Author's Note: Neya and Utsuho are back to talking again. Yay! Now on with the story. As for the chapter title, I just want to say: I may be a girl, but shopping is one of my least favorite activities. It is exhausting going into stores and depressing thinking about the money you have just spent. I'm a poor student paying off student loans, so this is a sentiment I always hold whenever I even buy a drink from a coffee stand!

Hopefully this story is going at a decent pace for anyone reading. Half the time, I felt like I was writing while half-asleep, so do excuse some of the oddity that I am unable to fix transferring from paper to computer.

As always, do review, whether with a loving or hating frame-of-mind, I'm open to it all. Because really people, that's life.

Chapter 6. Neya - Shopping's Always a Hassle

A large weight lifted from Neya's shoulders when she and Utsuho resolved the tension between them. When everyone got back, they were also glad that everything was back to normal.

In fact, their greatest problem at the time became fitting in comfortably in such a crammed space. Both Utsuho and Hikae did not relinquish the stolen pillows (except Hikae gave one to Iwashi) despite the struggle that occurred.

Eight bundles were settled in eight futons, plus Nao was curled up with Neya. The lights were out and the subtle sounds of snoring arose more gradually.

Neya laid down on her side facing toward Minamo (and Utsuho! she inwardly squealed) preparing to go to sleep as well. A light slumber came upon her, not enough to pull her into her dreams, for slight sounds from the real world infiltrating the dark haze behind her eyes.

The beginnings of a dream appeared. Utsuho was Nao, yet his fur was white patterned black in two spots by Utsuho's design he wore. The Utsuho-fox stared at her, then turned around and slowly walked away from her. His head swiveled back around, as if asking why she was not following him. She was going to take a step forward when a rustle of fabric caught her attention. It should not have been her when moving, and the fox was certainly not—

Eyes peered wearily open through the darkness of the room. Based on how much darker it had gotten, Neya figured it was already and hour into the night. Her eyes caught Utsuho's slitted ones, and in that dim light, she could not tell whether his eyes were open or closed. If they were, then he was staring right back at her. Neya continued to gaze at him, figuring that he would let her know if he knew she was awake and ogling him.

Satisfied she was safe, she simply enjoyed absorbing Utsuho's sleeping image. For several minutes she laid there staring serenely.

An eye cracked open. "Stop looking at me, I can feel it in my sleep!" whispered Utsuho, along with a pillow thrown at her face.

Mortified at being caught in the act of unabashedly watching him sleep, Neya could feel the blood rush to her cheeks heatedly. She also noted the pillow he had thrown at her; Utsuho had already flipped over to his other side away from her, so she assumed he had no intention of taking it back.

'Thanks, Utsuho,' she thought as she laid her head on the pillow, at last entering the realm of dreams for the night.

xXx

The next morning allowed for everyone to stock up on supplies and do some general shopping. It also showed that Nao could walk around decently on his bandaged foot.

Neya accompanied Iwashi and Minamo while the princess browsed around for new fabrics and any "beautiful things" as she would say.

"Hm, this color lip paint would suit you, Nee-yan~" said Iwashi, holding a small compact of pale pink paint.

"Do you think so, Hime-sama?"

"Of course. And a girl should always try to look more beautiful."

The itsuwaribito was always touched by the princess's thoughtfulness. She deliberated on getting the make-up, for it certainly appeared to be a pretty color, and just about matched her hair.

"KYAAA!"

"AH!"

The three girls chanced a look outside where all the screaming and commotion was coming from. Men on horses and by foot waving their swords and spears around flooded through the town: bandits.

"I'll go get Utsuho-sama!" yelled Iwashi, speeding nimbly out of the store while Neya focused on protecting Minamo.

"Come on, Minamo-chan!"

Both of them dodged around the bucking horses and ducked beneath swinging spears. The entire time, Neya was keeping her eyes peeled for Utsuho and the others.

"Over there," Minamo said in her small airy voice, pointing behind he to the right.

Thank goodness Minamo was calm enough to remember to use her eyes, because Neya had completely forgotten about them!

It was a mad dash through the surrounding chaos, even if they stayed to the side. Neya had to waste a couple kana on bandits that charged at them. Their luck was not holding, since Utsuho and the rest seemed to also be moving farther away each time, if the explosions were any indication.

"Where is he—ah!" Neya caught a glimpse of spiky white hair several yards away from them. "There he is!"

BAM!

…

The world spun as Neya fell into unconsciousness.

Author's After-note: Finally, something serious is happening! I actually really liked writing all of the stuff that comes after this, so I hope others can enjoy it too.

I do believe that the ancient form of lipstick around the world (or at least in Asia) had pigments mixed in with oil, similar to modern lipstick but nowhere near as advanced, so it was a type of paint that they would use brushes to apply on the lips. Remember Mulan when she was dressed up for the meeting with the matchmaker? Think of something like that.