Act 2, Scene 20: The Meaning of Family?
Shizue knew where he'd go, could have guessed it in her sleep. Maybe it was still too early on, but part of the thrill of a relationship seemed to be to get to know someone else. Already, well, already she suspected that she knew Okiie far better than she had before, and part of that meant she could predict what he'd do. If he was so stressed and annoyed, he'd be going to the training grounds, and she could even put a very good guess on which one.
As she chased after him, just a few minutes behind, she tried to think of what to say, what to do. There were no easy answers, and the cool air of the early night didn't provide nearly as much clarity as she'd hoped. Before long, she was at his favorite training ground, though of course he wasn't training. He was just leaning against one of the practice dummies, eyes closed.
She didn't know how, call it intuition for his feelings, but she knew that he was barely holding back tears. The stillness to his body, in contrast to his usual motion, it all hinted at someone holding himself back from something.
Shizue took a breath and stepped forward. He turned. She hadn't been trying to mask his movements, and he was a shinobi. Anyone walking around- stomping, really, by the standards of even the ninja of Reef, who disdained stealth- like a civilian was liable to be heard.[1] He looked at her for a moment and said, "My parents are cool. I mean usually. Usually they're cool. I didn't want you to see them like that--"
"Do you argue with them often?" Shizue asked, carefully, moving over towards him. He smelled faintly of food he'd been eating, and faintly of sweat, and maybe faintly of something she couldn't identify. This close, he gave off warmth in the cool night, and she reached out a hand to touch his shoulder.
He paused, flinched, and then leaned forward, grabbing her up in a hug. "Not until recently, but it's more than that. The war, the war, Kami, I'm sick of it. I'm sick and tired of being desperate and miserable. When I'm not training or with you, it's like…"
He trailed off, inarticulately, unable quite to define his feelings. "It's all there is," he finally said, after Shizue decided to give him time to find the words, "You, my nindo, my dreams of the future, my parents. And the three of them, the last three, it's all falling apart. You heard them--"
"Well, your mother was advising hands-off action, which would probably be for the best," Shizue said.
"But for reasons of having better things to do," Okiie said, "I mean, I sounded like her two months ago, didn't I, when I insulted epi-whatsits… genetics, that's what. When I've looked it up and it's really cool and I never said it was to Rika-chan and--"
Now, Shizue was tempted to kiss him, because he was being sweet and babbling and she felt for him, felt for him in the heart-tugging, agonizing way she'd once felt for her mother, had perhaps felt for Emiko. Different, of course, or at least she hoped it was, but of the same substance.
"It's okay," Shizue was, "I mean, if you want to say it to Rika-chan, you should. Maybe even talk to her about it."
"Yeah," Okiie said, and he sniffled. It was certainly a loud sound. He did have a large nose, as cute as he was, and he gave a watery chuckle, "It's weird, the way they… I mean, Rika-chan never talks about that sort of stuff with me. Is that really how it's going to be, thinking that just having a civilian parent means you're a traitor?"
"It doesn't work," Shizue said, "If we can't trust our comrades, if we have to divide them up like that, then it all falls apart."
"Recently. Recently, I dunno, I've been wondering if our village will ever get better real fast. I mean, I know we're going to be great and awesome one day, but will I still be waiting for it in thirty years, trying to make the village just a little bit nicer. I mean, I'm sorta, you know, impatient. I want things now--"
Shizue nodded, "They, well, they seemed content."
"And I can't be content! I can't be distant. I can't be any kind of tent at all," Okiie said, pouting, tears in his eyes, "I'm not going to listen to them, but then what am I supposed to do? If I go back, if they know I'm going back, they'll think they won, right? That they get to boss me around and force me to give up my friends?"
Shizue paused, heart hammering, and said, "Well, they love you, don't they? I mean, that means things will work out."
"I mean, maybe," Okiie said, frowning, "But it's, like, what will they do once the war ends. What will I do? I dream about the future, but I'm just a twelve year old. I'm kinda a dork and I'm not the best at history of economics or anything, so how am I supposed to change the world? I mean, even if I'm super-awesome at Elemental Jutsu, that only matters in a war. And I want to matter in a not-war--"
Shizue tried to find the right words, but it was hard to figure it out.
"So instead I'm forced to argue about my parents over nothing, just another useless genin who can't even--"
"You. Are. NOT. Useless," Shizue said, insistently, leaning in and stroking his hair, staring at him, "You matter to me. You matter to me more than any boy ever. I mean, I know that's not saying much, and maybe I'm just as much of a dork as you. Dorks together, but… you matter to me, and that should matter. I believe you're right that Reef has to change even if neither of us knows how, even if neither of us can do it on their own. People, people are what matter, and if we found the right people, something could change. But it's hard. Hirotomo was on the council, Zenzo, as nice as he is, killed hundreds of civilians. It's not just your parents, it's everyone, and it makes me feel like I'm crazy--"
"It's the rest of Reef that's bonkers, not you," Okiie said, insistently. "It'll...it'll work out, I'm not sure how, but my folks. They'll make me apologize, even if they'll 'agree to disagree' about it and smile indulgently and counter my every point with one of their own and all of that." Okiie sighed and said, "It's not fair."
"What isn't?" Shizue asked.
"Everything," Okiie huffed, a little louder.
"Maybe not, but what else can you do?" Shizue asked.
"I could...I could not go back. I mean, just to show them for now, or move out, or," Okiie began, then shook his head, "No, that's crazy."
Crazy? Shizue's heart was racing, and she saw that there was an opportunity, she leaned in and asked, "Is it? I mean, you're technically able to move right now. As a Genin, you're an adult. You could live in the barracks, or rent a cheap place somewhere, or even stay with someone else, there's nothing stopping you from doing it, even if staying in your parent's place is cheaper."
"It is," Okiie said, "I'm not sure how well I'd- wait, someone else? You?" He blinked, a little startled, and Shizue blushed. Not because of any suspicion, just because it had been a rather strange suggestion, or… well, of course, Okiie might not be the best house-guest, but--
Well, it'd certainly be one way to start to work on disconnecting him from the village. Not that she wanted to manipulate him, but at the same time--
At the same time. And even him getting his own house would mean he'd be out of their eyes and if it meant not apologizing, if it meant--
But what if they got suspicious, or what if it was too far and too fast. Shizue was sweating, uncertain, the world seemed almost to be spinning as she made her choice, her decision. What was she even supposed to say?
[Opening Credits]
What does she say?
[] They're your parents, surely it'll get better (moderate difficulty, he stays with them.)
[] Maybe you should move out, get your own place (moderate difficulty, he moves out if successful.)
[] Maybe you could stay with one of us…
-[] Genta. (High difficulty, though Genta probably might be chill enough to agree to it.)
-[] Rika. (Moderate-high difficulty, if only because of the 'You think Rika's been influencing me BEFORE' factor...but then again, Shizue hasn't asked Rika's permission to offer this.)
-[] Shizue (Moderate-high difficulty)
[] Write-in.
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[1] The other end of Walk Like A Civilian for non-Archipelago people includes things like 'not walking so very quietly that you accidentally sneak up on people without meaning to.'
A/N: I, uh, planned for this to be far longer, but something came up and I wasn't sure what to do, as far as what Shizue would say, so here we go!
WHAT'S THE SNAG?!
