Over the next few days, Ayame interacted with the other members and discovered that they had many things in common with her:
Zetsu was actually a nice guy once Ayame got to know him, even though he did switch personalities on the spot at times. He had a special interest in plants, and spent most of his free time (when not being a mole for Leader-samma) in the greenhouse in backyard. He showed Ayame all the plants he grew, or as he liked to call them, his "little green buddies". He taught her how to plant seeds, and how to weed and water them.
"Plants are very delicate, sensitive beings," he would say when he was in his nicer personality, "they need loving care and attention just like people do."
Itachi loved books, and was always in the library on any given day. He would often take her to the library and show her the vast wonders of the printed pages. Ayame became a vivid reader, eating up the books almost as fast as Itachi gave them to her. She loved reading about witches and wizards, spaceships and aliens, and her most favorite, vampires.
Kisame loved sports above all other things. the gym on the 3rd floor supplied him with basketball hoops, volleyball nets, bases, various balls and racquets, and for his own enjoyment, a swimming pool. Ayame and Kisame would race each other (Thanks to the acquired swimsuit Konan bought for Ayame) from one end of the pool to the other. Yes, Kisame won every time, but never easily though.
Deidara was your basic, slightly mad pyrotechnical scientist, minus the scientist. He let her watch him in his room, which was like a chem. lab and a clay lovers' heaven. He demonstrated how to properly mix up compounds correctly to make the perfect bomb, then experimented outside. Ayame would watch in awe as the bombs would explode the second Deidara threw them into the air, showering a range of colors in the sky.
He called them art, but she could hear Sasori scoff whenever Deidara talked about it.
"True art is everlasting."
"No, true art is fleeting un!"
And when that point in time came around, Ayame always excused herself from the room to do... anything else really.
Kakuzu was the organization's treasurer and medical expert. he spent most of HIS time in a kind of operating room, like in a hospital, studying the different medical things that Ayame couldn't quite decipher from just looking at the pages of the books he was reading, despite her experience with all types of literature. Kakuzu noticed her interest in human anatomy, and began teaching her the various bones, vital organs, pressure points, and symptoms of many diseases and illnesses.
Hidan was the group's head assassin. He had a dojo (on the third floor) in which he practiced many variations of killing opponents, such as swords, guns, throwing knives, hand grenades, and his personal favorite, the scythe. he would slash the training dummies to pieces which Ayame watched in fascination from a safe distance. He helped her train with the dummies, and this coupled with the knowledge of the human body, made her a formidable foe when going head-to-head with Hidan. He would go easy on her, since she was just a human, and not hit her with anything fatal, but something that would hurt a little and give her a few bruises and scratches.
Ayame enjoyed making origami with Konan; it was relaxing the way the pretty squares of paper could be folded into a crane or a pinwheel. She decorated her room with the paper figures, much to the dismay of Sasori, who couldn't go through his underwear drawer without finding at least 3 paper frogs.
Tobi loved watching T.V. and board games. Ayame found out that he loved every show that she did. But, being 16, and him (she guessed) 100 years old or something, she found it odd that his favorite show was SpongeBob Squarepants.
Pein even helped out a little on Ayame's bank of knowledge. In the library at night, they would study the maps of the city which were marked in black Sharpie where certain groups and organizations much like their own resided. Ayame memorized where their allies were, their enemies, and the special meeting places.
"Never go alone when crossing into enemy territory." Pein warned," Some of them are vampires, like us. Some are human, but just as deadly."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Ayame flopped down onto Sasori's bed, where said redhead was lying on, murmuring the words of Papa Roach's "Last Resort" that was playing on the radio.
"Tired?"
"Yeah." Ayame had spent the day swimming, mixing bombs (one blew up in her face), practicing on the dummies with throwing knives until she thought her arms would pop off, memorizing the different neighborhoods that Pein had assigned her to learn for the week, watering her plants (which she enjoyed), and reading her novel until she thought her eyes were bleeding.
Sasori chuckled and sat up, pulling Ayame into his lap. He stroked her hair as he listened to Papa Roach's fading voice, indicating the end of the song. He got an idea.
"Ayame?"
"Yes?"
"I've never actually heard you sing before-"at this point he started rubbing the back of his neck-"do you think you can probably sing something, for me?"
"Sure." She hoisted herself out of his cushiony lap, and walked to the stereo/radio. She fiddled with the knob, trying to find a good station.
Country? No.
Love Songs? Dumb.
Rap? No way.
Hard Rock? Yes.
"Okay people," the DJ's voice announced, "Now we're going to listen to a personal favorite of mine. This is 'Wake Me Up Inside' by Evanescence." The music instantly started playing; Ayame turned the volume knob up a bit and jumped back on the bed. She took a deep breath and sang:
"How can you see into my eyes
Like open doors?
Lading you down into my core,
Where I've become so numb.
Without a soul,
My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold
Until you find it there and lead it back
Home."
"Her voice is like an angel's." Sasori thought.
"(wake me up)
wake me up inside
(I can't wake up)
wake me up inside
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark.
(wake me up)
Bid my blood to run
(I can't wake up)
Before I come undone
(save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become
Now that I know what I'm without
You can't just leave me
Breathe into me and make me real.
Bring me to life.
(wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(I can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
(save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark.
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run
(I can't wake up)
Before I come undone
(save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become.
Bring me to life
(I've been living a lie,
there's nothing inside.)
Bring me to life
Frozen inside without your touch,
without your love, darling.
Only you are the life among the dead.
(All of this sight,
I can't believe I couldn't see
kept in the dark
but you were there in front of me)
I've been sleeping 1000 years it seems
I've got to open my eyes to everything.
(Without a thought
Without a voice
Without a soul
Don't let me die here.
There must be something more.)
Bring me to life.
(wake me up)
wake me up inside
(I can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
(save Me)
call my name and save me from the dark.
(wake me up)
Bid my blood to run
(I can't wake up)
Before I come undone
(save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become
Bring me to life
(I've been living a lie.
There's nothing inside.)
Bring me to life."
She finished and looked at him.
"Well, did I do well?" she asked Sasori, snapping him out of his daze. he leaned in and kissed her on the nose.
"You were beautiful."
"Thanks." She leaned against his chest, and he resumed playing with her hair.
"Are you hungry?" he asked her.
"No, you?"
"Nah." Sasori suddenly realized something. This could be the perfect chance to spend time with Ayame!
"Ayame?"
"Yes?"
"There's a full moon out tonight."
"Cool. What about it?"
"Well, uh..." This was getting harder than he thought. He rubbed the back of his neck again in nervousness.
"Well, um, I was just wondering if you would like to see it. With me. Tonight. Together." Ayame turned her head and laughed at him.
"Sasori, are you asking me out on a date?" Sasori's eyes went wide, and despite the fact he was a vampire, he went slightly pink in embarrassment.
"Um, well, uh, I-" he was cut off by Ayame's soft lips against his own.
"I would love to go 'moon-watching' with you." Ayame assured him, tweaking his nose playfully. Sasori and kissed her back.
"Great."
"Sooo...What do we do now?" Ayame wondered aloud, looking around the room as if expecting something entertaining to appear.
"Well it doesn't get dark enough to see the full moon until about 10:30 P.M. and it's-" he checked the faithful clock-"5:30 P.M now, so..."he trailed off.
"So, we can just sit here like this." Ayame finished for him.
"Yeah, I guess so."
And they did.