It was a beautiful day in the desert, the sun was blazing down but the breeze that rushed through the dunes made it more bearable. There were a few wispy clouds being dragged across the sky by a vigorous high wind. Not wanting to waste a day like this inside, she thought she might go exploring the dunes in search of an oasis that she had heard mention of by some other genin. On a hot day like to day the sparkling water would be a welcome relief, between bouts of lying leisurely beneath the shade of a set of palms. She had already prepped for her expedition; stored inside Kurogokegamu was a picnic basket filled with a meal consisting of a sandwich, some chips, a tall thermos of chilled green tea, and plenty of her favorite homemade snack, mochi. Beneath her revealing skirt and top she wore a brand new bikini she had purchased for this very occasion. It was a bright green with little lilac flowers dotting the edges. She smiled shyly to herself, knowing how good she looked in her new swimming attire, and hoped that there might be someone there to see her.

Excited to set out, she scrambled up kurogokegamu's side and slid into her cushioned seat. She always enjoyed being able to spend a day to herself, it spared her some of the odd looks that she received while travelling atop her puppet. The sun reflected brightly off of the oil slick paint, dust seemingly repelled by the smooth varnish. In front of her, Nova saw a plethora of fragmented rainbows, the beautiful splash of color coming from the faceted jewels that Nova had selected for Kurogokegamu's eyes. They flew across the sand smoothly, the occasional clicking of her puppets arachnid joints the only noise besides the wind sliding across the desert. This was one of Nova's favorite activities. So familiar was she with the way her puppet worked, she let her mind float off into space as her fingers twitched out the choreographed stride.

As she absent-mindedly crossed the dunes towards her aproxamate destination, she caught herself in a daydream. Nova was floating in the crystal clear water, deep enough the toes on her right foot could barely brush the sandy riverbed while keeping her head above water. She was sprawled out across the top of the water, the sun beating down on every inch of her pale skin. There was someone else besides her, their hand resting gently just above her knee. The hand was soft and kind, it slowly inched up to the inside of her thigh. The fingertips gently caressed her up and-

She was jerked out of her fanstasy looked up and realized she had no idea where she was. The sun was starting to lower itself on the horizon, the sky stained with a peachy glow. The legs came to a stop, waiting for Nova to issue the next command. Turning in her seat, nova tried to place where she was with a landmark or something of the sort. Nothing but sandy dunes in every direction, and the ever present wind was doing a spectacular job of wiping every trace of travel from the ever changing sand. Chewing on her lip nervously, Nova tried to remember which direction she had left the city from. She had been so excited to set out on her adventure for today she had forgotten to take the proper precautions. Now that she was out here and the sun was setting, she realized she had also forgotten the light coat that was a necessity when planning on being in the desert at night. The deeper the sun set the cooler the breeze would be. The sun was only setting and the cool air spread a wave of goosebumps down nova's back.

Realizing the mistake she had made, Nova decided the best course of action would be to set up a small camp for the evening. Despite the relative safeness of the desert, Nova knew that there were still dangers that lurked, and a genin such as herself would do well to not be caught alone. Seeing the peak of a sandstone cliff side, she hurried in that direction. The darkness had fallen fast, and within half an hour the pink stained sky was now an inky black. The moon was but a sliver in the sky, providing no light upon the desert dunes. She approached the cliff side quickly but cautiously, listening for any sort of life here. Not only would this be a good place for the unsavory type to hide, but any sort of natural beast may lurk as well. Kurogokegamu ambled easily up the near vertical climb, the only damage being that her basket for her picnic rattled around and she knew she squished her sandwich. At least she was prepared. She had food, water, and shelter. She was glad she had packed such a meal, and couldn't wait to dig in until she was set in a cave. About halfway up the cliff side, maybe 20 feet in the air there was a opening big enough for Kurogokegamu to shimmy into. There was no evidence of life in here, and it was dry and protected from the cold wind that had kicked up. Slipping out of her seat, Nova slid to the ground of the cave and rested her back against the cool stone. Kurogokegamu twitched down to the ground and set motionless as Nova released the chakra threads that she had been weaving. She had grabbed her picnic basket as well and dove into the sandwich, not realizing until now that she was ravenous. She polished off her sandwich, chips, and half her green tea then reached for her mochi.

Chewing her favorite snack slowly, she listened to the wind that whistled loudly across the entrance to her little cove. She could hear the occasional yip and screech of the nocturnal animals that thrived in the night over the desert. All she could hear were the sounds of nature, and for that she was pleased. Though this had by no means been her ideal day, she was enjoying her experience. She stared up out the cave for a bit, marveling at the cloudless night sky. Feeling content and full, but a little chilly she decided to turn in for the night. She would head back for the sand village in the morning, back for all her daily routines. Yawning loudly and stretching her back, Nova crawled back into Kurogokegamu's cozy interior. She closed the top, and the temperature quickly rose to a comfortable temperature. Curled up with her face nuzzled into a cushion, Nova quickly drifted off to a restful sleep.

Nova's eyes opened to complete darkness. Stifling a yawn, Nova pressed the close ceiling above until a latch clicked open. Bright light poured into the small crevasse in the cliff side. She had let herself sleep far later than she had intended. At least she felt well rested and invigorated. Sipping her green tea and munching down some of the mochi she had left from the night before, she blinked the sleep from her eyes. After letting herself wake up, Nova packed the few things she had brought back up and hopped inside the puppet once more to head back out. Like a wolf spider emerging from its den, Kurogokegomu crawled out from the tight space. With its immaculate grip on the steep cliff, the puppet skittered gracefully down onto the softer sand. Now in the daylight the desert seemed more familiar and welcoming. She set out in the direction she was now almost sure she had come from. After a short bit of travel she saw a small grove of palm trees a distance to the left. Wondering if this is the oasis she had intended to visit the day before, she took a detour and headed towards it. She felt as though she could smell the musky smell of damp sand, even from here.

Even from a distance she could see the sparkling water she had heard of. The constant wind sent shimmering waves across the surface of the turquoise pool. There was no one here, a solitary paradise. She nearly jumped out of her puppet onto the warm sand as she approached the pool. She stripped her skirt and top quickly and tossed them over one spindly puppet leg, leaving the skimpy bikini on, hugging her full form. She clambered over to the pool clumsily, her faux leg not gaining the best traction on the damp sand. The water was shockingly cold in contrast to the flaming sun. Shivering in delight she trudged deeper. The water lapped up against her thighs, leaving goosebumps up to her neck. Shaking her hair out of her face she dove down into the crystal clear surface. Her head the surface of the water, spraying droplets of crystals around her. “What a lovely day...” she said aloud softly and let herself float up onto her back on the surface of the water. Sunlight shown through in heavenly beams through the palm fronds above her, the pattern reflected beautifully in the water. Nova closed her eyes, letting the chill from the water and the warmth from the sun remove all her worries. She let her body relax and drifted off to her fantasies.

After hours of lazily floating around, Nova was able to pull herself from her desire to stay here forever. She ought at least be back to grab dinner somewhere she thought, her stomach grumbling slightly. Walking up the sandy beach back to Kurogokegamu in the sun dried the droplets from her skin. She slipped back into her full length skirt and threw her thin top back on. She slipped back into her puppet, the black surface almost burning her hands from sitting motionless in the sun for so long. Now fully seated, she headed back to the city, just on the edge of her vision from the oasis. By the time she reached the city gates the sun was again at the horizon, and Nova's stomach gurgled loudly from hunger. She made a beeline to the village's best ramen house, almost able to taste the broth already. She tousled her hair, trying to break apart the thick curls that had formed from drying in the wind. She reached the small restaurant and eagerly hopped out of her puppet, leaving it motionless posted outside. She sat down at the counter and smiled at the old man who owned the place. She was a regular here, and without even placing her order, the man brought her her favorite dish here, spicy pork ramen. She dug in immediately, expressing her gratitude through mouthfuls that were far to large to speak through. Finishing the dish in record time, Nova paid for her meal, leaving a generous tip to the kind man. Waving back at him as she left, she thought how comfortable her bed would be to collapse into the moment she walked through the door.

She decided to walk back through the city, guiding her puppet through the city behind her. Her leg slowed her down and gave her her a noticeable limp, but after being seated for so long the walk felt nice. The sun had now set and the dim electric lights buzzed to life along the eaves. The heat had vanished with the sun, and as it was not too late the streets were busy. People were walking about, giving patronage to the local restaurants, shops, and bars. Nova made eye contact with several pretty girls walking about, and the occasional man caught her eye as well. Perhaps tomorrow night she would go explore the nightlife in the town. For now, she returned home, sending her puppet to the spot beside her bed that he belongs and crashed down. She felt relaxed, but tired. She would sleep well tonight.

[Exit thread]
[word count 2002]

Training: