One down
...And I only have four to go. Two were owed a long while ago. *hides head in shame* Egads, I do great with the offers for gifts and favors. It's just the actual finishing them up that's the problem. I've started a lot of them (even if it's just in my head) but the actual typing them out and editing them to where I like them, well...that takes a bit more. But I got one done!
So here you go Spaz! I can't remember if I showed you parts of it previously...no, wait. I just hadn't decided on an ending. And the second one is just for kicks and giggles. It's more Tsuba!centric than anything...so, yeah.
Firelight
It had been a very long mission. And extremely dirty. He'd persuaded Subayai to let him clean him and then headed in for his own bathing. The shower had been hot and quite refreshing. So as he toweled off his hair and walked out of the bathroom in only a pair of pants Bikou could only think of one more thing he needed at the moment.
And he found it lying next to Subayai by the fireplace.
Tsuba was curled up next to the ninken, fingers interlaced in the damp fur with closed eyes. Her breathing was slow and even, one of sleep.
Bikou's lips curled up as he scanned over her loose brown hair, sprawled around her and moving ever-so-slightly as she inhaled and exhaled. His expression faded a little as he saw the scattering of scratches on her face, they hadn't been there the last time he'd seen her. But they had both been called on harsh missions - no doubt Tsuba would at least get scratched up from her assignment.
As he looked closer he spotted the wrapping going from her wrist and up out of sight underneath her sleeve. She wasn't badly hurt, was she?
Bikou was too impatient to let her sleep it off. Besides, Tsuba was much more fun to cuddle with when conscious.
Tsuba stirred at the touch to her shoulder and looked at him with bleary eyes. She blinked a few times and smiled softly.
"How was the shower?"
"Good. What happened?" he nodded his head at her arm.
Tsuba glanced down at it in confusion, then sat up slowly and shook her head. "Just a scratch. You should've seen how many pieces my opponent was in."
Bikou pushed up her sleeve and frowned. "That's more than a scratch." The bandages went all the way to her elbow.
"Okay, well, I nearly passed out from blood loss, but that's--"
"Blood loss?" Bikou cut her off. "You passed out from blood loss?"
"Well, yes," Tsuba glanced to the side, sighing. "When you get a gash more than a few inches long and are still fighting to make sure your opponent is going to stay dead it's rather hard to-"
"Tsuba."
She hesitated in meeting his eyes, wincing as she did.
"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Tsuba. I won't allow it."
"It's not like Konoha has any reason not to use me to my full extent. I mean, it's not like I'm pregnant or anything-" she paused as Bikou's expression became mischievous and he set his hands on her hips. "What?"
"We can make that happen. Tonight or tomorrow?"
Tsuba was incapable of words.
Heh.
Pride
Tsuba had always had her pride. She had always been told to be proud of her blood, herself, and her abilities.
But it was not until she lived with the Inuzuka and stood up to her family that Tsuba really felt it.
She had told them to leave her alone, disown her if they wished, it was no concern of hers. She was a Gekkou, yes, but she would follow her own dictates. She would go no direction but her own.
But Hasaki was stubborn. He could not believe the change in his sister. He would not stand for such a stain in his own family. And so he challenged Tsuba to a duel late one night. He knew that she would recognize him as he stood outside the Inuzuka walls that night. He was irritated that it took her so long to come out to him, but she did. A scowl came onto his face as she hopped onto the top of the fence and paused there for a moment. This was not his sister anymore. His little sister would never have eyes like those. She would not crouch on the wall and shift her stance like that. The Inzuka had tainted her, possibly ruined her. But once he beat her in this spar he could show her the error of her ways and she would return before the damage was permanent.
Unfortunately for Hasaki, he had always underestimated Tsuba.
The fight had been swift and done with deadly efficiency. The only witnesses to the fight were ninken and Inuzuka; they said nothing as Tsuba stood over her bleeding brother and crouched to pick up his katana for him.
"I am second to no Gekkou."
He hissed and snapped back the blade, stumbling to his feet and sheathing his katana. The blood trickled down his cheek and arm, but Hasaki seemed not to care.
"You will learn your place."
Tsuba narrowed her eyes and bared her teeth, twisting her naginata around to bring the blade into view. A few flecks of blood splashed onto her face.
"Your blade was clean, Niisan." She jerked the blade closer to his face. "Can you say the same of mine?"
Fortunately for Tachi, he had always held a healthy amount of respect for both of his siblings and their blades. So when Hasaki came home that night, Tachi simply bandaged him and kept the commentary to himself.
He wasn't foolish enough to ask for his own set of wounds.
And I'm a-working on the other ones. I really hope to have them done tonight. It is only 6:30 pm and I have at least one of the Momoshu ones basically planned out...even some of the dialogue and everything...
Merry Chrismas to all!
*goes back to work*
So here you go Spaz! I can't remember if I showed you parts of it previously...no, wait. I just hadn't decided on an ending. And the second one is just for kicks and giggles. It's more Tsuba!centric than anything...so, yeah.
Firelight
It had been a very long mission. And extremely dirty. He'd persuaded Subayai to let him clean him and then headed in for his own bathing. The shower had been hot and quite refreshing. So as he toweled off his hair and walked out of the bathroom in only a pair of pants Bikou could only think of one more thing he needed at the moment.
And he found it lying next to Subayai by the fireplace.
Tsuba was curled up next to the ninken, fingers interlaced in the damp fur with closed eyes. Her breathing was slow and even, one of sleep.
Bikou's lips curled up as he scanned over her loose brown hair, sprawled around her and moving ever-so-slightly as she inhaled and exhaled. His expression faded a little as he saw the scattering of scratches on her face, they hadn't been there the last time he'd seen her. But they had both been called on harsh missions - no doubt Tsuba would at least get scratched up from her assignment.
As he looked closer he spotted the wrapping going from her wrist and up out of sight underneath her sleeve. She wasn't badly hurt, was she?
Bikou was too impatient to let her sleep it off. Besides, Tsuba was much more fun to cuddle with when conscious.
Tsuba stirred at the touch to her shoulder and looked at him with bleary eyes. She blinked a few times and smiled softly.
"How was the shower?"
"Good. What happened?" he nodded his head at her arm.
Tsuba glanced down at it in confusion, then sat up slowly and shook her head. "Just a scratch. You should've seen how many pieces my opponent was in."
Bikou pushed up her sleeve and frowned. "That's more than a scratch." The bandages went all the way to her elbow.
"Okay, well, I nearly passed out from blood loss, but that's--"
"Blood loss?" Bikou cut her off. "You passed out from blood loss?"
"Well, yes," Tsuba glanced to the side, sighing. "When you get a gash more than a few inches long and are still fighting to make sure your opponent is going to stay dead it's rather hard to-"
"Tsuba."
She hesitated in meeting his eyes, wincing as she did.
"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Tsuba. I won't allow it."
"It's not like Konoha has any reason not to use me to my full extent. I mean, it's not like I'm pregnant or anything-" she paused as Bikou's expression became mischievous and he set his hands on her hips. "What?"
"We can make that happen. Tonight or tomorrow?"
Tsuba was incapable of words.
Heh.
Pride
Tsuba had always had her pride. She had always been told to be proud of her blood, herself, and her abilities.
But it was not until she lived with the Inuzuka and stood up to her family that Tsuba really felt it.
She had told them to leave her alone, disown her if they wished, it was no concern of hers. She was a Gekkou, yes, but she would follow her own dictates. She would go no direction but her own.
But Hasaki was stubborn. He could not believe the change in his sister. He would not stand for such a stain in his own family. And so he challenged Tsuba to a duel late one night. He knew that she would recognize him as he stood outside the Inuzuka walls that night. He was irritated that it took her so long to come out to him, but she did. A scowl came onto his face as she hopped onto the top of the fence and paused there for a moment. This was not his sister anymore. His little sister would never have eyes like those. She would not crouch on the wall and shift her stance like that. The Inzuka had tainted her, possibly ruined her. But once he beat her in this spar he could show her the error of her ways and she would return before the damage was permanent.
Unfortunately for Hasaki, he had always underestimated Tsuba.
The fight had been swift and done with deadly efficiency. The only witnesses to the fight were ninken and Inuzuka; they said nothing as Tsuba stood over her bleeding brother and crouched to pick up his katana for him.
"I am second to no Gekkou."
He hissed and snapped back the blade, stumbling to his feet and sheathing his katana. The blood trickled down his cheek and arm, but Hasaki seemed not to care.
"You will learn your place."
Tsuba narrowed her eyes and bared her teeth, twisting her naginata around to bring the blade into view. A few flecks of blood splashed onto her face.
"Your blade was clean, Niisan." She jerked the blade closer to his face. "Can you say the same of mine?"
Fortunately for Tachi, he had always held a healthy amount of respect for both of his siblings and their blades. So when Hasaki came home that night, Tachi simply bandaged him and kept the commentary to himself.
He wasn't foolish enough to ask for his own set of wounds.
And I'm a-working on the other ones. I really hope to have them done tonight. It is only 6:30 pm and I have at least one of the Momoshu ones basically planned out...even some of the dialogue and everything...
Merry Chrismas to all!
*goes back to work*