Shine a Light (P, Mizuki)

The desert evening ushered in with a whispering of winds and a touch of autumn chill. Amaterasu was on her last couple hours of guarding the gate- after this, Kenshin would most likely take over with one of his clones. She was wearing a simple red kimono top with no sleeves, revealing the extensive burns up and down her left arm, and black shorts which revealed the same about her legs. Her feet were bare. Inhale. Exhale. The sun was setting and the moon was shining below. Shortly, it would be frigid. The desert temperatures, as she had learned- skyrocketed during the day and plummeted at night. Almost unconsciously, she raised her open palm to around chest level and ignited it with flames. It was too far for it to actually touch her face, but it still provided some warmth that she knew she'd sorely need in the coming hours.

The azure light shrouded the surrounding area in eerie shadowy fingers that danced about with each flicker of its existence. It seemed almost alive. It slowly flared upwards as she fed it more chakra until the light was quite visible from some ways away. Good. At least any incomers would know that they needed to get through her before coming into the ruins of Sunagakure...

[WC: 215]
[Total WC: 215]

Mizuki had been wandering for days now, the longest stretch of time between jobs she had had since her departure from her home, and found herself in a seemingly never ending desert. Though earlier in the day she had done everything she could to cool herself now she found her hands balled into fists to protect her fingers as the bitter night air lapped at her skin. She quietly cursed aloud, believing at this point the directions she had been given for the remains of the village hidden in the sand being incorrect. Quick to temper she slurred insults aloud to herself as she continued to walk, if she ever made it back to that man he would regret ever meeting her, thoughts of cutting his tongue out crossed her mind, that would teach him to lie. 

Another half hour of walking had passed before her luck would seem to shift - off in the far distance she could see large extending shadows that looked like fingers crossing the sand, a brilliant torch like light emanating from the center. Narrowing her eyes in contemplation she decided, whoever created that light would show her the way to Suna… willingly or not. Sprinting now she made it within 10 meters of the flame before noticing that it was being created by a small girl, a red kimono in high contrast to the bland beige she had been looking at for the hours she spent in the desert. She approached at a slower pace now, her stride cocky not even bothering to enter quietly. She was sitting right in front of the gate to Sunagakure, raising her eyebrows in appreciation to the irony of her earlier thoughts. Though as the girl came into view her usual open hostility faltered, the girl reminded her of herself there was just something off in her vibe that was so like herself. Walking into the firelight she crouched, close enough to be seen but not be touched, her violet eyes scanning every burn with interest, “What happened to you little one?”, her voice would come out almost like a purr, until her eyes met the girls and held them, waiting.

[WC 362]
[TWC 362]

The stranger crouched and observed her burns with detached interest. As she asked her question, she let a sickening smirk come to her face, one which clearly displayed arrogance and assumed superiority. "Interested in my scars?" she pondered aloud, high pitched voice ringing about the area. "Why, would you like one to match?" the flames clenched in her hand grew higher and more intense with every word. "Sunagakure is closed. Find somewhere else to stay," a pause, and then a curious tilt of the head. "Unless, of course, you think you have something to offer." She extinguished the blaze and stood to her full height, letting her eyes flicker and gleam in the absence of her fire. "Tell me. What makes you different from every other person who's pleaded entry? To join our cause?" She continued. "You're not the first to ask. And should you continue as you are, you won't be the first to fall. So give me an answer. Why would you be more useful as a living asset, and not as a corpse?"

[WC: 175]
[Total WC: 390]

As the young girl responded to her, Mizuki couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows with amusement, “Oh could we match? That would bring a smile to my face… but it would make it so much harder for people to trust me you know.” She too came to her full height, towering over the girl by at least 5 inches,while tilting her head back in an appraising sort of way. “The porcelain face really aids in the effect I get when I’m working jobs” she paused, “You know, to the look of horror and shock I get while playing with my friends. Betrayal of trust, ‘how could you’, you know the drill.” Her hand waved in the air lazily as she rattled off the last few words, as if it were commonplace.  “To address your other point, my answer is simple, I’m not pleading entry. I’m taking my rightful place.” She looked up to the sky, taking a deep breathe of the chilly dry air while a sinister smile grew on her normally passive face. “Ohhh” ,she cooed, “I’m not to sure about how useful I would be as a corpse, I find my greatest asset being my willingness to do just about anything-” she quickly glanced back to the girl playfully, “BUT i have heard so much about your master and the rumors said he was around here…” Looking around casually as if he would spring from the shadows at any moment. “I gotta say I like the way he conducts business and having his own disciple be the one who chooses who may come or go from the world at her own whim… well who wouldn’t want to follow?” With her sentence ending she would take out her kunai knife and begin twirling it around her finger, completely at ease with the fact that her own blaze attitude could finally get her killed tonight.


[WC 316]
[TWC 678]

Amaterasu drummed her thigh with a soft hum, showing not an inkling of resentment or fear towards the much taller woman- she was fairly confident she could handle most people who came to Suna, after all. She finished her monologue, and Amat barked a laugh. "Hah! Keep that up, and you just may live to see tomorrow." a pause, and a curious tilt of the head. "However, there's a big difference between what you claim, and what you can actually do. I doubt at the moment you have the chakra reserves for any stronger jutsu, so show me what you can do with the lower ones. And Lord help me if you show me one of the academy standard." A frown. "Or... of course... Do you not know any? Well, this is embarrassing." She grew a fire in her hand- a small ping pong ball sized ember that shone radiantly. "I suppose you'll have to demonstrate your chakra control instead. Do you possess the fire element? If not, you better learn quick. Hold this-" she gestured towards the flame- "in your hand for five seconds. I'll give you a minute to prepare. Should you not figure out how in that amount of time, at least holding on will speak towards your endurance and willpower." Inhale. Exhale. And then an amused comment. "Oh, I'd suggest getting started soon- I started counting a few seconds ago."

[WC: 229]
[Total WC: 619]

Steam would rise from the girl's hand as the flickering ember would attempt to burn through her water shield- it would likely leave her, she would assume- with some scalds, but nothing quite as dangerous as holding the bare flame. Though of course the naturally grouchy girl wouldn't express it outright, she was amused. She hadn't expected this outcome. This was different. This was fun. "Hm... To be honest, I wasn't thinking you would succeed. Count me pleasantly surprised." A falsely contemplative look adorned her face for the next question. "I suppose I could let you in, but if Kenshin decides that you're a liability, well, at least it was nice to know you." A soft hum. "He might be in the morgue, come to think of it. You could decide to approach him on your own, or accompany me." She truly and honestly didn't care what she chose- Shadow Clone existed, after all, and besides, she was curious how the stranger would stand up to the ragdoll man. She tilted her head. "Say, if you survive, we should meet up again. I could probably show you a thing or two about fire release." It was, of course, not offered for free. In not so many words, she was trying to learn more about the girl- and possibly earn her loyalty. She lost nothing by being helpful, no matter what her true intentions behind the action were.

"That is, assuming you're interested. Truth be told- it makes no difference whether you show up or not. But I suppose you've been listening to me talk for quite a while. Let's get you somewhere warm, hmm?" The question was rhetorical. She would signal up to one of the gate's watchtowers- currently operated by civilians and her, mostly- and the gate would slowly slide open with a rusty creak that echoed loudly across the dunes.

[WC: 312]
[Total WC: 931]

"Very well," Amaterasu spoke bemusedly. "Perhaps tomorrow would work for you? In the central plaza." A pause. "And for what it's worth, welcome to Sunagakure no Sato." she tilted her head curiously as Mizuki spoke up once more. "As the gate guard, it's my job to speak to strangers. My age doesn't and never has mattered." She held her hands in a curious manner, creating a shadow clone with a gentle puff of chakra. The clone tilted her head at the two of them before assuming her old position at the gate. "Hmm... Kenshin is usually around the morgue at this time. I suppose we could check there first. I'm not the most adept at chakra sensory, see." a tilt of the head. "You most likely won't be seen as an issue as long as you're accompanying me. Worse comes to worse, I can send up a flare of some sort." She stretched hugely, her back popping a few times as she did so. "It's quite possible he's sensed your signature already, and knows you're inside the village. In that scenario... Hmmm..."

Honestly, she knew she understood Kenshin more than most, due to their own deep set similarities, but even sometimes she couldn't quite understand what went on through his head. After a few moments, she attempted to flare her chakra a bit- not quite enough to signal alarm, but more of a 'hey I found something interesting' type message. She supposed all that was left was to wait, should he pick up on it. She leaned back against a building. "Say, I don't know too much about yourself yet. My name is Amaterasu. I like warm nights, drawing, and walks in the dunes. In fact..." a soft smile. "I once took a person on a warm night walk through the dunes, who I then proceeded to stab through the eye with a drawing pencil. Who is Mizuki Ohta?"

[WC: 319]
[Total WC: 1,250]