and if an angel loses her way [Complete]

[angelicorigami]

Character(s): Konan, Luffy
Content: Konan arrives in Paixao. She meets Luffy, who mistakes her for a member of Organization XIII. Konan decides to see what she can learn from the odd pirate.
Setting: Joutenheim gate
Time: evening
Warnings: none

Comments

[angelicorigami]

Konan had to admit, she was not expecting that conclusion. Her lips quirked up wider in amusement. Luffy did not seem to be the cleverest of men. She sat down once more--perhaps he had more information.

"Hana for flower," she said, putting on a more casual tone that she had always found a bit awkward; still, people generally preferred it. "As I said, I just arrived. You've been searching for members of this organization?"

This was ground Konan was more comfortable with. She was much more suited to spying and gathering information, although for the most part that was Zetsu's job now. She relaxed her posture a bit.

[stretchmeout]

Slumped down more comfortably in his seat, Luffy took a well-deserved moment to take the pressure off of his poor, aching arches by letting his long and lanky legs jut out across the small patch of concrete where the bench sat. "Uh-huh." He nodded a simple reply, giving a simple smile and a very simple-minded expression.

Now that the two were sitting together, and the intial tension for the incogninja had lessened, a closer inspection was warranted. Even up close, Luffy still didn't seem like much of a threat, but it was likely part of a ninja's perogative not to underestimate such opponents; he was slim, and while very well defined, his body seemed to be perfectly relaxed at all times, giving an impression of softness.

"But, I can't find any of them," he muttered dejectedly, giving a piercing stare down at the ground. "Bunch of cowards. I hear they can teleport anywhere they want, and they don't stick around for very long in one place."

[angelicorigami]

Konan was fairly certain he was either not very clever or putting up a very good act. Certainly one who could act that well would be more dangerous, but she could not disregard potential danger based on this alone. He did not look like a physical threat, no, but Konan was used to deceptive jutsus. After all, could she not make any piece of paper into a weapon as sharp as any shuriken?

Konan was always on some level of stuff formality, although she had lowered it quite a bit to try to put Luffy at ease somewhat. Still, she was not one to slouch, or to soften her features any.

"Interesting," Konan said, and meant it. "And they are in control of this place?"

[stretchmeout]

Reaching above his head, Luffy wrapped his fingers gently around an edge of his hat's brim and lifted it off of his head, letting a few bundled strands of his wild, blackened hair freely spill out. He softly ran his fingers through these light little locks and sighed, while his eyes wandered up to the darkly simulated sky

[angelicorigami]

Konan wondered if Luffy's clear dislike of this mysterious organization was shared by many, or just a peculiarity of this strange man. Either way, the way in which the organization was described painted them as a group which held a fair amount of power. That could be useful for Akatsuki. She would have to discuss them with Pein when they reunited

[stretchmeout]

Luffy's burgeoning smile grew wider, spreading from ear to ear as he sat back against the bench and regarded her. A reward was hardly necessary; Luffy simply enjoyed being able to help out a fellow lost soul. It made him bubble over with a sense of satisfaction, building up inside the pit of his stomach and spreading out across every rubbery inch of him until it finally came out in the form of his handsome little grin.

"Hmm-hmm, you're welcome! Don't mention it," he nodded. "Gotta help each other around here."

He certainly wasn't above the gift. It was the simple things that often proved the most interesting. Her offer of a present immediately excited him, as he sat forward quickly and glued his gaze on the shade of red. "You're going to make an animal? Oh! Ohhh-make-make-make a...lion!"

[angelicorigami]

Konan nodded and her skilled hands began working over the folds. Lions were not something she folded often, but once she started folding the paper the folds came to her as she moved, working as fluidly as any shinobi would with hand seals.

Soon a little paper lion emerged from what was a square of paper. Her eyes glittered with genuine satisfaction. Only origami drew her emotions out so obviously; she had been practicing at it for years, had based her jutsus around it.

She patted the lion once on the head and handed it over to Luffy. "Be careful with him."

[stretchmeout]

Holding his hands gently outward to her, he cupped them together as if he were about to hold something as delicate as a snowflake. This was just as good, such fantastic artistry and skillful movements that Luffy couldn't help but marvel while she worked. "So cooool..." he whispered, awestruck

[angelicorigami]

Konan appreciated the handling her work got--there was something to be said for those who appreciated origami. She stood when he did, though she did not yet make any move to leave the area. She nodded her head to Luffy as he began to leave.

"The same to you," she replied pleasantly. "Farewell."

She watched him leave. An odd one, but there was worse company. As the bench gave way, her eyes narrowed ever to slightly and again regarded the straw-hatted man. Strength like that was not unheard of on the shinobi continents, but to do such a thing casually made him one certainly worth watching