The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul

Sayuri had no idea why she was in the Heavenly Emporium. She wasn’t exactly a people person, and so banding together with a large group of people was not her style. She’d been basically forced to go by her parents and her clan, upholding the family honour or something. She didn’t remember the exact reason as she’d been decidedly distracted with the anxiety that always came when she was about to be forced out of her comfort zone. She had known there was war, but she didn’t even really know what that meant - at least for her. And in fact it seemed to mean very little; the entire time she’d been away she’d been ignored in much the same way that she was at home. As much of a blow to her confidence as that was, at least it meant she didn’t have to talk to anyone. It had quickly been assumed that she was either incapable or perhaps damaged in some way, enough that no one had asked her to do anything.

She did love the cold of the region, and on this misty morning she had made plans with herself to have a cup of tea. She hated the feeling of the man made floor and streets as she walked about shoeless, at home in Kirigakure she spent as much time as she could outside of the village wandering the fields and forests and beaches. Sand and rocks and leaves had a more pleasant feeling on her bare feet, this was just. . . unnatural. Her footfalls made barely any noise as she walked along, eyes downcast as she tried to avoid interacting with anyone. She still wasn’t used to the smell of the place, the smoke billowing from the floating village causing her to wrinkle her nose and hold her breath. It was a relief when she finally made her way into the tea shop, taking a deep breath as the scents of tea leaves and flowers and herbs helped to clear her senses. Tentatively approaching the front counter she tried not to look like she needed help just yet, focusing her attention on the rows of glass jars that held dried and fresh versions of every tea and herb she could imagine.

“What can I get for you?” Sayuri would wince at the voice of the man behind the counter, it was kind and friendly, but also unfortunately directed at her. Her bright blue eyes would grow wider, like a startled forest creature and she would look around in a panic searching for some solution other than talking. The man was dressed in well made clothing, a bit older with greying hair, and the familiar look of concern that everyone had when they tried to speak to her. Releasing the folds of her long white gown that she had been clutching to help channel her anxiety, she would bring her hands up and mimic holding a cup and drinking from it, her usually pale cheeks touched with a crimson blush of discomfort. The man would smile gently and give her nod while turning and taking one of the jars off the shelf behind him. “Tea is it? Let’s see if you like this one.” He would remove the lid from the jar he held and hold it out for her to smell its contents. He was more patient than most and so Sayuri would lean forward shyly and allow the pleasant aroma to waft towards her, giving a quick nod of approval. The man would wink and set the jar down, beginning the process of preparing her tea, gesturing towards a seat as he did. “Why don’t you have a seat little miss and I’ll bring it to you when it’s done.”

With another quick nod the tiny blonde woman would turn and make her way to the small table in the corner that he had pointed out. It was made of curled metal, coloured tiles on the top of it forming a beautiful landscape scene, and had two chairs. Two. If she wasn’t certain that moving the second chair away would only cause more attention than she would like, she would have. For now there was no one else in the shop, but she imagined that as the sun rose that would change and she didn’t want to encourage anyone to sit with her. But with no better option she just hoped that she looked uninviting enough that people would leave her alone, so she sat in the chair that faced the door and took out her paper and pen, content to draw and forget the outside world.

What a strange place, this Heavenly Emporium. Due to her status as a guest she was able to come and go so long as she let someone know, and due to the Emporium being a neutral zone it was a good place to try and find trade. That also allowed her to relax her guard a little bit. Not completely as she to some unscrupulous fellows she would be a 'valuable specimen', but enough that she could eat and not have to check her food three times in case it was poisoned or drugged. Maybe that was why she dressed up in her winter outfit since it covered more, or maybe it was just colder then what she was used to.

Even so, with so many people around like this she had figured it was a good time to refine her sensing technique, and had been for the past hour or so. The reason was twofold: she honestly needed to practice her sensing skills, and sensing others would let her keep an eye out for anyone suspicious, but many didn't show any interesting chakra signatures. Making her way through the busy streets she'd slowly make her way to a place known as the tea shop. a strange name given what it was known to sell outside of beverages, but tea would be nice. She personally preferred coffee, but boiled plant water had kept her alive for a good while when she backpacked from place to place.

And that's when she had picked up on an anomaly of chakra, a Hyōton affinity of all things. She had heard the stories of those who could manipulate frozen crystal, but to be in range of one was curious. Looking to where she had sensed the unique elemental alignment sat a girl who's outfit matched in color and feel. She seemed to be...drawing? Writing? She was too far to get a good look, but whatever it was she was intrigued. Going up to the counter herself, she'd be greeted by the man at the counter. "What can I get you ma'am?" She'd look at what was being offered, and lightly pointed to a container on the shelf. "A simple hibiscus herbal tea please with a side of lemon bars if you have any please." He'd nod. "Very well ma'am." And he'd go off to make her choice of poison as well.

Walking over to the table where she had sensed the curious user, she had a better look at what she was doing; drawing it seemed. "May I please join you miss? I find that the warmth of tea is best when with another."

---

70/70 CP
Sensing Technique; 0.5 CP
69.5/70 CP

Sayuri was happily enjoying drawing, totally alone and at peace. Alone except for the tea merchant who fortunately was not bothering her with small talk. She was working on a sketch that she had done often, it was more than a random sketch to her; the mountainous region that her pen scratched across the page held an impressive ice castle aloft among the clouds. She had seen this image in her dreams when she was very young and had been slowly refining its design over the years. One day she knew she would build it, an icy sanctuary for herself far removed from the threats of the social constructs everyone attempted to force upon her. Despite knowing there was another person in the building with her she still felt fairly comfortable, relaxed enough that she barely registered the other person entering the establishment.

It wasn’t until the new customer and the tea merchant began speaking to each other that the tiny artist took notice, every muscle in her body tightening as she began to panic. She had been aware that other customers would eventually make their way into the tea shop, but she wasn’t expecting any so soon. It took a decided amount of effort for her to just sit in her seat and not immediately bolt for the door without being able to enjoy her tea. By the time the other woman came up to her table to ask if she could join her, Sayuri had a cold sweat forming down her spine and she had stopped drawing, her pen still poised above the paper of her notebook as though she were frozen in time.

She didn’t have any reason to suspect that this new person wished her harm, but the dread she felt remained all the same. She’d always been chided for her lack of willingness to interact with others, which of course only perpetuated her need to avoid people. But she did have to wait for her tea anyway, and no one was actually forcing her to speak, so perhaps sharing a table wouldn’t be so bad. It at least was unlikely to kill her. With wide blue eyes she would look up at the newcomer and tentatively nod her head ‘yes’. She hoped that the small movement would be enough to communicate her intentions.

Curious. While Diana didn't see the sweats, she could see the body language wasn't exactly positive as the girl's drawing hand had stopped. And yet for some reason she nodded yes. Nothing spoken, yet the confirmation was there. Quietly pulling out the seat she'd briefly speak as she tried to understand the situation before her now.

"Thank you very much."

Sitting down, she'd note the quality of the seat, but only for a moment. How was she going to broach the subject? She couldn't exactly say 'Hi I know you have an ice affinity' in a blatant manner, but going about it on a stealthier method could be just as tricky. She knew nothing about the person in front of her other then her looks, her affinities and her...drawings. She could build on that. But it had to also be natural, or at least as natural as one such as her could manage. She'd take a minute to analyze her surroundings, taking note of the tea shop as they sat, and hopefully taking enough time for the girl to go back to drawing.

Once the minute had passed, she'd reach into a side bag and pull out her own booklet as well as a pencil. While the cover was nothing special, when she opened the booklet of the Ice girl looked she'd see several sketches of a crystal tower surrounded by a small city. It was something that came to her during one of her many creation sessions, and it was going to be her pride and joy: the Crystarium. Several other sketches would be possible to see as she flipped through, a good chunk relating to either clay or crystals. But eventually she'd find a blank page and start sketching.

This time, instead of making a sketch, she'd write a small sentence on the top of the page, with plenty of room to respond: 'What are you drawing? It looks nice.' She'd leave the booklet in front of the girl. While she did not know of this girl's history, silent ways to talk were a good way to break the ice, so to speak.

It seemed that the other woman understood her nod as she pulled out the opposing chair and sat down. Sayuri would just watch her timidly, like a cornered fawn, fearing that if she moved too much the peaceful exchange would end in a flurry of unwanted activity. Seeing that the woman across from her was content to sit in silence, Sayuri would go back to her drawing, carefully tracing the lines she had seen in her mind over and over on the page. She’d only ever drawn like this in front of her cousin before and it was a strange experience for her. Sharing her imagination with someone else and not having them judge her for it was new and both comforting and scary at the same time.

When the girl across from her pulled out her own notebook Sayuri’s demeanour would change slightly to one of interest as she would look up from her own book and curiously gaze at the other. She rarely saw anyone else carry around a sketch book like she did, for her it was partially practical as there were times when she needed to convey complex ideas to others and writing them down was less terrifying than speaking them aloud. It was also a way for the Yuki to avoid interaction since she was clearly busy doing something, it’s main purpose though was to give life to the ideas in her mind and from the few drawings she managed to get a glimpse of she thought perhaps it was this girls purpose as well.

A sincere smile would grace the blonde’s features as she saw what her current companion had done. So many were intent on forcing her to communicate in their preferred way that it warmed her heart to see someone try hers. She would push her own sketchbook towards the other woman, pointing at her current drawing excitedly while reaching for the other and writing her thoughts down. ‘Thank you. This is my castle that I’ll build one day. I’ve dreamt of it for as long as I can remember ~ it will be my sanctuary.’ She would beam as she placed her pencil down and traced the edges of her drawing with one icy white finger.

It seemed her plan was working so far and that her guess about the girl was correct. Seeing her smile was a good indication to her that she had managed to choose the correct form of interaction, and Diana couldn't help but wonder a little if she was mute or just shy. Sensory could do many things, but at her skill level she could only pick up chakra and sometimes emotions if she concentrated enough, but she had stopped her sensing to conserve chakra for the time being. but the mystery continued to linger in the back of her mind.

Diana would take several seconds to look over the castle, watching said finger as it rode the pencil lines on the paper. While some part of it were truly fantastical, none of it was improbable. She didn't know the limits of Yuki Ice as well as she knew Korikane Crystal, but if they acted in a similar manner when it came to construction and potentially defying some physics when fuinjutsu was applied, it could be done. Her own planned creation basically required fuinjutsu for some of it's functions, though maybe this girl had ideas that could mitigate the need for them.

Gently offering her drawing book back she'd take her own and write in it once more. 'All by yourself? That is an admirable goal for one who looks as young as you do. I assume by how the castle is shaped and shaded you have a lineage related to the Yuki/Korikane?' Even though she knew this girl's nature alignments, it could still be very possible she knew of a large glacier or crystalline structure large enough to be used in construction. It was rare to stumble across them, but definitely not impossible as there were colder places beyond the land of snow and caverns deeper then the Korikane could dig.

Sayuri was pleased that the woman across from her seemed genuinely interested in her creation. It was such an integral part of her life that she took it quite personally when anyone looked down on it. It would be her finest creation and when she had finally built it then no one could hurt her anymore. She would live mercifully far from the cruel people that  needed to tell her she was nothing. And if any approached beyond her borders she would show them why they were wrong. The bright blue of her eyes would fade as her mind turned dark with anger, white eyes staring hard at her drawing, envisioning her retribution against those that would seek to shatter her serenity.

Her spiralling thoughts were interrupted as the woman passed Sayuri’s sketch book back to her, her eyes returning to their bright sky blue. She saw the dark haired woman begin writing in her own notebook again and Sayuri would wait patiently for her to finish before gently pulling the book towards her and reading it. A look of suspicion would cross Sayuri’s features, her eyes lightening once more and narrowing as she sought to find the trick in the woman’s red ones. People so rarely spoke to her, it was odd that this woman not only wanted to speak to her but also knew of her bloodline. Sayuri was not an especially self aware person, had she been she might have noticed that she was practically the embodiment of ice itself - and that it would take very little effort to notice it assuming someone knew what the Yuki were. Her clothing was always embroidered and embellished to give the appearance of tiny whorls of frost and delicate snowflakes, a walking winter's day.  

Her unease with the situation was again interrupted as the tea merchant came over to their table with a tray that he would place down near the edge, avoiding the two books. “There we go ladies, hibiscus herbal and a green tea. We had a few lemon bars, let me know if you need anything else.” The merchant would smile at the two women and head off back towards the counter, leaving the warm drinks to slowly waft their aroma towards them. Sayuri hadn’t asked for any tea in particular, she technically hadn’t asked anything at all, but green tea suited her just fine. She would look between the notebook she intended to write a reply in and the cup of hot tea in front of her, trying to decide which to attend to first. Taking up her pencil she would circle the word ‘Korikane’ and place an arrow pointing towards it. ‘I don’t know what that is.’ She would have left it at that but realized the woman had said more than one thing so she would hurriedly scribble down a reply to her first two points. ‘I do everything by myself, always alone. I’m not that young, I’m 19’ Just as she went to place down the pencil again she would hesitate and continue. ‘How do you know about the Yuki?’ Beyond being not overly self aware, she was also terrible at subterfuge and didn’t see the danger in asking a question like that and the implications it held.

Diana briefly noticed the slight eye change, but assumed it was just a trick of the light as she hadn't sensed any sort of dojutsu coming from the girl earlier. Instead she did notice the suspicion that formed within the girl, but didn't react. She had a feeling this might happen, but she wouldn't try to back out in fear. No, she had found a kindred soul, and she didn't want to give up on someone like that so easily.

With the man coming and bringing them their tea, Diana would give a brief but kind, "Thank you very much sir." and return his smile with one of her own. While the Yuki was contemplating between replying and having some tea, Diana took a spoon and sprinkled in a very small amount of sugar into her cup. Sure many would consider adding sugar to tea a sin, but she liked having a little bit in it. Not enough to ruin the flavor, but still some to stimulate the taste buds. Taking a small sip she'd make a few nods to herself as the flavor was spot-on.

Taking the notebook back once the blonde was done writing she'd take a second to decide how to respond, before giving the answers to the first and third questions. 'Korikane is a clan that can create crystals; a Kekkei Genkai. It is often mistaken for Ice in colder climates, which is why I know of the Yuki.' That wasn't the full story, as she had heard of the Yuki during her travels, but she had no proper way to confirm her assumptions until she met the girl in front of her.

As for the second point, Diana could understand now why the girl in front of her drew her attention other then the unique affinity. 'A decade younger then myself. And to work alone is a tough road, but I will not try to deter you from it, as I have spent many years doing the same.' She'd pause, before adding an addendum, some concern in her face as she wrote. 'Did you choose to walk the solitary path, or was it thrust upon you without your doing?'

Sayuri had picked up her cup of tea and was gently sipping at the hot and bitter liquid. She would peek over the rim of her own cup and watch as the woman placed a small amount of sugar into it, stirring it together and nodding in apparent enjoyment as she tasted it. Sayuri had never put sugar in her tea, no particular reason, it was just not something that had occurred to her to do. But after seeing the woman’s reaction she was too curious to not try. She would place her cup down and mimic the woman’s actions, sprinkling the tiniest bit of sugar into her cup with a spoon and stirring it gently. Tasting the now sweetened liquid she also gave a nod of approval, she had liked tea before but this was something entirely new. She drank the tea quickly, not worrying about the heat since she was a good deal colder than most people and it would take more than a cup of tea to hurt her.

She was very interested in the woman across from her now, such a simple thing - sugar in tea - but it gave Sayuri the impression that this woman was different from most. Or at least most she had observed. She would study her closely as she wrote, noting that she looked unsure how to respond for just a moment. Her almost glassy looking eyes were fascinating to the Yuki, and as she looked closer she saw that the same glisten was found on the skin of her face and hands. She wondered briefly if perhaps this woman wasn’t a person at all, they could be a puppet perhaps or some other fantastic creature. This conjured all manner of interesting images in Sayuri’s mind; of porcelain dolls in fairy castles and thrilling adventures in far away lands. Her enjoyment of her daydreams were short lived however as she saw the look of concern on the woman’s face.

Looking down to read what had caused such a change Sayuri found her mind darkening again. Setting aside her nearly empty teacup she would grasp the book and her pencil, holding it over the page as if to write again but all she could focus on was the last sentence. The information about the Korikane was interesting, and she assumed that the woman across from her must be from that clan based on how she wrote about it, but it was secondary to what had been awoken.

‘Did you choose to walk the solitary path, or was it thrust upon you without your doing?’

A thousand terrible thoughts would run through Sayuri’s head as the room grew cold and few solitary snowflakes would fall around her. She thought of her lonely existence, being ignored and neglected - never cruelly mistreated but it may as well have been the same. Days and weeks spent alone with no one to talk to, hours of studying and training on her own. Always hoping to be good enough, to be noticed. She wasn’t sure how to answer the woman’s question, she wasn’t sure why the woman cared at all. She’d long since forgotten what it felt like to have anyone pay her any mind, for anything other than to scold her for not measuring up or for making yet another mistake. Her hand would tremble slightly as she fought to suppress the rage and sorrow that accompanied her thoughts, causing her handwriting to look thin and wispy as she wrote. ‘It did not start as my choice. It still does not feel like a choice. I have very few who understand me, and they are also misunderstood.’ She struggled to calm herself, to not make a scene, to not draw unwanted attention. As an afterthought she would pull the book back closer and write angrily, pushing the pencil into the paper with far more force than necessary. ‘If the world will not have me, I’ll make my own.’

CP 49/50

Diana looked into those eyes, the eyes of a girl who held an intense flame of passion, but was surrounded by a cold world that wouldn't let it flourish. And as the room become colder, the differences become more clear to her. They were kindred spirits, yes, but they were still different people. Diana was like a kiln-baked doll, a blank slate who fit whatever role she was needed for or desired to take, forever watching and learning, yet easily cracked in not careful. The Yuki though, while she didn't know much about, was akin to a ice yokai; not necessarily malicious, but seen by many if not all as a malevolent spirit, even if that wasn't true. At least, that was her interpretation.

Seeing what the girl had wrote, noting the snowflakes and waited for one to touch her. The frozen crystal would land in her hand, and she watch it slowly melt. Exerting a small amount of Shōton chakra to her hand and would slightly alter it's makeup, a mixture of Shōton and Hyōton. It was a small party trick she had learned with Ice Cubes to make it look like they couldn't melt, but here she did it to try and calm her own nerves. So similar, yet so different; yin and yang. She'd set the crystal down, keeping her eyes on the girl as she tried to think of how to go about this, her face unchanging as it held a small concerned frown. Not a frown of anger of disappointment, but one that was trying to understand.

Diana would stay silent for several seconds, letting the girl release her bottled-up emotions before writing in the book once more. She'd slowly write, making sure her word choice was deliberate, but the print was clear to read, less to-the-book and more personal. 'I will not lie and say I understand in full. I may have walked a similar path, but I have never had the world reject me. To say it did would be an insult to you and what you have gone through.' She'd make a motion with her free hand to the man at the counter, hoping he'd take the hint and get a more private area ready for them. While it could easily be seen as a way to take advantage of the situation, right now she had to consider the emotionally vulnerable teenager who showed signs of major anxiety, the elderly store owner and his profits, and the unsuspecting customers that could come in at any moment. He'd nod and move to one of the closed screens that could've been mistaken for a wall, opening it and revealing a more traditional area. It wasn't prepped for customers quite yet, but it would do.

'Instead, I offer an ear and a shoulder. We may be strangers, but you are human, and that is reason enough to show empathy to another.' She'd slide the book over and would let the girl read what she had wrote. Once she was done Diana would lightly tap the table two times to get her attention, bring her right hand up and point to her mouth to give a little warning before calmly speaking. "Do you want to go to a private area in the back? We can bring the tea and lemon bars if you would like, my treat." While she was no psychiatrist, her best assumption was that the girl needed to both let out whatever she'd been bottling up, and to do so in a safe environment. A tea shop certainly wasn't ideal, but she'd make due.

Sayuri was fighting an intense battle within herself, the effects of which were now falling around the interior of the tea shop. Snowflakes falling from an invisible sky, from the clouds of her memory’s torment. She was only partially aware of the chaos she had created, causing snow to fall indoors, part of her knew she should calm herself. Show restraint and discipline as she had always been told. But just thinking of the voices of days past, their judgement and disapproval caused her to sink deeper into the spiralling dark thoughts that plagued her. The snow would begin to fall faster, while her tiny ice cold hand gripped at the pencil with such force that it would make a quiet ‘snap’ noise from the pressure of her misery on its fragile wooden frame. She was torn between a deep melancholy and an overwhelming hatred. Her angst was always there, but usually hidden beneath layers of fear and denial, walls she had built to protect her broken heart from further damage. This woman had managed to pierce through the defense she had built and she wasn’t sure how to handle the stream of emotions that threatened to overtake her. She wanted to laugh and cry, scream and rip the very walls down around her. All she could do was look down at her last sentence, written with such anger it had scored the page.

She meant what she’d written. In her mind she could see a world filled with nothing but silence and emptiness. Fields littered with the lifeless remains of those that challenged her will to exist, eternally fixed looks of horror on frost marred skin. Her ice castle built on a foundation of frozen corpses, strengthening its structure with their frigid flesh. She knew in her heart that one day this world would be hers, she would create with their blood, with their screams. They would become nothing. Just like her. It was a glorious and powerful sight and the longer she envisioned it the thicker the walls around her heart became. The icy strength kept the darkness and its terrors at bay, long enough for her to find the will to look up towards the doll-like woman who sat across from her. She saw the frown and her broken mind would see the disappointment she imagined it must hold for her. Her mind reeled with half formed sentences, words of reproach from her own subconscious, reaffirming the fear that she felt when she looked at everything. She must have angered this woman, or behaved inappropriately. She knew in her heart that she had done something, maybe everything, wrong. As Sayuri read the woman’s words on the page, new doubt filled her. Did she understand her? Could anyone?

Taking the broken end of the pencil in her hand she would toss it to the side, using the remaining portion in hand as she thought of how to respond. She couldn’t think of what to say, no one ever wanted to listen to her, it was a confusing concept and that confusion was plain to see as she looked at where the woman tapped on the table and then slowly up towards her face again. No one had ever warned her before speaking either, it made the transition from silence to speech less jarring and Sayuri would nod slowly and speak softly, no louder than a whisper. “Alright.” The offer of the lemon bars distracted her long enough that the snow would stop falling around her, the temperature rising a few degrees. She was very hungry and had not yet eaten and they did look delicious as she eyed them sitting on the plate. Very slowly she would reach down and pick up the plate with both hands, keeping her eyes on the woman the whole time, fearful that it was a trick or she may change her mind. If she allowed her to keep the plate in her hands she would hold it to herself, cradling it gently as she would follow along wherever she was led.

It was progress. Slow progress, but progress nonetheless. While she couldn't see what was going on inside the Yuki's mind, the increased chill and snow was an indicator some sort of progress was being made. She could see small bits of the metaphorical mask the girl wore crack as the emotions were slipping through, but they weren't big enough to get a clearer picture, like looking through a smoky quartz window. It was a bit selfish, causing the girl to experience emotions she probably wasn't ready to deal with yet, but she needed to know as for all she knew, this girl could be a key into understanding why she lost 13 years of her memory. Perhaps Diana was hurting, but didn't have someone there to try and ease the pain. At the very least she could ease the pain she had unintentionally caused this teen. The pencil could be replaced, but a unique life was not.

She almost missed the girl speak, but years of practicing on paying attention to little details to stay alive outside of villages let her pick it up. It was very much unlike her own voice, one that bordered being inhuman from how monotone and stilted it normally was. Thankfully the Emporium forced her to use a more 'normal' voice, but hints of it were always there. But the girl's voice held more emotion in the single soft word then a paragraph of her own. Diana wouldn't interfere with the Yuki from taking the plate, and she herself would begin to pack things up to make the short travel easier.

Focusing on how she was speaking, she'd calmly inform the blonde again. "I am going to put your book into my bag so it can safely be brought to the room. If you want I can put the bag on you so it doesn't leave your side while we go over." Regardless of whether the Yuki agreed and Diana unclipped her bag to put it on the girl or if she was fine with Diana carrying the bag, both notebooks would be put into the bag and she'd take their still warm drinks, one in each hand. She'd make her way over to the private area and set the drinks down on a fine mahogany table. Once that was done, she'd sit down and would let the Yuki get comfortable as well in the slightly fancier room before asking a question she should have done.

"I feel bad for not asking or introducing sooner, but may I ask what your name is? Mine is Diana Moneta. If you don not feel comfortable talking again, there are more pencils in the bag."

Sayuri was not handling the situation well. Which was not too much different from how she normally handled interacting with others, but this woman had managed to get under her skin - in a good or bad way she hadn’t decided yet. But for now she was content to focus on the plate of lemon bars that she held. She imagined that she could smell the lemons that made up the delicious looking dessert, focusing on the soft yellow colour and the dusting of powdered sugar that reminded her of snow. She was so intently focused on the one thing in the room that she was certain meant her no harm that she almost didn’t notice as the woman spoke to her again.

She wasn’t sure how she felt about the doll-like woman placing her notebook in her bag. The alternative was that she carried it herself, but that meant she would have to place down the plate she was currently carrying, and that sounded like a terrible idea to the anxious Yuki. She would acquiesce to the woman’s request with a nod, backing away at the suggestion of the bag being placed on her own shoulder. She knew exactly how she felt about a person touching her. A dark look would form on her face as she thought of her personal space being invaded, and the things she would like to do to anyone who dared. Her lip would curl slightly in the beginning of a snarl, then just as quickly her face would return to it’s fearful and passive visage.

The room that they moved to was very nice, a dark wooden table low to the floor separated from the rest of the shop with a paper screen. It was dim and quiet and much more suited to Sayuri’s current mood than the well lit and open space they had just left. With her eyes on the woman she would gracefully sit down, sliding the plate of lemon bars almost reverently towards the center of the table. She wasn’t sure why she had even agreed to join this woman in further conversation, it was only her curiosity that had led to this moment. Despite her fear and discomfort; she was fascinated by the dark haired woman’s interest in her. Rarely did others show interest in anything she did, or if they did it was never with wholesome intentions. She would nod as the woman introduced herself, repeating her name aloud as though committing it to memory. “Diana.” She would move her hand to her chest to indicate she was speaking of herself and softly speak. “Sayuri Yuki” The word ‘Yuki’ was spoken with a small amount of distaste, she did not hold the same fondness for her family as one might expect from a powerful clan. With a quick glance she would look away and return her gaze to the plate of sweets in front of her, taking one of them in hand and eating it quietly, knowing that as long as her mouth and hands were otherwise occupied she wouldn’t be expected to communicate.

I seemed that touching, even accidentally, was off the table as her offer to let the Yuki carry the bag that held their notebooks was off the table. Was physical abuse a part of why she didn't talk? That could explain why she had pulled in earlier. It would also explain the brief change in her face, one that she almost missed as she had been turning around. Now that she thought about it, maybe her odd bloodline features were contributing to the girl's fear. Having skin that looked unnaturally smooth was probably unnerving, and given she was averse to touch she could reasonable be worried about finding out whether or not Diana was even human. Sometimes she wondered that herself, but she could bleed, which had to mean something.

Diana would wait to take another sip of her tea, giving the Yuki her attention as she held the cooling cup in her hands. The bag that was holding both of their books was off to the side, leaning on the table and close enough that either of them could reach in to retrieve their belongings if desired. She wasn't worried about the Yuki taking the bag, as outside of her notebook everything in there was replacable, and while having to redo some of her work would be a pain, she'd sketched the Crystarium so many times she could probably do it in her sleep.

While the first time the girl had spoken was a nice surprise, this time she was a little more prepared and made note of the small articulations. While she had been through Water Country once or twice, the girl's voice didn't hold as much of the accent as much as she had expected. The girl she now knew as Sayuri barely had spoken to her, maybe if she almost never spoke to anyone at all she didn't develop the small differences? That didn't sound right, but it had been several years since she was through, so it could easily be her mixing it up with another country, like Frost or Waterfalls.

Taking the sip, she'd process her next move before speaking again. "Sayuri, that is a lovely name." She'd hold off saying the last name, partly because it was obvious, but the other being how the blonde has spoken it, the bitterness in it giving her enough reason not to broach that subject yet. Unconsciously using one's bloodline due to trauma was bad enough, but now that it was more out in the open she could very well step into something that could get her killed, laws or not. She'd continue, wording her though so a simple nod or shake of the head would do. "I assume you are named as such because of your ivory hair?" Like this, even it she wasn't talking to an emotionally vulnerable teen, she knew it was best not to insinuate the way her name was spelled was because she was an early child, too small upon birth, or even if it was due to her being part of a branch clan. She only knew the clan's power, not their structure or naming conventions, though she hoped to god it wasn't spelled 佐由里. For now though, she'd wait, letting Sayuri enjoy the lemon bars.

Sayuri nibbled on the lemon bar she held, savoring the sweet and sour taste of the yellow treat. She was trying her best to focus on the sweet in her hands rather than anything else that was going on around her. Diana was a nice enough person, she had offered to sit with her, even tried to communicate with her in a way that was more comfortable. Still though Sayuri couldn’t shake the horrible feeling of dread that clung to her. As Diana asked her about her name Sayuri’s nose would wrinkle as she tried to remember where her name came from. The snow would flurry around her as she sorted through her memories, peeling away the fantasy of an innocent and hopeful child to reveal the hard truths she had learned as she aged. Placing her lemon bar back on the plate with one tiny bite out of it, she would lean in towards Diana and stare at her with her frost covered eyes. “I don’t remember.” Her voice was quiet but her words were slow and deliberate.

There was so much to sift through, to analyze. She remembered many things but that was not one of them. Her name was just her name, and she’d never considered where it had come from. For all she knew it was something random her parents had pointed to in a book with no meaning at all. She could feel her anger rising again as her mind’s eye shifted from memories about her name, to memories connected to those and so on and so on, spiralling deeper into the putrid well of anguish she had sealed away through intentional ignorance. She would sit there silently for several moments, her white eyes staring into Diana’s red ones unless the doll-like woman looked away. Sayuri wasn’t actually looking at Diana, her true focus was something only in her head. A girl, alone and ignored. Neglected. What made it feel even worse was the way in which she had fooled herself into believing that wasn’t the case. That if her father wouldn’t speak to her, he must simply be busy with something. She was still important. She had to be, right? But after years and years of making excuses, loving the idea of someone because you had no idea who the real someone was. . . she could no longer justify it. Her rage simmered within her as she fought to keep control of it, a battle she quickly lost.

Her voice soft and dangerous, laced with malice and disdain. “I don’t remember, because I don’t know what’s real.” Her palms were placed on the table in front of her, fingers curled and nails digging into the finish of the wooden table. She would look down at her hands, a look of confusion on her face as she lifted one hand and held the fingers to her temple. “I can’t sort it out. Who lied, who didn’t. What I made up.” She would look like she was in physical pain, her face contorting as she struggled against the emotions she had shown only to the empty woods and beaches of Kiri. A single tear would fall from her eye, rolling halfway down her cheek before freezing against her skin. Her voice would break as she admitted the truth of her fear to the woman across from her. Her core belief that fueled all of her choices, that held her back and kept her away from people. “I don’t remember because I am nothing.”

She...didn't remember? No, she couldn't put too much speculation regarding simularities into that, people forget many things over the years, and even ones with eidetic memory such as her (and even she was a special case) would eventually be subject to the sands of time. And the origin of a name wasn't something one always asked about. It had taken hear years to learn what her own name meant, and only due to getting a hold of very rare books. In fact Diana wasn't even her original name, as while the clans were good at keeping records, her own were practically destroyed, the record barren leaving whoever her younger self was a mystery.

But clearly the question held some importance to Sayuri, otherwise it wouldn't have caused her to drop the temperature in the room again; another branch in this large tree of issues rooted within the girl. Diana did not look away, the new glimpse into the ocular windows to the soul giving her more insight as she properly pieced together the conversation they'd been having. Sayuri Yuki, a child neglected by those around her, pushing her to raise herself (something no child should have to do). The neglect turning to proper abuse, and if those doing said neglect were her family, ones who instinctively meant the world to a child, well she could see how that could create spite and anger inside oneself. And with deceit completing the trifecta of things a community should never do to a child, the picture was clear enough. As much as she hated to admit it, this was something out of her scope, but that didn't mean she couldn't at least show her another path.

"I do not believe that you are nothing. If you truly are nothing, then who is the something who opened up to a stranger?" Diana would pull out the Yuki's sketchbook from her bag, and open it up to her ice castle, and place it onto the table for it's owner to see. "Nobodies don't dream, and this dream right here is proof that you are not a nobody."

An idea popped into her head. Diana would casually make the snake sign, closing her eyes to concentrate and looking like she was praying as she did so. After a second, she'd stop and open her eyes and hands, revealing a Amazonite-colored crystal shard about the size of a kunai. "Keep this. This will be proof that our conversation was real, and maybe it will help you discover what is and is not real." Maybe she was misunderstanding what Sayuri was talking about, if she had her way she'd hug the girl in front of her, tell her it would be okay and try to adopt her, but this was real life. Sayuri was her own person, and given she was a Yuki probably a trained ninja as well. She couldn't risk her own life to save this girl, at least, not yet.

---

70/70 CP
Korikane Crystal Generation; -1 CP
69/70 CP
Diana offers Sayuri x1 unit of Korikane Crystal

Sayuri could not fathom why the woman called Diana even cared at all to ask her these things, and beyond that why she was answering so honestly. Her throat burned with the effort of choking back the sobs that pushed insistently for freedom. This woman was so kind and kindness was in itself a suspicious quality to her, it was so often a veil that cruel men hid behind. And yet despite her misgivings she found herself able to speak to this woman, about things she’d never said to anyone. It alarmed her greatly and made her simultaneously wish to run and hide and keep speaking. Fortunately she felt the urge to do neither as Diana spoke and reached into her bag, pulling out Sayuri’s notebook and pointing to her most recent drawing of her ice castle. All she could do was sit there and stare at it, frozen in a timeless void of fear and wonder.

She could hear clearly what Diana was saying, but her heart did not understand. A small part of her hoped that what the woman was saying was true, but the monster that was her doubt and fear gobbled up the tiny spark as quick as it formed leaving her with nothing but self loathing. She could feel her demons crushing her; the voices that should tell a person to accept understanding, to believe in herself were all silenced just as she had been her whole life. She had no voice in her head to aid her in the battle against the years of neglect. She awoke every morning left on her own to fight the very same demons that left her exhausted every night. It was maddening and futile and she had forgotten the feeling of hope and rest and now that she had just a few moments of it she thought she might break utterly. Shattered into a thousand pieces like a shard of ice dropped carelessly with no one to catch it when it fell.

More tears fell as she felt her heart grow hollow within her chest, a sickening feeling of despair that she had no strength left to fight. Shaking her head she would raise her eyes to watch what Diana was doing, her curiosity momentarily overriding everything else that she was feeling. She would let out a small gasp as Diana revealed a beautiful crystal that was blue and green all at once, reminding her of the waters that surrounded Kirigakure. Sayuri’s eyes grew wide as she was presented with the crystal, and the snow that fell around them descended more gently as her the ice in her eyes faded to reveal hints of their former sapphire colour. Rarely had she received any gifts, and never had she received any so freely given. Tentatively she would reach her hands toward the crystal and if allowed would take it into her palms, turning it slowly and marveling at its exquisite beauty. A moment before the shard of crystal had not existed at all, and now it was fully formed with the light from the tea shop causing it to glint off its edges. Her rage and fear subsided as she manipulated the crystal in her hands and she would speak in her soft tone again as she kept her eyes fixed on the shard. “Thank you.” She couldn’t bring herself to speak more than those two words, her sorrow wouldn’t allow it. And she would swallow in an attempt to rid herself of the lump in her throat as she focused on the smooth gem.

Diana would nod, having let Sayuri take the gem and assuming the girl would take the nod as something along the lines of 'your welcome'. She hadn't expected the gem to cause as much of an emotional response as she had gotten from the Yuki, but the deed was done; hopefully it would help her see the other paths a little better.

A small buzzing noise would come from her bag, and reaching in she'd look at the Crystal and clay tombstone, surprised that the time had flown by. "Unfortunately, it seems that my time is up and I must return home for now." It was a shame, but she had duties to attend to now that she was acting head of the Korikane clan, and as long as the clan was split she could only have so much free time. If she had more time, maybe she could help Sayuri more, but humans had their limits.

Getting up, she'd put her own notebook back into the bag as she got ready to go. "I know this is a big favor to ask, but even if they do not understand, I hope that you can find people you can trust, even moreso then me. And when you find said people, don't let them go, as I'm sure they will help you achieve your goals even faster." She'd open the door back to the public storefront, and look back to the Yuki. "I hope that we will meet again Sayuri, I quite enjoyed having tea with you." And then she'd head out, giving the shop owner some money so that Sayuri could stay back there a little longer if she desired.

{Exit}

Sayuri glanced suspiciously towards Diana’s bag as a quiet buzzing noise suddenly sounded. As Diana spoke of having to return to her home, Sayuri was simultaneously relieved and saddened. While it had been stressful and certainly pushed the boundaries of what she was comfortable with, she’d grown used to the woman’s presence and was sad to see her go.

She listened to Diana’s parting words, about how she hoped that Sayuri could find people that she could trust. And not let them go. It was a strange favour to ask, something not for yourself. But Sayuri would nod slowly anyway, her mind already working on the problem presented to her. “I hope so too. Goodbye Diana.” She wanted to say more, to tell the woman that she hoped to see the castle made of crystal that she’d drawn, that this was more talking than she had done in years. That the conversation had meant more to her than Diana could ever know. But she couldn’t speak more than she had, and so she hoped that the small smile she offered was able to convey her complicated thoughts.

Turning the crystal over again in her hands she would sigh and clutch it tight. Maybe she would be able to achieve her goals faster with others to help her. Maybe that’s what she was missing, a connection with other people. After sitting for a while longer she would gather her notebook and the crystal and leave the teashop, heading home with new purpose. She had to bond with people, had to trust someone. And never let them go.

{Exit Thread}
10 x 20 = 200 exp
{Sayuri obtains 1 unit of Korikane Crystal}