Konan
Where is Hidan?
Konan's eyes roved from side to side. Her ears twitched as they listened for any sound. He wasn't in his room, wasn't anywhere else in or on the building, and she had lost track of how long it had been since she'd last checked on him. Damn, why did I let myself get so absorbed in training Deidara?
She knew the answer: because it was fun. But fun must never come before the safety of one's comrades and village, even if she had not had any reason to think he would be in danger with Kakuzu around.
That is also odd. Where is Kakuzu? She hadn't seen him either. Konan's ears stopped twitching as she realized that, if they were both gone at the same time, the most likely thing was that they had left together.
Would they take it well if I implemented a card system like Jiraiya sensei used to keep track of who was here and who was out? Hmm… They would not. She twirled a kunai around one finger and looked around.
If that was the case, what should she do now? Go back out with Deidara? No, that was enough group training for one day. He should practice on his own. Find Hidan? I've been clinging to him for the past several days already.
I must seem so weak and dependent. I was weak and dependent, when I needed to recover, but I am recovered now. Staying by his side so much is the last thing I should do. I can do what I wish by myself.
She decided to go into down, then, and actually do something by herself. It had been less than a week. She was safe in doing so.
Hidan asked about general patterns, ways of predicting my behavior, she remembered as she set off running down the road toward town. Are there any?
Halfway through the residential area, she realized her speed had picked up noticeably without her noticing until just now. Konan remembered the last time she had run toward town at a speed like this. I had felt frightened, and overwhelmed, but I was able to overcome it.
I told myself that I could channel my inner darkness in helpful ways, use it to further my goals. I did so. I threw off all my worries, which I should not have been able to do. It was too easy. And then, I threw myself into exploring town, crossing it over and over again enough to know where the center of it was in only three hours. I completely lost track of time, lost control.
Her eyes widened. Were those warning signs? A prelude to what was to come? Have things like that occurred in the past? She searched her memories for unusual absorption, excessive happiness, turning her attention away from things far too easily. I...think I have. I don't remember very well, but I think that the world did always appear a little brighter, before it became much too bright. That might well have been it.
I never asked. Hidan was the first to ask about reliable patterns and signs. I never even thought of trying to predict myself. If I had thought of it, could I have saved Yahiko?
Konan ran faster, smiling horribly as her legs started to burn from sprinting without the aid of chakra. She could have. That horrible scene, Yahiko's death, all of it… It all could have been so easily averted if only she had not turned away from her worst self in fear, had had the damn courage to face it.
She had thought, up on that rooftop, of working with herself and using her inner darkness to a good end? What a hypocritical joke! She had never actually tried. This, predicting herself and working around it, was how she could work with her inner darkness, and instead of trying she had turned away pretending it did not exist, or tried to change herself to kill it.
It wasn't true. She wasn't as smart or as strong as Hidan thought she was, or else she would have confronted herself and saved Yahiko. Instead he had died because she was a coward. She claimed to know more than they did of how the world really worked, to have seen more of its hidden parts, but she hadn't looked at her own hidden parts or been willing to see how she worked. She was a hypocrite.
What he thinks of me… It isn't true. Konan stared at the blurred yellow lines in the middle of the road. Then her brow furrowed. Isn't it? I told him I could not tell what was true and what was not. He insisted that I was telling lies to myself. Are these lies? Or truth? She shivered despite her elevated body temperature. She didn't know.
I need him, she conceded as she passed the first several buildings. Or someone like him, someone who is separate from myself who can help me look at myself. Hidan. Nagato. Perhaps Deidara would do. Sasori has been good at providing me with a different view of my actions…
She slowed to a walk. Alright, she needed someone to be around her. Preferably several someones, in case one was compromised. But she had several someones within easy reach, and there was no danger now. She could take some time for herself and everything would be alright.
Konan cursed under her breath. She had not understood what they were at the time, so she hadn't memorized the locations of the kind of stores where she could find technology.
She hadn't even borrowed anyone's phone to look at what they said in the group chat since that day where Deidara had received news of the succubus. How much was she missing? Where do I get a phone, and how do I set it up? Hidan showed me how to use one, but he did not tell me how he arranged the features of his phone in the first place.
He even hinted that some of its abilities had to be gotten from somewhere else, but I did not ask where or how to get them. *sigh* Firstly, beyond all question, I should get the actual device. I can give it different abilities later.
Most of an hour later, Konan was thinking more intensely about her previous experience exploring town. I lost track of time then. This time, I have not. Then, I recall everything that happened happening easily and smoothly, so easily I don't actually remember most of what I did.
Now, the process of searching for a single damn store is not easy, or smooth, and I have a feeling that I haven't covered nearly as much ground as I covered before. I really must have been different back then. How could I not have noticed I was different? Another shiver.
She stopped on the sidewalk across the street from an ice cream parlor. Perhaps I can ask an NPC. They never act as if anything is unusual, so it should be easy to get an answer from them no matter what kind of question I have. She glanced around for cars (which she had noticed were often quieter than they should be), then crossed the street and entered the ice cream place.
"Hi," said a bored-looking young person behind the counter. He glanced at his coworkers, who were busy attending to other duties. "What can I get you?"
"The location of a store here where I can purchase a cellphone," Konan replied.
The young person shrugged. "I haven't had the money to even think about that since I got here. I'm just trying to get on my feet. You could ask her." He indicated a female customer currently scrolling through a cellphone. The shine off its screen was unbroken, and most of the items she wore or carried appeared new. Konan agreed she would be good to ask.
How exactly did one approach random strangers in public, when they were busy doing something else? It seemed appallingly rude, yet the young man was already attending to someone else as if his suggestion was trivial, of no importance. Konan glanced around without drawing attention to herself.
Back in my world, someone attempting to talk to a stranger would be eyebrow-raising. It would not be suggested as a reasonable first course of action. It seems as if in this world, one can do anything they please. Like water, when my world is more like stones. People constantly twist and arrange themselves in new ways, so that a leader in one room is a comrade in another room, and the next day the inferior has become the caretaker, and someone new has taken the reins of power every hour without so much as a word of protest. Thank the gods I'm a ninja, else I would not be so able to blend into whatever situation I find myself in and use it to my advantage. It's like being abducted by moles, or by starfish.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Fortunately, my efforts to blend in have been greatly aided. I have no idea how, or why, but a blessing is a blessing. So then, what are the social norms of starfish?
The obvious answer to that question was, "Pretend to be a starfish." She pretended she was Hidan and walked directly up to the table the woman sat at. "Hello," she began.
The woman blinked. Her posture did not change, but her eyes rose above whatever they had been looking at before. "Where did you get that phone?" Konan asked. "I don't know where a phone store is, and I need one myself."
The woman's eyes lowered again. "2 blocks over, one block up. Near the dog shelter."
"Thank you." Konan had no idea what "over" meant, but the word definitely applied to this conversation. She withdrew, walking outside and standing on the sidewalk. One block north, near a dog shelter. That's all the information I need.
It turned out "over" meant "to the right." The dog shelter was to the east. Several stores to the west of it, Konan found a store that had named itself something utterly bizarre which she couldn't imagine ever naming a store. It might have been a reference to a technology-related term or phrase, but she didn't know any such terms or phrases, so the reference, if there was one, was lost on her. At least she could see what looked like boxes for electronic devices through the windows.
Something about the environment inside the store disturbed her. Konan looked around for the source. It couldn't be the shelves, which appeared flimsy enough to take down and move inside of a few hours, and which were such a bland gray they almost became part of the walls. It also couldn't be the endless boxes in blue and white and black, none of them catching the eye in any way, yet all seeming out of order and disorganized.
Konan had seen that from the outside, and she hadn't felt so unsettled outside. It must be something in the air, or the sounds. The air was chilled and smelled as gray as the shelves did, completely lacking in signals that this air belonged anywhere. And the store was so quiet. It was as if nothing here belonged anywhere.
I'm in perfect company then. She looked around for a sign containing the word "cellphones." She didn't see one, but she did see a sign that said "cellular devices," which seemed like an overly complicated way of saying the same thing. Device this, device that. What about technology requires the use of the word device? she wondered as she made her way to that aisle. The word seems to have a very different meaning in this world. I've only seen it used in this one context.
Only when she was standing in the aisle did Konan realize there was a problem. Those boxes of blue and white and black? They had all been different, but in such a way that her eyes glazed right over and they all looked exactly the same.
Her eyes were doing that now with the cellphones. They all looked different and exactly identical at the same time, and the environment was unpleasant enough that Konan found herself not caring, wishing to just get one and get the hell out of here. But of course, she was a ninja, so she cared about differences whether she wanted to or not. How were they different from each other? The differences must be important, must be exploitable in some way.
Her eyes continued to glaze over, though, and she forgot one brand name in the time it took to look at the next. They all looked like rectangles with rounded corners, of approximately the same size and design, and if they had different inborn capabilities she didn't know it because words like "3G" and "Bluetooth" meant nothing, if those even were words. Of the words she did recognize, she could not understand any of them.
They were words she knew, and yet did not know, such as "thin and sleek." She knew what thin and sleek meant. It was a good description of fish. But why on anyone's earth would she care how thin an electronic thing was? Shouldn't she want it to be thicker so it couldn't be damaged? Was it good that it was thin? What the hell was going on here?
Konan left the store with a feeling of vague inadequacy, no phone, and a deep disturbance in her view of the world which she could not trace back to any definite source.
...Chibi was good to have around. She looked up the road. Perhaps looking at dogs will help. I always found them soothing when something seemed jarringly wrong. Seduced by the memory of puppy tails and soft ears, she made her way into the shelter.
.
So disappointing…
The entrance room looked slightly clinical, if anything. There were no dogs in view yet. Did she have to express interest in buying any before she would be allowed to see one in person? There were pictures all around, but they didn't move and it was obvious they were curated for maximum cuteness. Konan found herself wishing for something more definite than just a dog. Messy and ruffled fur, ears with little notches and a slight buildup of something in their outer folds, a tail that persistently went to one side or even kinked; these were the things that came to mind. After the alien, unreal feeling of the tech store, she wished for something more real. Imperfection was real.
"Can I help you?" asked a friendly-looking woman. She was well-built, with thick, strong features and long golden hair. She looked almost like a dog herself, a beautiful, strong working kind of the sort that Konan admired. Would Chibi have grown up to be large and strong? Konan hoped so.
Konan found herself smiling just from meeting this friendly dog-woman. She even found herself speaking openly and honestly, without any of the reservations or worries she would normally have had. "I wanted to be near something warm and alive after visiting the technology store up the road," she confided.
The dog-woman shook her head as she chuckled. "You know, I've thought for a long time that that's why most of the folks we see come here, but you're the first to ever admit it. Maybe the first to even know it. I've always thought of myself as sensitive because I'm the only one I know who realizes how alienating modern life is." She sighed and clicked her tongue. "Only one I know who doesn't have a phone, too."
Konan nodded. "I was searching for one myself. There is a group chat I wish to join."
The dog-woman smiled warmly. "You haven't had one before, have you?" Konan shook her head. "I can tell. It's overwhelming, even for me and I'm used to it." She opened a door. "Take as much time as you need, and don't hesitate to call me or the cute guy in the back if you need to track down your stolen heart."
Konan went gratefully through the door, wondering if she had a heart to steal. Once the door closed, she focused on her surroundings. She was in a large room filled with very big cages. They were very loosely built of wood, and she saw none stacked higher than two. The upper cages only held sick or lame-looking dogs which would need to be carried anyway. The room smelled of bedding and fur and saliva, not surprising considering that all the cages had blankets in them and toys. Konan peered in cage after cage, seeing that no two had the same collection of toys, and the blankets were all different. She shivered in relief and pleasure as it sunk in. I didn't know I missed this taste of home. The motley collection reminded her of the past.
Perhaps some of them feel the same way. Konan looked at the dogs within these cages, and saw beings similar to herself. There was not a single puppy here, but there were a lot of mutts. She saw ears with notches aplenty, scars, and canines that limped as they stuck their nose out between the wide bars to sniff at her and whine. This place is very dangerous. Konan recognized that she did indeed have a heart, and it was in danger of being stolen.
She took her eyes away from her fellow creatures with effort, and looked toward the back. More doors, surprisingly inconspicuous among the animals, presumably led to other facilities where they were washed or such. Konan wished the guy back there, whoever he was, would hurry up and get out here already so she could feel safe.
In the meantime, she sat on the floor near the doors, in front of a cage that held a shy dark-colored dog. He chewed softly on a toy, watching her from the far corner. Konan reminded herself that when it was her heart in danger, the one she felt safest around was the one that was most dangerous. Still, she desired quiet company, not the yapping of the young, golden, long-haired dog with a deformed tail who was trying to get her attention. Konan averted her eyes from the quiet dog, not wishing to disturb him. She did not want to be disturbed herself. He was good company.
The quiet dog had just lowered his head back onto his paws, still chewing at the toy, when one of the doors opened. Konan instantly forgot about the dogs, even the golden one who started yapping again with renewed vigor. Her mouth dropped open. She rose to a crouch, staring. "Nagato?"
Nagato started, stumbling slightly before turning and staring back. His left hand, which he had been drying on his pants, fell to his side forgotten. The bubbles in the suds left between his fingers popped as he blinked. "Konan?"
"Yarf!" agreed the patchy mutt which nearly pulled him off his feet. Nagato stumbled, but held onto the leash. He stammered before apologizing and letting the dog lead him to its cage. Konan followed, watching as he took the leash off, told the dog it was a very good girl, and informed her that she was not going to get any more food between now and dinner no matter how much she whined.
The dog licked his hand as he drew back. He turned to face Konan but before he could say anything, she murmured, "Chibi."
Nagato closed his mouth. "Yeah…"
They settled into silence. Nagato realized his hands were still moist from washing Goldeneye the dog, and finished wiping them on his pants. Goldeneye wagged her tail, wondering why Stranger had Best Human's scent on her. Were they packmates? Mated? She sniffed Stranger's funny black clothes again to be sure.
Konan looked fondly at the golden-eyed dog whom Nagato had called a good girl. "Chibi was such a good dog," she remembered. "Did I tell you he saved you from starving?"
Nagato nodded. "How?"
"Licking." Konan's smile faded. "You collapsed from hunger, but Chibi licked you awake and gave you a reason to keep walking. Without him, you wouldn't have made it to Yahiko and I." Her chest tightened.
Nagato blushed faintly. "I didn't have much company after my parents died. I wouldn't have starved here, but it was really lonely. I'm so glad Chibi and Yahiko were around. I don't know what I would have done without them."
Konan held out her hand for Goldeneye to sniff. The dog accepted. All the humans seemed to like it when she did this. It must be like letting another dog sniff your rear glands, except humans didn't have glands to sniff. Maybe if she made friends with Stranger, Stranger would bring food. Goldeneye licked at Konan's fingers.
Nagato remembered that Konan had met Chibi, had looked after the puppy just like he had. He watched the gentle way she interacted with Goldeneye, observed the peaceful look in her eyes. "What was Chibi like in your world?" he asked softly.
Konan's eyes grew sad, but fortunately not pained. "He was a kind dog. He kept you moving, he cheered all of us up during hard times, and he was very fond of us." She tilted her head as a little pain crept in. "It only just occurred to me that he could be compared to Yahiko in those ways. Saving you, making us all happier… Perhaps his death was a premonition." Another warning sign I didn't heed.
Nagato swallowed. "How did he die?" In this world, Chibi had led a fairly pleasant life until an accident with a car when he was a year and a half old. Nagato had cried for weeks, as had Yahiko, and they had both unofficially moved in with Jiraiya for the first time in response.
Konan closed her eyes. "We witnessed a battle, between Hanzo the Salamander and Jiraiya and his teammates. We were too close to it. Chibi was struck and killed." I should have known then that approaching Hanzo sama did not mean anything good.
Nagato reached out slowly, taking her hand in his. "That was awful."
"Just a taste," Konan countered. Chibi's death really was like Yahiko's, except nowhere near as bad. It did not compare to the devastation she had felt, seeing Yahiko lying still and cold, knowing that she had just destroyed everything they had ever wanted and that it was all over. In a way, she and Nagato had died too. And yet, they hadn't. That made no sense.
Nagato knew what she was referring to. He swallowed back nausea as he remembered that Yahiko had died. Could he ask? "How...did it happen?"
Konan's heart stopped. Can I answer? So many things came to her mind from that one question. It had happened because they were too young. Because of Hanzo sama. Because of her. Because of Yahiko. Because of a stupid universe. Because of sheer wrongness, a situation that absolutely could not, was impossible to, and yet had, happened. What could she answer with? What could capture the sheer...everything of that moment?
An image. "The kunai pierced his heart, sinking into his chest. He fell, slowly at first, then so fast I could hardly see. He splashed in the mud." Konan felt as if she was about to fall forward the same way herself. Yes, it was true; she and Nagato had suffered the same fate back then. They just hadn't realized it until later.
Nagato's head spun. It was horrible. Too horrible. He could see it, but he didn't want to. It was too much; he would never survive. "How did you survive?"
"We didn't." She gripped his hand tighter. "We didn't realize it until much later, but the truth is that none of us returned from that cliff."
Nagato remembered. He'd thought as much himself, but it was so horrible to have his thoughts confirmed! He felt shaky and ill, like he was going to be sick again. "I know," he whimpered.
Goldeneye whined. Best Human was completely different. All his body language had completely changed. His scent had too. Was this really Best Human, or another stranger? She slunk backwards, into the shadows of her home, to wait for Best Human to return.
Nagato's eyes widened. "Oh, god," he whispered. "What am I doing? Dogs know body language." He shook his head from side to side. "Please, let's not bring that here. They've been through enough."
"Of course." Konan let go of his hand. What was I thinking? "I am sorry."
Nagato shook his head. "Don't be. It's all right."
Konan turned away. It is wrong. Wrongness can never be alright.
Nagato said, "His name is Whisper. The dark one you were sitting next to. It's because he's so quiet. There's a meeting room in the back for anyone who's thinking of bringing one home."
Dangerous. Too dangerous. And yet, she missed Chibi. Konan didn't know what she thought, so she stayed silent and let him accompany her to the quiet dog's cage, coax the dog out, and lead them both into the back where there was a medium-sized room with small balls to throw and other things.
Whisper curled up on one of the dog beds there, still chewing on the same toy he had been chewing on in his cage. Nagato said something about that toy being his favorite, before he closed the door and left them alone. Click.
The silence was deafening. It would have been yet another intolerable thing, if not for Whisper's soft panting and the sounds the toy made as he chewed it. Konan could feel his eyes on her every so often. "No," she told him. She did not know what she was denying, but she denied it anyway.
Whisper's tail flopped back and forth on the dog bed as he looked around. He had never been in this room before. The smells were a lot like the smells of his cage, except that he smelled some others who he thought had gone long ago. Were they back? But he didn't see or hear anything, and even these scents were not fresh.
He lowered his head onto his paws, still chewing on Good Boy. He wished he could greet Stranger, but she hadn't offered. Something about her made him feel like he wanted to greet her. She was human, but he recognized a packmate when he saw one.
Konan pulled over another dog bed, thinking that the traces of dogs who had lain on it before could not possibly be worse than the back stoop's traces of birds. The dog bed was far more comfortable to sit on than the back stoop had been. For the second time that day, she found herself sitting and relaxing with no expectations. Perhaps it was not as dangerous as she had thought, to sit like this. Something she obviously needed could not be dangerous when she needed it.
Whisper's tail continued to flop back and forth. The familiar feel of Good Boy in his jaws gave him strength. Packmate could use a Good Boy, but she didn't have anything like him. Whisper's left ear twitched backwards. He had heard humans call him Good Boy sometimes. He didn't want to be chewed on though. Did humans chew? He had never seen humans chew. Maybe they only chewed back home in their cages, like the louder dogs did. He sniffed. This room did not smell like Packmate; it could not be her cage. She would not chew.
Whisper raised himself up on his forepaws, just enough to scoot closer. He stretched his neck until his jaw could just rest on Packmate's knee. His tail wagged Anxious and Happy and Greet? You?
Konan opened her eyes to see the formerly reserved dog laying his chin on her knee and looking up at her. This made sense. Animals see what people do not. She gently, slowly, lifted her hand and brought it to the back of his head.
Whisper paused in his chewing. She was sniffing him. He knew this because humans always held out their hands during a greeting, so humans must sniff with their hands. Humans also picked things up in their hands. Could they chew with their hands too? He didn't see any teeth, but he really didn't want to be chewed on. He whined very softly.
Konan took her hand back, and watched as he resumed chewing. Being petted makes him anxious, then? Interesting. I wonder why - No. She couldn't wonder why. Danger, remember?
She sighed. When she had first walked into the back, she had wondered if she had a heart to steal. Now, she doubted even her most valiant efforts were enough to keep it safe. Do I want to, that is the question.
Let's see. She had no resources with which to care for a dog, lived with Hidan who, as something slightly different from a regular human, might frighten a dog, was surrounded by a large number of strangers who would also frighten the pup, and was in no way qualified to take care of something which depended on her regardless of what species it was. They also lived near a demon who surely frightened animals, were in a contentious situation with vampires, and overall were in a level of danger that she might trust humans to deal with, but would never allow an untrained animal to be subject to.
Oh, yeah, and there was a substantial amount of divine influence in the basement. She had almost forgotten. Even if nothing else was true, that alone would be enough to frighten the poor dog into an early death. At her side was no place for pets! Unless, of course, she managed to train him… But no, she did not have the time, knowledge, or training to do that.
Konan looked down at Whisper and shook her head. "You cannot come home with me. I'm sorry."
Whisper knew from her voice that Packmate was saying something sad. But even so, the rest of her looked less sad. He must be a Good Boy after all. He closed his eyes, sinking into the feeling of Packmate's pelt against his.
Konan sighed. She doubted that the dog understood. It was obvious that he wished to be near her, but it could never happen. At the very least, it could not happen for a long time. She couldn't think of any way to more accurately tell him this, so she only remained sitting, in silence. She closed her eyes to meditate. Her attention focused on the feeling of Whisper's warmth, fixing itself there. Her meditation went very well because of this. She felt at peace.
Thoughts passed quietly in front of her. Memories. White paper claws. Why did I use them? Konan could see the claws in front of her, her arm raised as her vision cleared and she realized it was Yahiko she gripped beneath her. He was the enemy, of course. Fighting is done against enemies. Why was he the enemy?
She called up more memories. His face. Different expressions on it. The short glimpse she had had of him running off to meet the demon. Original Yahiko, running forward. He was endangering himself, and I don't want him to be in danger. I was trying to protect him by fighting off the enemy that put him in danger…
Whisper whined, breaking her flow of thoughts. Konan opened her eyes and looked down at him. She realized that goosebumps had risen all along her skin, and her breathing was forced. She shook her head and took a deep breath to drive it away. "Easy, Whisper. I am fine. Everything is fine."
The dog wasn't so sure. He had never seen humans grow so still before. It didn't seem like sleep because she did not lie down and he could feel her pulse not slowing down. What could make her so still? Sickness? Dying? His littermate had looked really still, and smelled of death. But she didn't smell of death, and then she had stopped being still, had moved and breathed like she was alive, but it wasn't normal alive-person breathing, so he had no idea what was happening. What was happening to Packmate?! He whimpered.
Konan did not pet him, because that would only make him anxious. So what should she do to reassure him? She had not the slightest idea. I can't take him home with me, I have no idea who he is and no way to communicate because we've only just met, and I'm done meditating for now. I should get Nagato. She touched his jaw, gently lifting it off her knee with her fingers. Whisper curled up on his own bed, still whining. Konan opened the door and looked out.
Nagato had stayed nearby, as any responsible person would when a dog and a human were introducing themselves. Whisper's whining had set him on edge; now, he pounced on Konan. "What's wrong?"
"He's concerned for me," Konan told him. "I was meditating, and thought of some things. It frightened him, and I can't seem to reassure him that I'm alright."
Nagato came back in. He kneeled down before Whisper. "Hey. Hey, you. Hush." Nagato reached up and took Konan's hand, forcing her to kneel beside him. He held her hand out for Whisper to sniff. "There is no danger. It is gone. Konan is fine."
Whisper sniffed. Quiet Human didn't worry, but Quiet Human hadn't seen her grow so still. But Packmate was not still anymore, and she was breathing normally, and looked alive. Whisper stopped whining. It was over!
Nagato nodded as Whisper relaxed. "Good boy," he told the dog. "I think this is enough for the day. Let's get you home."
"Yes." Konan stayed quiet as Nagato settled the dog back in his own cage, then elaborated. "The Jashinist symbol alone would frighten him to an early death. I have no desire to inflict that or anything else on an untrained animal."
"Yup." Nagato looked over Whisper curled up on the far side of his cage, the toy in his jaws, and saw nothing out of the ordinary in the dog's body language. He stood up and faced Konan. "I know. I knew, but it looked like a short meeting would be helpful."
Konan nodded. "It was." It has been too long since I meditated. Meditating soothes one's soul, and I am in need of soothing. I should take up a regular practice.
She put that away to muse about later, and remembered why she was here in the first place. "Is there any chance you can help me acquire a cellphone?"