Homecoming [Vivian/Ryuzaki]

[Deleted]

Well, traveling was definitely much more smoother than she thought. Well, that...maaaay have to deal with the fact that her village was MUCH closer than she remembered it was. Jeez, it's only been about a year and she forget the distance between places in Lycia already? Well, with all the talk of undead popping up in different areas of Lycia...and especially worse in Laus, she kind of made it her mission to stay away from places, but Santaruz. She believed that not much of anything when wrong here, and from the looks of things, that seemed somewhat accurate. Her hometown didn't look any different than it did when she left that while ago. She was glad for that, as she wouldn't know what to tell Ryuzaki if she returned to a wrecked home. Though she had a feeling even if something did happen, her grandpappy would be sitting in a destroyed home STILL drinking tea or something. He was just weird like that. That thought alone made her looking forward to seeing the old coot again. She knew he was doing fine from his recent letter.

"Welp, here we are! My hometown! Nothing too fancy, just the average little country village. But it's totally sweet!" She spoke up to Ryuzaki with high spirits, showing her obvious excitement in returning home. Remaining by the village entrance for the moment, Vivi could see the two men who usually guarded greeted them, though they didn't seem to recognize her. Must be new guys, as she couldn't recall their faces either as they walked closer to the protectors. They didn't wear fully-armored gear, so their faces weren't concealed like soldiers in an army. Nothing really happened in the village, and it was ducked off behind the wilderness, so bandits weren't much of a problem either, especially with people like her grandfather there to protect everyone. She waved back at them in return regardless, as they were still citizens of their little home.

[Ryuzaki]

"Hm! Well, it's more active than where I grew up. It seems like a nice, quaint town. There must be a close-knit community, since it's fairly secluded, yes?"

The thief was impressed with the town. He'd grown up in a lone home on the plains, so he couldn't say much as to how things worked in a small town. He supposed that Vivian must be well-liked, though, since she seemed to be quite the upstanding young woman. Plus, she was pretty. Pretty girls got lots of attention in smaller villages, from what he'd gathered. Maybe since everyone knew everyone.

Shaking his head clear of his musings, the thief nodded respectfully to the guards as he entered. His mind instinctively found ways to escape, to hide, to disappear, but he suppressed them. After all, he was here to meet someone, not rob the townsfolk blind. He'd have to show some restraint now and then, he noted.

"So where did you grow up? This whole town seems very picturesque to me. You'll have to point out the main attractions."

[Deleted]

The young woman was sort of surprised when Ryuzaki mentioned that, almost feeling like this town was a little bigger than it was. It was somewhat of amusing thought on it's own. "Oh! No, no. Our little town may be a little fancy, but we barely have any kind of attractions. Maybe aside from the hill at the back end of the village, where you could gaze across the field and mountains. It's quite the relaxing view, and a lot of the villagers go there for comfort." She wouldn't mind going there herself later on. Or maybe when she was going to set off again. Really, once she thought about it again, Ryuzaki was kinda on the mark about the spot being a main attraction. "After we meet with my grandpa, I could show you the place!"

But the town was lively as ever, despite the small population. Noticing it as they strolled through the town, this all was giving her a warm feeling of homecoming. A few people catching sight of her and waving from a distance. "You're definitely right about this community being close. We all look out for each other, protect each other's families...and, well. We're just generally there for each other. Just about everyone in this village is friends among themselves." That got her to think about grandpappy again, but decided to answer Ryu's other question first. "Well, by default, I grew up right here in this village with my grandfather! But that's about as far as I remember. Can't really remember anything back from when I was younger than twelve for some reason. All that's a big blank!"

[Ryuzaki]

"That would be splendid. Thank you, Vivian."

As they walked on, the thief noticed that people were being friendly. Waving. Smiling. Not watching him as if he was about to cut their purse and run. Hmm. It was a pleasant change of pace.

What was she saying?

Oh, yes. Something about everyone being there for one another. That was a nice sentiment. But what if somebody didn't? What if someone took advantage? Wouldn't everyone descend into fear and hostility?

"...Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Now the thief was really confused. She had... amnesia?

Trying to sort out the thoughts in his head, Ryu accidentally mumbled out loud quite clearly.

"But what if someone abuses the trust? Then what happens...?"

This was so utopian, it was unreal. How could these people live in blissful ignorance? He almost wanted to scream, jump, wave his hands... Anything to wake them up, make them realize that there was a snake in their garden. But restraint won the day.

[Deleted]

"Huh? Oh, no. Don't worry about that! If I can't remember, then I probably don't need to know anything from back then." That was what she continued to tell herself for all these years. Nothing she could do about her amnesia, and she would rather continue to run ahead for her future instead of trying to figure out a past she can't remember. And her grandfather was quite reluctant on telling her anything about it, either. It seemed like he knew something, but she wasn't going to hassle her grandfather for information he probably didn't want to share. After all, she mostly came back just so he and Ryuzaki could talk. She's had her share of catching up with him through the letters they send from time to time. Though she would have to get on her grandpappy's case about sending money to her that he probably needed more for himself.

Ryu's last question did sort of thrown her off guard for a moment there. "Umm..." She swung back and forth a tad while pondering a response. Nothing bad really happened between the people here for as long as she could remember...and the only threat they ever had was bandits. However, the militia and her grandfather usually handled that rather easily. Huh...that was probably her answer. "Well, not much we can do if someone turns sour, other than punish them for it. We hold a strong trust for each other, but it's up to the person who decides to cause problems. The militia here is really only for bandits, but them and people like my grandfather are always alert, too."

[Ryuzaki]

"Well, all right then. I guess that's one approach... Ignorance is bliss?"

Not being able to remember her childhood? That must be a horrid sensation... Never knowing who her parents were, never feeling the warmth and joy of a family... That was awful.

"Well, yes, I understand. But if everyone is so close, then it will hurt more. As the saying goes, the closer you are to your enemy, the easier it is to strike.

I don't mean to sound diabolical or cynical, I just... I don't understand how such a 'perfect' place can exist. It's amazing. Mind-boggling. A town that is free of filth and crime, free of corruption and sickness... Such a place is a rarity in this world. I'm truly glad to see a haven of light and purity. It makes me a little uncomfortable, even. I guess I'm not used to people seeing me as anything other than a sneaky guy, someone to be watched and scorned, shunned and derided."

Looking around, Ryu did something unusual. He lowered his hood, allowing the townspeople to see his long silver hair and his expression of awed respect. Normally, he'd never lower his hood, especially when surrounded by strange people he knew nothing about. But this town was different. It felt more peaceful, more in harmony. There was balance in this place, and it made him comfortable.

"I imagine your grandfather is quite the interesting man, given your descriptions of him and your excitement to see him again. I'm looking forward to meeting him. I hope that it will be all right that I'm just showing up out of the blue..."

[Deleted]

Vivian couldn't really blame Ryuzaki for feeling the way he did. Going out and experiencing the world for herself when she left here a year ago, she couldn't comprehend how the outside world was much more chaotic than she thought. She understood that she and Ryu grew up in different environments; two different lifestyles, and that made it much more difficult to give him a proper response. Vivi wouldn't have known if anything bad happened in the past of this village, however. A grand total of about twelve years living here, but something could have easily happened back then, perhaps with her lost memories. However, she always never bothered to worry about it. They had peace now, and the past didn't matter to her.

Finally deciding to respond, the girl shook her head with a slight smile. "Well, we've both grown and lived in different environments, so I can understand it a little. But trust me. You can relax here. This little village isn't well known in Lycia, but at the same time, people are aware of it's existence, at least. We're just a simple country village and all we've got to worry about is bandits here. It's quite the haven, and no one discriminates here. If it wasn't for growing up here, I wouldn't be so upbeat all the time!" She had no clue whatsoever if that was even helpful, but eh. She tried!

They actually weren't too far from her home, it only just being a corner turn away. When he mentioned her grandfather, she was still wondering what he was doing. Nothing was going on outside that required him to patrol, so the next best idea was that he was doing his most favorite thing in the world while at home. She chuckled at the thought, but forced it out of her mind. "Oh, trust me...grandfather doesn't mind unexpected visits. If anything, he's always alert about that kind of thing. Though...might have to warn ya. He's got quite the unorthodox way of greeting a visitor." She couldn't say anymore because moments like that were always so random for her to where even SHE doesn't know exactly what to expect. "You'll meet him very soon. Our house is just over there!" Her finger pointed to the direction of the lone house when they turned the corner, immediately approaching after speaking.

[Ryuzaki]

Listening to the young woman's reassuring explanation of the town, and its welcoming people, Ryu felt a little more confident and safe. Not very... But more than before. Which was good. His muscles slowly relaxed, and his hand slid away from his sword, finally feeling as if he could walk without fearing an arrest.

An unorthodox method of greeting visitors? Did that mean he'd take a bow to Ryu's face? Hug him like a long-lost son? Both? Neither? This part wasn't very reassuring. Well, at least the thief knew that he was fast. Fast people could outrun old guys... Right? And if worst came to worst, he could just disappear before things got too messy. He'd memorized the sequence of streets they'd taken to get here... So he could get out if he needed. It never hurt to know all your options and have a backup plan.

Looking at the house, the thief was impressed. It wasn't a mansion, but it was a very respectable home. In some ways, it reminded him of the home of his youth...

The sun shines down relentlessly on the group of longhouses, highlighting black stains of shade on the grass in which women sit, quietly working. A few children are playing in a patch of darkness, laughing as they kick a skin around. One child stands alone, at the edge of the small 'village,' a long stick in hand. He feints and parries, thrusts and lunges, oblivious to the rest of the villagers. An old man stands nearby, shaking his head and waggling a finger as he corrects the boy's careless form.

"Ah. Should we... Go in?"

[Deleted]

"Hm? She arched an eyebrow at Ryuzaki for a moment, wondering why he still looked a little tense and spaced out. Well, he was surprisingly honest for a thief. Maybe the village was getting at him more than she knew? She didn't know too much of the ins and outs of his life, despite what he told her yesterday. However, it seemed like he was loosening up a bit, so the young woman decided not to think too much about it anymore. "Of course! Let's go." With a nod of her head, she approached their small home's doorstep. Grandpa usually never locked the door when he was home, and since everyone was friendly here, there was generally no need to until either night time or bandit times. Knowing this, the door opened when she pushed it. An odd brush of wind passed them both when she opened the door, but why would wind come from inside like that? Oh well.

"Hey, grandpa! I'm back! Umm....a little earlier than expected, but here regardless!" She shouted out, still standing within the doorway, but not receiving an answer. She noticed it was a little dark inside the home, but she could see the light of a candle far away. Knowing he was in there, she was certain they could keep going. However, something was a little weird. Even though grandpa was home, he always answered someone when they yell out to him. Suddenly, she felt a few pokes on her shoulder, a little freaked out as she jumped a little. She turned her head around as she saw the old coot right behind them.

"Hiya." The elderly man with glasses waved his hand while he had a...butcher knife in the other.

"BWAAAAH!? G-grandpa? How did you...?"

"Goodness, girl. You're eyes are still too slow. I came through the door when you opened it. But your little...friend here likely saw me when it opened!" The old man crept beside and behind Ryu, keeping the Butcher knife in the other hand as it could obviously give off the wrong impression. Especially the small glare he gave the young man as his eyes went dull. "...Didn't you, young man...?" His tone almost sounded a little sinister, his head moving slightly closer to Ryu's and maintaining his glare.

[Ryuzaki]

As the young woman approached the door, Ryu felt his spine prickling, and he almost subconsciously withdrew withing himself and became more cautious. There was no telling what would be inside. It could be anything, actually... An old man in a rocking chair, or a middle-aged fellow with a huge lance. The possibilities were too vast to analyze, and that worried the thief.

The door opened gently and quietly, swinging open on well-oiled hinges, and suddenly, Ryu noticed a flicker of movement. Instictively, he burst into action, moving in the opposite direction and turning sideways, slimming his hit zone as he began to draw his sword.

Wait. That was an old man... With glasses. And no visible weapon.

Was this what Vivian meant by 'unusual?' Had Ryu not been expecting something strange, he might have attacked the man, which wouldn't have made her any more friendly with him. Luckily, he hadn't done anything too rash.

As the man chastised his granddaughter and then spoke about his reaction, the thief slowly slid his sword back into its sheath, relaxing slightly.

"You are fortunate I had been forewarned. Restraint in a time of crisis is not a trait I usually possess... Yes. I saw your movement. However, you are quite spry for a man of your years... I would appreciate any wisdom you could impart.

My name is Ryuzaki. I want to destroy the rich, equalize the classes, and change the world."

The young man gave a bow and flicked his silver hair out of his eyes as he extended a hand to the old man.

[Deleted]

"Hmmmmmmmm..." The old man continued to examine and study Ryuzaki all around as he spoke and introduced himself. He maintained a frown behind his glasses as he refrained from saying anything in response for the moment. He at least made it apparent that he was listening to the visitor by nodding after everything he said. He eased the butcher knife away, at least. It still had visible chunks of meat on it's blade, as one could tell that he may have been cooking before they arrived.

"Uh, grandpa...? If you don't mind me asking...what in the world are you doing?" It was about time to break the ice, and Vivian would continue to be amazed at how many new levels of weird her grandfather could bring to the table. He was probably just extra careful around Ryu considering that he was around her and one could easily assume that he was a very shady fellow from appearance alone. But knowing the old coot, something else strange was on his mind. When there was seemingly no end to his examining, the old man finally stopped in his tracks and directly in front of the thief. Then in seemingly a blink of an eye, his expression changed from a deadly serious frown to an overly cheerful expression that even a child couldn't match. The old man accepted Ryu's handshake was a silent laugh.

"Nice to meet ya!" When he turned the young man's hand loose, the grandfather crossed his arms as he stared downward at Ryu's sheathed sword, as there was another sudden tone shift to follow. "...That sounds like a very familiar and admirable goal. Maintaining a balance of wealth among the people...and just from looking at you, I can tell you hold that dream very dearly. To where you'll resort to doing whatever it takes, even if it means you'll make enemies in the process. A very dangerous road that may cost you your life someday. Then the dream would be shattered..." Though soon as he said that, and didn't seemingly give Ryu enough room to respond, he turned around and back to the inside of his home. "But let's save that discussion over some dinner! You kids got some strange timing coming over when I've got a warm meal all ready. Now, onward!"

The old man disappeared into the home, Vivi rubbing the back of her head as she didn't even know what to say. Gramps was about the only person that could leave her sitting there and speechless. Her true superior in the crazy department. Well, she could at least address her friend as she followed after the old man. "...As unusual as I described, eh? Oh well. Nothing we can do but go with the flow of it. I am pretty hungry!"

[Ryuzaki]

The whole encounter made Ryuzaki uneasy. His mood swings... His eerie and prophetic words... The whole being of this man was an enigma. And that made him a little nervous. Still, he would follow Vivian's lead; she had proven trustworthy, and so he simply nodded and followed the young woman as she entered the house.

"Indeed. Your grandfather is quite the... unique... and interesting man. I look forward to learning more about him and his past. He seems like he has much wisdom to impart. I am intrigued!"

His mind, though, was racing as fast as the wind across the plains during the fiercest winter storms. The way the old man had spoken was unusual and uncanny. He seemed to know exactly what Ryuzaki wanted, how he wanted to accomplish it, and even why. That bothered him. How could he have know all of the details of Ryu's deepest and most tightly-held dream?

Nevertheless, the man most likely would have wisdom to impart, opinions to share. The thief could at least look forward to that. The knowledge he gained here would most likely be invaluable. He would therefore make sure that he took every tidbit to heart, storing it carefully so that he could mull it over later, to distill the meaning and the significance behind all of the words. There was always a message and a meaning. He just had to divine it, separate it from the unimportant and the trivial. Discard the chaff, and keep the wheat that was knowledge.

[Deleted]

(OOC: My apologies for the lateness.)

Yep! He may be a little crazy, but everyone around here truly loves him. I'm really proud to be related to him. But yeah, let's go!" The cheerful young woman immediately followed afterward, but didn't wander in too quickly. After they all were inside, the kitchen was pretty much a straight shot from the door, and Vivian's grandfather was there putting the finishing touches on the dinner he prepared. Even though she was only gone for a year, walking back in here always gave Vivian a pleasant feeling of nostalgia. Not being able to remember anything before twelve years-old still bugged her from time to time, but when it boiled down to it, all of her past memories living here and in this village was magical in it's own way...err, except the time when her master of anima magic was murdered a few years ago, but she tried not to think about that!

There wasn't much she could do, but stay out of her grandfather's way until he was finished, which he seemed almost ready anyway, so she went on ahead and took a seat at the round dinner table. She almost wanted to act like her old self when she was in childhood, constantly pestering her grandfather by saying, "is it ready noooow?!" repeatedly when knowing full well the food wasn't. But...they had a guest, so she needed to avoid being childish for once. She was told over and over by different people that she needed to act her age for a change. But it was just a trait she couldn't let go. She wouldn't be as cheerful as she was now if she acted like a jaded adult.

She made a gesture over to Ryu that he could come and sit down at the table as well, trying to help the friend feel relaxed in their home. After all, when Vivian saw how interested her grandfather was with him (if she could call that "interested"), she was quite curious as to what made him say all of that. Since she at least knows that he lived a life similar to Ryu's when he was around the thief's age, maybe it was finally time for gramps to spill the beans on the full story.

[Ryuzaki]

OOC: No worries!

As he followed Vivian into the kitchen, the thief's mind wandered back to the strange comments the aging man had made. How had he been able to tell so accurately what Ryuzaki planned to do? Could this man be involved somehow with the equalizing brotherhood he'd heard about in whispers and murmurs? No. Surely that was too far of a long shot. The thief shook his head slightly, smoothing his cloak and making sure (probably for the umpteenth time) that his sword was still within reach. He had sharpened it prior to departing the village with Vivian. How weak his will had been... But that was because he cared. He was no bandit that slaughtered mindlessly, without regard for one's fellow man. No. He was above that. His path was clear - he wished to become a deadly assassin, feared as Death. But he would kill for righteous causes. He would kill to improve the world. To create a more perfect world. He would kill, not as some did, for sport, or to survive... But for the purpose.

He would do right by killing. A moral slaughter. He wanted to level the field, to throw king and lord down and elevate pawn and serf. He wished to give everyone an opportunity, to be used or squandered... Let the quality of a man, not his money, dictate his status in life. Yes. A world where men could give to the community... A commune. What a world that would be. But for now, he had to wait... Bide his time... And eat. He was hungry, after all.

[Deleted]

After their little wait, the surprisingly quiet-at-the-moment grandfather brought over the food, Vivi noticing that the man made some of his delicious beef stew along with a couple of side dishes, something she considered her favorite. Though something puzzled the woman as she didn't reach for any food just yet. "This looks amazing as always, grandpa, but...why did you conveniently make so much for all of us? I mean, you're the only one living here now..." She was probably thinking too hard into it, but she wouldn't be surprised if her grandfather had some kind of super secret ability to see into the future, and know that she and Ryu were coming....nah, her grandfather may have been crazy, but she doubt he had magical powers...right?

"Ho, ho! It's called making enough for leftovers, my dear. It's not like I expected you and your friend to come here or anything..."

"Phew...wait, what? Did he just read my mind?!"

Trying not to show her panic, Vivian merely shook her head to forget about the silliness, being the first to have her bowl and plate filled. The old, but fit man took a seat of his own, but didn't touch any food just yet. His smile turned to one of a neutral expression now, slowly turning his head as he had his sights on Ryu now. Vivian was too busy stuffing her face to realize this, though her silliness earlier was just clouding her ability to pay attention at the moment. After a couple more seconds, the old man finally moved his lips to speak. "...You seem troubled, young man. Perhaps this hot meal would provide a worthy distraction. Or rather...is there something you'd like to get off your chest?"