[Festival] No Weights Only Dates

[Director]

As the clock hit seven fifty-five, Fanho patiently teetered on his feet as he quietly clapped his hands with excitement. An actual date, something he had never really been on before. He had been flirted with, tried to flirt as a young pre-teen, but never found his stride and really even at this point hadn’t found it. He was nervous, excited, terrified, happy, and all the other emotions one could feel. He had been going through it ever since he had been waiting at the training field for a whole hour early just to make sure he’d be on time. That was something he couldn’t forgive himself for if he kept her waiting.

He had been dressed in a nice blue nagagi, and white blue hoari, a perfect mix between formal and informal, though would he be overdressed? However it seemed fitting for the occasion. Proper respect for a proper lady is at least what he had worked out in his head. He could dress down a little, though undressing here seemed inappropriate and likely to land him in a rough spot with Pebble authorities. The Awai shook the nervous thought from his head and took a deep breath trying to let out all of his stress. Shaking the nerves from his hands.

Tonight and Sachi had been on his mind since earlier in the day. Thinking about the date, the plans after dinner, and just thinking through the billion different scenarios he could think of, good and bad. To say he had mixed feelings was an understatement, between the worry and the excitement his brain would be a wreck until he saw her and had a chance to actually be on the date. He hoped she felt the same way, not the mental wreck, but the excitement and similar heart thumping vibes he was. After all this was a real date right? He hadn’t misconstrued his intentions? Left room to misinterpret? He shook his head once more banishing the thoughts as he slapped his cheeks with his hands trying to shock himself back to reality.

“Just be a gentleman, treat her right, and uhhh everything will go well.” Yeah that was right. If Fanho just treated her right everything would go smoothly right? Pay for dinner, hold the doors open for her, lay his jacket across puddles. That sort of thing, a true gentleman right?

He took another deep breath as he let it all out. Just think happy thoughts, like her brown hair with sparks of gold, her river colored eyes gleaming with the energy of rushing water, and the little scars on her hands his had gotten to learn all too well. Her smile that the two always seemed to bring out of each other. Happy thoughts right? Now he was back on the edge of being nervous about messing this up. He just hoped when she showed he could keep it all in and play it all cool.

[chocochipgamer]

Sachi talked herself into finally walking to where she and Fanho agreed to meet. She had begun wandering around the area a good thirty minutes or more, so she’d stopped herself from actually going there. Now, she needed to get to the spot so she wouldn’t be late. Once she finally got there, she could see he was already waiting. ‘If I’m late, I’m going to be so upset with myself.’ Her internal berating was halted when she saw how he was dressed. She was suddenly glad she had decided to make a last minute purchase during the festival.

Nothing about the trip had indicated anything formal, so she’d never thought to pack something nice to wear. Of course she had slightly nicer looking shirts and pants, but none of it was “date worthy” attire. So, she had snuck off after leaving Fanho earlier to acquire something nice to wear. The yukata she had found was a nice, delicately pale green with, small, peach colored blossoms dotted around. Her hair was pulled up and away from her face with a simple hair stick that was a twig with a budding blossom having been dipped in clear resin to preserve it. Even with the colors enhancing the warm undertones to her skin, the pink flush to her cheeks was hard to hide. Especially when she spotted Fanho waiting for her.

As she stepped closer, she tried to shove down any anxieties she had. Tonight was just about having fun and getting to know each other better. No need to put so much weight on the evening’s events. Right? She smiled, a warm expression as she looked up at him, stopping just shy of arm’s reach away. Yep, she thought he was handsome. The outfit he wore wasn’t helping her to not blush, but she was definitely glad she had decided to make a quick purchase this evening. ‘Yep, I don’t know what I’m doing.’ She continued to silently berate herself. Sachi tried to steady herself, especially her voice, as she attempted a greeting. When her voice didn’t come out at first, her cheeks lit up in fiery embarrassment. She cleared her throat gently and made another attempt. “I hope I’m not late,” her words finally came out, but they were almost a whisper.

She laughed silently at herself. Of all the times that nerves finally took her, why now? She wasn’t some scaredy cat, afraid of the world. Why did this whole situation cause her so much worry and fear? Sachi could almost hear her mother’s voice, trying to keep her calm but hiding a laugh at the same time. Hokage or not, her father would have likely given her date the third degree. He was always protective of her, especially once she became their only living child. Suddenly, she wasn’t so worried about the date. A warm smile found its way to her face as she thought about how her parents would act. No matter what, they’d be happy she was out having fun with someone and that’s what she was going to focus on.

[Director]

Fanho stopped clapping as he watched Sachi approach. He was a bit awe struck at first, more than usual when he saw her, but something about the way she dressed up assured some concerns that she saw this as a date as well. He watched as her hair was styled and put in a bun, different than her usual braid. The flower accentuating the gold speckles in her hair. The yukata that was a beautiful pale green and peach flowers like her hair pin. He almost had to pick his jaw up off the floor as he shook himself from the shock a warm color spreading to his face as he couldn’t help himself from smiling.

Fanho shook his head instinctually as Sachi mentioned being late. “Not at all. You’re right on time.” He looked her up and down letting his jaw hit the floor once more as he picked it up once more before a big grin growing on his face. “You uhh… You look beautiful. I like what you did with your hair.” Fanho reached out as he pushed one of her bangs behind her ear with a grin as his face blushed a little harder realizing what he was doing without thinking. He retracted his hand as he held them out in-front not realizing what to do with them.

“Well I uhh, I got reservations. I wanted to make sure I could get you a table.” Fanho did a little bow his whole respect gestures taking a back seat as he was awestruck. He forgot all mannerisms and politeness throwing it out the window as his brain went blank. Perhaps he was doing things out of order, but he couldn’t help it.

When Sachi was ready he’d walk with her to restaurant still not necessarily knowing what to do with his hands as his fingers ever so often anxiously stretched and contracted as a sort of anxiety coping mechanism. He didn’t want to put them in his pockets, he didn’t want to fold his arms, and he certainly didn’t know how to calm himself down for the night.

“I’m really glad you came.” Fanho’s brain snapped to what he said as his face glowed beet red before wringing his hands together and blurting out once more. “Not that I thought you wouldn’t show, I just have been looking forward to this since earlier. Its uh… A really good restaurant.” Fanho nodded confident as a lightbulb went off in his brain him fumbling his words once more. “With you of course. That’s the uh… Really nice part. I get to spend it with you.” Fanho cleared his throat as he threw a genuine white-toothy smile that warmed his cheeks but it was clear he was nervous just wanting to make sure he made her feel welcomed and at ease. He wasn’t sure how she felt, other than maybe some initial nerves. Right now his brain was overloading with stimuli, nerves, and excitement.

[chocochipgamer]

Something seemed to passively calm her almost instantly. She listened as Fanho gathered himself, smiling as he complimented her appearance. “Thanks,” she said with a bit of a catch in her breath. As he brushed a bit of hair behind her ear, the tips of her ears and cheeks flushed with a touch of color. Not something he’d easily miss based on proximity, but that’s if he weren’t already too flustered himself. The touch wasn’t unwelcome, but it caught her off guard. Her hands were held quietly in front of her, fingers laced and relaxed.

She couldn’t help but giggle softly as he bowed to her. Seemed like he was just as nervous as she was. Him mentioning he had placed reservations made her curious as to how popular the restaurant would be. Her head tilted slightly as she continued to silently ponder the curiosity.

Suddenly, she realized he seemed to be waiting to walk with her. She quickly took a couple steps and then fell into an easy stride, following his lead on where to head. Fanho started to speak, so she listened. When he started to turn bright red, she tried to offer a smile to reassure him. He seemed to stumble over his own words and thoughts. Without realizing what she was doing, she reached out with the arm closest to him. She carefully and slowly took the step to loop her arm into his elbow. The way she moved allowed plenty of opportunity for him to step away or stop her if he so chose. Sachi hoped the gesture would calm his nerves. Whenever she had been nervous or scared, it was something her father would have her do. Now, it brought its own type of comfort to her.

“I’m glad I came, too,” her words were gentle and warm. Her stride was obviously shorter than his, but she easily kept up with his pace. Not seeming a single bit strained to keep up with the much taller man. From her place beside him, she looked up. He was so much taller than her, it was almost funny. She wouldn’t be surprised if someone laughed as the sheer size difference between the two. “I’ve been looking forward to spending time with you, too. Are you as nervous as I am?” There was no hiding the slightly nervous giggle she let out after the question. It seemed innocent enough, more like she was trying to soothe the situation than actually get an answer. The smile across her lips and the flush in her cheeks stayed the same, warm and excited with a hint of nervousness.

[Director]

Fanho slowed his pace so Sachi could more easily keep up. He hadn’t realized his nervousness was causing her to keep up with his pace. It was ungentlemanly of him to do that to her. However it seemed she could read his mind as her arm looped his elbow almost creating an instant calmness to wash over him as he looked at her a little awestruck of the gesture before grinning really widely with a renewed sense of confidence. His heart was still beating a million a minute, but he at least was able to straighten his speech out now and seemed to have his smile beam from ear to ear.

Fanho would gently tuck her arm in close, keeping their shoulders touching as they walked and talked. If she was able to reach and assure his concerns then he’d have to meet the occasion and deliver. As she mentioned if he was as nervous as her Fanho chuckled as he nodded. “My hearts about to beat out of my chest at this rate. But here with you? Wrapped around your arm? I think I can take on the world.” He winked as he raised his hand wrapping it around hers lacing his fingers between hers gently rubbing his thumb against her hand. If she paid close attention she could see his heart rate betrayed the calmness in his words, but it was because she made it skip a beat.

It wasn’t long until they came across the restaurant. Several groups of festival goers chatting outside as Fanho walked in holding the door open for Sachi as they approached the hostess stand. “I have a reservation for Awai, Fanho for two.” Inside the restaurant it was clear it was a Teppanyaki style restaurant, with clear seating up front for general entry, and then a back end portion for private parties. The hostess took a look at a written list before politely nodding and leading the party of two to one of the private booths.

As they entered the booth was devoid of anyone else for the time being as Fanho pulled Sachi’s chair out for her before helping her scoot it to the table before taking the seat right next to her. “Full disclosure I am not a man of class, so I’ve got zero clue what the etiquette is. I figured we’ll just wing it. Its just us anyways, and you already impressed me.” Fanho gave a wink as he took his seat scooting his chair in before passing Sachi the menu leaning in his shoulder pressed to hers to look over it with her. “What are you thinking about?” His face was posed just a few inches grinning excited for the food, but just excited to be there with her.

Being this close the excitement was not just for dinner but to be here in this moment with her, but it took him a second to realize how close his face was to hers before his face blushed red and his mouth agape not with shyness but a very clear amazement at how she looked. With a deep breath to calm his nerves he also realized how nice she smelled. “I uhh… You smell nice.” He nodded as he bit his lip. She smelled nice? Was that a good compliment? Oh goodness he just hoped she took it the right way, it’d kill him to say the wrong thing now.

[chocochipgamer]

Fanho’s pace seemed to slow just a touch once her arm found his. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding when he brought her in closer, as well. The simple gesture alone made her smile and breathe easier. It also made her calm down a little more when he nodded at her question. Though, his words brought a touch of color to her cheeks and the tips of her ears. Their fingers laced together and she could almost feel his nervousness. Or, was that her own heart skipping for a moment? Probably her own, to be fair. “You’re far too sweet,” her words were tinted with the smile she wore at his comments.

When they finally came to the restaurant, there was a tiny bit of uncertainty. She’d never been to a nice place like this. The smells were amazing, but this was almost entirely foreign territory for her. Being on a date at a nice restaurant. There was a silent panic as she berated herself for not thinking about it sooner. He said some words to a woman standing near the door once they’d entered. The woman guided them to an area that seemed more private and away from the front end.

As she noted more seats than there were for the two of them, she looked at him with a little confusion. Then he admitted not really knowing what the etiquette was for such an occasion. That alone made her relax a tiny bit, not realizing she had tensed up a bit when they came in. She sat, allowing him to help her, and smiled. “To be entirely honest, this is the fanciest place I’ve ever been. I don’t even know what to expect,” she offered with a nervous smile.

When she turned to further the smile, she hadn’t realized how close he was. He was so close, his breath tickled her cheek. Any closer and the two could likely touch lips. Being so close, she could see the color of his cheeks change, but also take in the color of his eyes. They seemed to catch her breath for a moment, lost in the coolness of them. Her own cheeks heated up as he complimented her scent. “Uh, thank you,” she watched him carefully, entirely unsure of what to do just now. Sachi’s heart was in her throat, ready to burst out as she seemed to be locked in place. Like a doe spotted in the woods by surprise, she held very still. 'He's so close. What do I do?!' Her mind raced as she tried to figure out her next move. "You smell nice, too." Her voice was but a whisper.

[Director]

Fanho watched as Sachi mentioned this being the fanciest place she’s been in. To be honest this was for Fanho too. He wasn’t a fancy dinner kind of guy. Honestly a type of yakiniku, hotpot, or big ramen bar suited him just fine. Somewhere he could squeeze in the most people to eat with. He didn’t have the appetite like an Akimichi, but her certainly had a big appetite for good times with friends. He swallowed deep as he gave her hand a light squeeze. The two would figure it out together.

As Sachi complimented his scent too, he chuckled as he blushed. He hoped he smelled good. It would be terrible if he went through all the trouble of arranging the dinner, dressing nice, and forgot something like that. As he looked over the menu for the restaurant he realized quickly he really wasn’t sure what he wanted. Thinking straight right now was a challenge for him as he swallowed deep pacing over the menu. “What do you think about the chef’s special? They do kinda like a several course meal of the chef’s choice of dishes.”

He also slid over the drinks menu, it had a mixture of different drinks, regional specialities, carbonated melon juice from the mountains of Kumogakure, or Oasis coconut spring milk. The list never seemed to end. Fanho had been lucky enough to try some of these specialities when he traveled around the world training. He went down the list gazing at the few. “Oooh, you should try the Kumo Melon juice. Or try the Waterfall Country Fall Tea.” Fanho tapped the menu as a waitress came about to take their drink orders noting the chef would be there shortly.

Fanho pointed to the drink menu as he advised his own drink order, “I’ll take the Kumo Melon Juice.” He’d look towards Sachi letting her place her own order as the waitress stepped away to fetch the drinks.

He’d turn the conversation towards Sachi. If it was a date after all they’d have to get to know each other. A little small talk so he could show Sachi who he was, and Sachi could ask what she was curious about. “So Sachi, what made you wanna do the academy in Heart?” After all they knew a little bit about each other, how each one was, their skills, their birth homes, but what were the little things that made them tick?

[chocochipgamer]

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and she returned the gesture without thinking. She let her eyes wander over the menu, unsure of half the items she was even looking at. When he suggested something that sounded like she’d be able to try a few things, she breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, that sounds wonderful, actually. I don’t really know what any of this is,” she sounded a little embarrassed as she spoke.

Once that was done, he slid over a drink menu. Sachi hadn’t realized there’d be so many options for the whole dinner. It was almost overwhelming. The list was long, showcasing drinks from quite a few places. Fanho made suggestions, but she wasn’t entirely sure what to choose. As the waitress finally looked to her for her own choice, she quietly panicked. “Um, I think I’d like the Waterfall Country Fall tea and a glass of water,” she smiled to the woman. Worst case scenario, it was very hard to screw up plain water.

Who knew ordering food and drinks could be so complicated? She let out a bit of a sigh of relief once their orders were set in place. Her attention shifted as he started to ask her a question. He asked why she had wanted to go to the academy. Sachi tilted her head as she made a thoughtful noise. “Well, it wasn’t really something I thought about for a while. The village I grew up in was very small and, eventually, so small everyone started to leave for other places,” her tone started to drift into one that sounded almost reminiscent. “Since it was just me, I figured moving to a bigger village would be the safest option. The academy cost no money and would help me earn money, so it was an easy decision. The hard part was learning to read and write.”

She mischievously grinned and turned her attention on him. He had started with a question, now it was her turn. “What, pray tell, made you want to become Hokage?” She delicately placed her elbow on the table and rested her chin atop the back of her hand. Her eyes fluttered playfully at the question. While she seriously wanted the answer, she also wanted to stop herself from touching any old memories of her family. Not right now. Not in such a wonderful setting. There were plenty of other things they could talk about, just most of those things shouldn’t include her past.

[Director]

Fanho listened watching as Sachi placed her drink order before explaining her origin for going to the academy. It was different, foreign to Fanho's own life experiences. He had always grown up in Konoha which felt like one big village. Sure it was so large there were certainly people he was unaware of that lived there, but it seemed so small now that he had lived there forever. The wide open world and small villages that existed had different experiences than himself.

He nodded as he followed along with what Sachi said. As she spoke about her small village leaving for other bigger and greater things, Fanho had seen a lot of that himself when traveling abroad. Small villages with dwindling populations, some even upright abandoned as people moved closer to the cities for jobs, aid, and education. It was good in a sense that these major population centers had all these benefits, but sad at the same time as it seemed some people strayed from their culture. As Sachi mentioned it was just herself, as he reminded herself she spoke about her family passing from illness. Fanho nodded seeing as she didn't want to go deep into her history. "Well, now you have me." He gave a war smile as his hand gently rolled over hers giving it a light squeeze.

It was at this time the waitress returned with the drinks, and placed them in-front of the duo. Fanho's a bubbling green drink with swirls of white dancing within and a small melon slice to top it off. Sachi's a light blue hue with white foam at the bottom constantly babbling, the light blue tea somehow rising and falling like a waterfall with some light carbonation.

Fanho grabbed his seat as he leaned forward sipping his drink looking intently as Sachi asked a question in return. All is fair in war and dates, she answered one of his so of course he'd oblige to answer hers. As she playfully rested her chin in her hand, Fanho clicked his tongue before returning the favor once again pitting their faces close to one another as he rested his chin in his hand looking at her. "Well I guess I sort of always wanted to be? It was like one of those 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' kind of things. Fanho chewed his lower lip as he thought his eyes dancing around the room before making eye contact once more with his date. "I think my mind was made up when I was a Specialist Jounin. I always kinda looked up to heroes in stories and stuff, thinking that I could be strong like that. To not just make the decision to kill, but make the hard decision of not killing. I'm tired of the world wanting to tear each other up."

Fanho sighed as his eyes drifted to the flat top grill. The sizzling heat rising off, like conflict it was hot, messy, dangerous, and would harm people. He cupped his mouth as he rubbed his chin before returning to rest it in the palm of his hand looking back as Sachi intentionally making eye contact with a determined look captured in his eye. "I can't right all the wrongs in the world, but if I can make it a bit better and get others to join in what I want to build. Maybe we can fix a bit of the hurt in the world." His gaze softened as he chuckled to himself rapping his fingers on his cheek. "I also like to save cats from trees, doesn't hurt to have simple hero goals right?" He poked his tongue out making fun of himself after being so serious.

It wasn't long before the chef showed ready for their requests. Fanho pointed to the chef's choice and nodded in confirmation. "If possible sir, could we get your recommendation special? I'm kinda lost with all the dishes I can't pronounce." Fanho chuckled at himself once more as he scratched his neck the chef nodding with an affirming smile as he began to cook their meal.

The Hokage to be looked towards Sachi. "What do you think about staying in Konoha a bit after the coronation? I was thinking I could show you more of Fire Country if you're free afterwards." Fanho's skin flared light pink as he posed the question of her staying after the coronation as his eyes nervously shifted between the food and Sachi. He'd have some work to do in-between, but it'd be nice to have her stay. To train her skills, go on another date, shop at the stalls, go on another date, sight see some of the beautiful locations, go see those locations on a date perhaps, but he'd understand if she couldn't commit to that.