It was the day after their mission, having returned back to the village hidden in the clouds, Maigo had left Lin with Gora at her place but that didn't really relieve any of his concern, after everything he'd had a small wish to have stayed with her to make sure she was really okay. It left him a bit depressive outside that, his nightly routine left even more apathetic and lacadaisical than normal. It took him a while to pass out none the less, thinking about whether Lin were alright and whether she were writhing over everything that would have been running through her mind after the mission.

Still, eventually the thought faded and a restless night moved to a quiet morning, the natural sunlight burned through the window to Maigo's room and burned against his face. Maigo grunted a little, rolling and titling his head away as he lay on the mattress on the floor, curling up and facing away from the window now, feeling the heat of the rays on the back of his head, tearing him from the world of dreams. Slow actions, heavy yawns as the severely tired Maigo rose up as a body might from a grave, proceeding on to the morning routine with but a singular thought still running in his mind. Was Lin alright?

He dragged himself together, making a point that he'd skip his breakfast, already starting to pass that time, he just... well, he wanted to find something that could pull her mind of it perhaps? Maybe a day to relax? Unwind somewhere, get away from it... assuming she didn't have any missions that day or anything like that. He got himself together, throwing his clothes on when an idea struck him! Well, half of an idea at the very least. Grabbing his back pack and emptying out the various weaponry and knick knacks he had, he grabbed an extra pair of shorts, a towel, and all the other potential needs for going to a hot spring.

Then, with some haste in mind, Maigo set off for Lin's apartment! Walking briskly through the streets, keeping as little attention to himself as he could, he would find himself at her building, making his way down the corridor towards her door. Exhaling a bit, hesitating at the door, hoping she were alright, Maigo would knock lightly against the door, letting the knock ring out against the silence. Then... waiting, waiting for Lin to answer and find out if she were alright, how she was feeling, things of that nature. Well, that would be when she answered the door, if she took took too long, he'd knock again and keep waiting. Waiting and waiting and waiting if he had to.


[463 words]

Lin had killed something the previous day. She still felt sick, and hadn’t been able to sleep for the nightmares that had haunted her. She wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep, but the damned thing evaded her like she had the plague. She rolled over once more and found Gora to be there, tired as she was, no probably more so. She was controlled by worry, whereas Lin was controlled by grief, a grief that came from the killing of another person. She couldn’t close her eyes because she could see the anguish of the face as it died, she could hear the frothing of the blood as the lungs that were tattered from her jutsu breathed their last breath. She shuddered and pulled the covers tighter around her. She didn’t know if she was hot or cold. All that Lin knew, when Maigo came knocking, was that she had gone to bed with her day clothes on, and still was not able to sleep. She had gone home straight to bed, no supper, no television, just straight to bed.

And yet it didn’t help. Lin rolled over at the sound of the knocking again and Gora sighed. She came over to lay down beside Lin, her ears still facing the door, but her gaze, Lin could feel it, was on her. Lin pulled the covers tighter against her, tucking them underneath and trying to shut out the world. Perhaps that was the problem with Lin, she had tried to shut out the world before this, and perhaps that was her punishment, the nightmares when she closed her eyes and all. She had only gone out with Maigo, had only just met Alwen, and she had no one else to turn to.

Heaving a sigh when he knocked for a third time, she looked back at Gora, who had a pleading look and looked back and forth to the door and then to Lin. Whoever it was that was knocking was certainly persistent, she would give them that, but wouldn’t give them much more. Gora gave a ‘well, are you going to go to the door?’ look. Lin shook her head at Gora. Turning to face away from her, she wrapped the covers around her tighter, trying to block out the world, or was it to comfort herself?

Another knock and Gora started to drag Lin’s blanket off. Well, two could play at that game. Lin took hold of the covers and didn’t let go. Gora chortled a bit as she dragged Lin off the bed in the blankets, grabbed a piece of bread from the table and put it on the blanket and then opened the door and dropped Lin, the piece of bread, and Lin’s dignity, all swaddled in a blanket in front of Maigo.

WC: 478

The knocking filled the quiet air, leaving Maigo alone to his thoughts as nothing else stirred about. The sound of the breeze as it flew against the wall and past his face offered a whistle as he exhaled a bit into a sigh. Again, he knocked, the tapping of his knuckles let out another series of dull thuds, this time just marginally louder than before in the case that his quiet knock the first time wouldn't reach her or wake her in case she was still asleep.

Even worse still, doubt crossed into Maigo's mind as he sat at the door, wondering if this was too much, if his arrival was too much. Of course, he wanted to see Lin again but their departure was rather abrupt. Would his arriving the very next morning be too much on his part? His worry and all else, had their one date and mission been enough to warrant it all. A nervous twitch struck him as he felt his feet bearing his weight, shifting about nervously at the door as he hesitated to knock again, waiting just a moment. With every passing breath he grew less and less sure of himself, maybe if he turned and just walked away... came back later, he could justify himself a little more, but then again, what if in his turning away Lin showed at the door?

No, Maigo gave in and let the third knock, this time audibly as the knuckles of his fingers knocked against it again. The small pit in his stomach from the existential crisis was carrying more and more, perhaps worse than all of his other worries was that the more he knocked the more impatient and persisting he'd look. Maybe she would have been fine, but he would end up annoying her outright and starting their newest interaction on a very bad foot. Maigo's left hand posted against the door, as he leaned forward a bit, just focusing on his breathing and staying cool in the situation.

One more knock, that was it. This time it dulled a bit too hard, this one noticeably louder than the other two, Maigo's fidgeting grew to a peak as he leaned towards the door, gently placing a hand against and pressing his ear to the door, focusing intently for any sound. Surely, his knocking would at least catch Gora's attention? Unless she was already gone for the day, then perhaps he was just waiting for nothing, either way really, it wasn't making him feel any less nervous. The sounds from within, dulled by the thickness of the door, made it hard to hear anything outside some sliding, like a box moving against the floor or something of that nature.

In his listening, the sound grew and then the handle sprang, Maigo quickly stepped back with a bit of red in his face from embarrassment, or what would have been embarrassment but instead of being greeted by Lin at the door. Well... he still was but she on the ground wrapped up in a blanket with... bread? What in... Maigo just blinked for a second and spoke up at Lin from outside as the door continued to flow open on its own accord, "Lin?" was all that he would really get from his mind to his lips as he gave a heavily curious stare amidst his quick blinking.

Gora dropped her there and that was it, Maigo had so many questions and thoughts running through his mind, the little bit of nervous blush would have faded quickly as he looked down to the tired looking mess in front of him. But shortly after, Maigo would crack a small smile and chuckle, just thinking about what a comedic situation he was being thrust into, only hoping that Lin would respond and explain a little, otherwise Maigo would end up being liable to crouch down and poke her into response, along with whatever questions would pop into his mind.


[669 words, 1132 words total]

Lin sniffed, and put the piece of bread in her mouth, blinking blearily around and sniffling, she had been crying all night so her nose felt dry in the air outside of her apartment. She wasn't dressed any different from yesterday, but her hair was a mess. She looked up and almost choked on the bread at seeing Maigo there.

She blushed, gulping down the mouthful that she had and stammering something before shutting up, sighing and trying again, "I didn't get any sleep." She said flatly, covering up with the blankets so that only her head was still out of the covers. She felt... exposed for some reason, even though she was still fully dressed. She felt emotionally bare in front of Maigo and it felt... it felt raw to be in that situation, "I'm sorry for being a b*tch yesterday and almost killing you." She gulped, hoping that he would be understanding of the situation.

"Have you come to end it?" She sniffled, her eyes dry, she couldn't cry anymore, but her lip quivvered and she knew that if she hadn't expended all of her tears yesterday that she would be crying now. She was a wretched little swaddled thing.

WC: 695

Maigo watched briefly as Lin almost choked on the bread, his chuckle faded immediately as he stepped forward towards the rolled up sack that lay on the ground before him. She didn't get any sleep last night which Maigo kinda understood, given how distraught she'd been and all from the mission, and she was still in her clothes from yesterday. Tired eyes plagued Maigo and he'd at least been able to fall asleep for some time, he felt a little awful for Lin in that moment.

But, it wasn't the fatigue that struck him, Lin pulled up the covers and continued on, apologizing to him... the words struck Maigo as she gulped. His eyes widened and shot over towards her, "Have you come to end it?" the last question wasn't even something he'd considered in the slightest, Maigo shook his head at the very thought of it. "No, no, no... of course I'm not..." he thought and stepped forward next to her. Leaning down with a hand and letting his body fall to a single knee next to her he continued on, "And you were no such thing, you shouldn't think that about yourself in the slightest..." he glanced at her with slightly pleading eyes, feeling equally as bad for leaving her to come to those thoughts of her own accord. Still, he transitioned from his knee to lying on his back, setting his backpack off to the side of himself and folding his hands together across his chest and looking up at the ceiling, crossing one leg over his raised knee at the same time.

Just laying down next to the balled up Lin, he continued on with only a brief pause, "I actually came over for just the opposite, to see if you wanted to spend the day with me, maybe relax at a hot spring or something like that?" he paused and turned his head towards her for a moment, "But I can understand if you'd rather rest and all..." his face had turned a little red and he quickly turned back up to look at the ceiling, letting the brief silence after his words play as the only noise to transition his attention back to her. But in his embarrassment and nervousness, he'd just stay looking up and wait to hear her response.


[397 words, 1529 words total]

Lin's eyes started to water as he dropped down to one knee, and then folded his arms across his chest and sat down on the floor. Really he was too good to her, she had tried to kill him for Kami's sake. She teared up and flung her hands around his neck, if he didn't move fast enough that was, and started to sob into his neck. She really didn't deserve anyone close to him. She was a murderess, a traitor. She had hurt Gora so badly, that she hadn't trusted her for a good hour when they had arrived home.

She had cuddled with Lin, though she had also been awake the entire night, no doubt fraught with worry. Lin would bury her face in his neck, find it a bit too hard to actually bury herself, and then yank the blankets over them both, burying her face in his chest, "The hotsprings sound fine..." She would say, after she got composure of herself, "I just need to get my bathing suit."

She nuzzled a bit into his chest further, trying to meld herself with him. Perhaps his light would help to ease her darkness. Really, what did she ever do to deserve a guy like him?

WC: 914

Jutsu used::

Maigo's head had turned to watch the tears well up in Lin's eyes, his own expanded a bit as he wondered what struck her in that moment. But before any more words could come about, she lunged forward and had her arms wrapped around his neck and started to cry. Maigo's own arms reached around, placing his left hand to her back and scratching gently at it as he spoke up, "It's alright..."

When she threw the blanket around him and shifted towards leaning against his chest he let his arm stay still, and just held onto her for a moment. Giving her time to let it out, just waiting until she was ready and more composed. She spoke up after a moment, Maigo looked down as she agreed that it was an alright idea, her head pressed against his chest, probably able to hear his heartbeat if she'd wanted to. He was a little nervous in this position, part of him wanted to ask but he knew subconsciously that it was probably still the mission eating away at her, what she'd done.

Maigo nodded a bit and petted at her back lightly speaking up in response, "It's alright, take your time... we don't have to if you're too tired..." he would speak up and just stay still for a moment. Leaving it up to her, trying not to be too pushy in any one direction, it was more just... he felt sorry? So he'd try to leave the decision on her side as much as possible, though... it was nice just having her close to him, knowing that she was worried about him leaving and all. It made him a little happy but dismayed him for his own actions and choices even more then.


[305 words, 1834 words total]

Lin sighed, her heart beat with his, the same rhythm, the same tempo, her body moving with his as well. She wished that she could just sit there, but what would the others in her apartment complex think about her glomming onto a man outside of her apartment. What would her parents think? She straightened, sniffling and looked to the floor to her left. She placed her pointer finger tips together speaking without moving her mouth much, "I want to go to the hotsprings. You don't mindgoing with someone like me?" She looked up at him a brief moment before her eyes retreated to the floor.

She didn't feel like she deserved to be treated the way he was treating her. She felt lower than the scum of the earth. She felt like she wanted to crawl into a small place and disappear from the world. But he still seemed to want to make her feel better. "I just want someone to be there with me.
There are some springs up in the high mountains, where there is snow all year around. We can go up there, the mist is hard to see through most of the time, and seems to dampen the noises of the other people. So we can be out in public without really interacting with anyone else."

WC: 1143

Maigo turned his head as Lin sat up from him and began to look down and away, fiddling with her fingers against themselves, he blinked for a moment as she spoke up, the appearance of sadness was still lingering about her. Maigo blinked for a moment as she spoke up, like she was questioning his own offer and all, he paused and prepared to speak up be she continued on, futher questioning it and detailing one of the places that they could go. Maigo smirked a bit and leaned back to the ground again, placing his hands behind his head to keep his head off the floor.

Holding his smirk, he'd turn his head towards her, "Of course I'd want to go with you, I did ask you first and all..." he chuckled a bit and then rotated his head back up, looking at the roof of her apartment from the doorway of it. "But that place sounds nice, lots of steam and all, I'll wait right here for you to get ready if you want, then we can go." he continued to chuckle again, mentally knowing that he meant literally laying right there for a while until she were up and awake and ready and all.

It might be a bit annoying, he'd move of course if she requested but he was starting to get rather comfortable and relaxed in his current spot. With that though, it was really just waiting for Lin to get ready, shouldn't take long or anything like that but Maigo was prepared to wait as long as he needed to for however long she needed to prepare.


[278 words, 2112 words total]

She sniffled, trying to clear her nose and wiped her eyes, they burned and some of the hot springs water would help her to settle the burning sensation down, among other things. She grabbed hold of Maigo's shirt, dragging him inside of her apartment. She didn't really want to let him go. He was the only one that felt like she wasn't a totally horrifying person. Gora was asleep on the couch, but her ear twitched Lin's way. She recognized the footsteps of her companion, and so kept lazily napping. It wasn't like she was in any sort of a deep sleep, but she did look like it. Gora was always on high alert, or seemed like she was. Not including the mornings that Lin could boop her nose without her waking up.

She walked into the bathroom, her swimming suit up on top of the shower curtain rod she looked back at Maigo, blushing a bit, "I uhm... I didn't really think about this part...
I er..." She looked from the swimming suit, to him, to the swimming suit and back to him, chewing her bottom lip in indecisiveness.

WC: 1342

Maigo was pulled along with Lin into the apartment, he stayed smirked as the walked withing together, Maigo letting his right hand linger behind and swing the door closed lazily. Being pulled further ahead, Lin made a show of embarrassment to Maigo as they stopped, not that he wasn't equally as frozen in embarrassment to say the least. His face taking a short shade of red as soon as they'd entered in, looking down towards her, blinking for a moment as he thought about what to say or do in response.

A short moment later he reached his arm around and hugged her a bit before speaking up, "I'll just wait outside, take your time." he would squeeze a bit and let his head rest on top of hers for a moment before he would try to pull back and leave her to her space. From there, Maigo would retreat back to the living room, taking note of Gora sleeping away on the couch, he would opt to sit in the chair or whatever that would be next to it, careful not to entrench on Gora and walking quietly so not to disturb the tiger before sitting there quietly and waiting along with his thoughts.


[208 words, 2320 words total]

Lin came out, her bikini bottoms a bit skewed and her top of her bikini a bit lopsided, but she came out of the bathroom a couple of minutes later. She wanted to get to the hotsprings as soon as possible. "Now where did I leave that sundress..."" She said, a monotone note in her voice.

She scanned the room and then walked into the bedroom, tripping over a desk drawer and finding her dress, under the bed, had been balled up by Gora in play. She humphed before righting herself and slipping on the sundress, a bright blue color to match her eyes, over the bikini.

"Alright, I think I am ready to go." She announced, taking a bag off of the door handle as she stepped from the room and closed the door to her bedroom.

Gora grumbled something from the couch akin to either 'get out' or 'see you in a bit'. Or perhaps a combination of both before some light snoring or purring came from the gigantic cat again.

WC: 1521

Maigo sat firmly in the chair, looking around the room and over himself, occasionally to Gora who sat rested and sleeping on the couch across from him. Small bumps here and there as Lin got ready, emerging from the bathroom and saying something that Maigo didn't quite catch before disappearing off in the other room again. Another bump as seemingly knocked something over or ran into it, Maigo turning his head from the chair and leaning out to look at what was happening. Curiosity ran in his mind as he would call out quietly, "Are you okay?" his eyes scanning over as he would wait to see if she was alright.

As Lin approached the door and grabbed a bag from the handle, Maigo stood up, reaching down to grab his own backpack again and pulling it up with a single arm and over his shoulder as he walked towards the door, "Alright then, and you're sure you're alright with going?" he would pose one final time before he assumed they would venture off, prepared to follow Lin to whatever place she would know is worth visiting or wherever she wanted to drag them off to. For Maigo, he was just fine with staying beside her and comforting her while just going with the flow on his own.


[221 words, 2541 words total]

Lin stood there and slowly nodded, she didn't really know whether she was alright with going or not. She didn't know what to think. She didn't know what to do, all she knew was that she had murdered someone. A flash of red and gore filled her vision and she grabbed Maigo and buried herself in his chest, trying to chase away her thoughts. She didn't know what she wanted to do. "I want to go, but I am not sure about it at the same time." She shook her head before pulling away a bit and sighing, trying to look up into his eyes she rubbed the outside of her upper arms.

"I feel a bit... a bit unclean ever since the incident and I was hoping to get rid of that with a nice hot bath in the hotsprings." She shuddered. "What do you think... I mean... what did you do when you killed someone... the first time?" She raised her head a bit and then it drooped again on its own.

Maigo would blink for a moment as Lin would latch onto him and bury her face against him, his right arm held the strap of his bag but his left arm would move around her to hold her for a moment. His hand would reach to her back and lightly scratch it in some small comforting motion as he looked down and listened to her start to speak on what was bothering her. When she would pull back his arm would arm would fall away and let her move freely as he would look with a straight face, one more labeled with concern and worry for her own well being than anything else.

That would shift, his eyes would meet hers easily but as she continued on and shuddered, explaining that she felt unclean and wanted to remove that. He could sympathize with the plight of it but her question back to him stopped him in his tracks almost. He noticed her head drop but his mind was running through a hundred memories as he tried to think back to his first kill. His first murder, death... all of it was so vague and compacted. It had to have been years and he'd never really found a system to deal with any one instance of it.

Of course he justified his actions as often as he could but it wasn't his own  thoughts and pride that bought him a night's sleep after killing another. Perhaps his first kill wasn't so bad on himself because he did it in defense of others? Or was that even his first kill? He couldn't remember a damn thing and anytime any one instance of a thing came up there was something that would precede it. Or might precede it? He couldn't tell and the turmoil in his mind and the answer he'd give wouldn't offer any comfort or solace to Lin. Was he supposed to just admit that after killing tens, hundreds? That it all blends together and you get used to it? That being told it's for some greater good saves face of it?

She wouldn't want to hear any of that, his eyes would fall down a bit towards his own body as he thought on the subject. In that brief moment the turmoil of his own inner mind would be frankly shown in his posture and demeanor but it would quickly bounce back with a sigh. His golden colored eyes would roll back up to her with a soft smile, hardly a smile as the grief would show on it at the same time, his right arm would drop from the bag and with both arms he would reach around her and hug her. Tilting his head down he would lightly implant a kiss to the top of her head and then begin to speak afterwards, "You're going to feel terrible about it, there's no getting past those images." he would pause for a moment and swallow down his own thoughts about it, trying to find the words to offer some bit of condolence that might help her.

"But soon, you'll realize why you did it. That it was for something better, when you think about it, think about the village before hand. The worry, and the dead that came from them." Maigo's mind would wander, knowing she passed out before he found the bodies of the villagers in that cave as well. Maybe if she had been awake to have seen that she would have hardened her resolve a bit more? There was no time to question that or any worth to it. It had come and gone and they could only deal with what they had in front of them. "As a ninja, it's our job to endure the pain and suffering of doing things like that, so that others don't feel it and so that we can protect things we care about. As long as you remember why you do the things that you do, and don't forsake yourself in doing it, then you'll come to accept it, but I can't promise the pain of it will go away..."

His head would drop a little as he began to think more heavily on his own actions, small glimpses of the lives he'd taken and people he'd hurt. Every bit of damage and all the missions he'd undertaken in the name of some arbitrarily decided greater good. Sometimes it would make his stomach turn inside out with the justifications given it, now that he understood more and understood that there were truly two sides to any battle. And then there were the ones he'd never regret silencing, those especially evil people and bandits who hurt others. It was a matter of Lin figuring it out for herself which side of the proverbial coin this kill would end up, but for now, maybe the distraction would have to suffice as Maigo would vie to keep her grounded in reality.


[852 words, 3393 words total]

[Exiting due to Inactivity]

Training: