[log] Sibling Chats [Yuugao]
Set a few days after Yuugao spots something suspicious.
Yuugao caught the rolling ball with his foot and lightly rolled it back to the awaiting toddler. Yuka was giggling in anticipation, waving her hands. She was sitting on on the far side of the kitchen, legs widespread to form something akin to a goal. As Yuugao aimed right - again - the little girl squealed in delight as the ball returned to where she had just rolled it from. Yuugao spared her only a flash of a smile before looking up at his pregnant younger sister, Kimiko. Only four months along and already ballooning. No one in the family ever commented aloud, but they all knew they were thinking alike.
The luxurious spicy aroma from Kimiko's curry wafted across the room as she stirred and Yuugao only just resisted smiling. With so many things going on in his mind, Yuugao couldn't let them all go and simply relax. As it was, he had exhausted himself with a spar from an oldtime ANBU friend and then beat up his punching bag for several hours. The result had him slump just enough to look relaxed to civilian eyes. Shinobi would see a long, rough day. But one that was calm now.
"So," she broke the silence, "any exciting developments in your life?"
Kicking the ball back, Yuugao quirked an eyebrow. "Not anything I'd exactly call 'exciting'. Life has just been continuing like normal." Aside from the increasing amount of strange and stressful situations. "You? Missing the cat?"
"Her name is Yuki, which you already knew, and yes, I am. At least I get to see her whenever I visit Mom and Dad. But enough about me," Kimiko smirked back at him before returning her attention to the curry. "I can't believe that nothing is going on in the life of a great ANBU captain. Haven't you at least had one date? A little flirtation?"
For a moment Yuugao remembered the moments before killing Takajin - sliding his hand under the shirt and spreading his fingers over the man's back. That most certainly did not count as either scenario. Though it was certainly disturbing that it came to mind first.
"Nope," he answer simply. "Been too busy ANBU-ing to have much of a social life. Sorry to disappoint."
She gave a little huff and stirred more slowly. "Not even a rendezvous at the hospital?"
He caught the rolling ball with his foot again and held it there for a moment. How had she heard about that? He hadn't been too terribly obvious, had he? Then again, it had been over an extended period of time and nurses did like to gossip. Plus his sister was pregnant and insanely careful to go in every month like her doctor recommended... Yuugao had stayed quiet too long and established his guilt.
"So it was you then." She had to be smirking from the tone of her voice. "The 'mysterious ANBU'. When I heard one of the nurses mention something about a cat I thought of you right away."
Yuugao frowned. Maybe it was time to get a new ANBU mask... It was already too late to try and deny anything. She would just be convinced that he was trying to be more surreptitious. Frankly, it was irritating to have no path to victory - in this case, anonymity.
As Yuka looked expectantly at him, Yuugao rolled back the ball and managed to keep his voice calm. "I'm sure my visits to a teammate were blown out of proportion. You know how rumor mills work." He paused and met her gaze, smiling despite her narrowed eyes. "So, dear sister, what did they say about this 'mysterious ANBU that's somehow related to a cat'? Was he dashing and romantic? Deadly and aloof? Or perhaps just a normal guy checking in often on a recovering teammate that happened to be female?" He didn't rub in the fact that his entire team was female - barring himself.
Kimiko's expression darkened and her voice lowered. "That the way he looked after the woman made them wish they were her. That says plenty to me, rumor mill or no." She broke her stare and let out a heavy breath. "My apologies for hoping that you'd finally found someone to be happy with."
Yuugao lowered his eyes to the floor and continued the game with Yuka, staying quiet as he felt his temporarily bolstered pride deflate. "Sorry. I guess I'm still defensive about the topic of dating."
"Apology accepted."
Both siblings let the sounds of cooking and a gleeful toddler fill the room. After a time, Yuugao began to wonder if perhaps Kimiko had more insight into their mother's situation. People always said mothers and daughters were close. And his own had always gotten along.
"Hey sis?"
"Nn?" she turned off the stovetop, moved the pan to a cool burner, turned around and wiped her hands off on her apron.
"Do you...I mean, have you ever wondered about Mom and Dad?"
This had her pause and take in his slumped posture. "Wonder how?"
How could he say this without making her too suspicious or causing his sister to take on the role of interrogator? "Like...they're doing all right. If...anything is going to go wrong. That kind of thing."
Kimiko raised an eyebrow and leaned back against the counter top, considering his question more deeply. Perhaps he shouldn't have said anything at all - his sister may have never passed the rank of genin, but she still had been a shinobi.
"I thought they were both just busy," she said at last. "Dad may be neglecting Mom a little, though. I haven't seen him so excited in years - not until he started up that little shop of his. Mom said it'll pass in time and then things will be back to normal. Have...you seen something that makes you think otherwise?" Kimiko watched him closely, looking for any subtle movement that gave away a lie. He'd done it before, she wouldn't doubt he would do it again. Stupid shinobi lifestyle.
"Nothing substantial enough to make a judgement on," he said, settling on a more open ended answer. Kimiko would let it go in time if he said nothing else. And she wouldn't start prodding their mother. Not if even an ANBU wasn't sure of a solid conclusion. He just left off his observations of the purple haired man harassing their mother for money. It wasn't the kind of thing for a pregnant woman to look into - or even her chuunin husband, Daichi. No, it was his.
He'd find the scum soon enough.
Yuugao caught the rolling ball with his foot and lightly rolled it back to the awaiting toddler. Yuka was giggling in anticipation, waving her hands. She was sitting on on the far side of the kitchen, legs widespread to form something akin to a goal. As Yuugao aimed right - again - the little girl squealed in delight as the ball returned to where she had just rolled it from. Yuugao spared her only a flash of a smile before looking up at his pregnant younger sister, Kimiko. Only four months along and already ballooning. No one in the family ever commented aloud, but they all knew they were thinking alike.
The luxurious spicy aroma from Kimiko's curry wafted across the room as she stirred and Yuugao only just resisted smiling. With so many things going on in his mind, Yuugao couldn't let them all go and simply relax. As it was, he had exhausted himself with a spar from an oldtime ANBU friend and then beat up his punching bag for several hours. The result had him slump just enough to look relaxed to civilian eyes. Shinobi would see a long, rough day. But one that was calm now.
"So," she broke the silence, "any exciting developments in your life?"
Kicking the ball back, Yuugao quirked an eyebrow. "Not anything I'd exactly call 'exciting'. Life has just been continuing like normal." Aside from the increasing amount of strange and stressful situations. "You? Missing the cat?"
"Her name is Yuki, which you already knew, and yes, I am. At least I get to see her whenever I visit Mom and Dad. But enough about me," Kimiko smirked back at him before returning her attention to the curry. "I can't believe that nothing is going on in the life of a great ANBU captain. Haven't you at least had one date? A little flirtation?"
For a moment Yuugao remembered the moments before killing Takajin - sliding his hand under the shirt and spreading his fingers over the man's back. That most certainly did not count as either scenario. Though it was certainly disturbing that it came to mind first.
"Nope," he answer simply. "Been too busy ANBU-ing to have much of a social life. Sorry to disappoint."
She gave a little huff and stirred more slowly. "Not even a rendezvous at the hospital?"
He caught the rolling ball with his foot again and held it there for a moment. How had she heard about that? He hadn't been too terribly obvious, had he? Then again, it had been over an extended period of time and nurses did like to gossip. Plus his sister was pregnant and insanely careful to go in every month like her doctor recommended... Yuugao had stayed quiet too long and established his guilt.
"So it was you then." She had to be smirking from the tone of her voice. "The 'mysterious ANBU'. When I heard one of the nurses mention something about a cat I thought of you right away."
Yuugao frowned. Maybe it was time to get a new ANBU mask... It was already too late to try and deny anything. She would just be convinced that he was trying to be more surreptitious. Frankly, it was irritating to have no path to victory - in this case, anonymity.
As Yuka looked expectantly at him, Yuugao rolled back the ball and managed to keep his voice calm. "I'm sure my visits to a teammate were blown out of proportion. You know how rumor mills work." He paused and met her gaze, smiling despite her narrowed eyes. "So, dear sister, what did they say about this 'mysterious ANBU that's somehow related to a cat'? Was he dashing and romantic? Deadly and aloof? Or perhaps just a normal guy checking in often on a recovering teammate that happened to be female?" He didn't rub in the fact that his entire team was female - barring himself.
Kimiko's expression darkened and her voice lowered. "That the way he looked after the woman made them wish they were her. That says plenty to me, rumor mill or no." She broke her stare and let out a heavy breath. "My apologies for hoping that you'd finally found someone to be happy with."
Yuugao lowered his eyes to the floor and continued the game with Yuka, staying quiet as he felt his temporarily bolstered pride deflate. "Sorry. I guess I'm still defensive about the topic of dating."
"Apology accepted."
Both siblings let the sounds of cooking and a gleeful toddler fill the room. After a time, Yuugao began to wonder if perhaps Kimiko had more insight into their mother's situation. People always said mothers and daughters were close. And his own had always gotten along.
"Hey sis?"
"Nn?" she turned off the stovetop, moved the pan to a cool burner, turned around and wiped her hands off on her apron.
"Do you...I mean, have you ever wondered about Mom and Dad?"
This had her pause and take in his slumped posture. "Wonder how?"
How could he say this without making her too suspicious or causing his sister to take on the role of interrogator? "Like...they're doing all right. If...anything is going to go wrong. That kind of thing."
Kimiko raised an eyebrow and leaned back against the counter top, considering his question more deeply. Perhaps he shouldn't have said anything at all - his sister may have never passed the rank of genin, but she still had been a shinobi.
"I thought they were both just busy," she said at last. "Dad may be neglecting Mom a little, though. I haven't seen him so excited in years - not until he started up that little shop of his. Mom said it'll pass in time and then things will be back to normal. Have...you seen something that makes you think otherwise?" Kimiko watched him closely, looking for any subtle movement that gave away a lie. He'd done it before, she wouldn't doubt he would do it again. Stupid shinobi lifestyle.
"Nothing substantial enough to make a judgement on," he said, settling on a more open ended answer. Kimiko would let it go in time if he said nothing else. And she wouldn't start prodding their mother. Not if even an ANBU wasn't sure of a solid conclusion. He just left off his observations of the purple haired man harassing their mother for money. It wasn't the kind of thing for a pregnant woman to look into - or even her chuunin husband, Daichi. No, it was his.
He'd find the scum soon enough.