”…...” Okay, that little rant was absolutely adorable: there really was no beating around the bush when it came to describing it. In fact, Destiny had to try very hard to keep her face composed as the other female went on a rant about the practicality of her smaller bag verses a much larger purse. It seemed that Jinx has little to no use for a larger bag – save for it acting like a weapon – and much preferred the smaller variant she had with her. She even went so far as to say that none of the larger bags she had would have worked with her outfit anyway. Considering the door that Jinx had just opened by mentioning the attire she wore Destiny gave the other young woman a quick once over, refusing to allow her silvery gaze to linger on anything in particularity for too long. That of course did little to nothing to stop the fairly impure thought that came across her mind, ”Honey, purse be damned you could be carrying around a garbage bag and wearing a sack and you’d still look smoking hot.” It was at that moment that Destiny became very aware of her own thoughts and feelings, as well as quite happy with the fact that telepathic people were a rare and uncommon breed: all while saying a silent prayer that this woman didn’t happen to be one. That would have surely been embarrassing. Deciding it was perhaps time to move on – before she actually did end up uttering something inappropriate out loud – she patted her own rather large bag made out of a blue-jean material. ”If it wasn’t for carrying my art supplies everywhere I don’t think I’d bother with such a large bag either… does tend to become a chore to lug around. Specifically if you’re shopping and the shop keepers don’t know you...” This was by no means far from the truth: she had been asked to leave many a store, or leave her bag at the front, simply because they were weary of thieves – not that she was one to begin with, but they didn’t know that.

Destiny was knocked from her train of both pure and impure thoughts by the female beginning to say something and then cutting herself off – something she had now done twice during their encounter. It struck Destiny at that moment that the other woman might just be as nervous as she was – was Jinx just as socially awkward as Destiny herself? Or, was she perhaps reading the signs wrong? It was adorable and by no means annoying. Either way she was certainly intrigued enough to find out. However, for now it seemed the subject matter of their conversation was changing yet again – not that she minded in the least.

It would seem she was not the only one with talent: from what Jinx mentioned she was a writer, which also explained an earlier comment the woman had made beneath her breath about her ‘illustrator’. It also seemed that their upbringing had been alike in some ways, with parents who were willing to allow them to explore their own wants and aspirations instead of shoving the shinobi path down their throats. However, it was sad to hear that Jinx still had felt pressured by it nonetheless. Either way the slip up of the information seemed to startle Jinx and to give her time to process what she had said Destiny continued on with her drawing, now adding the more minute details that would effectively finish up the piece – just in time too as the couple was paying for their meal and coffee and preparing to leave. Only when Jinx began speaking, inquiring as to whether or not she would be interested in making money with her talent, did her hand pause once more across the page and Destiny look up. Her silvery gaze locked onto the female and remained there while soaking up her next words like a greedy sponge thirsty for water. Her response to the question came immediately and without thought, almost as if fate itself had aligned this very moment into what it was, ”I would be honored to draw for you.” The other female had added something beneath her breath, something that Destiny hadn’t caught due to the arrival of the waitress with their food, but she didn’t dwell on it for now. Instead, she focused on the once more elated feeling soaring through her gut – a gut that grumbled as her plate was placed down in front of her.

It took Jinx mentioning their similarities in food for Destiny to look up once more and see that she was indeed correct: they had ordered the exact same meals. A soft laugh escaped her before she could contain herself, a truly happy expression crossing up on her face that was no longer guarded or well kept – true, raw emotion. ”Oh wow. What are the odds of that?” It was at that moment that Destiny would slip her pencil back into its slot within her bag, closing up her drawing book afterwards and stashing it carefully back inside so that she could truly focus on the food in front of her as well as the excellent company in the form of the Uchiha.

She picked up her sandwich, ignoring the salad completely for now, and took a bite of it which she chewed carefully before swallowing. Another bite followed, enough food to momentarily quell the ravenous beast within her stomach long enough for her to place her sandwich back down on her plate and begin adding dressing to her salad and tossing it, all while focusing on continuing with their conversation. ”So what kind of stories do you write exactly? It was a fair enough question, and definitely one she needed to know – if Jinx was writing something she wasn’t used to drawing then she was going to have to spend some time practicing so that she could get it right: she wasn’t not about to be getting paid for horrible, below average, and below standard work. That was definitely not her style. Either way while she waited for the woman to respond she kept her focus on her salad, spearing a good bite after it was perfectly tossed and popping it into her mouth where she chewed with fairly perfect manners – manners her father and sibling had instilled upon her from a young age.

Word Count: 1,075

Jinx was always told never to regret, or second-guess, anything she ever did in life because once the habit is started then it becomes hard to break; she would start to second guess everything. However, moments after her rant in defense of the small purse, she could not help but go against what she was taught and regret the action, The rant was not called for. Destiny did not even make a comment about purse at all, just stared at it. Yet, that simple glance was all it took to cause her to go on an uncalled-for rant. Now with some clarity, embarrassment came over her with her cheeks gaining a light, dusty pink hue.

With no way to possible high it, Jinx resigned to the fact Destiny would take notice of the blush coloring her cheeks. What would the other woman think about it? Would she assume the worse, thinking Jinx was having impure thoughts about her? Would she even comment on it or just get up and leave? Unbeknownst to Jinx, the mere thought of the woman leaving did not sit well with her for some reason. Not like this would have been the first time her own social awkwardness has led to misconception and people walking out of her life.

Before a sigh could escape her lips, and the preparation of eating alone set in, Destiny spoke. It took some control for Jinx not to perk up at the sound of Destiny's voice as she spoke on her reasonings for carrying around such a large bag, but a soft smile did worm its way across her features. Seemingly calm on the outside, mentally she was jumping with joy that her awkwardness did not cause her to lose a potential friend. The joyance short lasted when the rest of what Destiny mentioned registered with Jinx. "While I understand why shopkeepers are wary of anyone with a large bag coming into their store to shop, I still find it wrong. Kind of hard to get to know someone when you already perceived them in a negative light without getting to know them, eh? I surely do not see you as a thief." the last part being said softly, though it might feel incomplete to Destiny, not of emotion, rather something else was missing from it; something which Jinx dare not to say so soon.

From their interactions up to this point, Jinx noticed certain things about Destiny which were initially overlooked. Certain things the other woman had said and the way she acted at times was somewhat similar to her own self. With her being fully aware of her own social awkwardness, she realized Destiny might be just like her, and that thought widened the smile on her face. Had she finally found someone who was just as awkward as she was!? Or was just looking too deep into it, while subconsciously wishing Destiny was similar to her? No, she would not let doubt cloud her mind. Until known otherwise, she would assume Destiny was just as socially awkward as she was. That being the only logical reasoning behind the woman putting up with her antics for so long!

Speaking a tad bit about her own life up to this point, mentioning how she felt pressured to follow in her father and family's footstep, Jinx elaborated further on it "Being an Uchiha means certain things are expected from you, and one of them is being an excellent shinobi. I am following that path, but. . .", at this she shrugged a little, "I feel like writing is my calling, ya know? Some of the other clansmen, and even people outside of the clan don't understand this. Because I am an Uchiha there are expectations, and being a famous author is not one of them. Besides when have you ever heard of an Uchiha publishing a book that was not shinobi related?", not really a question, just something for Destiny to ponder on.

With rapt attention, Jinx watched the other female begin working on the incomplete drawing. Tilting her head ever slightly, she wondered where the image came from. It was only after she looked over at an elderly couple finishing their food and back at the drawing, did she realize where the idea of the sketch came from. Destiny was literally completing a drawing while waiting for the waitress to come back with their food. Jinx's own illustrator took weeks to complete the images asked for, and none of them were as detailed and precise as Destiny's. The woman had talent. And it made Jinx's next question easier, as she asked if Destiny was looking for work.

The prospect of work seemed to intrigue the woman as silver eyes met light brown eyes. "Finally, I will be able to rid myself of the good for nothing illustrator.", Jinx internally mused to herself. Hopefully, she would be able to convince Destiny to stay around Konoha for sometime.   "Because, ya know, don't want to travel too far to meet my potential new illustrator.", she thought, trying to convince herself that was the reason for wanting Destiny to be around more.

The subtle sound of Destiny's stomach rumbling broke Jinx out of her internal musing "Someone's hungry.", she said, chuckling at sound her stomach, only to flush in embarrassment when her own roared to life, "I did not eat breakfast."

The rumbling of their stomachs seemed to announce the approaching of their food as both of their orders were placed before them; Jinx immediately making a comment on identical orders. "Cute.", she thought to herself, hearing Destiny chuckling, with her doing the same. "Guess great minds think alike?", with a genuine smile. Reaching towards the salad, ignoring the sandwich, for now, Jinx took a couple bites from it to quell her ravishing stomach, after adding dressing to it.

At the question proposed, Jinx paused eating.  ****. She forgot she would have to mention exactly what Destiny would be drawing. Oh, how would she explain this particular bit of info to the woman? "Calm down, girl.  Calm down.", the silent mantra was repeated over and over again. Taking another bite of the salad, Jinx looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation before quietly whispering what she wrote "Erotica", a light blush forming on her face, "Specifically, lesbian erotica." That here it was, Jinx wrote erotica. Taking a sip of the cappuccino, Jinx could not help but chuckle softly. What else could she do? No one knew she wrote erotica. They believed she wrote something more. . .innocent. "So, still want that job?"

---

1112

Blushing, the other woman was blushing. Was she now embarrassed about the rant she had gone on dealing with the size of her purse and its practicality? Or was perhaps something else going on causing the reaction? Either way she found it to be utterly and completely adorable, causing her opinion of the Uchiha to shift from her just being smoking hot to downright adorable, cute, and hot. A fairly dangerous combination. Instead of focusing on that particular thought trail she instead focused her attention on what Jinx was saying, realizing she was commenting about the statement Destiny had made in regards to shop keepers and their dislike for the large bags Destiny carried. ”Yeah, it does get quite annoying to have to deal with. I understand where they’re coming from in a sense – a loss of product is a loss of money. But, each shop keep whose denied me service because of my bag has lost a customer for life.” Destiny shrugged a bit, quite un-bothered by this notion – she spent her money freely where she wanted to, so missing out in a single shop didn’t bother her considering where all her journeys and adventures took her. ”If anything being denied has caused me to find better deals elsewhere on more than one occasion.” At Jinx’s last comment a laugh escaped her, brightening up her eyes and removing the mask she so carefully wore: allowing her true and inner happy self to be shown. ”I’m certainly a lot of things, but you’re right, a thief is not one of them.”

Destiny focused back on her food, taking another bite of her sandwich after having taken a bite or two of her salad: the whole meal seemed to be seasoned perfectly and was certainly delicious, so she was definitely happy with the choice she had made – a big tip when they were done eating was definitely going to be in order: as well as attempting to find a way to pay for the meal of the lovely young lady across from her as well. She wasn’t sure how well the idea would sit with Jinx of having another pay for her, but she was certainly going to try if for no other reason than the fact that this lovely flower had kept her meal from being lonesome, dull, and very boring.

In perfect silence she chewed while listening as Jinx continued talking, explaining more about what she had mentioned earlier. Being a member of the clan she was she was expected to be a great shinobi, something Destiny could in a way relate to – not perhaps by her clan itself, but rather by whom her father had been and the footsteps she wanted to fill. It seemed that while Jinx was willing to follow in these footsteps of the Uchiha clan she also wanted to pursue her own goals: such as being a writer. It was something that others didn’t understand, and again something that Destiny could relate to. She had got very lucky when it came to her own family supporting her and her artwork, but that hadn’t meant everyone around her had done the same – she had come across many shinobi who thought she was doing nothing more than wasting her time when she could have been training to better herself. Yes, she definitely understood this all too well. ”I understand what you’re going through in a way. While my own family was supportive of me not everyone else was. There were many sensei, many shinobi in general, who thought I was doing nothing more than wasting my time. They agreed I was talented, sure, but they thought I was better off spending my time training to become the best shinobi I could be instead of drawing.” She shook her head at that point, a silent vow popping up once more that she had made long ago: she would never make someone feel inferior because of their hobbies and wants in life, even if those differed from her own. ”It’s why I promised myself long ago that when I became a sensei, or where ever my life may lead me, I’d never make someone else feel inferior about their hobbies… everyone’s allowed to like what they want, and to do what makes them happy so long as they’re not hurting anyone else.” And now it was her turn to blush at her own boldness: she had never quite admitted that to anyone else, and she really didn’t know why she had even said it – outside of hopes of making the other female feel better about her situation, and to let her know in a round-a-bout kind of way that Destiny herself would never judge her for her love to write.

Chewing another bite and swallowing it quickly – realizing she was halfway done with her meal – she focused instead of what Destiny had mentioned she was writing: Erotica. Lesbian erotica. Well that was certainly interesting, and thankfully it didn’t bother Destiny one bit: she didn’t even bat an eye. Instead of answering the other females question right away if she still wanted the job or not she instead reached into her bag and removed a sketchbook that was of a different color than the original she had had out. She glanced around, ensuring that no one was within seeing distance, before sliding it across the table and towards Jinx, flipping the cover open to reveal the very naked first image of two individuals, both whom were female, in the middle of a very intimate act. ”Sure… wouldn’t be the first time I’ve drawn something like that.” A slightly wicked grin would then spread across Destiny’s face, unable to be hidden by the near perfect mask of passive happiness she always wore. ”Those two happened to be getting it on in the hotel across from mine earlier… with the curtains opened.” There was no shame to be had in her voice or on her face, and in fact she felt none. The world was an artists muse, and if you left yourself open to be seen then you couldn’t complain about being put down on canvas – or in this case drawn within a sketchbook – for that artist to forever remember.

Word Count: 1,042 | 2,117

Coming to conclusion nothing could be done about the earlier rant. The warmth Jinx felt on her cheeks subsided with the blush disappearing altogether. Underneath the feeling of embarrassment, another, foreign and unknown emotion presented itself to the young Uchiha. It was not anything she had felt before. It was something completely different than anything experienced, yet, she like the tingling sensation it caused throughout her body. Trying to dismiss the emotion in favor of listening to her company was harder said than done. As Destiny spoke of understanding where the shopkeepers were coming from and vowing never to step foot into their establishments again, Jinx listened. Silently agreeing with the woman’s sentiment regarding places owned by owners who pass off judgment without getting to know the person, and nodding when finding deals elsewhere was mentioned. 

Jinx found herself laughing along with her company, smiling brightly at the woman. ”Wouldn’t mind listening to her laughter for a bit longer.”, such thought came out of no longer, yet, Jinx could not find any fault with it. Her company’s laughter was beautiful and a joyous sound that seemed to slowly draw her in intentionally or not. When her company mention being a lot of things, but not a thief, the statement intrigued her. What could she mean by that? Is there more to the artist named Destiny? Like any good mystery novel, those which capture her attention, Jinx wanted to find out. However, the question would wait till later.

. . . Later, the idea of wanting to continue a conversation, outside of family and friends, was foreign to the young Uchiha. She never was the one to speak much outside from trivial matters or things associated with being a shinobi. The few times she had spoken about other things no one seems to enjoy the direction of the conversation. Sure, they stayed and talked with her, but she knew they rather be somewhere else. In which cases she provided a means for them to exit the conversation without it being considered rude. It had come to the point where she rarely spoke on anything that wouldn’t interest another, or only conversing on subjects which they found interesting. Those moments were bad for Jinx who held little interest in whatever was talked about. 

But, as she spoke about her reasoning for feeling pressured in following the path of a shinobi due to heritage and clan, she found herself looking forward to conversing more with Destiny. The feeling being something she had only felt with close-knit friends, and even then, never was it this strong. 

Another bite of the salad was taken, followed by a few more. In a twist of irony, Jinx as a child used to hate the taste and texture of leafy salads. Having to eat the food was keen to torture for the young Uchiha back then. Now? Salads had become one of her favorite foods of all-time. With so many different varieties of salads, Jinx never found herself become bored of the meal. And, let's not forget about fruit salads, something she adores as a snack. With her love for salad, it wasn’t surprising to her that most of hers were almost gone. Though a faster eater she was, a byproduct of being a shinobi and not having the luxury of eating a meal at a slow pace, she still held the manners of the best nobles. 

As Destiny spoke of shinobi in this generation believing that she was wasting her time, Jinx threw in her own opinion “That who believed you were wasting your time are idiots.”, the brazen statement coming out innocent enough. Let it not be said, Jinx did not speak her mind at times. “Your talents are needed in the shinobi field. While the academy does teach us basic art skills. It is those true artists who are able to draw the faces of missing-nin, elusive figures, and shinobi of other villages simply by listening to the details provided by others. It is those people who provide the facial recognition which others use to hunt down those in the bingo book. Without talented artists in the shinobi field, most, if not all, bingo book entries would be void of a picture.” Even though some new technology has been introduced recently, all of it was ineffective at getting a picture of a shinobi or someone of importance without the risk of exposure. To this day, pencil and a sketchpad was the way to go when it comes to getting an image of another. 

Jinx nodded in agreement with Destiny’s opinion on everyone should follow their dreams, and do whatever makes them happens. “I am the same way. I believe everyone should follow their dreams or do whatever makes them happy, so long as it does not cause harm to others.”, she spoke, taking a bite of her sandwich and then a drink from her cappuccino. 

Having mentioned she was the author of lesbian erotica, Jinx found herself surprise to even admit that tidbit about herself. No one knew she was the writer of a mildly popular erotica series. Even when meeting her editor, she did so henged as an older lady to avoid suspicion. ”Yet, here I am exposing the truth to a stranger.”, she silently mused, wondering if Destiny would still be interested in being an illustrator for her. An eyebrow raised as she watched Destiny reached into her bag and removed another sketchbook. ”Probably going to show me some more of her work.”, Jinx internally thought, though wavered slightly as she watched Destiny looking about before sliding the book over to her. When the book was open, Jinx’s eyes widen a little at the intimate picture before her. The picture of two women very much enjoying themselves in a passionate act. “Impressive. Nice detail on each one of their bodies, and facial expression”, Jinx commented, finding herself please with Destiny’s work. 

She couldn’t stop from chuckling when Destiny mentioned the couple, or whatever they were, was doing this activity with the curtain opens. “Seems like you have some interesting hobbies if you managed to get this.”, she spoke with a smile of innocent on her face. Subconsciously and without much thought, Jinx spoke once more, “Do you have a preference for men or women?”. Noticing she did not specify what she meant, a blush appeared on her face as she quickly clarified what she meant “In drawing sexual acts.”.


”What was that!?”, she internally screams, she totally was referring to Destiny’s preference when it came to drawing people performing sexual acts, not anything else. . .right? ”Yeah, that is right. Totally was not asking about her own sexual preferences.”, she mused, trying to convince herself with such a lie.That still did not stop her from feeling slightly hot, and discreetly rub her legs together under the table.


“May I?”, she asked, pointing to the book, wanting to flip through it, and see any other drawings inside.

---

1174[2286]

“Those who believed you were wasting your time are idiots.”, the words that Jinx spoke echoed through Destiny’s mind over and over again: words she had never heard spoken by lips outside of those belonging to her dedicated family. They were words that made her smile grow upon her face, words that caused light to shine in her eyes – the light of happiness. To finally have stumbled across someone who thought her talents and abilities were not in fact a waste, to find someone who believed she wasn’t in fact wasting her time, it was eye opening and it made her extremely happy. Jinx was someone whom so far she could see herself becoming lifelong friends with as well as someone she could see herself working with in the long run. Her missing out on the apparent delicious continental breakfast the hotel she was staying at was supposed to provide was starting to seem more and more like a good thing.

As Jinx went on to explain exactly why she felt the way she did, about how Destiny’s talents were essential in the field especially when it came to being able to profile and draw images for criminals and other various low-lives she could come across, Destiny couldn’t help but hang on her every word: not only agreeing wholeheartedly with what she was saying but also enjoying just hearing the other female speak – there was something about her voice that was in a way memorizing and definitely lovely to listen to. To keep herself from staring too long or too hard at the other female – she didn’t want to weird her out after all – Destiny picked up her sandwich and took another bite of it, realizing that the delicious combination of bread and meat and vegetables was almost gone. She chewed her food in complete silence, still hanging on every one of Jinx’s words she spoke. When she finished off her sandwich she moved on to her salad, spearing her fork through another bite before popping it into her mouth and chewing on it once more with perfect manners. ”I agree. Artists are very useful in the field: if not for just being able to draw accurate representations of people but also plants, animals, and landmarks. Some of the greatest maps and medicines have come from artists who returned with such useful information as the stuff I mentioned.”, she spoke softly once she had swallowed her latest bite of food.

When Jinx inquired as to being able to look through more of the book Destiny nodded the go-ahead, smiling gently – cheeks completely devoid of a blush. ”Please, feel free.”, she said softly, ignoring her food now in favor of the delicious drink she had ignored mostly up until that point. "To answer your question... I prefer women." She held the cup in both hands, bringing it to her lips and sipping it in relatively quietness while giving Jinx the chance to look through the pictures and also holding back the blush that threatened to tint her cheeks. The majority of the book was filled with much the same – couples or singles or sometimes groups of three or more people whom she had come across that either she had caught in the flesh or whom she had thought up. They were all fairly detailed, some more edited for public than others – still, if she was going to be working for Jinx the other female had a right to know her level of skill. ”Some of those were simply practice: the human form devoid of attire is one of the hardest things to draw or so I’ve experienced. That’s why that book is filled more than the others; lots of practice sessions, quite a few with models but those are further back.” Ah yes, art classes had definitely been interesting events.

It was at that point, once she finished speaking and went to take another sip of her drink, she noticed the waitress making her way over. It stood as a reminder for how long Jinx and her had actually been sitting there and talking – not that she minded in the slightest. Once the waitress arrived, and before she could open her mouth to speak, Destiny slipped some ryo free from her pocket and handed it to the woman – more than enough to not only cover both of their meals but to leave a hefty tip behind. ”This is for both of our meals, and please keep the change.” The waitress opened her mouth as if she were going to dispute such a large tip but then quickly shut it and walked off after a squeaked thank you.

Feeling bold, and perhaps a thousand feet tall at that point considering what she just did, she focused back onto Jinx whom she hoped wouldn’t be angry with her for taking the initiative to pay for both of their meals without the other females permission. Deciding not to focus on that she opened her lips and spoke once more, ”So, when can I see a sample of some of your work so I know what all I’ll be drawing in better detail?” Yup, straight from one awkward situation and into another, but at least she felt like a giant now with giant brass balls and everything. While waiting for the other female to respond she picked up her cup, holding it once more in both hands as she downed the rest of it, licking her lips free of the whipped cream once the cup of delicious goodness was emptied.

Word Count: 908 | 3,025

Speed D → D1: 3025 – 260 = 2765
Speed D1 → D2: 2765 – 320 = 2445
Speed D2 → D3: 2445 – 360 = 2085

Endurance D → D1: 2085 – 260 = 1825
Endurance D1 → D2: 1825 – 320 = 1505
Endurance D2 → D3: 1505 – 360 = 1145

Perception D → D1: 1145 – 260 = 885
Perception D1 → D2: 885 – 320 = 565
Perception D2 → D3: 565 – 360 = 205

Discarded Words: 205

Giving her own opinion on those who thought Destiny was wasting her time in pursuing something she had a passion for, Jinx did not think much about it. Her honest opinion, on the narrow-minded views of others,  came from having to deal with similar issues when she took a step away from the shinobi lifestyle. ”Been over three years now.”, she mused, mind briefly wandering back to the moment Inuzuka Kenta, the former Hokage, agreed in placing the young Uchiha on the inactive reserves. There was nothing physically or mentally wrong with her; she had just been worn out from the demanding nature of the occupation, and felt she could do better elsewhere. There were those who questioned her decision and reasoning behind the action, and even more ridicule her when given the reason why she chose to be placed on inactive reserves. Asides from her family and one or two close friends, everyone else doubted and ridicule her. It was the words of her mother, Amaya, the same words she had just spoken to Destiny, that put everything in prospected and gave her the needed motivation to stick to her choices when she had thoughts of wavering. Of course, her mother’s language was more course than her own, but carried the same message.

”I wonder did I have the same expression on my face when she mom told me that exact same thing?”, Jinx thought, watching the woman before her. The artist’s smile growing wider, and happiness sparkling in her eyes, as the words seemingly finally registered with her. Not wanting to be rude, she went on to speak about how the woman’s talent could be beneficial for any village. At the same time, she thought more about the woman before her, and how she acted just moments ago. If she was being honest with herself, Jinx felt sad for Destiny. From how the woman received her words. She could only assume that no one, outside of her family, maybe, has ever told her that the opinions of others mattered little. That, her passion and pursuit of art was not wasteful. Has no one else ever told her that? Have none of her friends ever supported her in her dreams? How she wanted to ask Destiny this, but refrained from, not wanting to get too personal with her in case it brought up unpleasant memories.

Having finished off her salad, Jinx nodded in agreement with Destiny’s words. “I did not think about the importance of artists in those fields - particularly medicine.”, she admitted with a light shrugged, “I can see how being able to draw a plant or animal can be helpful. A picture can help others identify the given animal or plant, saving the individual from death, or providing needed information to a medic or any other doctor.” Taking another bite of her sandwich, it being almost gone, Jinx wiped her hands off on a napkin before looking through the tablet. Good thing she did because there was no way to stop the light dusty pink from spreading across her face. ”She heard me!?”, Jinx mentally exclaimed, feeling embarrassed that Destiny had heard her. Granted, the young Uchiha did not exactly whisper the question. So, she should have assumed that the other woman would have heard it.

As she flipped through the book, the blush would deepen as she looked at more raunchy pictures Destiny had drawn. ”I wonder how that would feel. . . what!?”, Jinx was taken back by her thoughts. ”I did not just think that.”, she tried to refute her own thoughts. That she did not just think about doing some of these things with the woman sitting across from her. Not minding the fact the fact she had never done anything like that with anyone, a shocker considering what she writes, but also, she barely knew Destiny well enough for these thoughts to be vivid as they were! “I. . .think I prefer women as well. . .I think.”, she spoke, not looking up from the book while answering an unspoken question. She did not know why she felt compelled to answer it, but, she did so.

“I can see your progression through the book. You have talent that is growing with each drawing.” she spoke, looking up from the book, her blush having subsided, there was no mistaken Destiny’s talent,  “Another problem with my current illustrator is most of his work is similar in some ways or another. Some scenes have to be scrapped because he could not draw them as well as others. I do not think that will be a problem with you.” The woman has immense talent which will only grow with practice. Before she could say anything else, she caught the glimpse of the waitress making her way over to them. Have they really been talking that long? Where had the time gone? Why did it feel so much shorter? The lack of time awareness was a testimony to Jinx’s comfortability with the woman before her.

Reaching into her purse, Jinx had pulled out the amount needed to cover her meal. She did not expect Destiny to pay for hers. “I - - -”, she watched as Destiny handed the waitress ryo, and spoke how it is to cover both meals. Slipping the ryo back into her purse, watching the waitress leave, Jinx turned her attention back to Destiny, “Thank you for paying.” That was the least she could say to the woman. What wasn’t said was Jinx’s plan in paying her back somehow.

Dark brown eyes stared into the silver ones of Destiny. At Destiny’s question of when she could see her work, Jinx had to think about it. All of her work was located in her apartment. And that meant, she would have to invite the woman to her house. At the mere thought, she fought down the blush which threatened to dusty her cheeks pink. “All my manuscripts and other works are at my apartment. We can go there now. . .”, she paused, “Though, I did have plans to do some clothes shopping. Do you want to come? I would not mind having the opinion of another - especially an artist. Of course, if you are busy, I will just take you to my apartment and show you the material.” Taking a sip of her drink, Jinx waited to see what Destiny’s answer would be. The young Uchiha hoped the woman would agree to come with her clothes shopping. It having been a while since she been shopping with someone outside of the family. She figured it would be nice to have company while shopping. ”Plus, it gives me a chance to potentially pay her back.”, Jinx mused, finishing off her drink.

---

[Exit]To be continued in next thread. . .

1128 | 3414

Training:
Learning Fuuinjutsu [1500/1500]
Fuuinjutsu(D) -> Fuuinjutsu(C): [1500/1500]
Endurance D1 -> D2 [400/400]
Total WC used: 3400