Just because I'm bored and I really need to be working on something while I'm waiting for Corrupted-Innocent to finish with some of our calculations. (Corrupted-Innocent is another author here who happens to be my friend from school...)
(Let's see if THIS one works!)
Hinata hesitantly entered her new home a month later, staring in wonder at all the new things that she'd never seen before. Soon after seeing the many glittering boxes everywhere that could show moving pictures, and flying metal birds that supposedly carried people, and the monster 'cars' (as Maddie called them), she was thoroughly humbled as a shinobi of the leaf. Shinobi had advanced mathematics, but to figure out how to make any of this work at all, jutsu or no, must have taken a great deal of genius. Shikamaru might have liked it here.
During her first 'car' ride, that took her to her new house with the Dwights, she spent the entire time with her nose pressed flat against the tinted glass window, staring at the skyscrapers of the downtown area claw with reaching fingers into the sky, hovering neon lit signs proclaim vending machines and arcades, gigantic televisions showing commercials and news placed onto entire sides of buildings.
And now she was at her house. The foyer was large and mostly white marble, with gold accents and plush khaki carpet. A staircase ran up to the second floor with a pale wood banister, and pictures lined the wall it was on. Chronicling the life of one, Maddie Dwight, the pictures gave Hinata a small feeling of comfort. 'They must really love their daughter,' she briefly thought. Branched to the right was a living room, with what looked to Hinata to be a wild man's décor, but was really an African Native motif. The room to the left was apparently some sort of dinning room done up with dark woods and jewel tones. Hanging fabric put some softness on the walls, as the floor was a dark blue tile. Beyond the foyer was the entrance to another room that Hinata could not see clearly, but it looked very open and light from where she was standing.
"Hey, Hinata! Come on this way, I get to show you where to put your stuff!" cried Maddie, today with her hair in two high pigtails, a tight pink t-shirt with the slogan 'I see crazy folk' on it, and a different pair of black pants, lined in a matching pink trim. Hinata bowed for what seemed to be the five hundredth time.
"Th-thank you!" she stuttered softly. "I really appreciate your h-hospitality, I don't know w-what I would have done had you all not b-been so kind—"She was about to ramble more, but was shushed by Mr. Dwight.
"Hinata, really, we've adopted you, now. How you came to be with no file is a mystery, but it happened. Now, you seem like an awfully nice girl, and until you prove that wrong then you will always, always, be welcomed here as home. I've watched you a lot this past month, and you are radiant!"
Mrs. Dwight and Maddie sighed turned toward Hinata. "Don't worry, sweetie, he's like that to any female who shows him any interest in martial arts." Said Mrs. Dwight. "How'd you think I got him married to me?" Hinata gaped for a brief second, staring at the woman before remembering that they, as in the Dwights and all official authorities, believed her to be blind as an old man with cataracts.
"Yeah, good ol' Mom kicked his butt in their Judo class way back when, and then next thing she knows, he's asking her out! The rest is history," said the bubbly girl. "Now come on so I can show you your room!! There are some stairs here," Maddie said, guiding her hand to the railing, "I'll tell you how many steps are to the top!" And Maddie raced up and began encouraging her to the top. Hinata laughed a little, before stifling it and beginning her way up.
Her room was upstairs, to the left, third door on the right. When she entered with Maddie, who carried her small duffle bag of clothes, donated by the hospital, she found that she liked it. She didn't love it by any stretch, it looked sterile and un-lived in, but it was pleasant enough with light blue walls and white lace curtains, pretty pale wooded furniture, and linins that matched the walls. She ran her hand across the walls to 'explore' what Maddie thought she couldn't see, and slowly made her way around the room, first to the (empty) desk, then to the (military fit) bed, to a small (blank) bedside table, and lastly to a cool window with a small table with (unfilled) picture frames on it, under it. She could sense Maddie blush as she caressed the picture frames. To avoid the other girl's discomfort, she quickly moved on.
To a closet door.
She entered curiously, expecting a small confined, yet empty space. YEAH. NOT. It was enormous!! Barely managing to cover her gasp, she stepped into the huge filled closet. Maddie spoke up, "Uh, yeah...We guessed your size and my parents let me pick out some clothes for you...Some of them are kinda wild, though, so you may not want to wear them, a few actually match some things of mine, mostly. Some colors are different. UH! I mean, the colors are...yeah. Sorry..."
"It's a-alright. I used to be able to see...I can imagine colors still. You just have to describe it to m-me, is all." She pushed the tips of her fingers together for a moment, before adding, "T-thank you again, I really..."
Maddie blanched and waved her arms wildly as if she thought Hinata really could see them, "Stop it!! We're being nice people! You're my sister now, legal-like! Stop acting as though parents giving their child shelter is some sort of grand gift!" Hinata blinked in Maddie's general direction.
"Something tells me that that's how it was, for me, before." She said. Now Maddie blinked.
"GIRLS!! DINNER!!" came Mrs. Dwight's shout from below. Maddie grinned as Hinata twisted her head a bit.
"C'mon!"
Hinata forced her hands to stay still as Mr. Dwight served her her food to her telling her quietly what he was placing on her plate. She was so used to serving her family their food herself, then placing the food on her own plate, as was traditional. Here, even while Mr. Dwight served her, the other two women at the table were filling their plates up high with supper. Then they all sat back to eat.
For a long while no one spoke and there was only the sound of utencils and the chewing of food. Then Mrs. Dwight spoke up.
"Maddie, what do you think of a party?"
"What for, Mom?" Asked Maddie. Really it sounded more like 'Wah-furuh-Mah?' because of the food she was still chewing. Hinata repressed a grimace.
"Honestly! Chew with you mouth closed!" Admonished her mother.
Maddie swallowed loudly, "But you asked me a question!"
"That's not a reason not to wait to speak! The party would be to introduce Hinata to some of the kids from your school so that she can have at least one friend to find when she enters! And she can meet a few of your friends so that she knows who they are! THINK FOR A MOMENT. It should have been obvious." Mrs. Dwight said, turning to her daughter.
"That sounds like a fabulous idea! Hinata, what do you think?" Said Mr. Dwight, hoping to avoid a shouting match.
Hinata was so startled she dropped her fork ungracefully onto the carpet. No one asked her how she thought of an idea, at least, when they did, they didn't really stop talking so she could answer, and here Mr. Dwight was, asking how she would feel over a party for her? "Uh...I don't w-want to be too much trouble, I mean, you're taking me in and being so nice and all..." Boy, she hoped they didn't find out what a horrible ninja she was...they might decide they don't like her if they found out she couldn't defend herself.
"Oh no way! It's not troublesome at all!" Said Maddie, losing the tenseness around her eyes that came with being mad at her mother, "In fact, it's a fantastic idea! We can even play some songs for you! I'm in a band, see?"
Hinata blinked at her new sister's direction. Then smiled gently.
"I would appreciate it very much. Thank you."
BOO YAH! Another chapter done! Anyone out there want to be a beta? I really need someone to bounce ideas off of! I have a few things I know I want to happen, but I really need some more ideas. I want this fic to NOT just skip over all those fun details that I'll otherwise just smooth over in a giant flashback, if possible. If you're interested, review me including an e-mail address, and I'll get to you. Otherwise, if you have an idea for what can happen to Hinata, feel free to tell me about it!
ME