Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of Games of Body and Soul

A Flannel Hallway

Mana sipped on some cold cocoa. It felt gooey and bitter in its current temperature but somehow it felt fitting. It was just as difficult to swallow and just as punishing as the news that kept the young woman awake and sitting in the reception room of the inn, sipping on the hot cocoa that the kind yet rather silent receptionist of the inn had made for her.

Judging by how reserved and minding their own business these people were, it felt unlikely that the old man would have made Mana cocoa had it not been the part of the deal and, based on the fact that the old man sheltered a pair of locals fleeing from the blizzard outside, he was likely only active at this time of night because he was working overnight that day.

The magician heard a door open on the second floor. The tired and used up wood that served as a barrier between the two floors bellowed in pain that the boots treading them caused through the sheer pressure of the total mass they were carrying. Mana missed the days when she could not immediately tell just who had just turned active and decided to walk downstairs in the middle of the night. There was no longer any mystery, no more detective work or reading the way that the footsteps sounded.

Then again, judging by how mellow the steps were, how eager the man walking must have felt to seem like a big and sure of himself man but felt like anything but deep inside, making his steps as soft as that of a kitten before the master of those steps squashed the instinct and created an act in each individual step, forcing their foot down to yet another bellowing, yet another creak.

"Can't sleep?" Yushijin mumbled out with a strong tone. The tone of his voice implied more a sense of confusion rather than a genuine need to know, ultimately creating the impression that the question was rhetorical.

"It is tough to sleep..." just like the soft and a bit moldy buns from before, the magician bit the last end of the sentence she had first visualized off. It just seemed less of a hassle that way as it denied the team leader the information that may have caused said hassle.

"I assumed that you would take the news badly. When one can make these sorts of predictions about one's character, it means that they know that person." Yushijin somehow mustered up a tired smile. From the way it looked, the leader of Team Fir was not losing sleep because he wasn't tired. That confused the magician a little.

It was a little bit strange seeing Yushijin with just a sleeveless shirt. Without his massive sword weighing in from behind the young man, he almost looked bare. Sometimes when Mana left or lost her sealing hat she felt bare too, which was why she had drawn that comparison. The swordsman must have left his lumbering blade back in the room – he hadn't left for good nor did he leave for long.

"So... What's making you lose your beauty sleep?" Yushijin sat near Mana, the receptionist glared at the young man, questioning him with just a look if he wanted anything that the employee could have provided him with. Yushijin remained oblivious to that question. He still looked as if he had not gotten used to the way that people around these parts communicate with each other.

"You just hit it head-on. Just leave it at that, no need to delve further." Mana sighed, placing the cold cocoa with just a handful of sips left in the cup back on the table. The bleak clouds of lingering sadness had not yet vacated Mana's sky.

"Any chance you're willing to tag me out as the leader?" Yushijin cut it short and straight, it was a habit with this one.

"I didn't sit out of the opportunity to lead the team because I felt pity. You were at the time, and still are, the best option to lead the team. I have neither the skill nor the passion to lead. Things always get too personal with me, it's not a good quality for a leader." Mana replied with a dull and longing tone.