A puppet among researchers

Hat guy 2

Kaveh offered the puppet some of his more than likely poisoned food.

'Hat guy' told him where he could shove it. Then laid down on the cot that was in the tent.

The puppet doesn't need sleep, he never has.

But Kusanali made it clear that while he was outside he was to act as human as possible.

So sleeping even for a little while is a good idea. Even though it's a complete waste of time. He had slept to appear normal before (in Tatarasuna or when on missions for the futui! But it's been a while) the last time he slept he dreamed of a nameless boy who told him a story about a ballerina doll and a soldier. This time it was a time before that. Before the fall of Tatarasuna.

~

"You're doing it wrong." The man said with clear amusement.

The kabukimono lowered the hammer then said with a smirk. "If I'm doing it wrong, then that means poor teaching on your part mAsTeR."

This wasn't unusual for the two. Teasing each other was common. Of course not at first! Niwa started it and the puppet followed suit. Learning the behavior of the humans was something he Excelled at.

"Niwa, you've been at this all day, cut the guy some slack!" Katsuragi said as he walked over to them.

"If he can't get the swing right then he will mess up the whole blade." Niwa stated.

"You worry too much, look at this." Katsuragi said while pointing to the sword that the kabukimono was working on. "It's already better than most of the others can do."

"Well I don't personally train the others." Niwa said.

"Are you two aware that I can hear you?" The kabukimono said.

Niwa rolled his eyes and asked, "Aren't you supposed to be focusing on your work?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Kabukimono replied. Then the puppet put the sword in water for it to cool, then showed Niwa his work.

"It's good." Niwa said after the inspection.

"Good enough to test out?" The kabukimono asked, hoping he would say yes.

"Well I don't...." "Come on Niwa, he needs to learn sooner or later!" Katsuragi said.

Niwa sighed then said, "Fine, but only the first steps!"

The kabukimono grinned, finally he would learn how to test a blade. One step closer to becoming a full member of the Kaedehara clan. One step closer to actually belonging!

~

'Hat guy' sat up in the cot.

He knew it was coming. Niwa and Katsuragi have been on his mind for weeks now. It's only natural that the memories would torture him in his sleep. Sighing, he got up out of bed knowing that he won't be able to go back to sleep even if he tried.

It was darker out now then when he fell asleep. The sun was only just starting to set then.

Now it had to be around 10.

He looked over at Kaveh's tent. Kaveh, unlike the puppet, was fast asleep. He's not sure all that his vision can do (since he hasn't had it for very long) but recently he learned that humans breathe differently when they are asleep. Sure he had seen sleeping people before. But for some reason after gaining an anemo vision, he could tell the differences between the breathing of a sleeping person and a non-sleeping person.

So he walked to the village.

~

The village people have no concept of sleep apparently.

'So I slept for no reason?' Thought the puppet as he walked through the village to the huge fire near town where the people had gathered.

If the fire had been made for cooking, 'hat guy' was glad that he hadn't taken the food Kaveh offered.

The puppet just climbed up the hill so he could observe the humans where they couldn't see him.

"There you are!" A voice said from behind him.

'Hat guy' didn't even look at her before saying, "Kusanali."

"Want to tell me why you didn't come home?" Kusanali asked.

"If it were up to me, I would have been back at the sanctuary by now. But the forest ranger wouldn't let me leave. He was worried I would get eaten by a Croc or something." The puppet answered.

Kusanali considered it and then said, "I see the logic, many people suffer with injuries or worse everyday. The likelihood of getting hurt goes up when you can't see where you're going!"

Wanderer just scoffed.

"I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it! Once he gets to know a fraction of your Abilities he won't underestimate you." Kusanali said in a Comforting tone.

"Why are you here?" 'Hat guy' asks.

"Well I was worried. Plus you left your homework at home." Kusanali said as she handed him a stack of papers.

'Hat guy' looked through the papers then stated. "This isn't all of it!"

"Oh that's because I only brought the ones that were due this week." Kusanali said.

"You went through my..." hat guy started to say but got interrupted by collei running over to them.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be in bed?" Collei asked, looking at Kusanali.

Luckily she hadn't recognized the lesser lord. She must've thought she was just a villager's child.

"Oh I'm sorry miss forest ranger!" Kusanali said, trying to sound like a child who had forgotten how late it was. She was pretty convincing, all things considered. "Bye hat guy!"

And then the lesser lord was gone.

Leaving me with collei and a stack of unfinished homework.

"I didn't know you were good with children!" Collei said.

"You don't know me! Why would you know something so insignificant like that?" 'Hat guy' said then walked back to his tent.

At the very least he had something to do now.