Getting respect

Ichigo continued his fall off the cliff.His heart was pumping like crazy.But as much as this might sound crazy...Ichigo was happy.He finally felt free and was able to do things other people couldn't.Right when his face was about to hit the water below he grew wings and soared just above the sea.When all of a sudden a great white jumped right in front of Ichigo and swallowed him whole.


Ichigo awoke startled from his slumber.His head heat a branch that was right above him."Ow....ugh....another day.....in hell"said Ichigo gloomily.Ichigo had his Night Stick in his hand incase someone tried to kill him in his sleep.As crazy as that would sound....thats just the regular life a missing ninja.And considering not many missing ninja are anywhere near his strength level so he had to be careful....EXTREMELY careful.Ichigo put his Night Stick on his back.Ichigo was gonna have to look for some grub.But he would need some money for that and right now his currency was 0 Yen."Im screwed....what am i gonna do?!I have no cash!No food!Maybe....they would except me back at Suna....NO!I cant think like that man...ugh better get started.Maybe i can find some minerals and sell them at a store or sumthin."said Ichigo while his brain was all scrambled.

Ichigo was jut about to catch a deer when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye.He turned and saw a figure coming...another ninja!"HOLY CRAP!"said Cloud as he began to climb a nearby tree hoplessely."I hope he doesnt see me...."whispered Ichigo

Just because a forest is covered with high trees which are dotted with thousands upon thousands of leaves, blocking the sky and shading the ground with a floor of shadow with only holes of light on it from place to place...that doesnt mean it cant get hot. In the middle of the day, with the sun highest in the sky as it dared to get, heat slithered down in waves, passing even the natural roof to bake those that lingered beneath the sun's blinding stare. Despite this, the shade beneath the trees actually does provide some comfort, as out in the open its even hotter. Such thoughts ran through the head of Eve as she places a flat hand over her forehead and looked up at the sun, a few droplets of sweat dotting her head and sinking into the hair that fell before it. It wasnt much sweat, not much at all compared to what she had just recently experienced in the Wind Country. She was standing still in the middle of a forest in unknown territory, maybe a border between countries, who honestly knew anymore. The thoughts of the heat consumed her as she looked up stationary, realizing that the main cause for the heat she was feeling was more than likely the all black clothing she was wearing. She did wonder though if she had built up some kind of immunity, or at least resistance, to heat since staying so long, and almost dying even, within the Wind Country thanks to the unforgiving blaze and dehydration. Were it not for that oasis, she probably wouldnt be where she was right now...

She frowned slightly as she heard her stomach growl, and bitterly remembered that it had been quite awhile since she had eaten anything at all, and was getting the the point where it was kill or be killed for the sake of food. She was used to not eating for long periods of time, and was probably ready to go for weeks without it, and still feel fine. But it had been far to long now, any longer and the situation would reach a point where she would be unable to help herself. It was a little...different, considering the fact that the situation seemed to be so normal. Her stomach was growling, she must be a little hungry right? No, in her case her stomach only growled when she was dangerously close to dying from lack of food. What was she to do now? Hungry in the middle of a forest which was filled with hundreds of animals, some big and some small. Anyone who couldnt answer that question needed to go back to preschool. A sigh followed the frown as the hand dropped from her forehead and she looked at the ground brieflyl. It was time to hunt.

As bold as the statement sounded, it was really a more mellow progression that most would think. Rather than putting on some kind of...primal instinct and running around, hiding and searching with expert skill, all she really did was begin to walk forward at a slow pace, simply scanning the area around her for signs of any kind of life in which could be eaten. She spotted squirrels and raccoons, and other maner of small creatures, but when she got ready to strike her stomach just growled again as if telling her that eating something so small would only make her feel worse, therefor inferring that what she had to take down was something larger. So, without thinking at this point, she walked down the forest path, if it could be called that, slowly looking for nothing smaller than a deer. And ironically, thats exactly what she found, a deer. She spotted it just after lifting her head. But...something set her off, as there was a sound that caused her to look up...the sound of something jumping behind leaves it sounded like, as if someone was hiding. She did her best to shrug it off and at least appear as though it mattered little, while in truth actually straining her senses to counter or at least dodge any attack that came at her when her back was turned. As if from nowhere, a kunai was extended into her hand, and thrown into the neck of the deer. The animal fell to the ground quickly, as the kunai had pierced nice and deep, killing it instantly. She walked over to the deer, getting ready to prepare the downed animal to eat...

Ichigo was scared shiitless when that ninja pulled a kunai.How long can i stay up here?!That girl is gonna kill me T.TIchigo thought to himself.Ok....lets see the options here..........

Well for starters i could go up and confront her and pray to God she wont kill me.Just then the ninja killed the deer as if it was no big deal to her.WRONG OPTION!Ok........................
well maybe i could try and escape with out her noticing?uh.......maybe not.OR! I could trap her and then make a run for it....the deido clan mud only lasts for a while so it should disolve eventually and i wont have to feel bad about trapping her there.Just then the ninja took a huge bite out of the deer.WRONG OPTION AGAIN T.T!THINK MAN THINK!There HAS to be someway out of this.But just then Ichigo got a sniff of the cooking deer.Jesus christ that smells delicous T.T.....Ichigo began to imagine eating a whole lot of deer.He took another sniff but he dust went up his nose and he had to sneeze.OH NO! thought Cloud but it was to late he sneezed as loud as he could and the branch he was hiding on broke and he began his descent to the ground.He landed on the ground straight on his head "ow....."said Ichigo when he realized was right infront of the ninja.He burst out into tears "PLEASE DONT KILL ME?!"

As soon as she was finished skinning the deer in which she had killed almost effortlessly, she took off the large pack in which she was carrying on her back, and set it down next to the corpse of the animal. She flipped it open and began rummaging through it. This back contained all kinds of things for survival purposes, some even training purposes. One thing it did contain, one of two things she was looking for, was flint and tinder. She spent a couple of moments getting this out, along with the wood in which she did actually keep within the pack. She was definitely prepared to make a fire whenever needed. It took her awhile because it was a little difficult to rummage the wood out of the pack, and finding the flint and tinder among the wood and all the other supplies in it...well, it wasnt an easy thing to do. But soon enough she had everything she needed to make a decent sized fire, and moved the pack away and to the other side of her, creating the fire just where the pack was, directly beside the deers head actually. From the very moment she plunged her teeth into the deer when it still had its skin on it, an action she did as a way to make a good first indention into the skin so that when she took the kunai to it after, she had a starting point, she started praying to the deceased deer spirit.

That may sound a little strange, but it was just something she did whenever she got a meal this way. She enjoyed the company of animals much more than other humans, and actually valued them more than other humans, so she never felt compeltely okay killing them off, even for food. She wasnt a religious person, but she believed everything that lived, even the trees and grass, had a spirit to them, a spirit that left and moved on whenever its host died. Since the deer could obviously understand nothing she would say to it in life, she found praying to its dead spirit, and thanking it for sacrificing its life unwillingly for her next meal, being sure to express her regret for being forced to doing such a thing, and wishing it tidings of a happy afterlife. She had finished doing this just as she was starting to actually cook the food on the fire in which she had created. The scent of the cooking deer made its way into her nose, and she made a point to suck it up and take it in. She always seemed to forget how much she actually enjoyed eating exotic foods with different tastes during the time period in which she didnt eat. It was something that made her wonder even to herself why she ate so little, when she enjoyed actually eating in the first place.

She was just beginning to ponder this when she heard what sounded like a gigantic sneeze from above and behind her. An instant reaction on her part was made without thinking, as she stood up and spun around in the same motion, pressing a vicious snarl on her face, a murderous look in her eye, and extending the same bloody kunai in front of her in a defensive manor. She looked down to see a man about her age, maybe older maybe younger, she was not a good judge of such things, and held her threataning gaze as he complained about the bump he had recieved on his way down without looking at her. She was sure to show him as much savageness as she possibly could when he looked up at her, basically telling him to get lost or die, when suddenly he did the unexpected. He actually broke down and started crying, begging for his life basically. It brought back memories of the past...things that could never be forgotten no matter how hard she tried. She had been in his current position countless times before, sitting on the ground and begging for her life, hoping to live. Even now she wondered why she actually begged to continue living. Even though her life was spared each time, the suffering that followed always made her wish she had begged to be killed rather than spared.

It was this memory that caused that look in her eye, that look of pure hatred and remorse towards men to sizzle down to a minimum as she softened and her body became less tense. The kunai holding arm dropped to her side as she left any hostile actions behind her, and seemed to look almost like a caring mother in a way, as she began to kneel down in front of the person, so that she was down at his level. Her bad social abilities were shown clearly as she tried to talk to him. She sounded awkward and unsure of her words, but her intentions were clear. She was well aware that she was taking a huge risk opening herself up the way she was, but she was slowly learning there was good in some people, and that it was time she started trusting people. She placed a hand on his shoulder and tried to get him to look into her eyes, which were now soft and understanding. "Hey, calm down okay? I'm not going to hurt you" she said quietly, trying to make him stop crying. "Would you like some food?"

Ichigo was bawling his eyes out it was as if he was in his own little universe.He didnt know what to do.But he knew what to think.......PLEASE GOD LET ME LIVE?!ILL WORSHIP YOU FOREVER! ILL HANG PICTURES OF YOU IN MY CARDBOARD BOX EVERYWHERE! JUST PLEASE LET ME LIVE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!......He started to have flash backs.Like when he threw his first shuriken which had actually bounced off the target and had hit him in the forehead.And the time where he had his first crush and he had this fuzzy feeling inside his gut but he later found out that was just gas.Also he couldnt forget about when his mom accidently dropped him on the head when he was a baby.Everything that had happened in his life was coming back to him.But then he realized that the lady was trying to calm him down.WAAAAAH.....waaah....wait....she aint gonna kill me 0.0?YES! VICTORY!!!ICHIGO OWNS ALL!!.He heard her say "would you like some food?"and Ichigo stopped crying that very second.

"BOY WOULD I?!"yelled Cloud as he sat next to her and started to chow down on victory food.

Eve was surprised by the young man's response when she mentioned food. It was is the word was an off switch to whatever it was that was bothering him. The very second the word slipped out of her lips, he suddenly bounced back from his epidemic, and stopped crying to jump back up and attack her food without even thinking it would seem. Her eyes widened as he seemed to disappear, as he had moved so quickly from his spot and over to the food which was now behind her. Her hand was still hovering in the air as she finally began to gather waht had just happened. She turned around slowly to see him just chomping away at the deer she had killed as if he was starving even more than he was. "Uhm..." she said softly, not exactly expecting to be heard as she was making less noise than he was. "Could you save some for me?" Despite the fact that she was obviously the older of the two, and probably should be in charge since she was the one that offered, her question was not that of sarcasm, she meant exactly what she said. She was being kind and gently asking him to save some for her, rather than basically meaning 'Dont eat all of it idiot!'

((Short...))

((Not to me...lol))

Ichigo was having a feast on the deer.He tried to get in as much as he could now so he wouldnt starve later.OH YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSS the deilciousness of this meat is so unbarable.......SCORE FOR ICHIGO!Hmmmm I wonder if this would taste better with gravy.......UGGGGGGGGGGGGHH Gravy is so AWESOME!Yum yum yum thought Ichigo.He was so caught up in eating when he swore he heard the lady say "could you save some for me?".At that very moment Ichigo felt like a complete moron,he finished gulping down the last piece of meat."uh....sorry?go ahead and eat the rest ^.^,uh...that is if there is any ...left"said Ichigo sort of choked up."Uh yeah....sorry to be so damn rude.....im not usually like that but i havent eaten since like................i think 1 week ago....or 2......actually 1 and a half......oh wait its a leap year right?.....oh know i was right 1 week and a half ^.^"said Ichigo."But anyways my names Ichigo Strawberry hahaha how about you?"said Ichigo curiously.

"Oh..." Eve said, looking down at the ground in return to the boy's response to the way he had scarfed down ALL of the deer in record time. Her voice was one of disappointment, but not at the point in which it was major. She was used to loss, so she never really got to down when something was yanked from her grasp, no matter by who. It was thought that even if she were to suddenly die by the hands of someone she didnt even know, she would go with a smile. "Thats okay" She said quietly still, not really trying to pin guilt on the boy, though what she would say next would probably do just that anyway. Though this was unintentional, of course. She was, again, very bad at social things, so therefor she would sometimes say the wrong things. "I havnt eaten in about a month now but...I'm glad you enjoyed it." She said, her voice like a gentle carrass to the ears, showing no signs of hatred or even annoyance that he had eaten it all. "I'll just go find another deer later..." was what she said now, a distant look coming into her eyes as she looked at the ground, absent mindedly placing a hand on her stomach as a shot of pain that she actually didnt notice scorched through her. Then she heard his name, and heard him ask for hers, and she suddenly jerked upwards. "Oh, Uhm...I'm Eve Hitori...Nice to meet you, Ichigo" She said slowly, seeming a little embarassed

Guilt was written all over Ichigo's face.UGH how retarded can i get today?Like seriously i havent eaten anything in a week.On the other hand she has eaten for a month?!Im such a dumb @$$?! I seriously need to make it up to her.........And just to make Ichigo feel like a bigger dueche bag he saw her holding her hand to her stomach.She was literally starving and Ichigo here had eaten all her food.How stupid can you get?*Facepalm*You have got to be kidding me....well only one way to fix this.....Ichigo felt so bad now that he felt like he really needed to do this."Its a pleasure to meet you too.Uh.....look you dont know how bad i feel about eating your lunch.I shouldnt have ate your lunch like that....i mean if i were in YOUR position i probably would have killed me T.T......and you havent eaten in a month so that must be incredibly painful for you.So please let me help you find something else to eat.I really need to get rid of this quilt 'cus once its there it aint leavin until i do the right thing.........................

So what do you say??"asked Cloud hopefully

A strange look passed over Eve's face as what the young boy was getting at slowly seemed to dawn upon her. It was a look of surprise and diseblief, but in a subtle fashion so that she wasnt staring with wide eyes or mouth agap. Her eyes did get a little wider, but they did so slowly, and only slightly. Whether or not the boy noticed this was a given, for he could be so distracted that he didnt notice, or maybe not be the type to notice such things at all. When he mentioned killing him for his actions, she actually dropped her head and looked at the ground once more. Truth be told, she actually would have done such a thing should it have been anyone other than him. That is, if an actual man about her age, somewhere between 17 and 50, had just walked up to her, said hi, and scarfed all the food she had offered without even thinking, his death would defnitetly come quickly. But this was a little boy...looking only about 13, and while appearing scared and frightened at first, he did take it upon himself to mention he was starved anyway. It was something she wasnt happy to admit, which was why instead of doing it she only simply hung her head in shame that the boy, again, might or might not actually understand.

She looked up again slowly when he finished speaking, leaving the offer in open air for him to find her something else to eat. Looking at him now, she fought back yet another frown as she realized, yet again, if it was anyone else she would tell the person to scram, and beat them herself if they refused, simply rejecting the offer. But the boy was different he was...innocent, and while he was also a little jumpy, he had the right intentions. She swallowed hard when she remembered that it was people like that that usually made the best friends, and couldnt help but remember the day way back when, just after running away from her home. She needed shelter...or at least external support now that she didnt have people she could call family, and all her so called 'friends' did was mug her and take what little supplies she was able to rustle out for herself. The snap of pain in her heart came from the regret and sadness that she could never feel that kind of companionship from anybody. She knew not what to say in return to the boy, so she managed what little she actually could while looking at the boy's hopeful eyes. All she could do at this point was nod a silent 'yes' to him as they both sat looking at eachother.

Ichigo was finally done talking,to himself mostly, and started noticing out of this whole time Eve was keeping her head down.He could tell that she was really shy and he could relate to shy people.Most of the time when people are shy its because people have hurt them in the past.And she has learned just to be quiet.Or maybe she was just born being shy or something.But when ever Ichigo met shy people he didnt like it.Because then they might hold back.But Ichigo for some reason,besides her shyness, already was liking Eve as a friend.A friend......havent had a real one in a long time.......maybe she can be "that" friend thought Ichigo.

Then Ichigo saw her look him in the eyes,and she simply said "yes" but she said it so silently that he almost didnt hear her.So Ichigo got up and started walking slowly."Lets go!^.^"said Ichigo looking at her again.

Eve watched the boy stand up quickly and begin to walk away in some random direction. Her survival instincts wondered in the back of her head if that was really a good direction to go to even get food, or if this kid could even be trusted. She had learned that even the youngest, and innocent people could only be a disguise for trickery beneath. He could stab her when her back was turned, or he could be using her to get some more food for himself, then stab her in the back, and get away with up to two meals scott free. These thoughts crossed her, but only subtly so she didnt dwell on them too much. She decided that she would trust this boy at least enough to take him up on his offer, and not simply run away. Of course, out of pure habit, her guard would never truly be down. It pained her to think of it, but at the slightest hint of being betrayed by this person, she would be more than ready to snap the hostile act back on, and strike him down without a moments hesitation. It wasnt something she liked to consider as it made her think of where her life even was, but she knew it was necessary if she wanted to survive and be feared enough to be left alone.

She nodded once more and stood up, walking up besides him. The boy was young, and rather small compared to her. He couldnt put an exact height on him, but being 6"2 herself, it definitely looked like she had a few inches on him. Standing directly next to him, she had to look down slightly to see his face, which she only briefly as she was catching up to him. Her stomach growled once more at this point and she grimaced horribly, it was really eating away at her now. She imagined she only had three more days max before she would die of starvation. She had no idea what she could possibly say at this point, so all she did was look forward searching more food as she had done in a similar fashion while the boy walked beside him. She felt awkward in that moment, but that was probably just her. After all, it had been a long time since she had spoken with another human being, nevermind actually walked with them on good terms.

Ichigo watched her stand up and started walking up next to him."huh....I guess well just go straight till we find some food =/.But thats alright im sure well find something for you to eat ^.^....besides this is the time when animals come out the most.To prey...."said Ichigo.Ichigo began marching forward in hope of food.He was looking for another deer or maybe something bigger.Ichigo didnt need to eat anymore for about another week he figured.He was as used to Eve at being starved.A month is like a new record to him.It was then when he realized Eve was super tall.Holy crap shes a cyclops T.T.....she HAS to be atleast 6 feet tall.Im sure as hell lucky she didnt kill me dude T.T.

They had been walking for about 3 miles now when Ichigo had spotted a bear.FINALLY!!Lets do it! thought Ichigo while he looked up at Eve with satisfied eyes.He then looked at the bear again."This should be fast"said Ichigo as he took out needles in hand and had his Night Stick prepared in the other.He ran up to the bear and whacked it square in the eye.He jumped over it but while he was in the air right above his head he threw the needles,all five of them,right into his skull.And like that the bear collapsed and Ichigo yelled "DINNER TIME!^.^"

Eve could do nothing more but nod slowly and keep her eyes on the floor in front of her as she walked down the path, scanning the surrounding area as she had done just before. Were it not for this nod, it wouldnt have been a surprise if Ichigo assumed that she hadnt even heard him, just stuck in her own little world. Thats what most people thought of her after all, and maybe she was. She saw the surrounding world in her own shade of blue depression. The people were morphed slightly to appear as monsters almost, and the intent to harm her could be found in anything and anyone. It had been that way for a few years now, and only recently had this dark blue shade of depression and doubt lighten into a tint of what it once was. True, she was much better off at seeing the light now, but she still had a ways to go before she could be as carefree as some people.

The two of them walked until her mind basically became void of all thought. It had gotten to the point where she was running off systematic procedures as she looked for more food, looked for any kind of sign of them. She wasnt thinking at all anymore, and her eyes had became distant while still retaining an alert look to them. It was like she had become possessed by a robot which was now controlling her actions and thoughts. Because of this, she had actually spotted the bear long before Ichigo did, but that motherly part of her stopped her from mentioning it. That bear was huge and deadly, and she didnt want Ichigo to even risk getting hurt, whether she was there with him or not. But instead of being able to bypass the large creature, Ichigo suddenly took off in its direction, and attempted to slay it with nothing more than a night stick and a few senbon. It was a good idea and plan, but he obviously didnt know enough about animals to know that that alone wasnt enough to kill it, not instantly at least.

She looked over in the direction with the same robotic eyes she had for the past mile or so, and simply watched him attempt to slay the bear. She simply stood and looked for awhile before the light finally returned to them and she gasped quietly to herself and brought a hand to her mouth when she realized what Ichigo was attempting. He stood there, grinning at her from next to the bear, completely unaware that the thing was trying to get up and kill him now. A smack to the head and a few senbon in the head were good, but it wasnt enough to kill a bear, not on the spot. But apparently he thought so, and he was in trouble without a doubt. "Look out!" She said, and began running towards Ichigo and the bear. By the time she had gotten there, the bear had just finished getting up and was ready to swipe at Ichigo from behind. But before it got the chance, Even leaped off the ground and smashed the bottom of her foot into the bear's neck with crushing force. The sound of its neck snapping was so loud it could be heard from a long distance easily. She sighed in relief when the bear didnt move.

Ichigo had just saw the bear collapse and knew it was finished.He turned around and starting his victory dance."Oh yeah!Suck on that stupid bear!You got served!You got burnt like french toast! HAHAHAHA!"said Ichigo still doing his victory dance."BOOYA BABY!"yelled Ichigo as he turned around to stick his tongue out at the bear.But he noticed the bear was back to his feet.And his paw was ready to swipe at him,and right before the claw was at Ichigo's face he heard a loud snap that probably wouldve been heard from a mile away.T.T is all Ichigo could think and the bear collapsed on its side.

Ichigo slowly went up to Eve."Im sorry........"said Ichigo



((short post just got home and got serious writers block))

Eve let her arms fall from their guarding position and hang limp at her sides when it was determined without a doubt that the bear was now dead. As her arms fell though, so too did her head into a bowed position as if she was praying, only without her hands together by her chin. If anyone in this cold empty world knew Eve, which regretably was absolutely no one at this point, they would been able to easily guess that she was praying to the downed bear, and giving her thanks for its sacrifice. Her stomach twisted once again, but not because of hunger, but because of an emotional pain she felt for the bear. It had died slowly, more or less, with those senbon lodged into its skull. Ichigo had intended for that to have killed it on the spot, and while she had no hatred towards him for failing at this, it wasnt enough to kill it instantly. True, the bear could not live with the senbon in its skull, and would in fact die in due time...but again, not instantly. She held her position for awhile, her eyes not closed as she focused on her task at hand. Luckily for Ichigo, he walked up to her just as she had finished, so she wasnt interrupted. Her head lifted up and her eyes opened just as his footsteps stopped, and she turned her head to look down at him only moments before he spoke.

When he was finished speaking, she looked up and past him a little, thought appearing to pass her mind, easily seen within her eyes if they were focused upon. "Dont appologize" She said, that same look holding her, then releasing her as she finished to look back down at Ichigo. "Thank you for your help, I dont think I could have killed the bear by myself." She could feel in the aura around them that now would be one of the times when Ichigo could simply leave if he wished, as she turned her back to him and extended a fresh kunai from her leg pouch to begin skinning the animal. Her words may instate the possibility onto Ichigo that she wanted him to leave, this was possible, but it was not her intent. While she did not desire him to leave, she would neither fuss or look away from her work if he did decide to leave her at this moment.

Ichigo was pretty damn sure that Eve couldve killed that thing by herself but she just didnt want to admit it.And Ichigo understood.She took a kunai began skinning the bear.Ichigo guessed it was time for him to go."Well ok then..."said Ichigo slowly beginning to walk.But Ichigo didnt feel right,as if he should stay with Eve for some reason.I cant survive alone like this ....and Eve is nice.....maybe......ugh no i cant i doubt shell want a brat like me going along with her.I mean she just had to save my life right now.Imagine if i had to make her do that all the time?And put her through that stress?I cant.......but........could it hurt to ask......?thought Ichigo.

He approached slowly to her and sat down next to her."Eve i know this is unexpected.....but i have no where to go.Well... i guess neither of us do.But its so lonely being by myself and its torture for me on the inside being by my self.It hurts knowing that no one cares about me..."said Ichigo choked up now."Is it ok......if I travel with you?You dont have to say yes...ill understand..."said Ichigo on the verge of tears.He looked the other direction hoping she wouldnt see him like this.He really wanted this....he probably wanted this more than anything else in his entire life.

Eve had gotten into a swing as she was skinning away at the bear, doing things in a certain rotation that just flowed which she did over and over without even thinking anymore. As a matter of fact, she was hardly thinking at all by now, in a trance one could venture to say as her arm moved to and fro. Even so, she had only gotten so much done, as the bear was a very large creature with more fur and skin than meat probably. She was actually pretty lucky to not be thinking at that moment, because as she got so close to actual food, it would have become the only thing she could think about. While she didnt notice it, her stomach actually growled again, and another shot of pain rumbled through her from it. But again, she didnt notice it, and her entire body shoke for a moment as she just continued on as if it never even happened. She was back in that robot kind of state where everything was automatic, and even the time passed by quickly without her recognition. It was started to become a rather frequent thing she did, as she was alone all the time. She had little to do besides move to the next location, build a camp, and get supplies. Her entire life was the same cycle, just different scenery and inhabitants. One could possibly say that it was that robotic state she got in that kept her alive, as if her brain completely left her, so she wasnt even able to think about leaving the world behind her.

This, sadly, was only half true. She was all to aware of the loneliness of her days, and thought about it alot whenever she tried to lay down to sleep, sometimes succeeding at this and sometimes failing. On the nights where she couldnt sleep no matter how long she had walked without stop during the day, she just layed down and looked at the stars, if they could be seen, and thought. Thought about where her life was, thought about who she was, thought that maybe the only reason she was put on the earth was for gods on dark amusement, or perhaps a test on other human beings to see how rotten they could really be, at her expense. Whatever kind of devine force guided the existance of people, it was not as kind and all forgiving as some liked to believe. And then, as if Ichigo had heard her thoughts of loneliness and emptiness, he suddenly appeared beside her, sitting down without looking directly at her. Even though she continued working, she listened to every word he said intently, focusing on him so much now while her hands just went on that she actually ended up doing something wrong and messing up with the skinning. It was a mistake that could be easily made up for, and made no real difference, but a difference nonetheless.

When he finished, her arms stopped moving and gently drifted towards her lap, as she had sat down while working on the bear now, the lower half of her legs under her as she sat on them. She didnt move or speak for a moment, just looked out beyond the bear for awhile while she thought about what to say. When she spoke, her words were soft and considerate, yet she still continued to look straight forward. "Ichigo...ever since I was 9 years old, I have been completely alone. My parents did things to me that should never be spoken by anybody, and I dealt with it until I finally ran away. But even then, it only got worse. I was on the streets, without shelter or food. What I once thought were friends ended up betraying me, and leaving me to rot as if my being homeless meant I was useless to them." She looked down now, her eyes starting to feel moist as tears got ready to spring forth. "I tried as hard as I could to get by, hoping things would get better...but every time a glimmer of hope was shown to me, it was suddenly ripped out of my grasp and destroyed by the very people who showed it to me in the first place." Her hands tightened as tears finally began to spring forth. "I go through every day bearing a pain so great that its made me wonder so many things. I dont hurt because I'm alone and no one cares, I hurt because I'm alone and everyone just wants to use me at my own expense, or simply have me killed. I'm no shinobi, but because I have shinobi tools and skills, I'm considered a missing ninja because I have no village. I cant exist in a community, I'd be killed on first site. Its so cold out here..." The tears only came faster as she knelt forward, her hair covering her face. "Ichigo," she started again, her voice barely a whisper, burdned by all the pain she had ever felt, shaking and breaking. "I dont know how much longer I can go on anymore, I dont see a point in living. I'm putting everything I have, everything that makes me me, every little thing that stops me from lifting the knife to my own throat, and putting it in your hands. Your my last hope now. Your not asking me anymore, I'm asking you." Her entire body was now shaking violently.

Ichigo stared straight ahead with tears strolling down his face already.You know through Ichigos entire life he thought he always had it harder than anyone else.I mean his academy teachers had tried to kill him.What could be worse than that?But after hearing just a little bit of Eves life its sort of nerve racking.To think you have it had it hard your whole life but then having to find out the truth like this.It wasnt pleasant at all...it made Ichigo feel so stupid and selfish.He was always known as the cynical guy.Always expecting the worst of peoples decision.But taking one look at Eve....he could see the good inside of her.He felt like such a loser right now.

"Eve....I feel so stupid...as if i shouldnt be here right now.Like God made a mistake.....but then i think to myself and i say....everyone has a purpose....because God gave them one.So if being here with you right now and starting the rest of my life having to be a criminal as some people would say.Then I guess im gonna have to deal with that arent I?But then again...people choose their own path everyday.....this...is mine"said Ichigo wiping the tears."I would love to travel with you."said Ichigo finally smiling.

Eve clenched her fists down even tigher than they had gotten while she was speaking as her eyes tightened even more, her nails digging into the skin on her legs now, almost to the point where they would bleed. Ichigo wasnt helping, what he was speaking of. It was hard for her to even concentrate really at this moment, at least not on what she wanted to. Instead, her mind started developing a response to Ichigo while he was still speaking, and while she tried not to focus on it, she couldnt take her mind off. Apparently what the boy was saying triggered some kind of hidden anger within her, some kind of remorse towards the thing called 'God'. Before he was even finished speaking, Eve got read to say: "God, Ichigo? Maybe your right and everyone has a purpose, but I have all the evidence I'll ever need that God isnt as nice as they would say. What kind of horrible damn creature twists someone's life as bad as they've done mine? For what reason? I see nothing short of amusement. This Creator, this God only wants to toy and meddle with us, see us deal with out pain and sorrow. Those who dont suffer are only lucky, either that or 'God' has more favoratism than teachers with certain people!"

That was what she was getting ready to say, and as soon as Ichigo finished with 'But then again...people choose their own path everyday.....this...is mine' she drew in a breath to begin speaking, but was silenced by what the boy said next. Her head still bowed, her tear stained face still hidden by the long locks of yellow hair, her mouth hung open as the entirity of his little monologue finally hit her. She couldnt see it, but she could feel Ichigo smiling at him, and she finally thought about, in the right mind, what he had said, and she felt completely stupid for what she had almost said, yet relieved that she actually didnt. As she sat there in her awkward position, a smile she couldnt even remember making before spread across her face as joy filled through her. But why? She could never trust anyone before, what made this boy so special? Maybe it was the way they had met, maybe it was the similar pasts, who knew. The point was...she was willing to open herself up to him now, something she had only ever done with her father. Yet, she couldnt find words to say, couldnt actually bear to let him see her in this vulnerable state, for whatever reason. But more than that she felt like she had to show how grateful she was. But, again due to her social handicap, what she did might have seemed a little awkward. She suddenly turned to Ichigo and threw her arms around him into a hug, still crying slightly as she uttered "Thank you"

Ichigo had this strange feeling in his gut that made him feel so good.As if it was actually a good thing to live.Which he knew it wasnt but that hug made him feel so nice and warm.He really liked Eve now and he couldnt wait to travel with her.And with that he hugged her back.
He finally had a friend.



((SORRY for the incredibly short post but what else is there to say?lol uhm i guess we should end topic here ?))

((Nah...might as well establish what it is were gonna do next.))

Eve's eyes were shut tight as she held the boy in her arms, crying over his shoulder. Were it not for the smile on her face, one might have thought that she was in pain, and in a way she was. She was crossing into grounds she had told herself over and over again that she would never cross into as long as she lived. But here she was, doing just that, allowing some other person, a man (while he wasnt exactly old enough to be considered and actual man yet) at that, to get close enough to her where it would be completely effortless to take advantage of her in any way imaginable. He could stab her in the stomach this very instant, take whatever money she had, and bail. He could use her as an instrument of getting himself free meals and money, basically mooching off whatever benefits having an older, powerful friend would provide. He could do anything he wanted to betray her, and even though she was now willing to take that risk, she was still partially frightful of the possibility. Until Ichigo could prove himself completely otherwise, she would always have that small doubt in the back of her mind. It wouldnt make much of a difference as far as their friendship would go, but she would always have one eye peeked open towards him, always be just the tiniest bit on edge and cautious.

But that was something that would follow. In this very moment, she wasnt even thinking about that, just so overwhelmed with happiness that she couldnt bring herself to think such thoughts. She was as vulnerable now as she would ever be, defenses at absolute zero. When she was finally able to stop her crying and calm herself down enough so that she could actually speak, she slowly opened her eyes and looked at the scenery in front of her, which was behind Ichigo. She was silent for just a few moments before she said "W-what do you think we should do now, Ichigo?" She asked innocently. The two of them had, after all, agreed to travel together. But where were they to travel to now, was the question. They couldnt stay her hugging eachother forever and expect to just randomly teleport to some location, or find a campsite spawn in front of them complete with a grill, tent, and fire. "I was thinking...maybe we should find a place to stay for the night. I have some money...maybe we could..." She couldnt find words to complete her suggestion, and was hoping that Ichigo would be able to fill the gap for himself.

Ichigo had gotten done hugging Eve when she asked where they should go.Then she suggested that they find somewhere to sleep.Ichigo hadnt seen another town or city besides the Suna nation.It couldnt hurt to see how other civilizations worked.And he had some minerals he could sell there.Then maybe he wouldnt be so poor all the time."Sure ^.^.....but first why dont you eat?haha"said Ichigo jokingly.It hadnt occured to him the consequences of traveling with Eve until now.I mean what if she betrayed him?She could break him like a twig if she wanted to.But wouldnt she have done it by now?Was she waiting for the right moment?

All these things going through Ichigos head.Ugh i have to stop being so cynical.I highly doubt she will betray me.And besides why would she have to kill a C Rank brat like me?

"Im really tired.Lets go and catch some sleep."said Ichigo.

END OF TOPIC