God to a non-believer (Nova)

Mission specs:

With a shipment of food and supplies Ichigo made his way to a location he'd never been before. "A goddess? Now I've seen it all". This whole believing stuff wasn't really the Drunk's cup of tea if he had to be completely honest, but he still knew how important it was for some people which is why the man respected their views regardless of who or what they chose to believe in. According to the information he received it seemed that the place still attracted quite a bit of travelers who would flock to it from time to time, even though its current state wasn't how it used to be. And so the Drunk made his way to Etro's Shrine.

Upon his arrival Ichigo was immediately greeted by the caretakers who were visibly surprised to see the head of the Institute of Medicine delivering supplies. "Hello everyone, it seems I got here a bit earlier than I expected" the Drunk would say, looking around noticing the travelers had yet to make their appearance. "I'll just put this here", carefully placing down the stocks before paying his respects to the goddess even though not being a believer himself. Now that no travelers had arrived so far Ichigo would take the chance to strike a conversation with the ones taking care of the shrine, asking for how long they had been doing it and if they were firm believers themselves. 

(WC: 238)

It was with a pissed-off expression that Nova made her way to the area where she would be picking up supplies for some caretakers. It was just one of those days where she'd woken up irritated and then had that annoyance exasperated by the events of the day. The first warning that the day was going to be shitty was a gift from her parents, of all people, arriving on her doorstep. Had it been anything other than an incredibly well-made armor that actually patched a hole in her kit, she would've set it on fire and sent the ashes back to them with a crude 'Fuck off' note. Unfortunately, it was legitimately masterfully made armor that would actually help her survive in the harsh climate of the Elemental Nations. It was possible that her parents had deliberately made it obnoxiously 'high-class' to annoy her, but she doubted it; they weren't self-aware enough to do such a thing.

So, anyway, on to the mission at hand.

After grabbing several more crates than a woman her size should be able to carry and putting a few in her Storage Dimension, Nova began the trek to a part of the village she had never even heard of before. The taijutsu practitioner personally had never had any experience with religion and didn’t care enough to delve much deeper than the basic knowledge that it existed. She wasn’t the kind of person to bash other people for their beliefs, but she wasn’t the kind of person to feign interest either. People were free to do whatever shit they wanted, as long as their shit didn’t interfere with her own.

Nova arrived at around the same time as the various travelers did, ten minutes or so after Ichigo had already made his entrance. Her arrival drew several odd glances as people saw a scrappy-looking woman in a clearly high-class outfit carrying two crates under her arms that each looked like they weighed more than her. She set them down on the ground next to the shrine and looked around for anyone interesting. While looking around, Nova’s two hands would come together and form the hand seals for Storage Displacement. After completing the hand seals another crate of supplies would appear from her palms.
WC: 378

After a few minutes had passed travelers slowly started to show up, making their way to Etro's Shrine in order to pay their respects and offer their prayers to the goddess who they firmly believed in. For now Ichigo would simply observe, give them a polite nod in case they noticed and greeted him. Among the visiting individuals one was able to catch his eye, a young kunoichi dressed in an outfit that didn't exactly reflect the amount of work she was putting in. The Drunk assumed she was also sent to deliver supplies, now that he thought about it the caretakers would hardly have enough with what he had brought.

While the woman proceeded with her work, Ichigo took the time to answer and converse with some of the travelers who got curious about his belief, for as far as he had one. "I believe there is someone looking out for us. Whether it's the goddess or someone else, I don't know. But as long as we stay true to what we believe in, I'm sure everything will work out". The Drunk smiled gently, hoping his answer would suffice and not upset anyone sharing a different belief. Slowly but surely more people started showing up, all wishing to offer something to the goddess. Now that a crowd had gathered around Ichigo decided it was time for him to take his leave, the supplies were delivered and there wasn't much else the Drunk could offer. 

Standing up he would pay his respects once more before preparing to return. "Have a nice day everyone, it was truly a pleasure". Doing so the man passed by the kunoichi, assuming she was close to finishing up as well Ichigo decided to strike a quick conversation, considering he was now part of the board the Drunk figured it wouldn't hurt trying to get to know everyone in the village. "Hello miss, Ichigo Sato. Head of the Institute of Medicine, my pleasure. Care to join me on a walk on our way back?". Of course it would be up to her whether or not she decided to come along, perhaps there were other things that needed taking care of, but who knew what else they could get themselves into.

(WC: 374, TWC: 612)

As Nova continued to unload several more crates from her Storage Dimension, her gaze came across another ninja who appeared to be her designated partner for the mission. Her eyebrow raised appreciatively as she took note of the man's impressive physique, though not in a way that could be misconstrued as her checking him out. She simply recognized a hard-earned physique when she saw one and held a sense of respect for those who had the discipline to maintain it, something that wasn’t easy to keep on top of.

“That’s so cool! How do you do that? Is it magic? Can you teach me?”

A sudden high-pitched voice came out of nowhere to forcefully drag Nova from her observations of the ninja. Her first look-around didn’t reveal the source of the voice and Nova almost began to wonder if she’d imagined it, when she spotted a shock of bright red hair sticking up from the other side of a crate she’d just summoned. Two pudgy arms rose up from behind the box and pulled up a little girl with the red hair onto the supplies crate in front of her. The little girl maneuvered herself so that she was cross-legged and smiled cheekily up at Nova.

The genin ran a hand across her face and sighed. She’d always had a soft spot for kids - hard to be angry at a little bugger who didn’t know any better - but talking with one often proved to be socially draining, especially the excitable ones like this girl.

“It’s not magic,” Nova said, answering one of the girl’s many questions.

The child in front of her leaned forward, practically bouncing in excitement. “What is it then?”

What followed for the next couple of minutes could only be described as an interrogation. By the end Nova was thoroughly tired and desperate to go do some productive training. Talking to the kid had put her in a better mood, however, so when Ichigo had swung past to talk to her, Nova hadn’t immediately responded with ‘fuck off’.

“Nova,” She introduced herself after the man. Since she was no longer as pissed-off as she was earlier, she nodded when he offered to join him on a walk. If he was the head of the Institute of Medicine like he said then maybe it’d end up being an interesting day after all. Nova would join the man if he carried on walking, falling into step beside him.

"You look to be in pretty good shape for a doctor, are you a fighter as well?" Nova asked lamely. She wasn't usually the type of person to open a conversation, but her mood had been uplifted and the man seemed alright. Feeling better didn't change the fact that the young woman had barely any experience in small talk, so she was just falling back on what she knew; fighting.

WC: 485
TWC: 863

Mission specs:

Ichigo was relieved to hear the woman accepted his invitation to join him on a walk. "Ah, Nova. Nice to meet you", with a smile the Drunk would continue leading the way. He hadn't really thought about what he'd have done if the kunoichi decided to reject his proposal, perhaps awkwarldy rubbing the back of his head before running off without saying another word. "Hm?". A bit caught of guard by the woman's question Ichigo tried to regain his composure and reply as he assumed she was genuinely curious and wondering about him. "Well I suppose you could say that I try my best to stay in shape. I've always possessed quite the physique, through training and helping out in my family's blacksmith shop". But a fighter? The Drunk wasn't sure if he'd consider himself to be one, but then again, not that long ago did he end up in a brawl with Ryuzaki and Zento while on a night out.

After carefully picking the right words Ichigo finally came up with an answer he thought explained it best. "I guess in a way I am, at least that's what I thought. If I ever had a talent it was probably knowing how to use my fists, until I met our Raikage and found a new way to develop myself". Another smile appeared on his face, one that would highlight the mysteriousness of the Drunk's answer. As he continued leading the way Ichigo couldn't help but notice the emphasis on the words "as well". It made him think whether or not Nova considered herself to be a fighter in a similar fashion. "How about you? I don't mean to sound rude but your outfit doesn't really reflect the hard work you were putting in. Something tells me you usually choose a different type of attire to walk around in". Ichigo's question was asked in a way that portrayed his interest in finding out more about the kunoichi, one of who it would be the first time talking to.

(WC: 338, TWC: 950)

It appeared that her question had created some measure of discomfort in the Doctor, though Nova lacked any insight as to why this was the case. Hearing that he was family to a blacksmith was of no surprise to Nova, however. In her time she'd met quite a lot of blacksmiths and one trait they all shared was being absolutely massive. She recalled the man who'd forged her custom bo staff for her; he was quite possibly the largest person she'd ever met. She remembered offering him a handshake and having nearly half her entire forearm engulfed by his hand.

When the man mentioned her armor Nova would visibly react with uncomfortableness and anger, though not directed towards Ichigo. She would almost fidget in the confines of the elegant outfit as she struggled with the internal dilemma of ripping it off or accepting that it was actually more useful for her to keep it on. Through talking with that little girl and now Ichigo, she'd almost managed to completely forget about the armor. Now that she'd been reminded, she suddenly felt exposed. She loathed the fact that her parents were still finding ways to inject themselves into her life despite all this time passing.

"This armor was a gift," she spoke with a completely monotone voice that betrayed the sore spot the topic of her armor was to her. She was getting in one of her moods again where she got herself worked up over absolutely nothing but, through necessity, she was managing to hold it together. This Doctor didn't deserve to be punched in the face just because she had unresolved issues with her parents. She remained quiet for a few seconds, looking off to the side while she tried to bring it back together. When she trusted herself enough to speak, she did something she hadn't done in what felt like forever and apologized to the man.

"Sorry about that..." She said almost sheepishly, now calmed down, "You were right, I really wouldn't be wearing something like this if I didn't have to, but as a set of armor is... It's amazing just how effective it is." To demonstrate the strength of the armor, Nova would then reach into her weapon pouch and bring out a kunai before suddenly jamming it as hard as she could into her own left shoulder. Remarkably, the cloth would somehow stop the kunai dead in its tracks before it could even scratch her shoulder. She'd then return the kunai that had been slightly bent from the force Nova exuded on it back to the weapon pouch. "Strong, right?"

WC: 425
TWC: 1288

The Drunk wished he could say it came as a surprise, but Ichigo kinda anticipated and maybe even predicted that the topic of her armor would cause Nova a slight discomfort. Truth be told, if someone put him in a suit chances were he'd go crawl and curl himself up in a corner as well, hoping no one recognized him. Some things just don't go together. "I see, a gift. But perhaps an unwanted one in some manner" the Drunk gently smiled before the kunoichi offered her apologies for her reaction. "No need to apologize. I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable bringing it up". Ichigo then continued leading the way, wondering what was going on inside Nova's head.

His mind would briefly wander to the mention of a gift. "I assume a loved one gave you the armor?". When it came to topics like that Ichigo started thinking back to his own situation. Due to his father's condition the Drunk never really asked or wanted any gifts, but the ones he received could be considered gifts of a special nature. However, he was quickly brought back to the topic at hand when the kunoichi decided to demonstrate the effectiveness of her piece of armor. "Ehm, yes very impressive" the Drunk replied a bit dumbfounded as the woman stabbed herself in the shoulder to prove its durability. "Reckless, but effective indeed. You're lucky I'm a doctor, in case it went through anyway". A smile appeared on the man's face, by then figuring it was time to bring up a different matter he needed dealing with.

An awkward cough, a great actor he'd never be, before speaking up once more. "Could I interest you in visiting our winding cave system with me? I'm not sure if you've heard the rumors but apparently a mysterious scroll is hidden there somewhere. I figured it might be worth checking out, before some of the local hooligans stumble upon it. You never know what good they're up to". Of course Nova could decline the offer, it didn't sound like something Ichigo couldn't handle on his own but perhaps it could be interesting to spend the day with someone else.

(WC: 365, TWC: 1315)

When the Doctor brought up the topic of loved ones, Nova's expression darkened considerably and she looked away, face twitching. "Hardly." She muttered, barely audible above the usual sounds of mother nature. Again, she had to remind herself that Ichigo had just been asking an innocent question, he didn't know about Nova's personal situation. She forced the ugly thoughts from her mind and turned back to face Ichigo.

After the man's comment about her being reckless, Nova snorted and a small smirk situated itself on her face. Reckless was a word she was very well acquainted with considering how she used to fight back in the fighting pits. It was something she'd been told off for back in the Academy, the way she fought with such reckless abandon and with no concern for her own well-being. Nova wasn't the kind of person to think about the consequences of her actions, she was more the live-in-the-moment kind of person.

When the man began to talk about the village's cave system Nova almost began to think he was about to ask her out on a date - to which she would have responded with a succinct 'no' - but he was just inviting her onto another mission. She wasn't pressed for money at the moment but it wouldn't hurt to get some more.

"Sure, haven't got much else to do." She shrugged, "I actually have no idea where these caves are though, so you'll need to show me where they are."

If Ichigo began leading them to the caves, Nova would follow beside him.

WC: 263
TWC: 1551

Nova agreed a second time to Ichigo's suggestion, or invitation depending how you'd look at it. Perhaps the kunoichi had nothing else to do, or maybe she enjoyed someone else's company once in a while. It seemed her mood had slowly started to lighten up, at least that was the impression the Drunk got as he continued leading the way to the winding cave systems. "It's a good thing it's not so far from where we were earlier". They only had to walk a couple of minutes before they would arrive at their destination. At first sight it didn't look like other people were around, but one could never be too careful. "Watch out for any bats, I heard they carry rabies". Assuming Nova followed him down into the systems Ichigo entered first.

Carefully watching his steps the man slowly made his way further, both dojutsu ready to be activated in case he needed them to help him out in the dark. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you might want to stick close to me in this darkness". Regardless of the kunoichi's decision he proceeded walking, listening attentively if he was able to pick up any sounds coming from somewhere in the cave. "I assume this is your first time visiting these systems? They're something not many people know about". Not that he was that knowledgeable on the matter but he did his homework before going out for the day. One could never be too prepared, that's what he liked to think.

As time passed Ichigo wondered if they were ever going to find this so called mysterious scroll or if they were going to have to walk around endlessly until they no longer could. "I'm starting to believe it was nothing more than a rumor after all. What do you think? Maybe you've noticed something that I didn't". So far luck hadn't been on his side, but perhaps Nova would be able to pick up anything he had missed. 

(WC: 332, TWC: 1647)

Thankfully it was only a short walk to the cave system so Nova was saved from having to make more awkward conversation attempts with Ichigo while they walked. It had just occurred to her that this was possibly the first time she'd just spoken to someone else without some ulterior motive in a very long time. In spite of her obvious lack of practice at talking to people, Nova was having quite a pleasant time just exchanging words with a stranger. It wasn't long until the duo arrived at the entrance to the systems and began to walk in.

"Agreed," Nova said in response to the Doctor's suggestion of sticking close to him. In the darkness of the cave, even after her eyes had adjusted, Nova could just barely see the movement of Ichigo ahead of her. He obviously had some way of navigating the darkness that she didn't, so she'd follow his lead, "I don't really have the habit of visiting dark cave systems alone, no." Nova joked with a small smirk.

"What about you? You the kind of guy who likes to hang out in dark caves and brood?" Nova asked in the same light-hearted tone as before. Part of her actually curious as to what kind of man the Doctor was, the other was just enjoying joking around with someone.

The two pressed on through the caves for quite a while and Nova almost began to feel frustrated as the minutes dragged on. Her eyes had now almost completely adjusted to the darkness of the cave by now, but she still had to rely on Ichigo for navigating through the systems. The combination of not being able to see anything and also nothing interesting happening were wearing down on her good mood. Just as she was about to respond to Ichigo's question, she heard something ahead of them both. An odd squeaking sound, unlike anything she'd heard before. She hushed and bent down and, after a couple of seconds of grasping along the floor, found a small rock.

She stood back up and then lobbed the rock at the source of the noise to see what it was, eager for a fight. The sound of the rock impacting stone echoed around the darkness for a second, followed by a cacophony of squeaking noises and then quickened flaps that descended further into the cave. Of course, Nova sighed to herself, it had just been bats.

"I think you're right, why would a secret scroll even be in these caves anyway? I say we head back. Your call, though." Nova said, deferring to the man she was assuming was her superior. Head of the Institute of Medicine sounded like a pretty important title, either way.

WC: 457
TWC: 2008