The early bird and the sleepy girl [Kiran]

Did she look like someone who enjoyed the very presence of the rising sun? Pun included from her heritage being from Hisakawa continent of the ‘rising’ sun from their proximity to the mountains and their scenic vantage point towards watching the sun rise from its eternal chase with the moon. But did Kurenai give a damn towards her ‘arch nemesis’. That’s… putting it lightly but no. The albino haired maiden gave no shits.

NO SHITS.

Towards what she considered as the slayer of peaceful sleep. Sleep that was now being threatened by a ‘soldier’ following the holy command of her arch nemesis. For shame Kiran! At the same time, she cant exactly deny her need for more physical activities. Her brain was the only muscle BUFF enough to win one of those body building contests. If brains could kick open their cranium houses to join such things.

See her shaking her head in all kinds of nope? That’s the internal version of her common sense who still has a healthy respect for staying firmly alive. The girl, as nice as she does have a healthy sense of self preservation thank you very much. Being ill for the entirety of her childhood does that to a person. It gives a healthier aspect in viewing ones fleeting life and how quick time can be bitch when it comes to enforcing the cycle of life on unsuspecting mortals.

Kurenai’s escapade with sleep came to an abrupt heart breaking halt when the jostled movement of her small form being bundled into the soft duvets wrapped around her body and then hoisted like some waiting bag of potatoes over someone’s shoulder. Wait… jostled? She was moving. Sleep addled minds never usually work well. Especially for a girl who’s head was in the crossroads between sleep and waking.

The girl was fighting it! Better believe she’s waging her own war against being rouse by the infernal sun and now the ‘dream’ of her being moved. Daze orbs cracked open and closed, the ‘dream’ felt way too real for Kurenai but a dream is a dream right?

Her mind made a logical point to say yes at this

Cause how else was she going to explain…. How someone was lugging her around like a sack of produce when she damn know she locked her door? Let’s ignore the loud ‘bang’ from earlier as said obstacle was promptly kicked to the curb. Kurenai can be a heavy sleeper when needed be. No surprise the loud crash of her door did nothing to snap her back into the waking world. But now…she was having a ‘dream’ of someone rummaging through her closet?

No that couldn’t be right…

“Hmmm?....Dont have the guts for it…” She mumbled, still somewhat asleep as she snuggled further into the cocoon of blankets.

Sleep… so close yet so far.

Only for her attempts to end so abruptly when the feeling of a padded ground fully derailed the sleep train she was on. Sleep express goodbye, the girl was being roused fully from her slumber as she blinked away the bleariness her eyes had.

“KURENAI”

The loud bark of a well familiar voice got her attention. Enough that an unrefined squeak slipped through her lips in surprise as she soon found herself burrito into her blankets. Heh… This couldn’t be right… Where in seven hells was her bed?! “Kiran what the hell??” The confused child promptly forego any form of her refined mask for a more ‘what the fuck’ is going on response. Lavender eyes blinked slowly at the command, then towards the offered clothing she recognized as the clothes she made a week ago. It wasn’t much in terms of complexity. The clothes Kiran tossed her way was nothing more than a simple hoodie and matching set of capri styled grey jogging pants. Nothing too fancy but certainly not something she thought she would ever wear in public.

“….”

Hear that Kiran? That’s the sound of her brain making another attempt to decode just what in seven hells was she doing with a guy wearing camo fatigues and acting like a drill sergeant out from an army flick.

Or movie, whichever okay! It wasn’t like Kurenai ever took the time to get familiar with the new genres coming out of the woodworks. Heck, the term ‘horror’ still causes her to remember why she rarely takes the time to check which was in or not. But Kiran current attire reminded her far too much of the time she and… Tao had to take to the extremes to make sure their entire class PASSED the exam Chishiki held every term. When… I stated class, she meant their entire house.

Study boot camp, meet… physical training boot camp.

Her brow… made its first attempt at reacting. By arching and then switching to a light rhythmic twitch. “Kiran… what in the seven hells are you technically trying to doo?” The patience child stared at the boy. She stared, the questioning obviously was now starting. Especially… RIGHT after his direct order for her to STRIP out in the open to change. Yeah…she might just be waking up but the girl’s firm grip on her modesty was very much iron clad for her to dare disrobe out… in the open. How could he even……?!

No….

Take deep breaths Kurenai. Think… logical! Yes logical. That often times help… all except now when she has to go along with Kiran’s sudden hair brain scheme. And look, he even got her to temporarily toss her protocol for decorum. In public of all places, but in her defence…at this ungodly hour she doubted anyone would be awake. If there is… then she’s going to have a phoenix to smack with the unholy slipper.

No talent…

HA….

AHAHA..!

Hear that? The sounds of irony couldn’t make itself known any further than the glaring lines it drew towards Kiran’s words. No talent he says. Depending which Talent the eternally living fire bird meant when he initially spoke. She guessed he meant the strange ability nearly ninety percent of the school populace held under their spades.

All except for her. Who took the initial saying about hiding their trump cards to a whole knew level. For Kurenai though it not about hiding it to gain a momentum of surprise against her opponents. The girl’s reason was as mundane as the fear her ability caused her guarded thought pattern. Fear. That’s the reason.

She feared the repercussions brought about her unique ability to draw existence out of a sheet of paper. Her drawings become in a sort connected to the living realm by pushing itself through that thin veil and gaining its own existence. She knew the price, everything always has one no matter how accidentally or intended it was.

Intention hardly mattered, as long as her power had a mind of its own. She knew deep down she cant fully tame it. Would it kill her? She burdened thoughts on occasions. Mulling over them ever so slightly when her guard drops and the thoughts, she didn’t want to think about takes a chance to invade her mind.

“Wait what?...” He lost her there. The confusion further grew as she listened to him ramble on and on about training her body. The brief passing gust icily touched her skin. Reminding her she was outside and this indeed wasn’t a dream she originally thought it to be. If it was then she was going to be avoiding pizzas from now on. Because that’s exactly what she swallowed last night as an impromptu meal/snack when she made the dumb mistake of recalling she too needed food.

“Exercise?...At this—” She continued but Kiran’s next statement pulled a plug on the rest of her line of thinking. She… had no doubt, the army fatigues wearing bird had no qualms with going through his threat. His posture told her more than enough about his intentions. For the sake of her precious modesty the girl was forced to make a choice. A choice she knew would be the ultimate choice when it comes to picking the lesser of evils. The blanket laying innocent on the ground soon became the focus of her attention as Kurenai made a sudden and almost desperate reach for it. The fabric crumpling under the pressure of her clenched grip before she tossed it over herself and the clothes Kiran tossed into her lap. Covering her in a way just like a cocoon would. But a cocoon made entirely out of a cushy material to give it volume and softness.

After a few chaotic ruffling inside the cocoon the girl emerged wearing the plain shirt and joggers. The girl’s cheeks unmistakably flushed bright red in embarrassment, she felt… naked. Naked without the full covering her kimonos offered her. She was clearly out of comfort zone as her glare settled on the smirking bird. “Happy now?...” She groused.

That couldn’t be…

Ha…very funny Kiran. Making it sound like he went through her closet with reckless abandon--- Hear that? The unmistakeable silence of a proverbial pin dropping to the ground. The clank of the unseen metal as her brain soon connected the dots given by the tone of the phoenix voice.
Slowly… wait for it.

“….You went through my closet?” The question was more rhetorical at this point. Confirmation if anything to what her brain was trying to tell her. Oh please don’t tell her she’ll be roasting ‘bird’ tonight for this blasphemy. Sure….

SURE ALLOW A MALE TO RUMMAGE THROUGH A GIRL’S CLOSET AND POTENTIALLY SEE HER UNMENTIONABLES.

Precious sarcasm. The one screaming bloody murder within the privacy of her mind was all but shooting a few—correction more than a few death threats at her feathered friend. On the outside you ask? The girl’s physical form was catching up to the horror her brain is telling her. Kurenai’s cheeks flushed bright red as the blood gathered around her cheeks from sheer embarrassment at having her closet rummaged through.

“….Y-You and I are going to have a nice chat about how its normally a bad idea going through a girl’s closet.” She flustered. Stammering through her statement while in the end forcing the flatness of her voice into her words. Oh she has words, WORDS.

But now… she might as well play his game. She’s already here anyway, so why not make the best of the situation. Though she doubted a free lunch was going to be enough for this. “If you can cook then I’ll accept the offering.” She rolled her eyes, scoffing slightly at the attempted ‘reward’ for her future efforts. Well she calls it a bribe mister. A bribe to get her to work for something if…. The tiny fact that she normally cooks a huge bento meal enough for two-four people. She’s staring at you Naomi and Tao. Oh well… better not drag others into this mess.

Resigning to her fate Kurenai did exactly as she’s told. Following his instructions until it came to the leg stretches. OW…. The girl winced internally as the tight muscles refused to stretch further, causing her body to accidentally lose its balance and fall on the ground. “Itai…” She cringed slightly sitting up just as Kiran began to speak about jogging. Two miles?... She blinked. Two miles didn’t sound all that bad. “It doesn’t sound bad, I think I can manage that length.” She mulled over before she agreed just as she stood right back on her two feet. Oh silly Nai… if only you knew what kind of hell you’re about to go through.

SHE CAN DO THIS!

She can-----

The true question is…. Can she SURVIVE this? Kurenai… wanted to stay optimistic but see the look of hesitation enveloping her young façade? She wasn’t hiding it, no matter how her family’s lessons in schooling her features resonated within her head. Nothing… prepared her from regretting the basics of physical fitness. Frankly because of one sole reason. The lack of time. She’s always trying to find ways to occupy her mind. Sadly, for Kiran’s own sanity, physical education hadn’t come into mind as one of those ways to occupy herself.

I mean, her family kept her busy alright. Through multiple intellectual stimuli. NOT bodily stimuli all for one specific reason. The girl’s physical constitution was near inexistent at this point. As a child she the child who anyone would quickly class as physically frail. She was sickly, her constitution being as fragile as the flowers blooming outside her room at the time. Any time sickness could strike. From the common flu to something as severe as a bout of pneumonia. Her… body was THAT fragile. But thankfully, for her sanity at the very least she outgrew that annoying phase in her life.

The one…side effect it did unfortunately leave her was… her parents wariness about forcing the girl into anything too exhausting for her body to handle in fear that her ailment as a child could come back.

Knock on wood, she wished she had one in hand. Oh wait, the girl’s purple orbs quickly scanned around until it settled on a rather thick trunk of a tree they were a few seconds into passing. Right on cue, just as they were about to pass it she quickly rapped her knuckle against the rough bark.

Call her superstitious but it never hurts to be a bit wary when it comes to her luck in the health department. “I can do it don’t worry.” She sighed right back only.. for her to regret it five minutes into the run when her own breath was coming out in gasps. Stamina? What was stamina when the girl’s constitution was as wobbly as a damn noodle!

“G-Give…” Huff… “Me…” Puff….

“A few…” She wheezed, as she tried catching over breath. Bending over her knees to try and take a few gulps of air to try and regain the air she lost from running. She heard his words earlier. He…was doing it for her. Or to pacify his sense of paranoia… still the girl couldn’t ignore the effort he was willing to give her. She cant exactly disappoint him now by quitting right? As much as she disliked his tactic, not to mention questioned it. She’ll keep her tongue to herself this time around. “If… it gives… you that much of a peace of mind…” She replied, once she deemed she can answered without acting like a fish out of water from lack of air. “Then I guess it wont hurt doing your way then…”

What did he expect?... From a girl who hardly what anyone would call ‘physically’ fit. The girl’s a noodle. A flimsy overcooked one due to her own ailments as a child never really developed a physical regiment. What made it worse was her ignoring the need to train her body once she was able enough. Instead of focusing on the physical aspect of her life she went for the mental portion in the form of her studies. What else was she supposed to do to occupy herself?...

Studying was easy, it didn’t land her anywhere near the futon for a week due to her body reacting harshly against it. But now that she was physically ‘able’ so to speak… her decision towards neglecting exercising… was biting her full on the buttocks. “I….Wasnt… Exactly… Kidding…” She wheezed, gladly accepting the offered water with a thankful nod. The pat…she didn’t expect, she honestly expected more of a scree from him while he’s playing the part of a drill sergeant. But it didn’t happen. Instead, he tossed the hat, right towards a branch to their left where it landed with some form of accuracy.
It wasn’t as if she asked for a weak body to begin with… Kiran had to understand even she had pride. And her pride wasn’t one to play around with being a damsel. Loathed as she is to admit it…her body might as well scream ‘damsel in distress’. Her flimsy form simply… lacked what they call ‘stamina’ to keep up with Kiran’s lighter version of a boot camp.. if this could even be called light…

“Never…was particularly allowed to train…” She sighed. Corking the bottle again as she handed it back once she sufficiently recovered her breath. “I can do the full run.” She stared back at him. Refusing to take the easy route which…would have been wise in her condition. But her pride… for once she was listening to it.