With Cress away from the bamboo forest, and with the two of them standing here, well... Ayu couldn't think of this situation as favorable to her. Not like she expected any harm to be done, but at the same time, the lack of energy from the Saiyan was making her uneasy. As someone who used to sense other's signature and their characteristics by their Ki, the unreadable person in front of her was setting her senses on alert in this most basic, primal way that was the old fear of the unknown. But, it wasn't so bad... The connotations here weren't that severe. She was merely careful in front of a stranger, wondering how would she try to strike the conversation and keep their discussion alive without getting flushed every two minutes. She wasn't good at this, and if Cress wasn't throwing in the subject to talk about, she wasn't able to figure out what to chat about. Well, not until Athren mentioned that Ayu could simply pass on taking part in his daughter's play date. That made her blink with surprise.

"No. I gave my word," with a raise of her hand, Ayu's soft tone hinted at the seriousness she felt towards the deal. She wasn't going to dismiss Cress only because her energetic nature wasn't matching her calm disposition. Of course, it would be a challenge, but the one she would confront eagerly. Athren was kind enough to warn her and give her the possibility to drop the idea of meeting his daughter, perhaps knowing that her behavior wasn't something easy to control. But if that was the case, wouldn't that be unfair? She was so little... Cress wasn't at fault here at all, and if there be any troubles or Ayu'd get exhausted by the child's unlimited drive, she'd have to take care of it. Somehow. It wouldn't be that much of a problem anyway... "I'd like to see her again too," Ayu admitted with warmth in her voice. Having to deal with Cress and her curiosity was much more preferred than not having anyone to talk to for another week. There were always her plants around and the cat that visited her once in a while, but Ayu never actually had a guest. The idea was new and foreign to her, but not any less welcomed.

When it came to ideas, her question wasn't met with aversion. Yet Ayu didn't suspect that Athren would come closer, saying that he'd like her to ask questions about energy signatures..? Ayu felt the tips of her ears getting dark pink and the blush wasn't fading away with time. It sounded a little sarcastic. The abashment painted her cheeks in a rose hue. Did she say anything weird again? Or did she misunderstand him? Ayu wasn't good at reading others' statements by their emotions or implications. By the gods, this was why she wasn't good at talking to strangers...

"I-I mean..." her hands fidgeted, while Ayu tried to say anything in her defense. Meanwhile, Ahren stopped a few feet away from the place she was - and he was standing there. With an honest smile, that was it. As his explanation followed, oh, how stupid she felt to be so nervous... It didn't seem that she was at fault here. Her abashment wasn't something Ayu had complete control over, but now she felt especially bashful. Trying to compose herself, she poured all her focus on his words. The secret was solved so easily. He was right. His presence appeared, not suddenly, but was growing slowly to stop at a certain, low level, to present her the ability to conceal it. Ayu blinked, watching and sensing it in silence, her face's color was gradually returning to normal as a pensive gleam appeared in her pale yellow eyes. Although the Ki amount Athren was giving off was small, she could have only suspected how large it truly is if he's able to manipulate his energy as he pleased. That wasn't an easy feat.

Ayu nodded at his question. Athren's energy was unique and collected and now she was able to sense it... There was pressure. Not a bad one. The tension felt like leather stretched over the drum, but the steadiness and the sparks of Ki reminded her that she had a representative of the proud warrior race in front of her. Perhaps it was the readiness to fight in any given moment that set those flickers in his signature or the protective instincts that made him alarmed like that. There was something honest in Athren's energy, a sharp and clear sensation, but also something murky hiding under the piercing edge of this blue-grey hue. Ayu couldn't find the right sensation to describe at first, but she finally got it - a sky - same firmament, but different weather and appearance every day. It matched the sensation she felt. Although Saiyan suppressing his energy was still a big deal, having a chance to read his personality through his Ki, made her more sure about one thing. That there was no bad intention hiding in this signature.

"... I-is that so..?" Ayu answered carefully at the last statement. It was something to worry about it, wasn't it? Athren was right, she couldn't be the only person being able to sense others - Saiyan possessed this ability too. She couldn't be so sure that being able to sense other's energy was so rare in the universe. And there was no guarantee that individuals that are capable of assessing the power level of others would be harmless. But was she really that different than others..? Ayu frowned a little, putting her arms around her in a concerned gesture. "I don't think I can learn that," she said quietly. Her fingers started to play with the tip of her green braid, curling small locks of hair. "As much I can feel e-every living being around me... I can't properly sense myself, or even tell how strong I am..." she confessed after a short pause, giving him embarrassed smile as if trying to politely apologize for making him go out of his way to advise her, only to hear that she can't do anything about it. "It's all blurred and uneven... I tried to understand why, but I still don't know. But if something would happen because of that, please don't feel pressured." Would it be farfetched to assume he cared? Well, Ayu was far from it, but he must have given her this advice for a reason - it's not his fault she couldn't use it, even if Athren's words would stick with her for longer. She just didn't want to make him responsible, even the tiniest bit - but on the other hand, it could be laughable to think that a passing warrior would even consider it a matter that could oblige him to have some kind of concerns. After all, she was only a mere stranger. "I'll do my best to deal with it on my own."

---

Power Level - 4,498
Word Count - 1,166
Total Word Count - 8,487

What surprised Ayu the most, was that Athren seemed to still be partially in disbelief about her honest decision to meet his daughter again. Because she very much wanted to hang out with Cress. Was it so strange? The young woman was already making a mental note of the things she'd like to show the little Saiyaness and what the two of them could play together... The nice spots in the forests, the flower plains, the stream near her house - oh, there was so much they wouldn't be able to see everything during a single day. Being a nanny wasn't scaring her. Ayu loved children with their straightforwardness and eager minds, but their parents were often the problem. Or rather the prejudice that was getting pretty infectious between Earthlings was the main cause of Ayu's discomfort. When a kid wanted to play with her, the parent was looking at her with suspicion, pulling their child away from that shady alien who didn't know her place. It happened way more often than she'd like... Saiyans got it easier, they needed only to hide their tails, but Ayu? No amount of body paint would be able to mask her complexion and no eye contacts were able to hide the opalesce effect of her irises. She couldn't hide anything, let alone her emotions or distress... Just like an open book.

She was aware that her state was clear to Athren, and she couldn't do much about it either. Fidgeting hands, the change in her voice, and occasional stuttering were only embarrassing her further... Ayu has heard from others that she's doing it on purpose to put pressure on them, so every time she thought about that accusation, she was growing more uneasy. Would he think like that too..? She sighed deeply, exhaling air slowly from her lungs in an attempt at calming down. Joining her hands on the level of her waist, Ayu was searching for the right words to use to explain her situation and not sound too nervous. Life was all about unexpected meetings and troubles, she should learn to tackle them head-on, and what's a better start than taking things one step at a time? Like talking with a rough-looking Saiyan, who talked to her in a surprisingly mellow voice.

"I tried..." The sole thing stopping Ayu from learning was herself... If only it would be that easy. Athren might have more experience and knowledge about energy, but she couldn't help but think that her case was just a tiny bit hopeless. She had more than ten years to discover various abilities that she possessed, in most cases using them unconsciously in danger. Who knew what else she could do, but she never had a chance to learn? After all, it's not like there was someone to guide her or give her advice while she was learning... And yet this case was different. Ayu was aware of what she should accomplish, but despite many attempts, it was still outside of her reach. It felt like sensing her energy was equal to trying to catch smoke with bare hands... And being able to control it as she pleases? Now that was something she couldn't even imagine. "I am not able to control m-my energy skillfully, I don't think that without this knowledge I would be able to learn anything more about Ki." She didn't have the proper basics, so how could she develop from this point, building a suitable foundation for this ability?

She would try again in the future and then again, pushing her boundaries to try to reach this feat. And like most of her abilities, she'd have to learn it on her own... Or maybe not? Ayu's eyes widened a little, looking carefully at Athren when she heard about his proposition. She would never dare to ask for any kind of payment for looking after Cress because her presence would be precious enough - but a lesson? And in a field, she was lacking? That was a tempting idea, but she would hate to burden him with a sense of paying her back, after all, she didn't want to play with Cress to make him feel this way. That might have been only his goodwill, but Ayu would hate it if that would be a forced offer... And with his energy suppressed like that, she couldn't tell if his demeanor changed or not.

"I want to hang out with her anyway, but about the deal..." Stroking her blushed cheek, Ayu's eyes averted Athren when she was trying to make up her mind. Still, she wasn't able to pick a simple answer. The nerves... She needed a quiet moment to think it through, without the pressure of this blue gaze at her. Joining her hands together and pressing them lightly against her lips, Ayu finally spoke. "C-Could I give my answer later?" she asked and an apologetic tone appeared in her voice. She was aware that it wasn't the response he was expecting, but at this moment she wasn't able to really decide. It's not like she deemed it a bad idea, only... It surprised her. And it was somewhat abashing to think that she would get a lesson in Ki-sensing and control just like that. Now she felt bad that she might have disappointed Athren or sounded too unreasonably with her decision, so the young woman raised her hands defensively. "I need to think about it a little more, t-that's it..." she explained shyly, lowering her voice.

Social anxiety was one tough obstacle to fight with.

---

Power Level - 4,498
Word Count - 927
Total Word Count - 9,414

The problem with energy was that Ayu was able to sense it since she remembered. When she opened her eyes for the first time after the accident, with her memory wiped out clean after the brain trauma - it was there. She could already feel every living being within a one hundred feet radius. With each passing month this ability grew and matured to what it was today - that was her foundation. The thing that she didn't learn but rather, woke up equipped with that grew with her as she learned more about it. Kinda like walking, it came naturally. How in this condition should she understand it more, how to study this ability? Where to even begin, how to divide it into steps or focus on one aspect of it? It was like breathing, innate to her... Ayu remembered clearly how shocked she was to learn that others didn't possess this skill - at least other kids at her school didn't. And a little girl telling them about energy, the sensation that came with it, about the delicate balance and a world full of connections, tones, colors, and feelings... No wonder she was considered weird by her fellow classmates.

There were times when she wished, she didn't possess this ability. Reading signatures wasn't always ideal. Ayu learned quickly that people could lie so easily, saying completely different things than their energy was telling her. There was unfounded hostility or contempt, dislike, hidden agendas... And it's not like she was reading their minds, she could easily pick their emotions - yet it wasn't only about sensing Ki. Being an empath and feeling for others too much was always Ayu's weakness and strong point at once. She worried too much, was overwhelmed by others' mental states, and was eager to listen and talk when it was needed... Being able to back up her intuition with what she sensed via reading others' presence was only enhancing her sensitivity at this point. So would polishing that skill would be worth it?

And yet... He was reassuring her. Athren didn't shrug off her already failed attempts or her worry that she might lose at another try. He acknowledged them as something normal, encouraging her to not give up on this training. Even if she's doing it all by herself, with outside help bigger or smaller, all it takes is time, practice, and patience. And he did offer to be her teacher in a small exchange of looking over Cress from time to time... That would make things easier to learn Ki control from someone who already knows how to do this, right? Ayu had lots to polish and figure out by herself, so a hint or two would be very much welcomed. For a moment the young woman was looking at him in silence, thinking about the warrior's intentions and offer. Then her face softly lit up with gratitude shining through the warm smile.

"I'm going to keep trying," she nodded, a small, excited blush pained on her face. Ayu joined her hands together. Maybe all she needed was a little push and words of encouragement... She appreciated it, even more, when Athren wasn't persistent about his offer, letting her decide if she wanted to take his helpful hand. Ayu would hate to burden him or take more of his time than needed, but now he gave her enough occasions to think it through - so she could be sure. "T-Thank you," she said with a gentle smile. Some of her uneasiness melted away already, despite her constant abashed state. And maybe they would talk even more if the Saiyan hasn't pointed out the fact that they should get back to their work. Only then did Ayu realize that she had to finish her herb-gathering session and get back home, because this chit-chat took way longer than expected.

"Ah, r-right, there were things I wanted to do too..." the young woman looked around hurriedly, checking her surroundings, and walked up to her belongings laying on the grass. There was so much to do, gather fresh clematis, and the yarrow was blooming by the stream near the bamboo forest... Putting back her herbarium into the woven basket, alongside all the jars and bundles of picked plants, Ayu glanced back at Athren. "Could you please pass Cress the message, that I will be waiting for her, whenever she wants to visit?" she picked up the heavy baggage, stood up, and walked toward the man to say her goodbyes. And a thought sprouted in her head when she was looking down at the basket half-filled with plants. Ayu picked the calendula flower - a happy, bright orange flower, with beautiful petals and center red like the morning sun. No, she hand-selected three individual flowers of this kinda and gave them to the Saiyan. "I know it's n-not much, but that's for you," wait, what if he'd think that she's giving him flowers just like that..? That wasn't her intention, it was a sign of appreciating his goodwill... "I m-mean, one is for you, o-one for Cress, and one for her brother," she mumbled feeling her cheeks getting rose.

Great, she couldn't even show her gratitude without making things more awkward... Ayu frowned abashed, stroking the green lock away from her face. She shook her head slowly, before taking a deep breath to calm herself a bit. After all, this meeting wasn't so bad, was it?

"I should g-go now... Thank you, for your words," Ayu raised her hand to wave at Athren, taking first steps in the opposite direction, to where the path to her home was placed. She bowed her head at last and before turning her back to leave for good, she raised her gentle tone a little. "Goodbye, and please have a good day!"

It was time to go home.

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Power Level - 4,498
Word Count - 971
Total Word Count - 10,385