The Land of Tea: Welcome Home Haruka (Shizuke)

[Shizuke Tsukiyama]

I smiled and swallowed before I began to speak.
"When I have my hair down, I usually put in white ribbons to keep it out my face, but quite often when I'm training I tie it up in a bun." I said. Yukio nodded.
"My hair use to be shorter, just above shoulder length, but I decided to let it grow out again, I'll be cutting it once we get back to Konoha." Yukio said.

Yuo glanced at Haruka then smiled a bit. He didn't feel like admitting that he had long hair, it was just tied back.

[Haruka Kunimitsu]

"But still, it is more lady like. You keep your long hair for what reason?" Renga asked retorically. Then, immpatient for an answer, she answered it herself. "Because it is what keeps your womanhood. One can not rightly pass such without it."
Haruka returned Yuo's smile before turning to Renga angerly. "Looks have nothing to do with one's feminism, Outori-san..." she grumbled, her brow furrowed.

[Shizuke Tsukiyama]

I broke in quickly.
"I keep my long hair because, yes it does make me actually look like I am a girl, but also because it was my fathers wish for me to have long black hair. He told me that if I cut it, I wouldn't look as much like his pretty daughter." I said. Yukio nodded.
"Shizuke's father loved her very much, and he kept pictures of her on the walls. He was very proud of her." Yukio said.

Yuo gripped tightly onto Haruka's hand.
"Please don't start screaming." he whispered.

[Haruka Kunimitsu]

"You only prove my point more young lady..." Renga said with a smile to Shizuke. "It makes us what we are: women." Ling broke in here.
"Not nessisarily mother. Haruka's mother was the same way. Remember?" he said, holding his hand up above his shoulder. 'Her hair was always that short. You never objected to her's."
"That's because she was not a citizen of out village..." she replied. "She was an outsider that her father married on a trip..." she seemed ticked off by this statement.
Haruka whispered back hasitly. "I won't. But now she's talking about my mother. Forgive me if i jump on her..."

[Shizuke Tsukiyama]

I quickly took a bite of my food and swallowed.
"I'm sorry to intrude on this, but we are not outsiders." I said.
"I am not proving any point of yours ma'am." I said.
"My father, what he meant was that without my long hair, I just didn't look like me, not that I didn't look like a girl." I said.
Yuo gripped her hand tighter.
"Don't you dare, you could cause serious trouble." Yuo whispered.
"Haruka still looks feminine to me, it is her choice." I added.

[Haruka Kunimitsu]

Renga frowned, making the few wrinkles on her face more noticable, but she did not answer. She ate the rest of her meal in silence. Haruka couldn't help but grin slightly at this. "Well, that shut her up..." she whispered in pleasure. "Thanks for hushing her up Shi." he whispered across the table to her. She decided to try and enjoy what was left of the dinner.

[Shizuke Tsukiyama]

I smiled happily, chowing down on the rest my food. I was proud that I could keep Renga quiet. Yukio smiled at me as she munched on her food too.

Yuo sighed and finished off eating.
"She's good at that, and she wasn't proving any point." Yuo said quietly to Haruka.
"It is true, Father was very proud of Shizuke, when she was born he kept saying that she was going to be his pride and joy." Yuo whispered.

[Haruka Kunimitsu]

Everyone was about done, except Ling, who had taken a large amount of food to begin with. He stayed at the table to finished as his mother and sister got up to take their dishes to the table.
"And you weren't?" Haruka asked, slightly louder now that Renga was gone, but still causious as she was in the next room. "You were the first born. I don't really get it."

[Shizuke Tsukiyama]

I finished my food and so did Yukio. I chased after Renga and Haruhi, bringing the plates along with me.
Yukio chuckled.
"When I was born I was Father's pride and joy, but don't forget, I'm a major klutz." he said.
"After my father found that out he wasn't as proud." Yuo explained.
"A father with a son who can't keep himself from getting hurt, really has nothing to be proud of." Yuo sighed.
"Shizuke was his pride and joy, because of course, she was his only daughter, and she was strong and actually pretty brave." Yuo said. Yukio nodded.
"She was fearless as a child."

[Haruka Kunimitsu]

Haruka grimaced. "But shouldn't parents be proud of their kids, no matter what?" she pointed out. "If your father was that judgemental, he can't be the best man..." she slumped down in her seat, her hand still around his, though she was tempted to pull it away. "It's just... depressing... i can't see why you wouldn't hate your father for that."

[Shizuke Tsukiyama]

"Don't get me wrong, he was proud of me!" Yuo chuckled.
"Just not as much as Shizuke." he sighed a bit.
"Father was proud that everytime I was injured or sick, it didn't hold me back. I still played with Shizuke, and did as much training as I could. So basically, he was proud that I was strong." Yuo said.
"Shizuke, she was fearless, pretty, cuddly, and strong. Much more than I was." he sighed again.

[Haruka Kunimitsu]

Haruka heard the faucet turn on in the kitchen as Renga and Haruhi started the dishes. "Shizuke-san, you can give us your plate." Renga said, kindy. "You are company. Ling will show you to your rooms." she added, loudly enough that Ling would hear.
"Yes, mother!" Ling yelled back as he finished his plate and took it to the kitchen.

"But still..." Haruka said, "That's prefurantial treatent. It's wrong." She scooted her chair so it was directly next to his, knowing that Renga posed no threat at the moment.

[Shizuke Tsukiyama]

I bowed my head quickly.
"May I please help with the dishes? I clean quite often and I don't want to be a burden." I said, still holding the dishes.

Yuo laughed.
"Don't worry about it." Yuo said.
"I completely understand why he was very proud of Shizuke. She was his first daughter, and she was fearless from the moment she crawl." Yuo laughed again.
"I remember when I had broken my arm, and had Shizuke tugging on me and screaming." he smiled.
"Turned out she just wanted a hug."

[Haruka Kunimitsu]

Renga again shook her head as she took Ling's plate. "I won't have it. You're a guest, and you will be treated as such." she again smiled, but it was more forceful, more demanding. "Now run along."

Haruka let her head fall onto his shoulder. "That must have been when you were younger... if she was throwing a fit like that..." she said as her eyes closed. She was merely trying to get off of the bad part of the topic.

[Shizuke Tsukiyama]

I put the plates down and bowed my head.
"Thank you ma'am, and thank you Haruhi!" I exclaimed, quickly running off. I ran over by Haruka and Yuo and sighed.
"She's one scary person, she won't even let me help with the dishes." I said.

Yuo smiled.
"Yes, I was about 4 when she did that." Yuo said.
"It was quite funny, she just kept screaming and screaming, and then finally she gave up with me hugging her, so she just hugged me." Yuo said.