Pearls and Swine (Private/Mort)

Akari Uchiha wrote:Mission Name: Butchery
Mission Type: Chore
Mission Rank: D
Mission Goal: Butcher some hogs
Description: The local butcher needs help slaughtering a few pigs as there are some huge orders coming in.
Payment: 10,000 Ryo
Requirements: Genin+

Oriana left the small house she shared with Niko early that morning and headed straight towards the Raikage building to receive a mission. Sunrise was almost over, the sky transitioning from fading oranges and pinks to an early morning bright blue. The village was beginning to bustle with activity as shops opened and people set out to begin their morning routines or get to work. The pink haired ninja preferred to evade the morning rush by taking to the rooftops, her off-white hoodie and tan pants helping her to blend in with the buildings she used as pathways.

Once reaching her location, the cat-like ninja hopped down from the roof tops and stretched a bit. It had been a nice change from her usual warm up of push ups and sit ups. After pulling a handkerchief from the center pocket of her hoodie, she wiped down her face and neck to remove any traces of sweat. Once certain she was presentable, the pink haired ninja entered the building and went straight towards the mission office.

Though lacking teammates of her own, Oriana would be able to pair up with another genin for a mission. The administrators, or desk ninja as they were sometimes known, handed out missions and helped organized single genin into groups for missions. By the time it was her turn in line, she greeted the chunin be hind the desk politely and asked for a mission.

She was handed a scroll and instructed to move to the side of the large room and enter a queue of genin looking for mission partners. Though Oriana would do missions alone if she could, the one she had picked up looked to be more time consuming. If she worked with another genin, they could complete the task more quickly and allow the pink haired teen to get back to the forge.

[1]

The odd Genin known colloquially as Mort made his way down the street reading a small list he'd been making as of late. While he wasn't sure if anyone knew, he could feel the unrest starting within his clan again. Ever since the Kurama had moved from Frost to Lightning, there was a monthly letter sent back to the few that remained back in Frost in an attempt to get those remaining few to come to Kumo. While it had been slow going, recently there were disputes about if the clan should stay or keep moving as they always did. While he doubted the clan would move anytime soon given both the securities of the Hidden Village, the need for space was apparent, so the list he'd been writing was any idea he could come up with that would help raise money to buy them more space.

"I swear, no matter what I chose I'll have to work myself to the bone if I want to do this." Sighing as the thought of all the missions before him piled up, he'd open up the doors to the administration to see what missions they had today.

Standing in a line for a quick pair up, he wondered who he'd be paired up with today, if any. Head somewhat lost in the clouds as thoughts of who it might be, he'd be brought back with a flick to the face as the administrator pointed him to his work mate for the day; a short...pink haired girl? Well, one cannot be picky. Walking over the the girl, he'd introduce himself as he tried not to stare at the hair. "So I think I'm your mission partner for today? Name's Mort, what's yours?"

Oriana had to crane her neck to meet the gaze of the tall genin who approached her. Her short stature would have made her difficult to spot if not for the candyfloss pink hair. On occasion, other ninja would miss her because they didn't expect to need to look down to catch sight of her, but this one made a beeline for her.

She nodded once to confirm that she was his partner for the mission. The shorter teen gestured to the scroll in her hands.

"If you're on the butchering mission, then we're together this time."

Oriana took a few seconds to think on how to respond appropriately. Niko had been coaching her on "small talk" and how to communicate effectively with her peers.

She offered Mort the mission scroll so he could check the details.

"Oriana," the pink haired genin gave her name, remembering that Mort had introduced himself. It was only polite to do so in return.

The short genin turned towards the exit and began to walk away, saying, "Come on," over her shoulder so he would know she didn't intend to ditch him. Confirming the meaning of her actions with words was another habit she was working on.

[2]

Mort would take the scroll, opening it as he registered the girl's name. "Oriana, huh? Nice name." He almost began reading the scroll when he heard her say "Come on," and he'd follow her, taking brief glances at her, the scroll, and where he was walking to their destination. "Coming, coming. It's been a while since I've properly read and ran."

As he'd take several glances at the mission they'd been assigned, a small sense of dread came over him. Butchering. He'd...well it wasn't the first time he'd killed an animal, but it had been a long time since he'd properly done it; a distant memory from his very short youth outside of Kumogakure. If he recalled right, it was his cousin who showed him how to do it, Cheyenne's hands wringing themselves around the neck of the chicken...he missed his cousin. Apparently one of his ancestors had some sort of magma bloodline that he gained access to instead of the majority of the Kurama bloodline, and as they were in Frost at the time he was free to go where he wanted. Last he heard he was heading westward to Suna too see if he could make some sort of 'ultraglass', but he hadn't received any messages since the declaration.

But back to the mission, that being butchering pigs. He knew that he'd have to stomach this, as if he ever wanted to properly use the blade, he'd have to see more then just the insides of a pig. Finishing the scroll he'd roll it back up and look to his partner. "You ever do this before? Killing an animal for food, I mean, not the mission."

Oriana slowed her pace a little to allow Mort to catch up with her, though it wasn't strictly necessary. His legs were easily much longer than her own, but that was besides the point. The point was to appear considerate.

She led the pair towards the Akari Market place where their client resided. While Mort pondered over how it might feel to kill and butcher animals for food, the pink haired genin was more concerned with finding the thinnest areas of the growing crowd of bustling people. Having too many people in her personal space made the short young woman extremely uncomfortable and she naturally gravitated towards options where she could avoid people or at least deal with them in smaller groups. Missions like this pushed her out of her comfort zone. However, as a genin, she couldn't pick and choose her missions as much as she would like.

Besides, Niko told her that facing uncomfortable situations would help her overcome her anti-social tendencies. Oriana valued her jounin sensei's advice and words so much that she tried her best to follow it even when it wasn't the most fun or comfortable.

Mort's question drew Oriana from her thoughts. Was he uncomfortable with the idea of butchering animals?

"Yes."

After an awkwardly long pause, the pink haired genin added, "In the Academy during hunting and camping exercises. Small animals, though. It's a little like going fishing."

Not much later, the two entered the thick crowd of civilians with a ninja mixed in as the neared their destination. Patrols, various classes of civilians going about their daily shopping or business. The loud chatter meant that the two genin would have to raise their voices to hear one another and the more tightly packed crowed pushed the two of them closer together, almost touching.

Oriana tensed, but was able to bear with it for the time being.

A small shop with a sign denoting it as the butcher's shop caught their attention. Grabbing Mort's sleeve to make sure she didn't lose track of him, Oriana slipped through the small gaps in the throng of people milling around and pulled him through to get them to the shop. She released his sleeve the instant they made it to their destination before muttering a quiet, "Excuse me."

She pushed the door open and stepped inside, holding the door open for Mort briefly. A bell chimed above their heads, announcing their arrival.

"Welcome!" A broad shouldered man boomed, smiling at the two ninja.

He wore a plain, dark colored shirt with the sleeves rolled up and an apron with dark smears on it --probably dried blood. After glancing at their ninja headbands, the man clapped his hands together.

"So! You're the ones they sent out to help me. I'm Levi. Come around back and I'll put you to work."

[3]

When his partner answered his question, he couldn't help but frown a little more. "Ah. I never actually did that-the killing part I mean. Then again my ninja training isn't exactly what one would call 'normal', but that's for another day. Never did fishing though." He probably would have continued the line of thought, but it would have to wait as they entered a more crowded area and his voice started to become drowned out. no point in talking for now.

He was a little caught off guard when she grabbed him, inciting a small "meep" from him as he was brought along for the ride. He wasn't used to people guiding him like this, though since it was for the mission he didn't really mind. Once they arrived at the shop he almost missed what she spoke, and even then it was muffled by the sounds of the hustle and bustle of life. Did...was she socially awkward?

Following close behind Mort had to pull up his scarf a little. Sure he had smelled blood, why wouldn't he? He'd been to the market and passed the meat stalls. Why was it hitting him now? Still, he knew better then to leave a greeting hanging and would give a small wave to indicate both that he felt welcome and that he was with the girl.

"Nice to meet you Mr. Levi." He'd make a small hand motion to Oriana as he began to follow the owner. Or maybe just an employee? Didn't matter to him either way. "Shall we?"

The news that Mort hadn't killed an animal with his bare hands before explained his visible discomfort when they entered the butcher shop. When she first began training as a ninja, those lessons had been difficult for her. Now, she didn't feel much about the ending of animal life one way or the other --her upbringing had disabused her of any squeamishness about killing and gutting animals for food. There had been some nights when all she had to eat was whatever small animal or fish she'd caught. Being a poor orphan hadn't been easy, but it had prepared her for some of the harsher realities of ninja life.

Oriana followed Levi and Mort to the back of the shop quietly. She could have introduced herself, but the pink haired genin was more than happy to let that bit slip by if no one was going to call her out on it.

Levi led them to a cold room with a few animal carcasses hanging from the ceiling on large hooks.

"Aprons are over there," the man said, gesturing towards a few sturdy leather aprons hanging from a coat rack.

"And clean knives are on the wall."

Levi pointed at a wall-mounted wire rack that held knives in a variety of shapes and sizes.

"I'm behind schedule, you see," the butcher explained, "so I don't have time to teach ya about how to butcher meat. What I need you to do is skin and gut some deer and goats for me. I trust y'all to do that much. Do you need an example? I can show you how once, but after that, I've got to get back to the front o' the shop."

Oriana glanced towards the taller genin to gauge his reaction. She knew the basics of how to field dress an animal, but could learn from watching someone take care of a bigger creature. Mort, however, had no experience and probably needed a better teacher than her.

[4]

As they entered the back room, a strong headache began to form and he knew exactly the cause. 'Not yet. You'll get your turn soon.' If one were to pay attention, his eyes shifted from a bright green to a blueish-grey, then the left went back to green while the other went a bright purple. if one could see chakra they'd also notice a small amount pouring out from the right eye, creeping along his temple and upper ear.

He was still in control. It held no power over him. He was sure of that. The fact his eye was no longer his own was because he wanted to make sure Id knew what their job was.

Looking at each of the areas the butcher pointed them to, and was glad he wouldn't have to dirty his blade today. Honestly, cleaning blood out of weaponry to avoid rust was a pain, and as such he had was ready to use something other then Excalipoor.

When the butcher asked his question, he'd turn to the man and confidently speak. "We'd rather not hold you up." He'd look to Orianna, thinking for a moment before turning back to the butcher. "But we'd rather be safe then sorry, seeing as it's our first time handling deer." Slowly the green eye had changed to purple as well, and Mort mentally stepped back. Sure he still had control if things went south as per the agreement, but right now, this was Id's territory.

A small smirk would creep up on the boy's face. "Oh, and don't worry about my eyes, minor bloodline issue that comes up on occasion. They should be gone by the time we're done."

Oriana squinted for a moment, surprised by the shifts in Mort's eye color. How unusual. Was it related to some sort of technique or bloodline?

The tall genin clarified that it was related to his bloodline, causing Oriana to nod before turning her attention back to the butcher.

Levi, for his part, looked a bit unsettled but only briefly. Ninja were strange creatures, with all sorts of oddities related to their chakara. He felt it best not to focus on it too much.

"Right," the man said gruffly, wiping his hands on the front of his apron. "Well, grab a pair of apron and some gloves and come over here. I'll give a demonstration. It will be quick so pay attention."

The dark skinned man lumbered over towards the coat rack and plucked a pair of white gloves from a box, pulling them on and heading towards a door at the back of the room. He opened the heavy door, unleashing a wave of cold air. He grabbed a mid-sized deer from within the cooler and carried it over to a metal table in the center of the room. His arms bulged at the weight of the animal, showing of his rather large muscles before Levi dropped the deer onto the cold, metal surface.

Then, the butcher went to the wall with the knife rack and selected a small but very sharp knife.

"You don't need anything too large to dress a deer. Just sharp. This is about precision more than strength," Levi explained before walking back over to the deer and waiting for Oriana and Mort to gather round.

Oriana slipped an apron on over her head and tied it tightly before grabbing a set of gloves and a knife. Once Mort was ready as well, Levi began his demonstration.

"We're gonna start just below the tail, around the butt. The goal is to remove the digestive tract and internal organs without cutting the intestines or bladder. You cut either of those and it will dirty the meat. No one wants meat that's had piss n shit on it. You ruin my deer and you'll be paying for it, ya hear?"

After a short pause to ensure the genin understood, which Oriana affirmed with a single, sharp nod, he continued.

"So you start here and cut around the anus." Levi slipped the knife in and with careful motions cut a circle around the area. "You gotta get in there a little, to make sure it's separated from the rest of the body so you can pull it through later."

The butcher moved towards the other end of the table and rolled the deer onto its back.

"Now you slit it down the center. This part you gotta be careful with. I told you about the guts and bladder, but you don't wanna cut the stomach, neither."

He gripped a handful of hide and pulled it away from the animal's body and slipped the knife into the deer's fur, just cutting hide.

"You hold the knife with the blade facing up, slip it in like this and just tug upwards a bit. We don't want to cut into muscle."

The deer's belly began to part as Levi made a series of careful, small incisions, moving towards the animal's groin area. At this point, not much blood had spilled. The deer's skin parted to reveal a line of white flesh. He went back over the area, cutting that with efficiency and care, opening up the animal's abdomen to reveal its internal organs, which were pale and wet looking.

"Now, you'll want to reach inside and cut this muscle up here. so you can get at the heart. You'll want to set that aside, it's good meat. You also need to cut the esophagus to get that upper part free."

Once he sliced that, the two genin could hear liquid moving around within the deer's body. Dark red fluid was visible as Levi pulled out the esophagus, lungs and other organs. They spilled out into a pile on the floor with wet plops as the butcher pulled them loose.

"Remember not to break or cut the stomach or guts."

The once white-ish organs had a pink sheen to them from blood. He plucked up the deer heart from the floor and set it aside. Each motion of his hand within the deer's abdominal cavity caused sloshing sounds, as if it were full of water.

"If you've cut it right, you can pull the guts right through." With a tug on the animal's intestines, Levi demonstrated this by pulling loose the end of its intestines and anus, dropping those onto the floor.

He looked down at the mess and muttered to himself, "Should have grabbed a bucket or something.... You'll have to excuse my thoughtlessness."

Levi shuffled off and brought over a barrel. He scooped up the intestines and other organs, dropping them into the barrel. "Put the organs other than the heart in here," he instructed before tilting the deer and pouring out the blood with a loud splash.

"This is messy work, but that shouldn't be an issue for you ninja folk. Besides, it helps provide good food for the people of Kumo. Remember that."

Finally, he hefted the now emptied carcass and hauled it to another corner of the room where he set it on a different table. "All you gotta do at this stage is rinse off the blood as best you can. Don't worry too much about the floors. There's drains to make clean up easy."

Oriana looked down to note that the floors sloped gently towards the center of the room and there were a few well placed grates for blood and water to drain into.

"Let me know when you're done and I'll walk you through clean up." Levi stripped off his gloves and crumpled them as he walked away leaving the two genin alone.

Oriana watched him leave before looking back at Mort to gauge his reaction to the demonstration.

[5]

Mort and his Id watched closely as he internally he breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he wouldn't have to kill just yet. Seeing the cooled meat storage was a comforting thing, and as they put on their apron & gear, they'd listen to the butcher as he gave his demonstration.

As they watched, Mort was amazed by the blade work. even though it was just food work, the movements were almost completely different compared to when he'd use a sword. And yet, small things could be learned. Smaller wrist movements instead of wide swings, precision over strength. Heck if it was just-oh. Those were guts. The color in their eyes wavered a bit as he tried not to retch from the smell & sight finally hitting him, but he'd hold on and their eyes would shift back to purple.

'Just think of them as water balloons Mort. Fleshy, off-color water balloons.' And yet, he couldn't. The deer was still a deer, and guts were guts no matter what he thought. As fantastical as his mannerisms were, he still had a fair amount of rationality in his mind that just...accepted it. Reveled in it. And that part of him was currently out and about moving his body. They'd just stare as the butcher kept moving on with his demonstration. Thankfully for him it was almost over as the deer heart was taken, and the guts spilt down to the floor.

As the guts were bucketed and the carcass moved over to another table, he was a little glad the demonstration was over, yet the dread of seeing more guts was still there. Seeing the butcher walk out and letting them know when they were done, their face filled with semi-feral anticipation and a small hint of apathy, they'd turn to Orianna.

"Well I think I got the gist of it. I'll get to the cutting, you do the heavy lifting, and we'll both be blood bound by the end of all this." They'd walk over and take their scarf off, bits of it already hit by stray droplets of blood. "Better not get that red yet, he'd kill the both of us if I got that soaked in blood."

Oriana gave a nod. She was surprised that Mort was volunteering to do the dressing, since he seemed so off-put by the blood at first. However, she shrugged it off, set the knife she'd grabbed on the metal table, and wandered towards the cooler to get a deer. As long as the tall teen could do it right, the pink haired Genin wasn't going to be picky about who did what.

She took a moment to look around the cooler before selecting their first carcass. Deer, sheep, and even a few goats lay on wire shelves. Their eyes were wide open and glazed over, seeing nothing. Shaking her head as if to clear her mind, Oriana moved forward and wrapped her arms around a deer, pulling it towards her chest. The creature was heavy, more so than the Genin herself, but she gathered it in her arms as best she could and walked out into the butchering area to dump it on the table with a quiet grunt.

Hefting the animal hadn't been difficult so much as awkward since the deer was bigger than her and its limbs were long and stuck out.

"I can hold it in place while you cut after you get it started."

Oriana moved to stand near the deer's upper half so that she could roll it onto its back once Mort was ready to cut it open down the middle. She watched quietly, looking only mildly interested in the whole process. The shorter ninja was a little curious about how Mort would handle gutting the deer since the boy had looked a bit sick at the sight of Levi doing it. However, she wasn't concerned enough to suggest that they switch roles.

That level of care was barely extended to her own adoptive sister, Shunko, much less someone she hardly knew.

[6]

As Orianna went to grab the deer from the cooler, they'd grab the knife she set down and prepped their workstation to their liking. Mort himself was glad that his partner wasn't asking any questions as to his supposed personality change, and he was perfectly fine with that. No need to cause a ruckus right at the proper start of their assignment now, was there? No, until he had a better grip on things such as blood and gore, exposure therapy through his Id would have to do.

As their pink haired companion came back out, his mind started to wander a bit, wondering about her hair and if it was just dyed or natural. Given the oddity of bloodlines, it wasn't out of the question. "Perfect. Glad to see someone is useful, unlike someone else I know." They'd look at the dead animal, feeling over the areas they needed to cut. 'Now stop wondering about her bubblegum bitch hair and watch. I want to keep this moment memorized for later.'

They'd begin cutting, following the directions set out by the butcher. while they didn't have the strength of that man, they most likely would've had the precision from the several years of sword practice. First came the rump, then the chest, then the groin. Each time the blade was moved through the dead animal a small smile formed on their body. Then, after a few more cuts the internals were revealed. Instinctively their body shifted as Mort started to heave a little, but the Id refused, instead toughing it out. and making a cut in the muscle & throat...thingie."So bubblegum, is that just an act, or are you really half-dead to the outside world? Cuz honestly? I'm half tempted to see if I can get a reaction out of you that isn't 'Sure world, I'll take another slap to the face. I can take it, no really.' " They'd reach in and, after a few seconds, pulled out the heart of the beast.

As they held the core of this creature, the physical soul of a living being, their eye color would waver for a few seconds for and the knife stopped moving halfway through the current cut. 'What the fuck Id? Are you trying to reveal the clan's secret?' 'Man up, I'm running this show right now so I get to talk. I ain't gonna jeopardize my existence again.' Then, as if nothing had happened, they'd keep cutting & gutting as if nothing had happened, waiting for Orianna's answer.

Once the initial cut around the rump of the animal was made, Oriana grabbed the deer and rolled it onto its back, holding it in place for Mort to keep working with both hands free for the task at hand. The deer was cold, limp, and heavy, but the pink haired Genin wasn't going to complain. She didn't have to get her hands and clothes nearly as dirty as Mort would.

The boy began to chatter, making a few odd attempts at conversation. The praise, she understood. It was common for people to appreciate a helpful, or "useful" as he put it, mission partner. The next part was more strange, emphasizing the shift in personality that Oriana hadn't noticed earlier. Complementing someone and insulting them in the same breath made little sense to her.

The deer's blood sloshed around while the taller Genin reached in to pluck out its heart, filling the silence between the odd pair. After watching the process, with about as much animation as she'd had for their whole interaction, which is to say not much, she shrugged.

"I'm just here to do the job. That's it."

The pink haired Genin did eye Mort a little suspiciously, however. She wasn't sure what all he would do just to get a reaction, but Oriana was certain it wouldn't be anything she wanted to deal with.

After Mort cleared away the rest of the intestines and digestive track of the deer, Oriana tilted it, spilling the creature's blood onto the floor and their sandals. Once it was drained, she hefted the significantly lighter carcass into her arms and carried it off to where Levi had left the first deer. She debated starting the rinsing process so that they could finish the job faster. It would also conveniently give her an excuse not to stand near Mort for extended periods of time.

While she thought this over, the shorter of the two Genin fetched another deer. Now that she was used to its shape and size, moving it was less difficult. A thick thud sounded out when she dropped it on the bloody metal table for gutting.

She looked Mort in the eye and lifted a brow questioningly, a silent question about whether he planned to keep trying to get a rise out of her or not.

[7]

They'd raise an eyebrow as Orianna replied, the response feeling like they were deflective to them. "A fair answer. Somewhat noncommittal and evasive, but still fair seeing what our true job is." It was an answer that peaked their curiosity a little by just how casually she said it. They'd finish up the cuts and step a little out of the way to let their partner move the carcass.

As she took care of the lump of flesh and bones, they'd watch the girl, making small attempts to clean the knives for their next use as they did so. She had a look they hadn't seen since they were younger on those who had given up, and even then Mort himself only vaguely recalled it. Combined with her height and what he'd seen of her hands and arms, it indicated she had a tougher life them them. How much wasn't certain, but if he wanted to know, they'd need to be a lot more nuanced, and sadly that was something they lacked in.

As the new deer was put onto the table, they'd note the look their partner was giving them, and wasn't sure what they were attempting to ask. Were they caught attempting to physically analyze them? Did she want to go take care cleaning the deer they just finished? Or was it the question they asked, one that to them seemed fairly reasonable? Well, they'd have to guess one way or another. "I won't stop or try to slow you down from doing your end of the job, I'm just trying to be...hm, what was the word again?" They'd take a brief look over the new meat, gauging where they'd start. "I think the word was 'sociable,' but that doesn't sound right coming from me. He does sociable, I do analysis." They'd begin to cut, taking a little more time as they multi-tasked cutting and talking. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that you've peaked my interest girl."

Even if Mort and his Id didn't fully understand the unspoken question, they answered it just fine. Oriana nodded, moving the deer and holding it up at the appropriate times while her mission partner talked. While it was attempting to continue to avoid conversation, she could already feel how disappointed Niko would be in her at failing to try and make a friend outside of her household.

There was also the oddity with some of Mort's language, hinting at there being multiple people that he was speaking about. On its own, it could have just been a slip of the tongue, but in the context of his bloodline changing his appearance earlier and the shift in attitude, Oriana suspected something else was going on.

"You're not Mort, are you?" the pink haired ninja asked after a few moments of thoughtful silence. She hauled away that deer and went to get another one. Before hauling it out, Oriana counted how many more bodies they had left. Three had been field dressed, the fourth was in her arms. Four more lay in the cooler.

With a grunt, she heaved the deer to the metal table and set it down. Her arms were starting to tire out from carrying the bodies, most of which weighed more than she did before they were gutted.

"I'm not used to people finding me interesting." It wasn't the complete truth. People had found her interesting alright, but not in the sense that Mort or whoever it was seemed to. The lack of interest in her body was reassuring, though Oriana didn't really know what to make of someone interested in her personality.

[8]

Once they were done with the current deer and had let Orianna move it for the 3rd one, they'd freeze up for a moment once that question was asked. 'HAHAHA! I told you! You aren't as stealthy as you think you are Id! They'd frown a bit, annoyed at having shown weakness to both themselves and others. Still they wouldn't let this moment escape them, and they'd turn that frown upside down.

"Heh, now that's a long and complicated question bubbles, but to keep the story short; you're right. I'm not that shite swordsman of a shinobi Mort, but instead the better half of this body. While he has another name for me, you can call me Nova." They'd wince as their mind was in flux. Sure they just revealed something that probably shouldn't of been said, but just as well a lot of people probably knew of the the kurama's big open secret anyways. If anything, now she had to listen to Mort grumble inside their head about insulting his skills.

"I guess I'm honored then to be interested in you then." They'd look over the new meat she had brought in, noting that unlike the last this one was a little tougher then the last. "If you need, you might as well take a breather. Like I said, I won't slow you down, but I doubt someone your size can handle with that much meat so quickly without a small break." She'd smile. "Plus it lets me actually experience properly having a body for a bit longer while getting to know you a bit better, so you might as well how it is being interesting now before it hits you like a brick later down the line from either onlookers, killers, or even lovers." They'd cut again, taking a bit slower this time as they savored their time in their rightful body.

Oriana was curious about what sort of bloodline would cause two personalities to inhabit the same body but doubted that either Mort or his alter ego would answer that question. Even if they were fairly open with their unusual bloodline, and appeared to have some difficulty keeping it fully hidden, ninja didn't like giving away their secrets to just anyone.

"It's nice to meet you, Nova," the pink haired Genin said politely, rubbing her arms to ease some of the soreness starting to set in.

She stretched her arms above her head a bit, leaning to one side and pulling on her wrist with the opposite side before reversing the position and leaning the other way.

"You're right. They're a bit bigger than me before they're emptied out."

Oriana let her arms fall to her sides and started to roll her shoulders a few times in each direction. By the time she finished that, her arms felt a little bit better. With a few more minutes of rest, she would be able to go back to hauling deer carcasses. They were halfway through, anyhow, so a short break to talk would be harmless.

"I'll manage," she replied to Nova's comment about attention hitting her like a brick, giving the Id a wry smile.

Perhaps trying to make friends wouldn't be as frustrating as she expected.

"You seem to be a lot more comfortable with this than Mort," Oriana noted, gesturing towards the deer Nova was gutting.

Quietly, she wondered if Mort could still hear their conversation.

[9]

Nova would continue to cut & gut the animal, finding it to be rather calming. Sure it wasn't an actual person, but it was the closest thing they'd get without having their temporary freedom taken away. There was just something different about it, something lost in translation that she had felt only once before, back when they were young during their brief stay on the streets. Poor sod didn't even have much Yang chakra to give, but it gave her insight, insight she needed but never wanted.

"That's because I'm the one who's had to kill before. The rabbit test we did? He wasn't lying about not being killing before, that happened to be the first time I was able to get control." She'd pull the heart out and once again was slightly lost in it. There was so little chakra left inside it due to the loss of life, not even enough to take. It was disheartening, but that was life. "It was also our first time having raw meat. We got sick for a week thanks to that, but thankfully the doctors healed us up pretty fast."

They'd carefully pull the guts, taking care with moving the stomach as it too had some residual chakra left over. It was frustrating for them, they couldn't see the chakra at all, but they could feel the residue. Not being able to see what you eat, only feel just was..."Since then we've had a...well I guess you can call it an agreement, though even then he and I both know it won't last, so we make the most out of it."

They'd finish pulling the guts out and rinsed off their hands. "It's also why you interest me so much. You seem to lack the drive many people radiate, yet you still keep moving. Is it loyalty, or is there something buried in there that he saw yet I can't?" He'd stay silent inside their mind, leaving her to wonder.

With her arms starting to feel a little less sore, Oriana felt ready to lug around a few more deer before needing another break.

While the pink-haired Genin didn't feel very strongly one way or the other about the blood and guts, Nova seemed to actively enjoy it. The other personality in Mort's body confirmed that it was the one to handle killing when it was necessary rather than Mort. Her brows rose when Nova admitted to eating the animal raw. Even at her most desperate, Oriana had used small fires or bits of lighting chakra to cook the small animals she caught, but Nova didn't sound like this had been a desperate action so much as one born of curiosity or hunger.

Once the deer was gutted, Oriana tipped it over onto its side to pour out the blood that had pooled in its abdominal cavity, careful to sidestep any splashes. Not minding blood and not wanting to be soaked in it were two different things entirely.

She watched the dark red liquid spill out of the carcass and flow into the drain in the center of the room while she contemplated Nova's question. Oriana didn't have the same motivation to achieve power or strength for her own sake that others seemed to have, and lacked pride in many senses of the word. Yet, it didn't stop her from challenging herself nor prevent her from working hard.

Why hadn't she given up?

"I gave up once, but I was given a second chance. I don't want to waste it or go back."

Thinking back to what life had been like when she gave up on herself completely, she nearly shivered. There was nothing that could make her want to go back or allow herself to end up back in that place again. Never.

"And there's someone I owe my life to. I want to be useful to her," Oriana added. "And you? What draws you to killing and bloodletting so much?"

[10]

She'd raise an eyebrow as Orianna explained her reasons. It was...endearing, something that'd tug at the hearstrings of many. Many, and somewhat surprising to the both of them, tugged at Nova's.

"Ah, you're one of those, one who's loyalty could bring about either the deepest of bonds, or the most tragic of ends. I can see I wasn't wrong in my choice. Still, the fact you were pulled back from the brink at least shows you have a spirit stronger then most."

Nova wondered what sort of life this girl had led up to this point. To say they had a 2nd lease meant they were probably poor, defiantly had a time where they considered death was a better alternative. In a (very, very loose) way, they were like her, wondering what the point of it all was. And then there was the fact that they were loyal to another; that made Orianna very desirable. But they were patient. They were still young.

"As for why I am the way I am, well it brings me closer to The Source for just a short time. Ever since we were born, I've always heard it's call, the call of the other side, but I'm not ready for it just yet. Even so it's call is...its...its euphoric and I can't help but want to hear it again. Combine that with the sweet taste of life essence that Yang chakra provides, and, Mmmh."

The sight must have surly been odd. The body of a 17-year old boy with the current personality of a what cold be inferred as a girl way too in tune with their instincts puckering their lips as if they just recalled the taste of a candy that was a bit too sweet. They had stepped away from the cutting area and had been trying very hard not to look at their work partner. They needed to keep it together, just for a little longer.

The pink-haired Genin nodded at Nova's description of her as "one of those". Even without knowing anything else, the other being living in Mort's body had accurately described how Oriana felt about Niko. The red-haired Jounin was her reason for living and had been the one to show her that life didn't have to be the way it had been before.

However, explaining that out loud wasn't something Oriana really wanted to do. She didn't like telling people where exactly she'd been rescued from. The thought that she might have committed suicide was close enough to what actually happened. If left in that brothel for much longer, Oriana might have just let herself be killed by a customer that liked it too rough. Her will to live had been broken down quite thoroughly and she was still in the process of rebuilding it.

"I don't think I would have come back if I'd been left there much longer," Oriana admitted. It was the closest she had come to outright saying what happened to her. Not even her sister, Shunko, was privy to Oriana's origins.

The shorter Genin shifted her attention to Nova's explanation to their attraction to blood and gore. Oriana had the distinct impression that Nova wasn't a guy like Mort and that Nova might not be completely human either. The possibilities for what Nova might be were beyond what Oriana could guess on her own or anything she had read about before. However, it didn't take a genius to figure out that the sort of entity that Nova was had to be related to Mort's bloodline.

"Can you 'eat' Yang chakra from beings that are still living?" she asked, "I doubt there's very much left in a dead animal."

Oriana dragged the deer away and retrieved another from the cooler. She put the carcass on the metal table for Nova to cut up before stepping back to stretch her arms again. Even if this conversation was interesting, Oriana was glad that there were only two more deer to handle after this. Cleaning up their work area would be much easier than hauling around the dead beasts.

[11]

She'd take a deep breath, the moments of impulse passing. Good. No losing the body today. Turning back around she'd listen to Orianna as Nova rinced & wiped down the tools for their next use.

"Interesting choice of words about your past Bubblegum." No need to elaborate her statement. Given Orianna's size, build, and demeanor, combined with that sentence made it clear at the very least there was some sort of abuse, though as to what kind wasn't something they were knowledgeable enough on with what little she was given. 'At least it seems she's been able to move on somewhat.' Ah, so he was still there. What a shame.

"Still, you're a smart girl, I'm sure you can figure out whether I can or can't eat Yang from the living. Ah, that reminds me, better make sure to take care of that real quick." Rinsing & wiping off her hands, she'd reach into a pocket and pull out a pill bottle, twist the cap off, and pull out a milky-white pill. She'd then build up some spit and pop the pill down the gullet before putting away the case. "Sorry about that. Anyways, last I checked I haven't bitten off anyone's arm as they fought me, though I have tasted their blood by accident, so I'll let you decide." As much as she wanted to say yes, as a shinobi she did have to hide her hand a little. It wasn't exactly common to find chakra siphons, and neither of them knew if it was bloodline related or not. 'Must be because you're trying to rub off on me again, aren't you?' 'You know I'd rather not touch you if I had the ability to Id.'

She'd get back to chopping. Chopping always made things better.

Oriana shrugged at Nova's commentary on her choice of words and response to her question.

"Like you, everyone's got their secrets. We are ninja after all. Don't worry about it," she waved off the pill Nova took. "It's not my business which medications you take."

She suspected that Nova could eat chakra from living beings, though it seemed to be related to eating parts of them, namely their blood. However, her thoughts were set aside when it was time to move on to the next deer carcass. The pink-haired Genin carried away the one that Nova had just finished before bringing out another one for her to chop up.

Now that they'd been working together for a while, they were able to keep up conversation easily enough while making their way through the final deer carcasses.

Once they'd finished dressing the deer, all that was left to do was clean up their work area. Oriana found some cleaning supplies off to the side --a pair of mops, a bucket with an apparatus to squeeze water from the mops on wheels, and some cleaning solution. She read the back of the label before preparing a bucket full of cleaning solution and water.

While water poured into the bucket to dilute the cleaning solution, Oriana commented, "Will Mort ever get over his discomfort with blood? It's an unusual thing for a shinobi to be so disturbed by such things."

[12]

The two final deer weren't that hard to cut trough, and the small talk was nice. Still, the job was coming to a chose and, whether or not she like it she'd have to give back the controls or else get stuck in that damn seal again. Taking a rag she'd begin to wipe down her station as the big mop bucket was being filled.

"No idea, though if he wants to beat me he'll certainly have to. Anyways my job is done, so have fun with the wimp." She'd stop her wiping and, after wiping her hands on their clothing, would walk over and try to turn Orianna's head to them by the cheek, giving a grin & look that was primal in nature, though as to what kind of hunger it was would be unclear. "See you bubbles." Their eyes would change back to their usual green and after a second would widen, his body quickly moving backwards and threatening to fall if not careful. He cut that way to close, and the slight tingle of chakra in his hand that certainly didn't taste like his own was enough proof of that.

"God fucking damnit on a twin peak snowstorm in the Land of Frost Id. I should've seen that you saw her that way." He'd sigh, grab his scarf and compose himself, his face filled with frustration & concern. "I'm sorry you had to see that at the end Orianna. Let's just get this cleanup done." He'd take the rag and turn back to the "And to answer your question, it's not the blood that I'm uncomfortable with, though I'd like to keep why a secret."

The instant Oriana felt Mort's hand on her face, she formed a tiger hand seal briefly before reaching up to touch Mort and Nova's head briefly. Both Mort and Nova would be able to feel the effect of the Temporary Paralysis technique. Once her mission partner was bound up by invisible and intangible restraints, the pink-haired Genin took a few steps back.

Though she had started to warm up a to the odd duo throughout the mission, her expression was cold now.

"Please refrain from touching me without asking," the pink-haired Genin said stiffly.

She nodded at Mort's apology but made no move to release the jutsu holding him in place.

"It's fine," the shorter Genin told him.

After that she grabbed a mop and began to clean the floor. Oriana managed to mop the floor in record time before propping the mop against a wall and leaving the back room to find Levi and let him know the mission was over before rushing off.

[13]
[EXIT]