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

"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

“Mmm..I suppose I should eat before my beast goes wild.”, she said, chuckling then as she heard his own stomach being to growl.


After he kissed her cheek and then got up she rolled over onto her back and took a moment to stretch; a satisfied groan escaping her as she did so. When she was done, which was right about the time he returned, she sat up slowly, lazily. She was still naked, but hardly cared, it wasn't like there was anything she had that Rai hadn't already seen.


Besides, her clothing were... yup, a glance to the left showed her clothing way on the other side of the room. Nope, she wasn't getting them. She had no intentions of leaving the bed just yet, especially because there was food to be eaten. Before she bothered with any of the delicious food though she took one of the bottles of water, uncapped it, and took a huge sip of it. Annnd then another. When she was finished she screwed the cap back on, but not before a single droplet of water escaped. Just as she was putting the water down she heard the sizzling sound and looked down in time to see a spark of electricity dancing beautifully through the water droplet before it dried.


This caused her to chuckle and look up to Rai. “Thank goodness you're not affected by me... Even a drop of water reacts like that...” Oh yes, she was definitely going to have to remember when out in public to control this shock; she would drop someone like a stone if she wasn't paying enough attention.


Ai plucked one of the rice balls and took a bite out of it the food causing another satisfied groan to escape her, and her stomach to grumble and roar as if she weren't feeding it fast enough.


Word Count: 313 + 1,127 = 1,440

"After all this time, it'd be stranger if I was than that I'm not. Raiton was always me specialty. That's why the seal was so simple to set; Raiton sings in my blood, and now it sings the same in yours." He reached over and dragged a finger tip across her arm, drawing a swirling pattern of random and smiling at the gentle he felt. It was nothing to him, he'd only notice it if he was looking for it; and even when he was looking for it, it was pleasant and comforting.

She went for the rice balls; of which he'd packed several dozen, they where both gluttons for his special rice balls; but he went for the sliced fruits. They where in season at the moment, and glorious sweet and juicy; he had a love for summer melons that only a massive binge once or twice a year could satisfy. For the moment, he settled on a wedge of chilled watermelon, snorting in amusement when the juices dribbled down his chin. Oh well, they already needed to change the sweets, what was a little fruit juice going to hurt.

"Sometime later I need to show you the armory. You're going to love it."

WC: 211

211 + 5432 = 5643

REA D - B1 4140/4050

WC Remaining: 1593

Ai picked up another rice ball and watched as he went for a piece of watermelon: she was far too hungry for fruit to satisfy her at the moment or else she would have gone for the delicious treat as well. Still, a few more rice balls and she'd likely end up topping it off with one of those juicy piece of watermelon.

“It's a good thing I have lots of practice having to control my temper though... I can only imagine what's going to happen when I get really, truly angry.”, she commented before taking a bite of her newest rice ball. She knew she would be a danger to anyone not outright immune to her like Rai if she wasn't controlling herself, so it was definitely a good thing Ai had a great deal of practice at being patient and calm. A very good thing indeed.

The rice ball was finished off before his next comment caused her to pause. A grin spread across her face and her eyes twinkled a bit. “Oh? If it's anything like that library of knowledge I'm sure I will... “ She could only imagine for now the grandness that he had hidden down here and now she couldn't help but to allow her mind to wander as ideas sprang up of what sort of things this armory could be hiding.


Word Count: 231 + 1,440 = 1,671

"It's smaller, and a lot of the gears are beyond repair... but what is usable is... insane. Legendary gears you've only heard of in legends, references to more scattered around the world. Maps to the other armories buried across the lands... we could raise and army with just one tenth of what the scrolls and books claim is was collected by the monks that ran these temples." He didn't want an army, though; it was just talk, excited talk that you had when things where going well. He finished off his watermelon and went for a rice ball finally; finishing it off quickly to take the edge off the growling beast that was his gut. "I saw a cloak there you might like, it looks like a normal traveling cloak, but from what I've put together, it's actually armor. Extremely strong; so well made it blocks jutsu entirely under the right conditions. Swords that spit lightning like I do. An armor set that literally melts into your skin and manifests when you need it... To know how the ancients made these things..." Aaand another rice ball, this time enjoyed properly; slowly chewed and savored. Everything was better right now, everything was perfect and good and wonderful. This place was their own little paradise after all. He really could see himself just staying down here with her forever, and never bothering to have anything to do with the surface world again. He really, truly, could. But that was selfish and did no one any good. They where committed to this path now, they had to see it through. And they would, using what they learned here and what they'd find once they moved on. They'd change this rotten world, even if it took the rest of their lives to do it.

WC: 307

307 + 5643 = 5950

REA D - B1 4050/4050

END E-C3 1900/1900

WC Remaining: 0