Preparations [Frito]

[Katanai Misarashi]

Blackfort Forest was her favorite place to prepare for missions and the like. It was a safe haven. Not too many people were quick to judge, being most of them were mercenaries, half-breeds, demons, or exiled humans. The inn fares were cheap, "wanted" board was filled with descriptions and/or sketches of criminals. If work wasn't to be found anywhere else, it was a good place to look for a filler job or two to earn some pocket change.

Currently, she was sitting outside. It was just dusk, thus remnants of sunset still remained in the clouds. Wasn't it an old saying that red skies at night meant good weather the next day? Sitting on the stump of a tree that had been cut down some time ago, she sharpened one of her swords. It had been getting a bit dull lately. A good sharpening was all it would need to be back in top condition. After a few minutes of sharpening the katana's edges, she looked it over. The sides were perfectly sharp, but the tip of the sword still needed work. Switching her focus to the dulling point of the blade, she continued her work.

She was to be going on a joint mission tomorrow. Her partner she knew nothing about. They were to meet tonight at the local inn. Katanai assumed that the only things that she would learn about her temporary partner would be their name and fighting style. This was the first time in a while she was assigned to work with anyone other than herself. To be honest, she disliked having to put up with other people. Being a half-breed was a pain. She was treated with all the spite that people treated demons with, but wasn't quite as powerful as a full-blooded demon. It was like all the social hassle, but the short end of the stick when it comes to strength.

Looking over the tip of her sword once more, she decided that neko katana was good and ready for tomorrow. With that, she put the weapon back in it's scabbard and stood up from the old tree stump. Katanai began making her way to the inn. The sky was now a soft shade of navy. It was kind of nice to look at, so she decided to simply gaze off into the night sky for a while. For a few moments, she decided to let herself drift off. It was nice to just let the cool air run past her.

With a sigh, she pulled herself back into reality. Sleep would be easy to find tonight. The air was just cool enough to be soothing, but not cold. Not only that, but she was feeling rather tired for once. This was good. She would need her rest. For once, insomnia wouldn't make her push herself harder than she had to in the first place. Katanai pushed the hair out of her eyes before proceeding to open the door of the inn. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a small piece of neatly folded paper. Opening it up, she handed it to the innkeeper, who proceeded to lead her to her room. Her partner would probably have to go through the same procedure.

It was a decent room. Simple. Convenient. That made it perfect. There was only one bed. Though Katanai didn't exactly favor the idea of sharing a bed with a complete stranger, she supposed that the room was cheaper because of the fact that it was short one bed. She doubted that her partner wouldn't want to have to share a bed either. Katanai decided that she was going to look at the positives, though. At least there weren't any unusual decorative plants or anything. Just a simple painting of a basket of fruit...Not exactly her taste, but at least she would only be there for one night.