Down an unknown road

[areasontohope]

Who; Nida skyward_eyes & Yuki areasontohope
What; Sword fighting
Where; Near the Gullwings office
When; Mid June?
Warnings; None



There had been an idea in the back of his mind for a month or so, probably for longer if he thought it over. And it really hit home when he saw Mono and thought of his younger cousins Kisa and Momiji. What if somehow they showed up here? It had bugged him and the thought stayed in the back of his mind that he couldn't be a casualty like Jacob had been or even Caelan if some demon should appear again. Of course the more he tumbled it around in his mind, the more he recalled Miss Yuna being out there fighting too that night. And he'd done nothing but stayed in his little apartment, hoping nothing bad happened.

But what if children had gotten hurt? While he certainly wasn't Miss Honda, he was sure she would've been out there too that night, trying to save as many kids as she possibly could while that demon thing roamed the streets. After all, she'd gone after Kyo when he'd transformed into that awful monstrosity after his bracelet had been taken off by Shishou. And while he could fight Kyo all day long and win, that wasn't the point here. Their little petty fights were child's play compared to this place.

He had to be more useful than just growing flowers and medicinal plants.

As he'd accused Kyo, saying 'maybe it's not like a hero's supernatural power' but to 'get a clue and realize that there's only things you can do.' Right. And that included wanting to keep the kids safe. Maybe not for himself, but for adults who couldn't fight at all. Maybe they couldn't protect their kids.

What if he'd been stronger and had been able to protect his friends that night from their cruel fates?

So this made him get dressed and head out to find the one person that knew Jacob too. The man he sought had trained his boyfriend and had always been so proud to display the moves he'd learned. So it couldn't hurt to at least ask. Standing in front of the Red apartment now, he raised his hand to knock on the door. But as he went to do so, a lady came by and told him that Mister Nomura had moved to the Green apartments.

Informing Yuki as to which particular unit Nida was currently occupying, the silver haired man felt his nerves gnawing at his insides. But he couldn't fail people anymore. He couldn't run away like he'd accused Kyo of doing when the orange haired boy had said he had 'failed to protect' Miss Honda. No, he had to do this.

He stood in front of the correct green door and sighed, looking at it with a stern face. He had to do this, so he raised his hand and knocked.

Comments

[skyward_eyes]

There was good news and there was bad news about the knocking. The good news? Nida wasn't on shift that morning, which meant that he actually could be found in the apartment he shared with his lover and fiance. And the bad news was that he'd been on a late shift the night before, not to mention some morning attentions from his beloved. So it was a very tired looking Nida, coffee mug in one hand, that opened the door. A Nida wearing pajama pants and a robe, but no shirt, and so there were clear bruises along his neck and chest.

He looked tired, and confused to see someone there. Until he recognized just who was there. Still, he did take a sip of his coffee.

"Yuki, morning. What hour is it?"

The curse of being a guard.

[areasontohope]

The man's ragged looking appearance threw Yuki momentarily. He hadn't been expecting the man to look quite as disheveled as he was. But he knew enough to what the bruising meant and he quickly averted his eyes. Did he dare ask for a favour when the man obviously was busy with personal things?

Still, he was polite enough to answer the other's question even if he still kept his eyes down. "Ah..it's..eleven in the morning Mister Nomura." Mornings and Yuki weren't a thing so he'd waited until this time figuring it was a more polite hour than first thing in the morning. First thing in the morning was more for work though Detective Watts had allowed him to start more like ten instead of first thing.

"I can come back at a better time if that's more convenient for you." And still his eyes hadn't lifted.

[skyward_eyes]

Eleven. Nida sneered but stood aside, gesturing for Yuki to come in.

"Ignis left me scones and coffee. Come join me."

The older man is more than wise enough to know that Yuki had to be here for a reason.

"I'm going to put something more 'the world has found me and insists I function' clothes on."

[areasontohope]

"Thank you." Yuki replied, unsure as to whether or not he should step foot in the apartment. But he did anyway and blinked at the sight of the two cats that had come over. He tensed, knowing how there was a certain ginger cat back home that would never truly get along with him, so he froze to the spot.

So when Nida mentioned about getting more clothes on he just nodded. "Please take your time." He was really only wanting a moment of the man's time but of course he wasn't going to attempt to tell the other what he could or couldn't do in his own home.

[skyward_eyes]

"Close the door," he advised as he moved back toward the bedroom. "Ebony is the cat, Julia is the peacock cat, don't touch her feathers. And if you don't close the door I can't go get changed because I don't want Hibiscus fleeing."

The little chicobo had developed quite the interest in doors. It made keeping her penned up safely at night a pain. But apparently keeping her close to Nida to get her used to him while she was still a chick was important.

[areasontohope]

Obediently Yuki closed the door as the two cats..or cat and peacock cat? moved away to inspect the little red chocobo chick. "Oh, I see one followed you home too." he said, looking at the baby.

He couldn't help but smile at her which gave him a distraction from the cats. She seemed pretty happy and of course her name was adorable. And the chick was where he focused his attention.

"So you have a new parent now too."

[skyward_eyes]

"Followed?" Nida asks as he opens the bedroom door and Hibiscus toddled out with all of the speed of a young chicobo. "No, Ignis and I bought one."

Nida frowned at the conversation offered to the chicobo, stepping wide over and around it to avoid being pecked, and leaving Yuki with the little chicobo. He closed the bedroom door behind him, and several minute later he came out, dressed casually, running fingers through his hair. He stepped over Hibiscus, who made a beeline for his anklse to peck at him.

"Don't act like your dad didn't feed you," Nida grumbled as he moved to the kitchen table and sat down. And immediately started to pull his legs up onto the seat. It too no time at all for Julia to leap gracefully up into his lap, her rhinestone collar shining. "So, Yuki, how can I help you?"

[areasontohope]

"Ah I see my apologies." Yuki replied with another bow.

But the little thing was adorable and reminded him of the blue chick that had followed him around. Fortunately he didn't have cats and brought it back to the pens every day so that it could do..chocobo things with the other chicks. But on the way home from work, he'd stop and pick it back up, almost as if it was a kid needing to go to preschool or something. He hadn't felt right about leaving it alone if he wasn't home.

So when Nida reappeared he didn't let the laugh out at the chick's antics or the words that he said to it in response to the pecking. The seriousness showed on his face easily enough when Nida asked him what was going on because this was the hard part, but the reason he'd come this far.

He bowed slightly. "I've come to ask for your assistance to train me. I know..Jacob had you as his sensei. So I'm here to ask the same and I understand if the answer is no." Or if he had to come up with some sort of payment plan, he could do that too since he was working.

[skyward_eyes]

Nida took another quick sip of coffee, looking quite seriously at Yuki. The man was very formal, very respectful, and very confusing. He wanted to learn to fight? For a long moment he stared at the young man.

"I was training Jacob because he was an accident prone person foolish enough to go to dangerous parts of town at dangerous times in night. It's already very clear that you're more practical than that. Are you sure you want to learn something like this? Like how to fight?"

[areasontohope]

The longer Nida took to reply the more convinced Yuki was that the man was going to just turn him down. Or laugh. Or both. So he waited tensely, wondering what the hold up was. If he was going to say no, it was a simple word to say, right?

But his grey eyes widened as he listened to the reasons as to why Nida had been training Jacob. And the pain went right through him all over again because what was being said rang true at every word regarding Jacob.

However practical Yuki was, there was one truth here and that was his spine was made of steel. "Yes. I am considered a black belt in martial arts back home by my family's sensei. So fighting isn't unfamiliar to me. I've even trained some with a katana and have ordered one along with clothing more..native to back home but it hasn't arrived just yet."

Beating the snot out of Kyo meant nothing to him, as the cat had been nothing more than a nuisance with always wanting to fight to unknowingly gain entry into a cage far bigger than the cat cottage.

But there'd been no real need of fighting back home and a determination crossed his face even as he spoke as evenly as he always did.

"I'm of no use to anyone if I can't help when demons come roaring through town, or the undead rise from the cemetery. There are innocent people here and I can't sit back and do nothing and watch my friends die, knowing I was too helpless to do anything but crawl uselessly into a corner." He shook his head, banishing thoughts of Jacob dying and Miss Yuna risking her life trying to save people.

[skyward_eyes]

A black belt. That earned a raised eyebrow from Nida. Okay, he was very interested now. The mug was set aside and he leaned forward just a bit, clearly intrigued.

"If you're a black belt, then you might well be able to kick my ass already," Nida pointed out, his voice soft. the fingers of one hand tapped against the table as he thought. The other stroked the back of Julia's head with practiced care, drawing noises from her that were somewhere between a purr and a trill. "In fact, I fear you might underestimate just how useful you are against demons or the undead. A man I know back home, named Zell, helped save my entire world with only his fists. Why do you assume that you can't do something?"

[areasontohope]

Again he tensed and waited to hear an emphatic no. But for some reason, that word never came. In fact, Nida set his coffee mug aside and leaned forward.

Okay? What did that mean?

And his eyes widened slightly as he heard the pronouncement that he could kick this man's ass. Not that he would ever have reason to nor would he try. But he fought to focus on what the man was saying and not the peacock coloured cat that he was lavishing affection on so freely.

The silver head shook in disbelief. "I don't see how I could have helped against that huge..demon..thing." The one that was responsible for the death of not only his Jacob, but of his friend Caelan. He recalled briefly in his mind's eye running across the man who was blinded at first and had to help his friend back to his apartment and up some stairs since the elevator wasn't working. He'd worried and checked on the man for days afterwards.

"This..Zell. He..saved your world that way?" This of course was news to Yuki.

[skyward_eyes]

"Yes. Zell was one of the six people that saved my world," Nida said. Well, there were more people involved, Nida included. But he didn't like the idea that the young man was so down on that skill.

"Alright, perhaps against the bear it wouldn't have been the best. And the zombies are a bit of a mess."

After a moment he leans back again and considers the other man thoughtfully. He supposed he could teach the other something. But with his size, Nida would need to acquire a whole new polearm to train him with. Which was something that could take time.

"Talking theoretically here, you really want to learn a polearm?"

[areasontohope]

Yuki hadn't felt his fists or kicks would've helped the demon situation. The undead would've been a bad thing to take on too, but then again maybe if he had tried, Jacob and Caelan wouldn't have been casualties.

He supposed he would never know now.

But it felt as if Nida was debating something and he hadn't heard the word no yet, so maybe there was still hope. And then the question came out which left him a little bit surprised.

So there was the slightest bow in an almost sort of apology. "I don't know what to do with one, as I'm used to fighting with my hands and legs along with a katana. But I would be willing to learn if you would teach me." And have patience with him, that went without being said.

[skyward_eyes]

"I don't know how to use a katana," Nida answered, quite honest with himself in that. "It's a very different sort of technique to a longsword."

Not, of course, that he liked the blade. But he thought he could understand Yuki's sentiment, his desire. That was something Nida could respect, even if he felt this wasn't the wisest choice the young man could make.

[areasontohope]

He nodded. "If I can get my hands on a second one, that might be something we could learn more of together." Plus if Nida really wanted, Yuki could show him what he knew as far as his martial arts training went.

But he was resolved on not being helpless which was the worst feeling for him when his friends had passed away and he hadn't done anything. So in some ways he felt like his plants, that he had more growing to do but he was making the effort, and Nida was the only man he could think to ask for help from that he knew.

[skyward_eyes]

"I would prefer not to. I am content with the weapons I already use," Nida assures him. He continued to stroke Julia and considers him carefully. There could be someone else that he could turn the training over to if the man wanted katanas. Probably.

"I could try and find you a tutor for a katana. If not that, what would you want trained with? As a question."

[areasontohope]

The silver head nodded. He'd offered and that was all he could do. He knew he was no warrior, not hell bent on it as the stupid cat had been. But neither could he just keep excusing himself with doing nothing when he could protect someone even if that someone was just a little boy wearing a paper bag or a small blue chocobo chick who liked to follow them around.

"A trainer for a katana would be much appreciated. But I am willing to learn whatever you're willing to teach. If a polearm is something you're more comfortable with, I would like to learn that."

[skyward_eyes]

"I only work with polearms, tanbo, and long swords."

He could try among the guard but... But Jacob would want him to do it himself. So Nida thought.

[areasontohope]

Yuki felt his nerves act up but he knew he had to be useful. Childs play with stupid cats was over, and since he was in a completely different world and had to be more responsible. This wasn't to be a hero or superhero or try and achieve supernatural powers. Being here was simply his new reality and he had to adjust accordingly.

"I've heard of the tanbo, so I would be open to that. And training with either of the other weapons couldn't hurt."

[skyward_eyes]

"Alright," Nida said at last, lifting Julia from his lap and setting her aside.

"Give me your arm," he said, reaching for Yuki.

[areasontohope]

Yuki wasn't sure what to do when Nida suddenly removed the cat from his lap but he stood still. He wasn't going to back down or change his mind because he simply couldn't. Standing still, he lifted his arm as the other instructed, curious as to what was going to go on.

Did Jacob have to go through all of this too? Was that a thing that would happen?

[skyward_eyes]

Oh Jacob went through other things. He looks at that arm and then started to measure along it with his fingers. It was a basis.

"Alright, that will give me a starting point for making you a pair of tanbo. I'll have to go to the carpenter and get a few dowels of a bit more than the length we want. Come on."

He leaves his coffee behind and moves to the door to pull down a harness and leash.

[areasontohope]

It was a weird thing, feeling Nida's fingers on his arm, but he remained patient and waited.

Grey eyes looked up at the man when he made his pronouncement about the tanbo and tried to remain calm. This was nerve wracking but it had to be done. Even if Jacob was here, Yuki would have to protect him because he was foolish and reckless at times.

He then watched as the other grabbed the harness and leash, figuring this was his queue to get going and leave the man to do what he was planning on, so he made ready to leave as well.

[skyward_eyes]

"Come on, we're going to the carpenter," Nida said. Hibiscus had already run to his legs and Nida hesitated.

He really hesitated, this strong warrior, over the little bird at his feet. It took a while before he moved to start strapping the harness on.

"If you're free."