Informal Hospitality - Hiyo & Shirumi Only

The day was getting old, the briefest of sunsets had begun; time was ticking away to night. Such was the time for all to seek their place of rest for the night. The Monkey's of Nihano compound in their trees and the humans of the suna village in their homes. Everyone had such a place in the village, including the refugees of Konoha. Everyone, to Hiyo's knowledge, except her new friend, Shirumi. The pair walked through the Honoured Court, past the flags at the outer gates to the compound and through to the slowly quietening sound of Monkeys getting ready for bed.

A guard at a tent by the secondary gate gave Hiyo a polite nod as she passed, making a 'kai' symbol; the gate opened smoothly for them to pass by. With a small, mildly nervous mumble, Hiyo seemed to be running over what she would say to her father to ask him to let Shirumi stay at the compound. She couldn't let a friend sleep on the streets. More Monkeys sat in nearby tree branches, watching Shirumi with clearly suspicious and investigative glares. However, Hiyo just turned to face Shirumi with a warm grin.

"Hey! I just though. You'd be my quest so you'd get to eat with us too." Hiyo chirped. "it'd be much better than you sleeping on some dirty roof."

She would walk backwards to speak to him as they passed by a small dojo, separate from the main building. This small building possessed a large stone statue of a woman Shirumi could not recognize until the name plate came into view, showing a tribute to 'Tamiteko Nihano'

"The Inka clan took most of the Konoha refugees so we still have plenty of room."

The Steel Country just didnt have people like Hiyodori in it, and if it did, Shirumi had clearly never met them. Hospitality for a soldier? Pssh.. he was expected to live it tough! Even as he followed her into the compound of the Nihano clan, he felt sets of eyes peering at him until he caught glimpse of a monkey or two. He just hoped that the rumors of clan members being monkeys was a false one as they didnt look like the sort of animals to be crossed.

The fear of monkey stalkers during his time here melted away as Hiyo mentioned the prospect of food to him. Shirumi had only had one good meal since coming to Suna and it cost him a pretty penny at that restaurant. That and the fact he had been surviving off soba noodles was sort of uplifting, even through his shroud of confidence he tried to keep on the outside. "Awesome! Though... if there's anything you need me to do around here... chores and such. I am not one to leave debts unpaid." The raven haired swordsman replied to her with a grin that radiated that same aura he kept on the outside, which hid any shred of doubt that lingered on his heart. Hiyo's words about the Inka, though, only fell on his ears and he nodded to her. His mind was focused on the tasks at hand mixed with the labors of sleep that weighed heavy like stone weights on his mind.

"Well, You're thinking a longer term stay then I suppose my parents would appreciate you helping with some of the chores." she shrugged, tripping over a rock, stumbling awkwardly before turning back to walk the proper way. "We don't normally turn away people without a home anyway. All our secrets are super hidden!" She chuckled cheerfully again, skipping ahead to the front door of the main building, built into the cliff wall.

"Heeey~ Kimbo open up!" she called to the large heavy looking door. "It's Hiyo and a friend."

At that point, a slot opened up in the door and a monkey peered through, did it have an eyepatch? either way it grunted, closed the hatch and proceeded to unlock the door, allowing them inside. 'Kimbo' sat on a comfy hammock by the door with some fruit, clearly the doorguard today.

"Yo, Hiyo-chan." The black monkey with the eyepatch and wooden sword on his back looked to Shirumi, a flat expression on his face. "Who's the dweeb?"

"Kimbo!" she quickly whined at him. "Mind your manners, he's my guest!"

The monkey rolled his eye and slumped back into his hammock, letting them both past. Inside the Nihano compound, it looked like a fairly typical house for suna, which the addition of sliding doors and more traditional architecture, making it quite open plan and spacious. Setting her shoes by the door she skipped up the pair of steps, calling out.

"Heeey~ anyone around? Daad? Mooom? Auntie?" She yelled through the corridor.

"In the tea room~" a woman's voice called out.

Gesturing to Shirumi with a 'follow' command and a smile she'd walk down the corridor.

Shirumi followed Hiyodori with a smile on his face. The monkey with the attitude didnt seem to bother the raven haired samurai as he just enjoyed the fact that somebody actually gave a damn were he slept. It was interesting to have somebody even care, as he felt most folks in the Sand Village were self-absorbed with their own relationship drama to the point were consideration of others went out the window. Of course, the fact that Shiru had confessed his feelings of attraction to the taijutsu-ninjutsu martial artist which was taking him under the shelter was probably a factor in this too.

Following Hiyodori to hear her call for parentals and other relations only made him shudder lightly, but he had purged true fear from his heart and replaced it with courage and bravery. If he had the heart to face down enemies who wanted to take his life, he could face down a father who might at the very least threaten it over his daughter's safety and well-being. It was something he understood and kept at the back of his mind as he walked with her. "As you wish." were the words he spoke as he acknowledged her gesture for him to follow... waiting for an introduction before saying anything to the people in the tea room.

Leading them ahead to one of the sliding doors, Hiyo hummed a small tune, almost skipping down the hallway. Sliding the door open she popped her head in. "Heeey~ Obasan~" She greeted, gesturing for Shirumi to wait a moment.

"Ah, Hiyo, Good Evening." The older voice replied. "I heard a second pair of footsteps who's with you?"

Hiyo 'irked' a moment, having forgotten about her auntie's amazing hearing. With a few steps into the living room, she guided Shirumi in.

"um.. A friend, he's calle-" Hiyo spoke bashfully, interupted.

"Let him speak for himself." The older woman replied.

This elder Nihano sat at the low table, enjoying some milky tea with another elderly monkey across the table. She wore a more traditional green, short Cheongsam and matching black trousers. Her greying hair tied up into a bun. Vibrant pale blue eyes looking at Shirumi with a calm neutrality.

"Go on, Young man. speak. be relaxed."

Excellent !

EDIT: Paid!