Chapter 7: You Feminine? Yeah Right!
Shadow's room had not really been any better than the living room, but at least it wasn't so pink. Her room was still pink, but more of a darker shade and looked almost like it was turning red. Almost like the shade of a deep blush. She almost laughed. Wow, this woman is NUTS about pink. She rolled her eyes and said, "Thank you very much, I really do appreciate this."
"Oh no, thank you dearie. Now, I'll be leaving you here now so you can get used to here and freshen up, and then I'll call you down for supper. My son said he'd pop in tonight with my other niece Tia. I'll come up in about twenty minutes. I've left you a kimono in your closet, it should be there. If you need help putting on your night kimono, just call."
Shadow smiled lightly and then sighed as her door slid shut. She dropped her eternal bag (which had been carefully stowed under her kimono) on the rich red blanket, which lay on the large bed in the center of her temporary room, and headed out onto the balcony. She leaned on the rail and pulled her hair out of the pins. The railing was white marble and it too had herbs and flowers twisting around it.
Shadow placed the hair clip and chopsticks on it as she looked across to her left another balcony, leading into some hotel room from what Shadow could see. To her right, she saw a small lake, obviously man made, and mountains even further back. Across the lake she saw the roof tops of buildings in the city. Everything seemed peaceful until she looked back to the balcony to her left and there sat a young man sitting there lazily, who was none other but Sasori himself.
"It's funny how you were placed at an inn right beside where I'm at," Shadow said sarcastically. "Geez, what do I have to do to get a rid of you?"
"Ah, that was mean Shadow-Chan," Sasori said with equal sarcasm. "Who would want to get a rid of a charming young man such as myself?" He grinned cockily at her.
More like an arrogant dork. She thought before replying, "Oh yes you're very charming. Especially with the fact that all you do is play around with your dolls. Geez, do you ever work?"
He looked away towards the houses which seemed to stretch for miles ahead and then turned his head to look up. Shadow looked too, admiring the pink, orange, and dark purple stripes streaking the sky as the sun began to sink down. Another day was passing and going.
"Of course I do, but I'm sure you know, being your babysitter is much harder than it seems and tends to distract me from it."
"I'm sure it does and- CRAP! I have to get dressed!" Shadow cried running back into the room and pulling off one of her opened toed shoes.
"What, are you going on some hot date or something? Without your charming young escort?" Sasori called, teasing.
"Yeah, actually I am," Shadow replied as she closed the doors and rolled down the shades on the window.
She hurriedly got out of the blue kimono and into a similar green and gold one, one that sharpened the color of her black contacts and hair. She put her hair back up in a bun and reached on her dresser for the hair clip and chopsticks. She felt for it and then looked around for it, her right hand still tightly grasping her modeled bun. Damn it, I must've left it out on the balcony.
She opened the door with her left hand and walked back out. Sasori had already disappeared and her heart almost stopped as she looked at the white marble rail. The accessories were gone. Uh-oh... Oh Gods. Why is this happening to me? It must've fallen off or something when I rushed back inside. Gods damn it; I'm gonna be in soo much trouble.
'Good going genius.' Her chibi said sarcastically.
Shut up, will you? Shadow thought back. Since the door to her balcony was open she heard the soft knocking on her door and Yura came in.
"I'll help with your kimono if you like."
"Uh, sure." Shadow said with a slight nervous edge to her low voice.
Shadow let the woman tie the black obi when she realized her mistake. Is this woman trying to strangle something inside my kimono or me? She's tying the obi WAY to tight! Shadow gritted her teeth forcing her words to come out calmly, "Thank you for helping. But I think the obi is tight enough."
The other woman blushed saying, "Oh yes. I'm sorry you're just so slender I wanted to make sure the obi didn't untie."
Oh yeah, make sure my obi doesn't fall my ass. Are you some sort of secret assassin? With a move like that you could kill someone in an instant! Oh, and one other thing lady, last time I checked, obis are not corsets.
They walked down the fancy winding stairs down where Shadow met, Li, A definite womanizer. She thought, irritated.
Li was extremely handsome. But not in the unperturbed, laid-back way like Sasori. Whereas Sasori looks like he has incredible skill, Li looks only as if looks were the only thing on his side. Shadow blushed as she thought about this. Great, I'm starting to compare other guys from Sasori. Stupid, stupid Shadow!
"How do you do young lady?" Li asked his voice rich and deep. His golden eyes twinkled. He had tan skin, almost bronze and it seemed almost as if he were glowing. His golden blonde hair only improved this idea.
Geez, this guy looks way too much like a playboy. Is he a male prostitute of some sort? I'm a bit scared of knowing the truth... Shadow thought still blushing.
'Damn it Shadow! Stay composed, whatever you do, do not fall for this artificial clown!' Shadow's inner side shouted at her.
"Mother, I don't remember you telling me about a beautiful young lady like this one here," he said as he flashed perfectly straight and white teeth in Shadow's direction. She looked at the ground, unconvinced that she could resist his charm.
"Oh didn't I?" came Yura's innocent voice. "Oh yes, that's right, you see, I met Yumi-chan's mother in an alley because I was trying to take a shortcut to a friend's. Some awful kids began harassing me but her mother came and saved me. Then I met Yumi-chan here and told her how we owned our own hot springs. She was enchanted and her mother has arranged some practices with me so perhaps she could become as successful as us." She smiled and quickly changed the subject. "Now are you hungry Li? What about you Yumi-chan? Tia?" She asked addressing them all, including her eight-year-old niece, Tia.
"Yes, let's eat! Shall we?" Li exclaimed.
"Let's eat!" Tia giggled.
After a very uncomfortable dinner (as Shadow suffocated in her obi and tried to choke down her food), she rarely spoke but answered all the questions that were asked in a somewhat convincing tone. After what seemed like a century, dinner ended. At least, that's what Shadow thought.
"Would you like to go outside for a walk Yumi-Chan?" Li asked flashing another smile.
"Yes. Why not? It is a lovely night out I am sure," Shadow said playing her role. She mimicked a high pitched voice that she had heard back in Suna.
They got out of the house and Shadow breathed in as much cool air as her lungs could pull in without bruising herself. As Li looked down the street to make sure it was empty she quickly loosened the obi in the back and breathed deeper. I have the feeling that tomorrow I'll wake up with bruised ribs... she thought irritably. That's the last time I'm unprepared here, and definitely the last time I ever allow someone to tie my own clothes.
"You were right, it's a lovely night, is it not?" Li commented turning his attention back towards Shadow.
"Oh yes," She replied. She felt rather uncomfortable because not only did she feel like she was being watched again, but because she saw Li was looking her up and down.
"Very nice kimono. It shows your eyes well," He said as they started walking.
"Thank you," Shadow murmured wondering whether she should be happy to have gotten a complement, or disgusted that someone like him had said it.
They walked along the almost empty streets and Li bragged about all the successful missions he'd gone on. Shadow just "ahh'd" and "uh-huh-d" at the times she thought were appropriate. They had passed a flower stand earlier, and Li had bought a red rose for Shadow and then tucked it in her hair. After several more minutes of walking, they came across large stone steps leading up to a building.
"What's that way?" Shadow asked.
"Oh just the Record Halls, a library really," Li said as he ushered her past. "Why don't we turn around and head back for the night?"
"Yes. I am feeling a bit drowsy." Shadow said faking a yawn.
They turned back getting to the house and Li said his good night and kissed her hand. As he did this it took just about all of Shadow's restraint not to punch him. He left and Shadow rushed upstairs to her room to look out her balcony. Although it was a fair distance away she could recognize the red roof of the Record Halls, even in the moon light.
Great, now I know where they are. She kept looking out the window and took out the substitution hairclip she had used to pin up her hair into a bun but she dropped it when she heard the familiar snicker.
"You shouldn't have taken that out you know. You actually looked pretty. Almost feminine, oh, and please notice the emphasis on 'almost'."
Shadow continued calmly looking for the clips but on the inside her chibi covered in popped veins. 'Damn... Sasori...'
Edited: August 7, 2012