Memories of the Past; Lead to a Brighter Future (Pirvate: Canaan and Maria)

"Canaan, do you copy? Have you located the target?" a static voice echoed from a nearby two-way radio a few feet off. It was on top of a rather tall building located near the center of Karakura Central, and was obviously there to issue orders to someone. While also on the roof, this "someone" was standing a few feet off, their gaze cast out over the city. Judging from this little setting, the "someone" in question was quite different from what one would expect. For starters, this person was a female, or at least a very very feminine male. The female was also rather short, standing at only 5'2", so she did not look like she would have been some assassin waiting on the rooftop for her prey. Her hair was an almost colorless white, and, upon looking at her from a different angle, a very small pair of breasts could be seen pressing against her shirt; proving that she was a female. "Repeat; have you located the target yet?" came the voice over the two-way radio again, a hint of impatience in the tone. This girl, or Canaan as the voice had called her, however, did not seem to be paying attention to it. Instead, she was too busy looking over the city; almost as if she were looking for something specific. As she looked over the city, her eyes would begin to turn red, and suddenly her vision would be filled with hundreds of colored "points"; each one representing a person. "...Maria...you must be somewhere in Japan...right?" Canaan said softly to herself. "Canaan! Has the mission been compromised!" the voice rang out louder, disturbed at Canaan's silence. "...No, the target has not been spotted...suspending mission for now" Canaan said as she walked back to the two-way radio, her eye's turning back to their usual, light brown color. Before the voice had any time to respond, Canaan had turned the two-way radio completely off, and placed it in a small pouch secured around her waist. "Maria..." she muttered to herself, before making her way down to the streets by jumping from building to building; occasionally using flag poles and ledges on her way down.

Down on the streets of Karakura, it was a rather pleasant fall day. The air was only slightly cool, and thanks to the sun being unblocked by clouds, the temperature was very nice. Other than this, everything was exactly as it always was within Karakura Central; people going about their daily business, the fragile peace that they lived in not even a thought on their mind. Of course, had it been seen, Canaan's little "trick" she had used would have most likely gotten everyone's attention, but luckily for her, she was able to land in a back alley. Standing up, Canaan dusted herself off after her landing, and began to assess her situation. To be honest, the only reason she had accepted this job today was because it brought her to Japan; the home of her closest friend in the world whom she had not seen in quite a few years. While neither of them had wanted to part ways, Maria had only been there on vacation, and Canaan's unique "job" usually kept her on the move. Of course, in all the years they had been apart, Canaan had not forgotten about Maria at all; her memories of the time spent with her, though short, were some of the best ones she had. With these memories in mind, Canaan smiled to herself faintly and only for a second (something unusual given her usual demeanor), before walking off into the city. Granted, by now her employed was probably rather cross at Canaan, but with Maria on her thoughts, she couldn't care less.

As she began walking through the city, Canaan kept her eyes open as she constantly looked for anyone that looked like Maria; at least that's what it would have appeared like. In reality, Canaan's eyes had once again become red and, in her vision, every single person she could see was emanating some sort of "color". Yes, this was the most basic effect of her Evolved Synesthesia that was taking effect now; categorizing everyone to different colors based upon their intentions. While this was usually only good for locating threats in a crowd, there was something...special about Maria. Unlike everyone else, Maria had her own, unique, and simply beautiful color; something all her own and unlike any other color. While Canaan herself did not know how or why this was, she never complained about it, seeing as it allowed her to easily find "her Maria". Of course, because there were so many people walking the streets, Canaan could feel a very slight pain in her temple. This was because, the more people there were when using this basic form of her Synesthesia, the more her brain converted senses to sight; and once it got to be too many, Canaan could start to feel a slight pain in her head. Then again, since this was to find Maria, Canaan didn't care how bad the pain was; so long as she could find her closest friend. Luckily, after walking for a short while, Canaan began to see very faint traces of maria's "color", another unique quality about it. This, of course, filled her with even more hope, and as she followed it more closely, began to pay less and less attention to those around her. If Canaan wasn't careful, she could very well run into someone; or maybe someone who was paying less attention would run into her. "Where are you Maria?" she asked herself as she got closer.

To witness the beauty of a serene day within Karakura, is like witnessing life coming back to beautiful flowers. Maria was always blessed with chances to bear witness to the wonderful vibrant colors of Karakura. Today, of course, was no different. Right now, the beautiful and earnest girl of 19 summers awoke in her small yet well-built room. Many family pictures adorned the wall——while her dresser was filled with accessories most people would find in a 19 year old female's room. She never favored make up, and never exactly used it. She was one of the rare women who never had to stoop to using beauty kits to enhance her overall features. Everyone who knew her had always told her from the beginning, that she was fine the way she was. On some occasions, Maria honestly did use make up but would usually be met with sour results. Her father at some points, would usually frown a bit, and ask her why she would try to use something as useless as make up, eyeliner, or lipstick. In the end, Maria eventually ceded to the people around her and decided to never use anything that might ruin her wonderful face as a female. However, this morning, none of that beauty was found on her face. She was suffering from a term loosely called "bed head”, a slightly dry throat in need of water, and there were bags under her eyes that could be mistaken for a ghost found in modern horror films. The reason for her tiresome appearance is that she had done so much work last night and eventually slept late. She was usually in bed by early night, but last night was very unforgiving to say the least. Yawning sleepily, Maria quickly exited her bedroom in order to get herself in top condition.

The bathroom was only 3 meters away from her bedroom, while her father’s room was probably a few doors down from the bathroom; Most of the rooms that Maria and her dad didn't sleep in, were probably, as Maria always saw, used for research and storage material. Since her father had long since stepped down from his life of politics, he needed to find a new occupation to satiate his need for work. He was a working man; a prime example of what most fathers aspired to be. Despite the death of his wife, not once, had he ever went into a depression. He lamented of course, but he knew, that deep in his heart, he needed to be strong for his little girl. Maria loved that about him. There was no other man in this world, which was more important than him. He was the only lifeline that had been keeping the vibrant and wonderful girl grounded. For, if she were to lose him, then Maria would have truly lost her sanity. No, she was stretching it a bit, she wouldn't exactly go insane, but she would most likely never be able to experience the wonderful moments she so enjoyed on their daily journeys. Their connection was pure and strong; pristine and endearing. Maria assumed that, at the moment, he was probably sleeping right now. She was known to wake up before him and come to his bed and serve him breakfast. It was a daily ritual that she enjoyed to the utmost. And her father had even went as far as to say; “She’s like my own personal alarm clock these days. “

Maria slowly and quietly tip-toed inside her bathroom and grabbed the closest brush she could find. A brush with soft Bristles that made brushing her hair seem like a small past time. In fact, out of mere boredom, she would go in this same bathroom and brush her hair at random periods of time. She whistled an old American tune that her mother often sung to her as a child, and gracefully brushed her beautiful blonde hair. After many periodic strokes, her hair was now in top condition. She had finally gotten rid of her bed-head; Now to get rid of these bags under her eyes. She slowly and carefully wrapped her hands around the cold faucet of water and brought her face down to the center of the sink. She carefully cupped a hand full of water and threw it right on her face. And was slowly, but surely, relinquishing her morning tiredness. Eventually, she finished removing all signs of her tired and lethargic state. Maria's eyes were now the beautiful orbs that would sometimes, entrance the city males. Many times, they would see her bright wonderful smile, and those wonderful eyes, and would often take it as temptation or a glance meant to exclaim how much they enjoyed the company of the male. Those who did, however, were quickly disappointed in the end. For some reason, after her last boyfriend, Maria was somewhat mortified about dating someone. She loved half of the offers, that the men gave her, and would accept them were it not for that devastating day; the day where she had almost lost everything. There was no need to try and pull up those memories now, or her day would probably be uneventful and depressing. That was truly how terrible the event for her was. She felt that if she had ever tried to recall it, she would often have nightmares of many kinds.

After she finished washing her face with multiple hand full’s of water, she grabbed a blue toothbrush with her favorite cartoon characters imprinted on the back of the tooth brush. She was truly a child at heart. She was undoubtedly a beautiful and mature woman now, but at the root of her core still laid the wonderful little girl her father and mother came to love. After brushing her teeth for 3 minutes in total; she spat out the toothpaste mixed in with the water and took a deep breath as a wonderful scent left her lips. With her morning problems solved; now was the opportune time to wake her father up. Her favorite part of the day! With pep in her step, she exited the bathroom and walked towards her next destination, the room of her father. After only ten steps, she was now at the door of her old man and wrapped her fingers around the doorknob as she twisted it deftly and opened the door as though she were some secret spy breaking into the perimeters of a museum. She closed the door behind her and then walked towards the bed, where she saw her sleeping father. At the age of 67, he was far beyond his years in knowledge, but his appearance as a handsome young man had long since declined. His face while firm was filled with many wrinkles and his hair had now turned into an ashen gray. Still, despite his aging, he had never lost that warm and kind smile he always had on the ready for his daughter. Right now, he was sleeping peacefully on his bed to the sound of tranquil music on his radio. Maria carefully walked over to the bed and sat quietly beside him. She wasn't exactly able to tackle her father anymore. His body was both weak and brittle now, not even half the strength of what he had at the age of 40. Not only that, but to her abnormal strength which far surpassed that of a normal human man, even hugging him tightly would probably end up sending him into a critical condition. She playfully poked him a few times on his face, before he started to wake up. With a deep, yet, peaceful yawn Maria's father was now awake. Though there was still a bit of drowsiness seen in those old eyes. "Ah...My daughter...Maria Just yesterday i thought about buying an alarm clock to lift the burden off of you having to wake me up, but then, i forgot that my favorite is right here in front of me." He said, trying to make small humor with his wonderful daughter. Maria chuckled at his joke and carefully lifted him from his bed. "Dad, you know i like taking care of you, so having me wake up to comfort or wake you up in the morning is just needless worry.” Her tone was kind; welcoming and serene, with a dash of the affection she felt for her father as his daughter. "I know, I know. You’re a young woman; you should be out finding a husband, or traveling the world like you've always wanted. “He had always cared more for his daughter's well being, than he did his own. So even if she had told him, that he didn't need to worry, he would probably still worry despite her explanations. Maria tilted her head and then shook it just as quickly. "No, dad there truly is no need to worry about me. I'd rather be in here with you then with the people in the outside world. “Maria said quickly, brushing off her father’s needless worries. ”With that strength of yours, i think you’re the scary one, huhuhuhuhu. “Maria’s father jested once more as he smiled and weakly patted her head. Maria pouted, but in its own way, it was a compliment, more so then insult. Maria held his hand with care and helped him off his bed as she used her other hand to hand him his cane. After that, she smiled and guided him to the door. "Enough about me, it's time we get downstairs so i can make you breakfast, papa.” She carefully led him down the stairs and into their living room. As was most of the house, it was not lavished, but the modern design that this house had was more than enough to make anyone feel welcome.

After they arrived at their destined location, Maria guided him into the kitchen and into a chair at their large table. Her father smiled wryly, as he remembered the meals they would share in this kitchen; or when he would always come home from a hard day of political work, and be greeted by his lovely wife and his wonderful daughter. These bittersweet memories were what kept him grounded. "So, what do you plan on cooking today, my special chef?” He asked curiously. "Hum....i think a simple American breakfast would be fine, I don't have much time to make a large meal, but i promise, as soon as i get back home, I’ll give you whatever you like the most. " As she said this, Maria had already started pulling out a pan, a spatula, and multiple pieces of bread. She had gone to the stove and placed the pan on the kitchen, turning the stove to about 7 degrees and carefully grabbed the ingredients for breakfast today. The first thing on her mind to cook was scrambled eggs. If given more time, she probably would've wanted to make a gourmet omelet but this would do. "So father...what would you want today, when i come back?" She directed her attention towards her dad while she took her time in trying not to break the eggs; especially with that abnormality known as her physical strength. Her father slowly stroked his chin, as he gave her his answer. "I want to be like you younglings' and eat some pizza. Though, not too greasy, that may mess with my heart. “Maria nodded at his answer and put the ingredients for pizza on the list on their refrigerator. After breaking enough eggs and emptying the yolks out into the pan, Maria threw the broken eggshells in the trash and grabbed some cheese and a few peppers that were hardly spicy enough to cause him or her discomfort. After multiple, periodic slices, she took a hand full of cheese and threw it in the pan along with the peppers. Through this method, after the eggs start to become soft, creamy, and fully cooked, the peppers and cheese have already melded with the creamy and soft layers of the meal, once it reaches the end of its desired creation. The moment the eggs hit the pan; they began to coagulate almost immediately, during this, Maria began stirring the eggs as they cooked. She was beginning to put together a masterpiece; something her father would probably love since she had put all of her heart in it. There’s a certain method to how you cook eggs; the method is that the pan should always be kept at a low heat, and stirred constantly even inside the pan. This method alone is conducive to the overall taste, texture, and creaminess of the scrambled eggs. Needless to say, the pan and the stirring implement, if kept in constant motion, will create small and soft curds; the lower the heat and the more constant the movement, the creamier the end product. In North America, it’s one of the simplest yet delectable meals found in the early morning diet of most citizens housed in that specific continent. Maria recalled numerous times of when her mother and she cooked scrambled eggs; she loved it as a child and it grew on her well into her pre-teenage years.

After skillful culinary prowess and a dazzling array of seasoning, the eggs were completed. The Aroma that permeated through the air caused Maria's dad to smile with joy. Surely, whenever this woman decided to settle down with an aspiring and honest young man, great things would come to him, especially her wonderful cooking. Though, he knew she wasn't quite done just yet. After bringing the eggs from the pan and emptying the contents inside a small plastic bowl, she directed her attention to the toaster and went to the fridge retrieving four pieces of bread. After doing so, she placed all four inside the toaster, awaiting the time for when the toast would be completed. While the toast was being made, Maria directed her attention to the freeze and grabbed a pack of bacon, turkey bacon to be exact. Unlike the normal kind, which is normally filled with quite the fatty acids, this was much more healthier and easier for her father's body to take. After throwing it on a new pan, she slowly cooked the raw bacon until it started to become soft, with enough of a crunch to be delicious. And in the span of 30 minutes, Maria had completed today's breakfast. With a bright and brimming smile, she pushed the handle of the toaster as the toasted pieeces of bread flew and landed on two plates, two to one plate, and two to the other.

After that interesting display, she emptied the eggs on both of their plates both holding reasonable portions, while she placed two pieces of bacon on each of their respective plates. With that, her father applauded her efforts and she bowed to her number one fan. After this endearing scene, Maria sat down and served the food to her father, while she begins eating herself. During the meal, the two converse on their current lives. The initiator of such a conversation is usually, her father. "So, Maria, what do you plan on doing for today?" Asked Maria's dad, as he takes a spoon full of the scrambled delight, and takes small gentle bites. Maria tilted her head slightly, looking through her head for the answer. That's right, today she was going to try and apply for a job at a photo industry located in downtown karakura city. Ever since Maria could remember, photography had always been one of her favorite past times. She loved capturing those heart warming moments that others experienced within their daily lives, on the camera. "Well, I'm planning on applying for a job today, photography, too," Said Maria with a bright smile. Maria's dad chuckled slightly, and jokingly said, "Oh no, looks like i'll lose my precious daughter. " Maria shrugged her head exaggeratedly as she replied quickly to lull his fake worries. "No, No, Dad, even if i get this job, we'll still hang out a lot!" Maria's dad knew this; a job would never be so horrible as to render her daily life or her time with her father. It was just fun to see his daughter's expressions of panic, which were usually endearing, rather then frightening. Actually, he's quite happy to hear this news. Photography is quite popular, and he believes that it'd a great way for her to travel more. Even more so, it seems like a harmless venture, so he shouldn't worry about her ever being in danger. In truth, he's quite pleased.

After conversing on Maria's plans, and then, conversing on her childhood memories, Maria quickly finished her meal and noticed the time on the clock; she had to get ready for her job! With a hurried stride, she ran upstairs quickly, scrounging around for something to wear that would look appealing to the eyes of her future peers. After a few minutes, she wore her usual apparel and leaped from her room, and then just as fast, returned downstairs. Her father looked on curiously, and asked her, "Maria, what's gotten into you? " Maria turned to him and spoke, "My job, I need to hurry, or i'll be late! i'll be back father!" Maria's dad nodded sullenly, he didn't quite want her to leave yet, but if she needed too, he could not force her to stay. With a solemn nod, he gave her his best wishes. "Good luck my daughter, i'm sure you'll ace the job. " After speaking those last words, he hugged his daughter softly, and patted her head. Maria smiled kindly and contentedly, as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. With that, she left the door and started her journey towards a new path, one filled with happiness, and perhaps more blessings to come. The possibilities were boundless. She felt very confident today, but she could not expect that in just a few moments she would be reunited with a great friend.


After leaving the house, Maria began her adventure through the city. During her walk, she saw the bright city laid out before her in all of it's glory. From the tall edifices and buildings, to the wonderful sun beaming down upon the city, to the sounds of happy children running without worries towards their mothers. This city always seemed to mesmerize her, even without the fancy technology that adorned almost every place within Karakura town. It was simply a new addition to her; nothing that could possibly change her opinion or her general view. After exploring and taking in the wonderful locations in Karakura, Maria began to walk with haste. She couldn't stand around too much; otherwise, she'd be late for her interview and probably ruin her chance of getting something she had been aspiring for, for some time now. Though, with this she ended up bumping into the unlikeliest of people, someone who she had been away from for a few years, after leaving Santa Rita. She herself, did not fall, but when she bumped and turned around, her eyes widened. ...it...was...it.....this...person...was.... "CANAAAAAAAAAAAAN!?"

Although it seemed as if she were getting closer to her goal by the "color trail" she was following; what Canaan did not know was that it was actually leading her in a circle. Because of where she picked it up, she was now more or less in front of Maria's path. Because of this, as her close friend hurriedly ran to her destination, Canaan was actually unaware of her until the moment of impact. Of course, being focused on following Maria's color made this obliviousness all the easier. As Maria ran into her (though Canaan did not recognize who it was at first), she was actually pushed back a bit, almost falling over. Because of her smaller frame, Canaan's body hardly put up enough resistance to Maria's oncoming force to knock over the other girl. Luckily, Canaan had enough training that, even when caught off guard, she was able to react to the situation and, instead of being knocked down, quickly caught herself and faced the person who had collided with her. Because of her training, her first instinct was to grab her weapon; the customized Beretta Px4 Type G 9 mm semi-automatic pistol given to her by her mentor Siam. Luckily, however, she was able to access the situation fast enough that, once she faced the person who had run into her, she knew exactly who it was.

"M...Maria!" she shouted, the second she recognized the girl who had run into her. Of course, because of her nature and personality, her "shout" was much quieter than Maria's, though in no way "quiet". Though not in her usual nature, Canaan quite literally jumped out and hugged Maria; her grip tight but nowhere near as strong as what Maria was capable of. Normally, Canaan was much more reserved, not showing many emotions in her words or actions. It wasn't that she was a mean person, but because of what she had been through in her life, it was very hard for her to actually show her emotions, let alone feel them. In fact, after Siam's death, until she met Maria, Canaan had pretty much encased herself in an emotionless shell. Though she did not know what, something about Maria...well, just made her feel comfortable and safe. To be honest, if one were to actually analyze what Canaan felt towards Maria, their best bet would most likely be love. Of course, because there had only been one other person like this in her entire life (Siam, who was killed before she could begin to understand what her own feelings were), Canaan did not even realize herself what she felt for Maria. It was actually rather sad that this young woman had been traumatized so much in her life that she did not even recognize love. And yet, as long a maria was in her life, there was still hope that Canaan would one day be able to regain the innocence that had been so mercilessly stolen from her life.

Of course, as Canaan clung to Maria, none of these thoughts were in her head. No, right now, she was just glad to have been reunited with her best friend in the world. "Maria...it's been so long" she said, finally pulling herself back from the girl. As she said this, her tone was a bit softer, yet still held it same general pitches. Because she had been scared so much in her life, Canaan was not the best at expressing emotions or dealing with them in general. Still, with her grand display of emotion over (the hug and shout), Canaan was now back to her usual demeanor; at least when with Maria. Her tone was slightly muted of emotions, but a sense of joy could still be heard in her tone towards maria. She also, well... wasn't too "touchy". Granted, she would eagerly take Maria's hand, both to lead her and just for the contact; but other than that, her body language was rather muted. That being said, were Maria to hug her, unless it was one of her bone crushing ones, Canaan would be more than happy to accept. "So, what have you been up to Maria?" Canaan asked her. While she was obviously aware of the time that had passed since they had last met, Canaan seemed to want to pick things up as if it had all happened just yesterday. It wasn't like she were trying to deny that they had each gone their separate ways, but because she was actually rather weak when it came to emotional matters, it would have probably been harmful for her to focus on the negatives. All she knew was that she was reunited with her Maria, and this time, she was not gonna let her go.

This...this was completely unprecedented. Maria did not expect that, out of all people, she would be reunited with a friend that she felt she would never see again. Canaan seemed so distant, almost as though she couldn't be held down in one place for too long. After conversing with the girl who saved her from those two street thugs, Maria forged a strong connection with Canaan. It was the best vacation she ever had. Not because of her friends, or even because of the food she enjoyed, but because of this girl embracing her quite tightly. Ahh - Canaan it's really you! Joy and jubilation suffused Maria's entire being. She felt as though she were floating above a city, as though she were truly experiencing something magical. That was how much this friendship meant to her. Maria felt so giddy inside, curious to know went on Canaan's life since their separation. She didn't wanna seem too overwhelming, but also wanted to make the best of this day with her. After all, what if she was forced to leave again like she was years ago? She was beginning to worry too much. Think positives! Maria cheered herself up with this quick exhortation, and directed her attention back to reality when Canaan pulled away. "I Know! I...never thought i'd see you again!" She said with a jaunty laugh. One thing Maria always noticed about Canaan - was that she was always a shy, timid, and meek when matters concerned the young blonde haired woman. She wasn't like other girls Maria knew. She had no aspirations to be beautiful - though she didn't need too - No desire to get married, and appeared to have no taste in men. In all honesty, Maria suspected that she was one of only a few friends that Canaan had ever been blessed to meet.

Maria, in contrast, had lots of friends. While shaken up by the accident that occurred in her life with her deceased boyfriend, she was by no means ready to give up on love. That said, she decided that it would probably be good to wait until her mid twenties to resume dating. She had so much to live for. She wanted to travel the world, meet new people, see new places, this zealous yearning for journey was what made Maria who she was as a woman. In fact, her main reason for pursuing a photography career was not because she found it cool, but rather because she felt that it would allow her to expand her bases as an artist as well as enable her to go sight-seeing and catch ephemeral pictures of nature that could seize the hearts of many. Comparing the two, it would seem as though the girls had too completely different lives, and of course, this was true. How could two girls raised from seemingly different classes of life become so close? They had known each other for only a short time in Santa Rita, but that time was enough to feel an unshakable bond between this strong-willed girl and the timid yet courageous Canaan. Without wanting to lose herself too much to happiness, she decided to answer any questions Maria had planned for her. "...Hm..." As Canaan asked her first question, Maria carefully searched through her head for a suitable answer. She wanted Canaan to be proud of her. However, there wasn't much she was doing lately except caring for her father and working late night shifts at some rather unscrupulous restaurant businesses. Add to that the paper work she had to complete for her job today, and she could feel that sudden sense of lethargy trying to assault her. With emphatic shake of her small head, she directed her attention back to Maria and gave her a somewhat unenthusiastic answer.

"I haven't done much...actually, heh. " Maria twiddled her fingers as she continued, "For the most part, I've been monitoring my father's conditions while working a few jobs in order to keep our current life sustained. " It wasn't as though Maria felt shame at telling her best friend this, but still, she at least felt it would've been better if she could have come up with more. Nevertheless, she was confident that no matter what happened, she could always come up with something to spark a conversation. Maria was like the life of a party, always exuberant, always buoyant. Surely were there a time where Maria would have to cheer her friend up, the sadness or despair inside them would never last long with this vivacious girl hanging around. There was this unknown effect she had on people, but no one could quite pinpoint what it was. Returning the hug from earlier, she did her best to keep her strength at the uttermost of lows. She didn't want to crush her friend whom she had just reunited with. "I was on my way to a job, but i have some time to spare for you, how about we go to a nice restaurant and you can tell me what you've been doing over the years, my treat!" Maria triumphantly pulled out 1000 yen from her pocket, enough to get something delicious for the both of them. With alluring grace, Maria wrapped her hand around Canaan's and pulled her along so that she could find the ideal hot spot for food and conversation. It was time to let the days true festivities begin.

As Maria answered her question, a light smile crossed Canaan's lips. While taking care of your father and working part time jobs may have seemed ordinary and mundane to anyone else, to someone like Canaan such activities seemed almost exotic. Having lost her family at an early age, Canaan had missed out on much of the benefits of having loving parents, and because of her unique abilities and Synesthesia, the on;y "jobs" that she had worked mainly involved the taking of life. So, while Maria may have thought that her life had been boring since last they met, to Canaan, it seemed new and exciting. Shaking her head at the way Maria dismissed her actions as lackluster, she looked at Maria with the faint smile still upon her face. "I think it's wonderful that you've been looking after your father Maria, it shows just how much of a kind and caring person you are" she said in response, her tone slightly muted compared to the other girl. Though it had less emotions, the inflection that Canaan used when she spoke implied that she was impressed with Maria.

In comparison, Canaan had spent her time since their first meeting continuing her work as a sort of "bounty hunter", still working for the same organization she had been when working with Siam. Despite this, were Maria to ask what she herself had been up to, Canaan would merely respond with "hunting bad guys". Though she may not have been very perceptive of herself on an emotional level, Canaan knew full well that Maria was still an innocent girl, and she wanted to do all that she could to protect that innocence. As she said she was on the way to a job interview, Canaan felt a small amount of guilt, especially if because of this delay she was denied the job. Of course, as Maria energetically offered to take her out to eat, Canaan found that she could not say no to the beautiful young lady before her. "I'd love to go out with you" she responded as Maria waved the 1000 yen note to her. Seeing as it had been so long since they had been together, Canaan would have jumped at any opportunity to spend more time with Maria. While she didn't intend to leave her again this time, she still wanted to spend as much time as she could with the girl she felt closest to.

About to follow Maria on her own, Canaan was caught slightly off guard as her hand was grabbed by the other girl and she was pulled along. As stated earlier, Canaan usually wasn't a big fan of much physical contact, but when it came to Maria, everything was different. Not only that, but Canaan felt an odd emotion inside as she was led by the woman holding her hand. Although she did not know what it was, it was very similar to the feeling she had gotten from Siam as he rescued her from her destroyed village all those years ago. Unknown to Canaan, a slight blush had crossed her face for a brief moment when Maria had grabbed her hand. Still, with that out of the way, Canaan went to work looking around for a place to eat as Maria guided her. Knowing Maria, Canaan was pretty sure that she had no real clue as to where she wanted to take her. Sure, her intentions may have been good, but Canaan knew that Maria would often act before fully thinking. Luckily, Canaan herself had done a bit of research on the city, knowing that Maria was here, and had already found a few places that she had planned to go to with her once she found her.

As Maria continued to lead her, Canaan noticed a certain place that she had read about earlier, and quickly stopped the woman ahead of her. "Hey Maria, how about we go here?" she suggested as she pointed to an outdoor cafe a few steps from where they were. This time, it was her turn to lead, and keeping her hand in Maria's, she gently led the girl over to a table for two. Although the cafe wasn't too big, it was apparently a good place to go if you wanted quality ice cream. Seeing as it wasn't really the right time for any big meal, it had seemed like the perfect place to stop for a snack. "When I read about this place, I knew that I wanted to come here with you Maria" she admitted, pulling out a chair for Maria. Of course, one thing that Canaan didn't know was that this place was supposedly a popular place for couples to come out to on a date. While this didn't effect her intentions to spend more time with her closest friend, because they had been holding hands and because Canaan didn't look particularly "feminine", it wouldn't have been hard to mistake the two girls as a couple out on a date.

Canaan’s answers in reply to Maria’s current endeavors were enough to quell any embarrassment the blonde-haired girl may have had. Maria knew Canaan was never one to be the judgmental type, but she always had the incurable tendency of being a worrywart with such subjects. With her worries banished, Maria blinked ever so slightly at Canaan’s suggestion as she stared curiously at the café that Canaan singled out. Thinking about it, ice cream did seem like the best choice since there really was no true reason to eat something big. A snack will do just nicely, Maria thought as she smiled exuberantly.

The fact that this place was usually a popular hotspot for couples did not don on Maria as her comrade guided her over to a chair in which she pulled out as a gesture of good courtesy. As she sat down, she carefully picked the menu up and stared off into the bright, radiant sun. The rays of sunlight, the cooling sensation of the air, and the common hustle and bustle that was so prevalent in this city…not one of them were undeserving of praise.

This was a perfect day for a reunion. Although Maria was engrossed within the scenery around her, she was nevertheless curious to see what else her dear friend had been doing over these past few years which to her, felt like an eternity. Canaan was Maria’s best friend.

Though Maria had many acquaintances and people she loved to party with, having this girl come around always made her jittery. One would no doubt be surprised that two people of such different childhood and status could forge a bond that not even the gods themselves could sully.

There was also the fact that, like Canaan, Maria had also been the victim of a traumatizing event herself. The fear that she had when her former lover was killed, and the terror she felt when those terrifying men threatened to kill her father—those feelings still weighed heavily over her heart. While she did possess great love for that deceased young man at the time, her father was her everything. Just the thought of losing him was gut-wrenchingly scary.

–Enough of this.

She shouldn’t be worrying about such a horrifying recollection. This is a time for positivity. Ridding her head of the revolting thoughts that attempted to barge inside her psyche, Maria decided to spark up a conversation. To start off, she decided to ask her about how life had been ever since the two parted.

As she awaited for Canaan to answer her question, a tall, masculine waiter arrived to take their orders. Maria’s eyes carefully examined the various delectable traits the menu had to offer. Once she came to a decision, she handed the menu to the waiter while Canaan did the same. Maybe some ice cream would take her mind off of anything negative. In the meantime, Maria plans to enjoy her day with Canaan. If she were lucky, who’s to say this wouldn’t be the start of many days to come? A girl could dream couldn’t she?

To be honest, Canaan could not remember the last time she had been able to go out somewhere in public and just sit down without the risk of being shot at; though her best guess was probably about the last time she had seen Maria. Such a life came with the job for Canaan; a mercenary/assassin sent to take out targets her handlers could not silence by any other means. Seeing as she never really stopped to think about it, Canaan never really had any problems with such a life, it being the only one she had known since Siam had rescued her. And yet, something about her innocent friend Maria asking her about her life... well, it actually made her think. Her thoughts were not so much filled with regret, but instead, concern over Maria about involving her in such a life. While she would do just about anything to spend time like this with Maria, the last thing she wanted was for any harm to come to the girl should, say, a mission go wrong. It was for this reason, mainly, that Canaan only ever told Maria that her job was to "hunt the bad guys"; that, and to protect her innocence. While this was technically correct, Canaan hated the feeling that went with those words; as if she were lying to Maria. Honestly, that was probably one of the reasons it had taken her so long to find Maria again, this internal struggle. However, now that she had found her, a new thought process was beginning; whether or not she should give up the life Siam had taught her.

Of course, all of these thoughts had not simply appeared at random, but instead had begun when Maria asked her how life had been ever since they had parted ways. Because of this, there had been a slight pause between Maria's question and Canaan's eventual answer. "Oh, well... I suppose my life has been alright. To be completely honest, work has kept me very busy; you would not believe how many bad guys there are out there" she said in response. However, as she spoke, Canaan's tone was rather distant, and even her gaze had shifted off to the side, as if she were looking off into space as she spoke. These gestures had not been conscious decisions of hers, though, and as soon as she caught herself, she quickly turned her gaze back to Maria, a faint, small smile crossing her lips. "Oh, but I do have some good news. It seems that work shall keep me here in Karakura for quite a while... it may even become a permanent arrangement" she said, her tone, though still flat for the most part, held a distinguishable hint of happiness; though only someone who had known her such as Maria would have been able to notice it. To be honest, while her words may have seemed nothing more than a simple conversation piece, they really did take on a darker meaning when one knew just exactly what it was that she was alluding. Still, not even that could bother Canaan today, so long as she was with Maria.

"So tell me Maria, what have you be-oh?" Canaan began to ask, before she felt the presence of the waiter behind herself, holding two oversized sundaes. "Excuse me, I have your order now" the waiter said, before placing one sundae each in front of each girl. Once done, the waiter turned around to leave, but not before one last comment. "And might I say, you two make quite the lovely couple" he said, most likely hoping that his compliments would earn him a higher tip; either that, or he simply was that kind. "...couple?" Canaan repeated as the waiter left, her tone holding a bit of confusion. While she may have been rather intelligent, at least when it came to tactics and assassinations, Canaan was virtually clueless when it came to knowledge or experience with everyday matters. Obviously, the waiter had probably mistake her for a young boy, and simply just assumed that her and Maria were a couple. Canaan, however, simply seemed unable to wrap her head around this idea. "Did... by couple, did he imply that we were out on a date?" she asked Maria with her head tilted slightly in curiosity. While she wasn't quite sure what the man's words had meant, Canaan couldn't really think of any reason why she would be opposed to that; Maria was her friend and they should be able to go out on a date if they so wanted. But, if it were just that, then why had they been called a couple? As she tried to decode the meaning of the words, her brow furrowed in concentration, and because of her underdeveloped body, made her look much like a child trying to comprehend trigonometry. Of course, seeing as they had both ordered ice cream, Canaan could not spend too much time lost in thought, and shrugging slightly, looked back up at Maria. "Well, I hope this is as good as I have heard" she said, her tone back to being near emotionless, though it did seem to hold some anticipation.

"Of course it is, Canaan! Ice cream is absolutely delicious!" Part exuberant, part elated, Maria unconsciously ignored the waiter’s couples comment. Although she was no stranger to romance, Maria was incurably oblivious to almost everything around her. What could have a negative or embarrassing connotation to others is utterly harmless to a girl like her.

Of course, she also knew that others frequently made the mistake of confusing Canaan for a young man. She never knew why, since Canaan – at least in her eyes – was one of the prettiest girls she had met. Nevertheless, in order to ease Canaan’s worries, she found it necessary to explain why he made that joke. “Yes, I think he was implying we are on a date or…. Better yet, that we’re a couple. My friends always did mistake you for a guy, though I can’t even fathom why! You’re so pretty it makes me a bit jealous~” Speaking in spirited tones, Maria grabbed the spoon besides the sundae.

Eager to eat, yet curious about what she said earlier, the young woman asked, “S-so, by permanent, do you mean you could end up staying here for a while? Please tell me this isn’t a joke! That’d make me so happy!” She said, using her other hand to grasp and squeeze Canaan’s, bringing it towards her face. This, of course, would not help their “couple’s case” in the watching eyes of those present, but Maria cared naught for such things. Canaan was a woman who saved her life, and became a central part of it even after she was forced to return to her work that she had mentioned during their last meeting.

She was still unsure about the details, but at the very least, Canaan was safe. And if she could stay here permanently… life would be as sweet as this sundae she was about to consume. Moving her hands away with a small blush, she once again grabbed the spoon, surveying the sundae as though wondering what part to go for. Deciding that she’d start from the top, Maria took one spoon-full of ice cream and placed it inside her mouth, sighing happily at the cooling sensation and sweet taste.


“Mmm, see? This is some really good ice cream. “

Now that she had tasted the ice cream, Maria wanted to propose something to Canaan. And it was serious, but not in a bad way. Taking a deep breath, Maria asked, “Canaan… um… during your mission here, I was wondering if you didn’t have any other place to stay….. Would you like to live with me and my father for the time being? He’s really nice and down to earth, and there is no doubt in my mind he wouldn’t like you. We even have a free room with a bed and a television, and you wouldn’t need to worry about food – since I’m the house’s “Top chef” in my father’s eyes. So…. W-what do you say? “Maria was nervous now. She genuinely enjoyed Canaan’s company, and her answer would either make or break Maria’s day. With determination in her eyes, she awaited Canaan’s answer.