With a soft groan the petite female, who once again was tangled up in the various sheets and blankets on the bed, began to stir from her slumber. As she stretched out her small form, her fingertips brushing against the headboard and pushing her pillow out of the way while the tips of her toes reached longingly toward the baseboard of the bed they would never be able to touch at the same time, her eyelids would flutter; thick, full, black eyelashes brushing against freckled cheeks before they would open to reveal the bright blue orbs they once hid. Blinking several times Kaia would stare into the darkness of the bedroom, the curtains which were drawn over the windows so thick they obscured any light from seeping in. The lack of sunlight of the room gave no hint to the time, but knowing how late her and her love had fallen asleep she was betting on it being near at least ten o’clock in the morning.

As she thought about her love she shifted her head in his direction; having been curled up against his side most of the night, wrapped safely in his arms as she slumbered. With a smile gracing her face she would shift on the bed carefully – not wanting to wiggle too much and disturb him of he was still slumbering – so that she could move closer. Once close enough she would plant a gentle kiss on his cheek, her smile growing from such a simple act of love. Just as the idea to simply lay back down and enjoy the quietness of the room and the closeness of the love of her life nearby popped into her head her stomach gave a soft roar: it too was awake, apparently. ”Can’t say I’m surprised with all of the celebrating we did last night...”, Kaia would think to herself as she held in a sigh. If she was hungry then chances were her love was going to wake up hungry too, and while she was all for laying in bed for the next few hours the idea of feeding them both won out.

So, with careful grace Kaia would shift herself up and out of the bed, only realizing as she did so that she was utterly naked. Feeling around on the floor she found her discarded panties and slipped them on before locating a shirt – not her own, but Daremo’s – and putting it on too: the shirt draping her more like a dress, and covered her well enough which was all that mattered for the moment – she would worry about a proper shower later, when their bellies were full. With another glance toward the bed, her eyesight having adjusted enough to the darkness of the room, she stared at the sleeping form of her love for a moment before stepping out into the hallway and closing the bedroom door as silently and softly as possible behind herself. Hoping she hadn’t woken Daremo up – ninja were trained after all not to let their guard down even when sleeping, and she hated the idea of waking him up earlier than he needed to be – she headed first to the bathroom where she relieved her bladder and pulled her hair up in a bun: not bothering to brush it first as she simply cared to have it out of the way.

After washing her hands thoroughly she headed then into the kitchen, the fridge her first target as she stopped before it and pulled it open. She stared at the contents of the fridge for several long seconds before pulling out a tube of biscuits, a carton of eggs, some bacon, and some sausage patties, all of which were laid out on the counter carefully. Heading then over to the stove she turned the oven on so that it could begin to preheat before heading over to the cabinet with the pots and pans in it and pulling three out: one for the bacon, one for the sausage, and one for the eggs – all of which were placed on the stove. Various other items she would need were likewise pulled out until finally Kaia had everything – including seasoning – that she would need. The biscuits were prepared first, the tube popped and opened before she laid them out on the baking sheet where they would remain until the oven beeped that it was hot and ready. She then went through the process of heating up the pans on the stove, adding the bacon and sausage to them afterward, and then the eggs after scrambling and seasoning them.

Turning toward the radio she would flip the switch on, turning the volume down so that it wouldn’t (hopefully) be loud enough to carry to the bedroom: Ed Sheeran ~ Shape of You filling the kitchen along with the sizzles and pops from the food as they began to cook: the oven beeping to indicate it was ready – to which Kaia slid the hot tray inside and turned on the timer for eleven minutes. With everything baking or cooking respectively and feeling in a particularly calm and happy mood – she had just been promoted to special Jounin the day before after all – she picked up the closest spatula which she began to use sort of like a microphone as she began to dance and twirl her way around the kitchen. ”I’m in love with the shape of you. We push and pull like a magnet, too. Although my heart is falling too, I’m in love with your body. And last night you were in my room, and now my bed sheets smell like you. Every day discovering something brand new. I’m in love with your body...”

As Kaia finished the chorus, twirling herself back toward the stove in the process with her usual grace, she paused long enough to begin flipping the bacon and sausage, as well as scrambling the eggs: her hips continuing to sway to the rhythm of the music as she did so.

Word Count: 1,010

Like clockwork, long, full, black eyes lashes fluttered open, revealing a pair of dark purple eyes. Staring into the abyss which was his room, Daremo glanced at the only source of light in the room, a clock. Five o'clock in the morning, it read, being exactly what time his biological clock has been conditioned to; there was truly no need for him to have a clock for he would automatically wake up at a certain time. It is only because of the sleeping woman currently snuggled up to his bare chest that he kept a clock in his, no, their room. 

Speaking of said woman, purple eyes fell onto the prone figure, watching the rise and fall of her bare chest; the covers which obscured them having been pulled down some time doing the night. Tearing away from her glorious assets, his eyes, having adjusted to the darkness of the room, trail upward. A soft, loving smile spread across his face, yet no one would witness it, as he stared at his lover. Even the dishevel of her hair, one of many shreds of evidence of their activities earlier into the night, didn't subtract from her beauty. Complimenting women on their looks is something he used to do constantly, but, never had any of them truly met his standards until Kaia came into the picture. She had everything he sought for, a wonderful personality, and an amazing body. She was truly a cut above the rest in his eyes.

Brushing a stray strain of black hair from her face, making sure not to wake her from her slumber, it being the last thing he ever wanted to do, Daremo thoughts drifted towards their relationship. It having been nearly seven months since the two have stared dating. With her moving in with him a few months into the relationship. The past six months have been enjoyable for him. Never did the thought of finding a steady relationship crossed his mind. Nor did the idea of joining Konohagakure; he had every intention of leaving Fire Country after a year and disappearing once more. Yet, all of that changed because of Uchiha Amaya being busy and not being able to see Kaia, who came into the hospital for a check-up, and the latter impatientness, which made the fateful encounter possible. Who knew the young woman that had a panic attack in his office would eventually become something more than just a patient - he surely didn't. 
 
"How things have changed.", he murmured under his breath, eyes never leaving the sleeping woman. Normally, he would have gotten up already and started preparing for the day; but, he find himself not doing it much nowadays, instead, staying in bed into his lover wakes from her slumber, and watching her as she sleeps. Some might find the act of watching another creepy, but he does not. It was one of the few times where he hoped and prayed, something he rarely did, that her mind allowed her peace. Sure, she is generally happy but he could readily tell behind those beautiful orbs is pain from past experiences. And, she does what she needs to do in order to keep them at bay. It is why, during her slumbers, that he wish for her to have a peaceful one. And, if not, well, he would be there to soothe her worries and fears; though, usually this doesn't occur when she sleeps in his arms, hence why, he doesn't bother in getting up till sometime after she had. A small discomfort meaning nothing if it meant Kaia got a good night rest. 
 
Being careful not to disturb her, Daremo slowly caressed her cheek, his mind drifted to the thought of his deceased mother - Mayuko. Would she approve of him dating Kaia? Out of all the women he had dated, only two were ever approved by the woman, one being Jugo Tei, his former sensei and mentor, and the other being a fellow geisha who ultimately got killed. The similarities between those two women were day and night from another, but they still got his mother's approval. Looking at Kaia, there was nothing about her which reminded him of either woman. A good thing in truth for his mother tended to dislike women with similar personalities to others he had dated. Kaia had her own uniqueness about her which Daremo believed his mother would love. Although, if she was still alive, the woman might have taken the young Sarutobi under her wing and oversaw her training personally. She didn't like her son dating weak, mentally and physically, women. They must be able to stand up to him when he is in the wrong or for their own beliefs. They must be able to fight alongside him without hindering his performance. But, above all else, they must love him when everything is told.
 
Everything, he could say without question there are certain things about him Kaia doesn't know. Secrets only a select few people have the privilege to know. His reluctance to tell her didn't have anything to do with trust. He simply never found the time to dive into those topics with her. "Maybe today I will tell her.", he mused quietly, his mind quickly weighing the pros and cons of such actions, and coming to the conclusion that it was worth it. He wanted Kaia to understand who he truly is, and hopefully, love him for it. And if that means telling her certain things, and potentially having her leave him because of some atrocities acts he did? Then so be it. For, no matter the outcome of today, he had already decided Kaia would be his last and final love. Having come to the decision, Daremo caressed Kaia's cheek a few more times before allowing his hand to drap back over of figure that were pressed up against him. Eyes closing shut, mind entering a thoughtless void, breathing becoming shallow, as he tries to be reclaim by sleep. 
 
By the time sleep had just reclaimed him, Kaia's soft groan and subtle movement woke him up. His eyes didn't flutter open, remaining close in the darkness, as his love moved about. Feeling her move closer to him, his arms instinctively wrapped around of frame, though leaving enough room if she wanted to escape, and squeeze lightly. A quietness descended in the room once again only to be broken by the light rumble of Kaia's stomach - he having heard it perfectly. If he was awake, he would have chuckled, however, instead, he remained asleep. Hearing a sigh and her shifting off the bed, Daremo briefly open his eyes. Catching an eye full of her exposed sex as she felt around for something to put on while being none the wiser of the show she was unknowingly giving him. He watched until she slipped on the pair of panties from last night, one of his favorite pairs, and his shirt that fitted her like a dress. "Sexy.", he silently mused, finding her choice of attire being that despite its simplicity, with his eyes closing moments before she looked in his direction. 
 
The quiet opening and closing of the door signified she had left the room. Though, instead of getting up, he laid in bed and slept, just in case she came back into the room. Some time passed by, and with no signs of Kaia returning, and the distinct sounds of someone, likely her, rummaging in the kitchen, Daremo decided to wake up. Stretching, his bones popping from the movement, he swung his legs to the side of the bed, feet touching the floor. Standing up in all his naked glory, he found his pair of boxers from last night, and slipped them on. That being the only thing placed on his body as his exited the bedroom, heading to the bathroom to release his bladder. Washing his hands thoroughly, now feeling better, he made his way down the hallway, the mouth watering aroma of food being cooked causing his stomach to growl in need. 
 
Reaching the entrance of the kitchen, Daremo leaned on the wall, a soft smile forming on his face as he watched Kaia sing and dance while cooking breakfast. These carefree movements being ones he enjoyed a lot. Staring a little bit longer, he pushed over the wall, and quietly made his way behind her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he leaned down and kisses her on the cheek, "Morning, love. You seem to be in a good mood."

---

1437

Different people had different opinions about shinobi and their home life: some believed that one should never allow their guard down even when in what was supposed to be the safety of their own home, while on the other hand some believed that your home should be the one place you could properly relax and let your guard down in. For Kaia it was the latter of those two: home was the one place she didn’t have to worry about things or hide who she truly was. It was the place where she was essentially out in the open about herself with no secrets, and without having to watch how she spoke or what she said. It was perhaps this, beyond any other reason, why she did not realize Daremo was standing in the doorway watching her as she carried about dancing around and swaying her hips as she tended to the cooking food.

In fact, it wasn’t until Daremo came up behind her and laced his strong arms around her that she even noticed he was there at all. Her response was immediate of course: a bright and happy smile spreading across her face while she giggled softly and leaned into the embrace. As he kissed her on the cheek her smile would only grow, and after pausing to place the spatula down beside the stove she would then turn herself around and stand in the tips of her toes, before planting a gentle kiss on Daremo’s lips. Only after breaking the gentle yet loving kiss would she speak, her body turning so that she faced the stove so she could focus back on the food as she picked up the spatula and went about checking things as they sizzled and popped merrily away, ”Morning, love. I am in a very good mood. I also woke up starving… so I’m making enough food to feed a small army. I hope you’re hungry.” While the words were spoken playfully she was hardly kidding about the amount of food she was preparing: unlike most females who barely ate or who could sustain themselves all day on something as simple as a grapefruit, Kaia could throw down with the best of them – though never an ounce of fat stuck to her thin and muscular figure. Her overly active lifestyle demanded the intake of calories and nutrients, and going without would have led to her become sickly and far too thin again as she had been during certain bouts of her childhood. In fact, the need for Kaia to eat more had been a constant battle with the doctors early on as Kaia had been conditioned while living in the orphanage never to get seconds or get more food such as snacks throughout the day – the excess food was to be saved for the ‘boys who needed it’ and as a girl she was supposed to eat little and maintain herself as thin and fragile looking. It hadn’t worked well for her as a child – thus her stunted small size – and it certainly had not worked well as she grew and aged and began practicing Taijutsu and living the active life of a shinobi.

Even though she ate far healthier these days than she used to, she still had moments – especially when eating in public such as at a restaurant – when she would find herself only wanting to order one small plate of food when she could easily throw down three: especially when her body needed it such as after bouts of hardcore training. Thankfully, however, when it came to her and Daremo eating alone in the house she never even paused to consider it: she never worried about him judging her for eating until she was full and satisfied, as he seemed to accept her for exactly how she was: flaws and all – though her need for nutrients and calories was hardly a flaw, as many doctors had pointed out to her in the past.

”I didn’t wake you up with my music, did I?”, Kaia would ask suddenly, worried she might have – she did tend to get into her own little zone of happiness after all when cooking that tended to make her sometimes oblivious to certain things. As she waited for a reply she would shut the burner with the skillet that contained the eggs off, following suit with the others afterward as both the bacon and sausage were likewise done. Just as she would go to put the spatula down, planning on stealing another kiss from her love, she would hear the gentle beep that indicated the biscuits were likewise done. With a mental eye roll at the timer’s timing she would shut the thing off before grabbing a potholder and opening the oven; the spatula having been tossed lightly next to the stove with the other utensils she had so far used while cooking. The sheet with the golden brown biscuits on them were pulled out carefully – Kaia was no stranger to burns considering her affinity for Katon, but there was no point in Daremo having to play doctor this early in the morning – and set on a clear portion of the stove to cool: steam rising up from the food and filling the air even more with a mixture of the delicious aromas. With the potholder removed from her hand and the oven turned off, she would focus once more on her love, ignoring the food for a moment in favor of staring at him in his mostly naked glory: her gaze moving across his body in an obvious way, pausing briefly at the wound that always caused a flicker of worry to fill her gaze, before moving upwards to his face; a grin spreading across her own. She paused to think for a moment about how easily she used to blush when she looked at him, especially the first few times she had saw him not fully dressed, but now there wasn’t even a hint of pink to her cheeks and no embarrassment to be found in the enjoyment she got from staring at her love.

Word Count: 1,020 | 2,030

If there is one place where troubles of the day should never come to it is the privacy of one's home. Whatever has been bothering an individual should be left at the front door. The home is a safe haven where anything negative should not come in, and where one can let down their guard, intense their otherwise stressed body, and become free of all of the day's burdens. For those Daremo, it is the one place where his personality drops the facade showed to others and relishes in the freedom of being allowed to be true to itself. And while some might notice the subtle differences between the personalities shown in public and in private, there was little doubt, in his mind, that Kaia didn't notice them.

Arms snaked around the slender waist of the dancing woman, bringing her close against his chiseled chests. Fingers played with the hem the shirt, his shirt, that was doing a good job of obscuring the beautiful body underneath, pulling it up enough for a flash of panties could be seen, while a simple greeting along with a kiss on the cheek was given. As she turned to face him, purple eyes met mesmerizing blue ones, a smile graced his face. Leaning down, he met the kiss half way, returning it as gently as hers, though he wanted to deepen it, the food was more important. However, it didn't stop him from squeezing her ass in a playful manner with a coy smirk.

Unraveling his arms from around her waist, Daremo took a few precious seconds to watch Kaia, cook. He had quickly found out she enjoyed cooking a lot. There have been a number of times where she ended up cooking all three meals without much of a complaint. With him catching her dancing every time. Her apparent passion for cooking was similar to his own love of sewing; the latter being something she found out weeks upon having moved in.

Daremo snorted uncharacteristically in regards to her reply, “After all the activities we did last night,” his eyes briefly drifting towards her tight derriere as thoughts of what occurred last night replayed in his mind, “The amount of food will only be enough for us.” While not to the extent of his lover, Daremo does eat a lot of food. His lifestyle as a high ranking shinobi and the amount of energy burnt on a daily basis demands him to eat two to three times more than an average civilian. And, like Kaia, there wasn’t an ounce of fat on his body. The shinobi occupation has no room for dieters or those who are worried about the figure.

The amount of energy spent on a daily basis is enough to keep some of the most gluttonous eats, not part of the Akimichi clan, in relatively good shape. It made no sense to him why some younger kunoichis are still dieting when there is proof of its adverse effects it has on those in the shinobi occupation. Thankfully, those in charge were making more regulations to stop young kunoichis from dieting; it is a step in the right direction.

Shaking those thoughts away, he went back to focusing on Kaia, watching her doing her thing. "No. Truth be told, I was up around 5 o'clock.", he admitted. "I didn't get up because of how peaceful you looked while sleeping so close to me. I might come off as insensitive at times, but I am not heartless enough to disturb you from your sleep - especially considering how tired we both were from our celebration of your promotion." His thoughts drifting back to the day before and everything they did when Kaia got word of her promotion. Needless to say, they enjoyed them immensely.  "You not sore this morning are you? I was rough last night.", he admitted having been rougher than normal during their primal, lustful activities. Not to say, he has never been rough with her, just that, last night was particularly more violent. Despite what some of his previous partners might say, Daremo did care about them doing the aftermath of intimacy, and it was this courtesy that was being shown to his love. “I do remember soothing some of the soreness before passing out.”

Seeing her turn off the burners with each skillet containing eggs, bacon, and sausages, he couldn't wait to eat. While he didn't say anything, the man was incredibly hungry, and he had a perfectly good reason to be with everything considering. He mentally chuckled at the look of exasperation on her face when the timer for the biscuits beeped right when she was making her way over to him - most likely to steal another kiss. Watching her bend over, and pulled out the tray of perfectly golden biscuits and setting them on the counter,  he only wish his shirt was a little bit shorter for him to catch another glimpse of the panties she had on.

His smile from earlier was still present as Kaia turned her attention back to him, gazing at his nearly naked form.  How things have changed. She used to not be able to look at him without a blush forming, but now, she can without the smallest hint of the pink hue. He didn't comment when he saw the flicker of worries passed through her eyes when they laid on the wound on his chest. The particular thing being something he hadn't talked to her about, but planning on doing so today, among other things.


"Enjoying the view?", he asked, moving towards her, snaking his arms around her waist and bringing her close to his body. Purple eyes stared lovingly into blue ones as he leaned down, "I know I certainly did when you got out of bed this morning. " he whispered. "It is a shame you had to put on those panties, but, seeing how they are my favorite pair. I will let it slide.", his hands moved to pull up the hem of the shirt she wore - exposing her panty-clad body. Capturing her lips in a deep, passionate kiss, his hands grabbed her bottom and began massaging it.  Each cheek being skillfully kneaded as the kiss continued for awhile longer. Feeling another part of him waking up, something she would definitely feel, Daremo broke the kiss, "I been waiting to do that all morning.", he spoke.

Before he could go in for another kiss, his stomach would growl, demanding to be fed. Chuckling softly, he lightly kissed Kaia and let her go from his grasps. "Let's get something to eat but I decide to eat you." he would say as he moved towards the cabinets which housed the plates.

---

1133 | 2570

Daremo’s snort at her comment was more than enough to explain what he was thinking and his words only confirmed it: she was definitely not the only one who was hungry. Considering everything they had done the evening prior, and well into the night, it wasn’t a surprise. Thankfully, Kaia always aimed to cook more than necessary, which this morning would probably end up being just enough between the two of them. As long as no one went hungry, that was all she cared about.

She listened in silence, with a gentle smile on her face, as Daremo admitted to having been up since five o’clock. His reasoning for not moving or getting up? Her, and the peaceful slumber she had drifted off into. It was strange how easily her sleeping habits had changed. She had gone for years with waking up every fifteen minutes or so, or basically sleeping with one eye open because she never felt safe. Now though? Provided she was cuddled up to Daremo she found that she could sleep no matter the circumstances or situation: she felt that safe with him, that protected. The fact that Daremo would lay there, and allow her to keep sleeping when he was well awake, caused her gentle smile to grow even further – and she found herself pausing in what she was doing long enough to steal another quick but love filled kiss before returning to her task.

Before she could comment though about how sweet such a thing was and how she hardly found him to be insensitive in the slightest he inquired as to whether or not she was sore, which caused her smile to grow a bit naughty. In truth, she should probably have been: but Daremo had soothed that soreness away last night before the pair had fallen asleep. Not that she was complaining, last night had been… fun, to put it mildly. It also made her once again very glad she had decided to move out of her father’s house and in with Daremo: privacy was something they had definitely needed at this point in their relationship. ”No, I’m fine, love. You took care of that last night rather well.”, she would respond, glancing back over to him with that purposeful look: she loved looking at him, and she loved even more that he enjoyed it when she did: it was made that much more better with them home because it meant he didn’t have to be fully clothed like they needed to be when out in public.

At his comment she couldn’t help but grin fully and nod. ”Of course. I always enjoy the view.”, she would respond, watching as Daremo moved toward her, and feeling his arms snake around her. The deep and passionate kiss was returned with earnest – she had long since begun to crave his kisses after all – and his hands on her bottom caused her to press herself against him: it made her realize fairly quickly where their morning was likely going to end up – or where it probably would, depending on how what she wished to discuss with him was handled.

Of course, she hadn’t missed his following comment about the show she had put on for him this morning: thankfully him seeing her nude was nothing she wasn’t used to at this point or else she probably would have been blushing scarlet at the moment. As it was she simply chuckled and shook her head, ”I should have known you were faking.. glad you enjoyed it.” Chuckling once more she would shake her head slightly, ”Unfortunately, clothing is a must when cooking… while I know you are an amazing medic, grease burns are not something I intend on every wanting to experience… even if it’s only for a brief few seconds.” Ah yes, she knew all too well kitchen accidents could happen – it was the only purpose of her putting on clothing to begin with when in the kitchen.

Hearing his stomach growl her own responded, and the next kiss was returned just the same before she laughed softly at his comment. ”Mmm… food first, at least.”, she would reply slyly, hinting without saying so that she was rather fond of the idea of him ‘eating’ her. She watched him head off to get the plates and busied herself with grabbing the needed silverware for them to use.

While she picked over in her head what she wanted to speak to Daremo about – there were a few things, actually, though she considered two more important than the rest - she was quiet as she went about grabbing her plate of food: loading it with biscuits, eggs, bacon, and sausage. She didn’t bother with moderation: she never hid how much she ate around Daremo after all, since he never judged her for it. When she was sure she had enough she would put her plate down on the table and then head back to the fridge to pull out a cup of bubble tea; still properly wrapped and waiting for her to pop into it with a straw. With her cold strawberry bubble tea in hand she would grab a straw out of a drawer, closing it with her hip afterward, before heading back to the table and sitting down. One seated she would pause before even taking a bite so that she could purposely break the plastic seal on her cup of bubble tea by popping the straw through it. She took a sip of her first, before placing the cup down and picking up a knife. She worked in silence as she cut several biscuits in half skillfully, loading each one with a mixture of eggs, bacon, and sausage as she did so and effectively turning them into sandwiches – which had been her general goal all along.

Kaia wasn’t normally an overly chatty person, especially in the morning, but she was sure her silence was likely noticeable: her being this quiet was uncharacteristically odd, even for her. Still, she took a moment to pick up her little biscuit sandwich and take a bite of it, chewing it slowly and enjoying the flavor, before swallowing the bite and speaking, ”Love, there’s something I wanted to talk to you about… well, a few things, but two of which are more important than the rest.” She would pause for a moment, taking another bite of her sandwich as she thought about which topic she wanted to speak about first: the two pressing topics were a young girl she had saw the other day at the orphanage whom she wanted to help, and the other was the wound that she was confused over – or rather that she was confused as to why Daremo didn’t heal. She hated prying – she believed in giving him his privacy and waiting for him to tell her things – but her concern was building the longer the wound was there. Still, for now she decided to stick with the first topic.

After chewing her previous bite and swallowing it she would lean back against the chair, taking a sip of her tea, more out of habit than an actual need for a drink: a way to delay what she was curious and yet nervous about speaking of. ”So, the other day I was walking home and decided to pass by one of the orphanages… There were a bunch of children in the yard, and I saw a little girl there getting bullied by the other children. She was so small it reminded me of myself when I was her age… I went into the yard and the other kids ran away… I took the time to speak to the little girl, her name’s Sicarius. She’s from one of those cat clans – you know, the ones with the ears and tail like a cat? She’s… adorable, to put it lightly. Apparently her father left her in charge one evening while he went out to work; her siblings and her pregnant mother and she were left behind: and she was only about eight or nine at the time. Some bandits showed up at the house, one was pretending to be injured but she didn’t realize it… so she let him in, trying to help him. They took control of the house, and when her mother tried to resist they killed her and the unborn child. When her father got home several days later… well, there Sicarius was along with her siblings with the dead body of their mother. He didn’t speak to her for months… I think half a year, is what she said but I could be mistaken. When he finally did speak to her again it was to kick her out – and he threatened that if she ever came back he would kill her. She was on the streets for a while, before a madame from one of the brothels took her in – apparently little Sicarius had caught her attention because she had protected one of the girls who was being beaten by their John. The madame couldn’t afford to feed and house the child for free of course, so she ended up giving Sicarius a choice: she could either become one of her girls, or she could take up the job of protecting them – it would be cheaper than constantly having to pay off the corrupt police after all. Sicarius chose to protect them… but still she didn’t like the looks the men were giving her, or the comments some of them said.. and so she ended up leaving. That’s how she ended up at the orphanage.”

Pausing in her story, in giving the history of Sicarius, she would pick up her sandwich once more, taking yet another bite of it, chewing and swallowing. ”… I was thinking about adopting her.” There was so many with Sicarius story Kaia felt she could relate to, and she truly wanted to help the child. The little girl had been beyond adorable, sweet, and kind. And it was horrible that she was forced into the type of situation she was: her father blaming her for something that was by no means her fault. Sicarius should never have been left in charge of the house at only eight or nine years old, let alone be blamed for such a tragic turn of events. But she had been, and it had led to her being an orphan of sorts – at least in the ways of being unwanted by the living family the young cat-child still had. Still, Kaia didn’t mention any of her internal ramblings, instead she looked toward Daremo, waiting for his response, curious as to what he would have to say about such a revelation, let alone the fact that she wanted to adopt the child – it was a topic after all they had not yet discussed, so it was one she had no idea how he would feel about. As she waited in silence she finished up her sandwich, though she didn’t bother touching the next one. Instead she would pick up her tea and sip it quietly.

Word Count: 1,855 | 3,885

Total WC: 3,885
Learning Chakra Anesthetic: 3,885 – 675 = 3,210
Learning Hovering Hands: 3,210 – 675 = 2,535
Learning Basic Recovery Method: 2,535 – 900 = 1,635
Learning Healing Aura – Longevity: 1,635 – 1,350 = 285
Remaining Wordcount: 285