Going to see someone? [Closed]

[jaded_feathers]

Characters: Tira & Heihachi Hayashida
Content: After aggressively demanding candy and friendly gossiping time with Heihachi, Tira heads over toward the cheerful mechanic's room to find the other packing his things for the long adventure ahead...
Setting: Heihachi's room [4423]
Time: Evening
Warnings: Mild-swears and a surprisingly moody Tira.

Comments

[smiling_samurai]

Anyone who had seen Heihachi's room prior to today would recognize that the room had undergone a complete transformation. It had a floor again, for starters. The mess that had been swiftly accumulating since he'd come aboard had all been cleared away. The screws had been put into proper storage, his tools had all been reclaimed and put back into the pockets of his vest, and everything else had been neatly organized onto his bed ready to be packed into his bags.

The room was otherwise bare; a very obvious indicator that Heihachi was relinquishing his claim on it.

At Tira's overly enthusiastic knock he glanced up from his chore, a smile settling on his face like an automatic reflex to cover up his previous serious expression. "The door's not-"

Tira apparently wasn't waiting, and he amusedly added, "Locked," as the assassin girl bounded into the room. "Hi Tira."

The candy was also one of the items on the bed, and he picked it up and offered it to her. It had originally been an apology present to Toshirou for the ice dragon incident, but he'd never gotten a chance to give it to the boy. "Here you go. Don't eat it all at once, okay?"

[jaded_feathers]

Grinning widely at the offering, Tira snatched it right out of Heihachi's hands like an overly enthusiastic child and not the sinister murder that she is. Her more adolescent nature always seemed to come and go like the changing Seasons but luckily around the happy mechanic, her 'innocent' side shines more often. Snacking noisy on the candy for a few moments, her violet gaze shifted over toward Heihachi again.

"Are those more candies in those bags? Huh?" She asked while pointing toward the packed luggage nearby. Tira seemed to only have one thing on her mind today and its 'chocolate'.

"Nah, I dun think those are candies." Tira mumbled to herself as she munched on a chocolate bar.

[smiling_samurai]

"No, no more candy," he told her. As murderous as she could sometimes be, he was always a little reassured by her childish antics. It seemed to balance her out, in her own strange way. "Just tools and clothes."

He hadn't yet told anyone what he had in mind yet - not even Kambei, who would normally be the first to hear what was on Heihachi's mind. He felt bad for holding back, but at the same time it wasn't a subject he wanted to bring up with anyone yet. It was tied to a bunch of feelings too new and raw and indescribable that he hadn't figured out yet and really didn't want to.

He was a little curious about Tira's visit though. Normally if she wanted something, Maxim would be her first choice. "So how are you going, Tira? You've been quiet lately."

He wasn't sure if this was a reassuring sign or not, but at least her threats had died down and no one had turned up dead yet. That was good, right?

[jaded_feathers]

Staring for a moment at all the bags that Heihachi already packed, a worried gaze actually flickered in those amethysts pools for a second. She continued to snack on the bag of treats he given her, munching through her second chocolate bar until she just suddenly stopped. Her gaze lingered on the mechanic for a few moments before looking over toward the luggage again. A look of realization crossed her face as she just nodded her head in agreement to whatever thought crossed her mind now about the mechanic. It was unlike her to show this level of understanding, especially considering how outlandish Tira can be at times.

"Huh?" She was snapped from her silent reprieve when Heihachi asked her that question. "Tch...yeah...well, shit is borin' lately so I ain't got nothin' to do." She mumbled as she walked further into the room and flopped down on the floor.

"What about you? Eh? Ya ain't smilin', nope. Not smilin' really."

[smiling_samurai]

There weren't many people who could pick the nuances of Heihachi's smiles to tell the real ones from the fake. Heihachi himself didn't often give it too much thought, but now that Tira pointed it out...no. He wasn't really smiling.

"I've had a lot on my mind," he admitted to her, "since Toshirou left."

And Jushirou, but Tira probably didn't know or care much about the man who'd been the traitor in their midst. At least she might understand about Toshirou. Heihachi had kept it to himself how much he missed the boy. Even before leaving so abruptly he hadn't been well liked, and it seemed everyone else had dismissed him without a thought or care. It was sort of disheartening.

[jaded_feathers]

"...Toshi." Tira corrected him for she gotten rather used to calling him by the 'nick name' she made for him. Looking over at the bundle of bags again, the girl looked over at Heihachi with a smirk on her green lips. "Ya gonna leave too? Gonna go like him?" There was no true tone to her voice, nothing judgmental or scornful about the idea of the mechanic's would-be decision to leave the ship. She was just asking a honest question with no motive to judge him if he answered one way or the other.

"Ya know, that kid went after someone." Tira quickly babbled out. "Somethin' about understandin' somethin' about himself. Somethin' that guy can do for him." She stared at Heihachi for a long time before saying anything else, just watching him intently for a moment before she finally does get to the point why she is here.

[smiling_samurai]

"Toshi," he repeated obediently, a wry, more sincere expression crossing his features. He probably wouldn't ever use the name to Toshirou's face, but it was funny to think about the reaction it might get.

He looked back at his possessions and sighed. Well Tira wasn't completely oblivious, even with the candy distraction. "Yeah, I was. Not forever though, just..."

Heihachi paused, giving her time to speak before nodding. "I know. He told me about it, but I'm not sure I understand. I'm not sure he's doing the right thing either, but I thought if I saw for myself then maybe I would."

That had been more than he'd really wanted to say, since now Tira could probably figure out what he was going to be doing. To his surprise, Tira seemed to know more about Toshirou's motives and what they had to do with Jushirou than he would have guessed. She didn't usually give the impression that she cared much unless it had to do with killing. He looked at he curiously, wondering exactly what was on her mind.

[jaded_feathers]

Tira watched him, her mind reeling with about a million questions and such she wanted to say but she really didn't think she could voice them well. Talking about situations like this isn't her strong suit and she knew that all too well but at least the candy was helping her think a bit. "Why do you give a damn what happens?" She asked as she tossed a few sugary pods of candy into her mouth. "Toshi wanted to go and he left willingly, so why do you care? Is it because you gotta care or..." Tira trailed off a moment, instantly hushing up before she pondered about how to finish that question.

"Maxim said something really strange." She confessed as she settled her gaze on the bag of candy she holds in her hands. "I had a suspicion that he would say stuff like that but I never wanted to hear it. I don't get it. Why would people say that word when they don't mean it." Tira knew the mechanic is a smart guy, he could figure out what she is trying to say now.

"Are ya doing the same thing as Maxim? I know Toshi and ya must have been buddies and all."

[smiling_samurai]

Even though she was being quite vague about it, Heihachi pieced together the fragments of her sentences and realised...oh. Well. He couldn't say he was entirely surprised. Maxim's affections for Tira were pretty obvious to anyone who saw them together, and he knew from having unearthed a post in Maxim's journal that the Jager was very new to relationships.

"It's similar," he admitted, not thinking he needed to point out the obvious differences between a romantic relationship and a platonic one. "He did leave, but we told each other we were going to stay friends, and I meant that."

He gave her a sideways look. It wasn't his business, of course, but he felt obliged to give Maxim the benefit of the doubt. "Whatever Maxim said to you, he probably meant that as well."

[jaded_feathers]

Hearing Heihachi's reply did somewhat comfort her, especially since she didn't think the mechanic is the kid of guy to lie. Tira had to admit that she did notice something about the way Maxim stares at her as of late. Ever since that first day they met in the storage rooms on the ship, the Jager's leering gaze has become softer and softer. Maxim started to look at her differently, view her differently since that little romp in the Crow's Nest. She noticed this change in the Jager's demeanor and didn't know how to approach the subject with him, so she didn't. For a long time, Tira decided to remain oblivious to the Jager's advancements, wishing to prevent their relationship from growing out of hand.

However, her mild neglect on her part seemed to have done more harm than good for now Maxim finally confessed the truth she already knew was there. "If he means it like you mean, then I'm in trouble." Tira said rather bitterly with a sigh.

"...what to do?" She whispered to Heihachi. "Maxim hates me now. He did 'loved' but now, not sure."

[smiling_samurai]

So apparently Maxim's declaration hadn't gone over all that well. He scratched his head, thinking it over before finally saying, "If he said it and he meant it, he can't hate you. When you love someone, you should want them to be happy even if they don't feel the same. He might be angry, and he might be hurt, but I bet if you talk to him again he won't turn you away."

He gave her a serious look. "But before you do that, you'd better figure out what you want to do about what he said."

There couldn't always be a fairytale ending. He was pretty sure Tira cared for Maxim in her own demented way, but he wasn't sure the feeling was love. She was too damaged and overall too childish. Lust and affection could certainly work out, but if Maxim was looking for more than that and Tira wasn’t capable then he was going to be disappointed.

[jaded_feathers]

It’s hard for her to even fathom over anything beyond the temptations of the flesh, so when Maxim stood there in the middle of the street proclaiming his love for her; Tira was frightened. She knew there was something of a bond between the two of them, something that would link them together like this but Tira doesn't know how understand it. Love is a foreign concept for any normal person' to understand, so imagine when you are speaking about 'love' to a person who is not so 'normal'. How can you expect them to understand you if they barely comprehend the world around them? This concept about love is certainly flying over her head now, she does not know what love feels like and she certainly never experienced it.

“Eh…” Tira scratched her cheek with a rather thoughtful expression upon her face. She was silent for a second but then a rather wide grin appeared on her face as she glanced over at Heihachi again. “Guess so! Yeah, I’ll think about it more!” The green hair girl smiled more at the mechanic before stuffing more chocolate into her mouth.
“But, before you go…” Tira’s tone lost it’s childish edge and was replaced by the gruff and brazen voice that many others are used to hearing from her.

“If you do find Toshirou, ask him about that ice dragon of his. I need to know something…” Her amethyst eyes were fierce now, staring into Heihachi’s gaze with such, sincerity that usually does not fit when describing Tira’s frivolous and murderous nature.

“That nightmare…it’s been with me forever. I dreamed of it again, that dragon he made…it’s the same one I dreamed before.”

[smiling_samurai]

Heihachi blinked in surprise. Tira the bloodthirsty assassin had nightmares? That was an odd concept, but from the seriousness of her frown it wasn't something that she took lightly.

"What do you mean, 'you dreamed it before'?" he asked, wondering if he was misinterpreting her somehow. Tira was always difficult to read, more so when she was being serious rather than playful.

[jaded_feathers]

"Exactly what I said." Tira answered back curtly, her gaze never wavering as she spoke to the mechanic. "This nightmare is the only thing that keeps comin' back. I don't know why but that dragon is in it, every time." Closing the bag of candy once she ate the last bit of chocolate, the dangerous assassin rose to her feet.

"You must ask Toshirou about that dragon of his. That power." She knew that the former pirate boy would not like hearing such a request from Heihachi to speak more about his powers but Tira needed to know something about that ice dragon he created. The girl wasn't 'how' or 'why' is it that she seen that creature before and she wanted answers.

"If he doesn't tell you anything, tell him to talk to me."

[smiling_samurai]

"Alright," he agreed. "I'll ask him about it."

He wasn't quite sure what to ask, since Tira's answers were pretty vague...she seemed quite confused herself about exactly what the dragon was supposed to mean. He could understand if she'd been dreaming about it after the Badlands, but before? Unless it wasn't the same dragon. Dreams could be confusing, but he would duly pass on the message like she asked and maybe Toshirou would know what she meant.

"What about you? Are you going to be okay here?" With Heihachi abd Toshirou gone and Maxim out of sorts with her, the assassin wouldn't really have anyone to turn to.