Fire And Darkness [P]

Lamina felt a hand over the hole in her armor which went all the way through from her back and ended at the left side of her chest. It was a reminder of the betrayal she had suffered as well as of the mysterious circumstances that resulted in her returning from the brink of death, both of which still haunted her and were the cause of many a sleepless night for the Dragoness whose eyes showed her lack of proper sleep with the dark circles that had begun to form beneath her eyes.

Lamina was not an imposing figure in stature alone, standing at just under six feet in height she was above the height of an average woman but was not so tall as to inspire one to feel a great amount of fear from simply seeing her. Her build was toned but remained hidden by the old black suit of armor emblazoned with a white lotus and red axes in its center that served as a reminder of her Legion and her dreams for a future where Ninjutsu was harnessed strictly for the betterment of the world rather than one’s own personal gain or power. Her armor only consisted of gauntlets, along with the broken breastplate, armored greaves and sections of metal sewn onto a black dress which served to cover the rest of her body save for her face which was mostly unobscured by the armor which covered her nearly from head to toe.

Lamina’s face was pale, and her reptilian amber eyes and dark aura that emanated from her as a result of her bloodline and heritage made her almost seem like a member of the Yokai Clan, however, the distinction was easy enough to tell once one realized that she had no wings nor horns yet instead had scales concealed beneath her armor in sparse amounts. The other easy way to tell, of course, was the fact that the old and broken shield she wore on her back was still carrying the distinctive emblem of the Yoru Clan on its back. Her hair was tied into a bun, with bangs falling to either side of her face and stopping just above her eyes in the center, tidy and professional looking as to represent the fact that she was a professional soldier if nothing else – despite everything that had happened to her.

She still even carried an old, ancient black sword on her hip that was clearly too large for an average Human and perhaps even the woman herself. Lamina knew, however, that this blade was past the point of usability and its sharpness had long ago worn away yet she kept the blade on her person as a memento and because it was a gift that had been passed down throughout her family from her great-grandfather that had been lauded – to her family at least – as a hero of the Loyalist faction and pillar of the Yoru Clan thanks to being a leading reason for the Loyalist victory at Dragon’s Tooth long ago.

It was because of all these oddities of her appearance, most likely, that she attracted so many strange stares and worried glances even from the Humans that wandered the streets of the poorer district of Kumogakure. It was not only that she stood out, but the open anger that seemed to radiate from the Dragoness was something that made many feel uncomfortable around her.

She too felt uncomfortable around these Humans, not simply because they were Human and thus had a history of oppressing or rejecting her people for their unnatural or unusual ways, but it was because of them, she felt, that her brother and sister had turned against her those many years ago and resulted in Lamina’s near-death. So when one openly jeered at her, Lamina felt herself acting before she realized what she was doing and found herself charging headlong at a man who had just moments ago spoken out, slamming into him with sufficient enough force that - even though her body was weakened due to the Sickness - she managed to send him smashing into a wall as he then slumped to the ground weakened and barely conscious, shouting at the top of his longs and summoning several other Humans who began to gather around in a semi-circle near Lamina. She counted a total of four individuals who all seemed to be preparing rudimentary weapons in order to gang-up on the admittedly somewhat surprised Dragoness who blinked and looked to them with a moment of confusion before realizing completely what had just occurred.

It had been so long, she thought that she had it under control – but it seemed that her Dragon’s Blood was still strong within her and that it had managed to cause the woman to lose herself for a moment and now she found herself in a struggle that was likely to end badly if she remained, even for an experienced soldier such as herself. She was still weak, her body had not been retrained after all, and now she found herself wondering what needed to be done; though only one option seemed clear.

This was about to be a fight for her life, and unless she had any help or something diffused the situation ahead of time, it was going to end badly for all involved.

[891 WC]
[10 EXP]

Jutsu Used / Stats:

Home. The longer Akari remained in Kumogakure, the more that word lost its true meaning and became a hotchpotch of places and areas as different as there were colours in a rainbow. Where the wooden giants with spindly fingers had once offered her solace in the form of a spooky embrace, that world had been replaced by the stone formations that formed the houses of Kumogakure's residences and the network of bridges which connected every spire and district of the hidden Village. "Home" had become a vague concept that the yokai could no longer define properly, missing the forest she lived in for a decade and all together loathing the idea to return there again. On a similar base, the luxuries available in Kumogakure, which mostly consisted of a bed and a roof above her head, were a welcome change from what she used to have but the crowd that came with it made her wish she had never accepted the offer of the elder yokai.

Not surprisingly then Akari often resided in districts where there was not too much crowd. And what little crowd there was didn't bother to gape at her or ask questions about her inhuman nature. No, Kabukicho had pretty much become an ideal 'home'. Well, a shelter, mostly. Having claimed an abandoned house for the night, broken windows closed tightly with planks and nails, she had crawled into a ball somewhere in the corner. Head resting on her arms, arms on her knees, she had slept in this form. Like she had always done in the forest as well. Kept company by roaches and rats that saw no danger in passing by the demon-blooded being taking refuge between the stone walls. To her, they were just another sort of animals. Roaches, rats, mice or owls, ants, leeches or bugs. She cared none, even after the years spent within the Village.

In the early morning, she'd rise to her feet, stretching to loosen up her sore body and get her blood flowing again. Spindly built and lithely trained as she was, she slipped easily through the small opening between wall and door to step into an empty street within the slums of Kabukicho. With no plans for the day, a single hop would bring her onto the roof of the shack and from there she hopped from one roof to another, white wings guiding her trajectory as she glided through the air. Her travel through the slums would go on for several minutes, black pools for eyes taking in the dirty yet sobering scenery of poor lives as she passed one ramshackle building after another before she halted upon the roof of a two story building to take a glimpse at some early morning misery.

From her vantage point, a group of four men had surrounded a woman looking as pallid as her, most of her physique hidden by the remains of a black armour. A darkened aura surrounded her, similar in appearance as what she had seen from other Yokai, yet she lacked the wings some of her kin sported. She could not see any horns either and was too high up to see the eyes, but since illusions were not an unfamiliar approach the Yokai deducted the woman below might just as much be using a disguise to hide most of her actual form. For a moment, the thirteen year old girl was torn between choices. She could step and stand next to someone that might possibly be kin or continue observing from her vantage point as she actually cared little for the fate of others. As her apathy tended to lure her to one side of the spectrum, her manipulative cunning dictated that remaining in the graces of her kin could only be beneficial for her own future both as a Yokai and shinobi.

Having come to a decision, the Baku would jump down and land in between the four closing humans, positioning herself back to back with the trapped person. Shifting into the basic stance of the Five Venom fist, the galaxy of stars within the black voids that were her eyes would gain a glint of life as her doujutsu awakened, blue fire now bleeding out from the corners of her eyes.

"I have your back.", Akari would say to the stranger now behind her, voice seemingly broken and hoarse despite not looking fatigued.

For only a moment, the four men would look at each other now that there were two of these monsters but still counting superior numbers they didn't seem to be of a mind there was a need to back down just yet. With each of the 'yokai' having two humans to handle, chances were more favourable for the monsters than the humans, their skill being the only thing that would possibly make the difference.

As the two in front of her would charge with their makeshift weapons, one of them would find himself surrounded by petals, light slinking away until he was surrounded by an ominous darkness. He'd seemingly halt in his tracks as he was caught within the genjutsu of the yokai, not sure exactly what was happening or what he was about to do with it. Unsure of the situation, he unawarely left the girl to deal with just his friend for the time being. Moving in to swing his weapon, Akari seized the opportunity as her arms elongated to an extend humanely not possible, striking a few pressure points sooner than he had expected. While not lasting damage was inflicted, pain shot through his body as the pressure points forced his body into motion he had not asked for, leaving him even more open to the wiles of the demonic entity before him. Closing the gap with a short dash, lengthened arms retracting, Akari would follow up with a swift strike to his windpipe that left him gasping for breath. With one out but not killed, the man trapped in her genjutsu would be a piece of cake to deal with, a single solid strike against his defenceless temples being sufficient to knock him out cold. His body would hit the floor uncomfortably hard, leaving a huge bump on his front as a reminder of this encounter.

---

1043
XP: 10

Chakra Use:

Lamina had been whispering a prayer to herself in preparation for the upcoming skirmish when a voice, seeming to be strained or speaking with difficulty echoed out and the Dragoness found herself gazing upon a stranger who now stood before her, apparently on her side judging from her positioning and what she had just said. Such was definitely an unexpected turn of events, however, she was not about to reject a gift from her Ancestors and possibly the Gods themselves and thus would give a small nod to the stranger as she spoke up in turn:

“And I, Yours.” She would say firmly in response, reassuring the stranger that she would take care of the others as she went to deal with two of the now somewhat frightened Humans who stood their ground out of fear that they would be cut down if they turned their backs most likely. Lamina would then close her eyes for a moment as her dark aura would begin to flash with sparks of flame, becoming tangible as she approached the two remaining Humans who found themselves now physically sweating from the immense heat that was radiating from the Dragoness.

The Humans remained, however, and one would attack only to find the wooden club he had been carrying disintegrate upon contact with the Dragoness’ cracked armor thanks to the field of fire that now surrounded her, though she would have been lying if she were to say that the attack did not still manage to do some minor damage as she was struck on the shoulder before the weapon had begun to turn to ash.

Reacting in tandem with the weapon turning to ash, Lamina would swiftly bring her knee into the abdomen of the man who had attacked her, tossing him to the side and turning her attention onto the other man who still stood and who was now shaking with visible fear from what he had just witnessed. The Dragoness would approach the man and speak with a slight growl in her voice toward him as she narrowed her eyes:

“Leave, now.” She commanded simply with a sharp tone, the man stammering for a moment before quickly turning away and running as fast as he could from the scene as the other man she had injured lay injured, but not seriously, on his side. Lamina would walk past him toward her temporary ally that had aided in this situation that had quickly turned awry and observe as she seemed to deal with the others using an impressively swift set of attacks and movements that seemed almost to Lamina as if they were a graceful dance rather than a battle, something she always admired in those that were capable of making such matters look so utterly trivial.

“You handle yourself quite well…” Lamina would say after observing the woman deal with the two Humans, glancing briefly at the two combatants and then back toward the other woman. “I try to introduce myself under better circumstances usually, but my name is Lamina, Lamina Night.” She would say, performing a small bow of her head before then checking around to ensure their enemies had been put out of commision for the time being. “May I ask your name, kind stranger?” She would ask, her reptilian eyes gazing thoughtfully at the visage of the horned woman before her. “I see you are not Human either.” The Dragoness would add with a hint of a smile on her lips as she offered her armored hand to the stranger in a polite gesture for a handshake between the two.

She was unsure of who this stranger was, or of their motives for helping Lamina, but the Dragoness appreciated the assistance nonetheless and felt obligated to repay the favor in kind if she got the opportunity to do so, something she would make clear once the two were properly introduced to one another. In the meantime her mind would wander to wondering about the identity of the clan that the mysterious stranger belonged to, as she was clear inhuman much like herself yet bore strange features that she had not been accustomed to even among her fellow Dragon kin – just who, or what, was this stranger? She would hopefully have her answer soon enough.

[1,605 Total WC]
[20 Total EXP]

Jutsu Used / Stats:

After the fight ended, Akari would find her back more sweaty than it should have been, the tingle of passing heat created by the woman behind her lingering on her skin still. "Yuck, sticky clothes", she'd think to herself, watching the few that could escape stumble about to go their own way. One would almost forget the companion that left knocked out on the ground, and for a moment Akari had hoped he did so she could drag him with her to try out a few new techniques she had in mind but that sort of torturous joy would not come to pass as the man with his sore throat grabbed his unconscious ally and pulled him with him. Too bad.

Ruffling the white wings on her back to disperse the lingering heat of the aura, Akari would turn around to see exactly who it was that considered her such a good fighter. Her black pools would meet the reptilian eyes, instantly telling that this woman was not a  Yokai as she had thought her to be at first sight. Once again, too bad. Seems luck wasn't on her side today. The woman would nod as a greeting, calling herself 'Lamina Night' in a rather fashionable way. Akari's eyes would glide over the black remains of the armour, piece it together with the regal way of greeting and shift her weight to one leg as she listened to the question asked. She hoped the woman was not as militant as she looked. The last thing the demoness needed was another rigid stuck in the mud abiding by law and rule to get the world ordered into a state of permanent boredom.

"It's Akari. And you are correct. I'm a Yokai, not a Human.", she said simple and short. "I thought you were one of us being harassed by the brigands but your peculiar eyes tell me I'm mistaken. If you aren't human either, then what are you exactly, Lamina?"

A gloved hand was offered. She had seen others do something like that before, and thus with slight reluctance to the unusual form of greeting Akari lifted her hand to shake it. The armoured glove felt warmer than she had expected, adding more to the confirmation that her sweaty back had not been the result of her brief exercise but was more a product of being around the woman. Was she a katon user? Some flameless fire elemental perhaps?

Taking a swift look around the street was empty once again, leaving the two non-humans by their own. Most likely people had withdrawn their attention, closed the shutters. If they were lucky they'd be left alone, but since luck didn't seem to be at her side today the Yokai was more of a mind they'd return with a vengeance. More people, more weapons and more hatred for the non-humans. She wasn't all that familiar with the slums to be able to point at a safe spot but remaining standing here was even worse of an option.

"We might do well to move before they return. Are you familiar with the area?", she's ask, starting to walk into a general direction and beckoning for Lamina to follow. Or lead for that matter. They could return to the building where she had passed the night perhaps, but it would offer little on terms of accommodation.

---

561
Total: 1604
XP: 20

Lamina would nod slightly in response to the claim that she was indeed not a Yokai, affirming the woman’s suspicion with a soft, more casual tone of voice than before: “I am a member of the Yoru Clan; I suppose to put it simply, I am a descendant of an ancient Dragon that had given my family power eons ago.” She would say, lowering her gloved hand after the handshake had ended with a faint smile still on her lips. “Though in my eyes, we are both simply those who are hated by the Humans and as such – Sisters, in a sense.” She added, her eyes briefly looking over the Yokai woman before her. “I owe you a debt for your help – I could have been in a poor situation if you had not arrived when you did, for that, I am eternally grateful.” Lamina would bow her head as she spoke of her gratitude toward Akari, raising her head after a moment when the woman had mentioned that they were unsafe waiting around in the current area.

The sentiment was something that Lamina shared, waiting around would only give the Humans more time to send their kin in order to take vengeance on them and if there was one thing that Humans were good at – it was using numbers to their advantage. It was because of this that Lamina did not object to the idea of moving and spoke up in response to Akari’s question about her own knowledge of the area:

“I know it well enough – There are many places that those such as ourselves can remain hidden from the prying gaze of Humans, for a time at least.” Lamina would say, beginning to walk ahead as Akari motioned for her to do so. “If my memory serves, I believe there is an abandoned house not too far from here that we could take refuge in while we wait for the Humans to move on.” She would add, now beginning to walk ahead of Akari and lead the way as she traversed the winding streets of the poorer district across several corners and alleyways until eventually arriving at a thankfully deserted and abandoned house that Lamina hoped would provide some anonymity for a short while as they waited things out.

“I apologize for bringing you through all of this trouble.” Lamina would say to Akari with a slight frown, the look in her eyes combined with this and the softness of her tone suggesting she was at least genuine in her regret on the matter. “If there is any way that I can repay you for this, all you need to do is ask – I am afraid that I do not have much to my name, but my blade and myself at your service.” She would say with a look of conviction, her gaze intently focusing upon the other woman as she seemed to be rather serious when it came to her intention of repaying Akari for the simple deed of assisting her in a fight. Lamina was, if nothing else, bound by a strict code of honor that she followed with as much vigor as her loyalty to the ancient Dragons from whom she claimed her powers originated and who she still sought to serve even generations after their passing.

She would wat for Akari to respond, or decline to do so, before then entering the abandoned building through an easily removed old wooden door that served as the main means of entry into the building. The interior was plain and covered in dust, mostly everything save for a few old wooden tables and chairs having been removed long ago, but it would serve for the time being as the two spoke and waited.

A dragon. Akari blinked. That was certainly new. It was pretty impressive to meet others like herself whom named themselves 'Yokai'. A small detail of existence she had to get accustomed to as Akari had not labelled herself as such, merely going by 'demon' or 'monster'. It was both a fantastic and sceptical find to meet others of her kind, and now meeting a dragon the feeling was none different. Fantastic, as mythical beings such as demons and yokai wandered the world, yet sceptical as she often wondered if such was truly the case or just a name adopted because people prided themselves in being associated with such beings. It was what it was. Akari put little thought about the correctness of the woman's claim to be a dragon. If she wanted to be a dragon, she could be a dragon. But being sisters..? That seemed a bit too fast, too much. The loner yokai hardly had friends and even less so family.

"It's okay.", she said off-handedly to the dragon thanking her for the trouble. Eternal gratitude seemed a bit much for lending a couple of hands in a situation as this but having someone owe her a debt was an interesting thought. What could she ask for in return with that debt? Food? Water? Clothes? Money? There seemed to be little that the yokai required at this point, used to deal with things by herself or relate on simple base necessities to move on in life.

Moving through the streets behind the dragon, Akari would take note of the streets taken and corners past, memorising possible landmarks that would allow her to map the slums piece by piece within her mind. Considering the looks and the lack of rules this area sported, the shinobi not bothering to regulate the area as much as they did in others, the slums of Kabukicho could make a fine little experimental ground for her own sinister games. As their escape slowed down under the guise of comfort, the dragon would apologise for the trouble she caused. Akari's blackened eyes would rest into the golden orbs of the dragon.

"It was my decision to join you, I don't see any trouble.", she'd say with a shrug of her shoulders. The past event was pretty much already forgotten, the moment fleeting and hardly something to remember in the eyes of the demoness. "I had my fun and we're both fine now, right? There's no need to apologise when nothing bad happened."

She'd flash the dragon a smile. A rather malefic looking smile despite the genuine desire to just move on and forget about the tussle. The favour repeated, Lamina elaborated on the options the yokai formerly had not seen. Blade and herself. Akari's eyes would glance over the blade which, to her, looked too clumsy and way too big for a frail-looking girl like herself to be handled properly. She'd lift a hand to scratch the back of her neck, uncertain if that sort of favour was of much use to her, before she eyed the woman instead. She certainly looked strong, oriented towards physical combat. The opposite of the yokai who generally disliked physical interactions. The sort that could endure some torture as Akari looked into improving her genjutsu torture and Ijutsu practises. An idea quickly dropped when she saw the burning fire of conviction within the girl's eyes. Too strong-willed for the little games she had in mind. And it was pretty intimidating as well...

"T-that's more than enough. Thank you, really."

In the distance, vague sounds would herald the arrival of new Humans called to arms to deal with the monsters in the streets. Worries for another time since both of them were no longer around, now stepping through the old door and into the abandoned building. This one had furniture! Already it was an upgrade from where she had been passing the night even if a bed might have been a more useful piece. Being the last one to enter, Akari closed the door to give the semblance the building yet remained undisturbed, cloaking the room in a sombre darkness as the windows were covered for the most part.

Akari took a seat on one of the old chairs. The day had only begun when adventure had reared its head. Now she was stuck with a dragon who wanted to repay her for having fun with Humans. Amusing. The demoness wondered what to do for the rest of the day with a dragon at her side. Begging the question...

"What do dragons like you do to pass the day? Do you hoard treasures too?"

---

561
Total: 2165
XP: 30

OOC: TS happened, thread now Flashback (grandfathered for full XP)

Lamina seemed to relax somewhat as the Yokai placated her worries through her words, eliciting a small nod from the Dragoness as she adopted a more casual posture that was more what one would expect of someone who was talking with someone they trusted rather than someone who they felt the need to be constantly on edge about. She would take a seat near Akari, golden eyes settling onto her as the female spoke up in a question that she felt could either be seen as rather naive, or an attempt at a joke – either way, it admittedly did coax a small laugh from the Dragoness who seemed to finally smile genuinely as she leaned against the chair:

“I consider myself more of a child of Dragons than an actual Dragon myself, though to answer your question; I usually spend my own time training as of late, the Humans have been rather restless as you’ve seen and I do not intend to allow them to overpower me – even with their superior numbers, I wish to be able to put a stop to their evils.” She would say with a more serious expression forming on her face, her gaze narrowing somewhat. “The Humans have ruled this world for long enough, it is time that they learn the reasons we should be feared.” She would add this with a grim look in her eyes, seeming to suggest she had very strong feelings when it came to Humans and her own race’s place in regards to them. “I also…” Lamina began, her expression lightening once more as she continued to speak. “I sometimes like to arrange flowers, one of my sisters taught me the art when I was young and I have to admit it is a calming exercise.” Lamina would add with a faint redness on her cheeks, seeming to be a bit embarrassed by admitting her somewhat secret hobby.

“Oh, and to answer your other question…” Lamina would say after a short pause, her smile growing somewhat. “I do suppose that I like to hoard a bit of treasure from time to time.” She said with a soft laugh, her previous stoic and serious demeanor having faded way somewhat to be replaced with a more amiable and relaxed appearance that hopefully would put the Yokai at ease in regards to her formerly somewhat cold outward appearance.

“What about yourself, though?” She would ask after a short pause, giving a small tilt of her head as she did so. “I know little about your own heritage, other than the fact we share a similar plight – What can you tell me about yourself? About who you are?” Lamina would ask, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. “I am admittedly curious, as I was unaware of others who were also non-humans like myself.” She added, idly placing her armored hands in her lap as she waited for a response.

Lamina was genuinely curious about the young woman before her, the woman’s appearance and her having helped Lamina against the other Humans having prompted a great deal of curiosity and respect for the other in the Dragoness and she was more than willing to learn all she could about them – and find a way that they could help them in some way or another in thanks for what they had done. Though she was trying to also come to terms with the fact that this woman may not hold the same strong beliefs on debts that Lamina herself did and, as a result, may not be able to provide the Dragoness with a request that would satisfy the debt in her mind – this was something she was still working on accepting.

Regardless, Lamina would wait for the woman’s answer while idly listening to the sounds outside, thankful for the fact that this abandoned house was darkened to the point that it was unlikely any Humans would be able to see inside easily if they even could in the first place. It made for a good hideout for the time being, at least for long enough that they needn’t worry about Humans busting down the door within the next few minutes … at least, she hoped so.

[2,930 Total WC]
[40 Total EXP]

The dragon child proved to be an interesting find. A bit confusing, maybe, but certainly not boring like Humans tended to be. Most of that impression was constructed by the way she went against Humans. Training to go against their numbers, Humans having ruled long enough, stopping their evils. The Yokai wasn't all too sure how to interpret the last few comments, the words sounding like she wanted to - I don't know - wage a war against them or something. An idea sounding like fun at first but would probably only end up being a drag in the long run. Still, the dragon stood against the Humans and that was sufficiently a reason to consider her an ally in the darkness of her own life.

In stark contrast with that grim foreboding, the overly light interest in flower arrangement almost felt... off. How one with a dark aura such as hers could be so light-hearted out of the blue surprised the yokai quite a bit. And she had a sister doing the same thing at that. Mind-boggling, for the lone yokai whose world was one of survival and psychosis. But at least the dragon liked to hoard treasures too so perhaps those tales about dragons and their mountain of gems weren't too far off after all.

Akari pulled up her legs, hiding them completely under the long shirt she wore, and wrapped her arms around it as she rested her chin on her knees. Black eyes would take a long second looking at the dragonic woman that was seated next to her. A likeable person, even if only to beat up some people for fun once in a while. The risk running that the dragon ended up murdering half the street with that grim fervour of hers but frankly... the yokai would hardly care for the loss of others' life. Having grown up in the wilderness most of her time, she was only concerned about her own life.

Unavoidable, it would be the yokai's turn to identify herself to her partner in crime. Thoughts racing as to how she should go about that and what she should be telling. The yokai didn't feel remotely as special as the dragon girl, her existence more weighing like a curse rather than a blessing.

"What I am depends on who you ask, I guess. There's a clan with more people looking like me, calling themselves Yokai. We're supposed to be of demonic lineage, our blood tainted by certain monstrosities of lore like the ferocious oni and the dream-eating baku.", she'd explain with a shrug, one of her hands playing with the dirty toes poking out of her sandals. "There are a few who call me an angel. Mostly because of my wings.", she briefly stretch the white wings on her back to reveal them in full. Were it not for the grime and dirt of the streets tainting their colour, the pair of wings would be of a snow white splendour which easily invoked the archetypal image of an angel as long as they didn't look into the Akari's demonic visage. "I was once called a grimancer but these days most call me a demon, which is surely closer to the truth of what I am."

She'd look down to her feet and wiggle a toe as she searched for other things to say. Lamina had hobbies and likes so the demoness felt compelled to give her something similar as information but the truth was that she didn't have or know anything remotely like that. The wilderness was rather devoid of places to find humane hobbies and the people too few to share a goal with.

"I... just walk around. Wandering the streets. Sometimes I grab a fly and pull its wings to hear it squirm or I torch a bug in boredom. Sometimes I grant people a couple of dreams they won't forget anytime soon. And once in a while I run errands here and there so I can buy some food or go train like the elders ask me to. It's not like I have anything else to do."

Akari would observe the woman's reaction to her words all the while. She'd expect her to freak out and point at her 'evil deeds' like so many generally did. Well, the big difference being that Akari mostly let them experience said deed rather than to talk about them but as far as she was concerned, Humans rarely bothered to distinguish between thought and action if they felt a need to judge and point out such things were out of place. Whether a Dragon child followed that same pattern of judgement was to be seen.

---

781
Total: 2946
XP: 40