Kaiya smiled relatively lightly as she neared the restaurant. “The Dragon’s Tongue” was practically legendary. If you wanted soup, curry, or stew, you wanted, no craved the ones the dragon's tongue made. One of the perks of living in Sunagakure was living near this curry house. Being the world’s most celebrated curry house meant it wasn’t particularly cheap. But it was the best, few dared say otherwise. Sadly, Kaiya rarely ate here, she couldn't afford to. But, one day, when she was a jounin and had more money, she would come here more often. The one “flaw” Some people touted about the Dragon’s Tongue, was that it was spicy. Some people came here, ordered, and left practically screaming. Or it least it sounded that way when they were telling the take trying to pass it off as them making mad curry. Anyone with any common sense could tell you this, if you couldn't handle some heat, you either didn't come or you admired it to the waiter/waitress. You didn't go to a ramen stand and expect to be served streak when you ordered the special. Likewise, you didn't come to the Dragon's Tongue, and expect some mild, meekling curry when you ordered the special.

Kaiya entered, worried about wether she could get in. After all, the world’s premiere curry house wasn't ever empty of customers. ”Would There happen to be any tables open?” The waitress looked her over for a moment, then looked at a sheet of paper. Kaiya stole a glance and saw it was a map of the curry house, showing where all the tables and seats were. ”Yes… We have a table open. Sadly we are rather booked though… So if we have another person or two come soon you may need to share. If that's an issue, I’d advise you to come back tomorrow. She had a fair bit of people book tables today.” Kaiya nodded with a sigh. It was practically a right of passage for wealthy people to at least come here once. Or at least it seemed that way sometimes. ”That’s fine.” Truth be told she was reserved and sitting too near someone she didn't know might be a tad awkward, but she didn't have too much choice. Kaiya's grandparents had given her a voucher for a free meal from here. Sadly it only lasted a week, and this was the last day. Still though, you didn't just not use such a voucher. It has been a gift after the completion of her first C rank mission, given to her by her grandparents after all. Kaiya wasn't glad to see there wasn't any staring. Her black sclera usually got her more attention than she wanted. But She had seen this waitress before. She didn't come here much, but she remembered this girl. That said She didn't know her, she merely remembered the face. She had seen her when she had come with her grandparents several months beforehand.

Kaiya was taken to a booth. That was good, She prefered booths on the outskirts of the curry house. ”Would you like some water? Tea perhaps?” Kaiya slid into the booth, then adjusted her pastel red maxi skirt and sandy brown blouse as the girl handed her a menu and pointed at the drinks. ”Just water please.” The waitress walked off to get it, the barest hint of disappointment. Water might mean a right budget, a right budget would mean a cheaper dish, and a smaller tip. Kaiya smiled slightly after she left. She might have a voucher, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to tip. That would just be rude. The menu was interesting. A broad selection of soups, stress, and especially curry. That said the selection wasn't too broad. Too big a menu ment more problems for the kitchen, which meant a longer wait time. That said, it was quite a well designed menu. Everything was laid out nicely. The pictures of the good was a good idea. Just reading the menu made you salivate. The vegetable soup looked very good indeed, but it was the curry that called out to her. The idea of Spivey spice and rice, mixed with some veggies and meat had her mouth watering already. She could practically taste it already! But… Kaiya so rarely got to eat here. She didn't want to regret her choice, and so she browsed the menu contentedly, stopping every so often to read a description, or look at the picture near something on the menu.

Word Count: 767

Kaiya watched as another girl, woman perhaps she should say, joined her. She wore green which clashed with her nearly flame colored hair, but was a fairly pleasing to the eyes color combination. Kaiya couldn't quite guess who she was. Based on clothing and the like, she couldn't imagine her being a noble or some Sealy merchant's daughter. Even ignoring the clothing, nobles and their ilk usually had a soft look to them, at least, they did if they had been born into wealth. Those born into their money always seemed to have a skewed sense confidence, as if their wealthy made them superior to everyone else. Some tended to think of you didn't have money it was due to your own laziness or stupidity. That said they tended to be lazy and soft, and though they might bemoan their latest tragedy, they had never faced any real grief or sadness, let alone ever did anything for themselves. This woman didn't have that look to her, though Kaiya admitted she could be wrong. Kaiya thought she could imagine her in a fight. Kaiya shook her head, making her blue black hair wave around her slightly. Her hair was black, but had been dyed a sort of blue, which made it reflect a dark blue in many lights. It didn't matter whatsoever. The Waitress arrived and handed Kaiya a class of water, and then the women near her began ordering. She ordered with a cool efficiency and indifference that to Kaiya, meant she likely did this kind of thing often. That said, Kaiya was surprised by how much she ordered. Dear lord money must not be an object. Yet at the same time a suspicion began to take root. She looked more like a warrior of some sort than to noble, or at least that was Kaiya’s suspicion… but… did even jounin have that kind of money to throw around? Kaiya suspected not so legal things in this woman's life. Kaiya sighed softly, maybe her trust issues were showing. Kaiya had been raised by addicts, and had seen more than her fair share of drug addicts and other illegal things. As a result, perhaps it wasn't surprising that she simply assumed most people were not good people. Neck, even shinobi were not assumed to be trustworthy… Perhaps especially not then. Her father was a chuunin...but had succumbed to gambling addiction after Kaiya's fraternal twin brother had does at the age of 4. What money wasn't squandered away gambling went to feed her mother's Locus addiction. Locus being a drug made from the liquids in a certain desert cactus, before being concentrated and dried to a powder. It was a Euphoric and a hallucinogen. Kaiya shook her head again, as if to clear it, more violently this time. Kaiya loved her parents, she just couldn't trust them.

It was with a start that she realized the woman at her table had finished ordering and the waitress had begun turning to her. Kaiya looked over the menu again in a rush, having mostly forgotten what she wanted. ”V...Venison curry please… medium if possible. I like it not but I’m not ready for ghost peppers or the like.” Kazui’s voucher only had so much money on it. Unlike the woman near been money was an issue. Kaiya scanned the sides quickly. Wait… Was that… it was! Listed as a novelty and a delicacy in certain areas of the country, scorpions! And a small dish of rice and curry sauce with a… number 7 under the side dishes…” Kaiya sighed. It was futile, but she didn't want to put off the woman near her. But if she checked the sides section of the menu there it would be, grilled scorpions. They weren't her favorite food, That had to go to Venison, but they were the only rival to venison. They didn't have a particularly strong taste either, Kaiya compared it to shrimp, though much crunchier.

As the waitress wrote down her order and moved off to the pitches, Kaiya sighed softly. ”Nice to meet you… My name is Kaiya.” While she was a friendly and agreeable person, Kaiya was also fairly reserved. This was mostly due to a pessimistic outlook and trust issues. Still.. People often didn't like feeling ignored. And an extended silence between two people sitting practically next to each other made some people feel awkward. That said Kaiya wasn't skilled in starting conversations with those she didn't know. That said even if she didn't know or trust you, she was still fairly friendly and agreeable. It was starting a conversation that was hardest for her.

Word Count: 784
Total Word Count: 767+784=1,551

Kaiya sighed to herself, lightly and under her breath. The woman was nearly staring at her before he had spoken. Perhaps due to nothing else to do or perhaps, again, it was her eyes. You’d think she’d learn to hide those after all these years, but she never did. It wasn't that there simply wasn't a way to. There was an E ranked academy Jutsu That would allow her to do it, just transform into herself, but with normal eyes. Heck, even a villager could do it with a little training up. Again, she supposed it was better to get used to it than th away from it. She had learned the hard way that trying to ignore a problem was pointless, and never worked. Problems always seemed to come back if you didn't deal with them. Sometimes however it was impossible to deal with a problem. Most often because the root of your problem was someone else's problem. It was these kinds of problems, perhaps, that she had the most experience with. However, despite that, she had no clear idea of how to some a problem another person has. You can't force a person to confront their issues. Her mother and father had taught herself these things. Though not intentionally.

Though her thoughts were in dark waters, yet when she stepped back from them, she found herself still in what seemed to be her default state, a sort of mild happiness. It took a lot to give Kaiya extreme emotion. Many might simply not think she was capable of extreme emotion. She couldn't hold grudges long, though that didn't necessarily meant she would so easily trust them. She couldn't stay angry, it on the flip side she couldn't stay particularly excited or overly happy for long either. Or at least, that's what most though. Sure she was phlegmatic, but that didn't mean she couldn't love to the same degree other people did. She simply hadn't found someone she did love yet, or at least, in that way. She loved her family, she loves her village and her country… but she didn't have a significant other type thing.

Kaiya mentally shook herself as Lyralei spoke. It was a pretty name, she had to admit. Unusually, but it sounded good. Not all names could claim to just flow freely from the tongue, but here did. It was, after all, a good name.  That said it wasn't a name she’d heard before, though That wasn't remotely surprising. It was a unique name after all, the best kind of name. ”umm… No not at all… I don't have the kind of money to go to places like this… this just a… treat of sorts after my first real mission….” Kaiya turned the faintest green at these words, as if disgusted or something worse. ” which went well… I suppose…” Kaiya turned slightly more green and gained an almost sickly look, before, with enormous effort, shoving the thought from her mind. It was always there though… Waiting to attack her again. Kaiya sighed softly, and whispered quietly to herself "I need to get a hold of myself."

But it was hard to do that. After all, nearly a week ago she had taken her first human life. It has needed to be done, he was trying to sell drugs just outside the academy of all places. But she hadn’t expected the emotional backlash to be quite like this. She had known it wouldn't be easy, has known she couldn’t prepare for it… And yet… Kaiya wondered how many genin in the sand had killed someone before? How many were ready for it? Then again, that was the point… You couldn't be ready for it… They say you aren't a shinobi till you have blood on your hands. Kaiya wondered how she felt about that now. Still… It was better to learn to cope with it here and now… Rather than take your first life in a war, and end up getting yourself killed when you lose control. Kaiya remembered how…. No… Not right now. Kaiya would take the time to work through her issues, but not in front of someone she hardly knew, and not while she was about to eat.

Word Count: 717
Total Word Count: 1551+717=2,268

Kaiya sighed when Lyralei mentioned it being too bad. Clearly Kaiya hadn’t hidden her her emotions very well that. Kaiya could only imagine that her face had given her away. Kaiya wasn't fairing too well after that mission, so it wasn't too hard to figure out that her face had been more revealing than her words. But it wasn't easy for for to suppress it. If it had just been what happened on the mission it wouldn't have been so bad. But it just refused to stay that way. Every night it seemed like she had nightmares most of which she remembered clearly. Only last night she had had another. The man she had killed, a drug dealer, was standing in her room… sometimes right at the head of her bed.

That was how it had been. He just stood there staring at her as she laid down, terrier that if she moved or spoke something terrifying would happen. He was just standing there… Staring at been directly in her eyes. Have you ever had a staring contest, up close, that went on for hours? Imagine that but one sided. Someone just standing there, glaring at you… to Kaiya it was far more frightening than it must sound… sometimes he wasn't alone… sometimes he didn't show up but his family (what she imagined they would look like, stood around her bed and glared at her accusingly. Sometimes they spoke, and that was worse because they seemed so full of mourning and sorrow. Kaiya knew they weren't real, she didn't even know who his family was or what they looked like… but…

Kaiya pulled herself out of her riviere as she heard Lyralei begin to talk. ”Sorry… I… I’m not sick physically… it’s just… well… the mission did go well on paper… the man… The drug dealer trying to press academy kids into drug addiction… is dead as they wanted… but… I… that’s the first time anyone has ever died by my hands… Kaiya gulped and went on. ”It’s… Not easy if I must say… I can't sleep at night… There are nightmares… sometimes he just sits on the edge of my bed and states… Sometimes… sorry… thanks for the suggestion… I’m just more emotionally sick than anything. I’d be dead tired too after the nightmares… but… when I do manage to get back to sleep and they don't come back… About 1 in every half dozen times I wake up a night, I tend to fall asleep and don't wake till the day's half over. As if my body needs to save up energy for the next night.”

Kaiya sighed. Dear Lord this was not like her. She was always fairly reserved. Now she was confusing that in a total stranger. ”Sorry… I seem to be a tad lacking in emotional control the last week… I didn't mean to push that on you.” Kaiya sighed and practiced some deep breathing exercises for a few breaths to calm herself. At least Kaiya hadn't gone and told Myself I in detail how she had vomited up everything in her stomach just afterward. That said despite that though, her stomach gave a growl of anticipation. ”I guess I go through use up so much energy being scared half to death each night that my stomach doesn't care how I feel.” Kaiya whispered slightly, and gave an ironic smile.

Word Count: 579
Total Word Count: 2,268+579=2,847

[Note: Sorry. I Have been babysitting and whatnot… And it's 10 pm here… I know this isn't my usual length. My apologies.]

Kaiya pulled short of her little story and sighed, with a few small breathes in and out, she calmed herself. It wasn't hard. Kaiya was naturally phlegmatic. Had it not been… Had she not had a moral crisis, she would never have divulged so much. She was boring Lyralei no doubt. She looked that way. Though later she seemed frustrated about something. Perhaps Kaiya had annoyed her by rambling on about her problem. That was no good. She had no desire to bring others in it… She had merely been temporarily overcome by her thoughts. Kaiya’s face slid slowly from anxiety to stoic, an obviously forced stoicness. It was likely clear that she was working to control her mind, pull herself back into order. There was no need for all of this. It was pointless and it went against her nature. This anxiety and near panic was unlike her. Besides…

Something appeared in her mind then. Not am image but a memory. She had been only 8 at the time. Her mom had some strange man in her her home. It was a drug dealer. Her mom was paying for her drugs… it wasn't long before she was high. Euphoric and hallucinating, Kaiya watched as her mother talked to Natsu, her long dead brother. Even at that young age, Kaiya was learning to near burdens she should not Hasbro, that no child should. How to feed herself, and how to make due. Money and how to make it, and how to budget what she had. And how to deal with her mother. Even then it was clear to her that her mother would never get over it. Not in till she allowed herself to grieve and sober up. As Kaiya remembered this, another memory came. This time of the first time her mother ever did drugs, desperate to get rid of her pain, the pain of a lost child.

Kaiya’s face relaxed, and hardened at the same time. As though she was letting go of her anxiety, and, at the same time, picking up a new emotion. Purpose, drive, determination. Perhaps her growing iron hard determination would show on her face, she wasn't focusing on her expression and body language at the moment. She remembered why she had taken that mission. She hasn't forgotten when but merely was distracted from it. It wasn't like she didn't understand while some people dealer in drugs. The money was good surely. She knew that much. But… she could not abbide by it. Any financial needs even the most dire, should neverlead one to that. How many other kids suffered now what she suffered then, with drug addled parents? Surely the parents were as much to blame as anyone, but without dealers they wouldn’t have fallen prey to it. It was not for her Lanka in or even hatred that she would take on those missions, but to stop the pain of those children, and to prevent others from falling to it. It was Kaiya's duty to do as she did… while she felt sorry for the drug dealers family, and would grieve his death, she still had to stop the drugs from ruining other families. The family of a drug dealer's pain in giving didn't warrant letting the dealer do something that would lead to destroyed families. Tonight, she knew, she would dream not of the dealer and his family’s sorrow, but of the families she might prevent falling to addiction like hers had.

Kaiya emerged from her thoughts as Lyralei spoke again. Kaiya nodded, but dismissed the suggestion with a wave of her hand. ”Sorry about all that… I am usually far more reserved… How that all came out… anyway, my apologies. That said, I seemed to have worked out some of my issues in the process. So at least something g positive came from me boring you to death I suppose.” Kaiya gave a slight, but genuine smile. ”I think I will be okay. That's for the offer… but… To be honest… I am apprehensive about having someone I don't know well use genjutsu on me. Kaiya would give an apologetic smile at this point.

Word Count: 700
Total Word Count: 2,847+700=3,547

Lyralei looked mildly upset, disappointed. Kaiya looked down slightly. It wasn't something she had meant to make her disappointed over. But as a genjutsu user herself she knew genjutsu could be tricky. And she had no clue just how strong Lyralei was. Sure she could break out of most genjutsu she had yet seen, but Lyralei could easily be jounin level. She wasn't going to be able to deal with that well, if at all. Kaiya imagined how her academy teachers would look if they found out she had willingly allowed herself to be put under a genjutsu by a person she barely knew, someone Kaiya didn't even have any solid idea where she came from. Though all Jutsu was dangerous , and this was something the academy had forced into the student's head, genjutsu was something more tricky to deal with than most other issues. Ninjutsu could do many amazing things, as could taijutsu, fuuinjutsu, etc. But genjutsu was far more subtle. And sometimes one cannot escape it alone. It didn’t necessarily help matters that Kaiya was a genjutsu specialist herself. While that meant she had more experience with genjutsu, that also meant she was perhaps more aware of what they could do once one was stuck in them. And Kaiya had had genjutsu used against her before. Not by either of her parents but by her grandfather. And it was this grandfather who taught her everything she hasn't learned at the academy. Him and his wife. Despite having chuunin father her parents had not taken part in her training. Largely this was due to the obvious reasons.

But just was Kaiya herself was looking down and apologetic shout her refusal, the meal arrived. And that was something she let distract herself. ”thank you!” Kaiya waved slightly before the waiter left. A wonderfull smell met Kaiya’s nose, and she looked down, taking a sniff. The curry was the most delicious looking curry she had ever seen. Her grandparents had both been skilled cooks, and they could turn a can of corn and a near empty spice container into a 3 course meal. And that wasn't exaggerating anywhere near as much as it sounded. But neither of them were particularly good with curry. Kaiya smiled and took another sniff, before grabbing some chopsticks, and digging in. What fun was spoons and forms anyway? It was perfect. The best curry she had ever tasted. She chewed slowly, in no particular rush to finish her meal. After swallowi a new thought occurred to her and she scooted a small plate behind her curry, in an attempt to more fully conceal tin as likely futile a gesture as it was, she didn't want to put Lyralei off her appetite. Covertly, she took some of the curry rice she had requested and one of the small grilled scorpions, and ate. Sure it was an odd foods but it was delicious, as delicious, well, neatly, as the venison. The curry was perfect. Spicy, but perfect. Her tongue burned with pleasure, rather than pain.

After her first couple bites her settling in her stomach, she gave a contented sigh and spoke. ”Sorry about refusing your offer. As one genjutsu user to another, I am sure you had the best or intentions. But fear Loren I can only imagine the scowl I would get from the academy teachers who taught me. I might get sent back to the academy!” Kaiya was serious and apologetic, but attempted a joke on the last sentence. Kaiya offered an apologetic smile. Kaiya then dug in again, thinking and giving Lyralei time to construct a responded or simply keep eating. She looked around as she a ten just for something to do as she chewed. Where would she go after this? What other plans did she have for the day. Things like this running through her mind. She happened to have little going on today. And the only plan was a vague sort of plan. Perhaps she’s train a bit or else just go visit her grandparents and thank them again.

Word Count: 684
Total Word Count: 3,547+684=4,231

Kaiya smiled and shrugged briefly before nodding with a polite ”Sure,that's fine with me.” After all it wasn't as if she was asking to spot in her meal or something. What was the harm? Kaiya slid her bowl over, and dipped another grilled scorpion in her small bowl of curry and rice she had ordered. Kaiya smiled herself and took a bite, savoring the meaty crunchiness of the scorpion with the hot flavor of the curry rice. Of course the scorpion had it’s sting and the poisonous bulb at the end removed,no one was likely to eat them otherwise even if the heat from cooking them would neutralise the poison, and she wasn't entirely sure if that was true. Better safe than sorry. Besides, the stinger could hurt going down. As Lyralei dipped her food in Kaiya’s curry, Kaiya finished her scorpion. She wondered idly what a giant desert scorpion would taste like. There were all kinds of such things in the most dangerous parts of the desert. Some giant scorpions could easily kill a man with their claws, or so she had heard. There was often missions to kill the smaller ones when they became a menace. Kaiya wondered idly what a 3 foot scorpion tasted like.  Who knew they could be tasty. If they were… perhaps she could hunt them and sell the meat to restaurants for money. Kaiya giggled softly at herself as she shook her head to clear away the image of scorpion steak served in restaurants.

Lyralei started talking them. So there was a better curry house? Kaiya had heard so much about this one, it was legendary. But surely there had to be other places with create curry. ”Sounds like something worth checking out. Yet sadly… I lack the funds. To be honest I could only eat here today because of a voucher I was given. Most of my funds went to a weapon store in the village, i had something commisioned. I had to pay in advance, so I don’t have it yet, but… I am hoping it will help a lot during missions. Sadly though… I probably won’t be going out to eat again for a few days. Not that I mean to refuse you. I’d love to spend more time with you, you seem like an interesting person.” That she did. Kaiya still had reservations about herb but she seemed good natured enough thus far. Kaiya might be slow to trust but that didn't mean she wouldn’t give anyone a chance.

”That said, I don't have any plans today. I fed vague ideas of what I may do to fill the time, but nothing really planned. You know, training, swing by and see if my thing is ready to be picked up, that kinda thing. Nothing pressing or already planned on. I am well and truly open to suggestions I must say.” And and with that,Kaiya smiled and began finishing her meal.

Word Count: 503
Total Word Count: 4,231+503=4,734

[Sorry for the long wait and short post. I have been busy babysitting, 4th of July, etc. My apologies.]

[EXIT]

Lyralei has said she doesn't plan to continue as her muse is dead for the character. So, as she suggested, I am exiting.

Training Stats -
E ~> E-1, 75 words and 0 Ryo.
E-1 ~> E-2, 150 words and 0 Ryo
E-2 ~> E-3, 225 words and 0 Ryo.
E-3 ~> D, 300 words and 0 Ryo.

D ~> D-1, 325 words and 25 Ryo.
D-1 ~> D-2, 400 words and 50 Ryo.
D-2 ~> D-3, 450 words and 75 Ryo.
D-3 ~> C, 525 words and 100 Ryo.

Total Word Count: 4,231+503=4,734

Endurance from D0 to D3: 4,734-1,175=3,559
Perception from D0 to D3: 3,559-1,175=2,384

Stats are now maxed out. Ryo cost: 300 ryo

Training 2 C rank Jutsu:

E rank: 50 Ryo + 500 words
D rank: 80 Ryo + 750 words
C rank: 150 Ryo + 1000 words
B rank: 200 Ryo + 1500 words
A rank: 250 Ryo + 2000 words
S rank: 500 Ryo + 2500 words
SS rank: 2500 Ryo + 9000 words

Available Word Count: 2,384-2,000=384

Ryo cost for 2 C rank Jutsu: 300

Total Ryo Cost: 600