Board Thread:World-wide RP/@comment-31966106-20170715173058/@comment-28929139-20170716023010

Kideme stood there staring at him, stonyfaced and ramrod straight in posture. She listened to everything he had to see. She could see that there was something there....from him. But everything he said was only suffixed with that one expression.

"...She's not my wife."

Once upon a time, there wouldn't have been anything that Kideme would say no to be there for Shien, to make him smile, for him to be happy. And without expecting anything in return. That was one thing, but Kideme also remembered another thing that Shien said in the past.

'' "Can you stop calling them our children? It makes everyone look at me like I'm weird." ''

Another line that also made Kideme realize that she was chasing a pipe dream.

That wasn't to say that Shien's feelings for her now weren't valid or without substance, but he had had her love once, served to him on a silver platter and he didn't seem to want it then because of other things and other people. And she tried to look past it even when people ridiculed her for her eccentric, fanatic behavior. So it was with a heavy heart that Kideme sighed and looked him in the eyes.

"You were embarrassed by me." It wasn't a question, nor it was an assumption.

Her eyes were a bit glassy, but she shook her head to keep them dry and stay strong. "I can't."

Kideme put down her koto box to give him a one armed hug, it was brief but firm. "I care for you Shien, but you broke my heart long ago."

After letting go, she faced him one more time before picking up her box and starting to move past him. "I'm sorry."

~

When the alarm came for all the shinobi to deploy before Ms. Fuma and her men, Kideme was right there in line at attention. She listened to all that was said, and once they had been dismissed, she began making her way toward her barracks for tonight. Kideme had a feeling they were in for a loooooonnngggg trip.