The Day After (Shiki)

It was 6 AM when John Itaruki had awoken, feeling like he had just been beaten by an army. That poison was something else (homemade poisons usually were). Thankfully, John had long since developed a pick-me-up, for when he had come home injured or depressed: Chamomile Tea, with a few secret ingredients for taste and energy. While this was no replacement for an antidote, there was no need for one, as the poison was only meant for temporary paralysis. After about 3 cups of his private joy, he was energetic and healthy enough to face the day. With a quick greeting to his sister, Raine, in passing, he was out the door.

The first destination on his morning errands was the joke shop. He walked through the door, and marched right up to the desk. The shopkeeper didn’t even look up. “Again? You need to be more careful with those.” The shopkeeper said. “I’ll ask my opponents to be more careful next time.” John replied, eliciting a small grin from both of them. The shopkeeper stood up, walking to the back of his store.
After a minute, the Shopkeeper returned, with five of the masks that John favored. “Don’t use ‘em all up at once.” he said, as John paid him for his efforts. With his supply of masks replenished, John walked out the door.

The bell could be heard tolling outside, signaling that it was 7 o’clock. In one hour, he was due at the field, to begin the private training of Shiki Game, his latest (and first) student. After they had shared a fight, a kiss, and even paralysis (for a short time), John had told her that her training was to be at 8 AM, in the field south of the light castle. After dropping off his masks at home, John headed over to the fields.

The first thing one noticed about the field was the abundance of green-ness, anywhere one would care to look. There was a very small hill in the middle of the field, where sat a large oak tree, whose branches extended enough to grant shade to any who should come within 20 feet of the tree. John sat against the base of the tree, closing his eyes, and allowing his senses to wash over him, allowing the feeling of the world to seep in.

What a glorious field. For now.

Shiki woke up with Helios in her arms. she smiled at him, he had been waiting for her to get up. She did adore her son and he gave her a cute face as her son didn't sleep. Getting up, she fixed her face feeling a little tired still. Helios jumped on his mother's neck as they headed out. Going outside, she got him a bagel and something to drink, as she got a green tea. Shiki remembered something about a field. she hadn't really be there before much other than for a match to get money.

Walking to a field, she saw the man from last night. A cold look on her face. She looked at Bloodstreek as Helios waved with a laugh. He pulled off his mother's hood with a smile on his face. Helios looked at the man though, with a confused look on his face as his mother walked up at Bloodstreek with a smirk on her face.
"Ah our date. Silly boy. Though you look like you are ready for a fight." Shiki looked at him, she placed Helios down to play with the plants. he ran along the field and laughed. turning her head to bloodstreek, she smiled and then looked at her son. "Come sit. I got some tea." Shiki passed him some tea and Helios watched. He was curious to what really was going on.

“Ah, our date. Silly Boy…. You look like you’re ready for a fight.” a voice said, snapping John’s attention up to her. “Of course I’m ready for a fight, you FOLLOWED ME HOME!” John thought to himself, before opening his mouth, and saying, “I try to be prepared, though I take this claymore everywhere. As I said before, I’m kind of…attached to it.” John said, smiling. He wasn’t kidding; he couldn’t go more than 100 feet from his claymore, without one of them being forcefully dragged back to the other.

Shiki sat down, joined shortly thereafter by John. “Come sit, I have some tea.” she said, her emotionless face turning into a smile, which made the remark almost sweet. Almost. The last thing John wanted to see was any form of liquid, and this was shown by his first eating an antidotal pill, which lodged in his stomach wall, waiting to cure any form of poison that he ingested….just in case. The last thing John needed was being paralyzed by this maniac (though admittedly, a maniac with potential), and forced to kiss her for the rest of the afternoon.

“I have some training equipment stored in a hatch next to the tree. Shall we begin, after tea?” John said, smiling back to Shiki.

Shiki smirked as she looked at john. Listening to him speak, she shrugged watching her son waiting for him to take the tea. "I am not going to poison you if you don't paralize me. The tea will help your system better than that pill." Shiki held the tea up to him still. Watching her son playing in the field, he ran up and gave her a flower. Helios looked at his mother with a smile and then looked at John. "Mama, look the flowers here are prettier than Dark natin. Here one for you two. Thank you." Helios handed a daisy to John. and then hugged his mother happily.

Hearing about training, shiki shook her head looking at him. She smiled kindly at John and then patted Helios's head. "Training...I don't think so. not at least in front of my son. We are here for a breather. and plus there are only a few places I can go with him. After all my brother still tries to kidnap him...oh this is Helios." shiki smiled. She leaned over and gave John a pat on his arm. Taking off her clock she placed it on the ground. Helios waved and ran off to play. Shiki stood up taking off her shoes and long socks putting htem on her cloak. taking off her shirt revealing the black tube top. stretching a bit, she let down her hair looking at her son playing. "come on, have some fun. as much as I like blood and chaos. Fun can be training. speed, and fun." Shiki leaned her head down towards him placing the cup of tea in his hand.

“I’m not going to poison you, if you don’t paralyze me.” Shiki said. “It’s a deal.” John said, taking the tea, and drinking heartily, draining the cup after a couple of seconds. “I grew up in the army… Common courtesy wasn’t part of the training regimen, though, so forgive me if I come off as rude.” John said, realizing how barbaric his tea-draining looked. Suddenly, he was handed a flower. "Mama, look the flowers here are prettier than in the Dark nation. Here one for you, too. Thank you." said Shiki’s son. “Thank you..” John said, smiling paternally for just a second, and then returning to his normal, serious face.

He asked her about training. "Training...I don't think so. At least, not in front of my son. We are here for a breather… and plus, there are only a few places I can go with him. After all, my brother still tries to kidnap him...oh, this is Helios." Shiki said. “Nice to meet you, Helios, I’m John. Also, I apologize for withholding my name from you before. The thought hadn’t crossed my mind.” John said. “Come on, have some fun. As much as I like blood and chaos, Fun can be training. Speed, and fun." said Shiki.

John tried to ignore the fact that Shiki was stripping down to her tube top, though he subconsciously averted his eyes. “Fun… Been awhile since I’ve heard that word. What sort of fun shall we have?” John said.

John mentally scolded himself. What on earth had he just agreed to do?!

Shiki watched john, her mind thinking about something. but looking at her son. It made her smile to see him rather happy. "I can understand that, my father and brother were the same. Army men, but...not the good kind. so do the same for me. Night time is fighting time and training. Day time is for fun. Helios doesn't sleep so it works out for his training too. He wants to be just like me." shiki smiled, thinking about how rude she was last night.

Shiki stretched as john introduced himself. Helios ran up and hugged him. she smiled at him Helios thought that it was fun. "Are you an assassin like my mama? I learn too. Nice to meet you. that my momma Shiki." Helios giggled. thinking about it, shiki got an idea. Grabbing John's hand she pulled him to his feel with a teasing smile. "Fun John. Its called speed tag. Ready Helios!" shiki laughed.

Helios ran out to the field using his air bending to fly. Shiki gave John a kiss on the cheek. "We use bending to tag. light bending cause of Helios. but it trains for dodging and speed." shiki ran out into the field after her son, not using her bending. She jumped into the air tossing an air ball at her son. He dodged it by blowing wind to get him away. Looking over at John, Helios fired an air ball at him and the two were running. Helios dodged his mother and she dodged him.

"I can understand that, my father and brother were the same. Army men, but...not the good kind. so do the same for me. Night time is fighting time and training. Day time is for fun. Helios doesn't sleep so it works out for his training too. He wants to be just like me." Shiki said. “The plot thickens…” John thought to himself. Suddenly, he was embraced by the child, Helios. "Are you an assassin like my mama? I learn too. Nice to meet you. that my momma Shiki." said Helios. “I used to be, but not anymore. I left the brotherhood to live life my own way.” John said.

Suddenly, John’s hand was forcefully assaulted by Shiki’s, and she pulled him up to a standing position. “Fun, John. It’s called speed tag. Ready Helios?" said Shiki. Helios ran out into the field, followed shortly thereafter by his mother, who gave John a quick peck on the cheek, causing him to blush a deep crimson. "We use bending to tag. Light bending cause of Helios, but it trains for dodging and speed." Shiki said, smiling. Helios shot an air ball at John, which he rolled to the side of.

“This is a bit embarrassing, but…. What’s tag?”

Helios laughed as he dodged his mother's attacks, she didn't go all out on him. But she moved out of the way. Letting her son have a good running start as she walked over to john. The crimson color on his face made her smile. It was rather cute. Wlaking up to him, she gave him a teasing smile.

"John, I live my own assassin way as well. I only did it to get money to make sure my son lived a good life." She smiled, taking John's hand she pulled him over closer towards the field where they were playing. She held his hand and then let it go after a second. "You see tag is where you chase after the ones that are not it. then that person that you tagged is it. this game, we just do a free for all. I mainly judge dodge Helios. But this should be fun. But remember no poisons and no paralization. So we just run and tag with bending or our fingers." shiki smirked, she ran back out waving for him to follow. as helios shot a water ball at her this time, but she moved out of the way by bending backwards and flipping. Looking over at her son, she looked at John with a smile as she let her son hit her back with a ball of air. She stood there with a smile. firing some air bending at him. Helios moved quickly, using his air bending to fly.

shiki laughed and tossed an air ball at John. She ran through the grass. Jumping into the air at her son, but he moved out of the way laughing. Helios waved at john laughing as Shiki tossed an air ball again but at Helios and john. Helios got tagged but he got up and laughed.

"John, I live my own assassin way as well. I only did it to get money to make sure my son lived a good life." Shiki said, in reply to his statement about leaving the order. In regards to his question about tag, she replied, "You see, tag is where you chase after the ones that are not ‘it’. Then, that person that you tagged is ‘it’. In This game, we just do a free for all. I mainly just dodge Helios, but this should be fun. …But remember: no poisons and no paralyzation. So we just run and tag with bending or our fingers." Shiki said. “Oh, ok…. I think I get it.” John said. “And don’t worry, I can only paralyze with a kiss.” john said, smiling in spite of himself.

He cupped his hands together, bunching together what little shadow there was. He compressed it lightly into a ball, and threw it at shiki (it was of the same texture as a balloon), before lightly tossing one at Helios. “Watch out, Helios!” John said, a hint of paternity in his voice. He ran back to the tree, and bent down, gathering shadows by hand (they were much more durable that way). They would soon know the wrath of a thousand shadow-balloons.

Muahaha.

Shiki laughed as she dodged the attack just barely, but she smiled at her son whom turned and back flipped just missing the attack but he landed on his face. "Helios are you okay!" shiki called out Helios laughed and got up brushing the dirt off as he tossed an air ball at his mother and at John. He ran away and zig zagged through the field.

Shiki ran at John to hit him with an air ball, but tripped and tackle hugged john by accident. rubbing the back of her head he looked down at John whom was underneath her. A smile sitting on her face. Helios ducked in some tall grass. Shiki picked a leaf out of John's hair and smiled at him, with a teaasing grin as she sat up on his lap. Tracing a finger down his jaw line to his chin. "You know, I bet you look really good under all those clothing." She teased. she thought it was funny though he was cute. She sat there as she noticed helios was hiding. she smirked down at John. though realizing if anyone walked up, this would not be a good thing to see.