My Own Little Paradise... [Hyakurai, or Invite]

Once she had him, he started swimming straight downward with surprising power for someone that spent most of his life in the air, and was a natural lightning user. However, his secondary ability being water meant that he was just as at home in the water as he was in the air; so this was nothing to him. He was pushing himself hard than he would have if it was just him; he knew he could make it to the air pocket without trouble; be wasn't sure about her, and he wouldn't risk it. No amount of power or 'speed' could make up for the counter-force of buoyancy, and their lungfuls of air were working against them.

It took nearly a solid minute of hard powering to get deep enough; but he was able to grab the edge of the overhang and pull them around so that they surfaced in the small pocket of air. It was fed from a crack in the rock that cut into the main alcove, so there would be plenty of fresh enough air for them to recover with. "We're half way there. It's already pretty dark out there, but it's going to get pitch black before we make it all the way. Do not let go, no matter what. You'll never find the entrance in that darkness, not unless you know exactly where you are and what to look for."

WC: 243

243 + 1661 = 1904

While this definitely didn't top the list of the most uncomfortable things that Ai had ever had to do it sure did rate above the halfway point. The pressure on her ears coupled with the darkness would have made her want to surface long ago: but she was with Hyakurai, her grip tight upon his wrist, and she didn't let go: she didn't allow herself to turn back. She wanted a chance to see what he had gathered throughout his travels, she wanted to see where he had hidden it all well away from the view of the those who would have killed him for it. She trusted him with her life, and knew that so long as she was with him no harm would come to her. It was enough to get her through the long stretch until they were surfacing for air.

As the first breath full of oxygen reached her lungs she expected it to be stale, tainted, but it was fresh. Fresh, clean air. As she caught her breath she listened carefully as Rai explained that they were halfway there, and that while it was dark down there it was going to get pitch black before they got to where they were going. She nodded once more as he instructed her not to let go, no matter what. “I won't let go.”

Once she was sure she was ready, something that took relatively little time even after such a long period without oxygen she looked over to Rai. “I'm ready.” She held onto his wrist as she had done before, ready for him to lead the way the rest of the way to this hidden location.

"Don't try to to clear your system again. You'll end up giving yourself diving sickness doing that down here. Just take a lungful of air and slowly exhale it as we move down. Otherwise, you risk going into shock and having your lungs collapse. The pressure is going to get nasty right before we surface again." He took a deep breath to show her what he meant, taking the time to release it slowly. One back under the water, the pressure would regulate and slow the release more; making it last longer and helping the extra gasses in their blood absorb before it turned to bubbles and lodged in their joints, lungs, and blood vessels. Diving sickness was a nasty affliction, and he didn't want to risk that in her.

Once they where ready, he dove under and pulled her along with him. Within 10 seconds the light was gone entirely; the entire hole was pitch black and if not for the occasional sound of bubble against rock, it would have been completely silent. The bubbles where the key, the sound led to the entrance; there was a small waterfall inside and that caused air to mix into the water at a depth deep enough to leak into the hole. It was a trail; one that could be followed with the right diving skills and good hearing.

He was really pushing it here; half way or not, it was nearly two minutes to get there, because of the nature of the overhang. However, once they where around and moving 'up' they moved fast, the buoyancy of their bodies worked with them and they all but shot up the last ten feet and to the surface. Once they'd gotten around the overhang, light had returned as well; the alcove was filled with luminescent crystals that gave off a soft, but bright glow that filtered into the water easily. They surfaced behind the mentioned waterfall; and he puled them through it and to the smooth rock that edged the pool. This room was little more than rock and crystal, it was originally a storage room of sorts, but it made a perfect entrance. Even IF someone made it here, if they didn't know how to open the door, it was just a good spot to rest and get some air before trying to make it back up to the surface. He pulled himself out of the water and onto the solid rock, offering her a hand to help her out as well. "Take a moment to breath. You're going to feel like shit for a few minutes, and if you don't rest it'll just get worse."

WC: 452

452 + 1904 = 2356

“Alright.”, she responded: the last thing she wanted to do was make this worse on herself in the long run. So, she made sure she followed his instructions completely before they were once again beneath the surface of the water. Very soon into going back into the water the light was completely gone, and she kept in the front of her mind how he had told her not to let go: so she kept her grip secure and sure on his wrist while they went.

As they moved through the water she could hear a noise, though at the moment she was unclear as to what it was. She allowed her mind to focus on trying to figure out what it was rather then to think about the complete and utter lack of oxygen at that moment in time.

This trip seemed to last long, though Ai felt that that might have had something to do with the complete and total darkness. Once they began to move upwards Ai felt they had to be close, and the light she began to saw only helped to confirm that: unless someone had found a way to bring light under the water that was. And then they had broken the surface: and there was air! She took the offered hand and help with getting out of the water. She sat there for a moment, resting as had been instructed: he was right, she did feel horrible, though the longer she sat there the better it slowly seemed to get.

When she had caught her breath enough to speak without gasping or sounding out of breath she did so, “How did you find this place to begin with?”, words spoken softly as she began to look around from where she sat in total and complete curiosity.

"Luck, really. I was free diving, and a rock dislodged from the wall of the hole when I was about a quarter of the way down here. I ended up a fair bit further down before I managed to get free, and by then I was nearly suffocating. I heard the bubbles and managed to follow them. They led me here. I spent the night unconscious on this rock face, and another three days fighting off diving sickness. It's a miracle I survived at all. Once I could get up and move, I started exploring the room; hoping I could find some way out beyond risking attempting to get all the way back up again. I didn't even know if I could at the time. I found a hidden door, and it led me to the main chamber. It was... unbelievable. I'd honestly though I'd died and was in some kind of afterlife at first.. I got extremely lucky; whomever was here last had left scrolls of food and water and medicine; so I was able to recover while I explored and learned."

He pushed himself into a sitting position and slowly to his feet, once more offering a hand to help her up. "You'll get a kick out of this... the place looks like some fairy tale treasure room; it's full of gold and jewels and all that useless junk. But there are smaller secondary rooms... those are the real treasure. Weapons, armors, libraries... it's all here. And this was just an outpost. The main temple is still out there, far beyond the borders of the countries and outside of prying eyes."

WC: 280

280 + 2356 = 2636

As she listened to him begin to tell his story of how he had first found this place she gasped: the idea of how close he had come to dying caused goosebumps to break out across her skin. It bothered her deep down in her very soul that she had come so close to losing him without even knowing it. “Talk about a close call...”, she muttered softly, more to herself then to him. Luck had definitely been on his side during those few days, or perhaps it was something a little bit on the stronger side – such as fate. She liked to believe that fate favored the worthy: and they would sure be worthy in their quest to come.

She took his offered help, standing slowly to her feet. She was feeling all around better, but she definitely wasn't looking forward to the trip back out. Still, she understood the necessity of needing such a well hidden location, and the harder a place was to get to the less likely it was to be found. So, she wasn't going to complain.

Her eyes lit up with curiosity: jewels and trinkets meant little to her despite her life as a Geisha was one of luxury – a Geisha was only as good as what she was dressed in. However, the idea of scrolls of knowledge, weapons, and armor... now that had her attention and was holding it. “Now you really have me curious.”

Once she was up, he slid an arm around her waist and led her toward what appeared to be just an empty wall; anyone with a brain would notice that it was the only wall not covered in mosses or crystal outcroppings, and instantly think something was different. They'd be partially right. Anyone else would think it was the door. They'd be extremely wrong.

He placed his hand on the flat surface and pressed down at a certain spot. His fingers 'sank' into the solid rock and he began to rotate his wrist; turning the hidden mechanism and revealing the door lock. A horribly complex seal flashed to life across the empty wall, and he began to poke and turn certain points across it's face. There was an order here; pattern to recreate underneath the chaos. When he finished, what was left was no longer a mess of lines and color; but a graceful dragon flying through the skies; a seal hidden in an image, the oldest kind.

The seal burned into the rock face, and from behind them the sound of rock scraping against rock could be heard; the actual door opening. "Quickly, it's a timed lock." He hurried her through; by timed he meant they had roughly a minute to get passed or else he'd have to reset the trigger. Once beyond the door, they where in the 'main' room; the largest of what he'd explored so far. It was a classic treasure room style; filled with crates and boxes and piles overflowing with ancient coins and jewels and all that fancy jazz. Pretty, and useful in the sense of it would bankroll their plans for years upon years without even being dented; but that was all. Neither of them had a love for wealth or money; it was a means to an end and nothing more.

He pointed toward the singular door in the far wall, "That leads to a smaller room; a meeting place of sorts, from what I can figure. It's full of seating areas and tables and a small fountain with clean spring water; I'm betting there used to be a small kitchen type area there as well; but only the rock counter remains. The doors beyond here lead to different rooms; weapons storage, armor storage, libraries, study rooms, sleeping quarters... this was an outpost, but it wasn't all that small; and if the maps I've found are accurate, this is less than a quarter of the original facility."

WC: 425

425 + 2636 = 3061

Ai smiled as she so often did when his arm went around her waist: she enjoyed him touching her, it calmed her each and every time. She forced herself to focus on what he was doing rather then focusing on the feel of his arm around her waist, though. She watched as his fingers seemed to sink into the only wall cleared of moss. The door lock was revealed then, and she watched as he worked on unlocking it. When he was done she saw what resembled a dragon before she was ushered inside.

She looked around curiosity as they entered into this new room. She took notice of the treasure but over-looked it quickly enough: she of course wasn't one to be pulled in by such grandeur. Instead she listened as he explained what lay beyond this room: the weapons and armor and scrolls interested her the most – though it was also good to know that they would have access to fresh water, and even a place to sleep if they had to stay here for a long period of time.

Before she could ask to see the weapons and armor and scrolls he had mentioned his last sentence caused something within her mind, a thought, to spring up. Her family: her biological mother was dead and her father who was very much alive had never been part of her life after he had sold her into the life of a Geisha. Her Geisha Mother, a woman who was very kind though it took her a while to figure it out, and her sisters were her true family left. Family that could be used against her: family that could be hurt and tortured for information, or simply to get revenge against her. Her eyebrows furrowed together as she thought over more-so what he had said. “This original facility... have you seen it?”

She turned her focus from the room as a whole and back onto him. “My mother is dead, my father as good as in my eyes even though he still breaths. But my Geisha family... someone could try and use them against me. I need a place to have them stay; some place they'll be safe from harm. Where they cannot be easily found.” Surely this original facility had to be hidden, or at least far enough away to where it had yet to be discovered by anyone but him: someone would have said something by now if it had, right? And if not there then perhaps they could find another place: she would not allow her family to suffer because of her.

Her family... yes, he could understand her worry. Needless to say, the moment she brought this to his attention he was just as worried; he'd let nothing hurt her if he could help it, and this was something he could do. "I have. I've been there many times. It's falling apart and easy to miss. At least, if you only see the outside. Once you make it past the false doors and traps, it's perfectly habitable. I've been... slowly fixing it up myself, honestly. I've carved out a fairly comfortable area; more than enough room for them and us to be happy and safe. There's plenty of fresh water in the temple due to an underground river and a spring; the jungles are full of fruits and bush meat. We could easily move them."

He moved toward the closed door; it wasn't locked from the inside thankfully, so it opened without a hint of resistance.  Once through the door, they where in the open seating area; filled with old, but in still really good shape furniture and the like. Some of it was made of stone with cushions that seemed to be extremely new; that was Rai's work; others where ancient in design but still sturdy and comfortable. The fountain in the wall gurgled happily; it was simple in design and in great shape due to being made from the crystal material and not stone. The flow of water was caught by a basin that drained into the spring below, allowing the water to always be freshly replenished. He reached up and touched a shard of crystal that was protruding from the wall; feeding it a tiny bit of chakra and causing the entire facility to light up brightly. Before it was dim, but tolerable. Now, it was like being in a well lit library; easy to see in the comforting glow of the crystals everywhere.

"I'm not sure what these crystals are, but they feed on chakra. There's different kinds of them all over. These mossy ones are a light source, obviously. There are others that create water; some that release heat for cooking, or light entirely on fire for warmth. I've come across maybe half a dozen different kinds here. The main temple has at least twice that many, most dormant and under seals with nothing but what I think are reference codes. The few I've found have been... insane. Sealed power sources that emulate the chakra natures the ninja use; most simple like pure fire or earth.... but others... It's crazy. I'd swear a few of them have translated to concepts as complex as "Star" or "Demon Fire."

WC: 456

456 + 3061 = 3517

Ai nodded as she kept looking around in curiosity: her smile slipped back on her face once more – she was glad to hear that there would be a safe place for her Geisha family to go to. Of course, she would have to convince them to be willing to go, but something deep down told her that wasn't necessarily going to be hard to do. “If I can convince my Geisha Mother the rest will follow her without fail; they're dedicated to her.” She knew that so long as she could convince her Geisha Mother the rest would go along with it: they would follow that lovely woman anywhere. So, she allowed herself to focus her attention on the here and now: she would figure out how to approach her Geisha Mother later on. For now she wanted to see everything else.

She followed him into this new room and watched as he caused it to light up: it was rather lovely to have such lightning underground. She took notice of the fountain and the seating: easily able to tell what was Rai's own personal touches and what had been here for a long time.”This place is truly amazing... and to think it's been hidden here the whole time. Goes to show you how quickly people are to glance at a surface instead of trying to see what's beneath it.” Her words of course were indicative to more then just this hidden outpost: it was the world in general – a quick glance and then passing on. Almost no one bothered to see the true beauty lying beneath the surface.

She studied the crystal curiously: it was amazing, whatever it was. “I wonder what would cause anyone to abandon a place like this.. or forget about it entirely.”, she said softly, thinking out loud. She moved about the room slowly, curiously pausing here and there to take a closer look at something while she explored freely.

She paused at one of the stone chairs, removing her wet traveling cloak and lightly laying it over the side: thankfully it didn't hold water so it was more damp then actually wet and would dry quickly enough. Still, it was nice not to have it on, and it would give a chance for her shorts and tank top to dry more freely.

When she had fully explored the room she focused her attention back on Rai, wondering what he was going to show her next in this seemingly magical place.

"From what I've read... there was a massive earthquake a very, very long time ago; the majority of the facility was buried under the rubble when the ceilings collapsed. The main temple... I have no idea, honestly. There's no records I can find. Likely some sickness, or maybe a war or something. There's plenty for us to explore together; secrets left to unlock that we can use in our quest. Once we're done, we'll have the perfect base of operations; and a safe home for those we care about. A perfect place to build a new world from."

Knowing her, she'd be most interested in the libraries or map rooms; so that's where he went. The library was it's own cluster of sub-rooms that branched from the main area; a massive space filled with scrolls and books numbering in the tens of thousands. Maps where held in a sub-room; each stored in a layer of crystal that had preserved them perfectly over the generations. All the books and scrolls where stored within special containers that had preservation seals as well; they where a little yellowed and foxed in places, but in otherwise perfect condition. This was a place built to stand the test of time; it was a shame it had been lost for so long.

"Come, let me show you the true wealth of this place; the repository of knowledge. It's just past the larger door." He moved toward it, leading her where she needed to go. Inside, he touched another crystal, causing the vaulted room to light up pleasantly. "Everything in here is still in good shape; but some of it is in coded languages and behind ciphers. There are several rooms filled with maps a little ways further down."

WC: 303

303 + 3517 = 3820

An earthquake would certainly explain how such a place had disappeared from the knowledge of others: especially one that happened a very long time ago. Oh well, it was good for them then: it offered a secure place to not only store things, but to just be able to talk and plan without having to worry about the wrong person over-hearing them. “I can't wait to see the main temple.” It all sounded excellent to her: and it would be nice to be able to start out with a safe place to call home, a place they would be protected from the rest of the world in.

She then followed after Rai as he led her into a new room. As it was lit up she paused, gasping as she brought her hands up to her mouth in shock. This... this was what her own personal version of Heaven looked like. A grin slowly spread across her face, slowly removing the shocked expression as her wide gaze moved slowly across the room. All of this information, all of the this knowledge... She felt like a child in a candy store with an unlimited amount of pocket change.

She laughed softly at her own thoughts and then decided to share them out loud. “You've brought me into my own personal Heaven: a place alone with just you and a vast amount of knowledge...”

As she had done before she moved around the room slowly. Her fingertips trailed along things lightly: more careful with the things she touched then most people were with a newborn baby. She felt as if she could spend months in here and never run out of new things to learn, longer even. A playful twinkle filled her eyes as she looked back towards Rai. “You might have to hog tie me and drag me out to get me to leave...”

He followed her as she walked; smiling as she basked in the glory of the room itself. He'd about lost his mind for joy when he realized the amount of knowledge stored here himself. "We have plenty of time, you know. I brought enough food to last us days, and there's plenty more stored here. No one would really notice we're gone for a while; we're ninja after all. We're constantly disappearing at random."

He reached over her shoulder and plucked a specific book off the shelf, opening the case that held it and offering it to her; "Try this one. It's the history of the founding of the country after it split from the Desert Empire."

WC: 123

123 + 3820 = 3943

It felt like Christmas had come early: not only was this place magical, but after what he had just said they wouldn't have to worry about leaving right away. That would give her time to explore the volumes of information the room held, even though she would likely only make a small dent in all of it at best. She watched him reach past her to one of the cases that held a book; after he opened it she took the book carefully. She held the book as if it were made out of pure gold, and in her eyes it was.

She moved over to one of the cushioned couches and sat down, allowing herself to get comfortable. She opened the book slowly, carefully, and flipped through the pages to the beginning.

She read quietly, absorbing the information like a sponge. As she got past a few pages something made her pause: brows furrowing as they often did when she was focused on something. She read thoroughly, her mouth forming words but no sound actually coming out. When she had read the passage three times over again she looked up and around for Rai. “Hm... I found something interesting. This book mentions a specific seal; one used to create a charge, or shock that comes out of the wearer's body... It's put directly on their body itself. It seems to feed off of their own chakra; take some of it for its own usage. As the user grows stronger it siphons more off to allow for a stronger shock. From what I can see after the user gets so strong their body naturally gives off a low level charge without it seeming to take from that pool of chakra... “

She fell silent for a moment, looking back down at the passage and thinking quietly to herself. Something like this would definitely come in handy: it would keep people she didn't want touching her from being able to do so, and in a fight it would keep someone from being able to keep contact with her for long periods of time. “... I'd like something like this... it would keep people from being able to touch me, and I could shock them for trying.” She knew someone with raiton resistance, such as Rai, would be unaffected which made it all that more perfect. "It wouldn't effect you, so it'd be perfect..."

"Oh, a passive shock seal? I can do that. Not really that difficult, honestly. The only reason you don't see seals like that often is because if you mess up the seal at all you'll end up killing the person it's placed on. The seal goes wild and eats all their chakra. Not a pretty way to go." He settled down beside her and glanced over at the book, staring at the pictured seal to make sure it was the one he had in his mind's eye. Ah, yep. He'd forgotten that one was in that book; but it was a simple enough seal to work.

He got up and moved to a large table that was near the center of an open area not far away, grabbing a brush and ink pot from it and returning. "Where do you want the seal place, love? It won't take but maybe 10 minutes to paint and charge it, and once it's charged it'll set like a tattoo, only on your chakra network itself; that way if the 'mark' is harmed it won't damage the seal, nor stop the effect."

WC: 197

197 + 3943 = 4140

REA D - B1 4140/4050

WC Remaining: 90

Ai was quiet as she listened to Hyakurai explain why no one often saw them: she wasn't worried about that, at least not when it would be him putting it on her to begin with. She knew he would say no if he didn't believe he could do it because he wouldn't risk her life like that, and she knew he was skilled enough to do it regardless.

She put the book aside gently on a nearby table; still handling the thing as if it were made out of gold and worth even more then that.

At his question she shifted a bit so that her back wasn't against a cushion anymore. She pulled her hair free from behind her and over her left shoulder, ensuring that there were no loose strands to end up getting in the way. “My back works.”, she said softly as she tugged her tank-top up and off. With her hair moved and her tank top off of her back it gave him as much room to work with as he'd need.


Word Count: 182 + 5,121 = 5,203
Reaction C2 – B1: 5,203 / 2,250
Speed: C2 – B1: 2,953 / 2,250
Chakra D1 – D3: 450 / 703
Leftovers: 253

Oh, he loved her so much for that. The absolute trust was a beautiful thing, a treasure the likes of which could not be replicated from all the gold and jewels and power in the world. He opened the ink pot and used the brush to stir the ink so that it was properly combined and not separated; once he was satisfied he ran a finger across a sharp tooth so that he could mix a bit of his blood and chakra into it. That was the main difference between a decent sealer and a good sealer; a decent seal maker used ink and focused chakra into it once it dried. A great sealer sacrificed blood and added chakra to a seal while making it. His blood would stabilize the seal, and his chakra would keep it under control; if it ever did go haywire for whatever reason he could shut it down in an instant because of this singular step.

Wisdom and proper training; knowledge gained from studying these lost tomes. Anything he could do to keep her safe.

The seal itself wasn't complex, it just required a steady hand and a keen eye. He was flowing a gentle current of chakra into the brush and the ink as he worked; this would keep the ink wet until the seal was complete just in case he needed to correct and error. Not likely to happen, but better safe than sorry.

His estimate on the time to place it was spot on, it took him just shy of ten minutes to place it. One it was ready, he sent a larger pulse of chakra directly into the seal, causing the ink to set instantly and 'sink' into her body. It was setting itself into her chakra network; once it was finished it reappeared in the original spot looking for all the world like a perfectly healed tattoo.

"How does that feel, love? It might take a few minutes for the seal to take full effect."

WC: 336

336 + 4140 = 4476

REA D - B1 4140/4050

WC Remaining: 426

Ai closed her eyes, allowing herself to focus on the feel of him touching her, of him adding the seal to her. She was patient and quiet while he worked, sitting completely still so that she didn't make it harder on him. She never once felt panic or fear while sitting there because she trusted him completely. She smiled as she waited for him to finish, simply enjoying the feel of him touching her: she enjoyed it anytime they made contact, even if it was something as simple or complex as him placing a seal on her back.

When he was finished she moved, stretching. At his question she paused, concentrating on herself for a moment. Nothing felt wrong, in fact she felt completely fine. “It feels fine; I feel fine.”

She took a moment to slip her tank top back on the rest of the way and then remove her long white hair out of the neck line of it. However, she replaced it back over her shoulder, keeping it there for now in case he had to check the seal later: it was much easier for her to quickly remove her shirt then it was for her to move all of that long hair of hers out of the way.

Ai smiled then and turned around to face Hyakurai; kissing him suddenly but gently. "Thank you, dear." She could feel the beginning of the passive shock building up: she knew soon enough she would give off a strong natural charge. So long as he was able to touch her though without worry, she didn't care how strong it was. "I can feel the charge building up."

Okaaaay, that was a nice surprise. "Good, good. That's normal. It'll even out in maybe half an hour; won't take more than a day total to fully charge." He pulled her close by a hand at her waist, curling his larger body around her's in a hug that would be borderline obscene if they were anywhere else and judging eyes where upon them. "You know, given how long we can 'disappear' before anyone cares... it's a good thing I've converted one of the unused rooms into a rather comfortable bedroom... I've spent a lot of time down here... it ended up being a priority after a while. We could... enjoy that, when you've scratched the reading itch.~"

WC: 125

125 + 4476 = 4601

REA D - B1 4140/4050

WC Remaining: 551

Ai felt herself being pulled closer and couldn't help but grin: had they been anywhere else someone likely would have been complaining, but she didn't care. She was a naturally affectionate person; especially when it came to someone she loved and cared about. So, she enjoyed this closely greatly.


At Rai's suggestion she suddenly felt no more urge to read: instead her mind definitely drifted other places, and to other activities. “Oh?”, she asked softly, smiling. “I think I've scratched my reading itch for now... why don't you show me, hmm?” The smell of ozone coming off of her seemed to double in strength; though if that was her current thoughts or the seal was up in the air – she wasn't going to think about it right now even though she very much noticed it. Nope, instead she kept her gaze focused on Rai, waiting to be shown this comfortable bedroom.

That did not surprise him in the least, and he wasn't about to deny her. They had all the time they needed, and plenty of supplies to last for years, really. They could be here for as long as they wanted and no one would ever find them, and that was the best part. He merely smiled at her and gestured toward the door they had come in through; leading her back out and into one of the small hallways that was hidden in the shadowed alcoves off the main walkways. It was an empty hallway they entered, nothing but a single door at the far end; closed and completely random with nothing to show that it was anything special.

Once it was opened however... well; that was a different story. The massive bed was insane, there was no way he could have gotten it in but to have stored it in a scroll and brought it in that way; which was exactly what he did. Hand-made storage benches, worn drawer sets, comfortable sitting chairs arranged in a corner for a reading nook... he'd set it up quiet nicely. It was the type of room you could live in, and it showed months, if not years, of effort. He wasn't kidding when he said he'd been coming here for years. He'd used the same colors and tried to emulate the trappings and such from their bedroom at home; he'd done it for himself originally, but now that she was here with him, it made it better for both of them. It felt like home, or so he hoped.

"Do you like it, love?" He led her to the bed and sat down, pulling her to stand between his legs so that he could look up at her. "I was trying to make it comfortable for me... but after a while I made it like our bedroom... It was all I could think of. When I'm here, I've wanted you with me, so this made the most sense..."

WC: 346

346 + 4601 = 4947

REA D - B1 4140/4050

WC Remaining: 897

Ai followed him; both curious as to what else he had done to this place, while also eager to spend some private time with him in a place to where no one could bother them. No sudden beating on the door to disturb them, no public eye, no one being nosy. Just the two of them. Perfection.


When he led her to the bedroom and opened the door she paused; gasping softly as she brought her hands up to her mouth. It was... wonderful. A grin spread across her face in wonder as she allowed him to lead to the bed; his guiding her the only thing that kept her from possibly bumping into anything as she was paying more attention to looking around then where exactly she was walking.


However, as they came to a stop with her standing between his legs she looked down at him and couldn't help but smile. She knew he would have had to spend months, maybe even years on making this place so perfect. She could only imagine how that secret had burned at him each and every day that he had had to keep it to himself. Gently she ran her fingers through his hair, staring into his eyes. “It's perfect; it reminds me of home. Better now that we're here together to share it.”

"Exactly. Anywhere is better with you." He leaned his head forward so that his forehead was pressed against her stomach and he was hugging her tightly again. He'd needed this, her here and understanding and working with him. The weight of the world was gone, and for a few hours they could just relax and enjoy and be together. They'd need this to get them through the long months and years ahead.

(Juuuuuust gunna skip here, cause no one wants to see how far this would go. <3)

How many days had it been? Two? Five? More? He didn't really care, and it really didn't matter in the end. They'd had... well, let's just say they'd broken some things. In good ways, of course. He had the materials to replace and repair what was damaged, and anything that couldn't be didn't need to be. They'd clean up later after they'd rested and recovered a bit. That either of them was conscious at all was a slight miracle; it had only been maybe 3 hours since they'd passed out finally; so it was a short burst of consciousness.

He curled around her back tightly, pressing his body tightly so as to remove all space between their forms, nuzzling into her neck and just inhaling deeply so that her scent was filling his senses entirely. These moments where the best moments, and he rarely let himself enjoy them.

WC: 248

248 + 4947 = 5195

REA D - B1 4140/4050

WC Remaining: 1145

Ai no longer knew what time it was, or what day for that matter, nor how long they had been in this home away from home. The best part? She didn't care. This place was a sanctuary away from the world, and she would loathe when the time came for them to leave it. For now though, she didn't have to, and that was just fine with her.


She had been laying there on her side with her eyes closed; not asleep, but not fully awake. She felt Rai shift behind her, closing the space that had been between their bodies. His nuzzling brought another smile to her lips and slowly her eyelashes fluttered before she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the damage they had caused: it made her smile turn to a grin. “Mmm...”, it was a pleased sound and it was about the only sound she could muster to make, at least at the moment.


She yawned softly and closed her eyes once more, simply allowing herself to focus on this moment in time for a few minutes. And then, all too soon, her stomach was growling: filling the quiet room with a sound close to that of a bear. Ai opened her eyes again and smiled. “I think you let a bear in, dear...”

His gentle chuckle was all the response needed; well, that and more nuzzling. He shifted an arm so that it was draped across her just right to rub the grumbling belly, playing like he was soothing a grumbling beast. "Should I fetch something to eat? We never did get our picnic..." It wouldn't take him but a minute to get up and fetch the scroll; he could grab the picnic basket out of the storage seal and be back before the sheet had time to start cooling.

"Kind of surprised my inner bear isn't an-... "

Raaaawr

"Oh, there it goes. Guess I need some food too."

He shifted around until he was able to kiss her cheek then he was out of the bed; wearing nothing but his birthday suit and not bothering to care. Out the door and back in a minute's time, carrying the basket on one arm, and a bucket of ice with a bottle of their favorite sake chilling in it. There was tea and water in the basket too, just in case the sake wasn't wanted just yet. He sat down on the bed once more, shifting so that there was plenty of room for her to keep laying down if she wanted, while still letting him unpack the food. Nothing too special, but a selection of favorites.

"Best part... no ants to drive us nuts.~"

WC: 237

237 + 5195 = 5432

REA D - B1 4140/4050

WC Remaining: 1382