bymystrings | 1st String || {Action in Three parts}

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1st String || {Action in Three parts}

[Action; Locked to Lee (Possibly Neji if he wants)]

[The last thing Kankuro could remember was bright light coming thorough the gaps in Kuroari from the entrapped Edo Tensai revived Deidara. It wasn't blinding, but it was bright enough that he had put up his arm to shield his vision. Hopefully that light meant that someone had managed to find Kabuto and dissolve the Edo Tensai jutsu.

However that didn't explain why his surrounds were suddenly much more confined and dark than the outdoor forest. In fact it felt a lot like the inside of Kuroari, if taller and more square.]

What the hell?

[Kankuro waved his hand through the space in front, only for something smooth and cloth-like to brush against the bare skin of his arms. The tips of his fingers brushed against smooth wood and he blinked in the dark. His mind raced, wondering if he had somehow been trapped in a genjutsu when distracted by the light show. He quickly put his hands together to dispel.]

Kai!

[Not a damn thing changed. Kankuro cursed even as he backed up, trying to put something solid at his back. He felt wood against his bare back, and pressed against it, eyes darting. the smooth cloth was still on his arms, partially entangled due to his rapid movements to dispel earlier. He tried to pull it off, grumbling at the green fabric. It was then he noticed the slivers of light coming from behind him, like daylight through the cracks in a door which had allowed him to notice the color of the cloth. Just as he came to this realization something at his back gave the faint click and the wood at this back opened, sending a startled Kankuro falling backwards, slightly entangled in green ~~spandex octopus arms~~ clothing.]

Holy-[THUD.
...
... Ouch, that had to smart. Ninja he may be, but sometimes even ninja's reflexes fail.]

[Later Action in CH 1, ~~Ninja Floor~~; Floor 4.]

[Congratulations floor 4, you now have an irritated, shirtless, face-paint less, Kankuro sitting in your kitchen.

Approach the Puppet master/mysterious dude at your own risk.

Reactions may vary per ~~customer~~ shinobi.]

[Even Later Later Action.]

[After getting up to speed on the weirdness which is Luceti, Kankuro finally leaves CH 1. It's off to the Clothing Shop to find his clothes, If you stumble across him before he get his clothing, you'll find a rather hunched but moving figure, briskly trying to keep his arms warm and cursing snow, damp and general cold with a fervent passion.

Once dressed for the weather Kankuro then heads over to the Item shop to look for his ~~makeup~~ face paint and puppet scrolls.

Those tasks complete, he may stop by the Grocery Store more out of curiosity than anything else before heading back to CH1.]

((ooc; Kankuro is FACEPAINTLESS until he finds it at the store ~~Or until Temari lets him wear her lipstick on his face~~. So even if your character knows him they may not recognize him. Obvious expection are those who've seen him without it before.))

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[Kankuro had been grumpily staring the fridge, but had turned as he heard someone come in.

Immediately he was on his feet and moving towards Temari.]

Temari!

[It hadn't been as long for him, but the last thing he knew they were in the middle of a battle and he hadn't heard anything about her specifically, though updates of troops movements were communicated to him, simply because they could not misuse their resources like that. So he had been quietly worried if confident in her strength.

After all, war is not a safe thing.

However Kankuro finds his worry rising at her expression. It is so open and so vulnerable, something he hadn't seen in a while. It took a lot for her to look like that, and Kankuro felt himself frown worriedly as he finally was within arms reach of his sister.]

What's wrong? Are you okay?

[He has about a thousand question about this place but Temari was more important than those.]

((ooc; Need more icons. Fffffff. Need more icon space. *weeps in corner*))

[His questions snap her out of it, but they bring with it something else and it hits her like a sucker punch in the gut. She'd read his lips, knew exactly what he said to her, but as he'd said the words, she hadn't been able to remember quite how his voice sounds. Couldn't quite remember the cadence, which words he'd emphasize, what syllables he'd treat lazily, what he'd enunciate.

She can't remember her brother's voice. There's horror and shame and rage at the realization and she's fairly certain she needs to go tear something apart right then and there.]

I'm good. I'm good. [Some of the voice control she's built so carefully and deliberately is slipping.] I didn't expect you.

[[ooc; you and me both!]]

[Kankuro immediately know she's not good. Unfortunately he doesn't know what's wrong. His frown deepens, looking strange without the facepaint to follow the movements.

She sounds off. It sounds like Temari, and he knows it's her, knows it like he knows his puppets and his brother, but there is a strange quality to it. His head tilts ever so slightly, much like the namesake of his first puppet.]

Are you sure? Your voice, it sounds different. Did something happen?

[Kakuro places his hands on her shoulder. He wasn't sure what to say to the last comment, but he gives a crooked if still worried grin.]

Heh. No one expects the Shinobi of the Sand.

Damn straight. [It's an automatic response, but it's enough. It's Kankuro through and through: irreverent and arrogant. His hands on her shoulders ground her and, even though she'll have to tell him things she doesn't want him to hear, it's enough.

She's good.

Gods, it's been so long.

She inclines her head toward the table.] Sit.

[At her reply Kankuro's grin widens.]

Yeah, damn straight.

[Of course he's still worried, because she hasn't answered his questions and a slightly sick feeling is building in his stomach that something is wrong.

It's not an unfamiliar feelings, one that had shown up quite a bit in his past, giving warnings to nasty surprises of the Gaara or Kazekage kind when he was younger, and of danger to his siblings as he got older.

He slowly sits, reluctant to let go of Temari's shoulders, but having little choice. Kankuro makes sure to move his chair closer, though, the sick feeling combining with tension as he looks at his sister.

When he talks his voice is quiet.]

What's wrong Tem?

[Tem.

He only does that when he's worried. Even without that cue, his demeanor practically screams concern and confusion. Temari angles her chair so that she can face him, silent for a long moment.

There's only so many ways to say this and she's fairly certain that he'll want to know how she ended up deaf -- and that's the question she really doesn't want to answer.

But she's never lied to him before. (Well, okay. She's lied about little things. Like not knowing where her lipstick is when he needs an emergency facelift.) She's blunt about it, because she's Temari. Blunt is who she is.]

I can't hear you. [Oh, and it's been some twenty months since she's seen him and she can't remember what he sounds like. That, too.]

Edited 2013-03-18 12:41 (UTC)

[Kankuro waits, quietly anxious, for what news she's going to break.

Your silence is not much comfort sis-

Oh.

Kankuro is quiet for a long moment, face curiously blank as he processes the bomb she just dropped on him.

Distantly he realizes that does explain what he had noticed. Deafness was not an uncommon injury for a shinobi, especially with traps using exploding tags quite often. However, total deafness was rather unusual.

He shakes his head slightly, his expression smoothing into worry, and concern but no judgement.]

God. That really sucks. How did it happen? Did it happen while your division was fighting?

[Wait, back up. Hadn't Lee said something about different times. ...Oh shit. Kankuro eye's widen.]

Uh... [How the hell do you ask such a weird question?] Actually, when are you from anyways? [Screw you Luceti and your weird time and space issues!]

[Oh, thank you for asking that question. It's a lovely distraction and puts off the inevitable for awhile. She almost wants to hug him for it.

Almost because really. Time questions are pretty awful, too.

She raises a brow; her division fighting, huh? That could be just about anything. She shakes her head, though -- no, it didn't happen then, whenever that was -- then answers the question.]

The summit. Uchiha Sasuke had a few things to say.

Oh.

[Kankuro blinks. That's... wow.]

...I take it the weirdo in the mask hadn't shown up yet.

[Well crap. He runs a hand through his hair, thinking hard for a moment.]

Quite a bit has happened since then. You want a summary?

[Though in the back of his mind the fact of when she's from, and what he knows means that her deafness didn't happen back home. So it must of happened here.

He contemplates murdering whoever is responsible. No one would be able to find the body if he did. Not that his face reveals these deeper thoughts.]

[She shakes her head, in response to both questions. No, no weirdo in a mask and there's no point to him giving her a summary. She's heard a few things from the Konoha nin here and there in Luceti; it would help to have Kankuro's perspective on it all, but that could come later.]

I have a summary. You can tell me more later. [No need to rehash.]

[Kankuro nods once.] Yeah, okay. Probably should since I doubt you got much on what happened in Suna between then and my time. [He grins widely.] You'd be proud of Gaara though. I definitely have to tell you about that later.

[Of course, this now means he's back on the deafness question.]

So if you didn't loose your hearing back home, then what the hell happened hear that cause you to loose it? And who do I have to murder?

[He is dead serious about that last question.]

[Proud of Gaara? No, never. One corner of her lips quirked upward; she did want to hear news from home. Not just from her world, as those from Konoha could tell her, but home. That he thought she would be proud of Gaara told her a good many things: it may not be good at home, but her little brother was handling it just fine.

Good for him.

And then he asked the question she really didn't want to answer. The pride and amusement faded completely from her expression, but she kept her gaze locked to his. If Temari was anything, she was proud, perhaps even vain and arrogant. She didn't want to tell him, not because she was particularly ashamed of what had happened, but because she knew that his reaction might not be especially pretty.

Because she knows he's dead serious about that last question. She would have been too, had their positions been reversed.]

There was a skirmish a few months ago. I was on a mission. [Emotion is for the weak. Her voice is steady.] There is a--

[She cuts herself off. There is a penalty for dying and blah blah blah and why the hell is she beating around the bush?] I was killed.

[Okay. It's out there. Now wait for the inevitable before explaining how death and hearing loss are related.]

[You'd be so proud of him sis. So very proud. Kankuro is quite willing to get Temari back in the loop of Suna gossip and news. Probably in private though, now that he thinks about it. Konoha may be their ally, but there are still things they don't get to know.

Kankuro watches Temari's expression fade to seriousness, feeling something in his gut tremble. He stays silent, letting her talk.

A fight makes sense, after all that is generally how you'd loose your hearing. Unless you have bad luck with household items. The news about Mission is also a relief That means he won't go stir crazy or loose his edge.

When she cuts her self off, his stomach clenches, acidic nausea building.

Of course, her news is actually worse than what he was expecting.

Kankuro doesn't move for a long moment, expression strangely blank. When he does, it's not the explosion of rage and 'what the hell' that she may have been expecting. Instead he lurches out of his seat and grabs her in a tight hug.

Her admission hits upon his deepest fear, one that had been closer to the surface ever since the start of the war and him being assigned to a group so far away from his siblings. Kankuro knows she can take care of herself but life is not sure and the idea of loosing either of his siblings hurts.

It was horrible when Gaara had died, a deep tear torn into his secret heart, barely patched together when he returned to life. Yes, he had returned, but the damage was done. Kankuro's fear had been realized and now he has achingly aware of the mortality of his family. Yet, he had swallowed that all down, and had thrown himself into his puppets and Suna's information network. Anything to make himself stronger, and bury that fear.

And here is Temari, his sister, admitting to his deepest fear. That she had died, here, where he could do nothing. Where he hadn't been. Alone. ...Like Gaara.

Kankuro couldn't help but hide his face in her neck, everything coming up in a brief moment of - fearhurtdespairnononononononononono!

Then it passes and he slowly loosens his hug, though he still holds her loosely, before leaning back. His eyes are bright and slightly red but his expression is firm and there is anger in there was well.]

Who? Who killed you?

[After you tell him that, then he will focus on the fact you are obviously alive and here and something is weird. But first, he has to know who he has to murder.]

[The hug is unexpected. Beyond unexpected, but she'll take it. Oh, God, will she take it. They've never been the most affectionate of families -- in fact, Temari will be the first to say that their family is pretty much as screwed up as it gets -- but there's a fierce loyalty between siblings. This is the proof that this really is Kankuro. No tricks, no genjutsu, no dream.

She returns the hug, arms wrapping just as tightly around his shoulders. It's all she can do in response, says all the words she can't find a way to express.

I've missed you so much.

I was so frightened when I came back from death.

I learned, Kankuro. I learned how to live with it and learned how to ask for help.

She takes a breath when he looks at her, taking in his too-bright eyes and the hardened expression. She can't even really tell him who killed her. She doesn't know if the bastard is alive or dead out there; won't even know, really. The soldier can't be tracked down, revenge can't be sought. That's almost harder to tell Kankuro than anything else.]

A soldier with the Third Party. Enemy of the Malnosso. We fight them sometimes. [She does look away for a moment at this admission, because she knows -- she knows, damn it -- that she's always been a little weak with genjutsu.] I was caught in an illusion. Like a really good genjutsu.

[It surprised her when she fell into it and she'd fallen for it completely. She'd been home. She'd been with her brothers.

And then she'd been killed.]

[Temari's return of the hug further makes his heart ache, feeling what she isn't saying in the embrace.

They may not be overly affectionate, but they are also not a talk-about-feelings kind of family. So sometimes physical touch is the only way they can come to terms about some things. They've learned to understand each others smallest gestures because words can just be too hard.

Kankuro waits with a patience he doesn't quite feel for her to answer his question. When she does he feels another little chip in his heart. He can't avenge her. And that hurts. It hurts a lot, like getting caught unprotected in a sandstorm.

Once again overwhelmed he leans forward to gently rest his forehead against Temari's and just breathes for a moment. When he talks there is a darkness in his voice that is familiar and yet not.]

That bastard is far more lucky than he realizes.

[What he does not say is that she's not allowed to go to a fight without him anymore. Because that wouldn't be fair and would be insulting to her strength. Even if he wants to be there to protect her back so badly.

Kankuro leans back and give a weak smirk, trying to lighten the mood a bit. He's not the best, but he tries okay?]

Well, I know genjutsu is the family weakness. Just gotta work on that a bit I think.

[Heaven's knows genjutsu isn't his strong suit either, and he's the more stealthy of his siblings.]

[There's a moment when she wants to pull away so that she can see what he's saying, but... well. She just lets him rest his forehead against hers, takes a deep breath, and lets the moment be. She can imagine what he's saying, even if she can't quite put his tone to the words anymore.

God, but that tears into her heart.

As he leans back, she squeezes his shoulders and returns his smirk with one of her own. A weak smirk for a weak smirk.]

Eh. Been working on that a bit. [Not that she's actually asked any of the other ninja around here to help or anything.] Do you need food? There's plenty here.

[Food? Clothes? Sleep? Say the word, Kankuro. She'll make it happen.]

[While Kankuro knows on a conscious level Temari is deaf right then, the habits and expectations of a life time are hard to erase. So while he does realize, belatedly, she hadn't 'heard' his first sentence he does not repeat himself.

Oh look, they match. Smirk-wise that is.]

That's good. I'd help but, family weakness. Worse than useless if I helped. [The weak smirk becomes slightly self-depreciating smirk at that comment. It was true.

At Temari's questions he blinks, suddenly remembers his own unique state.]

...Well, I won't say no to something other than ration bars. [He grimaces. Ick, ration bars.] Oh and do you have uh, [Oh yeah, he'd be recovering from poison before arriving. HOw do you ask for an antidote without worrying someone?] ...some of the general antidote from our field kits?

[Yeah, there is really no way to break that gently. Although he's mostly fine. Other than some muscle weakness which he is firmly hiding.]

[She just shakes her head a bit at his comments. Yeah, family weakness. The point was driven home fairly spectacularly; she's still not very great with it all, all things considered. She's had to relearn how to have a conversation and fighting? Oh, God, but figuring out how to keep tabs on everything around her without the use of her hearing has been a bit of trial and error.

...Not too much error. It is Temari, after all.

She stops, eyes him, and gives him a Look at his question: raised brow, pursed lips, and generally unamused.]

You know, you could have asked for that first. [She chucks her thumb over her shoulder.] But yeah. Back in my apartment. Just across the hall.

[Hey, he's not Kankuro if he's not being a smart-ass. even if that makes you want to punch him. That's part of his charm.

Kankuro looks away at the Look he gets, trying nonchalance and sort of failing at it in the way only his siblings can make him fail. there may be the slightest hint of color to his face. He does make sure to look back at Temari, recalling her deafness.]

Sorta got distracted Sis. [As in, your well-being means more than his well-being. But he doesn't say that.] Besides I'm mostly okay. It's just lingering longer. [Because it was a very nasty poison.

Kankuro starts to head for her apartment, trusting that she meant for him to go get it himself before pausing and then turning to look at Temari, a slight wariness to his look.]

Wait, are you going to cook while I get the antidote?

[Because Temari, no offense, he loves you, but no. The first thing he's eating after having to live off ration bars is not your cooking.]

[Okay, distraction she gets. She would have offered him a shirt or something if she hadn't been so distracted by the fact that he was here. And then there was that whole conversation and...

... yeah, distraction she gets. Not that he's forgiven for it or anything.

She grabs a pot off the counter, makes her way to the stove, and turns to see if he has any last minute questions.

Turns out he does.

Her look is the most unamused. She very carefully sets the pot on the stove and says, in as mild a tone as she can manage:]

I'm heating up leftover stew.

[Uh whoops. Kankuro actually turns red before giving a nervous laugh.]

Oh okay. Uhhh, I'll be right back.

[Kankuro quickly flees the kitchen before Temari could so much as draw a fan to use against him.

He enters the apartment, muttering a quick 'I'm home' mostly out of habit before starting his search. It doesn't take him long to locate the antidote. This might be a new place but Temari kept things in pretty much the same place she did back home. Kankuro grabs vial and swigs it down, pulling a rather horrified face as he did so. So gross.

Shuddering he takes the vial to wash it out back in the kitchen and leaves the apartment. He gives Temari a faint grin as he enters the kitchen again, before heading to the sink to rinse out the vial.

That done he pulls another face at the linger aftertaste and taps Temari on the shoulder lightly.]

Glasses?

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1st String || {Action in Three parts}

Ninja kitchen action. Time for the feels.

Ninja kitchen action. Bring on the feels.

Ninja kitchen action. Oh ouch. Temari... ;_;

Ninja kitchen action. /sob

Ninja kitchen action. /gross sobbing

Ninja kitchen action. s-so many feels. ;;

Ninja kitchen action. the best kind of feels

Ninja kitchen action. the only kind of feels

Ninja kitchen action. Sorry for the late

Ninja kitchen action. No worries!

Ninja kitchen action. Back to the feels

Ninja kitchen action. Oh, right. Those feels things.

Ninja kitchen action. Kankuro's feels are broken. Also I lack an icon that works.

Ninja kitchen action. /sob so sorry Kankuro.

Action.] MORE FEELS THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK AT /needs more icons

[Action.] icons are a thing we both would like more of, lol.

[Action.] Yes. Oh paid account how i long for you. But I must save my money.

[Action.]

[Action.]

[Action.]

[Action.]