AC_D3: 'Monk' Harry

Prompt requested by DreamOfStories... and I sort of mixed up two different prompts for this. The two prompts were “Alternative job: Harry the Priest / Monk (Harry really does go off to the temple and stays for a bit - just a bit - cause reasons)” and “Harry gets handwriting lessons”

Also happy belated birthday, DreamOfStories.

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Staring around at all the items he had repaired, Harry took a deep breath and ventured out of the room. 

Even though Ichigen hadn't told Harry to stay in the room, Harry had thought it best to stay out of everyone's way while he repaired things. 

But now that he had finished that, Harry was bored. And he couldn't stand being in the room any longer. 

While exploring the Temple's layout, Harry stopped at every wall filled with carvings. Even though he couldn't decipher any of it, Harry couldn't help but admire the sheer amount of skill that had created the carvings. 

Absorbed by the carvings, Harry didn't realize that he had entered a room until a throat cleared.

Harry started. 

Seated at a low table with a brush in his hand, Chiriku watched him with faint amusement. “Ichigen has gone out to gather herbs.”

“Right,” Harry said, resisting the urge to flee out of the room in embarrassment. “I'm sorry for disturbing you.”

“You didn't,” Chiriku said and waved him over. “If I didn't want company, I would have locked myself away in another location. How has your stay been?”

Losing the chance to escape, Harry walked forward. “Good. I have no complaints. I've been busy with all the repairing.”

Chiriku nodded. “I hope the others haven't been piling on to your workload.”

Harry shook his head. “It's nothing, really.” As he stopped by the table, he eyed the paper covered with flowing ink characters on top of faint watercolour paintings. “Calligraphy?”

“It's the easiest way for one to connect with their spirit,” Chiriku said. Then he added with a bit of a smile. “And it's the easier way for the Temple to earn a respectable income.”

“These are beautiful,” Harry said. “I can see why people would want to buy them.”

“Thank you,” Chiriku acknowledged the complement with a nod. “I've got some spare supplies if you have nothing else to do.”

“I don't,” Harry shook his head. “I can't do anything like that.”

“Have you tried it before? If you haven't then you can't be sure.” Chiriku pushed a blank paper and pointed to the waiting brush and ink station at the table. 

Harry didn't know what possessed him to sit down and use the ink brush. As he stared at his finished product, Harry slumped with shame and admitted, “I have really bad handwriting.” 

“You shouldn't force yourself,” Chiriku said. “The aim is not to impress anyone with perfect skills. The aim is to relax and connect with your spirit. That will create your masterpiece.”

“I don't think I can...”

“Everyone has the ability to create a masterpiece, they just need to try,” Chiriku said as he dipped his own brush in the ink. 

Swayed by the monk's belief, Harry tried again. And before he knew it, his hand hurt as he placed his latest attempt on the thick stack of his previously used sheets. 

“It looks like you connected with your spirit just fine,” Chiriku said as he lit a lamp. “If you wish to continue again later, I suggest using one of our old robes. It would be better than getting ink stains all over your clothes.”

Harry flexed his hand and winced at the ink speckled along his sleeve.

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“Nii-san!”

The brush in Harry's hand faltered and ink slide across the paper. He ignored it and looked up with surprise, “Naruto, what are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?” Naruto gaped at him. “What are you doing here? You said you weren't becoming a monk but you're wearing the robes and doing calligraphy and you've been here for more than a week. And I got worried so I asked for a mission to come and check...”

Harry held up his hand. “I'm not becoming a monk.”

Naruto didn't look remotely convinced. 

“The robes are for the ink splatter that comes with all this calligraphy,” Harry said. “Ink stains are not fun to clean out and they said I could wear this.”

“Why are you staying here to do calligraphy?”

Harry sighed. “Well, I was working on your gift. I thought a decorative calligraphy scroll would be a cool gift.”

“Exactly! Wait, my what?”

“It was supposed to be a surprise,” Harry admitted. “But there's no point in hiding it. Especially since I haven't been able to make something that's gift worthy just yet.” Harry grabbed the paper he had been working for. “I've been working on this for days but...” 

A loud explosion and a thundering sound echoed through the Temple, interrupting Harry's words. 

“The iron gates have been breached,” a voice yelled. 

“It's Akatsuki.” Someone else yelled. 

Naruto's face paled.

Harry frowned in confusion.

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Well, that escalated quickly.

Yes this was supposed to have been uploaded on the 9^th but I got delayed. 

There will be another post today.

Polar.