home of Kaminari no Kuni, from her mountainous peaks dressed fairly in a dollop of snow to her foreboding and isolate tundra's with a distinct lack of warmth and good cheer, he knew the earth and where she led. Despite this not having been his first incursion into Hi no Kuni, a territory that had long shuttered its borders, he had neglected the opportunity to learn more of it. He had been on his way now, for quite sometime, having put a great distance between himself and the battle he fought that very day. Despite his victory, he had sustained unique damage-- a cut that ran along a slither of his back, the property of the blade which bled him unknown. He knew the cut of a katana, a number of scars hidden beneath his gi was a testament to those run-ins, but none had ever been so effective.
"Hmm...?"
A rumble rolled in his throat, sounding as if it were a growl itself. It was a marvel to behold: the first bloody sign his sea-green eyes had happened upon. It was poorly made, in all honesty, as looked little more than poor job fashioned together in haste and driven into the earth to aid wayward souls in finding a way as conflict upon the borders seemed unavoidable. The jounin narrowed his eyes at the sight, making sure he read the first post he had happened upon in this large and expansive land accurately. It mentioned a smaller settlement was due that direction and it assured him that he had been on the right path all along. As great as it was, though, it seemed he still had a ways to go and his bleeding had lightened no less, a hot streak on his back that was bound to ruin what he worse. He returned to the path with assurance, knowing now it was only a test of his stamina and patience.
He walked the remaining distance, knowing that any additional exertion on such a hot wound could only go wrong; in fact, if he felt as if it were bleeding more now. The path soon led him to a hill and his calloused feet obliged the small hump of the slope, following her shape as he drew ever nearer. Little had he known that, just over these mounds, would the village come into sight; to any wandering eyes that looked upon these small lumps of land as he scaled them, they would have only seen his bear's pelt at first. There was no denying that he was human-- well, perhaps there was as it wasn't often that they became so big. Unless his renown had reached this small settlement, there was little likelihood that someone would recognize him or his shinobi status. The anonymity could prove useful and he decided, 'lest he be made to reveal it, he wouldn't make mention of his role in his villge's militia. Sweaty and covered in dirt and blood, he looked little more than lawless vagabond or tramp.
Bandit? Here?
Whispers were made among the men who had been at the gate. The were laborer's, setting up the tents and assembling the shoddy beds recovering ninja would occupy should the occasion arise. One couldn't blame them, he hardly looked friendly: a bear's pelt worn on disheveled hair, a stony visage that betrayed no thought. Despite the wound on his back, his cloths had already been in deplorable condition: covered in dirt that had blown onto it and sweaty, it was only made worse by the fact that he tore away his own sleeves. On his waste, woven into the sash that kept the pants of his gi upright, was a hook that carried dangerous claws, perhaps one of the things he was best known for and, like a proper tramp, no shoes enveloped his feet.
Turn him away, he's trouble -- But what if he gets violent?
Last Edit: Sept 13, 2021 21:23:53 GMT by Seiichi Koji
A tall figure stood by the gates of the small settlement, a presence so imposing that it could easily draw all attention towards itself with no more than its silence. No, to simply call it 'tall' would have been an underestimation. Its towering body, a chaotic mixture of human and beast-like traits, was definitely close to that of a giant. The difference in height between the stranger and the average laborer was such that it challenged the limits of what humanity could achieve and branded him as some sort of divine, no, demonic existence. In its wake, time itself seemed to freeze, there reason for its arrival an enigma not difficult to solve given the stench of death that surrounded it. [break][break] Mai Aburame, who had just casually exited one of the many tents that'd been set up close to the entrance, literally found herself no more than four meters away from the abominable creature. However, far from being paralyzed by fear, she took one, no, three steps forward towards danger and made a honest effort to make eye contact with what others wouldn't have hesitated to call death incarnate. Was it foolish innocence or sharp intuition what moved her to do such a reckless thing? Regardless, it would seem that the little girl had taken it upon herself to resolve this situation, acting as a mediator between the locals and the foreigner. [break][break] "My, you look terrible." Were the first words she spoke. They were warm, serene and lacking in urgency. Like a parent welcoming a child back home, it was an invitation to breathe out and relax the muscles. "It must have been a long, long walk." [break][break] A glance was all the short girl needed to be able to tell that he was wounded, even if she couldn't see the wound directly nor the discrete trail of blood that followed after him. Be it due to her advanced knowledge in anatomy or her experience with patients that dare to conceal their injuries under a tough act, few were those that could fool her insightful gaze. [break][break] "But it's alright." Her smile was gentle, yet her frame was tiny and frail. If the man wanted, he could destroy it with a single motion. "You don't have to worry anymore" [break][break] Behind her, several laborers stood still, dumbfounded and unsure if proceeding with the plan was actually a good idea. It was undeniable that the beast looked as dangerous as it was fierce. They definitely didn't want to get close, not when there was no guarantee that it wouldn't lash on them the moment they did. [break][break] "Let's get you patched up, okay?"
[attr="class","APP3"]She was right: It was a long, long walk. It wasn't unlike a road he hadn't known, though, as it was often in his own musings that he found tranquility.
Seiichi could not approximate just how long he'd been on the road since his outset from the behind the forest's wall, breaching out and trekking along the venerable paths worn by locals and traders alike. The jounin eyed her, curiously, with those sea-green lenses peering beneath the shadow cast over a portion of his face by the muzzle of his pelt, an accessory that only intensified the air of trepidation that he exhumed that was not unlike that miasma of death. He wasn't sensitive to this treatment as it was a familiar caution that seized the breath in their breasts and stilled their beating hearts. It had been this way in the more remote regions of his home country and, at times, in his own village. There had been seldom a time that the jounin had been perceived as anything other than frightful-- he was the will of man left unchecked, overgrown and mutated into something beastly and nigh unrecognizable. Many muttered among themselves and those whispers of caution were due to bubble over and rise, crashing upon him like a great tsunami of discontent meant to wash him out into the open and far away.
". . ."
That was, until she stepped out and took steps of an inconceivable weight towards Seiichi as the laborer's watched in astonishment, stomachs churning and hearts sinking in fear for the young woman who so boldly approached him. The jounin knew instantly that there had been no stronger being there than this nameless woman, the one with those bright and caring eyes that lulled him in and bade that his tension be released and put to ease. Her words came to him as song, a spell woven with sincerity and catered to him. The unease and cruelness of man was not present as from between plush tiers came smooth and gentle tunes that dissuaded contempt and undid terror, perhaps reminding him that he was not the monster he seemed. It compelled the great goliath to move forward, the action beyond his own volition as if he were drawn by some magnetism he could not comprehend. Had she known him so well that she could act so carelessly in his presence? After all, they were served well by their fear as a single swipe from the meaty paws, akin to the blunts of the heaviest mauls, could author the bloody and final page of someone's existence. He spoke not and, perhaps, it was in his silence that he said so much.
". . ."
He lumbered towards the greatest sun, the brightest light those jaded eyes had ever witnessed as in the serenity of her gaze could she stir a rapture; perhaps if he stared long enough the haze in his own eyes would fade. That small distance of four meters had shrunk and soon they were an arms distance from the other. He moved past her a few paces, approximately two meters as she granted him entrance into this small camp still in its earliest stages of preparation; there were bound to be many like Seiichi in the weeks to come. His wound was more obvious now that he moved past her: it was a cut, fairly long and measurably deep and performed with a tool honed to such an edge that it rend his tough flesh with ease. It was adrenaline that allowed him to ignore the consequence of receiving such damage, but to rely on something so finite left him more vulnerable for the crippling it caused. It made no natural progress in healing itself, ruining the gi he wore in the process as it now appeared before her in some odd coloring of dust and blood.
"OK."
His voice, despite being constrained, was still a stentorian rumble as it rolled in his chest like the brontide of from distance clouds that rumbled and roared. It was fittingly deep for such a behemoth and was spoken in such a way that, if he hadn't spoken anymore, one could perceive he little of the mechanics to speaking. Seiichi was at her command, overwhelmed by a peace so serene he did not know how to respond; the rataplan in his chest, this beat in his heart, was unlike one he recognized.
Last Edit: Sept 13, 2021 15:33:03 GMT by Seiichi Koji
It was when the giant spoke for the first time, bestowing humanity upon its beastly husk, that Aburame Mai could finally admit to herself that her gamble had paid off. Driven by the powerful intuition that had been engraved into her as a woman and supported by years of experience within a war-ridden landscape, she had jumped straight into a situation whose future could not be easily foretold. One might had said that her words, both meaningful and genuine, had led them all towards a brighter outcome than the one common sense had originally professed. But such claim was wrong. Or rather, incomplete. And that was because such thing would never had been possible without the wounded traveler's consent. By accepting the 'helping hand' that had reached out for him... He, too, had became a part of this satisfactory conclusion. [break][break] Pleased, the Jounin walked back into the tent, expecting the man to follow after her. Unfortunately, this meant that her guidance did not truly translate into a chance for the foreigner to finally close his eyes and rest after a long, arduous journey. To reach that utopia, he would have to endure a little bit more. Such was the cruel reality forced upon him. Given his current state, the medical ninja feared that, if she dared to grant him a moment of respite, a small window of time where his input wouldn't be needed in the slightest, the bear-like stranger would enter shock and make treatment increasingly more difficult. [break][break] "..." [break][break] Minutes later, the woman allowed a heavy sigh to escape her lips, fully acknowledging the severity of the wound. She had asked her patient to sit near the edge of one of the few metal beds laid out across the interior of the tent and had quietly assisted him in removing, one way or another the cloths that covered his upper body. He was way too big, so she had to get on top of the bed to properly take care of him. The bleeding relatively under control, the next step was to clean the wound. With a soap and a bucket of water at the ready, the process would soon begin. [break][break] "Big sister won't ask what happened, but..." The Kunoichi wasn't using mystical arts... At least, not yet. Her methods seemed to be more traditional and old-fashioned."Promise you'll take better care of yourself in the future."
[attr="class","boxo-notes"]She's too short to be anything but a little sister, though...
[attr="class","APP3"]There was an insufferable heat in their gaze as all eyes peered onto his person with no dissuaded concern and onto his wound with contempt. It had been a searing uncertainty that could not go unnoticed as Seiichi transgressed from the open space where they could see him to a more private tent, where the Jounin was soon to examine his wound with a more critical and intimate eye. Like disease on a new land, murmurs broke out in a wildfire manner as words of dissent that among the crowd. Even to his mundane ears, could their concerns be humored: they thought he would devour her whole, body and soul, the moment an opportunity would arise. Some boldly claimed that mountainous beast would bat at her with those swollen paws, frightening hands to rend flesh and shatter bones so he could lap from them like a meal. Despite her critical and wise judgement, the confidence they bestowed in her character analysis did not go unchallenged. Surely, should she survive the encounter with a man that seemingly teetered so dangerously on their perspective of conscionable acts and savage nature, the men with tenure among their laboring group would accost and challenge her for the decision when the alternative was to send him away into the wilderness from which he came.
". . ."
Such brutality was to never be the case as the purity in her resolve proved the finest and most tampering bane to any malignant facet of his character, quelling the mocking moans of those unfair judgements cast onto him. Where his form exhumed a dangerous and deathly miasma, a sheer tension in the atmosphere to be born that seized the area around him and likely roused such initial alarm, Mai dauntlessly placated incident with a boundless kindness, one of which he had never experienced before. Any duress that the bear-clothed goliath had been beneath was unfurled in a most benevolent manner, the jounin that tended so carefully to his wounds among a different breed of human as parallels grew harder to draw. Her power must have been inconceivable, even to the likes of Seiichi who bore the burden of ghoulish and unnatural strength.
". . ."
There was an unnaturally resilient property to his flesh, but numbering scars that had dulled and faded with age, were enough to draw simple conclusions from. The weapon that had rend him so cleanly was no doubt unnatural in its nature for cutting so magnificently--so surgically--through an otherwise dense carapace hewn into a mighty armor over years of personal war and attrition; the width of his shoulders made exploring his back only a littles less than scaling a mountain, even upon the edge of the bed on her most tipsiest of toes while he leaned forward would make for an unexpected challange. He flinched at the initial sting, the sound of his discomfort first secured by the sharp breath he stole; perhaps even a reminder that even he still felt pain.
"I cannot..."
The words, like the echoes of Titans that had long been forgotten, eventually slipped from between his lips as she nurtured his wound to a stable state. "It is no path of mine." Seiichi explained in the chasm of what was the enveloping silence that the tent afforded them; this had been the most he'd spoken in all this time. Was there a reason that she approached him with these old methods of medicine, where others would instead mold their chakra to stop the bleeding or seal a wound? Perhaps it was the humility in the action, to clean and dress another with unyielding attention and undivided attention. He looked over, the finer features of his visage on clear display as they were no longer obscured by the pelt he wore; it was removed along with the gi to grant her access to the wound. His eyes were betrayingly kinder than his imposing frame could lead one to believe, but they were not without a haze brought own by unknown means.
"Your name?"
He spoke unprompted. Another ode to his humanity, but only among a few that had already counted; perhaps, despite that grizzly and unwelcoming appearance of his, he was a shy child in a mature body.
"I see. I understand." [break][break] In spite of the brief hints of pity concealed within her expression, the words of the medic carried no bitterness or desire to change the mind of the patient. She did not know much about him, nor intended to pry into his private life. The scars scattered across his body, however, were all the evidence required to make a wild guess. His life was marked by conflict, struggle and a constant reminder of the limits its body should not push. Even so, he insisted on walking down a path covered in thorns. There was no use in trying to convince an individual with such resolution. The only thing she could do was helping him get back on his feet. [break][break] "You can call me Mai." She answered almost immediately, not bothered by the idea of making small talk. "I am a ninja from the Land of Wind." [break][break] Normally, you'd expect a Shinobi to be more reserved. In this case though, it was pointless to keep the truth to herself. The man who dressed like a bear had walked straight into a ninja settlement and her headband was exposed. She would also eventually need to switch to mystical techniques at some point throughout the treatment. One could only assume that someone with her expertise must have already seen through the foreigner as well. If he was not a ninja himself, then he was at least familiar with the way they fought. His injury was by no means compatible with the edge of an ordinary weapon. He might as well have been an enemy, like the rest of the people there might at some point have suspected. [break][break] ... But so what? [break][break] Within the confines of that tent there were no ninjas nor wanderers, no allies nor enemies, just a medic and her patient. If the traveler wanted to turn his fists against them after properly recovering from his wounds, she would, without hesitation, be able to respond in kind. But, until then, there was no place for negative within this safe haven. [break][break] "What about you, hmm~?" The Kunoichi asked as she gently cleaned the blood around the wound with a water-soaked, soft sponge."Do you have a name of your own...?"
[attr="class","boxo-notes"]Sheets will get wet (?)
[attr="class","APP3"]It was a soothing experience, despite the initial pain he felt when the water kissed the torn flesh of his wound to clean it of debris. She had smoothed a wet towel over that sizable wound, still so gentle as she made it a priority to stand him back up. Had those kind eyes of her been analyzing all the time she had been behind him? Had the women found herself at all preoccupied by the prospect of danger those countless scars exhumed and why hadn't she distanced herself from him? What possible life could a man have lead to leave him in canvas so brutalized, seemingly left to the woods and begotten by beasts? Her words were dulcet as they left gently from plush tiers and spoke in a way that seemed only fit for his ears as this space was only theirs. The man felt as if the essence of anxiety had broken down before her, each melodious and quiet sound the lull of a soothing lullaby to a tune he had never known. It was there that he felt something unlock, something he had truly never felt before. The doting hand that trailed against that unnatural cut was no longer met with the tension of his back, made firm by the exaggeration of muscles so rarely well hewed.
". . ."
Was this an insuperable guilt that he felt? Could it explain this mountainous melancholy that crushed him that, for the first time in his life, left him feeling so feeble? It was an unbearable depression, of the likes which he never wished to witness again. It was in those scant moments, thereafter, that he felt the gentle thrum the kunoichi had lulled his heart into stilled and the refreshed breaths her sobering presence brought stolen from his lung. It was in the words she had said: she was a kunoichi. It had crossed his mind, certainly, but he had only hoped that in her application of such mechanical methods of healing that she had no talent with the flow of chakra, with guiding and calling on those set of skills to unfurl and come forth by her beck and call; alas, unbeknownst to him, he was in the presence of a literal genius. Whilst she was tender in age, there was a talent about her that--perhaps--he would never again witness in his life.
He was the bearer of knowledge he had never wish to known, the burden of it nigh insurmountable. There was no reason for Seiichi to turn upon her the moment she revitalized him, to strike her down as some cruel trick when all she had done is express a sincerity for the well-being of another that he'd never received before. What plagued him now as a ring in his eyes that would no longer end, instead, was what would occur after? Despite their talents, their persons, their histories... They were all but pieces on a boarded game, so stacked in odds against them that they were never made to win. He kept to his silence for a while longer, despite the question she had asked him. It was his nature, wasn't it? To be so distant from others? Even then, she spoke to the brutish man fit to call the wilds his home, in that concordant manner of hers, never faltering or presenting doubt as her sincerity--and in turn, serenity--never wavered when she dismissed caution and revealed herself to him.
"Kuma..."
His response eventually left him, to slip quickly between his lips as if he was unsure of it. Kuma no Kumo was the nickname he'd been given--just the tip of it, actually--almost a title among the locals that came to knew him for rather obvious reasons. But, to the young woman who knew nothing of his history or his person before he stepped into this tent? It could have very well been his name. "Why are you here?" He asked after sometime, the gravelly nature of his rumbling voice added an air of intensity that didn't belong to the question, not in the way he asked it. He remained where she had sat him, at the edge of the bed with his hands upon his knees. He felt the trickle of water run down his back, absorbing into the belt he wore; unbeknownst to her, his headband had been turned over in the sash, hidden from all but eyes of divine birthright. He would not reveal his ninja status. Not now.
"Thank you... for meeting me, Mai..."
It was almost as if shaping sound into intelligible words helped the colossus of a man. Instead, and perhaps unbeknownst to her, the words left him in a duality of relief and sadness.
"Well... Let's just say I am here doing a little bit of intercultural exchange.~" [break][break] Between the two, Mai displayed much less difficulty when it came to opening up and sharing her thoughts. Her responses felt authentic, pure, and at times also like an absolute truth. Even when each word was strategically handpicked in order to preserve the safety of both speakers, not once did it feel like an act or a farce. Most likely the young Kunoichi'd had her fair share of human interaction in the past. A shining beacon amongst the storm that was the life of the majority of Shinobi. [break][break] "You see, not only is it hard for us medics to get real experience outside the battlefield, it also happens that most countries are adamant in keeping their technique recipes and methods to themselves. So, while some secrets are not to be shared, certain joint operations grant medical ninja from different villages the opportunity to share their expertise with others. It's sort of a cold war in a way but, ultimately, both sides end up winning. It's like... You see something you are familiar with, but it's done differently, in a way that you have never seen before. Then you ask yourself 'Ok, what can I add to it to make it better or to make it my own?' and proceed from there." [break][break] Somehow, even thought it might not have seemed possible a minute ago, her smile got even warmer and so did her words. [break][break] "In that sense, I should be the one thanking you, Kuma-kun. For reaching this settlement alive and braving through the pain and inconveniences that this treatment involves. For letting me be myself, while also trying to be better than I was a week ago." [break][break] Done with the cleaning, the girl would momentarily break away in order to retrieve the tools required for the next step. She intended to suture the wound using a needle and a thread, something which would accelerate both natural and artificial recovery. Naturally, as she needed to be even more careful and delicate than she had been thus far, she'd also lean closer to the body of the extraordinarily tall man. [break][break] "Have you ever felt that way, too?" She asked, slightly curious."The thrill of learning that there is still room to improve, the desire to pit what you've learned against what someone else has cultivated?"
[attr="class","boxo-notes"]My guinea pig can't be this tall.
[attr="class","APP3"]In this moment of theirs, a world of privacy offered by the rigidity of the tent flap, they both were allowed the patience and opportunity to realize things without the contempt of others to criticize or drown them. Unbeknownst to the caregiver and her patient, they were a crutch to the other in these outward musings. There was no restraint in those melodious words, any concern that bound their true nature was undone as the space between his ears was refitted to become a resting place for that summery voice as he listened on. She revealed what Seiichi could only recognize as frustration, a sadness in her sentences as she expressed what must have been her own monologue on the situation at large as greed, ever a forward lurch for mankind, stalled her art and the ability to improve it. Despite their time of peace, there was no doubt conflict on a horizon outside their scope, one that added to the plague that was obtaining knowledge and furthering those mystical arts from which her gifted energy could further expend. Their world was increasingly becoming one where opportunities, and often life, were taken in breadth of each other as greed and conscription to the village militia were only dealt and exchanged with life.
". . ."
A warmth radiated in his chest and it bloomed like the very lotus beneath the glow of a sun that it cherished so, a heat unknown to the burly shinobi until now. It rose, slowly, rolling upwards from beneath his powerful chest and searing his throat shut to such a degree that the thought of a breath was inconceivable. Its advancement north remained unhindered, traveling up his neck and beneath the short and unkempt beard worn on his face. It was a dizzying heat, one which permeated on his flesh like the glow of a iron left in the pit of a forge. It connected from left to right, crossing over the bridge of his nose as it was a dyed warmly in crimson. It even extended to his ears, a caper of warmth to leave them burning. As it came naturally with this sensation, though much unlike how his body had handled anything before, Seiichi felt those rough and calloused hands of his come together in a way they hadn't before: his thumbs twiddled, seeking comfort in an idle action. He didn't know what was going on. It was an ephemeral moment, one unlike he'd ever experienced before. What was this power in words? No, more specifically... Perhaps it was her power in words and these emotions that she could invoke within him.
"I came here. . . because I had to-- it was nothing," he assured her with that gravelly voice, the pause brought on by his own struggle with words as he adapted to this new horizon she had brought him to. There had been many things he had learned in his life to respond to: punches, kicks, counter-movements and measure... but never words so kind. She had finished this step in her treatment, leaving him for the first time in what felt an age as the water left upon his flesh dried slowly. She required a new set of tools, but understood nothing beyond the scope that they were all required. The shinobi, having no discipline in the healing arts, could never hope to identify all the utilities required to effectively repair another; in fact, all Seiichi had ever known in his life was how to break things. It wasn't long before Mai returned to stand atop the metal frame of the bed, 'Kuma-Kun' having never moved. He felt a new pressure, that of her shoulders as she leaned against him with her elbows for support. He felt a sting but made no mention of it as he assumed that it was only a part of the process; she felt weightless against him, an ode to her petite frame.
"I once did," he revealed with thoughtfulness in that rumbling voice. "But if a man punches me, I punch him harder... and..." It was a revelation to stew upon, a rightful confirmation of the laborer's initial fears: that he was a monstrous beast, a killer. There was no joy in his words, no tinge of accomplishment to accent his sentence. He did it because he had to. As a shinobi, there was no other way out. He resumed his silence, perhaps the grizzly man found solace in the emptiness that came about soundlessness that enveloped him.
"Do you fear that?" It was unlike him to ask the question, but she had caused within him a change. "Knowing what thrills you but always finding it outside your reach? How would you... change that?" He probed the genius that was Mai Aburame.
"Hoh~ That's a toughie." [break][break] Mai hummed a casual 'hmmm', pretending to be looking hard for an answer that had already come to her naturally. The pause in between was merely a method to tease her new acquaintance, a clear sign that she was pleased to see him muster the courage to open up to others, if only a little bit. What little he had spoken in the past few minutes had already told her more about him than what her eyes could see, a small peek at the psychology contained within his beastly shell. [break][break] "I guess I'd first try to learn whether it is truly out of my reach or not. Sometimes that fear you mention is acting as tallest wall between us and the things we want to do and we just can't see it, Kuma-kun." She explained matter of factly, not taking her eyes from the injury she was treating. "That's why it's important to ask someone who can see things from a different angle. The final say always rests upon our shoulders, so it shouldn't hurt to talk it out with someone else. Who knows? It might help us reconsider what we are doing, or give us that push we need to continue." [break][break] The meaning of the word 'ninja' changed with each individual that invoked its name. Some claimed a ninja was one to discard their personality in order to become the obedient, infallible tool of a lord... Others didn't hesitate to use it for more selfish purposes, like the pursuit and recollection of power. Regardless, what mattered was that the world 'Ninja' was a mutating expression that would change with the time and the people that lived in it. Being a ninja didn't necessarily mean that she was exempt from being afraid. That's why Mai included herself in his predicament by using 'us' instead of 'you'. [break][break] "If I find it to truly be outside my reach... Well, I suppose I'd still fight for it! I'm stubborn like that." She confessed, slightly embarrassed. "My parents were against the idea of me becoming a Kunoichi, so they did their best to keep me from walking in that direction. Somehow, I found my way here. Now I take care of bears for a living~." [break][break]
The goliath before her had relegated himself to the comfort of his silence, his jaded gaze cast carelessly along the floor before him as she returned to her diligent tending in the realm of his wound. She spoke to such adversities with an empathetic approach. Mai succeeded in projecting that, despite her shorter years, she possessed a veracious understanding that allowed her voice to acquire greater purchase upon him and she managed to speak to him as opposed to at him. It was a considerate reply, made after the gentle hum of a springtime bee. Fear. Was that what he felt? In all of his years of living, Seiichi Koji could not have admitted to being fearful of any one thing. He lived meagerly and, along with tacking on the responsibilities of a shinobi, he had tirelessly worked himself to acquire his vast station of power. He worked hard. Worked himself with broken fingers. Worked himself harder--still--with broken hands. He viewed respite a weakness and a disease he could not fall beneath. Was there something truly capable of bestriding his accomplishments of strength and leaving him pinned in such an indefensible manner?
"I have... trouble understanding. I do not fear things." The words would rumble forth after a ruminative pause, his speech deliberate as it was slow in delivery as she roused within him questioning he'd yet face. The bear whom she treated often excised himself from groups and social circles and was this the reason? Had he learned long ago that feeble as his attempts were in evolving his own strength and finding foes to match it, he had slim chance and he loathed the thought of abandoning his pursuits? Had this kunoichi, a muse and songbird blended, succeeded in coaxing from the jaws of a beartrap a demented cub whose expressions were raw and untampered? When he had approached this camp, the thrum of pain felt upon his back had set Seiichi Koji besides himself in frustration and fury that only evolved, mounting and souring into something an order of magnitude fouler. Yet, beneath the council of Mai, who had humbled herself to the lowly post of tending to the wound of a vagrant, her reflective words stirred something yet known to Seiichi.
"But that isn't what you are saying..." He came to the understanding gradually, the fog of his mind clearing. "Thank you, Mai," he began after a settling air of silence, left to hang long enough that his appreciation aged well. "Your words remind me that I am no vain actor." He admitted. It was in this conversation he exposed himself to that he had found the assurance of another. It was a warm feeling. One that slid slow and heavy arms onto his shoulders in a motion to envelop, as if she'd taken the opportunity to lay on his weary frame a warm and heavy blanket and embraced him tightly over it. In all of his reclusive life, the jounin who ostracized himself far from the marvels of comfort, had never experienced such a comfort. There was no mother to embrace him, no father to wipe his tears and urge him to try again. He'd hardened far too quickly and was doomed to crack beneath a self-imposed and inhuman pressure. But Fate had rendered from him those final faulting breaks and presented him with an opportunity: she was an Avatar of this process, a being that despite his indominable strength, he could never hope to better -- nor would he ever try as he quite liked basking in the warmth embracing and radiating light.
"It may be selfish... but I hope you do not change."
A slow and labored breath was drawn, massive shoulders to swell beneath her nurturing touch as she tended to his wound.
"You may have saved me." He rumbled softly, his most delicate words almost deaf to the ear. So abruptly and without prompt, they may tickled beneath the toes of hyperbole. Yet, from Seiichi, they slipped with the utmost it way with sincerity.
Miraculously, it seemed, she doctored another wound the likes he knew not of. On the other side, hidden from her, had been the soft expression which melted onto his face. It was no longer worn turgid.
"Mhm~ I'm glad you understand." [break][break] Mai Aburame was short, fragile and overly considerate. If she had chosen to become a psychologist instead of a full-fledged ninja, perhaps she would have found even more success in said career. Her words were carefully selected in order to better emphasize with the patient, yet they were also very sincere. She was neither acting, nor telling the man what he wanted to hear, no, she was simply exchanging opinions and ideas within a comfortable and peaceful domain, gently pushing him forward so he could realize his own potential. She wasn't a saint nor some sort of deity, she was just another person there willing to lend a hand. To Kuma, this encounter might as well have been a miracle. To her, it was just another day at work. She was like this with everyone she could. A magnet that would lure others with her kindness and song. However, if anything, [break][break] Little did most people know that she truly behaved like a star, guiding others towards their goals, entrusting faith to them, yet remaining ever-distant. Though the traveler might not have taken heed of it, though their bodies were still very close to one another and though they could speak like this in private, the gap between them was as large as that of Heaven and Earth. And it would remain that way, should nothing be done to change it. She too knew what it was to push others away, for she was used to it, albeit in a way too subtle for many to notice. [break][break] "Hmmm... Pay attention, Kuma-kun. From now on, I'm going to need you to be even braver. You see, I'm going to accelerate your body's natural healing ability, so your muscle and flesh will move faster than it should. That is to say, what I'll do won't be pleasant." The medic explained gently but without minimizing the importance of the matter. "I am sure pain won't pose a problem for you, but it is vital that you remain still until I'm done. I need to be both careful and accurate or I might instead hurt you." [break][break] Less than a minute later, the Aburame would form a series of hand-seals and then place her hands close to the injury, chakra enveloping her palms and sliding carefully into the wound and its surrounding area. When this sort of treatment was applied on herself, Mai would feel slight pain, an inconvenience incapable of overwhelming her mental fortitude, yet one difficult to shrug off at the same time. The difference between self-treatment and caring for a patience was that, in the latter, her chakra was being applied to a foreign body. To the man, it would be an alien sensation and discomfort would be guaranteed, but only he would be able to put the experience into words. [break][break] "I can't promise to stay the same, Kuma-kun. It wouldn't be right nor fair." Taking advantage of this brief window of time where only she would be allowed to speak, Mai Aburame responded to his plea of utopian stagnation. "But when the time comes for us to chance, let's make it so it is for the better. Let's strive to become better versions of our current selves." [break][break]
[attr="class","APP3"]He had been treated for wounds in the past before. It was a consequence of his training. Surely she'd seen them, those hideous and mangled hands of his. They're been broken countless times. The flesh had been ruptured, the skin had been torn countless times and worn to the bone. They were heavily calloused. But they healed. They healed back each time, harder than the last as he honed them into weapons. More ugly than the last. They were meant to be deadly, they looked hideous for it was only hideous things that they knew to do. In his on search of power, it was this understanding that he would have to forgo the more gentle things in life if he ever wished to continue, if he sought to see his desires all the way through. So, to Seiichi, to have this moment of placid respite where the world didn't seem to be enveloping and closing in on him or its judging eyes weren't weighting his spirit down or to push himself to exhaustion, only to awake in a pool of his sweat and rise to do the same thing again, it was hard to process these thoughts. It made him realize that, perhaps there was a life, he should have not forgone as a price to have begun the road on his path to power.
". . ."
He drew a weighted breath, a slow inhale that expanded his large chest and gave rise to his expansive shoulders. Despite his inactivity, there was certainly a maelstrom of thoughts that warred behind his set of sea-green eyes. Was this weakness? To doubt those decisions he had sworn himself to so very long ago? To consider that--at the price of blood, sweat and tears--perhaps his choice was wrong? Yet, at the same time, he hadn't felt those things at all. Seiichi felt, for the first time in his life, in a quandary. To categorize these thoughts and to make sense of them was far more difficult and even more so tedious than striking hard at a rock or a tree.
Words were not exchanged by the Bear as she went into her explanation, urging from him a degree of patience that would make or break this situation. Seiichi instead nodded and looked down. It would take a moment to begin but when it started, he knew. It was a heavy feeling, an enveloping weight. It absorbed his wound, engulfing it in that pure energy she projected after moments of concentration. There was a heat to it as it revitalized his flesh, rousing a biological process that would take weeks to initiate in a matter of moments. Seiichi could feel it, that pull of his flesh and a tug. It wasn't an awful feeling, his own hands had been subjected to far worse, but it was by no means pleasant. Through her mystical arts and the hand that projected it onto him, he would heal quickly. Mai Aburame spared him no ounce of treatment as she bound together his blood, muscle and flesh.
She spoke to him, his mouth stilled as she did so. She spoke kindly now, even when she opposed him. There was no harm that he meant in those words and, perhaps, she was correct when she expressed that they become better versions of themselves. But was there such a fate for Seiichi, an ending where he could 'truly' be better? And to what means would it serve anyone but himself? It was another cause for thought and, in reality, perhaps one of the many things he would meditate over when he found the opportunity to return his training. The healing went on for a period, slow and steady was the process with its consistent pressure as it pulled together what had been rend by an abnormal blade.
". . ."
In time it would finish, the wound healed. It was a difficult technique, surely, as few ninja could use it to such a degree. Was this, perhaps, why she took the opportunity to tend to it in the old way first? He had felt the pressure release and would lean forward, slightly. He rolled his shoulder and then the other. "You fixed it," he stated the obvious, rolling it once more. If she were no longer leaning against him, he'd move to stand up. He roused himself to his full height, towering over her even while she still stood on the bed. He would turn to face Mai, moving slowly as he seemed little different than a golem of earth animated by magic. He'd take a step back and, it was there, that Seiichi expressed his gratitude for what was the last time. His knees would bend and he would settle onto them, leaning forward in prostration. It was delicate signing, but it was to emphasize his appreciation, his respect and his trust in her. "Your arts have healed and your words have soothed. I thank you, Mai," he expressed in gravelly voice of his, a sincerity to his words. He would not retain that position for long, eventually moving to stand, once again, to that full height of his.
Taking a step forward, he would offer her a hand. It was rough and calloused, clearly a paw that had never known rest. But it was there for her to shake, should she take it. "When I find a better me, I will become him. Then may we see each other again."
But without even knowing it--or perhaps he had--he lied. There was no telling what a future they did not shape, held. Mai Aburame
Last Edit: Sept 25, 2021 16:06:43 GMT by Seiichi Koji
"Don't be too hard on yourself." [break][break] Alongside her hand, she offers him one final piece of wisdom. It might be have been true that Kuma was one of a kind, an encounter of a lifetime, a strange looking warrior that defied the norm with his great stature and unrefined social behavior. However, it would be a lie to claim that she had not tended to the wounds of patients similar to him, in a way. That's why she kind of knew the bear would face this new side of him and the future that awaits him as some sort of challenge. He was innocent, stubborn and strong-willed like that. In all honesty, Mai doubted she could change that part of him, nor was sure she wanted to, but at the very least she had to give voice to their thoughts for his sake, hoping that, should that boulder become to heavy to carry, he'd at least have some advice on how to proceed. [break][break] "There is no need to wait that long. You can visit me anytime you like, as a better person, as a worse person or as someone who has not changed at all. This big sister will always be here to lend an ear to your troubles~" [break][break] She reassured him with a smile, as if she were confident that their paths would cross again, even within that vast landscape with different countries, sceneries and cultures. Should that be the case, no excuses would be allowed to get in the way of that meeting. She could tell the man was a perfectionist, no other kind of person practices the same exercise over an over, tearing apart their own flesh in hopes of a different outcome. It was in his nature, just as the tendency to practice loneliness. It was far too late to rid himself of those habits, most likely, but he should at the very least learn when to fight against them. [break][break] "Well, it's not like I'm letting you go empty-handed." The girl said, creating a brief pause to build up the mystery and potentially enjoy the confusion in the other's expression. "Here's a gift from me. Don't dare kill it, or I will hold a grudge." [break][break] From the union emerged a strange little creature. A bug! It slowly but steadily climbed through the bear's arm, making a first stop on his bare shoulder. He would need to fight the urge to swat it away, at least while he still remained under the watchful eye of his tiny savior. "Its lifespan lasts only a couple of days, but if you allow it to periodically feed on a tiny bit of your life energy, it will live much, much longer. And if you ever happen to be close-by, that little friend will guide you to me, you can bet on that." [break][break] A present as odd as they come. [break][break] "Goodbye, Kuma-kun. Please do your best out there~"
[attr="class","APP3"]Encounters of this kind were a rarity unknown, as nothing was chanced in it. There had been no expectation, there had been no agreement in this service she had performed for him. He was brought here as if a ray of light illuminated his path, setting before him a road that glowed in the surrounding darkness. She met him with an unknown kindness, one that knew no prejudice and one that had never bore even an ounce of hate in its core. As professional as it was, there was a brand of awareness and learnedness in her approach that, while it may have been an every day occurrence for her, was something else entirely for Seiichi of Kumo.
A gentle smile cracked from his grizzly visage at her advice, Seiichi knowing well that Mai herself would need to tailor her expectation: it was only part of his nature to work himself hard. It was out of necessity, for more simple folk. Despite being so diminutive in stature, little more than half of his physical height, Seiichi saw Mai Aburame as a venerable giant, the impact she was capable of leaving was far larger than life as she still spilled kind words and advice from between two plush tiers. Perhaps they would see each other again, but in imagining that Seiichi would need to realize his progress faster; with her suggestion and words, Seiichi would plan to work even harder from henceforth.
There was a narrowing to his eyes and a brief moment where his brow drew stern in curiosity, a sudden suspense born from her last spoken words as it seized the air for a brief moment. With his palm open, hand-upturned, the bear discovered a small friend: it was fragile, a creature unlike him in every regard that gently drew its wings to open-and-close as timid steps were taken by the tiniest of toes. He observed its leisured travel, up until it nested on his bare shoulder. He'd heard of the Aburame before, a clan that had found itself widespread. It wasn't until, at this time, that he learned their husbandry led to the use of butterflies, too!
"Farewell, Mai. Thank you, and until the next time."
He'd nod his head to the petite jounin, moving to gather the rest of his wares. In a matter of moments he appeared the same man that entered, that beast in a bloodied gi. This time, though, while the tear was still evident in his clothing, the wound was no more.
Leaving that tent, he'd be greeted by the weight of countless curious eyes. This time, though, Seiichi had a friend that would relieve the burden.
And, for the rest of his journey back, he'd have time to come up with a name.
