Spoiler:

So. She had slipped out of Raijin’s room for some odd and hairbrained reason. Get some fresh air? Yeah sure. Let’s just go with that reasoning. She had left Raijin in his room to, hopefully, sleep off his concussion. She was worried. Head injuries shouldn’t be brushed off so easily like he had done. She rolled her eyes. He was way too casual when it came to injuries.

She shifted a bit. The material of the only-new-to-her robes was scratching, itchy material. She wasn’t a fan of it, but she wasn’t going to complain. She was sorely missing her room, with her medical books, writing materials, clothes and bed. The only issue was that her room was part of her house, and her house was back in the village hidden in the mist, which was the last place she wanted to be, and not to mention that even if she did go back, her house wasn’t even there anymore. It had burned down to nothing, not even ashes, along with the rest of the village. Maybe this was a sign. Kiri had burned after she left, maybe it was a sign of rebirth for her, a new beginning in the Cloud Village.

Nah. She wasn’t that full of herself, but that was a good way of fate telling her to move on. She pushed her hair back behind her right ear. It must have been sometime in the day, she could hear many faint footsteps of people moving from one place to another. She was slowly becoming bored. She might ask Raijin to show her around a village district when he recovered. Or maybe she could talk to Ai-san, one of Raijin’s cousins she had met recently. The girl had been really sweet and nice to her, and Himitsu had taken a liking to her.

305/600

Ai was bored, to say the least. Usually she was kept pretty busy between training and drawing; but today she wanted something different. Today, she needed some head-space, and the temple just wasn't providing that. So, she had grabbed a mission earlier, to go get an important scroll, and had simply returned to her room to grab her weapons; just in case something were to happen to pop up.

When she was finished strapping the pair of blades to her back she exited her room, walking down the many hallways. She was just about to turn the corner when a lone female caught her attention. She gave a tilt of her head and blinked, before moving over. "Hello, again... you look awfully bored.", she said softly as she came to a stop about a foot and a half away from the female. And now it was time for Ai to step out on a limb she usually would never have dared to, "Do you wanna come keep me company while I go get this scroll back from some trader?"

Her lightning blue colored eyes rested on Himi as she waited for a response; she'd go alone if the female didn't want to come, but she would rather enjoy some company, especially because maybe, just maybe, she figured Himi could offer her some insight into her newest little problem that had risen up. Yup, maybe she would be able to kill two birds with one stone; only if the female would come.

Word Count: 251 / 600

Person in her Sensory zone. Oh, speak of the devil and he shall appear. Well, think of the devil... ANYWAYS. "Hello Ai-san. I am indeed bored. Not like back home where I had a ton of medical books to read, or writing materials to jot my thoughts down on." And then Ai asked her if she wanted to go with her somewhere.

OHSWEETGODTHISWOMANWASAMINDREADER.

She looked down then back up to Ai's face. "Uh, sure I'll go with you Ai-san." She said while standing up and brushing her backside off. The floor was cold and now, so was her butt. She trusted Ai enough to go somewhere with her... but... What if Ai's master-plan was to shove her off a cliff? What if the soft spoken girl had been beaten, neglected and abused as a child and was now hiding these things like an expert? What if Ai was a psychopathic serial killer that was hiding people in her bedroom walls? Himi was weak and defenceless against any and everything at this given time.

Oh her brain was her frenemy right now. "Where are we going exactly Ai-san?" She was curious.

503/600

Ai watched her stand up and smiled, glad to see that she was willing to accompany her. It would give her a chance to get to know her more; and maybe seek that advice she was after. It was a bit of a walk to the Abandoned Mines, which meant a good deal of time to talk. She hooked her arm around Himi's and took the first few steps, leading the way as it were, down one hallway, then another, all while being careful that she didn't let Himi get too close the walls; she definitely didn't want what happened to Sanosuke to happen to her new friend... she liked her new friend. "We've got to go to the abandoned mines, not in it.. just outside of it.", she said softly.

Then, an idea popped into her head. Himitsu seemed to want books, and Ai knew the perfect place to get some. "Maybe after we're done we can go to the library. The librarian is really a sweet lady, and I'm sure she has some books written in Braille.. in fact I'm positive of it." She grinned, happily. "I have to make a trip there, myself. I read my last book last night when I finished my drawing... it was a wonderful fantasy novel..." She tilted her head a bit, still leading the way, and for the moment ignoring the fact that her little 'bubble' she liked to think she had around herself was being invaded by Himi; and it was her own fault.

Word Count: 254
Total Count: 505 / 600

And now she was being taken to a place. She wasn't that much of a touchy person. Her sensory and all made it slightly uncomfortable the closer a person got to her. Usually she ignored this fact when near Raijin due to the fact that he was uh, her escort to say the least.

The abandon mine. Shit. HER SUSPICIONS HAD BEEN TRUE. Ai was going to throw her into the mine to starve or something. Himitsu had of course, never seen or been in a mine for obvious reasons. Kiri didn't have any mines that she had been aware of prior to leaving, and why the hell would she wonder into a hole in the ground?

"Maybe after we're done we can go to the library."

Oh... How sweet of Ai. She would... Take her to library? And help her find books? Books were solid ways of increasing a person's knowledge. Books were records into the past, they were different alternatives than failing until you got it. People that read books decreased their amounts of failures and increased their success rate due to the fact that they already know what did or didn't work in the past.

"What was your book about?"

706/600

Ai continued to lead the way to the abandoned mine, being careful to keep the pair from tripping over anything; keeping to the smoother and safer paths. She glanced up at the sky for a moment at Himitsu's question and then glanced at her with a soft sigh. "It was a romance novel, a love story, actually." She gave a little shake of her head; the white and black strands of her hair twisting around each other as she did so. "I guess I was hoping it would give me the advice I was looking for.", she frowned.

She bit her bottom lip for a moment, and then figured she might as well finish explaining; else risk Himitsu getting the wrong idea. "There's this guy, named Sanosuke. I... kind of like him, and I can tell that he really likes me. But, I dunno.. I've never cared for a relationship before, never have been in one. Now, he wants me to go on a date with him... I don't know how to feel about it, but I don't think the feelings I have are correct." She stopped talking, and laughed softly. "Listen to me ramble.. I'm sorry."

She could see the man, as she looked forward, in the distance who was standing outside of the old mine. "We're almost there, and I can see the man I'm looking for.", she said softly.

Word Count: 232
Total Count: 737 / 600

Himitsu blinked once. Why was Ai telling her something this personal? Did she already trust her that much? Well, all those years of having to deal with her mother and her mother's friends gossip about love and their own love life where about to come in handy. She herself had never really cared for someone. Sure she had a great deal of passion when it came to healing and helping people get better, and she was always friendly to them, but she had never truly felt love or shown real affection over someone else. This was due to her highly reserved personality, where she smothered and crushed her feelings out of her mind, and her distrustful nature caused by her mother's attitude towards her. The closest person that you could say Himitsu loved would probably be Raijin. She generally cared for his well being, liked to talk to him, and didn't want to see him upset, but he was not a love interest, more of a friend, but it had also taken all of three months and some change for her to feel any of that towards him.

"Well Ai-san, when you love someone, they should be the most important person in your world. You put them before you without realising it, and you never want to see them upset or sad, because that would make you sad as well. If you love someone, you should want to be near them, and nothing should feel off about it. You should feel all warm and fluttery in your soul seat." She placed her hand over her own Diaphragm. Of course, Himitsu knew the science behind the fluttering tummy sensation. It was caused by a short burst of adrenaline, which caused the blood to be pulled away from a person's stomach and towards their limbs. The adrenaline was from being nervous or scared at the sight of seeing someone you where attracted to.

Oh science. How we love you.

"It's okay Ai-san. I don't mind." They must have been almost there. They had been walking for a few minutes, and her thoughts were confirmed when Ai said that she could see the man that they needed the scroll from.

1073/600

Ai listened to Himitsu's words as they walked towards the man she knew she was going to have to speak to. She went over the advice again and again in her brain. 'Do I think like that? Is that me? Would I do anything I could for him?' She heaved a mental sigh and gave another shake of her head. She knew the answer to those questions she was asking herself; and the answer was no. Perhaps, in time, she might feel like that, but for right now she didn't. He was a friend, nothing more.

She turned her lightning blue gaze to Hiimitsu and smiled, her smile easily heard in her voice, "Thank you, Himitsu. I appreciate the advice... and, at least for now, I can say that I don't feel like that towards him." She fell silent as they approached the merchant, and she slowed to a stop, but didn't let go of Himitsu's arm. She didn't know this merchant, so she didn't trust him, therefore she wasn't about to just let go of Himitsu and leave her to her own protection.

"Hello, sir.", Ai said softly but respectfully. She'd play nice until it was proven that she shouldn't.. then it would become time to play with some sharp pointy objects. 'Yay!', went the inner voice in her head.

"Hey! You two look like you could help me out! I really have to answer the call of nature, but I can't leave my stock behind unprotected! Do you think you could keep an eye on my stuff for me? I'll be right back, I swear!", came the mans words, hurried, as he practically hopped from one foot to another.

An idea popped into Ai's mind. A way to get the scroll without any sort of problem. A trade of sorts. "Well, sir. I've actually come here because I have heard that a scroll has accidentally come into your hands.. and I need it back."

"A scroll.. oh! Yes, I have it! If you watch my stuff I'd be glad to give it to you!", the man said excitedly.

Ai smiled and nodded. "Then we have a deal, sir." She then watched as the man practically ran off, rushing to answer that call of nature. "This shouldn't be too difficult.."

Word Count: 383
Total Count: 1,120 / 600

"You are welcome Ai-san." She said, dipping her head slightly with a pleasant smile. She was glad that she could help Ai figure something out, especially something that might effect her life on this scale. She heard Ai address a new person, the trader that she had spoken of earlier. He sounded gruff, not so much as sailor or pirate speak, but he wasn't a silver tongued salesman either. Aaaaaand he was about to piss himself from the sound of it. Lovely.

And Ai told him that they would watch his stuff for the scroll. YAY! No hard battle scene that would end with her healing someone or fleeing from flying limbs. The man moved off too somewhere, but soon a little kid showed up.

"Are you watching that man's barrels?" It was a little boy, probably around the age of eleven, with dark skin and white blonde hair.

"Yes. Why?" Himitsu answered.

"He's a very mean man. You should crush his barrels."

"That would be rude though."

"But he was being mean to me earlier, when I asked what was in the barrels."

"It's none of your business honestly." She replied firmly.

"But he didn't have to be so mean about it."

"Well I apologize, but I can't help you. Please, move along now." She spoke, then turned away from the kid. He was just trying to start something stupid, obviously. She was turning him away, so if he chose to stay, it would be his fault.

1321/600

Ai stared for a moment in the direction the male had disappeared in, hoping silently that he wouldn't be gone for too long. Though, he did seem to really have to go to the bathroom. Poor man.

Then something caught her attention, a little kid by the looks of it.. and he was trying to convince them to smash up the man's ten barrels. 'Joooy. Well, I'll just let Himitsu deal with him... she'll probably be better at it than I would be.', she thought to herself. She remained silent through the entire exchange, her arm still hooked in Himitsu's which was about the only thing right now keeping her from folding her arms across her chest to look more intimidating.

She heaved a soft sigh, glad that the kid didn't seem intent on causing the damage himself. She would not have enjoyed having to stop him, even if she would have done it by the least dangerous means. She threw a glance to the direction the male had disappeared to, glad to see him coming back. "Good, he's back. That didn't take long at all." She watched the man walk up, and smiled gently, figuring the kid was likely to run at this point.

"Ah, that's so much better. I thank you ladies, kindly." He turned towards his barrels, opening up one of them and digging around in it for a moment. "Ah yes.. here you are. Here is that scroll you needed." He stood back up, turned, and handed the scroll to Ai.

"Thank you, sir, I appreciate it.", she said, taking the scroll and sliding it into the confines of her robes. Who needed pockets when you could hide things so well in several layers of fabric?! "We'll be on our way now." She turned, taking a few steps to begin leading the way to go turn in the scroll..


Word Count: 314
Total Count: 1,434 / 600

She heard Ai sigh softly as the little kid turned tail and ran.

"Good, he's back. That didn't take long at all."

Well that had been fast. Her and Ai had only been standing there all of maybe two minutes. After a few short lines of dialog she heard the man open and go through a barrel. Business was finished, time to leave. There really wasn't any point of staying to chat it up with the trader, and Ai having her arm around Himi's got things going. She allowed herself to be whisked away in silence. Now to turn in the scroll.

1423/600

-Mission end-