In This Cocoon

[Leiko-hime]

OoC: Continued directly from A Time to Think

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The Akiyama hunched his shoulders forward, sinking his head lower to hide behind the high stiff lapels of his jacket, the plant he’d previously been cradling had long since slipped up to wrap around his neck. His pace was a quick one, his bare feet barely making a sound as he strode through the labyrinthine streets of Suna toward the market, the Akiyama shop being down a short side street off the main marketplace to provide a slightly quieter, but still mainstream location. Many would have found going barefoot in the desert difficult, if not downright painful due to the heat that the ground collected over the day, but it had never bothered Hiiro, so he’d never really thought about it. His eyes stayed straight ahead, glued on the ground several feet in front of him, paying no heed to the people he maneuvered passed even as his ears caught snippets of conversation. The Sumiyaka was still on the tip of so many peoples tongues, it had been a big event after all. He hated it, though. How dare these Sand Lice trivialize it all? He didn’t understand how this Colony of humans could react so casually to the hacking of one of it’s limbs, even the trees he knew didn’t take it so easily, let alone his own family of plants. If Mother ever had one of her vines hacked off, the entirety of them would turn spitting mad.

A few people stopped talking to give him narrowed eyed looks, or weird stares, but he was used to it. Hiiro was quite used to being ‘that weird quiet kid,’ and ‘the freaky plant-boy.’ He was used to people wondering why he didn’t call Akako-sama, his human mother, mother. He knew it brought his father grief, the rumors it started, but he could not call her Mother. She was not his mother… He shrugged a little deeper into the concealing coat, giving his head a slight shake to further the disarray of his garnet hair. Right now, the looks were biting just a little to hard, nibbling away at his patience and ability to stand it again. Normally, he didn’t care, normally he didn’t bother. He didn’t let this silly humans effect him, after all what did they know? They were humans, and furthermore they were sand lice.

Right now, though, Hiiro was still feeling raw from the blow that had been struck earlier, Yaki was afraid of him. He’d expected it on some level, but with the only people who’d really accepted him easily dead or gone, (or in Shuji-sensei’s case busy) he’d been hoping for better. You’d think with a Kazekage like theirs that people would learn to stop seeing things in such a way, that eventually they would learn that what is unknown isn’t necessarily bad… And yet…

And Yaki, she was used to being looked at in such a manner, used to the comments, the criticism, the close looks… And still..

He let out a barely there sigh, as he left the crowds of the Market, and slide quietly into the slightly shadowy corridor between the buildings. This side street was cooler than the more open market, and a few people lingered here chatting quietly, but for the most part it was empty. The heady smell of flowers filled the narrow area, drifting from the building he was headed toward, even from the market it was noticeable. A building covered in plants craning toward the sunlight.

He stepped in through the door, left open during business hours so people could come and go with ease, and into his families shop. The smell of plants completely filled the place, that scent that eddied between the sweet tang of flowers, and the earthy smell of greens as well as the spicy, or bitter aromas of the different herbs on display. As he proceeded toward the back of the store he noticed that Jiro was behind the counter now, and met his brothers stare as he walked past, the man always gave him a vaguely disapproving look.

Hiiro ignored him.

Down the short hall that divided the shop from the family’s quarters, and he emerged into the roomy front room, where Kiku and Kisho sat on the floor playing with each other, and their toys, Akina was no where to be seen.

A second after he entered the room Akako stepped out of the kitchen and smiled at him a plate of food in her hands, "I thought you were back, the plants always feel happier when your here." She said smiling at him, and offering the food. "I figured you’d be hungry so I made something for you."

Hiiro blinked before taking the offered meal, "Thank you, Akako-sama." He said quietly before turning and retreating up the stairs toward the roof.

He never saw the slightly sad turn in his birth mother’s smile as she looked after him and murmured an ‘of course.’

------

The ‘roof’ wasn’t so much the roof since the actual roof was rather rounded in style, like a lot of the Suna architecture, but was instead a sort of wide balcony that appeared just below the actual roof of the building. It had cloth sunshades that could be drawn over certain areas of it to provide shade when they were needed. Hiiro immediately wound through the veritable jungle of greenery that was growing from the planters, pots, and even small pools that were scattered thoroughly around the place, his destination was an alcove that receded into the building with a sort of short corridor to create a sort of circular court yard of sorts. A sunshade was pulled over half of it to create a sort of dark gloomy area, and the sounds of movement, cooing, and rustling could be heard from there. Once inside the courtyard one could see that the darker area was filled with a multitude of vines, roots, and plants. Pots, and troughs of dirt stood ever where, spilling over with shifting plants from which the aforementioned noise emanated. Between all the smaller plants a sort of dip into the ‘floor’ had long ago been carved out and turned into an immense planter of it’s own sort, and from this grew the queen, her masses of vines and roots arrayed around her, along with the large leaves that sprouted at random intervals from them, the main ‘stalk’ which could rise up to will around 10 foot or so was already angled toward the entrance as the Akiyama stepped into the area, her four fleshy petals flexing open and closed in a quick rhythmic motion that created a sort of rustling buzz.

He could feel her anger.

He could not understand it, but he could feel it.

However, as soon as she ‘saw’ him it immediately disappeared, and the petals stopped their buzzing, turning more into a slow rasping that seemed like a purr. He moved forward, and the immense plant lifted a vine, brushing the tendril across his hair comfortingly, sensing his morose feelings. He continued forward, stepping carefully among the vines, and roots until he could sit down among them, his back resting against her main stem. The drones that had been clinging to him now slid off him, and slithered serpent-like to the planters around the queen, digging in their roots and settling it.

The queen shifted her vines, wrapping two around Hiiro’s waist as the Akiyama ate the food Akako had given him, and once it was gone a vine took the plate from him, and placed it well out of the way of her roots. Hiiro shifted, and allowed himself to lounging back into the embrace of the Queen’s vines, listening to the soft odd vibrating purr, and coo that she was making, and that was quickly being picked up by the drones. It soothed him, and he relaxed bonelessly against the soft vines, his eyes drifting closed as he let his mind drift listlessly.

He could recall, now that he thought about it, a time when Yaki had recently returned from a mission, she immediately sought them out, practically glowing in excitement. She’d wanted to talk to Leiko, but they’d all been there, sitting and taking a rest after a hard training session…

Leiko smirked triumphantly at Haru who was laying flat on his back, breathing heavily from the recent spar he’d entered in with the Sumiyaka. He’d gotten himself flattened again. Hiiro sometimes wondered if it was intentional, then he recalled how hard it was keeping up with Leiko, and knew it wasn’t. Her style always pushed them to be creative, and learn fast.

There was a sudden shout, and all three looked up to see Yaki running toward them grinning from ear to ear as she slid to a stop beside Leiko, who was giving her a narrow eyed look, and seemed to have an insult just waiting on the tip of her tongue, but never got the chance to let it out, "You’ll never guess what happened Leiko-san!"

"I probably don’t want to." Leiko replied caustically.

The two boys remained silent as Yaki went into an excited ramble about something that had happened on the last mission, both exchanging looks with Leiko when they heard that the bastard of a sensei had tried to leave her behind, Haru mouthed the word’s ‘Can I blow him up, yet?’ to Leiko, who frowned at him for a moment.

Yaki never seemed to realize, since she seemed to be gushing over how she’d been rescued, and wasn’t that so fairy-tale like? But Leiko-san was the princess.. and she was just Yaki….

Hiiro snorted softly, so that was the infamous ‘knight-in-shining-armor,’ eh? Well, he couldn’t say he cared much for him. He sighed as he felt on of the plant’s vines smooth his fringe back from his forehead, opening his eyes he looked up at the large eyeless head that peered down at him, "Okaasan…" he murmured, unsure what he really wanted to say.

-Oh, my poor child…- She responded.

A small chorus of -Brother sad… Hiiro sad.- came from the drones, and he gave a weak smile despite himself.

"I scared her." he stated solemnly.

-Not you. Us.-

"There is no me, and us Okaasan. I’m as much one of us as any of us"

-We are the colony.-

"And the colony is everything."

-Yes.-

"I feel so alone, now, though."

-In the colony you are never alone.-

"I miss them, Okaasan. I miss Leiko and Haru."

-I know, my child… I know…- And even she, sounded mournful as she ‘said’ it.

"And now, even Yaki... Though she never knew..."

-You want her to be Colony. You think they are colony. Colony does not act like that…-

He turned his head to the side, hiding his face against the mass of vines that he was laying against, that embraced him, and twined around his torso, "She is human, I should have expected this."

-Oh, child… My sad child…- Hiiro closed his eyes again, and lost himself in the sound of his ‘family’ crooning softly for him.

[º•.Ki-Chan.•º]

Yaki weaved her way through the crowds of people. Despite the fact that it was the time of day everyone was out, she was still shocked at just how busy it was. She had lost Sight of Hiiro ages ago, and was now stopping in every shop making sure that she would not miss him. A few times she had seen a mass of rose-red hair over the crowed and rushed to meet it, only to find out it was not the man she was seeking. She had been sure, after awhile, that he had headed straight to his home. The pain of her guilt was nearly making it unbearable to walk towards the general direction of his place, let alone enter it. She had been so afraid, she hadn’t stopped to think about the fact that maybe Hiiro liked the plants. He had been so angry, but then he looked at her and seemed to act almost...too calm. It bothered her that he hadn’t really aid goodbye, and even more so that he had walked off so fast. He knew her well enough to know that if she wasn’t busy she’d of wanted to walk with him. He was upset with her. She was going to make it right.

Before she rounded the corner to the Akiyama shop, she made a short pit stop into one of the many little novelty stores that the locals owned. Se looked for something, anything that she could give to him as an apology. Nothing really seemed to fit Hiiro; as far as she knew he wasn’t much of a sweet eater and new clothing would be wasted on him. With a heavy sigh slid from within and went right for the shop; which looked more like a dome of gnarled roots then a building. Swallowing hard she walked in, her body shaking. She wasn’t afraid this time; she was nervous.

Hiiro’s brother had smiled and was ready to welcome the guest, but upon seeing whom it was disappeared again, mumbling to himself before almost hissing out a welcome. Yaki never really understood why he was so…distant? He hadn’t been like with other people. She never really thought too much on it. Leiko, Haru, and Hiiro never seemed to care, so she didn’t figure it was something she had to worry herself with.

“Akiyama-Sama? Are you here?”

Her voice was loud, even though it did sound more like she was desperately hoping for someone to shout back that he really had disappeared and not come back. If that had been what she was wishing, it seemed for a moment that it was about to come true. No response came for a long while; Yaki had been running her fingers along a waxy leaf when she was startled by a hand on her shoulder. Hiiro’s brother simply pointed and gave a face that seemed to say “he’s that way” and shuffled off again. Yaki had never actually been inside the Akiyama shop, so before she trotted off to her undoubted doom, she decided to walk around.

Flowers, ferns, seed, and…necklaces? Yaki’s hand subconsciously lifted and clutched the tiny golden flower that she wore around her neck. She’d woken up one morning with a box tied to the arm of her favorite stuffed bunny. Curious, she had opened it and found the gorgeous thing tucked away inside. She’d always though Keiko had gotten it for her; and Leiko had protested saying she wouldn’t have done something so stupid. The ones that were displayed, though different from each other, were exactly like Yaki’s. Each flower pinned to a leather strap; their golden color glittering nicely when light hit it. Her necklace had come from here. Had Hiiro…? She left her hand fall. Like she needed another reason to feel guiltier about how she had acted. Taking one last glance at the shop, She slowly began her way to the doorway that separated the shop from their home. Yaki had never been in the shop, let alone their home. Knocking softly on the door, she peeked her head inside.

Like the shop, plants continued into their home. Somehow, where Yaki would normally be excited and pleased to see so many beautiful things, especially here in the desert, she was feeling paranoid. She felt as if every leaf, bud and root was watching her. It disturbed her slightly. The truth now was, though he felt odd, she knew that Hiiro wouldn’t hurt her. So in she steeped, her voice softer now then it had been.

“Hiiro-kun? Its Yaki…I need to talk to you.”

As if her voice was a beacon, Hiiro’s mother popped her head around a corner, her look slightly less then excited to see her. Yaki felt even more uncomfortable, trying to explain herself. She didn’t know what she was trying to accomplish, though. She couldn’t even understand herself.The b mess of sounds that were supposed to resemble some kind of human communication must have done half a decent job, as Akako copied her son and pointed in the direction for Yaki to follow.
“The roof.”
Those were the only speech she got because the woman went back to her prepping in the kitchen. It looked as if she were working on Herbal satchels, but Yaki had more important things to do then to be nosey. She’d have time later, given Hiiro forgave her.

The flight of steps seemed to go on for miles. Each tiny indention up made Yaki feel sicker, more nervous. She couldn’t imagine ever having walked so slow before. She noticed as she went, the vines and bulbs that seemed to move as she went along. She felt uncomfortable again, but she wouldn’t turn away. This was much too important to her. She had just “found” Hiiro after thinking he had left her. She wasn’t going to loose him when he was right under her nose. She let out a soft of snort. She was always getting herself into stupid situations…just…normally…someone else was always…

That was her problem. She couldn’t look out for herself. Maybe that’s why Leiko left? Maybe she couldn’t handle having to watch over her stupid friend when the only boy she’d ever let close enough to touch her without breaking their arm off died. Perhaps Yaki was the problem in everything. She felt those all too familiar tears well up, but this time she didn’t try to fight them. She couldn’t.

The top of the stairs should have made her happy, but it just didn’t help her mood now. She slowly slid one foot in front of the other, scratching noises forming under the grains of sand stuck in between the crevices in her boots.

“Hiiro-kun? It…it’s Yaki. Please…Please can we talk?”

She felt more tears flowing now. What if he hated her? What if he never wanted to see her again? She wasn’t sure she could take that. She stopped, unsure of where to go, what to do. She was ready to turn back, give up and say that he hated her when movement caught her from the corner of her eye. She glanced over, and noticed one of the plants she had seen earlier. Or least she thought it was one of them…it looked like one of them. Carefully she walked over to it, and peered down at it. It didn’t move, but at the same time it seemed to be looking right at her, staring THROUGH her. She shivered absently without realizing she’d done so. It was then she could swear she’d seen sight of a brilliant red color. Getting ahead of herself, and overly happy, Yaki raced in, her voice a loud shrill.

“Akiyama-Sama! I was looking for you, please forgive me I didn’t kn...”

Another of screams echoed, but this time it was because she was being held around her middle. Vines had snapped from either side and wrapped her tightly, making sure that no part of her could move. After the initial scream she silenced herself. She knew she was shaking like crazy. It might not have been so horrible if it had caught her off guard, maybe. She inhaled and exhaled loudly, trying as hard as she could to stay calm.

“I just..I just need to talk to Hiiro-kun…please.”

Was she asking a mass of vines for permission? Yes, yes she was. What else could she do? She was obviously stuck here until someone found her. Or if she got eaten…or just died and became fertilizer. Another headshake took the morbid ideas out of her head. Hiiro might be mad at her, but he’d never let too much harm come to her…scratch that…he’d never let anything hurt her.

She was just starting to relax after a little bit of being bound when the vines seemed to get tighter. It was really frightening her now, so softly she began to whimper, her tears falling from her eye quicker. She didn’t want to die just yet! In a panic she began calling for him. Se had always called for Leiko before; but she was gone and Haru was dead. All she had left was Hiiro.

“HIIRO-SAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNN”
[/color][/size]

[Leiko-hime]

When the plants suddenly stopped their comforting hum, and instead started to produce angry hisses and the distorted rattling buzz of their anger, Hiiro jerked upward slightly. Confusion flooded his mind, as the base of his skull throbbed with the anger that emanated from the colony all around him. The muted angry mutterings of the more distant plants filtered through, and to him the normally peaceful serenity of the roof and shop seemed to be more like a crowd at the execution of a hated prisoner: What in the world had set them off so?

The sound of a voice echoed through the noise in his head, and he suppressed it until it felt like nothing more than white noise, though he couldn’t block the flush of anger out completely, it popped and fizzed against his spine making his stomach churn at the intensity. He saw a glimpse of Yaki before the vines around him shifted like lightening, some shooting out to entrap the girl, but the scream she gave was muffled as more of the vines rose up to wrap around the Akiyama like a protective cocoon. It all happened so fast Hiiro didn’t even have time to react as the massive plant gripped him protectively, almost cradling as she hid him among her leaves and vines.

He could hear muffled words, could catch a glimpse of light, and slightly pick out color among the seething mass of green through a few openings in his cocoon, but for the most part it was only the gloomy gray green. He let up on his suppressing of the words in his head, and he could hear nothing but a seething chanting constant sound, it was a horrible thing… Like an angry mob screeching for retribution.

He didn’t like this feeling, he felt both mentality and physically blind, and deaf: He could hear, and see, but at the same time he couldn’t really see anything or hear anything.

------

The queen’s massive head rose up from the center of the vines, rising up over the mass of vines at her base where she had cocooned her child, arching forward to loom over the Girl she held in her grasp. The huge plant’s petals gave a low sound as they parted, opening to reveal the pulpy pale insides of the ‘mouth’ lined with row upon row of small sharp teeth like a shark, sticky fluid clung and oozed over the gaping opening. A low hissing sound was issued from her even as she swayed dangerously a few feet above, and in front of Yaki: Letting the human get a good look.

------

Meanwhile, in Hiiro’s mind everything had suddenly gone dead quiet. It was like every plant within his mental ‘range’ had suddenly started holding it’s proverbial breath. His muscles tensed, "Okaasan?" He asked softly, there was no answer. "Okaasan, what is going on?!" He tried a little louder.

Nothing.

------

The queen ignored her child, lifting up a little farther as that tell-tale s-quirk that many types of snake displayed began to become apparent in her stalk.

------

Just then the silence was shattered as Yaki yelled his name, and Hiiro had a sort of vicious premonition about what was going on. Lifting his hands he began to try and pry apart the vines wrapped around him, "Okaasan, please!" he yelled. Whether it was the feeling of his hands tugging at her vines, or the desperation in his voice the huge plant let her vines part open, and he could see her hovering dangerously over the trapped Usagiku.

Quick steps brought him forward and he stood between the girl and the queen plant, holding his arms up hands toward the gaping mouth, "Okaasan.. please… I don’t want her hurt." He pleaded, that Hiiro that the outside world saw was absent in this place: This private world of his. There was no cold, distant young man here.

The plant’s petals folded mostly closed, though they kept vibrating in irritation as she leaned down toward him, still keeping a tight hold on the girl.

-She hurt my child… Should pay…. Pay for your pain…-

"I…" How could he explain this to his ‘mother’? How could he explain to her, that while Yaki had indeed hurt him, he still didn’t want her hurt. Maybe just saying it plainly was best? "Yes, Okaasan, she did hurt me, but I do not want her hurt. It… It was my fault, I scared her."

The plant gave an agitated buzz, and quirked her ‘head’ toward Yaki in an affronted in condemning sort of way before loosening it’s vines and dropping the girl to the floor. -If that is your wish, my child.- The vines moved to curl around Hiiro’s torso, as though she was attempting to hug him to her, the bulb-like head hovering along side his head, occasionally nudging gently against his rose red hair.

[º•.Ki-Chan.•º]

Yaki was too terrified to do much else but scream. The giant bulb that was in front of her swaying with that deadly movement of a serpent on a mouse…or in this case a bunny. She’d only thought the smaller ones were something to be afraid of, but now, she wished she could have one of them, hell hundreds of them in trade for this one. She knew what was going to happen to her. She could feel the plants intention. She was the intended target for that strike. Like her last name indicated, the Usagiku did a most rabbit like thing. She stopped moving, her eyes wide, and breathe almost non-existent. Her whole body falling into the frame of “no moment means you’re not really there.” Granted it wasn’t working very well, but she could do nothing else.

The inside of the bulb was lighter, rows of thorns, (or teeth she hadn’t decided what she’d like to call the things that would be ripping her apart) lined every petal as they gaped open exposing a large mouth. The smell that she had remembered from the smaller plant was clearer now, and made her feel more sick with its sweetness then the tiny one had. She felt ill, but there was no point in letting that bother her, not when in a few seconds she would be devoured and never heard from again. Where was Hiiro? She could have sworn she ad seen his brilliant red hair; but now she saw nothing around her but the writing vines of the giant plant. Was she really going to die like this? Before she got to apologize to him?

She could hear a voice, but it seemed so distant. Was she already dead? Her body convulsed as best as it could inside the tight coils. No, she was still here, conscious and alive. She just felt dead. Her eyes rolled to one direction just in time to catch a glimpse of Red among the green masses of vines. Was Hiiro being eaten too? No; maybe he wanted her to be? As if to answer her question he broke through the vines. She snapped back to attention. Her pain, her fear, everything filled her again as she saw Hiiro stand in front of her, arms out.
"Okaasan.. please… I don’t want her hurt."
Was that…really Hiiro? He never did anything short of a monotone stare when he spoke. Very rarely did she ever even see him smile and even more rare did she see him angry. He sounded desperate, maybe even a little afraid. The giant plant seemed to calm just a little, its bud closing a little. It seemed to be looking at Hiiro. Yaki didn’t understand what was going on, but felt her heart hit her stomach when he next spoke.
"Yes, Okaasan, she did hurt me, but I do not want her hurt. It… It was my fault, I scared her."
He wasn’t mad at her. She had hurt him. If she had been crying before, it was nothing compared to now. Guilt flooded through every part of her soul as she realized that he was hurt because she should have known better then to be afraid of him. She should have know that he, or anything that he trusted close to him wasn’t going to hurt her, still she had judged him, and had slinked away from the only friend she had left. She had seen that, even felt that pain more then she could have counted, and now…now she was making Hiiro feel it. If Leiko had been here, Yaki would have been a bloody, teary pulp. She silently thanked that she wasn’t jut for this one second in time.
She felt the vines loosen, and with a nearly silent thud she hit the floor. She sat there on her knees for a long time, just crying. Her eyes had become red and her breathing was heavy, every intake sounding a if it were a giant struggle. It took awhile before she had stopped crying enough to speak, but the time had come and she looked up at Hiiro, her eyes barely flashing at the plant next to him, that seemed to almost be protecting him from her. Her words were broken up and barely audiable.

”H…..hiiro-kunnn…p..please for..forgive me..for..for how I acteeed. I..I didn’t mean…mean it like..that. I..was..just…just afraid. I..I don’t want you or…or…or… Okaasan or your sis….sister…ss to haaattteee me..”

Her body was going into tiny shivers and shakes. It was involuntary and to top it all off all her crying had given her the hiccups. Her cheeks had gotten tear stained, and her nose was starting to turn red. She looked back down at the ground then slowly crawled on all fours closer, looking up at the Akiyama and his giant plant as if they held her life in their hands...which….

“If…if I hurt you that…that bad…I…I shouldn’t be here anymore!”
She had somehow found her way to speak outside of the hiccups and tear jerking body.
”I…don’t want to be like them. I don’t want to hurt you Hiiro-kun! If I’m as bad as they are then kill me here! I won’t…I won’t be one of them!”

The crying began again, her shoulder slumping forward. It had been true, what she said. If she was no better then they were; she didn’t want to continue breathing. She didn’t want to hurt anyone anymore. She really didn’t want to hurt Hiiro anymore.

”Please Hiiro…I don’t want to hurt you anymore. Not when you have always been there for me…I..i was afraid, but I shouldn’t have acted that way. I know...knew...that you wouldn’t hurt me…not unless…not unless I deserved it...and even then…”

She felt her heart sinking again. She felt selfish, horrible, and weak. She knew better. She knew Hiiro better. Her face slumped down and her chin hit her chest as her hands lifted to hide her face. She felt…like a monster.
[/size][/color]

[Leiko-hime]

Hiiro stared down at Yaki from the shadow of his garnet fringe, brown eyes wide as she practically prostrated herself before him, and the massive plant that embraced him: Like some sacrifice on the alter of an unforgiving god. He was stupefied for what seemed to be the fifth time since he’d set foot back in Suna, staring down at her, his lips parted in a vaguely slack jawed look: What was he supposed to do? What was he supposed to say? Haru would know, he’d be his usual happy self and cheer the Usagiku up; Leiko would just go about it in her usual gruff way, but still letting her know she cared… But he, he didn’t have a clue what to do. With plants he could sense they’re emotions, understand what they needed from him: Water, sunlight, shade, and so on. He couldn’t do this with humans.

He could feel the remainders of the brutal anger seeping out of Okaasan, and as she calmed and forgave so did the rest of the Kira-kusaki, and the other less intelligent plants followed like sheep. It reminded him vaguely of the way water drains through the holes at the bottom of a planter so that the root’s will not become swollen with damp, and become rotten and diseased. He wondered if releasing the anger was like the same process for emotion. He’d think on it later, for now he pulled himself back to the present, and the kunoichi sobbing at his feet.

-Help her.- The sudden words pouring in to him from the great plant nearly made the Akiyama jump. Hiiro tilted his head back to stare at the plant, she wavered slightly in the air, and seemed to sense his continued to confusion and went on, -Comfort her… She is sad… Sad like my child was… Comfort, needs comfort like my child did…- She explained, eternally patient.

The Akiyama looked down toward Yaki again, muscles tense as he thought about it, and after a moment he allowed himself to kneel down, reaching out he grabbed hold of the Usagiku’s arms, and drew her toward him, sliding his own around her back and pinning her against him loosely. Swallowing thickly he spoke in a voice hoarse from nervousness, and his own guilt and sorrow over the matter: It was a big mess, an untended garden.

"Hush, Yaki-chan. It was my fault, I should have told you about them." He paused, watching as the great vines of the queen slowly shifted to wrap around Yaki as well as himself, the huge head looming over the pair distantly. It was all slow, careful, like a human approaching a skittish animal. "I was… afraid." He admitted, even as Okaasan picked up the soft odd croon the plants made, to him it sounded like music, and in his mind there were even a few words. The smaller drones gave the Queen’s croon a counterpoint with their low rustling purr.

Sounds that had always comforted him, he only hoped they would afford some amount of comfort to Yaki instead of just remind her where she was. His grip on her tightened slightly, he didn’t want to loose the only other human he had…

The idea made him feel bleak, and lonely, as though he was standing in the middle of the desert without even the Kira-kusaki for company.

It would surely drive him mad.

[º•.Ki-Chan.•º]

Yaki wasn’t exactly sure what she had been expecting, but it most certainly hadn’t been what he did. When she felt his hands grasp her arms she had looked up just in time to see his chest growing closer. She let out a tiny sigh, happy that he was not going to throw her out, or worse actually take her up on her offer to kill her. She settled her face someplace between his chest and his shoulder; exactly where she hadn’t paid attention to, nor cared. A tiny blush heated her cheeks and the brim of her nose as she realized he was holding her, comforting her. Comforting she who had hurt him. Her arms lifted slightly and her fingers curled into the sides of his shirt, holding on as if if she left go he would slip away forever.
"Hush, Yaki-chan. It was my fault, I should have told you about them."
A soft witch from her body made it known that she was aware that Okaasan was getting closer. She shifted her head a little, one of her eyes peeking up at the mother plant. She should have been scared, terrified after what had happened; but she wasn’t. She felt a strange soft of comfort. A smile somehow formed from her lips, she hadn’t realized when she had smiled, or for how long, but now it was there. He felt warm, safe…happy.
"I was… afraid."
She felt it somehow, before she had heard it. A vibrating of some kind. It was like a mother softly humming to her baby, lulling it to sleep. To ease the pain of growing, of living. It was beautiful to Yaki. She’d never imagined that anyone would comfort her so, let alone have it be a giant flesh eating plant. She felt Hiiro tighten his grip. Her heart seemed to leap from her chest, as it had so many times today.

”Its…so pretty Hiiro-kun. What does it mean?”

She shifted slightly, allowing her body to press against him more. It was only now that she realized there were many dozens of the smaller plants surrounding them. They too all seemed to be swaying steady, singing with Okaasan. It was almost the same purring sound that the one had made when she stroked it. Guilt hit her again when she realized she should have known then that they wouldn’t hurt her. She looked up at his face a little, and before she could catch herself, felt the heat of her blush thickening across her cheeks. She liked Hiiro she knew, but she had liked Haru and Leiko as well and had never blushed around them. She just couldn’t understand why he made her feel so lightheaded.

As if the thought hit her like a ton of bricks, Yaki’s body jumped and her fingers somehow managed to twist themselves more into his top.

”There are some very pretty necklaces in the shop downstairs Hiiro. They were very pricey. They looked like…mine…”

She seemed to stop there, as if what she wanted to say was completely lost in the translation from her brain to her mouth. The truth was, she was too nervous, too shy to ask…”Did you give it to me?" She wanted to ask, wanted desperately for him to say yes; though she did not know why. Her eyes flickered over the plants then lifted to Okaasan. Quickly trying to change the subject, now silently wishing that she had not brought up the necklace subject at all.

”Does this mean Okaasan doesn’t want to eat me now?”

Though it was a very serious question, there was a slight giggle to it. The happy twang in her voice was back now and her tears had long ago dried leaving behind her innocent, trusting eyes.
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[Leiko-hime]

[atrb=border,0,true][cs=7][bg=f9fbfa] Akiyama, Hiiro ------ Letting one of his slightly callused hands drift upward the Akiyama pressed his palm into Yaki's hair, smooth his hand over the back of her head absently as he continued to comfort her. Okaasan had done similar things to him in the past, so he supposed he was doing all right. At least, it seemed as though he was. He was driven from his drifting thoughts by the soft sound of her inquiry. His eyes veiled in confusion, what did what...? Then he realized that not everyone could fathom the soft sound. His lips tugged upward in a tender smile, his eyes sweeping his closest companions, his family, his colony from behind his garnet fringe and the Usagiku's shoulder. He knew she didn't mean it as literally as he answered, but it served, and he translated faintly, "Quiet. Here... We're here. No fear. No sad. The colony surrounds." It was a mantra of reassurance, and strength: a bonding of family, the protection of the whole. Like a pack of dogs reassuring their loyalty, but with all the sweetness of a cats contented purring. Her next words caught him off guard, with their apparent irrelevance. Slackening his hold he leaned back slightly to catch a glimpse of the necklace she spoke of. Though outwardly he didn't show it, inwardly he frowned in mild surprise. Pulling one of his arms from around her he lifted the small bauble delicately between to fingers, peering at it curiously. He could still feel the faint remains of chakra in it... "My family makes these. They are created from real plants, coaxed into this form with our specialized chakra." He didn't say it but... I made this. It was one of the few he'd made. He'd learned the art, but never really bothered with it. The ones he had created remained tucked away somewhere, never being sold. A trickle of thoughts, images, deeds blurred through his mind, and Hiiro tipped his head back to peer up at Okaasan. The big plant fluttered her petals coyly back at him, and he knew... The muscles in his cheeks twitched slightly as he fought down the urge to grin, instead he just offered the Usagiku a small smile, "I think someone admires you very much, Yaki-chan." Glancing upward once more his smile dissipated, "No, of course not." Okaasan simply hummed, and ran a vine kindly over the girl's hair. Happy, that her child was happy. ------