A Hard Day's Work

Fuwaaa... The weather was nice today; not too hot, not too cold; the sun was out too with bright, white, fluffy looking clouds about.

Today had been full already and it was only lunchtime! Saaya had been performing out on the streets today and had earned enough for today's meal...a few sticks of odango for now until later.

Now he sat, relaxing under a tree looking as content as ever.

He'd been running around since early morning... Saaya-chan, Senri-kun, Fuu-tan~ There'd been quite a few people calling on him today for small things; along with his performing he'd been doing a bit of deliveries here and there...

Now it was time to relax~!

Alison bent down, trying to knock some of the dust off of her shoes, coming out of the alleyway. She'd come through as Vera and then put her mask on. This time she'd had the correct mask, unlike the last time she'd come to the Rukon.

She looked around trying to remember all of the streets. Well, she didn't have to be anywhere else for a while, so she could take her time.

Although... She looked around the intersection she was at, passing under a tree. Shit... She could really use a map...

Who...?

After having heard someone approaching, Saaya had cracked an eye open to see; it was a woman who...didn't exactly appear to know her way around here. She certainly didn't look like she belonged in the Rukon anyway...let alone this district.

Hn...

He took another bite from his stick, noting how she was looking around. Lost?

"Oiiii~ Lost?" He questioned, once she was in earshot distance after swallowing his bite, tilting his head slightly in the direction of the woman.

Alison sighed, giving a slight huff and debating putting her sunglasses on. She was dressed for the general time period around here, so sunglasses would kind of sink that. She was wearing nicer clothes than most of the surrounding people, but well... She wasn't terribly concerned about muggers..

"Hn?" She looked around, pretty sure she'd heard someone, twirling around on one heel. "Where...the.. .hell..?" She muttered to herself before shielding her eyes and looking up. Oh! There was a boy in the tree. Delightful.

"Oh.. N..No! No, I'm not lost... Just... What street is this?" She was, of course, lost, but damn if she would admit it.

Not lost, just didn't know what street she was on...seemed like the definition of lost though...

Blinking at her response, he shifted some to hop down, and landed expertly on his feet before smoothing out his yukata. "This street...hnnnn.... Just up ahead is the Himura Path, that'll take you to the neighboring district... The...fourteenth district North of the Seireitei."

He keep a mental log of what district he was in at all times when he planned on sticking around for awhile, he'd been in this one....perhaps a week? He knew his way around well enough.

She took a quick hop back in surprise when he leapt off of the tree. "Ah." She made a small noise of surprise, not expecting him to just... jump down like that. She looked up the street. The fourteenth district?

"Oh... Shit.. I'm in the wrong district.." No wonder it all looked odd. Craaap! She looked up at him.

"Uh... Thank you... Sorry." She'd ask him for directions but she doubted he knew where she was going. She had an information broker in the 15th district that was her go to source for current events in the Soul Society.

So she was in the wrong district completely then... Was she some noblewoman? No... The wealthy tended to have guards following them around if they came into the Rukon... Hn, strange...

"Aa, I see; that'll be a bit of a walk..." By foot it'd take a day or so of travel... This woman certainly had her work cut out for her.

Well, she was on the edge almost of this district at least...

She glanced over at him, her eyes quickly darting down then back up. Hm. He looked well kept for people around here, though he was dressed in that... vagabond sort of way...

"I suppose it will." She said cautiously. "What business is it of yours?" She asked a little defensively. She wasn't worried about any muggers but that didn't mean she was just going to trust every street person who dropped from the sky and started nosing into her business.

"Hn?" That question caused another questioning tilt of his head, "None, I was just stating the obvious..."

It wasn't any of his business, he had only been stating a fact; she had wanted directions and he'd given them so...at least now she knew where she was at least.

Hn...perhaps he should get some okonomiyaki for dinner; he'd just finished lunch though...so obviously he'd wait....

"A-Ah. My apologies." She said with a bashful smile and a little bow. She frowned. It wasn't that obvious. Especially if you weren't around here... Besides, it's not like she had any other options. Wait, were the other options?

"Er... I mean.. It's.. It's not like there's carriages or anything around here.. er... Right?" She asked, awkwardly brushing some hair out of her face. She was prepared to quickly walk away, feeling already like she was taking up too much of this poor guy's time.

"Not in this district." He answered; she might be able to find a pulled carriage in the next district or so though...there were always travelers so perhaps she'd have some luck. "There may be some in the next one though, it's a typical traveler's stop."

He figured he'd speak his mind, and offer that bit of helpful advice...helpful...perhaps it was, he wasn't sure.

This district got a few travelers...but compared to the Fourteenth out there certainly not as many... There were more bars and supply shops in that one, so it was prime for travelers.

"Oh..." She sunk. "Okay..." Stupid garganta device. Well, she supposed it was probably a flaw on user end, not that she was blaming Vera. That was stupid to do, after all. She WAS Vera...

"Ah. All right!" She said. She glanced down the road and realized.. maybe she wouldn't mind having a guide, but... She didn't want to be a bother... She sighed. "Well have a nice day! Thank you!" She said, turning and heading off the way he'd indicated. She adjusted her clothes as she did.

Something gleaming and metal tumbled from her pocket when she did so, however, landing on the ground. As Alison walked away, unaware, some urchins were already coming over to investigate.

"'Kaaaaay~ Welcome.." Saaya gave a smile as the woman thanked him. He'd given as much helpful advice as he could, and with that the woman walked off. He remained, standing where he had been before he was about to turn away, though...

Hn...

There were... As she left, he took notice of something that had gleamed, causing him to tilt his head again. Before he could settle on going to investigate, the attention the dropped item got made up his decision for him... Couldn't go and let something get stolen when the owner was right there~

Alison was still walking, a few minutes down the road when she happened to brush her hand by her pocket. Hrm. W-wait... She... W-Wait a tic. Wh-where... Ahhhh shiiiit. She pulled the contents of her pockets out. Notepad, cell phone, pen... And... Ahhh. ahhhh crap! Where was Gaiman!

She looked around behind her, not seeing it. Crap... She could regenerate her pen, but... it took time and more importantly it was dangerous! If someone picked it up and activated it...

She began running back the way she came, trying to keep her eyes out for the pen.

Saaya made quick steps over to the dropped item, and once he was in front of it he leaned down to pick it up. What... What was it though...?

It wasn't something he'd seen before; the knowledge of more modern writing utensils weren't something he was aware of...as most used ink and brushes to sign their paperwork and write where he ventured...

The moment he picked up the pen though he immediately had to drop it in shock as...as something happened. W-What!?

Taken a back by the newly activated item, he stumbled and landed on his bottom a step or so away from it. W-What...!?

What was this thing!?

Alison ran back in the direction of the intersection. She stumbled over a loose rock and nearly fell, flailing her arms and pausing before catching herself. She continued running, pulling Hemingway out. She wasn't sure if there was even a problem, but her manifests could be dangerous...

Or hilarious, depending on which end was clicked. But probably still bad...

As she approached the intersection, she saw a glowing blue light and gave a small shout, activating Hemingway. The blade came out red, but she clicked the pen once, turning it blue as she ran up towards the intersection.

Saaya could only sit and blink at what he saw, a...a blue light!? W-What was this thing!? Obviously he took it as something dangerous. Was it even safe to...move? Well...perhaps if he avoided the light...

Just when he was about to back away, he heard a shout; the woman was coming back! She was...running towards him with...another one of those thing!?

Considering he didn't know how to take this situation, out of precaution his hand hovered over the sheath of his blade just in case he...needed to defend himself or something...

What else was he supposed to do!?

Alison came to the intersection, suddenly feeling the effects of a full sprint. She leaned forward a little, one hand on her knee. She saw that boy from before... Saaya, was his name, standing over her other, activated blade. How the hell had it gotten activated? Well, at least it wasn't red, so it was... basically harmless at the moment.

"Wh..Whoah.. E..Easy.." She said, trying to hold her hand out, though it was still holding the laser sword she still had. "I just dropped my sword there.." She said, gesturing at it. He didn't really want to fight her over it, did he?

E-Easy...?

Saaya blinked, looking between here and that blade; she'd just...dropped her... That was not any type of sword he'd seen before! That... Well, it was a sword in appearance now...but...

His hand moved from his own sword, seeing...she didn't mean to attempt to fight him before backing away some before standing.

Dusting himself off, his eyes went to the blade again; "That...is no type of blade I have ever laid eyes on before...

"You shouted...and are wielding another...one of those 'swords' so I went on the defense..."

She took another few shallow breaths and stood up, walking forward slowly. "No, it's not... It's one of my blades... It's not super dangerous." At least it wasn't right now. "But I didn't know when I dropped it how it would turn on if someone activated it."

She walked closer, still holding her blade, but lowering it, no longer in a defensive position. "Sorry. I just... That blade can be veeeery sharp and I didn't want anyone to get hurt... Although it's actually harmless right now." She deactivated Hemingway and pocketed it, the hilt quickly shrinking back to pen size.

"You couldn't cut yourself with it if you tried."

"...I see..." Saaya blinked, who...who was this woman; they had not exchanged names...though...well, she hadn't given her name, he would just answer to whatever she called him.

He couldn't cut himself with he tried? H-Huh...?

He watched as the blade was...shrunken again into...whatever that was.

"I had...meant to pick it up to return it, but it...activated as you say." He explained, at least wanting her to know he hadn't planned on swiping it or anything...

She walked over, picking up the one that laid on the ground. He might notice that as she did, the blade spinning down to fit her hand, it cut through the ground like butter.

She deactivated it, twirling the pen and pocketing it with its brother. She turned to him, crossing her arms.

"Oh... I'm sorry. I came back all concerned and you were trying to help." Well, she hadn't been concerned about him specifically, she supposed.

"Uh... I'm Alison." She said, walking up and sticking her hand out.

It... Well, she hadn't been lying when she'd said they were sharp...as one of them had cut at the ground as if it were as fragile as paper. That... Well, at least no harm had been done. He had managed to come out unscathed.

He shook his head at her apology, a smile finally appearing on his lips again; "No, no it's alright; it...was a strange situation." He accepted her hand, shaking it with his own before nodding at the name. "I'm...well, call me whatever you'd like! I'll answer to anything."

The statement came out as if it were normal to him, his smile still on his face as he responded to her.

She gave him a smile, eyes looking down before flickering up. "It... It was, wasn't it." She said with a sheepish smile. "You don't know the half of it, really." She said. He didn't know how her swords worked. Hell, if he'd been messing with the red one, well... She would have chucked the blue blade at him just to keep him from lopping an arm off.

"W...What?" She crossed her arms, dubious of this. "What are you talking about?" He'd answer to anything? That was... That couldn't be right.

Well, he didn't quite understand her weapon to begin with...so he supposed she was right in saying he hardly knew anything about it.

She seemed...caught off guard by his statement, and he blinked; o-oh right, that sometimes got odd reactions... Others became accustomed to it rather quickly though...or at least these residents had...

"Well, I don't exactly have a given name, so I just answer to what people wanna call me." He explained politely; "Hn...The residents around here call me Saaya at times...or Senri... The bartender one night called me Aya..."

He was listing various names others had called him, not even caring that most of them were meant for a female...