sunshineverse | The adventures of errand running (Open)

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The adventures of errand running (Open)

Who: Pengin and You!
When: March 14 to whenever he returns to Uzushio
Where: Uzushio starting out and then a slow meander through Fire Country to Konoha
Notes: Pengin gets to go collect a clan-kin's shopping from Konoha. Because that's what you do with younger clansmen right? (I apologize for the stuttering he'll do now, also top levels for a few general locations you can run into the penguin)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The slight surprise that someone else was on the road with him was pretty much lost in his general anxiety as he slowed down and looked up at the person that had called out to him. One hand tugging nervously on an ear flap of his hat.

"H-hello sir."

He looked him over with thoughtful eyes, then a bright smile came to his face. "You wouldn't mind having company on your walk for a while, would you?"

"O-of course not. I-it's nice to have company"

Even if his body language is saying the opposite, he's at least attempting a smile with his answer.

"Ah, I-i'm Pengin of the Maniwa. Nice to meet you."

He blinked, then gave him a brilliant smile. "You are? I shall not forget then. I am Peter Pettigrew." He paused, giving a sheepish smile. "I know, the name is strange."

Pengin manages a firmer smile at the other in response to that bright smile. It was always good luck to run into someone that polite. Though he's not at all certain why he said strange in regards to his name, sure it wasn't usual or such, but for Maniwa that wasn't a bad thing at all.

"N-no it's n-not strange. I think it's unique. Having a name no one else may have c-can be fun."

"True, and it's odd enough that it's never going to be forgotten." He leaned on his staff, waving his empty hand in a so-so motion. "Hard to say if that's always a good thing though."

He had to think on that for a moment as his head tilted to the side and slightly into his neck ruff as he thought. It was true, and it wasn't like he hadn't been teased before over his name.

"T-that's true. Even though it shouldn't be."

He knew it was being overly optimistic, but it was something that wasn't dangerous to be optimistic in.

He smiled, giving the boy a knowing upturn of his lips. "You see what I mean. And imagine if I got enemies. I'd be pretty identifiable just by that alone eh?" He shook his head, seeming more relaxed. "I suppose I should be glad I'm pretty middle of the road though with that thought. Since when do people at that level make enemies, after all?"

"N-names can be important, but i-it's not all that hard to change a name if things get bad. T-though it's never good to not expect an enemy at any time."

As several of his clan had proven over the years.

"N-not that it's always true, I mean it's just a saying of m-my clan."

"I know." He flashed him a bright smile then, tilting his head and leaning into his staff on his next step. "I learned that ages ago. It's part of why I'm unexceptionally exceptional like I am. Caution."

There was sudden gleam of interest as Pengin tilted his head a little more to the right as he looked up, as if the new angle would show something he had not been able to see previously. There had been a lot of interesting things in those few sentences that he would have liked to find the deeper meaning of. Though it was rude to do so, especially as he was hopping this was a potential friend.

"Y-you make people b-believe t-that you're not that powerful?"

"I've learned to be decent at many things and exceptional only in things I am willing to either be known for, or that I can easily hide. It's... a study in mediocrity that takes a lot of work. Given I can never be like the legends who are all powerful and thus don't need to worry about it, I felt it was the best way."

He was studying the boy's face. "Is that what you wanted to know?"

In one blink he went from contemplative to flailing a bit, thinking he had overstepped himself in asking. What if he had been to presumptuous and thus overly rude?

"U-uhm y-yes, b-but t-that is, f-forgive m-me i-if I w-was r-rude and i-insensitive t-to y-your p-p-preferences and comfort b-by asking."

He knew better considering he two of his clan and their circumstances that one did not lightly talk about even among clan kin.

His smile was absolutely playful, showing a hint of something sharp and tricky before it was gone again. He gave him a look that was pure earnestness. "I could have as easily said that I'm really not powerful at all, but I try very hard. I mean, I had to learn it all on my own."

He paused, then his look dropped back to an easy smile, tone losing the pitch that gave the air of someone slightly self-depreciating but very sincere. "But I decided to answer you honestly instead, because I've decided I will trust you."

There was something that sort of hurt listening to him say such things. Things he didn't really understand personally as he had been born into the Maniwa clan and thus was happily bounced between clan kin to be watched and looked after. He didn't like that tone at all, especially as he felt that he could like and trust this person.

"I-i hope I can live up to that trust and any e-expectations of such, Pettigrew-san."

"Peter. For you, it's Peter." He flashed him a smile. "I have no doubt in my mind I can trust you, and believe me, where I'm at when I'm home, there is no way I would risk my trust on you if I had any doubts at all."

He shook his head slightly. "I will say this though, the act I just showed you has a bit of truth. A lot of what I learned had teachers far between, so I had to learn it on my own. It's just a matter of how you say it that makes the difference, you see?"

He reached out, tweaking his hood with his fingers. "I think that skill might do you really well, in the future, if you can figure out a way to make it work for you."

"I-is it because I'm from Maniwa?"

He wasn't exactly certain which statement he was actually referring too, though both the trust and the need to learn such a skill could both be the question.

"Saying such t-things to a stranger dosn't m-make sense."

The more serious look is there as he tilts his head from side to side as he thinks and actually observes the other fully and recalls how the other had reacted to his name.

He watched him for a long, thoughtful moment. "No. It's because you stutter. Being a Maniwa just means you're exceptional in other ways, it has nothing to do with this."

"B-being Maniwa doesn't m-make me special in anyway. I-i'm not exceptional at all. M-my speech even shows that."

He really did not see anything about him that would be considered unique enough to need to have such an act. He was weak and hardly special compared to so many of the clan and their abilities.

"B-but you're special if you taught yourself t-to be as strong as you are."

Because there had to be some sort of strength or skill noted for him to know about the Maniwa clan outside of being entertainers. Or he saw they weren't just nomads.

"When I was a child, I was bullied and hid behind a little girl two years younger than I am, not to mention smaller, for protection. I think your speech just reminds me of me." He shook his head, expression wry. "I taught myself because no one wanted me to be anything. You already have stepped out of a shadow like that to one further without needing to go and hunt down someone yourself, it looks to me. That's lucky, and you don't seem the type to waste it."

"Peter-san..."

It's a long pause as he tugs at his ear flaps and refuses to look up at the other as he thinks over what is said. Then he's in a stiff bow.

"T-thank you for sharing such w-with me. I-i hope one day t-to prove that I-i had such w-worth to be trusted with such."

He peered at him for a moment, then reached down to gently pat between his shoulders. "You'll do it. Then someday you'll show me how amazing you've grown, yeah?"

He didn't move from his bowed position, aside from giving a slow nod in answer to what had been spoken to him.

"I-i'll try."

"A little more faith okay?" He pulled his hand back, leaning down and peering into his face before straightening again.

He wasn't exactly certain how to answer that since he would actually have to find that faith first himself. Instead he just nodded and gave a hopefully positive noise before looking up at the other.

The adventures of errand running (Open)

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