That was always on fire.

[Anonymous]

The only sign she had understood his reason for walking into the other man was the pleased smirk. She took a puff on her cigar and sighed out the smoke, eyes glancing around her. Burning a room of an inn wasn't her only offense -just the one of that day. So she was constantly on the look-out for people who possibly had been cheated or had damage done to them or their property. She didn't much mind it.

"Oh? Hm..!" Yahto tilted her head. "I never thought about it... But I never stay in one place too long!" She said enthusiastically.

"I guess you sorta understand WHY," she said, laughing.

So, she needed a decent utility knife, thread and needle, cloth, bandages and basic medicine, a blanket, food, a flask, and definitly a pack to hold everything in. And if she had money left over, clothing. Clothing, while a necessity, a blanket and her current clothing could suffice for a certain amount of time.

Yahto glanced around her. She wasn't gathering attention so she slipped her hands inside her shirt, pulling persistently at the bandages, letting them unravel around her chest. She sighed with relief -it was annoying binding yourself, and mildly uncomfortable. She stretched  slightly and wrapped the bandages around her right hand and wrist.

She detoured to a stand, immediately drawn by something brightly colored and elaborately decorated. She had to exercise SOME control -she couldn't hide something like that! It was a simple piece of cloth or something. But she really couldn't hide that -not without a pack. She grinned, tabbing it away in her memory.

She skipped sligtly and wheeled into a store, still managing to keep a tab on poor Brinn. She managed to quickly by a utility knife, although she had paid for it. It was nice -decent. It'd have multiple functions until she could afford more. Or steal more. Maybe, if she was lucky, she'd come across some bandits SHE could still from. Ah. Gotta love sweet, sweet irony.

She returned to Brinn, mumbling something about needing a pack. Sidling up next to a stand she plucked a back from beneath it -managing to hide it deftly enough (also helped the seller wasn't paying attention) behind some people. She slide the knife inside it, along with her supply of cigars. Now... Wow... Had she really eaten all the bread that fast? She blinked.

"Hey... I ate all that bread, right...?" She asked Brinn, blinking at him.

"Did you steal it from me while I wasn't looking?" She asked him.

[Anonymous]

Brinn went about his own business - he really didn't want to be associated with Yahto if someone caught her and tried to cut off her pretty little hands for stealing (...of course, he would've stepped in to help, but that wasn't the point, dammit!), but he kept an eye out for her none the less.

His own supplies consisted of food, mainly. He could hunt out in the forest, yes, but some days were bad for hunting and it was nice to have some dried meat, cheese, flask of water and another of wine, and maybe some dried fruit to take along.

Along with that, he purchased string of some sort suitable for fishing with, a new hunting knife - his current one was getting a bit old, he'd had it for years, and a new pack to stuff it all into. Again, his current one was getting old and developing so many thin spots and holes that it was more trouble that it was worth to keep patching it up. ...Besides, this one had lots of neat little pockets to put stuff!

He only had a few more things on his list when Yahto returned to his side, and he merely looked down at her, blinked, and grudgingly offered her a piece of his own bread. Only one. He needed that to live off of for a few days! But if she was still hungry, well, he could afford to spare a little of it for her. "Are you done flouncing around and swiping stuff? Or is there something else you need?"

[Anonymous]

Yahto appeared as if she really was going to take the piece of bread he had offered to her. She said and refrained. She shook her head and grinned. "Thanks, though." She said. He said he was going to leave the city -and he already bought her food. Yahto had no reason to use up his own money on HER when she could very well get things her own way. Not that they were the best ways, but they were ways nonetheless.

"Almost, swear," she had sidled up to another stand, had been near to grabbing a lovely flask and taking a run for it, but a harsh hand clamped down on her wrist.

Her gray eyes narrowed to slits for a second before she tilted her head. She could lie, even if wouldn't be a very good lie.

"I was just going to show someone this lovely flask -I had all the intentions of bringing it back," she said, masking her face in innocence.

"Hardy har-har. Do you take me a fool?!" The woman said, calling to her husband to properly deal with her.

"I don't want to cause a scene, but I'm leaving with this and I'm not going to pay for it," she said, her pride somewhat injured.

Really, she wasn't going to hand it back with all this attention on her. She waited -partially expecting them to release her. But they had no intentions, going on about something and something else... all she caught was, "blah blah blah thief blah blah blah blah authorities blah blah blah blah blah hands" what?

They started trying to grab her, take her somewhere, or do something with her wrists -she wasn't quite sure. But out of reaction and her patience failing her she swung around with her right fist, catching the man in the face, and explosion of color simultaneously bursting from her knuckles. He met the ground hard.

"I told you. You should really listen when someone says something like that. Thief or not - I deserve respect, don't I?" Yahto said, highly amused and laughing as she slipped away once again, thrusting herself through the ring they had formed around the commotion.

She immediately found herself back by Brinn. She stowed the flask into the sack and while walking by another stole thread and needle, stashing it away. Brinn said he was going back to the inn, didn't he? Ah. She could sneak in and steal a blanket from there.... If it smelled good.

"Flouncing? Me?" She asked innocently.

"All matters aside - I am quite done," she took another puff on her nearly-forgotten cigar.

[Anonymous]

Brinn wasn't quite sure what to think of a girl that could take down a grown man with a single punch. It was rather impressive, but left him quite irritated with himself.

The moment he'd seen Yahto grabbed, he'd groaned, gone for the knife he'd only just purchased and started to push his way through the crowd to go to her rescue. Too bad nobody would move the hell out of his way when he tried. But he caught sight of Yahto... taking care of herself perfectly well without his aid. Oh. Well. Nevermind then.

He glowered at her when she returned to his side, clearly disapproving. "You're lucky you didn't lose your hands. There are more effective ways to get things you want, you know. Like earning money. And spending it." He thought for a moment and then added, "Earning money in ways other than pick-pocketing."

Convinced enough that Yahto could take care of herself, he turned away from her and started making his way back towards the inn. He didn't expect she would follow - after all, people were still looking for her. Once that vendor she'd punched was up and moving again, he'd be on the look out for her too, if he didn't just call some city guards on her instead. And if anyone saw the two of them together, guards might start looking for him, too! Sigh. Why did he always draw out the crazy-people?

[Anonymous]

That was true. There were -many- other ways to gain money rather then pick-pocketing. But wasn't life more enjoyable when things were at random? Well, maybe the risk of getting your hands chopped off were a bit much for people. But not for Yahto. She knew the risks to stealing. And if she could not protect herself and she wound  up getting caught, she damned well deserved her hands to be chopped off, now didn't she?

Even when she recognized they were going to the inn -belatedly, might I add- she paused but continued to follow him. She tucked down her head and gave a thin smirk. She looked at Brinn and then back at the building. This was perfectly fine. She'd live through it. It wasn't like it was life or death or something...

"Well, Brinn, looks like I'm going to test my luck. I'll go through a window, see you soon," she blew him and a kiss and thrust herself through the throngs of people and detours around the inn.

She leapt upwards, touching down on the ledge of the roof, staring face to face to a window. With a woman changing inside. She almost slipped, choking and laughing at the same time as she waved to the stunned woman who soon screamed after her momentary shock. Well, what was a naked woman going to do?

She popped open the window and jumped inside and smirked, avoiding the woman and walking out into the hall. Poor girl. But really -shit happened. Now... A linen closet. They weren't washing any outside so there had to be a closet... or something... Or... Her room!

It took a few minutes of meaningless wandering for Yahto to organize herself and determine where she was. No, truthfully, she wandered past her room, recognized THAT and determined where she was. She quietly stepped in, almost falling to her knees with powerful laughter -the room was fucking charred. She couldn't believe they let it get so out of hand. See what happened when people talked rather then acted? Bastards. Their own fault.

Yahto sighed and scrounged around the room, sucking on her cigar. She sorted through things, picking at the remnants of her former sack and finding some medicines which she thrust in, and the needle. That seemed about all. She glanced around the room some more, finding very little that'd be of use.

After salvaging what was left of her pitiful room she departed to the halls again, shutting the door and moving as quietly, slyly, and quickly as possible. WIthout laughing. Which proved to be an extremely difficult feat. Yahto felt like she was playing assassins with her sisters when she was young again. But this was slightly different. She'd be paying out her nose if she was caught.

By mere chance and luck did she find the closet -opening the door she pulled out a thin blanket and sheet, stuffing them into her stack after folding them to fit. Shutting the closet door she scrambled back to her own room.... Wait, how did that guy get there? She tried to put on the breaks, but wound up colliding into him, falling on top of him. Thank God he couldn't see her all the well and she moved quicker then he did. She blew him a kiss after he recognized her and disappeared into her charred room, out the window and down to the ground. Melting with a nearby throng she leaned against a nearby stand where she could see the inn very clearly. Where was her lovely companion?

[Anonymous]

Brinn, not having to hurry himself seeing as nobody wanted him for fire damage fees, took his time heading through the lobby of the inn and up the stairs. Nobody paid him the slightest bit of attention, save for a whore lingering at the bottom of the stairs that tried flirting with him. Brinn just apologized, told her he was busy, blushed and hurried up to his room. Really. Was everyone out to embarrass the hell out of him today?!

Once in the safety of his small room, he gathered up the things he'd left there, emptying out his old pack and organizing his meager belongings into the new one. Several first-aid supplies, food, flasks, string, a blanket, money, and an expensive-looking necklace that'd been his mother's. He kept it for sentimental value, under the excuse that he could sell it if he were ever in need of money that badly.

All that done, he shouldered his pack, abandoned the old one there on the bed and left his room. And, because he couldn't help it, he searched out Yahto's room just to take a quick peek (just follow the remaining smell of smoke!). ...Wow. The place looked like someone either tried to hold a small barbeque inside, or brought in a baby dragon and let it go nuts on the drapes. No wonder the inn-keeper was peeved.

Vaguely amused, Brinn retreated back down the hall, to the lobby downstairs, and outside. Thankfully no one - hooker or no - tried to get in his way this time. He was quite sick of people, and a cold, wet night in the forest was looking awfully nice right about now.

[Anonymous]

Yahto had wound up conversing with a 'contact' she had run into. The other woman was slight and boyish, dark eyes and light hair. They had been talking for some time, and Yahto was listening... well, trying too. Her attention was more wavering then the other girl could handle half the time. Yahto simply couldn't help it... It wasn't long before she was absently touching her choppy hair and smelling it and smelling her hands and clothing. Damn, she really smelled like smoke.

By luck did she glance behind her and catch sight of a leaving Brinn. She waved at the thoroughly angered girl, blew a kiss and trotted up beside Brinn. Poor guy. She giggled and glanced around herself. She felt rather energetic and there wasn't much to do. Besides embarrass Brinn. She giggled and moved closer to Brinn. She masked her face in utter suprise and raised her voice.

"Don't touch me there, Brinn!" she gasped.

Yahto was grinning from ear-to-ear. After the accumalating looks subsided she sighed. She tilted her head and asked cheerfuly. "Where we goin'?" Of course, she could just imagine him asking her about the "we" part of that question. Oh well!

[Anonymous]

He didn't look either irritated or overjoyed by Yahto's sudden appearance and seemingly tagging along. If she was so inclined to follow him right out of the city, then that was her choice. It was a free world, sort of, she could do what she wanted.

...Including embarrass him again, augh!

"I didn't-!" he started, until he realized she was just being a brat again. He scowled, blushed and looked straight ahead, shoving his hands into his pockets just so that she couldn't try and make anyone else around thing he was touching her. Girls, geez.

Clearing his throat, Brinn tried to shrug her off a bit, to at least put a little distance between them as they walked.

"We? I don't know about you, but I'm leaving. There's a cave or a tree or something in the woods outside the city calling my name and far be it for me to ignore it. I'm sick of this city." And he'd only been there a few days, sheesh.

[Anonymous]

Ah. He didn't seem to keen on her ideas of play. Or amusement. Or anything else she liked.... Where did her cigar go? She touched her mouth and looked around. She guessed she must've finished it when talking to that girl and wound up tossing it down... Or something. Oh well. She didn't see any fires. Meaning that it wasn't lit and she wasn't, again, unintentionally doing something bad. She deserved a point on her side for that.

Aw! He didn't want to be her buddy? That was too bad. She wanted to be his. So he could -try- to get away, but she kept pace quite well, allowing some room for personal space but she had little intention of relieving him of her. Poor guy. When she said 'stalk' she really did mean 'stalk'.

"Ah, but I said stalk, didn't I? And you're just so cute, how could I leave you alone now?" Yahto said, looking bewildered at the idea of leaving him alone so soon.

"Why don't you like the city?" She asked curiously, crossing her arms over her chest, tilting her head this way and that too a small little tune in her head. It was just so catchy! She heard some bard or minstrel or someone that sang hum the same tune and now it just wouldn't leave her alone!

[Anonymous]

Brinn tried not to look as irritated as he felt. Really, having some company along wasn't that bad. One person he could handle. It was an entire city-full that got to him. He made no comment regarding her stalking him, and only blushed a little at the mention of him being cute. People didn't call him that often. Mostly because nobody ever noticed him at all - whores in inn lobbies not withstanding.

At first, it looked as though he might completely ignore her last question as well. Finally he spoke up.

"Cities are loud, people are obnoxious and dirty and dishonest... Too many sights and smells and filth. Little river-side towns are nice, but cities like this... don't sit well with me. I prefer forests. Only reason I come into town at all is for supplies once every few weeks, and to remind myself why I hate it here." There! That was probably the most he'd said to her all day. See? His social skills were improving! ...Or something.

[Anonymous]

"Very true!" Yahto didn't seem to mind. She was obnoxious, she was pretty dirty, and she WAS dishonest.

So, basically, he nailed her perfectly. Why find the truth offensive? Most people did fall under those categories as well. Then again, that was all point of view rather then true fact, so Yahto wasn't going to go judging. She preferred not to think or delve too deeply into society and personalities -too deep, too complicated, too tangled. Really, she was happy just leaving it at "People are people."

"I understand, I suppose," Yahto added, simply happy that he spoke that much to her.

Maybe there really wouldn't be a reason to wind up disappearing. In hopes of a good conversation... or maybe she could get a few more raises out of him. But she doubted she could, since they were going to be leaving town and there wouldn't be anyone to embarrass him in front of. Damn. How would she find her amusement? She could poke him... Yes. She'd figure something out.

Really. She didn't act like a twenty-three year old.

"I hope where-ever we're going there's a lake or something nearby. I need to take a dunk -I smell like smoke," she said, laughing and sniffing at herself again, her attention momentarily diverted to a brightly colored bird. "Pretty," she murmured.

[Anonymous]

Oho, maybe she would later discover that embarrassing Brinn didn't take much - and it certainly didn't take an audience. Brinn was an awkward, shy person by nature and unused to teasing. And, in fact, Yahto was the first person in years he'd spent this much time with in a single day. He was at the uncomfortable phase of wondering just what she wanted from him that made her stick around, and kind of... hoping she wouldn't disappear on him. Forests were nice, but they were lonely.

"There'll be a lake. Or a stream. Or something. I'll find one. I want a bath." To wash all the dust and gross off from being in the city. Most of which was only in his imagination, but still. He was a clean puppy, and wanted to stay that way.

...And then, as with any normal guy his age, the thought of Yahto (or any girl, for that matter) bathing in a lake crossed his mind and he had to take a moment to will the blush from his face. Honestly! If he was going to be spending any length of time with this girl around, he needed to stop being so stupid and awkward!

"...I hope you brought your own food," he added gruffly. "I don't wanna share mine." But he would. Dammit.

[Anonymous]

"Food...? Oh!" Yahto giggled. "Ah ha ha! I knew I was forgetting something. Don't worry about me. I can scrounge up food," she said, smiling brightly.

Okay. She really didn't know she was forgetting something, but now that he mentioned food, she realized she had forgotten to get some. Oh well! She was pretty good at guessing which plants were poisonous and which weren't. Although, usually that was from personal experience rather than any basic knowledge. You'd think she'd be dead by now from all the plants she had eaten. Her heritage made her quite resilient though.

"You don't have to share your food," she giggled and poked him in the side.

"....I feel really free." Obviously she wasn't referring to being free, as in imprisoned or something. At least not her entire being -more focused on her chest area.

Yes. Yahto had grown up in a family of all females. The concept of modesty around other people -like men- never crossed her mind. If you live with three older sisters and a mom,  you really don't have a problem going around practically nude, now do you? And her family wasn't shy -and living with older females, who, on occasion, got drunk, things got interesting. So refraining from telling Brinn about every aspect of her body or anything like that never even touched her mind.

[Anonymous]

Thankfully this time, Brinn didn't quite get her meaning. He looked over at her, expression like that of a confused puppy. He could be kind of cute when he wasn't scowling and looking like he was ready to hit something - or someone.

"Free?" he asked, bewildered. "Are you not usually?" Huh. Maybe that was why she was so destructive. It was just like with babies and animals! Keep them penned up too long and when you let 'em out, they're so excited that they ruin everything. ...Somehow Brinn didn't imagine Yahto would like being compared to an animal, or a baby, so he didn't bring that part up.

As for poisonous plants... she could leave that to Brinn. He had a good nose, and was quite versed in dealing with forest-life. He knew which plants you could eat, poison a man with, use for sicknesses and heal wounds. So long as he didn't get any inclination to try and poison the girl, things would be juuuust fine.

[Anonymous]

Aw! How adorable. He didn't understand that she was talking about her boobs! Of course, that didn't mean she was going to let him stay in the dark. Oh no, she wasn't that kind at all. She grinned and shook her head. Her, be imprisoned? Well, wouldn't be the first time she was in a cell, but she got bored too quickly -too easily. Didn't suit her at all.

"Nope! Talking about my breasts, dear," Yahto said, laughing.

"They're usually bound. It's quite a relief for them to be free, really," she said, combing her fingers through the lock of hair laying between her gray eyes.

She grinned, amused. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He was such an amusing guy... Really. How did Yahto manage to find someone just so... like him? This would definitly be fantastic. But, she supposed, better for dear Brinn that she didn't bring a flask of alcohal -he'd have one interesting time with her then. She definitly was more indecent with a few drinks down in her.

Not that she wasn't now, but she'd practically give him a strip show with that. Hm... That gave her an idea! She looked at him rather brightly, tilting her head.

"Are we gonna take a bath together?" Really, she found nothing sexual or even wrong about that.

Co-ed baths were fun! Amusing and... well, that was just her take on things. Yahto went to great lengths for amusement purposes, if that wasn't obvious.

[Anonymous]

The first comment left him stumbling a little in surprise, and he turned his head away, suddenly very interested in something or other off to his right. If he just didn't look at her, he wouldn't end up staring at her chest and making an idiot of himself. Again. Good lord, hadn't this girl been taught any manners?! Brinn's mother had been such a quiet, modest, polite woman - in fact most of the women he'd known growing up had been! Yahto was just so completely different from anything he'd encountered before and it was throwing his entire world a little off-kilter.

He (perhaps smartly) kept his mouth shut, biting on his tongue.

...Which wasn't so smart, as her bath-question did send him tripping forward to the dirt, though thankfully not on his face. Still, he bit his tongue in the process and cursed as she scrambled to his feet.

"N-no!" The words came out so high that they sounded almost like a squeak. He took a second and tried again. "That's not proper at all!" There, better. "I'll just - uh - I mean - I'll make a fire while you bathe. It'll be getting late by the time we get out there." Good excuse, right? ...Not that taking a bath with a girl would've been a bad thing but - ack no! Bad dog, bad!

[Anonymous]

Yahto giggled, followed by a pleased smirk. It appeared that'd she'd be making everything she could very well known to him. What entertainment! He didn't seem used to her... Or maybe he wasn't used to people in general? In fact, Yahto wasn't really aware of how odd, crazy, or different she came off to people. Then again, it was just as likely that if she knew she really wouldn't care.

As soon as he tripped she blinked, paused in walking and burst out laughing, clapping her hands over her mouth. What was that for? She giggled behind her hands and watched him with sparkling eyes. Brinn, you're so very funny, she thought.

His squeaking only made her laugh even harder until her cheeks were tinged pink from laughing at him. His reaction to her led her to believe he really wasn't used to being asked these types of questions.

"Proper?" She dropped her hands from her mouth, tilting her head with the question.

"Really?" She didn't really seem to share the same belief. She thought back to the times her and her sisters and their friends -some were guys- shared baths and skinny dipped.

"Huh... How odd!" She said brightly.

"I don't get it... How's it not proper?" She asked curiously, looking at him with her gray eyes. Just what did he mean by it not being proper?

[Anonymous]

On his knees, Brinn stared up at her through wide, confused eyes. This... this girl made no sense to him! "How is it not proper-?! It's--"

...Okay, now that he was trying to find a reason for it being improper beyond 'it just is!', he couldn't seem to think of a single one. It was just... natural, wasn't it? That he'd been brought up to believe that men and women weren't supposed to be around each other naked when they weren't intimately involved, or younger children - that was okay, too, they didn't know any better.

After a few minutes of just opening his mouth say something, then closing it again, Brinn got up to his feet and dusted off his knees.

"It's just improper, alright? Men and women aren't supposed to be that close when they aren't involved, and... just..." Yeah. Real smooth. Good way of convincing her, huh.

Huffing a little in frustration, Brinn started walking again, more eager than ever to get the hell past the city gates leading to nowhere. "I'll think of a better reason later. Let's get going." HA. Good save, loser.

[Anonymous]

"Really? But it's natural form, isn't it?" How confusing, damn social rules.

Social rules always confused her. You could do something, under certain circumstances, but not under -any- other. God forbid! You could do this, only when doing that, or you couldn't do this because it just 'wasn't proper'. And so many people conformed to such strict rules, as if they didn't think anything else of it!

"You will? 'Kay! Don't forget to tell me, okay?" Yahto enthused, smirking.

She had to hear this. Too bad her sisters weren't here. They'd make him extremely uncomfortable. Her sisters were even -MORE- daring then HER. He should actually feel extremely lucky she was probably the one who could be considered 'normal' in her chaotic family.

"You get so flustered! I just mention something and... well, you tripped at that... Hehehe!" Yahto said, walking onwards with arms crossed over her chest.

When they finally emerged from the city she glanced at the birds and trees, taking in every possible sight with eyes she knew would consume it all in one vast bite and then forget it. It'd linger only momentarily, but be lost among the many other memories stowed inside her mind. While so beautiful and breathtaking -even the chaos of the city could be considered beautiful. If you had the patience -even a smidgen- to step back and take a look at the bustle, maybe you could appreciate it. Or maybe you'd hate it even more.

Nothing here was memorable. It would dissipate just like the rest. It was average -ordinary. Distinctly unique to those who observed, but quite the same with a simple glance. But even it's uniqueneess didn't set apart for it to be memorized. At least not for Yahto.

[Anonymous]

"I get flustered because you're indecent," Brinn muttered under his breath, but didn't make too big a deal out of it. He'd get used to Yahto's... openess... eventually. He hoped. ...And why was he assuming she'd be sticking around long enough for him to get used to anything about her, anyway?

Really, should it have shocked him as much as it did? Men were the same way. Some were quiet, modest, polite gentlemen. Others were vulgar, gambling ruffians that spent most of their lives in a bar or a brothel. Neither of which suited Brinn too well. He'd yet to go into a single bar without getting into a fight - and it was never his fault! ...Just because he'd started it didn't mean it was his fault, right? It was because those drunk idiots were upsetting a waitress or some poor old man, and someone had to step in and protect them, right?!

...Here was hoping Brinn never, ever had to take Yahto into such a place. Besides, the image of this girl drunk was worrisome.

The greenery around them seemed to work as an instant tranquilzer for Brinn. He seemed to untense the farther from the city they got, and even his expression softened. Oh, he looked so much better when he wasn't scowling all the time! This place felt like a home to him. He liked the birds chirping, liked the assorment of color everywhere - a lot of green, yes, but so many different shades of it that it seemed endless. He'd yet to see a man capable of capturing the depth of nature on canvas. It always looked so fake to him.

His sensitive hearing picked up on a stream a few miles away, so he changed course slightly to head towards it. He'd entered the city from the opposite side they'd left, so all of this area was unfamiliar to him. Unfamiliar meant new and exciting. Not all forests were the same to Brinn. Something new seemed to await him in every place he went. The weather there was especially nice; a little cool, nice and dim as the trees overhead blocked most of the sun save for a few thin patches... It smelled faintly of rain, and he hoped it held off at least until they found someplace to sleep.

"...There's a stream," he said after awhile. "It'll lead to a lake somewhere if we keep following it."