(open) illuminate the no's on the vacancy signs

[notyetwonderwoman]

Date & Time: January 19th - January 31st
Location: Apartments; the Hold; parts of the City close to the Hold; a park.
Characters: Haruno Sakura & fill in the blank
Summary: Sakura is a not very confident child doing her best to hang on to the distinct memory that it's okay she's here, and that she knows the name of this place, but has next to nothing else to rely on in a strange grey city that feels nothing like home.
Warnings: Legitimately sorry if she ends up crying in every thread, it's a possibility.

At first, Sakura makes herself go still and quiet. Faint memories tell her she's not in a place she's not supposed to be, even if the place she finds herself in is strange. She holds her fear close to her stomach, like it's something she can hold, and tells herself a good Academy student learns all she can about her surroundings. It's one of the shinobi rules. When in an unexpected location, observe everything you can in order to become familiar with the place you find yourself in.

It relates to a rule on capture, but she doesn't feel that's what's happened. She's not one of the clan children. She has no great worth in the scheme of things, as far as Konoha is concerned. She's not kidnapped. She's simply... misplaced.

After the first day of quietly moving around the apartment building that feels like she's dreamed about before, she starts to venture a little further outside. When in an unexpected location, observe everything you can...

Her first encounter with a car sends her scrambling backward, slamming into anyone and anything in her way. She's wide eyed and frightened. She's never seen anything like that before. It's enough to start her crying, though she rubs furiously at her eyes, determining that if she can't see, the metal beast will simply come back and gobble her up.

On Sunday, she realizes there are letters and stories kept on the strange, stiff scroll-like-a-book-but-not-made-of-paper in her room. The first story has her name on it, saying she, Haruno Sakura, is teaching a self defense class. Her heart speeds up realizing how impossible this is. She breathes too fast as she reads on, thinking this is some very odd story indeed. Prince Arthur offering assistance. Ask if needed. She takes this small note on the side and swallows. If this is true, and not a story, then she'll need help.

Thus she sets off with her stiff scroll-like-a-book-but-not-made-of-paper held tight to her chest, asking in her quiet, sometimes brave voice where a Prince Arthur can be found. She tries to remember the proper protocol when dealing with royalty. She hopes he's not so terribly offended with her plea that he has her tossed into someplace distinctly unpleasant.

Weak in the knees, she continues her search, hoping and fearing all at once.

On the fourth day, she learns how to escape the metal beasts by losing herself in the groups of people who cross at corners, no longer inclined to jump every time she hears one humming along. It's a little less scary, she tells herself. She's observing. She'll make Iruka-sensei proud.

There are times she gets lost. There are times where she thinks the snow, fairly novel, is the best place for her to crouch down and roll a tiny packed ball of snow into something larger and larger, eventually dwarfing her and unable to move it any further. There are times when she manages to pick her way through rubble to reach the top, basking in her small victory over the world. There are other times where she seems fascinated by a puddle back behind the apartments, standing at the side of a particularly large one and considering it before gathering herself and leaping across with a grin.

On the day she tries using stones as substitutes for working on her aim with throwing stars, however, she may be luckiest if no one happens to be anywhere near-by. A stone hurled with her force is enough to hurt, and she's not so bad as she thinks she is.

Comments

[controlledvariable]

When a young girl stumbles into her, Steph's first instinct is to steady her, one hand going to Sakura's shoulder even as Steph scans the surrounding area for what could have scared. Assured that there's no immediate danger, Steph drops to one knee, putting herself level with Sakura and giving the girl a look over, making sure she's not hurt.

"Hey, it's okay, you're alright," Her voice is gentle, steady, the sort of tone she speaks in when she wants to reassure people, "What happened?"

[notyetwonderwoman]

Sakura doesn't know this woman, but she's an adult, and adults were exactly the sort of people she was supposed to trust. Granted, those were adults in her village, but she didn't know how many people from her village were around here. Adults helped little kids, even if they were Academy students, right?

"There's a monster," she says, trembling under Steph's hand. "A big monster that moves really fast and makes loud noises!" She sounds earnest, scared silly, eyes welling up again with unshed tears.

"It tried to eat someone, I saw it, and she barely got away. What am I going to do if it comes back? I have to protect people from monsters, don't I?"

[controlledvariable]

A monster? Steph glances around again, but all she can see are the road and pedestrians, nothing that strikes her as a monster, so she quickly turns her attention back to Sakura.

She's not sure what little girls are supposed to fight monsters, but she gives Sakura's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, and smiles gently.

"Why don't you take a few deep breaths for me, and when you're feeling better we can go look for the monster together. We can make sure it doesn't hurt anyone?" She doubts there's an actual monster, it's more likely something innocuous has scared the girl, which means Steph wants to first calm her down, then reassure her about whatever has caused the panic. And, well, if it is an actual monster, Steph can probably handle it.

[notyetwonderwoman]

Sakura is obediant enough, making herself concentrate on this stranger as she inhales long and slow, then breathes out through her mouth. It's a variation on a meditation technique from the Academy, calming her down and focusing her energy.

When she feels calm enough to speak without babbling, Sakura opens her eyes and looks to Steph. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to panic. I'm not good with that rule at all..."

She trails off uncertainly. "But there really was a monster, or something big and fast, with bright eyes that shone and feet that moved so quick it was like they were rolling."

Cars are so far outside her realm of experience she can barely recognize that rolling is exactly what had been going on.

[controlledvariable]

"It's alright," The reassurance comes instantly, because she doesn't want Sakura to feel guilty for being scared of whatever she came across. But she does listen to the descrption, frowning as she tries to match it to an actual object.

Is... is she talking about a car? It seems ridiculous, until Steph reminds herself that there are elves and all sorts of people here, and it isn't so unbelievable that someone hasn't seen a car before.

"I think I know what you're talking about, give me a second," She lets go of Sakura's shoulder and pulls a pen out of her pocket, using it to draw a picture of a sedan on the palm of her hand, which she then shows to Sakura, "Did it look a little like this?"

For a thirty second drawing on the palm of her hand, it's pretty decent, and she's gone with this option rather than taking Sakura back to the road, since she'd rather not scare her again.

[ino]

She's actually on her way to go find Sakura on that first day -- after all, now that the mission was over with, she wanted to see how her best friend was doing. She wasn't exactly expecting to bump into a child on the way there, though. As she glances down to make sure the kid is alright, she comes across an even more surprising sight.

Even if she hadn't known Sakura since they were kids, it would have been obvious who stood in front of her. Her experience in Paradisa thankfully keeps her from being surprised at Sakura's current age, and she kneels down to eye level with her, eyebrows raised in concern.

"Sakura? Are you alright?"

[notyetwonderwoman]

Sakura doesn't recognize the woman talking to her, but she feels hope blossom in her chest when they use her name. "I'm okay," she said. She was sure that was true, even if she was a lot of other things besides okay. "Um, you know me?"

[ino]

Oh, boy. How to explain this?

"You mean you don't recognize me?" She'll reach back with one hand to push her ponytail over her shoulder with a smile. "It must be the long hair. It's me, Ino."

A jutsu gone wrong? Or maybe the truth? Sakura was smart enough to understand that much, wasn't she?

[notyetwonderwoman]

Sakura blinked, processing what Ino said. She knew exactly what Ino looked like, and if she thought about what years would add to Ino, it would amount to at least this much beauty in her best friend.

She went from surprised to pleased, beaming at Ino as she clapped her hands together in front of her chest. "You've already mastered henge! Ino, you're amazing! No one else in our class is even close to trying yet!"

Considering it was part of the Academy graduation exam, that wasn't terribly surprising.

[ino]

... Yeah, she feels bad about lying to the kid. And Sakura is smart enough, it'd be likely that she could figure it out, given the resources ...

"Well, actually ... it's not a henge." She pauses. Sakura at least believed that it was her, so that was a good start ... "I'll explain everything about this place and what's going on, but first, how about we get out of the rain?"

[futurarex]

Morgana's reversion is weighing heavily on Arthur these days. If he were in Camelot, he might go out for a hunt, or at least a ride--but his options here are limited, and so he turns instead to walking, getting to know this city better. He's already been here for far too long; he knows the streets better than he'd like. But at least his familiarity means that he can walk without concentrating too hard, which means he can let himself become distracted by the roundabout thoughts of Morgana--

But he's not so engaged in thinking that he doesn't hear his own name being spoken aloud. He's near the market, he realizes, absently, as he comes to firmer focus. Near the market, and the voice asking after him is unfamiliar--and so is the girl, when he finally picks her out. Pink hair is not so common (in Camelot, at least), and Haruno Sakura rises briefly to mind--and is instantly dismissed. She is a young lady, not a child.

He goes over to her anyways, carefully, intent on not disturbing her. He'd be first to admit that he's not good with children, but he can at least not frighten this girl, who already seems vaguely afraid.

"I am Prince Arthur Pendragon." He stops a small ways off--close enough that they can talk and hear one another, but just short of being too close. Uncertainly, he tugs at the edge of his tunic, straightening it just slightly over his chainmail. "Why are you asking of me? What help do you need?"

[notyetwonderwoman]

She whirls around to look up at the man speaking. What she sees makes no sense, from how he's dressed to how he seems to be lacking bodyguards, or anything she'd expect of someone from the nobility. She's heard all of the stories, after all!

Sakura swallows, tablet held tight to her chest. She considers if this might not be who she's looking for, but the fact remains no one else has responded to her questions or her calls.

Realizing she has no idea what the proper way to ask really is, Sakura goes for the greatest showing of respect she can remember from stories and lessons in etiquette should a kunoichi be on mission and made to interact or playact like she's working for, around, or part of the nobility.

She drops down to her knees, tucking her tablet into her lap as she bends over. She places both hands on the cold, wet ground and lets her forehead come down to rest on her wrists.

"Prince Arthur Pendragon, this humble person begs of you a great favor!"

Please don't be angry with me.

[futurarex]

What...?

Arthur actually takes a half-step back at that. He's used to courtesies and manners of the court--he's used to formalities and official procedures--and of course he's used to people bowing to him. That's been a part of life since before he can remember; even when he was a child there were people bowing. And, honestly, he's missed formalities.

That makes this sudden outburst no less strange. After all, prostration isn't the same as bowing.

"Er," he says, first, and then, recovering slightly-- "You can stand up." Has he met this child? No, the only girl he's much spoken with was Cat, who now seems as clueless as Morgana. "Stand up. What's your favor? And what are you called," he adds, not so much a gesture of courtesy as an honest attempt to work out how this girl knows about him.

[notyetwonderwoman]

Granted permission to stand, Sakura does so, awkward in her shuffle of limbs and tablet and damp hands she wipes one at a time on the bottom of her shirt. "Haruno Sakura, Your Highness."

She didn't meet his eyes, focusing instead on a point on his chest. Nobility was frightening, even if they dressed so very strangely. "I, um. I have this note, about a class I..."

Sakura stops, clutching her tablet tight to her chest like it will impart its odd knowledge directly into her brain. It doesn't do anything of the sort, but it almost gives her confidence.

"I'm supposed to teach a class that I don't know how to, Your Highness. You'd made this person an offer of assistance which I'm not humbly begging you to grant now."

Finally daring to look at his face, her own is pulled into an expression of earnestness mixed with fear as she waits for his response.

[futurarex]

Arthur is listening, but all thought more or less stops when she says her name--which means he misses a majority of her actual request, but that's quite all right, because it's the first bit of this that is actually giving him the hang-up.

"You're Haruno Sakura?" he says, incredulously, nearly as soon as she's finished making her request. Begging? He catches that word at least, and mentally runs over what it is she's asked, what he's distantly absorbed as he stood there staring at her tiny face and trying to work out how it is that the grown Haruno Sakura could have become a child.

Morgana is one thing. She's forgotten her magic; he can accept that, mostly. Perhaps because he wants to. This is different.

This is weird.

"Look, this isn't a joke, is it," he says, suspiciously. "I understand some pretty strange things are happening around here--" The work of sorcery, of course, and his mouth tightens a little-- "but this is a bit much."

[supitslilith]

Lilith is genuinely happy to see a kid not crying or on the verge of it. It was not only getting making her tired of having a conscience, but depressing to boot.

Still, she doesn't feel great about just leaving kids to roam around on their own outside. Even if this one in particular looks like she can probably defend herself pretty well with a handful of rocks.

Not bothering to hide her approach, Lilith comes closer to Sakura from behind, hands in her pockets.

"You've got a pretty good arm, kid."

[notyetwonderwoman]

Sakura looks over her shoulder, startled to have someone who isn't Ino or her friend Mr. Kaneis talking to her. The even more startling part is being complimented by a total stranger.

Her cheeks gain color, eyes darting up to Lilith's face, then down again to Sakura's feet. "Thank you," she says politely. "I'm going to need to get much better."

She clasps the stone she was about to throw to her leg, shuffling a little in awkwardness. "Did you... want to see me throw another?"

[supitslilith]

Alright, so this girl was maybe not as confident as she looked when she was just throwing rocks at things. That was alright. Nothing wrong with being shy or whatever.

"Yeah? There someone you need to throw rocks at or something?"

Lilith ends up laughing at her question. It seemed like such a strange one to her. What is she even supposed to say to that?

"Sure kid, if you want."

[notyetwonderwoman]

"Not yet," she says, very serious. "One day I'll be throwing kunai, but there aren't a lot of those around to practice with. So I'm using rocks."

She feels shy, secretly pleased this stranger is willing to see what she can do. At the same time, what if she's not good enough?

Sakura swallows, sliding into a ready stance and moving the stone around in her small hand. She eyes her target on the wall, a crudely drawn outline of a person, and releases the stone.

It flies through the air, smacking the wall around the breastbone of the rough drawing and bouncing back to fall to the ground. Sakura passes another stone from her free hand to her throwing hand, sending another stone following the first.

The second stone hits its target in the thigh.

[chargethesebatteries]

Tamora's a bit irritated to be told to go check on a paltry complaint, but it's been a slow day anyway. She had brought Riku with her on the first few hours of patrol, but he tended to get worn out by mid-shift; she wasn't so concerned about leaving him home alone when all he was doing was napping, anyway. But really, why is she being sent to investigate someone throwing rocks? There are far more important things she could be doing. Ugh, whatever; it's not like it's far. Swinging the cruiser around she heads to the coordinates in question, and sure enough as she rounds a bend a small rock hits the side of the cruiser.

"Hey!" Darn it, she just had this thing painted! Her eyes snap up irritatedly to look for the culprit. "All right, who threw that? Come out with your hands up!"

She's probably taking it a little too personally now, but come on, she already lost one cruiser, and she can't replace it here!

[notyetwonderwoman]

Sakura froze once she heard someone shouting, already cringing when her stone had gone wide and clanged off something that didn't sound like stone or cement. Her hands slowly lift above her head, confused by the request even as she's frightened into complying.

Sakura slowly edges around the building, green eyes bright with fright and a glimmer of possible tears. What have I done?

"I... I have my hands up?"

She sounds entirely confused as to why this is the case.

[chargethesebatteries]

Tamora's fully prepared to give a significant piece of her mind to whoever threw that rock; she already had to deal with an anti-cop problem in the ruins and this isn't what she needs today. She can understand that the people have no love for law enforcement, but the harassment isn't okay; she supposes it's to be expected in this sort of anarchic society, though.

When a thin, frightened voice pipes up in return, though, Tamora frowns and hops down off the cruiser. Wait, that can't be right. She watches a little girl with pink hair step out of the bushes, looking chastised, and her jaw slides ajar.

"Haruno?" The name falls from her lips before she really thinks about it, but she can't imagine there are too many other pink-haired green-eyed girls around this city. She waves a hand then. "Okay, you can put your hands down; I thought you were... someone else."

Even if it's not Sakura, the kid looks too scared and confused to have thrown the rock at her on purpose.

"You're... Sakura, aren't you?" She's so used to calling everyone by surname that it's strange to use the girl's given name, but a kid's not really going to respond to that so well, she figures. It looks like whatever happened to Riku and Vanadi has happened to Sakura as well; what in the world is going on?

[notyetwonderwoman]

Sakura couldn't figure out what was going on. This woman recognized her, which made her another Transport by a decent margin. Reviewing her notes had told her most people on a first name basis with her numbered in the Transport population.

Further confusion arose after having the informal address tacked on after the formal. Were they such close friends in the future she's yet to remember? Sakura slowly brings her hands down, confusion on her face.

"Yes," she said slowly, admitting to her name even as she realized perhaps she shouldn't. Only this woman looked official in some capacity. There had to be something to trust in there, right? "I'm Haruno Sakura. I'm... who are you?"

later in the week?

[prevenge]

[Rin gains a little confidence as the days go by and nothing terrible happens to her. She explores the apartments and grubs around outside a little - there are mucky, dusty corners and sheltered nooks where a girl can play in the dirt without attracting undue attention or causing trouble. It's a real drag not to have toys! She's not used to that at all! But she winds down and resigns herself to it nevertheless. Tracing whorls in the dust and daydreaming to herself.

Like enough kids do she gets lost in her own head sometimes. The fascination of her hands and dirt and whatever bobs and bits she finds for toys. But she pops into alertness at surprising intervals too. And one of those times when she does, of course a flash of pink catches her eye.]

Woahhh... heyyy!

you got it

[notyetwonderwoman]

( Sakura was hurrying by on her own errand, one that chiefly involves worrying that she's worrying someone who doesn't know she's away from home: her mother. Ino had explained it twice, once more than she really needed, but it was hard for Sakura to really accept what had been said.

She did, but it wasn't getting any easier to swallow.

She looks up when a young voice calls out, turning her head to the side and catching sight of another girl, around her age. She's not sure what to do -- she looks around, wondering who was being called out to.

Finding no one, she sends Rin a quizzical look, bringing one hand up to her chest in a gesture of "who, me?" )