The new year had brought with it an early gust of fresh air in the village of Konoah, burying the past temporarily beneath the thick bed of grass. The house was practically empty now...Akira had gone off to the barracks to train the genin, Lyko was out with his buddies. And Vergil was on trip outside the the village... Everyone seemed busy except for him. Looking out from the window violet eyes scanned the landscape. Sparda was surprised at how quickly things evolved. What once was will soon be again. Only a few months ago he was looking out of this very same window at a completely different world. The cycle of the seasons was almost as constant as the cycle of life and death...Sparda inhaled deeply, then exhaled. Shadows stirring beneath him as the hollow home made its typical sounds...the creaking of the floorboards. The ticking of the clock, oh how that clock had deprived the teen hours of sleep...

Allowing his mind to wander for a moment as he walked down the stairway Sparda grabbed his thin silver framed glasses off the dresser before exiting his room and slipped them on. His belly growled, making him frown lightly and sigh..."Time for lunch." He whispered to himself. Grabbing his walking stick and limping through the house he gathered most of his things. here. Walking into the living room he grabbed his black jacket with a fur rimmed collar and headed for the door. The leather brushed gently against his skin, causing the man to purr lightly.

As he reached for the door knob...he paused. Feeling his stomach growl even louder as if to protest him from leaving. A nervous smile crept onto his sensitive feathers as he sighed.

"On second thought..." He whispered. "Maybe some breakfast before i go..." Recoiling and walking into the kitchen quickly the genin began to look through cabinets and drawers for something to snack on for his trip to the market. Humming a little song as he did so Sparda shrugged after realizing everything they had needed to be cooked...deciding not to waste any more time then what he already had he just grabbed a small loaf of bread and grabbed a pair of fingerless gloves off the table. Stuffing the bread into his muzzle and opening the door he walked out and flinched as the bright sun greeted him. Shutting and locking the door Darsha slipped on his gloves and then took a bite of bread. "We meet again...light." He joked, reaching into his fur coat and taking out a pair of goggles. Turning his back to the sun and putting them on he allowed his eyes to adjust to the dark tint and took a breath.

Taking his leave, and heading down to the ramen place, he began to munch on his bread on the way there.

Goggles :

The dark sapphire haired female slowly parted her empty eyes to gaze blankly out the dust hazed window, her fingers absently pulling on the loosely woven blanket around her shoulders. 
It had been raining when she had closed her eyes the first time that night. She could remember hearing the pit-patter of clear silver drops against the worn wooden roof and the howling wind as it rattled the foundations of the village. The fire crackled sharply somewhere beside her, the warmth flickering between chills against her skin. With her head lightly resting back against the wall and a blanket that smelled of pine and coals. It was enough to lull the the young female in to a shallow sleep. One she had been hoping for since she had been found and brought in to this crowded place. It was such a shame that it couldn't last until it got dark again. 

It never lasted.

For a few long moments. The young female just sat there. Holding on to those feelings, remembering the sounds. Holding on to the memory of those last few moments before slowly..... slowly she pushed the blanket free and eased herself off the window sill, stretching out the stiffness in her legs as she went. Then, step by shaky step, she felt her way around the room. Brushing over the window the door, the kitchen bench and the small two person table. Until she had got just passed the fire place to the bed where she would find her clothes for the day. A simple blue kimono, a pair of black tights and a long sleeve black shirt underneath. But that wasn't what had stopped her. It was something moving up high in rafters. Some thing that sung in a beautifully uniquely pitched voice.

"Niro. There you are. Are you hungry?" 

The small red breasted robin flew from the wood above her and landed down on her outstretched finger. The small bird barely held any weight. When it flew, when it nipped at her sleeve. It was as gentle and as subtle as her technique. But she grew up with the small avian. She learned with him. The young girl knew exactly how the creature was feeling because she was feeling the same. 
Neither bird nor human had eaten anything since the day before. There was no food left in the house, nothing they could could cook up without some form of difficulty. The neighbors wouldn't help even if they asked and they had to eat some time. 

"You're right. I can't stay in here forever. Let's get something easy and go shopping afterwards. And no, I wont forget about getting something for you" 

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It was almost pleasant out side on the streets. 
Traces of last night's rain had all but vanished from the warm morning air but some patches still lingered on the ground. In the shadows, between the emerald blades, she could feel the cool against the exposed soles of her feet as she carefully counted the steps towards the scents of food. The sun on her porcelain pale skin, the warmth seeping in to the black heavy blindfold. The biting breeze that nipped at the hems of her clothes. If it wasn't for the people whispering like ghosts around her, eyes judging, their footsteps shaking the ground, she would have thought to have loved the outside and dare to go out more often. But instead, the ebony blue haired girl would settle for this Going out when it was needed and focusing on the smells and taste of freshly cooked ramen.

A little reward for braving the stares.


The ramen stand was a couple blocks away from where she lived. The market place was a couple more. And though it was no easy trip, she had travelled this path enough times to know where to go. 
So, after half an hour of wandering she walked blindly to the ramen stand and felt for the seat closest to the edge of the stall. 
For a moment....a pause she considered the smell before finally clearing her throat to get the cook's attention

"I will have a bowl of whatever is cooking. It smells wonderful....what is that?" 

Without thinking, she turned to look to the other people sitting by her, and who might have ordered the delectably smelling dish. 
Any other day, she would flinch at the eyes on her, she would smile at their silent questions and pretend she didn't notice. But today, the young girl leaned forward on her elbows and absent mindedly brushed her finger over the feathers of the bird on her shoulder. 
Shizuka was determined to make today a good day. Especially when the day had only just begun. 

"Do you...what else do you recommend?"

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