A Bored, Rainy Day (P, NK)

The young Akari watched as the sun shined bountifully on the lands below before sterling clouds slowly encroached upon its light. Shadows grew on the land below as the clouds and sky darkened, and before she knew it, fat drops of rain were pouring from the heavens above. She had bought a simple white umbrella for the occasion, and it was currently gripped in the palm of her hand and rested on her shoulder at such an angle that it protected her head. Rumors of robbers in the small black market town ran abundant, though she didn't find herself that worried. She had no money on her anymore, and besides, should someone want something more valuable, such as her life, bloodline, or weapons, she knew how to defend herself. And she was quite skilled in the art of self defense as well. She passed dreary civilian after civilian, and perhaps even a ninja or two who were in the area for business or intel gathering. It wasn't really her business what they were doing, of course, but she always remained very interested. Amaterasu twirled the umbrella in her hand, watching as pristine crystal droplets fell off in a spiral pattern. A few dripped on to her feet and hands. But the crippling boredom and lack of purpose had wormed its way into her stomach, and it refused to let her go. She needed something to do. A job? A contract? The girl knew not what she intended to do, but perhaps she'd find something sooner rather than later. She held a few ninjutsu scrolls in her other hand- mostly for fire techniques, and one for soul expulsion. A few attempts had been made on them so far, but as of yet none have successful filched them from under her nose. Whenever someone would flit too close, her eyes would flicker a vibrant gold color, and she'd pay close attention to her hands and pockets.

She yawned hugely, lazily strolling through the rainy town. She stopped at a job listing, tearing a few papers off that looked interesting before continuing on her way. Some families in the area had been kidnapped, and there was some reward money out. A noble from the land of iron was passing through, and apparently they had some valuables on their person. A traveler had managed to piss someone off, and someone wanted him to be robbed blind of his hard earned ryo. Hell, there was even a caravan in the area- that could provide some good money. Normally, she wouldn't be into these kind of jobs, but... Would she really be doing anything less unsavory for Suna? If there was one thing she had learned, it was that village ninja and missing ninja weren't really that different. Missing ninja were just honest about their less than honest intentions. Though she'd always remember her home fondly, she wasn't quite sure if she'd ever MISS it. No, she'd rather do her own thing, with nobody to hold her back and nobody to tell her no.

After around twenty minutes of aimless wandering, she came upon a small building. It looked to be a tavern- or perhaps it once was. The sign and sconces on the walls had long since fallen into grave disrepair, not really looking too appealing anymore. Maybe she'd be able to wheedle some more information out of the people inside? Either way, her stomach rumbled unpleasantly, and it seemed like a good idea to satisfy her hunger before doing anything too drastic. Going into a mission hungry was tangent to suicide. Or so she had been told, though she wasn't dumb enough to try it out herself. There were a few glazed over windows, blocking the view of what was happening inside, though occasional flickering let her know that it was likely lit by candles within. She grasped the cool metal door handle in her palm, pushing it inwards slowly. It creaked slightly as it swung open. It must have not been cleaned for rust recently. She scratched the side of her head awkwardly, closing her umbrella and dismissing both it and the jutsu scrolls she had on her into soft orange particles with a hidden hand seal and the Storage Displacement technique. Eventually, a waitress came up to her. She possessed a lithe frame and pitch black hair, which fell perfectly straight down to her chest. No split ends, no grease, nothing. Damn, what shampoo did she use?

"Hello, we only have one open seat at the moment. Would you like me to seat you there?" she asked. Amaterasu nodded, eyeing the room subtly. There was a door in the back which led to a kitchen- a possible escape route? Kitchens usually had a back exit as well. A few windows, but they were rather thick and would not break easily. Most were too narrow to fit through, anyhow. Two exits didn't seem that appealing, especially when her main strategy when it came to combat was 'set everything on fire'. Hopefully nothing would be instigated in the establishment... So deep into her thoughts she was that she didn't notice that she was standing in front of a table, with one chair facing away from the door. She didn't really like it, so she angled it slightly to the right to provide a better view, unknowingly setting her closer to the other occupant of the table. She stared at him for a second, and in that moment she took in as much information as she could. Red eyes. Brown hair. Confident posture- perhaps an experienced fighter, or just cocky? Callouses on hands suggest someone who works with them a lot. Maybe uses weapons, puppets, or taijutsu? She blinked once, and spoke up.

"Will the gentleman allow himself to be accompanied by a lady?" Amaterasu's voice rang noble and with former courtly elegance. She hadn't really figured out how to get rid of that part yet, but oh well. If he allowed her to sit down, she would pull out the chair and have a seat.

WC: 1,011
Total WC: 1,011

Andalusa’s eyes would be drawn to the young woman when she entered the small building. He would notice he utilize some sort of technique to displace her umbrella and some sort of scrolls into particles that seemed to dissipate. ‘Some kind of storage technique?’ He would think as the same waitress who came to him moved over to her to ask her if she would like to sit at the other seat at his table. On one hand, Andalusa didn’t necessarily want company, as he simply wanted to lay low, eat his meal, and wait out the storm. On the other hand however he wanted to potentially be able to use this place in the future as a stopping point and if he was rude now it would reflect poorly later. So he’d simply take it in stride. He’d take in the appearance of the newcomer and the first thing that caught his eye was her hair. The vibrant, pink/orangish extension of her head would flow down to her shoulders. Not a split end could be seen, nor grease, and it was wonderfully smooth. ‘Damn, what Shampoo does she use?’ He would think before he noticed her dark red, innocent looking eyes. ‘Not often I find someone with eyes the same colour as mine.’ He would think as he continued to casually look at his soon to be table mate. ‘Attractive, obviously fit, and obviously a shinobi given by the fact that she was using a storage technique and carrying scrolls earlier.’ He would think before sighing softly, great, sharing a table with another trained killer sounded like oh so much fun. The woman would step maneuver the other chair to be a bit closer to him, but to also get at least a partial view of the door. ‘Well she isn’t stupid, that’s either good or bad for me.’ He would say in his mind as she spoke up. "Will the gentleman allow himself to be accompanied by a lady?" She would say. 



‘Well I wasn’t expecting her to talk like a noblewoman either.’ He would blink in mild confusion at this little tidbit of information. Would there be guards walking in soon? An entire entourage? He wondered, a closer look of the woman now that she was standing closer to him would confirm that she did have incredibly pale skin. ‘Another sign of nobility, shit.’ He would think before speaking plainly, standing up as he did. “But of course, it would be rude to deny a lady.” He would say, politely. The nobility became offended at anything that could be considered a slight to them. Speaking any less than absolutely polite could cause a headsman to be after him. Something he wasn’t looking forward to. After the woman sat down he would retake his seat once more. “I must apologize, I wasn’t expecting company, I have already ordered for myself.” He would say simply, his hands on the table to show he wasn’t trying anything funny. Now that she was sitting next to him he could take in her appearance better, well, the more minute details of it anyway. Calloused hands? Training? Hard work? Was she nobility or did she simply work for them? It was easy to pick up speech by listening after all. She was indeed fit, and had carried herself with a confidence that didn’t just scream nobility either. ‘I have to play my cards carefully, glad I didn’t decide to rob someone today.’ He would silently praise the gods of that decision. 



After all, if he had robbed someone today and they had caught up to them they would have been able to possibly enlist her help in subduing, or even killing him. A prospect he was not on board with. So the fact that that simply could not happen gave him internal relief as he politely slid the menu over to the lady for her to peruse if she so chose. ‘Lying here could get me killed, I guess fake names are out.’ He would think as he spoke once more “My name is Andalusa madame, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He would say politely, dark red eyes meeting hers if they were able. 


WC: 702
TWC: 1510

"But of course," he spoke, tone confident yet polite. "It would be rude to deny a lady." his tone was that of practiced ease- it flowed gently in a way that would have many nobles willing to kill for it. Did he have any court experience? His appearance said no, but especially here, in the black market town, one could never be too sure. A runaway? A bastard? Multiple theories, each one more outlandish than the last, resonated inside her skull. The rain outside picked up, drumming heavy beats of water on the roof of the establishment. It lulled her into a false sense of security- her shoulders relaxed minutely. Rain in Sunagakure and elsewhere in Wind Country was a rare phenomenon. She took a seat next to him once he agreed. He placed his hands on the table- a typical ninja gesture that signified that one was not planning anything too unsavory. It was nonthreatening. She found herself doing the same, letting her pale hands rest on top of each other on the wooden surface of the table. After a moment, he spoke up. “I must apologize, I wasn’t expecting company, I have already ordered for myself.” she nodded, blinking as she did so. He didn't seem like he was looking for conflict, so she wouldn't go out of her way to initiate any. Amaterasu took careful steps to show a relatively relaxed posture. That way, the stranger would be able to recognize if she tensed up, then, signifying she was about to attack. His eyes flitted to her hands and build, as if assessing her. Well, it was only fair- she had done the same to him. The black haired waitress came to the table around then, asking what she would like to order.

"Water and rice, please." she requested simply, watching as the girl walked away, notepad in hand. Both were relatively easy to check for poisons. It was highly unlikely that anyone would attempt anything here, especially in public, but the former Akari noble liked to remain cautious in unfamiliar locations. She turned to the stranger, head slightly tilted to the left in a gesture of interest that couldn't be drilled out of her. "Ah, now we both have food coming. The gentleman has no need to apologize." Today, Amaterasu was travelling without company or aim. She simply needed a place to rest. Perhaps the stranger here would be interested in taking a walk or contract later? An easier one would be preferable- that way, they could safely test each other's capabilities and trustworthiness. The girl laid out a few missingnin contracts on the table- nothing unsavory, of course- missingnin was just a title. The contracts listed were all more along the lines of mercenary work than actual illegal activities, should he take the time to check. She slid them forwards as he introduced himself.  

“My name is Andalusa madame, a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” he said politely after a moment's hesitation. His eyes met her's- they were a striking shade of red, not unlike her own. The name Andalusa didn't ring a bell. It didn't sound like a local name, either. Perhaps he was a traveler? Her eyes closed for a moment and she nodded simply. Andalusa. She would make sure to remember that. He slid the menu over to her, and she perused it. Nothing interested her any more than the rice she had ordered earlier. She gently folded it with deft hands and rested it on the side of the table for the black haired waitress to pick up later.

"My name is Amaterasu. The pleasure is mine, I assure you. Perhaps you'd be interested in taking a walk later once the rain lets up?" Well, a walk and a contract or two. The stranger had introduced himself in a way that she couldn't tell to be dishonest, so it was only fair if she responded in the same manner. It wasn't as if she had provided her clan or house name- perhaps if he proved to be trustworthy, she would reveal that as well. For now, though, she was simply interested in what he would say about the contracts. Which one would he go for first? Some of them were much more dangerous than others- perhaps it would be a good idea to start with a smaller one, to get a better feel for each other. Hopefully, a fruitful relationship could be formed from this encounter. She could always use the extra help...

WC: 752
Total WC: 1763

The girl would order rise and water, a simple meal to be certain. Easily checked for poisons and the like but it wasn’t like they had big bounties out on them. As far as the patrons were concerned they were simply travelers. They wouldn’t poison them for no reason, bad for business after all. The young woman would push a few fliers onto the table, Andalusa had seen such files before. They were the contracts for shinobi like him, and her apparently. Thought of her having some nearby entourage or headsman went clear out of his head as his eyes quickly and efficiently scanned the documents before him. Her hands would be on the table, her posture relaxed, putting a great deal of faith in him. After all often times putting your guard down could cause ones death. His ears would pick up on her request for a walk with him later. But his mind would easily discern the true purpose. ‘It seems she has a desire for petty crime as well, however this contract tells of people in trouble. I can’t decide to rob someone when there are actual lives at risk.’ He would think as he picked up the contract for rescuing a group of civilians. The location of the possible hold out for the kidnappers wasn’t terribly far either. Maybe he could find more equipment for his puppet too. Paying to have metal melted down and reshaped and coloured was cheaping than simply trying to have a smith do it from a third party, less middlemen. The kidnappers were demanding ransom for the return of the civilians. The due date for the ransom to be paid was a few days from today. So they still had time to come with a plan or get to know one another if they so desired. 

“My my, it would appear the lovely lady is the forward one no?” He would say with a small grin as he slid the chosen contract toward her. He would be playing of course, after all few things could be seen through sass. It was harder to get the measure of a person if they were joking around, or flirting. Harder to see the person that really hid behind the mask of jests and coquets. “Amaterasu, the name of the sun goddess herself, befitting.” He would say, continuing with the casual flirting as their food arrived, his meal was a burger. It seems to be a slab of meat, cooked on a hot surface with what appeared to be cheese and different kinds of vegetables. Held together by two pieces of round, thick bread. Hers was a simple meal of rice with a glass of water. He would bow his head to her politely, refusing to eat until she began herself. It would be rude to so otherwise in his eyes. “May our meals fill us, and our ‘walk’ bring us good fortune. I assume you’ll want to wait until the rain stops?” He would ask, the rampant drumming of the rain on the roof being ever present as the downpour continued. It didn’t appear to be ending anytime soon. Perhaps they could plan their contract? Chat about whatever random mundane topics came to mind? Disappear into a vacant room for awhile? Well, maybe not that last part. 

Either way they would need to find a way to pass the time somehow. Planning for the rescue wouldn’t take too long. As they couldn’t do much without information on the hideout. He himself didn’t do combat often, not having any real techniques to utilize to bring down opponents. However he was certain he could still be useful if a situation required something. He briefly wondered what she could do in a combat situation. After all she didn’t seem built for combat herself. Of course they did live in a world of shinobi, so one could never be too sure what someone could do. 

WC: 657
TWC: 2167

The rice and water arrived as Andalusa scanned the contracts she had slid his way. Both remained untouched as she gauged his reaction- would he go for the bigger ones first? Eventually, however, he came to the ransom contract. A group of civilians had been kidnapped, and it would be their job to save them before any unsavory events took place. He seemed to settle on that one. Was he interested in the well being of the strangers? In the money involved?... Perhaps something else? It was hard to discern. Either way, it appeared they had settled on what they wanted to do. The ransom's due date was a few days from now- perfect for planning, getting to know each other... Possibly both. It was low risk, high reward, especially with two trained fighters. The two would likely meet little trouble along the way. Was he a pragmatic sort? This certainly seemed to say so. She took a bite of rice after discerning that nothing was out of place. It was flavorless, but the texture was pleasant. She just needed to fill her stomach for the time being so it wouldn't rumble embarrassingly in front of a stranger she intended to partner with. She ate around half the bowl without spilling a single grain on the floor. “My my, it would appear the lovely lady is the forward one, no?” he said teasingly. Inside her skull, her mind wandered. What was he playing at here? The tone seemed to be joking, but... Was this a civilian thing? Was this a ninja thing? She wouldn't know. It would be best to respond seriously in case it was a test of some sort. Amaterasu tilted her head before finally opening her mouth to make what she hoped was a thoughtful reply to his question. However, once she did so, Andalusa spoke up again. “Amaterasu, the name of the sun goddess herself, befitting.” a dull blush took to her cheeks. Was he... Flirting? Courting her? Well, there was no response to this she learned back home... When his meal arrived immediately after the remark, he opened his mouth once more. “May our meals fill us, and our ‘walk’ bring us good fortune. I assume you’ll want to wait until the rain stops?” Oh, right. The 'walk'.

"Yes, that would be ideal," she spoke up, responding to the question about the rain. The blush on her cheeks slowly faded as she begun to talk about something much more serious. It was as if a switch had been flipped- where one moment she was playing the role of the approachable, friendly noble, the next she was a serious, experienced fighter who planned to make sure both herself, Andalusa, and the kidnapped civilians stayed alive. "The information about the contract is on that slip- theorized locations, reward, rank. The people who kidnapped the family don't have any combat experience, though they are likely armed. For an operation this size, I'd imagine around three or four people we'd have to deal with. Make sure you are armed and ready to fight for your life- I won't take you along if you're unprepared. Weapons, jutsu, whatever you need, make sure you have it trained by tomorrow. That's when we leave," her voice had dropped lightly in pitch and rang authoritative. "I specialize in fire affinity ninjutsu, so I would likely not be able to do much if we were fighting close range or if the hostages are kept inside a wooden building. I can also throw kunai, shuriken, and senbon pretty quickly, though I only have a few of each. Should you feel that you would make a better use of them than I would, I'll happily hand some over." the young Akari continued. She scanned his expression, taking in whatever his reaction would be to her analysis. "I have a second affinity for lightning, though I haven't been able to weaponize it." she said. There wasn't much he could do with that information, so it felt safe to share. If he tried to turn her in, or betray her, she figured she could deal with him. But to be honest, Andalusa didn't seem like that kind of person. "What kind of things are you good at? Genjutsu? Weaponry?" she inquired bluntly. They'd need to know at least the basics about each other if they wanted to pull this off in the safest way possible. They could always get to know each other later- for now, the contract was the primary thing upon which she directed her focus. All else could come later.

WC: 765
Total WC: 2,528

It would appear he had managed to embarrass her a bit. If the blush on her face was anything to go by anyway. He’d feel a measure of satisfaction at bring the red hue to her face. However soon the conversation would turn serious. They would have the night to prepare for battle against the ruffians who took the civilians hostage. Honestly, who would stoop so low? Andalusa knew he wasn’t so uncouth as to resort to such measure. Pick your pocket and rob you? Sure, kidnap you? Never. She would go on to mention the information on the slip, the things had had already memorized. The reward, perceived rank of the threat, possible locations, and the random date. She wanted him armed and ready to fight for his life, granted that would be easier with his puppet. All he had on him was some kunai and shuriken. Plus an explosive tag or two. He could probably put in the order for the parts necessary to complete the puppet and have it ready. The smith in the next town would easily be able to handle the size, but in a single day? That wasn’t possible even for a master. “Two days.” He would state as he absently flipped a large coin between his fingers. A habit he had when he was thinking. “Give me two days, I can place the order in for parts I need in a nearby town. But one day isn’t possible. Once I have the parts then putting them together will be simple. We have three before the ransom date, so we have the time to spare. In return, I can teach you how to weaponize your lightning element.” He would say as he channeled a bit of the element into the coin he was flipping between his fingers. A small crackle and the spark of electricity would become known as the coin became charged. 

“We can stay at a hotel in the next town over while my parts are created. I’m a puppet user and at this moment I do not have a puppet to use. Unless you’d rather I use you?” He would say, a playful smirk gracing his features once more. The double meaning on his words would be obvious, but he hoped it would lighten the mood of all the serious talk. “Should I get this puppet made, it will be a matter of walking in and just taking those hostages back. As it stands now I merely have some kunai and shuriken, as well as my wits. Granted even those should easily be enough to handle such base people.”He would say simply and with confidence before he began to finally eat his burger. It had a savoury taste to it, and a sauce that had a taste of tomatoes to it. It was quite enjoyable. Swallowing his first bite he would continue to eat, listening to any response the lady might have as the rain continued it’s assault on the roof of the poor innocent world around them. His mind began to subconsciously fly through combat scenarios, what he might be able to do to support her without his puppet if she didn’t want to wait. There honestly wasn’t much though. He could control his tools with his threads, but that was about it. Honestly, without the use of his puppet he was a shadow of what he could be to assist the lady. 

That was simply unacceptable to the brunette. So if she allowed the extra day he would be certain to be prepared. His blueprints were prepared, the design was one he spent months on. It was a close combat puppet. With the intent for him to utilize it to neutralize opponents efficiently. It was made of metal almost exclusively, and stood at 6 meters tall. He really was only a few parts short, but such parts were necessary for the use of the abilities on the puppet itself. He needed the specialized chakra cannons, and the blades for the back of the hands. Once the parts for them were made, he could assemble them with some time without any issue. He even had most of the frame put together, hidden in an undisclosed location. It wasn’t even very far, although to be honest he would need an easier way to transport the thing. It was simply too bulky to walk around with it all day. Thoughts of the blue and yellow puppet, almost completely different in style and colour than he was, flitted through his mind as he remembered all of the work he had put into putting it together to the point that it was at now. Obtaining the metal plating, the gears, nuts, bolts, and screws. The Railgun cannons that set into the arms, spending hours over a table with blueprints next to blacksmith who was ready to pull his hair out as he described each individual piece. He couldn’t lie, he was an absolute nightmare to build for. Spending hours putting the thing together by himself. As well as hiding it from thieves, robbers, and other such unscrupulous folks. Indeed, he spent a lot of time already on his chosen form of battle. Something he simply couldn’t wait to finish soon. The teenager would suddenly blink his thoughts back instinctively, realizing he had zoned out. “My apologies..I appear to have zoned out” He would say as he realized he may have missed anything she may have said. How very rude of him. “I hope you’ll let me pay for your lunch as an apology for not paying attention to such a lovely lady such as yourself.” He would say automatically, he didn’t want her to ask about his puppet. He’d go on for hours if she did so he hoped she would take the compliment, blush a bit, and move on. It was a fleeting hope, but it was there nonetheless. 


WC: 986
TWC: 3153

She tilted her head to listen as the boy spoke. "Two days." he said. A largish coin was flipped between his figures- was it a habit of some sort? She supposed she could wait that long- but it was better to launch the rescue sooner rather than later so that the kidnappers would have less time to prepare. “Give me two days, I can place the order in for parts I need in a nearby town. But one day isn’t possible. Once I have the parts then putting them together will be simple. We have three before the ransom date, so we have the time to spare. In return, I can teach you how to weaponize your lightning element.” It was true- she didn't know too much about puppetry, but if Andalusa really needed two, she could make due with the adjustments to her plans. He flipped the object once more, but this time, a spark leaped from his fingers onto the cool metal of the coin. He had a lightning affinity? That might make it easier to master her own- if he wanted to learn the fire affinity, on the other hand... Well, all he needed to do was ask and she'd readily teach him. She nodded silently, closing her eyes as she did so. “We can stay at a hotel in the next town over while my parts are created. I’m a puppet user and at this moment I do not have a puppet to use. Unless you’d rather I use you?” Andalusa added. A hotel in the next town over seemed nice- harder to track the two of them that way. And... using herself as a puppet? Was that really something a skilled puppeteer could do? She learned more and more about the ninja specialty by the minute.

"Take all the time you need," Amaterasu said, authoritative tone still ringing silently at the table. Her rice and water had been finished and pushed to the side at this point to make room for the more important conversation- it could, after all, result in saving the lives of quite a few people, and that was worth infinitely more than focusing on a meal. "Well, within two days that is. I might be able to introduce you to the blacksmith if you're talking about the town I'm thinking about." she added. She had just arrived from that location, actually- the blacksmith there had provided her kunai and shuriken. "I've also heard that puppeteers can use ninja tools with their chakra strings. If that's true, well, I might be willing to gift you a few of mine. She slid two shuriken and a kunai over the table. If he took them, she would nod and continue. If not, she would place them back in her weapons pouch. She tended to be more of a ninjutsu specialist than a projectile weapons user, but perhaps the stranger who was sitting across from her could make better use of them than she could?

“Should I get this puppet made, it will be a matter of walking in and just taking those hostages back. As it stands now I merely have some kunai and shuriken, as well as my wits. Granted even those should easily be enough to handle such base people.” He spoke with confidence- or was it arrogance? That could get him killed- but she needed to see more of his skill first before making such a deduction. She was fairly confident she could take on the entire base by herself- she just wanted to see what he would do, and to see if he'd be a good potential partner. Worse come to worse, she could handle it- but she wanted to give him a chance. He began to eat his food, remaining quiet as he did so. It appeared as if he was ruminating on something- perhaps his puppet? She decided to give him space to think and not press any harder. She sat with crossed ankles at the chair, eyeing the door every once in a while whenever a new person walked in. The process continued for a while before Andalusa spoke up once more. “My apologies..I appear to have zoned out,” he began. “I hope you’ll let me pay for your lunch as an apology for not paying attention to such a lovely lady such as yourself.” this time, however, she didn't blush at his comment right away- she was still in her business mode. Once she had registered what the boy had spoken, a familiar light pink color dusted at her cheeks.

"No, all is well," she said. "I wasn't talking." she admitted truthfully. She looked outside the window- the rain was letting up. In a few minutes, it might stop entirely. It was as good of a time to leave as ever... "If you insist on paying... The meal was only three ryo," Rice was cheap. "The rain looks like it's slowing down. If we'd like to go to the nearest town, perhaps we should head out sooner rather than later?"

WC: 844
Total WC: 3,372

(OOC: Giving Andalusa two shuriken and a kunai if he wants them. If not, they'll be returned to Amaterasu's inventory)

Mid-Thread Claim:
-2,000 words towards Andalusa teaching me lightning element
-1,000 words towards light release
-15 stats
-372 words remaining in the thread

Andalusa’s grin could be seen from across the room if one tried when Amaterasu blushed once more. ‘I guess that hope came true. This is quite amusing.’ He would think before pocketing the coin he had absently been playing with, the familiar weight landing at the bottom of his pocket before he pushed aside his bits of finished burger. He was quite finished, now it was time to move on. The rain was finally letting up, allowing them to continue on toward the town where he would need to place his parts order with the local blacksmith. Which she apparently was actually acquainted with. This would make things a bit easier, he hoped the smith was an agreeable sort. Puppeteers were an obsessive compulsive sort. Everything had to be absolutely flawless or something could go wrong. That was the way things were when it came to controlling other objects with your chakra threads. Every single movement had to be perfect or it could spell death for the user. Which was why he would be talking to this blacksmith throughout the entire process to make sure that every single little thing was absolutely flawless. His life, literally, depended on it. 

At this point the cute waitress from before would walk over with a smile on her face. “So would you like to settle the tab or do you intend to stay the night?” She would ask, a playful smile on her face which would cause Andalusa’s own lips to twitch upwards slightly in appreciation. “Thank you for the kind offer, but we have business in the next town. If you would allow me to settle our tab, we’ll be on our way.” He would respond to the waitress’ obvious disappointment “Well if you insist, the total was ten ryo.” She would say before he handed her twenty instead, making to stand as he did so. “Shall we be off then Lady Amaterasu?” He would ask politely, offering her his hand to help her stand. Whether she took it or not he would simply move for the door before stepping out and into the still cloudy world beyond. The rain had stopped now, but water filled potholes and puddles still riddled to road before them. This wouldn’t really be an issue for the red and black motiffed teenager as he waited a moment for her to catch up if it was necessary before he began to walk down the road. 

The smell of moisture filled the air, adding a certain relaxing quality to the walk as he would make sure to walk beside the girl so long as his speed allowed him to make such a pace. The next town over was about a 30 minute walk away at a decent pace. So they wouldn’t take too long to get there where he could finally speak with the blacksmith. ‘Soon I’ll have my main combat tool at my disposal.’ He would think as he walked along before deciding to make some conversation. “So what do you like doing in your spare time Lady Amaterasu?” He would ask, making sure to be polite. He wouldn’t want to be rude now would he? He was curious though, and he might as well try to find out more about his current traveling companion and potential partner. After all if they didn’t learn more about one another then they would never be able to work together.

570
TWC:  3723