Look what the Cat dragged in...

Niko had been up for several hours already, and she was greeted through her kitchen window by the sun that steadily rose over the horizon. It was still early yet, but that was the signal to get breakfast started. Mako could cook something that could make you feel full and healthy for days on end, but it had the most horrible taste, and didn't feed the soul. As such, she always cooked breakfast, and she tried to help him with his… health shakes, as much as she could so they didn’t taste like something meant to cure all diseases.

So after a couple of minutes, coming out of the now open window, the serene smell of bacon and eggs wafted into the air. She was making that, plus toast, oatmeal and milk. It was a wholesome breakfast, and food was one of the few things she didn’t skimp on when it came to what she bought. Sure, she could have been more frugal, but Niko herself ate a considerable amount… there was hardly ever any leftovers, at least, when she remembered to eat. She wasn’t about to forget breakfast, the one meal she was responsible for though. If Niko had an obligation to fulfill, she did with extreme efficiency and dedication, like everything else.

Letting things sizzle and simmer for a moment, the red haired woman closed her bright green eyes for a second, trying to think of what all she needed to get done today. She would be hitting the forge probably after breakfast… she still was trying to perfect the mold for the Senbon to improve the efficiency and quality of the product. Sure, titanium was a great metal, and one of the best out there, but it didn’t mean squat if her quality was garbage. She needed a great many tools that were in her father’s forge, but she had to build up enough money to buy that place back…

[1]

Oriana was up early, as was her habit, in order to avoid the crowds that formed by late morning. She took the rooftops from her studio apartment to Mako's home. Typically, when she wanted to speak with him, she would appear on a rooftop not far from his house and wait. He usually noticed her shortly after leaving his house and then Oriana would approach and tell him what she wanted. Typically she would request to train or do a mission together. Oriana didn't seek the other genin out for much else, preferring to be alone.

Today she sniffed the air, catching a hint of a delicious smell coming from Mako's house. She hadn't know the boy could cook.

Curious she crept closer and perched in the windowsill of the wall behind Niko.

Her head tilted to the side when she caught sight of red hair. Was this the wrong part of the building. Oriana would have lost interest and tried to disappear once she saw Mako wasn't inside, but the smell was too tempting and the pink-haired genin lingered a touch too long to escape notice.

[1]

Niko was in the midst of putting the pile of scrambled eggs and cheese onto a pair of plates when she noticed, but didn’t mention anything directly, simply grabbing another plate and putting it down. Mako was still dead asleep, having a night mission the night prior, so he wouldn’t be joining them, and Yuuta… well who knew where that boy was, and couldn’t be counted on to join her either. But this was the woman that Mako had described to her; incredibly shy, pink hair, acted a bit like an estranged cat… Oriana, if she recalled correctly from their mission to rescue her and the others from that brothel.

She hadn’t been tracking the woman after that… but apparently, according to Mako, the pink haired woman had grown relatively attached to Mako after the incident, and even became a ninja and did missions. And now, it seemed, she was hungry, and ever the responsible one, she wasn’t about to let the girl go without getting some food in her stomach. After fully loading two plates and a pair of bowls, Niko finally made her move, walking over to the window, opening it rapidly and grabbing the girl, pulling her into the house.

She fully expected to get clawed, bit and punched, but she wasn’t going to let go. Once she simmered down, Niko would simply put her in the chair where the food was set, not saying a single word until she was. “You must be Oriana. Eat up… I have enough, and Mako will be sleeping for several more hours yet.” Shifting her schedule was something that she was always able to do on the fly, canceling things that were lower on the priority list mentally as she waited for Oriana to speak or eat… possibly both.

[2]

Oriana finally managed to turn to leave when the redhead grabbed her. The pink-haired woman hissed and kicked at her captor, twisting to sink her teeth into any available flesh in order to escape. Moments later she was deposited in a chair and told to eat. She was already bolting, the chair clattering across the kitchen floor as the short teen made a break for it.

Just as she reached the window, Oriana processed that the other woman had mentioned Mako's name. She skidded to a stop, crashing into the windowsill and toppling over the edge. Only panicked application of chakra kept her from falling any further, adhering the poor genin to the wall.

Niko could hear a pitiful voice call from outside, "I think I need some help." This time, Oriana let the redhead pull her inside.

"No touching please." Oriana made sure to put a full meter between herself and Niko once physical contact was no longer needed. "Who are you?"

[2]

Niko let the entire scene unfold around her, having a fresh set of bite marks in her arm and not seeming to care much about it. It hurt like a bitch… but she wasn’t about to let that be something that she let Oriana see. She was curious as to why she muttered something about needing help, but considering the precarious position, this time, she walked over and picked her up gently, setting her back down on the kitchen floor.

She made a gesture towards the chair she had knocked over in her attempt to escape, and then to the pile of food waiting for her, steaming and smelling absolutely divine. “No touching… got it. But in return, if it’s time to eat, you come inside. You don’t, I get full rights to grab you and drag you inside myself…” she smiled, looking at the red mark on her arm, “without the flailing.” That was a fair enough deal, in Niko’s mind.

Sitting back down herself, she answered the question simply. “I am Niko Kanuchi. I was one of the Genin that helped you get out of that hell hole with Mako. I had a seperate section to work in, so I never saw you, but Mako mentioned you the other day. Said you became a Ninja. He… well, he is less than great at taking care of himself, so I kinda fill that role. We don’t have anyone else really.” She then locked eyes with her. “And now, for you it seems.” She then gave her a warm, heartfelt smile and waited for the reply, scooping a large bite of her eggs up.

[3]

Oriana's eyes narrowed at Niko, blue irises hard like ice chips, shoulders tensing. She looked ready to turn tail and launch herself through the window with little care for how rough the landing would be. Her gaze moved from the redhead to the food and her stomach growled.

"Fine."

She recovered the chair that had been knocked over by their previous scuffle and set it up right a good meter away from Niko. Even though the woman had promised not to touch her if she ate, a strange deal to make, Oriana still felt wary. She pulled a plate towards herself and took a bite. The idea of someone unilaterally deciding it was their job to look after her itched, but the hunger pangs would not be silenced.

Within a few moments, the pink-haired teen was hunched over her plate and eating in quick but neat bites. She chewed a few times, but seemed determined to inhale the food as quickly as possible without being messy or downright disgusting. Oriana glanced towards Niko a few times to ensure the meal wouldn't be taken back. By the time she'd eaten half her food, the shorter teen's posture had relaxed and she appeared to be enjoying the meal greatly. Once her belly was full, anxiety began gnawing at her once more.

Niko had made no moves to touch her, and was still eating. Oriana debated whether she should wait for Mako or go find somewhere safe to calm herself. Belatedly, she remembered that it was rude not to thank someone for feeding her.

"Thanks for the food."

[3]

Niko watched her with interest as she ate, and the glances in her direction was tell-tale signs that she was worried to no end, but slowly and surely, she began to relax. Very similar to Mako in that regard… interesting. Perhaps that was why she had grown so attached to him; they were birds of a feather. But on that same note, that meant that she was going to need to help her too; Mako wouldn’t have survived without her… and while she doubted that Oriana was in that dire straits, she couldn’t rule out the possibilities either.

Her own food was half devoured; she was no slouch when eating either, but not quite inhaling it like Oriana was. Taking a moment, she waited until she was thanked, and gave her a warm smile. Without a word, she made sure they had eye contact and stood, walking to the side and grabbing the skillet once again, and scooping a bit more eggs onto her plate. “Seconds always come around here. Take your time with it… enjoy the flavor.” A couple of pieces of bacon landed next to them, still giving her plenty of space, and then just as quickly retreating.

Sitting back down, she continued with her own food. “I cook breakfast, and sometimes Mako will make something. It’s extremely healthy, but tastes like an old boot… so I try to help him with it. I’m also a blacksmith and do my fair share of sewing, so if you need something made or repaired, it’s what I do. My door,” she paused and smirked for a moment, “or window is almost always open. It took a few years before Mako could call this place safe for him, but I hope you will give it a try too.” Speech done, she finished her own breakfast and began to collect dishes.

[4]

Oriana looked confused when Niko gave her more food, but complied with her hostess' wishes and continued to eat. Her stomach began to feel uncomfortably full, so she stuffed the extra bacon and toast into the pocket of her dark grey hoodie. Her eyelids sank to half mast as the amount of food she'd eaten began to take effect. Despite starting to appear sleepy, the pink-haired teen still managed to be tense and appear ready to escape at a moment's notice.

She would likely have to come back here if she continued to hang around Mako. Beyond that, Mako probably wouldn't tolerate her refusing to interact with his roommate. Sighing she relaxed a fraction, if only because she knew there was no going back.

"I'll be around," was all she had to say in response to Niko's heartfelt speech. The response was a bit bland, but truthful nonetheless. Oriana stood, sitting wasn't a very defensible position, but eating and standing wasn't really appropriate in this setting. She glanced towards the window then back towards Niko.

"I won't go far." The pink-haired teen climbed out the window and began to scale the wall to settle on the roof and wait for Mako to get up. She get more comfortable and doze until he left the building.

[4]

Niko noticed that she was tired and moved without another thought. Being full would make you tired, especially if you weren’t used to being full, which was more than likely. She really was a bit like a pink haired cat, and it was immensely cute, and as she put the dishes in the sink she heard that she would be around, and nodded. She moved to a closet and pull out a large roll-up mattress, laying it out in front of the living room window where the sun bathed the floor in light and warmth. “I get you like the height, but this spot is going to be way more comfortable… and Mako may be a while.”

That, and if she was being honest, she wanted her to stay inside. The more exposure that she had to the inside of the home, the more Oriana would become comfortable with it. With that said, she began to do the dishes; she would come in and be comfortable, or she wouldn’t. Not giving her the freedom of choice only came when it came to keeping people fed, clothed or healthy? Absolutely. But comfort was a matter of choice and she wouldn’t force the issue. Once the dishes were done, she then moved to the forge, leaving the door slightly ajar so that if she got curious she could follow.

Once inside, she began to tinker with her mold for her Senbon, trying to tweak it to get it right.

[5]

Oriana paused when Niko explained that the wait for Mako to wake up would probably be long. She lingered above the window, listening to the redhead's retreating footsteps. The pink-haired genin waited a few minutes before climbing back down to perch in the open window. Niko had gone somewhere, probably the room over there if the door was any indication. It hadn't been open before, but the door was ajar now.

Finally, Orinana dropped into the house and settled on the mattress, curling up. She kept her eyes half open to watch for any sign of Niko or Mako coming into the room. The position was comfortable, but being in a new environment kept her on edge enough to stay half awake despite the pleasant warmth from the sunlight streaming through the window and her full belly.

Sleep started to tug at her, but Oriana shook her head and sat up, resting an arm across her knees, the other arm behind her to support her weight. A yawn stretched her mouth, lips curling to reveal teeth. She stretched and leaned against the wall behind her, head tilting back to lean on the windowsill.

[5]

As per usual, Niko was getting engrossed in her work. She was tinkering with her mold for the Senbon, and preparing her first batch. Ebony was expensive stuff, so wasting it wasn’t an option. She had to make the most out of what she had every single time, but luckily, Senbon was an extremely simple weapon. Nothing but a long needle, it was the perfect way to practice and get things right, and increase her skill in her craft. She wanted to make her Shield and Spear, but now wasn’t the right time.

She couldn’t mess that up.

Senbon was not just the right weapon because it was simple, but also because it was small and light. She could make 20 senbon from a single batch of ore, each one better than the last until she was confident in her skills to make something more complex. She would need to make some ‘throw away’ weapons as well… probably out of titanium. A strong metal, it was far cheaper than Ebony and still was a good weapon for making spears with, as well as Kunai and Shuriken. But that was why she was taking so much time with something as basic as a mold.

If you covered the basics with a fine tooth comb, it would be too easy to move forward.

But that was what led her to a precarious situation. She was using a set of pliers to hold the mold, a small chisel to scrape away imperfections, and another set of pliers to keep it from wiggling. How was she using three tools at once you ask? Well, that was because one set of pliers was in her mouth, and she was starting to lose her grip. Not wanting to drop her mold, she panicked for a moment, but hoped that she could call for reinforcements.

“O-ianna, help!” she called through the open doorway, praying the woman was within earshot, her mouth full of the handle parts of the pliers but slipping.

[6]

Oriana jumped up, surprised at the call for help. She rushed into the forge to see Niko precariously trying to keep what appeared to be a wooden mold from slipping and falling. The short teen looked at the tall redhead and raised an eyebrow as if to say, "Really?"

Calming down now that she knew there was no immediate danger, she approached the tall woman and held out her hands under the small, wooden object.

"I can catch it."

Her head tilted to the side, eyes focusing on Niko's project. "What is this?" the pink-haired genin asked curiously. While she waited for an answer, Oriana began to look around the forge and take stock of everything.

[6]

Niko was obviously not troubled by her not being worried about something that was important to the red-head, but the fact that she was present was good enough. The pink haired woman moved into position and claimed that she could catch it, and Niko was very grateful. She dropped it, trusting Orianna to catch it carefully, and then slowly set her tools down, working her jaw a bit from holding the pliers in her mouth. “It’s a mold. I’m working to perfect making more Senbon out of a really good material, and having a good mold is important. The wood is really soft though, so dropping it isn’t really an option.”

She hoped that would help with the explanation… but then had an idea. “If you are willing, I could use an extra set of hands. It’s hard to chisel out the flaws from the mold and hold it at the same time… and I can’t really just set it down anywhere and work on it considering how soft the wood is and how it would slide all over the place.” Would she be willing to help? She was already well within the personal bubble that Oriana preferred, so perhaps this was OK. Besides, it helped her too; she would be able to make Kunai and such for her later one and maybe give her a discount on the prices.

[7]

Oriana caught the mold easily before taking a few steps back to regain some space between them. Her shoulders loosened a little once her personal space was reestablished. She examined the mold closely while Niko explained what it was and what it would be for.

"Won't hot metal break this?" she asked, a confused frown tugging at her lips.

The pink-haired teen's gaze returned to the redhead once Niko hinted asked for her assistance. Her eyes narrowed a bit while Oriana contemplated the prospect of being uncomfortably close to the other woman for an extended period of time. Building rapport now would probably make being around Niko easier (and seeing more of Mako's roommate was likely inevitable), and, more importantly, might repay her for breakfast. Oriana disliked being in someone's debt almost as much as she disliked getting within forty or so centimeters of other people. Perhaps she could even use this to secure the no touching agreement.

"Okay. I'll help, just no touching." The agreement came with a warning. It went without saying that the short genin still did not like being too close to other people but she was willing to put up with it in order to get things done.

Oriana came closer and set the mold on a nearby workbench.

"Do I need tools to hold it still?"

[7]

Niko smiled and shook her head. “The metal is in liquid form, so it won’t break, but it will definitely burn the wood. It’s why I can only use these wooden ones once. I want to get some better ones, but they are expensive and I can’t afford them at the moment, so I’m making due with something I can go out in the woods and find.” It was the truth too; she didn’t have much in the way of options at the moment but she was working on it.

She nodded. “The bench will work, and of course.” She wasn’t about to say what would be most effective because that would require her to touch her; holding the wood in her lap was just asking too much. It was better because it wouldn’t slip and slide and the pink haired girl would be able to use both hands to hold onto the wood and keep it from moving, and all surfaces were solid enough for her to work with, but soft enough not to cause damage. She had a bit of risk of damages to the mold with the workbench, but that would be a chance she would be gladly taking if it meant Oriana was more comfortable.

Moving over to the bench, she waited for Oriana to get into position and gave her a thankful nod of her head, pulling out a couple of precision tools and leaning in close, her entire focus on the wood and nothing else. It was obvious she got lost in her work easily, if nothing else, and she was hyper-focused on working with the mold. After a few minutes of scraping and pressing, she nodded and sat back in the chair. “That will have to work… we will just have to wait and see what happens when I put the Ebony into it and let it cool.”

She gave Orianna a warm smile. “Thank you. Couldn’t have done it without’cha.”

[8]

Niko's explanation wasn't what Oriana had expected. Then again, the shorter teen didn't know anything about weaponsmithing.

"Oh," was all she had to say in response.

The pink-haired teen held the mold in place while Niko worked, careful to keep it still. She was tense, but resisted the urge to flee. Her chest felt tight and Oriana realized she had forgotten to breathe. She tried to focus on her breathing instead of how close the redhead was. As requested, Niko didn't touch her or try to move closer than necessary.

After a while, Oriana noticed that the redhead was so intent on her work that she seemed to forget about her. This allowed the pink-haired teen to relax a bit. Going unnoticed was comforting. Every time she'd been passed over back in that brothel had been a blessing. The comfort was short-lived, however. Niko finished her work and sat back.

Oriana released the mold and took a few steps back. The space between them now was just under the pink-haired teen's standard half-meter of personal space. It was barely noticeable, but it was progress nonetheless.

She looked confused at Niko's thanks. "You fed me so I helped." Oriana certainly hadn't been expecting to eat for free. This favor barely repaid breakfast in her mind.

[8]

Niko waved her hand side to side dismissively with a smile. “Oh lord no… I don’t expect repayment for feeding someone who clearly needs to eat. If I can get you to put on a couple of pounds and not be skin and bones, you might make a decent catch for some boy, but more than that, Ninja need to be healthy. Especially if I’m gonna try to take you on any missions, Neko-chan,” she gave her a smile and stuck her tongue out for a moment, just teasing a bit about her cat-like tendencies and thinking they were cute.

“You don’t have to stick with the nickname if you don’t like it… but I expect you to keep up with your health, and that starts with eating and sleeping proper. That sleeping roll out there is yours so long as it stays in this house. I can probably build you a room, but that will take time.” She really was acting like a mom, but more than that, there seemed to be an undertone of practiced authority there, like she was used to leading others. Leaning back, she stretched a moment and thought about things for a second.

“Come to think about it, I don’t know about any of your abilities yet. You want to head to the training grounds and give it a couple of rounds? We could spar a bit and I can get a feel for what you can do. If that bite earlier is any indication, I think you are quite the fighter…” She gave her another warm smile, and waited for a reply.

[9]

Oriana stared at Niko, blue eyes lacking hostility for the first time. She looked dumbfounded. Nobody did things like this for free. That lesson had been hammered into the pink-haired teen from a young age. At the orphanage, there had been chores. The Academy taught people with the expectation that they would become ninja to serve Kumogakure. The people who had given her nice things, food, or money had wanted "favors" even if they did become fond of her (or, more accurately, fond of her body). The brothel… well, what they wanted in exchange for food, shelter, and lighter beatings was complete obedience. Oriana shifted uncomfortably. This wasn't possible. There had to be some hidden catch or expectation.

The authority in Niko's voice kept her from outright rejecting the offer. This wasn't just an offer, it was a command. Oriana turned this thought over in her head. Very well, she could be obedient in exchange for the food, shelter, and care. That was easy. Perhaps she could find ways to be useful without Niko ordering her not to try and pay her back.

"Okay, Niko-sama. I'm yours." This was probably the best deal she could get. Following the redhead's instructions and desires would be child's play compared to other customers she had worked with. It didn't matter if Oriana couldn't understand the reason for Niko's desires as long as she obeyed.

She blinked a few times and settled down now that she had wrapped her mind around this arrangement.

When Niko mentioned the bites from earlier, Oriana blushed. "I'm not very good at it. I'll show you if you want, though."

[9]

Niko blinked, hard, twice. First, the super respectful surname. But then claiming that Oriana literally belonged to her… she had to roll that around in her mind for a moment before the pieces started to fall into place. This actually, sadly, made sense. She was comfortable being ‘owned’ per say, as it made things much more simple. She would follow commands, and as long as Niko didn’t take advantage of that blind obedience, she knew that the girl would be better off that way. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it would do for now.

“For now, until you discover yourself properly.” She knew the statement was probably going to confuse her, but the truth was that was fine; she wouldn’t be able to understand it until it started happening and she started thinking for herself. “Then one of the first things I want you to remember is to speak your mind. Niko-sensei, Niko-sama, or just Niko honestly is fine. I don’t care about formalities all that much, and don’t have enough energy to care about other people’s opinions on the subject aside the people in this house.”

Standing up, she regretted not having at least a rudimentary weapon, but picked up a couple of her Senbon, putting them in the base of her ponytail. She didn’t want to show off, but honestly, this was likely all she would need. The girl was just a Genin after all, and although she was on the weaker end of the spectrem for a Jounin, she was still two whole ranks above. If she lost to the girl, it was her own fault… but winning and losing wasn’t what she was going for. She wanted to evaluate the girls’ skills.

[10]

//Exit to the Training Grounds

Oriana watched Niko's reaction carefully, body tensing preemptively in case she needed to brace herself for punishment. Had she been wrong? No such punishment came, rather the redhead tentatively confirmed Oriana's suggestion. She relaxed again once Niko seemed to accept the proposition.

"Okay Niko-sama."

The girl followed her new master out of the forge and left the house with her. Mako would have to wait. Surely he wouldn't mind her arrangement with Niko as the redhead would probably let her continue to train and do missions with him. Oriana walked a bit behind Niko as she followed her to the training fields to be tested. She was a bit nervous about doing poorly, but it was what Niko wanted so Oriana would comply.

[10]

[//Exit to training grounds]