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Post by Sabaku no Gaara on Jul 10, 2007 1:30:28 GMT -5
He felt so tired. But he would not show it, not the slightest sign. It could never be helped in his case, anyway; it was always there, at the edge of his consciousness, even when he managed to banish it to a less significant corner of his mind.
Imperceptibly taking a deep, relaxing breath, Gaara fixed his eyes back onto the reports and registers the hospital receptionist was showing him. There were a lot of names and he couldn't hope to memorize all of them, but he tried to get a general idea of how many people had come here lately and what results had arrived from treatments and surgery. It looked like the hospital was doing good.
"There were no deaths in the past few months, Kazekage-sama," the receptionist informed him, somewhat proud, but trying to keep herself in check around him.
Gaara nodded sensibly, letting her know that he appreciated that and commended the hospital staff for their good work.
"Do you get new medical nins?" he asked, concerned with the future of the whole matter as well.
"Hai, Kazekage-sama," the woman replied, with apparent relief. "Enough of them to keep us running efficiently."
Somehow, people always cringed a little when he spoke. It was his status, no doubt for that, but also... his past...
"Arigatou gozaimasu," Gaara said formally, his tone cold, but he managed to retain the piercing tint he felt like giving it to himself.
There was no room for his personal insecurities here.
With that, he turned from the papers and the receptionist's desk, his business there concluded. He glanced around the entry hallway, which seemed to be empty with the exception of two nurses. The day looked like a less congested one, or maybe the hours were closed to visiting. He didn't know the hospital's schedule, he realized.
He would see it displayed on the entrance door as he left.
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Usagi Taranabi
Genin
Sand Shinobi
Waaah, school starts today *sob sob*
Posts: 472
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Post by Usagi Taranabi on Jul 10, 2007 1:43:18 GMT -5
Usagi had been training under a nurse at the hospital, but her lessons almost put her to sleep. The nurse she had been assigned to was sharp and strict, the slightest mistake would set her off. Usagi would've left, but she had to bring her bunny Nagori to the vet. She had fractured one of her legs. After her lessons, she went to the kennels to pick her up. She wanted to get out of here, and fast. She paid the vet and headed towards the door in a rush.
" See? Was that so bad?" Usagi cooed to Nagori. Nagori shivered. " I know, some of the people around here give me the creeps, too," she said, finally looking up. She gasped, then fell over as she noticed she was about to run into someone.
" Nagori, calm down!" the poor bunny was so shocked she had clawed Usagi. Usagi sighed and collected her scattered things, then stood up. She almost fell over again when she noticed who she had nearly collided with. Gaara, of all people.
" Oh, no," she thought, as her face turned red. " Not again."
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Post by Sabaku no Gaara on Jul 10, 2007 1:57:00 GMT -5
Gaara had been hearing somebody approach, but he was fairly uninterested right then. All he wanted was to exit the hospital and get back to the confines of his office, where he at least didn't make anyone feel uncomfortable and a bit afraid.
He hadn't thought the person would nearly collide with him, however. He was relieved when they stopped in time and didn't come close enough to slamming into him for his sand to rise up and form a barrier. He hadn't hurt another person unwillingly, at least.
Turning his head to see who it was, he froze at the recognition of Usagi and a bit of surprise was read in his otherwise glazed teal eyes. She was the last person he had been expecting to see. He wanted to help her pick up her fallen things, but she was too quick for him and he was left with just the thought.
She looked shifty, almost as if she wished they hadn't met again. It was understandable, especially given the situation. But it didn't make Gaara feel any better.
"Are you hurt?" he inquired politely.
He owed her that, at least. Though he still wasn't sure how she hadn't managed to notice him in time. Maybe she had been distracted.
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Usagi Taranabi
Genin
Sand Shinobi
Waaah, school starts today *sob sob*
Posts: 472
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Post by Usagi Taranabi on Jul 10, 2007 2:05:13 GMT -5
Usagi stood there, frozen. It's not like she didn't want to see him. But she didn't want to run into him like this, either. " Haha, run into him. Ha, I crack myself up," she thought, then snapped back.
" I-I'm sorry, KazeKage-sama," she said, bowing. She felt her face return to normal, for the most part. But a shade of pink still remained, as always. " I was distracted by Nagori," she said, tripping over her words. Nagori, on the other hand, kept perferctly quiet, still as a statue.
Usagi bit her lip. She hoped he wasn't mad. If he got mad, it would be bad enough. If TEMARI found out... she gulped, afraid to even think about what would happen.
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Post by Sabaku no Gaara on Jul 10, 2007 2:14:44 GMT -5
For a few moments longer, Gaara just looked at her, his eyes gradually losing the sharp quality of their relentless gaze and softening up a little. Even though their color still made them look a little cold and unwelcoming. It always did. The creases of a small frown disappeared from his face and, though he did not smile or show any sign of benevolence, he was left calm and inexpressive.
"It's all right," he told her honestly.
He would have liked to be comforting and to offer her the reassurance that she constantly craved. But he didn't feel capable of it at the moment, too weary and insecure himself. Sometimes, it really seemed like things were better than they actually were, in reality. And he always eventually found out the exact truth.
He had adapted a lot, but he still had a long road to being entirely accepted.
One day... Naruto, he promised silently. He always did think of the cheerful and caring blond Jinchuuriki when he was having problems. It never failed to calm him down. The thought that he could, perhaps, come to be as inspiring as him...
"I'm glad to see you aren't hurt either," he added to Usagi, managing a bit of kindness.
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Usagi Taranabi
Genin
Sand Shinobi
Waaah, school starts today *sob sob*
Posts: 472
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Post by Usagi Taranabi on Jul 10, 2007 2:26:03 GMT -5
Usagi let out a slow breath. He wasn't angry, thank the goddess. She slowly exhaled, then nearly yelped when Nagori dug her claws into her arms. She bit her tongue to prevent herself from yelling out.
" I-I..." she mumbled, unable to think of anything to say. Nagori hopped down, revealing Usagi's arms, which had numerous claw marks. ' Great, I'll have to take care of that when I get home,' she thought. She clutched her arm to herself, hoping Gaara wouldn't see. Nagori looked up to Usagi, giving her a sassy little ' bunny grin '. Usagi simply glared at her, then turned back to Gaara, letting her arm fall at her side.
" I..uh.. hope I didn't bother you, KazeKage-sama," she said shyly, tucking another looses lock of hair behind her ear. ' Darn hair,' she thought. ' I need to get it cut,' but she could never bring herself to do anything more than trim it.
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Post by Sabaku no Gaara on Jul 10, 2007 2:37:27 GMT -5
Gaara didn't fail to notice the scratches along Usagi's arm, even despite her would-be subtle attempt to hide them from him. It wasn't anything critical, of course, but still... And yet, she didn't seem to be blaming her pet for it, or to be holding any tiny bit of all those marks against it. Just like...
...Yashamaru...
Yashamaru had said wounds of the flesh healed easily compared to those of the heart... and that was why... they weren't important. At least not when you cared about someone.
With a tiny internal effort, Gaara chased the memory away, this not being the time or the place for it. Calmly, he approached her, not bothering to offer her words to prove she was, indeed, not bothering him in the slightest. His eyes were cast down, to the same arm, which she had now lowered along her side.
He stopped right in front of him, turning his gaze to her face, once more. He didn't want to make her fidget with his fixed and rather intimidatingly inexpressive stare, but he would at least make sure she couldn't refuse that way.
"Saa," he said simply, his tone leaving little room for an objection. "Let's get someone to clean those cuts for you."
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Post by Mau Kawa on Jul 10, 2007 2:38:23 GMT -5
Mau growled as another needle pricked her. She was training to make a special antidote for a person who had got bitten by an unknown snake, so she had to run back and forth to different rooms to gather the things she needed. Many people were at the hospital, so Mau had to constantly dodge them to avoid running into anyone. Soon she came to the last room, grabbed the supplies, and walked down the hallway to the exit. But as soon as she turned the corner, she saw her friend Usagi and someone else. "Am I interrupting anything?" Mau asked. Now REALLY wasn't the time to get anyone upset.
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Usagi Taranabi
Genin
Sand Shinobi
Waaah, school starts today *sob sob*
Posts: 472
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Post by Usagi Taranabi on Jul 10, 2007 2:48:10 GMT -5
Usagi couldn't find her voice, so she simply nodded. She glanced at Nagori, who was giggling. Well, as much as a bunny can giggle. ' Yeah, just laugh your head off,' she thought sarcastically. ' When we get home, I'm making Bunny Stew.' She knew she would never hurt Nagori. She tried not to hurt anyone. But Nagori was making things pretty tough for Usagi.
Usagi turned to see her friend Mau. " Uhh... I..um... don't think so," she said, keeping her voice low and her eyes to the ground. She was alredy embaressed enough, the last thing she wanted was to say something stupid.
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Post by Mau Kawa on Jul 10, 2007 2:54:41 GMT -5
Mau's tail slightly bristled as she could feel a lot of tension in the air. She turned to the other guy and looked him over. He had red hair and teal eyes. Mau shivered. He kind of reminded her of someone, but she couldn't remember who..."Who's this?" Mau asked, flattening her cat ears. Somehow, though, it didn't seem like the smartest thing to do. It was just by instinct.
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Post by Sabaku no Gaara on Jul 10, 2007 2:56:04 GMT -5
At the sound of a voice he couldn't recognize, Gaara's attention abandoned Usagi for the moment to be entirely poised on the new arrival. Noticing that she was not the possessor of a Sand forehead protector and glancing quickly at the objects she held, apparently medical supplies, his eyes narrowed. In a mere second, they had regained every single ounce of determination and not-to-be-trifled-with look.
No, he did not know this person. And he most ceetainly did not know what those were doing in the hands of a stranger, who was definitely not even a Sand shinobi, not to mention a certified medical nin. Not a very pleasing twist of events.
"Who authorized you to roam the hospital?" he asked sharply, his firm tone demanding of an answer that had better be satisfactory. "And especially to access restricted areas like the storage?"
He was not angry, not even irritated. But sometimes, calmness could be more imposing and frightening than that. Especially in his case of absolute stillness.
His lips were cast into a straight, unamused line. There would be no disturbances in the hospital, as he would most certainly not allow any. He made sure that was clearly understood from both his severe tone and his unfaltering stance. He held steady, looking unscathed. He was the Kazekage, after all. Authority was entirely his, here or anywhere in this village.
((Mau, I'd appreciate it if you waited for your turn to post. Thank you very much.))
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Usagi Taranabi
Genin
Sand Shinobi
Waaah, school starts today *sob sob*
Posts: 472
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Post by Usagi Taranabi on Jul 10, 2007 3:01:24 GMT -5
Usagi winced, and hid her face with her hands. Mau had a pretty short fuse, and if some one even looked at her wrong... she shivered. She could tell this little visit wouldn't be a very pretty one.
Nagori was looking at each person when they talked, first Usagi, then Mau, then Gaara, then back to Mau, waiting for her reply.
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Post by Mau Kawa on Jul 10, 2007 3:08:51 GMT -5
((Uh...ok Gaara, I'm not sure when exactly you wanted me to reply, but I guess now is good right? If not, sorry))
Mau bit her tongue with her sharp fangs. Who did he think he was? Mau's tail puffed out to full size, and her ears flattened as far as they could go, but she held her place. It wasn't smart to attack when she didn't know who he was. "I've been here for a while now, I've been training as a medical ninja. And on top of all of that, I asked for permission to 'roam the hospitals'." Mau hissed. Then she turned to Usagi. "Who is this?" Mau asked her in a calmer tone.
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Post by Sabaku no Gaara on Jul 10, 2007 3:22:13 GMT -5
((Yep, now is good. I just would like all of us to have one post per round, as not to disproportion the thread. It's not nice when you're typing something and then, when you post, you find out a whole new page of posts popped up in the meanwhile.))
Gaara glanced briefly at Usagi, who seemed to know the stranger. He did recall her mentioning a friend named Mau, whom she had been training with. Perhaps this was her. However, that offered no excuse for such uncouth behavior and for refusal to respond properly to him. If he allowed as much from an unprivileged stranger, then how would it be fair to the actual inhabitants of his village?
His eyes returned to the other girl, no less piercing than before.
"Who exactly gave you that permission?" he asked again, calmly folding his arms across his chest, veiled in the robe's large white sleeves.
He would think anyone who came to Suna was smart enough to figure there was a chain of command, just like in any other village. And also, even if they couldn't tell he was the Kage himself, it would be pretty obvious he was high up that chain, with how he had acted and with the practiced ease to appear as if he deserved to be informed of things.
If she had been authorized - and a few days ago, no less - all well for her. But granting access to strangers from the village was never done without informing the Kazekage. Therefore, if she wasn't lying, someone else would have to report about this breaching of the rules.
Maintaining his stance, showing her that he disconsidered her entirely and was unimpressed, he waited for her reply. For her own good, she should better tell him what he wanted to know.
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Usagi Taranabi
Genin
Sand Shinobi
Waaah, school starts today *sob sob*
Posts: 472
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Post by Usagi Taranabi on Jul 10, 2007 3:27:02 GMT -5
" M-Mau? this is Gaara, the KazeKage, remember?" Usagi spoke up. Nagori snickered. This new girl was just ASKING for trouble.
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