Alone...for now

Alice stepped serenely out of the building she had stayed in the night previously, she had been told it was the best establishment in this small little village, and she supposed it had been nice enough. The innkeeper stared at the young woman she she walked into the lobby, her hands forming handseals and a sadistic smile on her face, she reached the counter and took hold of the portly middle aged woman's shirt. "Please, i'm just the receptionist!" Alice smiled as she slid herself over the counter, "Do you think i am beautiful, miss receptionist? Of course you do, but you think youself prettier don't you? DON'T YOU!" Alice shook her head slightly, Akuto had put her in the worst possible mood when he had left her just a week or so before, and she had been building up to that little...incident, ever since. She hadn't physically hurt the woman, she hadn't been that far gone at the time, but her genjutsu had forced her to endure hour of humiliation, even though she was broken in nearly a quarter of that time. Alice smiled as a group of children ran past her, one of the little boys had stopped and handed her a flower. She picked the flower off the bush, it reminded her of mother, the woman who had loved her before they took her away to the dark. DARK, ALWAYS IN THE DARK, ALWAYS WHEN I COULDN'T SEE. Absently she realised she had placed her hand on the boys shoulder and was gripping it tightly, her nails almost drawing blood. She stooped down low to his level, releasing her grip and planting a soft kiss on the boy's cheek. He beamed and gave her a hug, "You're pretty" He said, as he ran off to join his friends. Yes, yes she was pretty, she looked at her reflection in the shop window across the street. The soft silk that clung to her body showed off her shapely torse, and it was cut just low enough that men would stare longingly, but not so much that it suggested anything, she didn't want to have to endure their attentions, better to remain aloof. Oh yes, they alway's showed her attention, always in the dark, always always always always always. Kill them all. She walked down the street slowly, humming a slow melody to herself, all this time without an assignment bored her.

I was leaning against the side of a tree, covered by the shadow of the treetops, hiding my black-robed appearance from the normal folks. I saw my colleague walking down the street in front of me, as I had known she would be here. I had waited for her. I walked out in front of her, cutting her off in her path. I knew she wouldn't like that, and that was alright. Akuto and I knew how to handle this woman better than anyone. I knew how to handle them all.

"Alice," I began, "How are you on this lovely evening, my pet?" I talked condescendingly down to the girl, making known my dominance. A smirk crossed the corner of my lips, as I knew exactly what would begin running through her head when she saw me. "How have your plans gone for today? Any new recruits?"