My Loneliness is Killing Me (Aihara, Cid, Gray)

Have You Seen Our Canary?:

Search and Destroy...?:

Having arrived in the borders of Fire Country, Auron immediately was hit with a wave of nostalgia. Immediately he had been in a sea of forestry and fauna, teeming with life. It had been quite the contrast from the mainly mountainous and barren terrain that he had faced in the Land of Earth. And it was greatly appreciated. The trials and tribulations he faced, along with the contracts he undertook, were quite strenuous. The one in particular that had scarred him, had demanded the young man to scale the summit of a mountain...twice, infiltrate a prison, and destabilize it. That had been the first and last time he would undertake any mission of the sort, as the only way he could recuperate was nearly a full day of sleep and staying off his feet. To this day Auron could still feel the strain on his calves. But on this side of the Land of Fire, there were no mountains in sight. And if there were, he'd turn the other way. But since arriving here, the first thing Auron did was come across a small village on the outskirts of Fire Country. Within this town, there were a number of buildings, but nothing more than the bare necessities: a market, an inn, some homes, a police station, and a few stores. Throughout the town, were stone paths and fields of grass. It was quaint, and though small its atmosphere was lively.

Village:

Auron's first order of business was checking into the inn. He'd push the doors open softly, and enter the building as they swung through. Once inside the wooden interior, the Yamaguchi would proceed towards the receptionist. She had been young, and ruralized. The slight twang in her voice would confirm this as she greeted him. He'd explain to the woman that he was a traveler looking for a room and work, and would pay in advance. She needed to hear no more, and offered him his keys and sent him on his way. Auron thanked her, then made his way towards his assigned room. Upon entering it, he'd lay down and rest. A day of traveling from country to country by foot had really worn on him. When he'd awaken, it would be bright and early in the day. He first would freshen up, then get dressed. As usual he wore his straw hat, mask, scarf, kimono, and haram pants. Their colors, a combination of various shades of red, white, and black. This outfit had been a comfortable one that simultaneously concealed his identity enough to prevent him from being easily identified. Underneath the kimono he had his flak jacket equipped. On his hip, his katana. Once ready for the day, he'd depart from the inn and approach the job board out from of it. In front of it stood three people, viewing the board as well. Pinned to the board were two postings: one regarding a mine, the other posted by the police force. It seemed light, but out here it was unlikely that there was a ton of work needed to be done.

Job Board:

Still though, Auron would recognize that with two posted missions and four people all looking them over, it was likely that there wouldn't be enough work for the hired hands to work independently. And so he'd look from the board over to the trio, who undoubtedly were friendly with each other, and speak up.

"Hey, the name's Auron. Seeing as the work's light, I suppose your group wouldn't mind me tagging along with you all on these two assignments? I'm capable and can keep my head down. You know, just follow directions. What do ya say?"

WC = 611

It was a quiet day, the smell of the sea breeze filling the air as Cid slowly woke from his slumber. Offering a long stretch, arms raised firmly overhead he would not only feel but also hear and audible cracking of his back. The stiffness was something he was unaccustomed to, his fairly stress and labor free life leading him to ponder just how Grey did it and made it look so simple and easy. See, Cid wasn't one to usually have to do the strenuous labor of hauling cargo on and off of the ship, a bet was a bet, and it was one that Cid had lost. Grey won fair and square... The rogue never expected his comrade to be so smooth with the ladies. Or maybe it was just how 'pretty' he was. The man would just shrug, lifting himself sluggishly out of the bed. Usually the man would just toss on what he wore the day before (unless it had already been on its second day), but that didn't account for the sheer amount of sweat that had drenched them the day before. He'd shuffle through his clothes, finding some that were clean. He was going to have to wash his clothes here soon.

Making his way towards the job boards, the man would sigh. Usually he made his money on the water, protecting ships and acting mostly just acting as a deterrent to undesirables out on the ocean blue. Unfortunately, the shipment he loaded up the night before was delayed, something about awaiting payment from the merchants guild. This meant that Cid was gonna have to find other, more involved work to pay for his meal tonight. The room was already paid for at least for a few more months, so at the very least he'd have a place to rest his head should their not be any work. 

Slowly moseying his way over to the job postings, he'd look over the available tasks. "Mining? You've gotta be kidding!" The red haired man would simply rub his temples, pondering for a moment if he really needed to eat that night or not. A grumbling from his stomach reminded him that he had built up quite an appetite the night before and he hadn't eaten anything yet today. He couldn't go skipping meals today, so he'd put his hands in his pockets and wait. He figured with the shipment currently halted, Grey would no doubt be looking for work as well. Might as well wait here for him. 

It would seem as though Cid was right, and he brought Little Miss Aihara along as well. "Little Miss, always a pleasure when your Big Brother brings you along for some fun." He'd look right at Grey, "Maybe if he brought you along last night, I wouldn't have had to to load all that cargo." He'd look to Grey with a raise of his eyebrow, "You get enough sleep? You sure you're gonna have enough energy today to do some work?" He'd offer with a grin. 

It wasn't long before another popped up, one that Cid didn't recognize. This was a small port town, and while there were usually plenty of people coming and going, so it wasn't entirely out of the ordinary to see a new face here and there. Still, something about this one was different. His frame suggested that he was more suited to tasks of labor much like Grey was. More people that could swing a pick, the less he had to do it. "Oh, I'm sure you could tag along. I don't mind at all. What say you?" He'd ask to his companions, making certain they were okay with the newcomer assisting with the work. If they were all on board, Cid would offer a nod, "The names Cid. Nice to meet you Auron." The bandit knew better than to introduce the others, letting them speak for themselves. 

Noting that the man was hiding his face, Cid new all too well what that meant. People tend to only hide their face when they don't want to be recognized... or if their wanted. "Gotta say...I don't recognize you. Must be new around here. You mind if I ask where you are from?" 


wc: 708

If looks could kill, Grey would already be dead by now. "Little brat, I know you're not exactly a morning person but we do need the money if we want to get around". Earlier that day, the young Hyuuga spent the entire morning trying to get Aihara out of bed, the princess not cooperating in the slightest as she didn't want to leave the hut they were staying in. Hence why her eyes looked as if they were going to shoot lightning bolts at her brother anytime now. Dragging his sister as she held her brother's wrist, her short legs dragging over the ground as a show of her stubbornness, the two of them finally arrived at the meeting point.

Grey noticed how Aihara's face started to light up as she picked up on Cid's presence, the swordsman letting her hand go so she could run towards the red haired pirate. "I'm afraid I used up most of my energy trying to get this one out of bed" the swordsman would say in response to his friend's comment. Simultaneously he'd rub her hair, knowing the little ball of energy would soon return to her usual state. "High-grade steel? I could find a use for that" the Hyuuga voiced as he read the details of one of the tasks placed on the mission board.

In the meantime another individual had joined them at the stand, a young man introducing himself as Auron. "I don't mind, more hands make light work", considering the two assignments didn't seem like they held that much risk to them, the Hyuuga figured one more wouldn't hurt. "The name's Grey, I suppose we can head out now that we're all in agreement". For now he would let the others lead the way, keeping an eye on their surroundings while at the same time wondering if Aihara's mood was going to improve now that the band was together again. 

(WC: 321)

As the trio went around and introduced themselves, Auron would go on to mentally associate their name with their appearance and voice. The first was Cid, who was quite a bit taller and stockier than Auron himself. From the mature sound in his voice to the relaxed demeanor he maintained, Auron assumed him to be older than him. Potentially even the eldest in the group. The well maintained beard upon his face confirmed this to a degree, as Auron and the other man Grey didn't even have any peach fuzz. Grey himself was somewhat in between the builds of Auron and Cid yet he still had prominent amount of muscle mass. He seemed to be quite composed as well. Perhaps the saying "it takes two" was true, as these two capable men were accompanied by a child who was much younger than the rest of the group. Though her bubbly personality was much more welcoming and energetic. Aihara, her name was. And at face value the triumvirate were a unique team. But Auron knew there was more than meets the eye, so he refrained from forming any first impressions just by their looks and the first signs of their behavior. In a cool fashion, he'd tuck his hands into his pockets and nodded when the three agreed for Auron to accompany them. But he'd direct his intention towards Cid, who seemed to pry a bit more into who exactly Auron was. He'd offer a light hearted laugh in response, and would kind of squint his eyes in the same motion.

"Believe it or not, I'm from the Land of Fire. Though I'd hardly call any place home. I'm more of a wanderer than anything these days. But it's nice to meet the three of you: Cid, Grey, Aihara."

He chose to answer the question quickly, honestly, and yet try to change the subject in the same breath. He didn't want his status to become known to the other three, for if they learned he was a missing ninja from Konohagakure, they could be incentivized to turn him in. He wasn't reluctant out of fear, but more so because he'd rather make accomplices than enemies. Besides, the chance that these three were of a similar background to him was at least present. Thus a level of anonymity between them all could be appreciated. Some things were better left unknown. And Aihara's following question would aid his attempt. Right as Auron had greeted the group officially, she'd interject and ask if he was her uncle. He'd softly shrug. Though he was unsure of how much time he'd spend with the group, he didn't want to burn bridges before they were formed. 

"Maybe let's start with 'friend'" he'd say while offering a reserved smile, which could faintly be seen behind the mask upon his face. "Well, let's get started."

From the description on the mission posting, the location of the mine was just a bit north of their location. And so, Auron would distance himself from the inn heading in a direction outwards from the village. The path was paved, yet covered with dirt from the amount of traffic the road had seen and the amount of upkeep it did not have. Though faint, it was enough to be able to follow. And once the group reached the limits of the village, the scenery would transition to forestry. This would continue until about one kilometer away from the village borders. Thus there was plenty of time for the group to talk and become further acquainted if they chose to do so. Auron however, was naturally quiet. And so he took comfort in the silence. Nevertheless if the band chose to speak to him or include him in their banter, he'd participate lightly. Yet he did not seek to intrude or insert himself in conversations where he had no place. As the time passed and the sun shone down upon the group, the forestry would begin to fade as the scene shifted into being a bit more barren. Just ahead of the quartet as a small sized quarry. It was a 50 meter deep by 100 meter wide open pit mining operation, that seemed to be done in more of an ancient manner. There was little equipment, but quiet a number of bodies. Yet still the job that had been done thus far seemed remarkable. Roads were paved, berms were maintained, and stockpiles of ore were stacked high. There were some small buildings, which were likely office spaces, but besides that it was a completely open area. Proceeding forward, Auron would point towards the office building that seemed to be the entrance to the facility. It was situated adjacent to the main road leading into quarry, and that was the description that was detailed as to where the group would first need to check in.

"I guess that's where we should start."

WC = 814. TWC = 1425

Cid was always happy to see the Little Miss, her enthusiasm bringing a grin to the rogues face. If he had half that much energy, he'd never be tired again. Plus, she always seemed to add an element to any task they were doing that was unpredictable and kept them all on their toes. Some might not be keen on such, but Cid simply thought it was refreshing and offered them far more opportunity to stretch those improvisation muscles. Only bit of it he wasn't fond of was all the cardio as the merry band chased after the pink flash. Still, it kept the otherwise lazy drunkard in shape so there was a silver lining. "Oh boy. If he's lazy what does that make me?" Cid would offer back to Aihara, an audible chuckle escaping him.

Cid would note his friends interest in the high grade steel. He figured that such a prize was just offered to avoid paying a better wage for the labor involved, but perhaps it was worthwhile after all. Grey was a swordsman of some skill, so it added up. "Make you a deal. You buy pay for dinner and drinks the next few nights and I'll toss my cut of the metal your way. Sound good to you?" Cid would ask, happily trading the reward that was far from useful to the man for something he could actually use. Saving some ryo on meals would help shore up some of his funds, and the red haired pirate had no idea where in town he'd be able to pawn it off. So if Grey agreed, Cid would simple nod, happy to think about all the food and drink that his Hyuuga pal was going to be purchasing that night. 

They would all set out, Auron mentioning that he was from the Land of Fire. Cid figured if the newcomer was willing to divulge that bit of information, he'd reward him with a bit of information of his own, "That makes two of us. Don't worry," He'd offer, hoping to ease some of the potential tension he just created, "You are in good company, ya know what I mean?" He'd offer, his eyes hopefully relaying the intent behind the words without directly saying them. Little Aihara didn't need to know all of the details of 'Uncle' Cids past. Grey was of course well aware, but the youngling didn't need all the details. Funny as it sounds, he really didn't want the Little Miss to think of him as a 'bad guy'. Perhaps her presence was slowly turning the bandit into a softy. 

They would all make their way to the dig site, the pirate not prying any further into their new companions history. He didn't mind the criminal element. Hell, he was a criminal element. "So Little Miss, you eat anything yet today?" He'd ask, making conversation. If she hadn't Cid would weave a simple seal for his storage displacement and hold out his hand. A chocolate bar would materialize in his hand. He'd put his finger up to his lips, pretending to be stealthy about the whole thing but knowing fully well that Grey could see the whole thing, "Don't say anything to your brother, okay?" He would say in a loud whisper. He figured that like most kids her age she would be delighted with the candy bar. Cid would look back, offering Grey a grin and a thumbs up. Giving the usually energetic and rambunctious child sugar might not have been his best idea, but it would no doubt prove entertaining. 

Auron wasn't very talkative, but he probably felt like the odd man out since he was the new guy in the group. Still, Cid would aim to make sure he was welcomed into the fold and included. "How do you like the coast?" He'd ask, making sure to avoid questions regarding the man's past. The man looked capable enough, and no doubt had been able to survive on his own this long. "Always steady work on the waves. We got a pretty good gig." 

They soon found themselves at the dig site, the whole thing looking like a whole bunch of work. The red haired rogue expected a few more tools and a slightly more advanced operation. This looked like an awful time. With a sigh, he'd nod and approach with the others to the offices. He'd stretch a bit on the walk, expecting this to take a great deal more work than anticipated. 

wc:751
twc:1459

It appeared Cid had picked up on Grey's interest in the High-Grade Steel, aware of the Hyuuga's nature of being a swordsman as the red haired pirate made him an offer. "Sounds like a deal to me. With the way you drink you'll probably forget about it after the first night anyway" he laughed out loud, agreeing to his friend's proposal. Now that the two of them had decided on how to split the loot, it was about time the group of four started heading out, a couple of tasks waiting for them to handle. One thing was for certain, on their way out, the Hyuuga's head would already be at the materials that would allow him to improve the quality of his armor.

As the group began moving towards the next location, Grey listened as Auron shared to be originally from Fire Country, a place all too familiar to the Hyuuga and his friend. For now the swordsman decided to remain quiet, cautious as ever as he could never be too certain someone would still be looking for him, even if a lot of time had passed since leaving the village behind. There were a lot of good reasons as to why he made that decision and if he could go back in time, he wouldn't change a thing. However, just because his departure was justified didn't mean others would see it the same way. 

Walking forward, focusing on the future and what laid ahead of them, the Hyuuga noticed Aihara got her little hands on some chocolate she received from Cid. "Enjoy it while you can brat, it'll be the only snack you'll be getting today". After all, he had to take on the role of big brother from time to time. Nevertheless, he was glad to see her mood steadily improved. Full of sugar and high spirits, the youngest of the bunch would lead the way, her short legs walking about ten meters in front of the rest of them. After a couple of minutes they eventually arrived at their destination, a dig site and one that appeared to entail a lot of work. 

As always, Aihara would strike a conversation with a stranger, a man sitting behind a desk where the offices were located. "That's right, we're here to help out". By then the little girl had taken a couple of steps back, grabbing Grey's hand and joining her brother and Cid at their positions. "If you could be so kind to show us the way". Assuming they would at least receive instructions the swordsman awaited to hear them. 

(WC: 433, TWC: 754)

The interaction between the trio he had stumbled upon was unique and familial. It was something comforting for Guren to observe. The young girl Aihara seemed to have a niece-uncle or sister-brother relationship with the two older men, and she was a friendly and free soul. But Auron couldn't help but wonder if the two men were actually related to her, or if she merely invited them to be her brother, uncle, or whatever they were to her. That's what she had done to Auron at least, attempting to include the Yamaguchi in her self defined family. Though it was a sweet offer, he was a stranger who had done bad things. Simply put, he did not want to invade their dynamic and potentially put any of the group in harm's way. But that was just his concern at face value. Perhaps the trio weren't worried about Auron's past, and instead were just looking to expand their group. He mentally shrugged off his thoughts though, dismissing them all together. Whatever would happen, would happen. He should only focus on the present, and currently he was on a mission with the group. For now he was one of them. And Cid had done a good job to make Auron feel welcomed. For as they walked together, he'd branch off from Aihara and Grey and match Auron's pace. When the men walked side by side, Cid offered the exchange of some small talk. When asked about the coast, Auron had to think to himself momentarily. Admittedly he'd never had been on this side of Fire Country, as he was always accustomed to being in Konoha and more West, near and in Earth Country. But thus far it had been significantly more calming and...peaceful. Almost as if it was nature's way of saying that this is where he should be, at least at this point in time.

While walking Auron would turn his head to acknowledge Cid and offer a subtle nod. "It's unique. All of my travels have been focused on landlocked locations. War torn, in ruins, and riddled with conflict. Here it has been tranquil so far. And the missions seem to be interesting. Less...aggressive than what I am used to honestly." Upon concluding his remarks, Cid would respond with his own commentary on the consistency of work to be found. Interestingly enough, Auron reflected on the number of job postings on the mission board outside the inn. There had only been two missions posted. So putting two and two together, he inferred that Cid and his comrades had been undertaking and executing missions throughout the Land of Fire. Perhaps their group had been completing missions at such an accelerated rate that the postings couldn't keep up. His jingasa atop his head was lowered, but underneath it Auron would raise an eyebrow. It was intriguing, and easily assumed that the trio he had met was quite capable and efficient. This instilled a bit of confidence within Auron regarding his team. Because with contracts and missions undertaken by vagabonds and missing ninjas, the nature of the work wasn't always...wholesome. And so this trope was likely hardened as well.

"Well I'm glad you all were willing to include me in these contracts. Maybe we'll work together more in the future too."

With his closing comments, he'd allude to a future where he'd join their group. And though it wasn't something cemented into destiny, he at least wanted to establish a level of mutual trust and cordiality where the quartet worked together. Once pointing out the office, Aihara would take the lead and approach the buildings by her lonesome. She paraded herself inside, shortly after followed by the trio of elder bodyguards she had. When Auron would enter the building, he'd hear the raspy and rugged void of the receptionist asking if the girl was lost. She pouted her response, indicating the group was there to work. Grey would take the lead, standing in front of Aihara and confirm her resolve. Auron remained silent, seeing as Grey had the situation under control. In response, the receptionist would stand from the table revealing his stubby stature of 5'0" tall and easily 200 pounds. He'd grab ahold of a pack of cigarettes and waddle his way past the group and outside. Once outside the confines of the office, he'd fire up a cigarette and exhale a ghastly cloud of cancerous fumes. Waddling out a couple meters from the office, he'd begin his debriefing.

"Our facility has had some...break ins lately. There's a group of guards who have been looking into it, but haven't been able to unearth where the preparators are hiding. Though we all have gathered that they're somewhere within our premises. Go seek out the guards over there," the man would say as he pointed with his cigarette towards North and to the pit. He'd exhale another puff of smoke before continuing. "You'll have to descend down the roadway into the mine to speak with them. While you're down there see if you can also help out some of our staff. They need some grunt work level of assistance, manual labor in other words. Help them out and they'll compensate you with some high grade steel on top of what I'll be paying you. Once you guys get everything done, come back and see me for final payment. Now shoo. Let me smoke in peace."

Although repulsive in every way, this receptionist didn't seem to be too bad of a guy. He'd offer clear instructions, and lay out the process thoroughly. With that being said, the receptionist would return near the door to the office and finish his cigarette then retreat to his desk. Auron would take a look at the three before him, uncertain of everyone's ability but offer a potential plan. "Might as well start walking down that road..." Auron would say as he'd proceed North and approach the roadway that led to the base of the pit. As he walked, he'd further describe his thoughts. "Since there's two contracts at hand here, we could split up? I'm not the best tracker, but I can follow instructions. Though I suppose that means I'd be suitable for manual labor...But if you all prefer to handle each job as team, then by all means lead the way. We've got to get to the bottom of the pit either way so we have a little time to finalize our plan."

WC = 1075. TWC = 2500

Grey would seem to be on board with their little agreement, though he did bring up a valid point. The Hyuuga swordsman could just get the bandit positively shitfaced on night one and in reality... he probably would forget about their deal. "Just gonna have to hold you to your word then, now won't I? I don't think you'd do me wrong like that." 

Cid would smile, happy that he brought some joy to Little Miss Aihara. She seemed positively thrilled with the chocolate bar, thanking the rogue graciously before making her way to the front of the group. Grey made sure she knew that she wouldn't be getting any more treats today, to which the pirate would shrug. He didn't have any more sweets to share anyhow, so it was unlikely that she would be able to sucker Uncle Cid into giving her anything else today. Still, she seemed happy with the turn of events which brought a pleased smile to Cid's face. 

Auron seemed to ease into the group a little more, offering a bit more dialogue about his travels. It would seem as though the lands he had been in were far more... chaotic than the coasts of the Land of Fire had been. Perhaps if he was a bit more opportunistic he could use that chaos to leverage money and influence on the land... His mind would flash over to his newfound crew, and how they had basically been like a second family of sorts. He imagined that a bandit life was behind him, at least for now. "Yeah, a lot of the work around here doesn't require much in the way of violence. Most of the people around here are good folk, and all it takes is a capable sort in sight to keep those less savory types at bay." Cid knew this first hand, as his main form of income was to keep goods safe from those folks that want to steal it. "Perhaps we will." Cid would offer in reply to Auron's statement of working together in the future. 

The little man in the offices made their objectives clear, and Auron would offer the chance to split up the work. Normally Cid would want to avoid the manual labor entirely, but the other task was finding working directly with guards... and he didn't particularly like guards or any other figure of law and authority. He had a tendency to... butt heads with such sorts of people. The last thing that he wanted was to ruin a possible payday because of his personal issues. "Maybe its for the best I stay behind and try my hand at digging up some ore. Can't say I look forward to working with the lawman, ya know?" Cid would state to Grey, hoping the man understood Cid's reluctance. He'd kept his hands clean for a long while, but such deep issues had a tendency to last for some time. Plus, the pirate had no doubt he was a wanted man. Not enough to be worth much, but enough that if one of those guards got a bug up his ass he could ruin the rogues day or maybe longer. 

"Little Miss, perhaps you and Grey could go find those folks with the guards? I think you two might be the best suited for such a task. Keep and eye on Grey, though. Can't let his lazy bones slack and collect payment without putting in any work." Cid would offer with a smile, hoping that this would entice her to keep a close eye on Grey, and therefore stay close enough for him to keep a proper watch over her. 

"That good with you, Grey?" Cid would ask, hoping the swordsman would oblige. "Auron and I will get the digging bits done." Should they all agree and temporarily part ways, Cid would look over to his current party member and stretch. "I don't know about you, but I think this is gonna suck." The pirate would offer with a lighthearted grin, picking up a mining pick and placing it over his shoulder. 

"I guess lets get this over with."


wc:690
twc:2149