[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

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Shikon
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Shikon » Fri Aug 07, 2015 5:21 am

The road was a long and complicated, but someone had to walk it. Karliah was on the path of a literal and metaphorical road. Both had their twists and turns, their own obstacles, and difficulties. One simply required stamina and strength, moving through mud and rain, over logs and boulders, simple if you just trudged on. The other required Mental resilience and willpower, and a strong moral compass that never faltered. Karliah had all of these things, but she still felt the wear and tear of the tasks she was performing.

"This should all be proof of their foolishness, their simple minded arrogance. A civil war brought by pride and the desperate grasp for power. Now it was fought for survival and revenge. Who really wins? So stupid." She talked to herself, as there was no one around to hear her. The simple act of talking kept her mind off the ache in her knees and hips. She had been walking for almost all of the day, taking a long one-man trail from Kumogakure.

The young Monk had spent half the week traveling to the shinobi village, looking to see if she could provide aid during the crisis that came to her ears. Unfortunately, it looked as though the village was stuck in a battle of prides and egos. She wasn't going to beg to save their people, she was not going to plead to assist in keeping a killer alive with her medical jutsu if they didn't want it. Now she was headed back to the small village she had been hiding out in with a new and revived outlook on how obsolete the idea of a shinobi world was. Shinobi had started this bloodbath, and they didn't want anyone else's help in stopping it.

Karliah looked up the road to see a hovel a quarter mile ahead. It looked to be maybe half a dozen buildings at the most, but more than likely had a place for her to stay and rest for a bit. She trudged on, keeping it in sight. It took only a few minutes for her to arrive.

"Pretty small, wonder where I can- ah there we go."

She spotted a sign that said "Inn" and she made for it. The building was only slightly larger than the others around, but that didn't matter to her. She was far away enough from the village for now, and she needed some rest. She approached the desk where an elderly man sat. "Excuse me, do you have any empty rooms?" The man nodded quickly and pointed to a ledger on the counter. Karliah quickly signed her name.

The man then held out a hand, motioning for her to take a seat and wait. She did so, finding it more than relieving to get off her feet. She sighed and slowly sank her body into the chair and closed her eyes. She didn't worry to much about her surroundings. This tiny town wouldn't have any sort of criminal activity, as there would be no use in trying to get money from them and the road it was one was not large enough for trading caravans. Not to mention, with it a days travel from the village, she didn't think the war would be reaching her right now. The only sensible reason a Kumogakure ninja would be out here, is if they were stopping in on their return from a mission, and what were the chances of that?

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Isuzu
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Isuzu » Fri Aug 07, 2015 8:20 pm

OOCShow
Never knew how hard it was to write the whistle sound before
"Fweeeee fwee fweeeeeee, fwee fweeeeee fwee, fwee fwee fweeee fweeeee, fwefwefwe"

The horribly off-tune whistling noise could be heard throughout the woods surrounding the trail the chuunin now strolled down. He had his right hand in his pocket with his left hand holding the string that wrapped around the top of his sword sheath over his shoulder. This let the blade hang down his back, bouncing against it slightly in rhythm with each step. He kept this focus forward, but was aware of his surroundings at the same time. These were war times after all, and he couldn't be too careful. He peered up through his eyes at the fading sunlight coming through the trees, using it's location to get a rough estimate of how much longer he had until he reached the Inn his father had sent him to. He'd originally tried to get Zudo, Kurado's younger brother, to run the errand, but Kurado offered to do it himself. Much to the delight of Zudo. The older of the two thought the task to dangerous for a genin. Given the circumstances, one really couldn't argue that he was wrong.

"Sweet. Should only be a few more minutes now!"

He'd been walking all damn day, with a bit of sprinting mixed in to stretch out the joints and muscles and keep them from cramping. He'd also taken a break around noon for lunch and a couple of bottles of water he'd fetched from the backpack on his back. This was why he was carrying this blade in his hand the way he was. As impractical as it was, Kurado was a vain guy and viewed carrying one's sword in their belt as "unfashionable".

The small town he was looking for was in his view now. The owner, Mr. Etsu Tatsuhino should be expecting Kurado, since he'd been the one to write the head of the Takada family in the first place. Now at the door, the auburn haired shinobi pushed open the door, stopping his whistling as he did so. The light from the sun setting behind him caused his figure in the door frame to cast a long shadow along the ground, leading all the way to the reception desk where Mr. Etsu was seated. To the side him sat a very pretty young blonde who didn't seem to pay much attention to the newest arrival. She did have a pleasant look on her face that made her seem approachable though, so maybe Kurado would introduce himself.

Once the door closed behind him, the chuunin made a lazy stroll towards the desk. "Mr. Etsu, I take it? I'm Kurado Takada, you asked my father for this." He placed his backpack on the desk and unzipped it in one quick motion. Using the pack during battle had caused this particular action to become very fluid. He pulled out a small leather bound book that looked more like a journal than the adventure novel it was. "Here you go." He handed the man the book. Etsu essentially snatched it from him and extended a hand to shake it. "You're Mr. Takada's son alright! You're his spitting image!" Kurado felt blood rushing to his face as he glanced over to the girl who was seated next to the man. "Yeah, I get that a lot. Anyway, since it's so late I was hoping.." He paused, hoping Mr. Etsu would take the hint that he was hoping to get a room. One that didn't need paying for. "Yes, yes. Sign your name here." He motioned towards the ledger that the other guest had signed right before him. As Kurado began to sign his name, he took note of the girls name written above his as the owner kept talking.

"So tell me, what does your father have in store for us this time? Does Saido become the next Shogun? I hope so. I think Akiko's and Kai are going to become a thing now. She's a shinobi, he's a samurai. It's forbidden, so that..." The man kept talking, but Kurado had zoned out. He wasn't particularly a fan of his fathers works. They were critically acclaimed novels of a shinobi who went to live with the samurai and eventually joins their ranks. It was a lot deeper than that, though. They also had anti-war messages cleverly weaved into the plot, and took shots at the established powers-that-be in the Kumo government. If his father wasn't the author, he would probably like them, since he agreed with most of their themes. It was just one of those things. "..an epic clash between Saido and Akasuke, his ex teammate, who's a jounin now. I can't wait!" Kurado placed the pen back on the ledger where it was, and Etsu motioned for him to take a seat and wait next to Karliah. Walking over, he took a seat and placed his backpack on the ground next to his leg. He then leaned his sword against that, crossed one leg over the other and crossed his arms across his chest. Etsu sat down in his own chair and began flipping through the book, not really thinking that he needed to get keys and such for the two patrons.

He looked towards the girl sitting at an angle from him and let a smile cross his face. "So, what brings you all the way out here. Kinda far from the village."

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
Ishiguro, Kisuke | Chuunin | Kumogakure

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Shikon
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Shikon » Fri Aug 07, 2015 11:12 pm

Karliah hope only been waiting a few minutes when another patron arrived. The sun was at is back as he entered the door, so she could only make out his silhouette in the light. Once he stepped inside Karliah continued to survey him through partly opened eyes. She could see strange reddish brown hair, a sword slung across his back, and a backpack in hand. Over all Karliah would guess he was slightly taller than herself, and out weighed her by twenty maybe twenty-five pounds. Over all he looked to be a normal traveler, and the monk closed her eyes yet again. She kept them closed during the little conversation, he had with the Inn owner. To which she tried to not pay attention. Other people's business was not her own, she didn't need to know about it.

The young man then came and sat next to her slightly catty-cornered from her own seat. "So, what brings you all the way out here. Kinda far from the village." The girl peak through one eye lid as she sat, looking at Kurado for a moment. It was then that she noticed the lightning symbol on his belt. This realization made Karliah let out a small sigh and sink a bit lower into her seat. "Great, what does he want? Recruitment for the civil slaughter?" she thought to herself. The girl stayed silent for a moment, keeping her eyes closed an her body still. After what felt like a long minute she responded.

"I am just coming from the village actually. I was there for a visit. Didn't like the state of things there, so I left." She opened one eye and peered at him. Trying to see what his intentions are, she focused on his brown eyes, watching them closely as she continued to speak. Her voice stayed even and slightly mono-toned, something she was in the habit of from her monastic upbringing. "What is a shinobi doing so far from the village? Don't you have duties there given the war going on?" She said with a legitimately puzzled look in her one open eye. She crossed her legs as she sat, while letting a the hand furthest from Kurado drop over the arm of the chair and towards her own backpack.

She may be a pacifist, but Karliah knew shinobi. Bloodthirsty, arrogant, they wanted to kill and fight more than anything else. She wouldn't be caught by surprise. Her hand grasped onto a hand and remained still, waiting. "And I didn't get your name I believe."

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Isuzu
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Isuzu » Sat Aug 08, 2015 4:53 am

"Can't say I blame you there. This war is.." He hesitated, fearing he'd strike a nerve if he expressed his true thoughts on the war. Kumo extremist patriotism was on the rise like bread in the oven, and you never knew who you could trust. If you spoke out against the war in any way, you weren't viewed well by the people. Even his father was targeted to vandalism and smere campaigns because of his positive depiction of samurai in his young adult novels. Kurado could recall a particularly scolding attack that claimed he was trying to indoctrinate Kumo's youth into favoring the samurai over the shinobi, which his father had just laughed off. Still, being sympathetic to the samurai war effort was something that could filibuster one's career as a shinobi, and what good would that do him?

"..problamatic." The truth, but in a way that was a little more open to interpretation than a simple "stupid". He turned a little, putting more pressure on his leg that was facing the girl. This allowed him to face her while not invade her personal space. "But, if you must know, I just got a promotion and haven't received my orders yet. In the meantime, I assumed I could do as I please." His promotion to chuunin had only happened a few weeks ago. Where as normally he'd be transitioned into one of the many departments of the Kumo shinobi corps or assigned a team to lead, with the war going on things worked a little differently now. "I just came by to drop a book off to Mr. Etsu here that my father wrote. He's an author." Kurado hated telling people this, as it sounded pretentious. That, and it normally lead to all kinds of questions about the books particulars that Kurado hadn't a clue how to answer. He'd only ever skimmed through them at best, or reviewed a chapter here or there to give an opinion to his dad.

He noticed her arm hanging over into the bag, but thought nothing of it. His sword was beside him if she tried anything. Plus, he was bigger than she was so he should be able to hold his own if she decided to attack. When she asked his name, he uncrossed his arms and offered a hand to the girl."I'm Kur.." he started talking, but was instantly interrupted by Etsu, who seemed to have finished getting their things in order for the rooms.

"Mr. Kurado, Ms. Karliah. I have your keys here. Looks like you two are going to be neighbors tonight, so get acquainted. There's a small Tea House right down the road that's great!" It seemed like he was actively attempting to spark something between the two, much to Kurado's dismay. The auburn haired boy much preferred to handle these types of things himself. He looked over at the girl without betraying his thoughts that he really did want to go with her. "I'm sure Ms. Kirliah here has better things to do that attend a Tea House with a guy like me." He hoped he was wrong though.

Getting up and walking to the desk, he grabbed both keys from the man. "Thanks Mr. Etsu. I really appreciate the room." Kurado turned and extended his hand to the girl, taking note of which room she was in. He figured he'd allow her to settle in a bit before he knocked on her door to ask her to go out to the Tea House with him. "I believe this is yours." He held the key between his index and middle finger by the part that went into the door, a sly smile on his face.

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
Ishiguro, Kisuke | Chuunin | Kumogakure

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Shikon
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Shikon » Sat Aug 08, 2015 5:41 am

The chuunin was obviously hesitant towards speaking of the war that was going on. Most shinobi seemed to be more than happy to boast about Kumogakure's strength and prowess and slander the samurai they were fighting. Kurado though, chose his words carefully. Karliah appreciated his caution, but wondered why he did so. He was a shinobi was well, he would be fighting in this war one way or another, so why was he being careful with words and not actions? It something shouldn't quite figure out. So the monk simply nodded in response, and let the topic slide.

He next comment caused Karliah to raise a brow. But then it quickly subsided. What he said was interesting, but open ended. "I see, my father is as well." Karliah said this, but she nearly certain they were not the same 'type' of author. Karliah's father - or adopted father as it were - was a Master Monk at the monastery, he wrote and published philosophical essays and poems. Karliah herself read many of them, but she did need to, they were all words she heard directly from the man's mouth throughout her upbringing. Still, knowing Kurado's father was a writer did give him some sort of humanity, he wasn't just a killer anymore. He was a son to man who worked in an enlightened field.

Their conversation was ended abruptly as Mr. Etsu declared their rooms ready. He recommended they go to the Tea House since they were to be neighbors for the night. Kurado objected quickly, and Karliah saw the faintest of a blush on his cheeks. To a normal person, the implications and ques that just occurred would be picked up and noticed without thinking. The elder man was trying to push a date on the two guests, Kurado was embarrassed by this. Alas, such social conventions and nuances were lost on her, the young Monk did not pick up on the hints at all. Instead she drew the only conclusion she could from Kurado's reaction. 'He doesn't like Tea? Quite strange. Guess I will go by myself then.' She stretched and stood from her chair as she thought the words.

The chuunin held out Karliah's key with a smile. She took it and gave a half hearted grin in return. "Arigatou gozaimasu. Have a good evening, Kurado-san." She gave a slight bow before retrieving her bag and moving off to find her room. She expected that would be the last she would see Kurado for the night, she was of course, wrong.

The girl closed the door behind her as she entered the room. She set down her bag and looked around. It was smaller than she had been expecting, but was content. She was used to much smaller rooms with far less furniture at the temple. She removed her various weaponry and her bow, setting them on the small dresser across from the bed. Taking only the small pouch strapped to her thigh, and putting her money inside it along with a few senbon just in case. She quickly sat on the bed, moving to the middle of the mattress and crossed her legs. There she sat, closing her eyes and taking long deep breaths for some minutes. She began her meditations usually at around sundown. It may be a bit earlier currently, but Karliah was quite tired from her travel, and needed something to revitalize her body. Meditation was usually the key.

She continued this for what felt like hours, at least for the monk. In reality, it was probably only ten minutes. Once she opened her eyes, Karliah felt far more awake and attentive. Her drowsiness and aches in her joints were gone. With this done, she decided to head out to the Tea House that was mentioned before. She took her key, and went out into the hall, promptly locking her room as she left. She did not think to ask Kurado to join her, the chuunin already showed a distaste for the Tea House it seemed. Instead she began walking down the hall back towards the lobby when she heard a door open behind her. She stopped mid stride as the noise caught her attention. Her hand shot down to the pouch on her thigh, ready to grab a senbon as she reeled around, uncertain as to who was there behind her.

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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Isuzu » Sat Aug 08, 2015 6:19 am

The chuunin waited a moment before following to his room, not wanting to make way for awkward conversation to sneak in. Plus, he had an honest curiosity in this girl. Her father was also a writer, so there was something in common already. She seemed interested as well, but cautious; Kurado couldn't blame her for that. It was to be expected of a girl who seemed to be traveling alone. She accepted the key from him and gave a very formal bow before heading the direction of their rooms. "You too, Kirliah. Take care." His trade mark kind, crooked smile sat proudly on his face.

"Well Mr. Etsu, I'm headed off to my room. You'll probably see my come back through here on my way to that Tea House." He grabbed his bag and sword all in one hand as he made his way up the stairs. He rose from the staircase just in time to see Kirlian close her door. He was in the room closer to the stairway of the two, and placed his key in before entering. "..Well, this is cozier than I'd expected. But it was free, so beggars and choosers and all that.." The boy placed his sword on the dresser and his bag beside it. He then took the time to remove some of his attire that was generally there for fighting. If he were thinking clearly, he'd have removed his Kumo belt as well, since it wasn't completely impossible that some of the samurai troops could come through town as well. The thought never crossed his mind. He placed his arm guards on the dresser beside his blade. He traded in his fighting style attire for more relaxed clothing, a white short sleeve shirt and looser fitting black 3/4 length pants. He traded his boots in for a pair of flip flops and then threw over it his green kimono with sleeves that were a little bit too short. He'd grown in the last couple of years and hadn't yet replaced it. The bottom of it went a bit past his waste, around mid thigh level and fit loose on him. He took a quick look in the mirror before walking back out of the door, now looking much more casual and "touristy".

The door was a little harder to shut than he'd anticipated, so he had to give it a nice slam. He turned to see Kirliah almost to the end of the hall, but hadn't made it to the steps yet. When he shut the door she stopped, no doubt a little startled from the loud noise. As he approached her she didn't turn, so he decided to make himself known as to not scare her anymore than he already had. "Kirliah, what a surprise. I was just about to ask you to accompany me to the Tea House." He'd caught up and was standing beside her before he spoke again. "But it looks like you had the same idea. Great minds, I guess." He was starting to hit his stride at spitting game, and began to feel more confident. After a moment, he placed his hand out in a polite fashion, motioning towards the stairs.

"Ladies first."

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
Ishiguro, Kisuke | Chuunin | Kumogakure

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Shikon
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Shikon » Sat Aug 08, 2015 6:41 am

The girl relaxed once she noticed Kurado, and that we was relatively un-armed. He hands moved from her pouch and she crossed them in front of her. His words were rather confusing to Karliah, she didn't understand. He seemed to object to the idea when they were down stairs. "I thought that you- uh, nevermind." She decided to shrug it off, and marked the strangeness down to normal shinobi behavior. So he wanted to join her anyway? That was okay with her. He motioned her forward, and Karliah gave a thankful nod. "Very kind, thank you." She began down the stairs.

Mr. Etsu was behind the counter when they entered the lobby again, his nose buried deep into Kurado's Father's novel. The old man seemed to be quite a fan. The monk didn't remember what the man had said the book was about, but she tried to make a mental not of the title and to give it try. More than likely, she would enjoy it.

The Tea House itself was just as small as the rest of village it sat in. Once the two entered, a small bell chimed above them, signaling the staff of their arrival. Karliah peered about, finding it rather empty except for a pair of men off to the right, a lone elder lady behind that, and a group of three kids to the left who looked to be about academy age. Of course, not everyone sent their children to become shinobi, some kids got to be kids and not train to be murderers. "Kurado-san was it, would you like to sit together?" She asked this to ensure she understood what he preferred. With his words in the lobby, and the contradictory actions in the hallway afterward, Karliah was finding it hard to pinpoint what the chuunin was thinking. Sadly she didn't think the confusion was simply brought upon by her inability to understand social cues.

Karliah had just managed to finish her question when a young woman broke their conversation. She looked to be about their age, probably the daughter of the owner. With long black hair, and bright green eyes, it hard to deny she was quite beautiful. The men at the right watched her as she greeted them and whispered inappropriate comments under their breath. Something the young girl was very used to, and ignored. The waitress held a stack of menu's in her hands and smiled at the two of them before giving a bow. "You two together?" Karliah looked over to Kurado questioningly, as she was unsure how to exactly answer the the waitress herself.

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Isuzu
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Isuzu » Sun Aug 09, 2015 3:44 pm

Ichimaru's House of Tea was on the wooden sign above the building. It appeared old and hadn't had much upkeep done to it. One would think this would give it an unappealing appearance, but to Kurado it added a splash of character to the joint. It gave it a certain identity that suited such a town. As they walked in, Kurado saw the men in the corner being a little bit rude. They looked to be around thirty, and were in relative good shape. They looked towards Kurado and Kirliah when they walked in with weary eyes. After a few moments of lingering glares they returned to their tea and inappropriate conversation.

That's when Kirliah suddenly asked if he wanted to sit with her. Was she really that naive to think he wouldn't want to? Or was she just nervous and didn't want to get the wrong idea? Either way, he decided to play it cool and confident. "It wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me to allow a lady to sit alone." Almost on que, a particularly inappropriate comment was spoken louder than intended by the two men on the right. "Especially in a place like this." He wasn't sure if the guys could hear him, nor did he care. He was taught to respect only those who show it to you, and these guys weren't showing much of it to anyone. He could see the subtle queues of annoyance from the waitress, though she hid it well. She made her way over to the newly formed duo, asking a question that Kurado wasn't expecting.

"You two together?"

Well, that was a little abrupt. Kirliah looked toward Kurado to see what he would say, much to his dismay. He could feel the pressure from both of them starring at him awaiting an answer. "Yes...Uhm, I mean..no? Not like that. But we came here together. Not that I wouldn't...I.." He cut himself off before he made more of a fool of himself. He was normally so calm, cool and collected. Something about this particular situations threw him off though. Having two very pretty girls starring at him and waiting for a response like that brought the nervousness out of him. The waitress let out a laugh and gave him a look, eye to eye, that showed she thought it was genuinely funny, and possibly cute. "Okay you two, right this way."

She took them to the back where a smaller, two person table was. Being a traditional Tea House, there weren't chairs but small mats for patrons to kneel on while they sipped their tea. Kurado chose the seat where he had a clear line of sight on the door as well as the two men who occasionally glanced over towards Kurado and Kirliah. They must've thought Kirliah was cute or something. The waitress handed the two of them their menus and put on a friendly smile. "I'm Akiko, I'll be your server tonight. I'll be right back to get your order. We're happy to have some new faces in tonight!" Kurado nodded, and continued to walk back to some of the other patrons to make sure they didn't need anything.

Kurado knew he wanted some mint green tea, so he didn't bother to open the menu. Money wasn't really a problem either, since his father was moderately wealthy from his successful books. He looked up to see Kirliah looking down at her menu, carefully deciding what she wanted. Something about the way the light hit her in the moment made her appear almost angelic, and Kurado couldn't help but swoon a little. "Any idea what you want? I practically live in a tea house back in the city, so maybe I can give you some suggestions?" The more interesting conversation would commence once they got their tea.

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
Ishiguro, Kisuke | Chuunin | Kumogakure

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Shikon
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Shikon » Sun Aug 09, 2015 5:17 pm

Kurado seemed to have a bit of trouble answering the question just as Karliah did. Yet his was in more of a stuttering embarrassed mess sort of way. The monk looked at the chuunin with an eye of concern. Was he having a stroke, a heart attack? Why was he acting so strangely to a simple question? Karliah never understood these shinobi and their strange social habits. The waitress seemed to understand something that the young monk did not, and waved them further into the tea house and to a small table near the back. Karliah removed her sandals and knelt down at the table. As Akiko gave her introduction and made her departure, Karliah scarcely looked up. Eye contact was an act of defiance and a challenge in her temple, she did not bestow those feelings on the young woman. She instead looked down at the menu in front of her.

She flipped through it absent minded, looking at the pictures more than anything, to which there were very little. It wasn't until Kurado spoke that she looked up. "Ah, no thank you." It wouldn't any help making her choice. She already knew what she wanted. "I already know I want the Chai black, with honey. I'm just looking over their menu to see their selection." She responded, flipping through the menu with her hand while looking up at the chuunin. "You can tell a lot about someone's specialty by the selection they have. At the temple we only grew Chai leaves, and that was all we made. I have yet to find a Tea House that makes it just as well, but I'm still looking." The girl set the menu aside, apparently satisfied with her casual look through.

"So then..." she continued. "Are you married?" she asked, deadpanned as the words slipped from her lips as if they were any other question.

It was a rather blunt and brutal question. Though Karliah saw it as only getting information, not knowing of course its other implications. She understood shinobi generally removed their wedding rings, given if they were to be captured, knowledge of such a thing can be used against them. She did not know if this was the case for Kurado. At the current day in age, people got married young as fifteen or sixteen. It would be reasonable to assume a chuunin like himself had a wife.

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Isuzu
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Isuzu » Mon Aug 10, 2015 4:58 pm

Kurado couldn't help but crack a smile at this. He liked a girl that knew what she wanted. It cut out the bull shit and made it a lot easier to communicate with her. He did catch her say "at the temple" though, which raised a flag for him. "..Temple? What temple is she from? I can't really recall a temple with in the city walls, and she did say she dropped by the village for a moment and left.." He meditated on the thought for a few seconds longer, but allowed it to leave his mind. It wasn't that important. So what if she wasn't from the village. He'd met several people not from Kumo who'd been perfectly upstanding individuals. She seemed to fit that mold nicely.

"Well I wish you luck on that quest." Kurado didn't have much to say. Honestly, they'd already talked about tea more than he'd intended to. It was boring conversation, and when he'd asked the question he expected a simple yes or no answer. What he got was a whole lot of stuff he didn't care about. He hoped this wasn't a sign of what conversational topics he could expect from the girl. Then, she asked the question.

At first, he wondered if he'd heard her right. He made a slightly confused face as he pondered if she thought that for any particular reason. More importantly, why would she ask it? It could be suspected that she found Kurado attractive, but she'd shown absolutely no sign of that what so ever. Did she think this was something people normally asked? She did say she was raised in a temple, so perhaps she hadn't been socially conditioned to know what was appropriate and what isn't. He'd already been thrown off once by a question; he was prepared now. "No, haven't really found the right girl yet. Still on the hunt." A slight chuckle followed, more from the awkwardness of the situation than anything else. "And yourself? Surely a beautiful young lady like you at least has a boyfriend."

It was right after this that Akiko showed back up looking for their orders. "You two lovebirds ready?" She gave a wink to Kurado from the corner of her eye, signifying it was only a joke. She was being awfully playful though, and up to this point she was more entertaining than Karliah was being. But he'd agreed to go with her, it'd be rude to hit on another woman. "I think we're ready. I'll have the Mint Green Tea, warm not hot. And.." He looked over towards Karliah, trying to decide if he should order for her or not. After a moment of hesitation, he decided it couldn't hurt. Plus, it might make him appear more mature and cultured. It would also show he'd been listening to her. "A Chai black with honey for the lady." Akiko finished writing down their orders and gathered the two menu's from them. "Alright, that'll be right out. Let me know if you need anything else." She walked over to the door leading to the back, presumably to put in their order.

"So what brings you all the way out here?" With the war going on it's not exactly safe, especially for a young woman like herself.

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
Ishiguro, Kisuke | Chuunin | Kumogakure

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Post by Shikon » Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:41 am

The chuunin's response to her rather unorthodox question brought a tiny smile to one corner of Karliah's mouth. Half from amusement, and half from relief. The ninja seemed to be confused by Karliah, which she understood why. Most people didn't really understand her. It was a mutual thing though, the monk always had difficulties deciphering people's intentions. It was interesting, two people trying to figure each other out, further confused at every turn. But, perhaps talking to Kurado more could improve her social skills? It was worth a try.

"No, no boyfriend. I have yet to try to delve into the world of love. I had not the time or the opportunity growing up. My father is protective and dedicated. But I appreciate the compliment." She gave Kurado a genuine smile before quickly looking away. It was not a few seconds after that the waitress returned. Her comment caused Karliah to survey the girl with a puzzled look. Kurado and her seemed to be a couple? Akiko held a smile, one the monk took to mean she happy in some way. 'Is this a humorous thing? She is teasing us? Very intriguing, maybe I should do the same back?' These thoughts went through her mind as Kurado made their orders. The waitress left promptly, a bit to Karliah's dismay.

"Uh, I came to see if I could give aid to the village. Though it seems pride keeps shinobi from accepting help from those that are not ninjas. So be it." The monk gave a shrug of her shoulders. She understood this to mean someone was not worried or overwhelmed by a topic, and thought it appropriate. "So I shall stay here for the night, then move on to return to the town I am currently living. I have a small clinic set up there for the people. I help them, and in return they pay me with the things I need to live." She stopped there, finding it rather boring to be talking about herself so much. She wanted to know more about Kurado himself, as the man still perplexed her. Simply asking questions wouldn't do though, people said what they thought would make them look good, what they wanted people to hear. If she wanted to know the real Kurado, she needed to catch him off guard.

Akiko was now walking towards the table again, and Karliah thought to seize the opportunity. "Chai Black for the miss, and for you, Mint Green Tea -warm." She set down their orders and gave a lingering looked at Kurado. The girl was turned toward the chuunin, rather close. Karliah made her move then. "Thank you very much. You're so kind, and amazing cute as well." Karliah leaned forward and smiled, a glint held in the monk's eyes. "You're not doing anything tonight after your shift are you? Would you like to get together?" Akiko seemed quite surprised by this and she didn't seem to have an immediate answer. Karliah took the moment of distraction to look over to Kurado, she winked at him discretely.

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Post by Isuzu » Wed Aug 12, 2015 6:38 pm

"..Single, huh? Well Karliah, you just got a lot more interesting.."

He was sure his face had an amused smirk on it when those words crossed her lips. He'd dismissed the other stuff about the over protective father. He'd dealt with girls like that back in Kumo; they were always the most fun. Plus, her father wasn't here for her to worry about disappointing him. She transitioned into talking about how she'd tried to help the shinobi of the village during the war, but they'd turned her away. So she wasn't a shinobi? How was she going to help with the war, then? Volunteer as medical staff? If that were the case, he couldn't imagine them turning away a willing, helping hand. Though she wasn't from the village, so perhaps they viewed her as a liability. The samurai were cunning advisories, so they weren't beyond those type of cowardly tactics. Or so he'd been told; Kurado had yet to see actual warfare.

"Well, during wartime, the village likes to entrust it's wellbeing to those it knows. The samurai are known for their sly tactics, so maybe they viewed you as a liability." He paused for a moment, glancing over at the guys across the way. They were being a little loud again, since Akiko was waiting on their table at the moment. "So I don't know if it was pride as much as, well, fear." He was just being honest. Though shinobi seldom liked to admit it, especially in war time, they were human too. They felt emotions just like anyone else. Kurado was never one to mask these feelings himself, and generally didn't judge those who did. To each their own. She claimed to have had a clinic set up in her home village, so Kurado's guess that she was some sort of medic was a correct one. "For the record, you could play doctor with me anytime." Right as the words escaped his lips, the felt his mind reaching out to reel them back in. Not only was he perhaps coming on a little strong; it was also a terrible line. Shrugging it off, he turned his attention now to Akiko, who'd walked up with their orders.

She placed their drinks down and Kurado instantly grabbed his and raised it to his mouth for a sip. He'd always enjoyed the warmth of the tea on the cup. It was unfortunate that Karliah decided to make her remark at the exact moment Kurado began taking his first sips. He was so surprised by her words that he coughed a bit, sending a decent amour of tea splashing about. Some of it landed on his face, some dribbled into his lap, and yet more went onto the table. He expected Akiko to react in some way, perhaps hand him a towel to wipe up the mess. But it seemed she was a little taken back by the question and hadn't realized what happened. Using his sleeve, he wiped his face and then proceeded to wipe it up from the table as well.

Akiko glanced over at Kurado for a split second for some kind of explanation, but he had none to offer her. He had his own questions. "..What in the hell have I gotten myself into? Don't tell me she's.....not into men.." he felt a little discouraged, but suddenly his mind drifted off to a much, much more optimistic outlook on the situation. "..Maybe she is into men, AND women.." His face became a little flush, but that wasn't where most of the blood was rushing. He glanced over at Karliah, who flashed him a wink, only serving to further these fantasies. His thoughts drifted off to all kinds of inappropriate places, but he was brought back to reality once Akiko started to speak.

"Well, I...don't...really have anything planned.." She managed a sort of answer, but Kurado could tell that she wasn't really comfortable with the idea. Kurado took the opportunity to interject, hoping he could sway her thoughts. "So you're free. Great! Karliah and I would love to hang with you later, once you get off." He wore his usual smile, and Akiko seemed to blush a little when he said that, but still seemed unsure. "I'll think on it, okay? I'll be back in a little to check on you two." She quickly turned and walked away, obviously uncomfortable despite her experience with the public.

Kurado looked back at Karliah with eager eyes. "So, where were we? You said something about a clinic in your home village. Tell me more about that." After he spoke, he grabbed the small cup and took a few more sips, this time to much greater success than the first time. "..That's some damn fine tea.."

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
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Post by Shikon » Thu Aug 13, 2015 9:19 am

The unexpected, revealed the truth about people. Karliah's bold comment caused Kurado to spill his tea, getting it on himself and the table. Karliah found this amusing. Good thing he got it warm, not hot. Akiko seemed just as flustered and didn't know how to respond. The chuunin then tried to ease the situation, which worked to some degree. The waitress still looked to be a bit uneasy, yet agreed to think about the offer before she hurried away. It was that moment that the monk realized that her move may bring unexpected results. What if the waitress agreed to meet with them later? Her and Kurado looked to hit it off rather well. Would Akiko steal away his attention? Or did both the chuunin and the young waitress expect the three of them to spend more intimate time together? Oh dear...

Karliah's face then went flush, and she raised her cup to drink in order to hide it a bit from Kurado. She had never had any experience with love or relationships, and knew not what to expect from someone, or herself. Though she never though her first time would be with a man and a woman, yet the opportunity seemed to be presenting itself. The monk took to playing with the pouch strapped to her leg as a means to distract her mind and occupy her anxiety. Luckily, Kurado continued to ask questions, and she could turn her attention to that.

"Yes, uh- not my home village. I live there currently, but my home remains to be the Monastery. Being back here now is problematic currently, and so I took to setting up a small medical center at a small village near the west border." She refrained from mentioning that she couldn't be back at the temple due to Kumogakure looking for her there. She thought it best not to mention her status as a rogue shinobi being in front of one at the very moment. That would bring even more problems that Karliah did not want. "I am headed there tomorrow. I am sure the people need me. They seem to still hold some sort of ideas of spirit worship and try to use bizarre mixtures of materials as medicine. Unfortunately, outside shinobi villages, medical knowledge is still primitive. Even for ninja, Iijutsu didn't take hold as a style of actual use until a little over three centuries ago when Hioru, Tonomiki first utilized it to turn the tide of the war between Sunagakure and Konohagakure. Once they saw its power, the villages began a strange arms rush to gain knowledge on it. Iwagakure was the last to attain what would be considered a 'modern' Iijutsu program. It has been a battle of knowledge in a such an area ever since." The monk said all this as if she were reading it out of the very cup that she was staring into. She had poured over scrolls on the history of Ijutsu when she was a shinobi, and had very nearly memorized all of it.

She looked up to Kurado then, snapping out of her strange trance. "But, what of yourself? Where is home?" She asked, sipping at her tea gingerly. Being careful not to spill as he had. It would be far worse with her tea being almost scalding hot. Karliah took a moment to glance around the Tea House, searching for Akiko. She was back at the table with the eccentric pair of gentlemen. Karliah ran her gaze up and down the girl's body, and had to admit, she had quite the figure. 'A rather cute and perky bottom actually, she thought. She turned back to Kurado with a smile, listening for his response to her question.

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Post by Isuzu » Thu Aug 13, 2015 9:28 pm

The girl started talking history, and Kurado almost turned to mush on the spot. It seemed like he and Karliah had something in common. Though his interests lay in more ancient history than the development of Iljutsu, that didn't mean she lacked an interest in other things. He listened carefully as she spoke, looking her directly in the eye with that smirk he always seemed to wear resting comfortably under his nose. "..I think I'm in love. Hubba hubba.." He wondered why he ever thought the last part. He was sure he'd heard his dad say it in a similar context, speaking of his mother. He was a little disturbed that his subconscious mind had saved that phrase somewhere in there, but he shrugged it off. Nothing could ruin this moment.

"That's something I did not know about history; though I tend to study older, more ancient things. Generally civilizations that existed before the Great Nations. There's some amazing things in our past, ya know? I'm sure you do, so I won't babble to you. I could go on all night if you let me." A small laugh escaped his lips. He didn't want to bore the girl. Maybe she was just interested in Iljutsu and had studied the history. If that were the case, surely she didn't much care to hear the young man blurt out facts while they drank.

Once she asked him where home was, he squinted for a moment out of confusion. Surely she'd picked up by now that he was a shinobi from Kumo. He hadn't necessarily tried to hide the fact. This brought his mind to his belt. He'd meant to take it off, but it'd slipped his mind while getting ready to come here. She hadn't seen that either? "Oh, well I'm a shinobi. From Kumo. Sorry, I thought I'd made that fairly obvious." He looked at her, slimming his eyes again, those this time in a more playful way. "You're a little slow on the pickup, huh?" He was only joking with her, made obvious by his smirks transition to a wide smile and his arms lazily crossed over his chest.

"I'm sorry sir, but we don't serve alcohol at this time of night. I can get you so-.." Akiko was over at the table with those two rather mincing looking dudes. She was standing in such a way that her side was facing the two. "Come on honey, I know you can make an exception," The man with his back to Kurado extended his hand out towards the girl, wrapping around her waste and pulling her close. Her belt was level with the top of his head. "I'm afraid that isn't my call, sir. I can get the owner out here if y-.." For the second time, the man interrupted her. Akiko's hands were constantly trying to pull the mans arm off o her, but she was no match for the man's strength. "Ah doll face, don't be such a buzzkill!" The man let out a laugh as Kurado moved his hand right where the hilt of his sword would've been, only to realize he hadn't brought it with him. He then decided to stand up and take a step towards the group. However, he turned her loose, but not before placing his hand on her cute and perky bottom as she walked away. Kurado wasn't sure if she'd seen him begin to come over for her defense. He was rather sure the other man had seen him stand up, and Kurado glared at them for a moment before taking his seat. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was someone who preyed on the weak.

Taking a seat, he exhaled a breath of relief. It wasn't his intention to come here and get in a fight. "I've got a bad feeling about those guys over there. I'm very glad I came here with you now." The chuunin kicked himself as he spoke, realizing this didnt't sound as good as he wanted. "Not that I'm not happy I came here with you regardless. This has been fun." He picked up his cup, taking another sip to hopefully help calm his nerves. "Anyway, where were we?" Kurado was obviously agitated at the guys towards the front.

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
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Post by Shikon » Fri Aug 14, 2015 9:45 am

Karliah cocked a brow in response to Kurado's reply on her history-of-Iijutsu monologue. The chuunin seemed to be interested in her rant, but merely do to its connecting of history itself. He stated he had a love for ancient events and facts of the past. Karliah saw the importance of knowing own's past, of themselves, and there world in which they lived. Though as a monk, she opted to focus for the present and the future therein. "History has its important points. It does not teach lessons, but those who do not know it, are doomed to repeat it. Despite that, I like to put priority on the future. Progression and enlightenment is not gained by focusing only on what was. But maybe you have knowledge that I do not, maybe sometime can impress upon the paramountcy of knowing the past." She was always open to hearing other's take on what's important in life. Their views of the world as it were. She could not achieve intellectual growth by herself, hearing from the minds of others was a necessity.

He then made a joke at her expense in relation to her question of his home. She found this not amusing though. As it looked he did not realize the intention of her query. Where he lived was not truly what she was asking, she thought she described the differences earlier. "No, I am well aware of your shinobi status. My question was not where you reside currently. but where to put the definition of home. As I said, I live near the west border, but my home lies among the northern mountains at the Monastery. I understand the misinterpretation nevertheless. " She sipped at her tea, finding it less scalding to the tongue at this point.

"Come on honey, I know you can make an exception," the monk turned to see the man enclosing his arm around Akiko. Her response showed she did not enjoy the attention. But he looked to be persistent. Kurado stood and took a step in their direction, apparently ready to respond. Yet, Akiko was released soon after, and made her way back toward the kitchen area, not before receiving a slap on her behind. This Karliah did not like. She understood sometimes people got friendly in a physical way in this world, but the mans actions were not one the monk could accept. As Kurado returned to his seat, he made his objections known as well. He said something, but unfortunately Karliah's mind was not paying much attention. "I am sorry, please excuse me a moment." With this, she rose to her feet and made her way into the back of the tea house after Akiko, more than likely leaving a frustrated and confused Kurado in her wake.

Karliah pushed aside the cloth flap the covered the doorway to the back of the kitchen area. Her eyes scanned the room, seeing rows of long counters,with a half a dozen men moving about them. Utensils and cookery filled their hands as they worked. She managed to spot Akiko in front left corner, leaning with her back to the wall, a cup of water held shakily in her hands. Karliah approached her cautiously, and gingerly laid her hand on the girl's shoulder. The brunette looked to her with confused and scarred eyes for a split moment, before her face fell into a visage of relief. "You scarred me for a second." She said with a sigh. "But you are not to be back here, I'm sorry." Karliah nodded, but still stayed, she wanted to ensure that the girl was okay.

"Are you alright?" The question surprised the waitress, as she had never had a customer who went so out of their way to make sure of her safety. She spent many nights dealing with travelers like those men, almost all encounters being the same. Inappropriate jokes, a bit of unwanted physical groping. She thought she would one day able to ignore it completely, but it got to her to some degree every time. "A bit frazzled, but I will be alright. Thank you." Karliah was unsure how much Akiko would admit to her, but wanted to be certain nothing else would distress the girl. "When does your shift end?"

"About twenty minutes. I'm just going to leave through the back. I'm sure those men won't be any real problem." Karliah gave her one last concerned look before removing her hand and nodding. She said goodbye and made her way back to the table where Kurado and her were before. She glanced at the table where the men were just minutes ago to find it empty. The monk saw this as a relief but slightly disconcerting. She sat back down and looked at Kurado whom was still at his side of the table. She looked at him questioningly. She was not gone long, and was hoping that the shinobi did not do anything drastic in that time. Such as taking it upon himself to forceably remove the men. "Where did they go?" She asked, expecting the worst from the answer. Shinobi -as she understood anyway- tended to be violent after all.

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Post by Isuzu » Fri Aug 14, 2015 10:51 pm

Isuzu cracked a smile as the girl went on about history. She didn't seem to have as much of an appreciation of history though, at least in Kurado's eyes. However, it wasn't as if Kurado thought that the past was the end-all, b-all knowledge to have. Kurado himself also focused on the future when engaging in everyday life. He just had a hobby of researching and learning about ancient cultures. It gave him a different perspective, which was something he thought the girl would appreciate. "You sure took that to the extreme huh? A guy says he like history, and you're over here saying all he does is focus on the past" He had to admit, the girl was a little hard to get along with sometimes. She was irritating to say the least. "I'm all about progress, trust me. But I think some progress can be gained from learning about those that came before us shinobi. A closed mind is a dangerous thing in the wrong hands. Or head, rather."

He took another sip of his tea as she began rambling about her interpretation of the word "home". Kurado couldn't help but bite his lip under the cover of his cup, still pressed to his mouth. "..Man, she sure does have some interesting views. She's lucky she's cute, or no guy would have anything to do with her. There's something about the way she talks that gives a 'holier than thou' vibe to me. Plus, I don't think she's agreed with anything I've said all night.." He took another sip, leaving enough for one more sip in his cup, then placed in back onto the coaster atop the table. "..That's a woman for ya..? He waited a moment to respond to the girls comments. Between her argumentative attitude and those guys harassing Akiko, he was rather annoyed with the whole night. "So you are slow on the pickup then. I knew what you meant. I'm a shinobi. Kumo is my home. Not sure where the misinterpretation occurred."

That's when the commotion happened up front. Once it was over, Akiko rose up, and Kurado followed her with his eyes all the way to the back. He took note of her assets on the way, liking what he saw. He as a bit relieved, actually. This girl was getting on his nerves a bit, and he needed a minute to himself to blow off steam. Not long after the girl walked back, presumably to talk to Akiko, Kurado noticed the men whispering and glancing at him. The one with his back to him looked over his shoulder, locking eyes with the chuunin for a few seconds before smirking, and turning back around. This was very suspicious behavior, but Kurado wasn't here to cause a stir. The men got up and walked towards the entrance, Kurado taking note that they failed to pay as they exited. That was none of his business though, so he picked up his tea and sipped the last bit out of it. Seemed like it was almost time to go anyway. It was about this time that Kirliah came out from the back, taking her original seat.

She was curious where those guys had gone, and Kurado simply shrugged. "Don't know. They talked amongst themselves for a moment and left. Didn't pay either." He'd thought about stopping those guys and making them pay, but decided instead to just pick up their tab as well. That way he could avoid unnecessary conflict. He normally would've gone with the first option, but this girl seemed like she wouldn't like that very much, and he was trying to bring her back to his room later. "What did Akiko have to say? We still hanging later?"

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
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Post by Shikon » Sat Aug 15, 2015 11:04 pm

'They left all on their own? That's pretty lucky.' She thought to herself. At least they were gone though, their disruptive actions and attitude no longer a problem. Karliah felt like a bit of pressure was lifted from her body. Somehow the idea those men were going to hurt Akiko, it was weighing on her in almost a literal way. Though, she could relax now. She returned her attention to Kurado. The chuunin was asking about Akiko. The Monk wasn't sure if he was asking because all the trouble that was going on, or if he simply liked her better than Karliah. She was greatly hoping the former.

"She is fine for now. Her shift ends in twenty minutes or so. We can meet up with her then." she stated, picking up her tea and drinking. She found it was now lukewarm, and a bit off. She sighed and set it down.

Karliah had noticed Kurado's irritation with her. She may not be able to read people's body language, or understand their jargon and innuendos, but she talked to enough people to know what agitation and annoyance looked like. That was one she saw the most often. She could infer as to why. Karliah cannot understand him the way he wishes to communicate, and Kurado can't understand her the way she wishes to communicate. Its a strange and frustrating predicament, one that got to most people. But, Karliah was hoping that this guy would be able to realize the social differences and look past them. It was disheartening for the girl all around. She finally meets a guy her age, he's handsome, seems nice and kind, and she manages to screw it up because she doesn't know how to act with people. She mentally kicked herself for her mistakes, if she could realize what they were. Sometimes, she wished she wasn't raised a monk, perhaps things would be a bit easier.

"Uh, Kurado-kun. I would like to apologize for what I may have done to upset you. Unfortunately, I tend to do that to every person I meet." she said solemnly, transitioning to looking back into her cup. She didn't dare look at Kurado directly. "I'm not so good at noticing people's intentions, and I end up saying the wrong things. I know you're agitated with me, and I am sorry. I would understand if when we leave here you'd like to come back to see Akiko alone." she stated sheepishly. Karliah didn't like the idea she suggested, but she didn't want Kurado feeling like he had to have her stick around. Especially given his frustrations with the monk. Karliah did not want to ruin his night. She did not understand a lot of what was being alluded to all night, or what the exact outcome could be. But she was scared and a bit hesitant all around, if Kurado didn't like her, she was feeling like a burden and wanted to make sure he had a choice.

"I get it, who would like a girl that can't understand all your jokes, or notice your body cues. I would not fault you if you'd like to spend the evening with Akiko without me." The monk said all this, but still felt an overwhelming dread that Kurado would agree with her. She may act like she doesn't mind if he chose not to spend time with her, but Karliah knew it would be a big punch to her confidence. She wished she could have to courage to take the lead in the world. Just say what she was really thinking, what she really wanted. It would make this all go more smoothly, she was sure Kurado wouldn't have to question what she wanted at least. But alas, she was a reserved and shy monk, and probably always will be "um...so?

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Post by Isuzu » Sun Aug 16, 2015 3:21 am

"Sounds like a plan." The chuunin was happy to hear that Akiko would be ready in twenty minutes. He grinned a bit and as his mind wondered yet again to the dirty things the night held for them. He closed his eyes and grinned a dumb grin as his imagination got the better of him. "..Yeah, I think I have some rope back in the room in my back pack. But that leaves the other one untied. Unless I tie them together.." A small "ohhh" could be heard under his breath if Karliah was listening close enough.

He was brought back to reality when Karliah started getting all sentimental with him. He looked at her as she looked into her cup, an awestruck glean over his eyes. He reached a hand out, placing the tips of his index finger and thumb lightly on her chin, using those to raise the girls head to where she wasn't looking down anymore. "Hey now, don't get all sad on me. Chin up." Kurado's face wore his crooked smile as looked her in the eye. "You're too pretty to be looking down all the time." His crooked smile morphed into a soft one. "I wouldn't dream of leaving you out tonight! We're going to have a good time, and you're coming with. Even if I have to tie you up!" He removed his hand from her chin in a way that was flirtatious, extending his fingers out and running them along her jaw line lightly as he retracted it. As he said the thing about tying her up he winked at her, hoping this would perhaps show her intentions.

"Plus, no one ever understands my jokes." He let out a laugh, hoping this would tip her off that he himself was joking. Though, it was a true statement most of the time. Noticing that they were both pretty much done with their tea, Kurado stood up, not taking notice to the slight bulge from this groin area and held out his hand for Kirliah to grab onto. "My legs were starting to fall asleep. Want to take a walk? Akiko's going to be another twenty, and some fresh air would be nice." He was going to do all he could to be a gentleman from here on out, feeling a little guilty about making the girl feel so down on herself. He was sure she got that a lot, and refused to be yet another guy who bruised her already damaged self esteem. Kurado pulled out his hefty wallet and left more than enough to cover both of theirs and the men in the front's meals, as well as a hefty tip for Akiko.

Walking out of the front entrance, Kurado held the door for Karliah as he made a quick scan of the area to ensure those goons from before weren't loitering around waiting on Akiko. Once it was all clear, Kurado placed both hands in the pockets of his kimono and glanced down at Karliah, who was a few inches shorter than he was. "So you said your dad was an author; what does he write?" Kurado was falling for the girl a bit, to his dismay. He wasn't the type to normally do that, but this girl was so different from those in the village. It was as refreshing as the mountain air they were both breathing in.

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
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Post by Shikon » Sun Aug 16, 2015 6:59 am

Karliah still mimicked the idea of finding her cup grossly interesting. That is until she felt something touch her chin, and found her gaze being lifted to see Kurado now leaning inward slightly. She found herself looking into his soft brown eyes, transfixed by them for a moment. He said to keep her chin up, and called her pretty. "Oh..." It was all she could really say, the monk didn't know how else to respond. She had forgotten her chin was resting in his hand until he pulled it away. A bit of warmth left with it, her face feeling slightly cold despite the blood that was rushing into her cheeks. "Tie me up huh? I'm really good at getting out of rope, so be careful." She returned a wink, trying to keep the easy going feeling between them from dying down.

Karliah took the chuunin's hand when he offered, and rose to her feet as well. "Some fresh air sounds good. I don't like sitting still anyway." It was a strange comment coming from a monk, but it was true. Karliah practiced her meditation, and had done so throughout her life. Yet, if she kept it up too long, the girl found herself being restless and agitated from it. She would have to stop often and couldn't maintain herself for more than an hour of practice without having to end it for the day.

She noticed that Kurado had paid for the other gentlemens' bill as well, something Karliah thought admirable. A small place like this, probably needed everything it could. The two went to the door, and out into the crisp cold air. Karliah followed in step with the chuunin as the walked. The monk bit her lip in disappointment as she noticed Kurado slip his hands into his pockets. They had been so warm earlier on her face, and when she held it to stand from the table. She couldn't think to much on the subject though, as Kurado was already bringing a topic into the conversation.

"The majority of his works are philosophical essay's and papers. He spends almost all his time writing about the ethics and morals of our current governmental system, the workings of the citizen classes, the problems of the shinobi states. He has published a few books of poems as well. Though they were not as popular." She let her feet take her in step with Kurado. Sticking close to him as they transversed the narrow and heavy-worn roads through the small town they found themselves in. She had not spent any time her before, but with its tiny area, she didn't worry of getting lost at all. "With your father writing novels, have you thought of writing as well? I'm sure you have plenty of exciting adventures you can put to paper right?" She asked this with raised brows and nudged his shoulder slightly in a playful manner. He was a chuunin after all, Karliah was sure he had his fair share of missions.

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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Isuzu » Sun Aug 16, 2015 7:42 am

She was awfully playful now, which was a nice surprise to the previous standoffish, somewhat strange mannerisms of before. It seemed she caught Kurado's drift on the tying up, and even threw a nice comeback and wink his way. "Lucky for me, I know all kinds of knots." He didn't do a wink this time, but he was sure she got the flirtatious vibe he was putting out.

Kurado listened as she described what her father wrote about. It sounded interesting to the red haired boy, and he made a mental note to ask her if she could get him some of the man's works later. He may even get to meet him one day if he was lucky. He would never dare admit it, but he always had an inclination towards poetry and the finer arts. Perhaps that was why he wasn't a big fan of his fathers work? "That sounds so much better than that crap by dad writes about." Perhaps he was too harsh on those books becasue his dad wrote them. No matter, he would probably get around to actually finishing up the series one of these days. Maybe they'd gotten better since Vol. I.

Then she questioned him on his own writings, which threw him a bit off guard. The thought had never crossed his mind. She had a point that he had a few interesting missions and experiences since becoming a shinobi. He didn't completely hate the idea. "Me write, huh?" He continued to walk at a steady pace, throwing an amused glance towards her after the shoulder nudge. He kept his eyes on her a second longer, studying her body. She seemed to have her arms very close to her body, and she was looking a little red in the cheeks. This told Kurado that she must've been a little cold. He would use this to his advantage, but when the time was right. "Nah, I don't think that's what I'm meant to do. But you? You seem a lot more elegant with words than me anyway." He was actually being serious here, and whole heartedly meant what he said. "I'm sure you'd make a great writer."

After walking for all of a minute, Kurado had stretched his legs well enough. He spotted a very small park-like area to the left of the trail, consisting of only a bench, a few plants and a bronze fountain. It also offered a decent view of the back exit to the Tea House where Akiko would be exiting from in about twelve minutes or so. Recognizing the romantic opportunity this presented, he took Kirliahs hand without really asking and began a slow trot towards the bench, looking back with a welcoming grin. Once they reached the bench, Kurado took a seat and led her to sit beside him. The sky was clear, exposing all of the stars in their magnificence. He took in the view for a second before placing his arm around Kirliah and pulling her in tightly to him, leaving his hand on her shoulder to keep her from moving away. Never taking his eyes off the sky, he spoke to her. "Isn't it beautiful, Kirliah?" If she looked at him she'd notice the look of wonder in his eye.

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
Ishiguro, Kisuke | Chuunin | Kumogakure

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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Shikon » Sun Aug 16, 2015 8:38 am

He didn't like the books his father wrote? She found this a bit surprising, but commonplace all the while. Karliah heard all of her father's works, straight from his mouth. She grew up hearing his ideals, everyone else simply got to read them off paper. It was the fact she could not get away from them, that Karliah didn't like reading his works. Perhaps Kurado was the same way. Yet she doubted the man went around telling narration of his stories to his son. Still, if they sold, then they must have some merit to them. I guess I can read some and see if Kurado's review is accurate. She thought to herself. The wind kicked up a strong gust for a moment, causing Karliah to shiver slightly.

The chuunin didn't appear to be keen on following his father's profession. He shrugged off the notion, saying that she would be better suited at such an endevour. The monk never thought to to publish anything either. Strangely, the children of writers both didn't have the inclination to pick up the pen. If ever Karliah did decide to be an author though, she could see herself doing as her father did. The girl had her own very strong ideals on the shinobi system and the ninja states. It was caste system and led to unneeded death, misery and disease. Her will to be a Medical Ninja was to help alleive that. But the girl would not be a weapon to another person in any way. She would have to spread medical knowledge around some other way. Perhaps writing her own books was an option to do just that.

"Maybe so. I could use it to share my own ideals. Turn this world into a better place." She liked the thought, and she made sure to remind herself to start writing later on.

They continued walking for short minute, bringing themselves round in a circle about the town. They had just about made it back to the Tea House when Kurado grabbed her hand unexpectedly. She felt him pull her forward, forcing her into a light jog as she was guided to a bench between some shrubs in front of a gilded fountain. She sat beside him, finding that sitting a bit unnerving. It was a thought that quickly vanished as she felt Kurado's arm wrap around her shoulder, and pull her in closer to him. She gave in to his pull, finding herself pressed comfortably against him, her head resting lightly on his shoulder. His clothes were cold for now, but she new in few moments it would be just as warm as his hands were. Karliah followed his gaze out into the sky, seeing a dazzling display of stars hanging on the dark backdrop. Up here near the mountains, the sky was always filled with stars. There was nothing to blind them out.

"Yes, it is." She responded to Kurado's comment. She let herself scan the vast abyss above them for awhile. Not speaking, not thinking, just enjoying the night and warmth spreading through her from the closeness of Kurado's body. After awhile she nuzzled her face deeper into his shoulder, letting herself get as comfortable as possible. "You ever think what those stars are meant for? Why there are so many?" She asked his, but kept her head against him, her eyes on the sky. "When I was a child growing up at the Temple, my father told me the stars were all promises. Each one was a promise someone has made to someone else, or themselves. Once you make that promise, a star is born. The longer that you keep it the larger and brighter that star becomes. If you break it, the star dies; but if you keep your promise to the very end, and it stays with you after death, then the star never dies. If will get bigger and brighter forever." She paused for a moment. Trying to find the brightest star in the sky that she could see. The longest held promise. "I know its not true. But I like the idea. People being kind to each other, staying true to their word. Eventually the entire night will be filled with stars that way. I think it would be amazing."

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Post by Isuzu » Sun Aug 16, 2015 4:26 pm

While listening to her story, Kurado completely fell for the girl. She was smart, at least had a passing interest in history, AND liked looking at the stars. The fact that she had a child-like sense of wonder about them, same as he did, was just the cherry on top. He had the urge to kiss her, and the setting was perfect. But this just wasn't the right time. He wasn't a believer in destiny, but tonight was starting to change his mind a bit. "..What're the chances that we would both pass through here, on this night?.." He shook the thought out of his head though. Destiny was a scary concept to him. He chose to believe that every human had the power to determine their future; it couldn't be preordained.

As her story ended, he felt a warmth in his abdomen. It was really a beautiful idea, though Kurado doubted that was how it actually worked. He couldn't be sure though, and anything was possible. Suddenly, he had a wonderful idea! "Karliah," After speaking her name he turned to look at her, hoping she would do the same. "Let's make a promise, right now, that we'll come here every few months and visit each other. Get away from it all and just have this. Us." He swallowed a little harder than usual from the nerves. This was a new sensation for him. He was normally very calm and collected, but this girl just had a way about her that threw him off. "I think you're great, and I enjoy spending time with you. Maybe once you're comfortable enough, you can come visit Kumo with me too.." The boy didn't remove his hand from around Kirliah's shoulder, but raised the other one with an extended pinky. Since she didn't seem to understand most social customs, he figured he ought to explain the gesture. "It's a pinky promise. In Kumo, it's the most sacred promise there is." He hung his pinky out, waiting for her to take it after he explained what to do next. "We interlock out pinkies, and then you seal it by kissing the other side, like this." Assuming she went with it, Kurado and Kirliah would now be starring into each others eyes with their pinkies locked. He would then lean in to his hand, waiting on Kirliah to follow suit. "We have to seal it at the same time, or the promise won't bind." That was a weird way to say it, but he was sure she understood his meaning. Then again, that wasn't exactly her strong suit.

Once the promise was made, Kurado looked away for a moment, back towards the vast night sky. "Maybe one day we can see our star up there, shining brighter than all the rest." They still hard interlocked pinkies, and Kurado turned back towards her. She someone appeared to be closer to him now, though Kurado couldn't figure out if he'd subconsciously done it or she had. After starring into her eyes for a brief moment, he failed to fight the urge any longer. Moving his head closer to hers at a slight angle, he parted his lips ever so slightly to allow hers to fit in right where they'd wanted to go, if she wanted. He neglected to move all the way to her lips. He'd made it most of the way there, if she wanted a kiss she could come the rest.

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
Ishiguro, Kisuke | Chuunin | Kumogakure

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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Shikon » Sun Aug 16, 2015 7:50 pm

The monk looked about in the sky, trying to imagine each promise it represented. The promise to be home early, one to do their best at the academy, to quit drinking. Karliah was sure every person had at least one star. She did at least. The promise she made herself when she was very young. The promise that she would never kill someone, no matter how evil or how mad, death was never deserved. She was certain that star would stay bright for eternity. It will never go out, I know. She thought to herself.

Karliah looked up when she heard her name. She found Kurado looking at her as well, a strange glint in his eyes. He suggested they make a promise together, right then. To return here every few months to see each other. He mentioned her visiting Kumo as well, and Karliah chose not to react or say anything about that portion. When he held up his hand, Karliah starred at it in confusion. Another strange social convention she didn't know. Luckily Kurado had the initiative to explain it. She followed his lead, interlocking her finger with his and leaning in to seal it together. Once the promise was made Karliah's eye went to the sky, searching for the tiny spark of a new star forming from their promise. She didn't see one, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. It just needed to get a little brighter first. Kurado said it would be the brightest one in the sky.

"Brighter than the promise you made yourself never to read your father's books?" She teased. When she finally drew her eyes away from the sky and back to Kurado she found herself starring at him. He looked at her as well, holding the gaze for a long moment before suddenly he started leaning in closer to her. Karliah's heart began to pound, and she suddenly felt her face run cold from fear. Was this going to be her first kiss? Was this the moment? The boy didn't move all the way in to seal the deal, and Karliah smiled at this, finding it a bit childlike. For once in her life, Karliah stopped being the shy little monk, and she took what she wanted. The girl leaned forward, pressing her lips against his forcefully.

It felt like a sudden jolt of raiton. A surge of warmth and energy passing between their lips. A indescribable tingle ran down the length of Karliah's spine and down below her abdomen. It was her first kiss, but she wanted more. Once she felt Kurado start to pull away, her hand would shoot up his neck, pushing him back towards her so she could kiss him again. Her fingers intertwined with his red hair, grabbing on to it and using it as means to keep him from getting away. For a few moments, Karliah turned into someone different. No more the hesitant girl she was, but a woman who knew what she desired. After what seemed like an hour, but was probably fifteen seconds or so, Karliah pulled away. She leaned her forehead against Kurado's keeping them close but their lips separated for now. Her hand was still woven into his auburn hair, and she began playing with it between her fingers.

"That was... exciting." Karliah did not really know how else to describe it. This was something alien and foreign to her. The heat rising in her body was a sensation she had never dealt with before. And now more than ever, she felt restless and agitated by sitting still. Though she wanted to stay next to Kurado, and never moved an inch further from him. She simply sat there, soaking in the moment with him for a while.

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Post by Isuzu » Mon Aug 17, 2015 3:34 am

When their lips touched, Kurado instantly felt a spark. This was always a good sign. His last relationship lacked such a spark, which was most likely why they weren't still together at this point. Kurado had merely intended on a small peck on the lips as their first, nothing more really coming up of. He intended to take it slow, since Karliah seemed very inexperienced at this sort of thing. The thought of a threesome had even left his mind for a few moments as they kissed.

This girl must've had her passion locked away by a witch or something, only to be unsealed by her first kiss. As soon as Kurado tried to pull away, he felt her hands run through his hair and pull him in closer, pushing their lips together once again. She'd pulled them a little to closely at first though, and the first couple of seconds were rather sloppy. However, Kurado pulled back ever so slightly, and she let him, to make it much more satisfying of a kiss. His hand that'd been wrapper around her moved to the small of her back, and his hand that'd been used in the promise transitioned to softly caressing her cheek. He smiled slightly as they kissed, something he was sure she would notice. He assumed she would think nothing of it, but even if she did, he'd explain it was a good thing. Smiling during kissing was said to show someone was comfortable with the other person. They kept going at it for some time, Kurado losing count of the seconds as he got lost in the moment. After a while, she pulled away but leaned her head against Kurado's, still staring into each others eyes.

He was hot and heavy now, ready to take her back to the hotel room to continue this. If this was a sign of things to come, he was in for a long night. But, they'd promised to meet Akiko. They couldn't just leave here hanging. "..Oh, yeah. Akiko! This night could go even better than it already is.." Plus, the chuunin was still worried about safety, since those other guys could still show up. "I'll say. My hearts pumping like I'm in the heat of a mission." His mind raced for a moment, making a link from missions to the conversation from earlier that Karliah had brought up about him writing. Sure, he wasn't really interested in writing about missions, but love novels were something he could do. A decent book could be written about their night here. Hell, that thing about the stars Karliah said would make perfect dialogue. "..A Promise to the Stars. Has a nice ring to it.." Kurado would be sure to send a copy to her before he got it published for her review, and consent.

He noticed motion from the side of his eye as the back door to the Tea House opened. A head resembling that of Akiko poked out, looking around for any danger before stepping out fully. The sold glow of the lights outside silhouetted her figure, but Kurado knew it was her. Averting attention from Karliah from a moment, he waved his hand in the air and made a slight yell to get her attention. They weren't that far away, after all. "Hey, Akiko! Over here!" The shape stopped and looked their way for a moment before finally coming their way. In the time it took her to get there, Kurado sat back up, but leaned over to Karliah to whisper something in her ear. "If you want, we can just walk her home? I cant let her walk there alone, given the circumstances." He hoped she would catch his drift. "So you two found the shrine to Kichijōten!" She was now standing fully in the light, and a smirk was resting on her young, beautiful face. "They say whoever Kichijōten sees kissing on that bench will be blessed with a child. That's her there." She pointed to the fountain, which did appear to be a sort of fertility goddess holding up a bowl, which was where the water was coming from. Her eyes were positioned to look right at the bench. "I wish you two the best of luck!"

"..Heh, great. This is just my luck. I find a girl that's willing, and I'm told I'll get her pregnant if we do it!.." He was facepalming himself in his mind, and neglected to say anything back to Akiko initially. He was too busy contemplating the ramifications of his actions. Akiko would almost certainly know what's up.

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
Ishiguro, Kisuke | Chuunin | Kumogakure

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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Shikon » Tue Aug 18, 2015 7:19 am

A rush of emotions filled the young monk. She was sure if anyone at the temple saw her now they would be awed and abashed, perhaps most so by her father. These actions were not normally accepted by monastic life. Karliah though was young, and filled with inhibition to some degree. Besides, one could not learn to be enlightened and know yourself truly if you did not experience everything life had to offer right? Either way, Karliah herself was both pleasantly dazzled and chagrined by what she was doing. A very strange mixture to say the least. She still had her hand wrapped in the man's hair, keeping him close. That was until the sound of the Tea House door opening caused her to let go and slip away from Kurado quickly. Blood rushed to her cheeks, as she was embarrassed to be caught doing something so brazen.

The monk looked up and quickly felt relieved. It was Akiko, she would recognize her easily despite the light that poured out behind the door. Kurado waived her over the them on the bench, and Karliah could see the figure swiftly making it's way towards them. Kurado leaned in to whisper into Karliah's ear while Akiko made her travel. The monk was not sure of Kurado's intentions, but felt a bit off put by his recommendation. They had promised to spend the evening with Akiko. Even after the discussion they had about the stars he wanted one of them to die out? Karliah didn't want to simply ditch the girl so the two of them could run off and have fun.

Akiko's comment on the other hand, caused Karliah to both blush and feel a moment of confusion at the same time. The embarrassment for having been the one to start the kiss that would be so suspect, and the confusion at the idea that people still believed such folklore. Unless of course, Akiko did not believe, and was just doing that 'teasing' thing again. The monk looked at the fountain in question, realizing that it was indeed a statuette of a woman baring a bowl of flowing water. If the woman it depicted were real, she was positioned to be looking right at the spot Karliah and Kurado had their 'interaction' only a minute before. She smiled at this, realizing a great time to try the joking portion of social progression. She reached out, grabbing Akiko's hand and pulling her to sit next to the monk on the bench. "Well come on then Akiko-chan. Give me a kiss while she is still watching."

The waitress looked at Karliah for a moment, puzzled. Once the monk pursed her lips, preparing for the smooth, the brunette laughed and gave Karliah a playful nudge. "No, what if it really works? It's a goddess after all, she can do whatever she wants." Karliah smiled back, and gave a soft giggle. "I guess you're right, better not risk it." She replied.

She then looked at Kurado, looking for confirmation that she was doing this all correctly. Joking and teasing like this was not something she much experience in, if any. So it was best to ask someone who did. She then looked back to Akiko. "Okay you ready to go?" She asked. The monk stood, pulling Akiko up by her hand as well. She continued to hold on to it as the monk began leading them over to the trail that Kurado and Karliah had entered from earlier. "You know this area better than us. What are the fun, secret spots that tourists like us don't know about?" The two girls began their stroll, leaving Kurado to follow in step or be left behind. If he wanted them, he was going to have to do a bit of chasing right now.

"You know, that one place no one else would ever just stumble upon. There is always at least one in every village." Akiko only nodded in response at first. The brunette looked out around herself, trying to think of something that might fit Karliah's description. There were always little places that she liked going, but given the current time of night, it narrowed down the options. She looked to a small off trail that they were headed towards, and got the perfect idea. "Okay yes, I know just the-" her words ended abruptly as her eyes fell on a group of figures. Her feet halted, and she squeezed harder on to Karliah's hand. Her eyes remained glued to the area of the road up ahead of them.

The monk stopped walking once Akiko gripped tightly around her fingers. She looked at her in concern for a moment, and then followed her gaze. Immediately she understood her actions. Coming towards them in a slightly off balanced gait were three men. Even in the low light, Karliah recognized them. The men from the Tea House earlier. It seemed that Karliah and Kurado were not the only ones who wanted to stick around the business a little late. "Oi, Akiko-chan. There you are. We were just talking about you. Why don'cha come with us eh? You're friend can come too, she looks pretty." Karliah positioned herself in front of Akiko, putting a barrier between her and the men. She still held the girl's hand, which was now clamping down with surprising strength on to her own.

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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Isuzu » Tue Aug 18, 2015 3:36 pm

Kurado couldn't help but be yet again surprised by Karliah's lack of social etiquette. She was coming on a little strong to Akiko, literally asking her for a kiss. The waitress took it in stride though, most likely social conditioning from her job. Karliah looked towards Kurado after asking for the kiss in a way that said "Am I doing it right?". All he had to offer the girl was a half hearted smile and a soft chuckle as he raised his right hand to rub the back of his neck. This didn't linger long though, and before Kurado knew it Karliah was dragging Akiko along by the hand towards the road again. As he got up he looked at the stars, seeing one shoot across the sky at that exact moment. He made a small wish and started following them, hands in his pockets.

A good three meters behind them, Kurado couldn't really be involved with the conversation. He just watched the two girls as they walked and chatted amongst themselves. If this thing was going to happen, Karliah would get the wingman of the year award. She was doing all of the work, literally taking the matter into her own hands. His mind drifted off to naughty places for what felt like the tenth time that night as he zoned out a bit. He could follow their steps without thinking too much anyways.

Yet again he was brought back to reality by words he wasn't expecting to hear. From the path ahead, Kurado could hear the voice of the gentleman who'd spoken rudely to Akiko earlier. He saw Karliah immediately move between Akiko and the men, which Kurado appreciated. He hastened his step a bit, though didn't make a particularly exerted effort. He walked right past Karliah a few feet where he stopped, his hands still in his pocket and a rathe relaxed stance about himself. It hid his irritation well. "Mister, I'll ask you kindly not to speak to the ladies like that. Surely your mot-" Kurado's words were cut short by the rude interruption of the man. The irony that he interrupted Kurado while he was critiquing the man's manners were not lost on the chuunin. "YOU SHUT IT, SHINOBI! Your kind has no room to talk of anyone else's manners. I think the ladies can speak for themselves." The man winked at Akiko, who simply withdrew more behind Karliah. Kurado finally focused towards the man now, having been simply examining his surroundings with his eyes until that point. The man was clearly not fond of shinobi; a popular opinion tonight it seemed. "..How'd he know I'm a-.." He stopped mid thought as his hand moved to his belt, his fingers brushing over the forehead protector that bore the Kumo symbol upon it. It'd slipped his mind to leave it back in the hotel. He was so used to putting it on everyday.

"YOU don't get to tell ME anything; not out here! We ain't in your fancy village. No one will come to your aide here. We'll beat you to a pulp and take your two little whores as our trophy." The other men began cracking their knuckles, looking at Kurado in a menacing fashion. "I don't want to hurt you. You really should reconsider. Just apologize to the ladies and go back to wherever it is you're staying." The men didn't move, and the leader simply let out a laugh. The chuunin turned back over his shoulder towards Karliah. "You and Ms. Akiko hurry back to the hotel and lock the door. I'll be back shortly, I hope. I'll knock twice, then once more to let you know it's me." He turned his attention back towards the men, looking from their upper bodies to their lower extremities. It was always telegraphed in their feet before anywhere else what their next move was. Now that he didn't have to worry about protecting anyone, the fight would be a lot easier.

The cool air blew through between the two causing the branches of the nearby trees to rustle. It was such a surreal setting. Kurado standing very relaxed in the face of three brutish looking men, the shortish of which had four inches on the chuunin. The moon was shining perfectly upon them, giving Kurado great vision of the battlefield and his combatants. They didn't appear armed in any way, which was lucky since the shinobi had left his blade back in his room. Who would've thought he would need it way out here?

The three men rushed Kurado, shouting and cursing shinobi as they did so. They were slow and moved ungracefully, but were undoubtably strong. A few solid strikes and he didn't know if he could recover. As they neared, Kurado kept his eyes trained on the man in front's feet, waiting for his opening.

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
Ishiguro, Kisuke | Chuunin | Kumogakure

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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Shikon » Tue Aug 18, 2015 7:51 pm

The men continued their walk towards the two girls when Karliah noticed off to her right, Kurado stepped forward. He had a determined look on his face, something the monk had seen often. There was going to be a fight here, Karliah knew that. Once a shinobi entered the area with that expression on their face, a fight would a occur. The Monk rolled her eyes, realizing this was becoming a very big issue. Samurai and Shinobi were starting trouble even outside the battle grounds of the war. Now she had to deal with this even as she was leaving the area? What a shit show.

Kurado looked back and told them to get to the hotel. Akiko seemed happy to oblige, but Karliah was a bit insulted by such a suggestion. 'Just run and hide like damsels in distress. Is that what he wants?' Karliah shook her head in response. She released Akiko's hand and stepped forward. She was level with Kurado now, and she looked to him with a wry smile. "Akiko stay back. Let us hand this." The monk readied herself for a fight. She didn't like hurting people, but at this point it was to protect herself and Akiko. Which meant no bars held. She was not going to let these men get to the girl.

"I hope you good enough without your weapons Ninja." She said to Kurado. The men were closing the gap, knuckles cracking and muscles bulging the whole way. Karliah couldn't let herself get in close range to those guys, she was far weaker than them. But she could still help in the fight. She slipped a hand into her thigh pouch, withdrawing two senbon needles. She was glad she had the forethought to take these from the hotel earlier. With a short string of hand seals she channeled chakra to the weapons, causing them to spring to life with a swirl of wind and chakra. "It's now or never Kurado-kun."

Karliah tossed the senbon at the closest target. She didn't wait to see if they hit, and instead she was already performing a new set of hand seals. Chakra began building in her stomach this time and Karliah ejected a football sized projectile from her mouth at the shortest of the three men. She wasn't sure if the senbon attack at his friend distracted him, or the alcohol that dulled his abilities, but the man took the shot to the shoulder, and spun to the ground. The monk didn't take time of relish her small victory. She went into her pouch, withdrawing two more senbon. "How you doing over there Kurado?" She called out to him, but kept her eyes on the man in front of her. He was getting off the ground again, and didn't seem to like getting hit by a girl.
jutsuShow
**Wind Element • Wind Screw
D-ranked Ninjutsu
After doing the needed hand seals, the user creates a small vortex of Fuuton chakra around a projectile in their hand. This creates a small drill bit which can be used to “drill” into whatever the object hits. It lasts for three posts or if the projectile is thrown, twenty yards from the user before dissipating. This doesn't make the projectile any faster, only increases its ability to cut.

*Wind Element • Air Gun
D-rank Ninjutsu
After forming the needed hand seals, the user will take a deep breath before blowing it out in the form of a football-sized bullet. If hit by it, it can cause many small cuts at the place of impact. The further this is shot, the weaker it becomes, becoming completely ineffective at twenty-five yards.

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Isuzu
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Isuzu » Wed Aug 19, 2015 9:32 am

Kurado looked over his shoulder and noticed that they weren't moving. Once Karliah affirmed that she was infact going to help in the fight, Kurado gave a thumbs up to show his approval. He thought she was a pacifist monk, what good could she be in a fight. No matter though, if she could hold her own then so be it. "Now it's a party" He turned his attention back towards the guys rushing them, waiting for them to get closer. Kurado figured he would take two of them and leave the third one to Karliah, if she seemed up to the challenge.

Before the chuunin even did anything, two senbon went flying past him towards the enemies. "..Senbon are shinobi tools. Why would a monk be carrying them on her person? Surely there are other tools she could use for protection.." The first missed, but the second senbon stuck the man in the thigh, causing him to wince in pain and slow up quite a bit. Immediately following that, he felt a rush of air fly past him, causing his hair to fly about in the gusts. "..So she know's ninjutsu too?! There's no way this girl is just a simple monk.." He didn't have time to focus on that though. The leader was nearing him, his bloodshot eyes telegraphing his intent to murder him.

The leader threw a punch at Kurado, but he was too quick. He sidestepped and struck the man with the flat of his palm right in his elbow joint. It wasn't strong enough to break it, but was surely going to hurt him a bit. "Argh! Little brat.." He moved a bit faster than Kurado expected, attempting to grab him in a bear hug like fashion. Kurado was again simply to quick. He side stepped yet again and spun around, using his flat palm to hit the man in the back. This caused the large man to lose balance and fall flat on his face. "..This feels so weird, fighting without my sword. But having to adapt on the fly is a fun exercise.."

"Don't worry about me. You just take care of yourself, okay?"

The man she'd hit in the thigh with her senbon was nearing him now, and Kurado's attention was averted from the leader for a moment. He cam rushing in like a madman, not really thinking. He was smaller than the other two though, meaning he probably wasn't as strong either. He reached out his hand in an attempt to grab Kurado's neck, but the chuunin managed to duck under it. It was a close call though. This man clearly made up for what he lacked in strength in speed. Kurado used this duck to transition into his takedown, using a leg sweep to knock his opponent to the ground. As the man had his feet taken out from under him, Kurado sprang up using his hands and his core to where he could strike the guy in the stomach with his flat palms where normally he would've used a blade. He decided the best location to strike was the head, which he did right before the man made contact, increasing the force of impact of him hitting the ground. That man was unconscious, but the chuunin had forgotten about the leader for a moment.

At that exact moment he felt huge arms wrap around his chest from behind, squeezing harder and harder. "You got any last words, shinobi?" The man whispered into Kurado's ear, cold intent now dominated his voice where once there was rage. He could prove to be more dangerous than Kurado had at first realized. He squirmed to get free but could hardly move at all. Quick thinking was on his side however, as he bent his arms at the elbows and proceeded to do a short string of hand signs in seconds. He focused lightning chakra into his hand and placed it on the man. Unbeknownst to him prior, he'd actually placed the hand on the man's private area, causing him to immediately drop Kurado and scream out in pain. The chuunin rolled a few times, head over heel, to get some distance. He ended up in a stance that was low to the ground with him looking at the man, grabbing his privates and clenching his teeth, eyes shut. "I should've..expected this from..a shinobi....no honor.." The man had a hard time speaking because of the immense pain he was feeling. The shock had traveled through his whole body, but was most intense at the point of contact.

The chuunin used this opening to run up and jump, throwing a flying knee right into the man's face. This send him tumbling to the ground, nose bleeding and lip busted. The chuunin didn't know if he'd knocked him out of not, but he wasn't moving or getting up. He didn't take his eyes off the man, but spoke out loud to Karliah. "You need help?" The leader let out an aching sound, but still didn't move much.
Jutsu UsedShow
Senkaigane • Opening
D-Ranked Kenjutsu
Prerequisite: 4 wit
This is a sword technique that involves the user not being engaged in active combat with an opponent. The user will wait until an attack draws near, not reacting to it at all. Once the opponent is within attack range, their body language will change suddenly to attack mode and Kurado will attempt to side step and go into a single spin, attempting to catch the opponent across back with their sword.

*[Lightning Element • Lightning Shock]
D-Rank Ninjutsu
This is a technique utilized by Raiton users to deliver a small but powerful shock to an opponent. By performing a short set of hand seals and focusing Raiton into his/her own hands, the user can wrap the appendages in electricity. For two posts, any direct contact between the user's hand and the target will send a shock through the target's body. The pain caused is equivalent to being stabbed by a senbon.

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
Ishiguro, Kisuke | Chuunin | Kumogakure

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Shikon
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Shikon » Thu Aug 20, 2015 8:25 am

The biggest problem Karliah had with fighting, was the fact she didn't really have the strength most of her opponents did. In fact, her collection of offensive jutsu was lacking over all. Being a medical shinobi for most her ninja career, and a monk for most of her life, the art of fighting in itself was something she hadn't much of any real experience in. This dawned on her right at that moment. Which happened to be a rather un-opportune one to say the least. As her target began to return to his feet, Karliah felt her blood run cold. This guy was muscled out far more than she, and if she was hit, it was going to hurt, a lot. Were normally she would stay back and try to pepper him with arrows, the lack of her bow made that impossible. For now, she was going to have to simply wing it.

The angry samurai rushed toward her with a drunken battle cry. Swinging a fist at her head, he seemed to go all out with his attacks, as the man put all his body weight into the blow. Karliah stepped back and ducked under the man's fist. He pressed her before she could counter, throwing a jab this time. The monk stepped to the side and tried stabbing the senbon she held into his arm. Her accuracy in close combat was something to be desired though, as she missed, the weapons simply sailing under the man's limb. "Damn."

The samurai responded by throwing a kick at her mid section. It connected with a sickening thud, and Karliah found herself tumbling over the ground and barely managing to flip back in her feet, let alone keep her stomach from revealing its contents. Her eyes went upward, seeing the man had already closed the distance between them, and was bringing a foot down towards her head. She rolled to the right, dodging the foot that crashed into the dirt. She stabbed out with her senbon again, this time making contact with the man's back calve, leaving two punctures in the muscle. This was a start.

"Come on now, don't let a girl beat you up." She taunted him. Fury rose in the man's eyes and he rushed her once more, preparing another right hook. Karliah expected this, and was already channeling chakra into her left hand, and swung it out to intercept his fist. The chakra exploded outward upon contact, throwing the man off balance as a result. The monk took her opening, stepping into his guard and jabbing her senbon into his shoulder, the same one that took a hit from her fuuton technique earlier. He yelled in pain, and threw a wild elbow, catching the monk in her side. She fell to the ground, landing hard on the dirt. Ripping the senbon from his body, the samurai glared down at the young ex-genin.

"You're gonna get it now girl. Just wait until I'm finished with you." He sneered at Karliah. Bringing his hands upward he clasped them together in a hammer fist fashion, ready to slam his massive limbs down on her torso. The monk wasted no time, while still on her back she ran through a short string of seals and focused chakra into the air in front of her. The man's hands slammed into the cushion of air, rebounding his attack and forcing him to stumble a step backward. The Monk jumped to her feet, and with the surprise of her jutsu still evident in the man's eyes, she struck. With chakra built into her fist, she slammed her knuckles squarely just under his rib cage. The burst of energy focused itself directly into his diaphragm and lower lungs. The man fell on to his back, unconscious and failing to breathe.

"I'm fine. A little bruised, but a live. Good work Kurado-kun." The monk was bent over, hands propped on her knees as she tried to catch her breath as well. Her stomach still hurt like hell, and her side stung immensely. It wasn't enough to cause any lasting injury though. She looked over to Akiko, who was still standing frozen a few yards away. "You alright?" The brunette only nodded in response.

Good, now for this guy. Karliah looked down at the man laying before her. She had shocked his lungs and the muscles that controlled his diaphram, within a few minutes he was going to have oxygen deprivation. She performed a string of seals, and her hands gained a faint green outline. She then set a hand on the man's heart, and one at his side near his left lung. With a steady stream of chakra, she increased the oxygen in the man's blood and got his breathing going again. Karliah was always of the philosophy that medical attention should be given to both sides of any fight. Even if one of those sides was fighting her.

Once satisfied she fixed whatever damage she had done she looked over to Kurado. "I think it's time we go." She said, giving the chuunin a sheepish smile. These men weren't going to cause any more trouble tonight, and wouldn't wake up until morning. Not with the beating they got, and the alcohol in their system. "Akiko, you said you knew just the place for us to hang out right?" Karliah still very much hoped this event would not be ruining their night.
JutsuShow
*[Ninjutsu • Chakra Burst]
D-Ranked Nintaijutsu
A technique utilizing raw chakra, the Chakra Burst technique creates additional concussive force when striking. After channeling chakra into his/her fist, the user will attempt to make contact with the opponent. In the event that the strike is successful, the impact, beyond just being a normal punch, gains ½ the strength of an exploding tag.

*Wind Element • Air Cushion
D-rank Ninjutsu
After forming a short string of hand seals, air will compact itself into a 4 meter radius "cushion" of sorts that is used to soften a fall from a great height. This won't prevent all damage but it will prevent major injury. It can be used up to twenty yards away from the user. It lasts until the end of the post it’s used in and dissipates after one use.

*Oxygen Flow
D-Ranked Ninjutsu
Simple in its form yet highly effective in practice, the Oxygen Flow technique allows its users to clear obstructed airways, to perform less extensive CPR, and to give cells the oxygen they crave. After focusing chakra into the hands, the user will place both over the target's chest (through the back works as well). By allowing the chakra to be channeled throughout the lungs and up through the air ways, any unseen, solid or liquid obstructions will be cleared from these passages and ejected through the mouth, allowing the patient to breathe more easily. Additionally, the hands can be placed over the heart to help oxygenate the body's cells. In this instance, users must be much more careful, as over-oxygenating cells can cause more harm than good. This technique takes the entirety of one post to perform.

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Isuzu
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Isuzu » Thu Aug 20, 2015 4:16 pm

"Barely broke a sweat."

Kurado had a few questions for Karliah, but now wasn't the time. Things were going very well; he didn't want to kill the vibe with some invasive personal questions. Plus, if their promise held true there'd be plenty more meetings to get the answers he sought. He walked over to Akiko and placed his elbow on her shoulder in a leaning fashion but not putting much of his weight on her. He was sweaty from the fight, but didn't particularly smell; just a little damp. "Those good looks of yours are going to get us killed one of these days." He flashed a smile towards her, hoping to make her feel more comfortable after what happened. She wasn't as accustomed to violence as they were. He reminisced on his first time in such a situation and knew he needed something to get his mind off of what he'd experienced. "Tha-thank you." Kurado went to walk away towards the front, expecting Akiko to follow suit. However, she grabbed his forearm with one hand and pulled with a decent bit of pressure. "...Really. If it weren't fo-" Kurado placed his index finger on her lips. He simply smiled at her. "Don't sweat it, Akiko. It's kind've my job, ya know?" He pointed towards his Kumo symbol on his belt. That's what he felt his job was; to protect the weak from those who sought to prey upon them. After a moment, she let out a soft sigh and released his arm. "Now lead the way to this secret spot of yours."

They left the men laying in the street after Karliah did whatever medical stuff she wanted to do on the guy she'd beat up. He admired her for sticking with her beliefs but found it unwise. Why would she help heal a man who'd basically threatened her life, and others? Did this man truly deserve such a thing? As they continued to walk down the main road, they came to a small unmarked path that led into the woods a bit. Akiko turned off onto it as the other two followed suit. Kurado was still a little on edge as the two followed the short path. Due to the very clear night, the moon illuminated the sparse forrest, allowing the chuunin to get a general idea if anything was lying in wait for them. It looked safe enough. Akiko seemed to try to linger back a bit, standing almost beside Kurado at this point.

The trail emptied out into a clearing that led to a decent sized lake. It was too dark to make out anything particular about it, but they could see a rather small island located in the middle of it. There was also a boat located on the bank. Kurado stopped to admire the scenery as Akiko continued towards the boat to ensure the necessities were all there. "This is kind've the village boat." It was kind've hard to see, but Kurado began walking towards the boat she was now standing beside. "This is Lake Okutama. You can't see it now, but the water is crystal clear. And that," She extend her arm and pointed towards the island. "is Okutama Island. It's where we're headed." She began to try to push the boat into the lake, but Kurado waved her off and took over that duty. Being the strongest of the three, he felt it only right. Once he had it in the water, he untied it but kept a hand tightly on the string to hold it in place. "You two get in first, I'll keep it steady." Once the two ladies boarded, he proceeded to step onto the shaky boat, holding onto both sides as he lowered himself onto the back seat. He picked up an oar and began rowing.

"So Akiko, when you're not at work what do you do for fun?" Small talk on the couple minute journey would make it pass by faster, if that was even a problem. The moon contrasted the water in such a beautiful way that he instantly understood why Akiko had picked this place.

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
Ishiguro, Kisuke | Chuunin | Kumogakure

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Shikon
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Shikon » Fri Aug 21, 2015 9:21 am

When she was done patching up her opponent, Karliah made her way back to her friends. She saw the puzzled look in Kurado's eyes from her actions. The monk did not expect him to understand. He was a shinobi, he saw violence as a tool for his goals. Fighting and blood were used for their good intentions. War a by product of the greatness that they were. Karliah saw past such a charade. Violence was dirty. Blood stained. Shinobi killed, hurt, maimed, and cared for their kin. She hoped one day she could open the eyes of these ninja. She just needed time to try.

They continued their walk down the path, suddenly taking a right into the narrow foot passage in the forest. Karliah quickly followed after the brunette happy do get away from the men as swift as possible. As the monk made it to Akiko, she took the girl's hand, squeezing it lightly. Karliah locked eyes with her for a moment, seeing a bit of sadness in her gaze. Maybe the girl blames herself for the trouble earlier. Karliah did not though, Akiko was almost the victim in this as far as Karliah was concerned. The blonde's green eyes radiated a warmth of compassion and understanding that Akiko picked up immediately. She may not be able to use words to explain her thoughts and emotions, but Karliah's eyes always seemed to do it for her. She released the girl's hand and slowed her speed, falling in step behind Kurado now. Akiko seemed to stay even paced with the chuunin, being almost directly beside him.

The trio pushed deeper into the trees until they stumbled out into a cleared area. If she tried hard enough, Karliah could see the shimmer of clear water expanding out in front of her, as well as what looked like a blob of land standing in the middle of the lake. Akiko confirmed this, pointing out to the blob and giving it a name; Okutama Island. Kurado steadied the boat moored on the edge of the water as the two females positioned themselves inside. He then set them on course, rowing steadily.

"I style hair actually. I'm, a bit of natural at it. All the women in the town have me do their hair." She said this with a sheepish grin, apparently not too proud of the fact. Akiko hadn't had much time or opportunity to really focus on a talent. This was the only one she had. "Actually, I can probably help you out Karliah. Seems like you need something a little new."

"What's wrong with my hair now?" Karliah frowned. She grabbed a strand of her blonde hair, and began expecting it closely, seemingly looking for defects or damage. The teen never really did anything to heir hair, besides get it trimmed every one in awhile. Styling, coloring, all the normal things other girl's her age did, the monk knew nothing about. This became apparent once Karliah began trying to fold her hair up onto her head while looking disgruntled at Akiko's bun. "Ugh. Mine never stays. Not once in my life did it go up like that." She said, while still continuing her futile try at balancing her hair on her head, only to have it fall back over her shoulders. Akiko giggled loudily, and tried to cover her mouth with her hand. The scene in front of her was just to funny too stifle the laugh.

"What, is it because mine isn't brown? Be happy you're a guy Kurado-kun, this is impossible." She crossed her arms and made a 'humph' like noise in a show of defiance. Once Akiko managed to end her giggle she tried to reassure the ex-shinobi. "Don't worry Karliah. Later I'll explain to you the secrets of hair." The monk smiled at this and nodded, excited at the opportunity.

"And afterwards we can style Kurado-kun's hair."

"Definitely!" Both of them giggled at this, then eyed Kurado mischievously as rowed.

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Isuzu
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Isuzu » Fri Aug 21, 2015 5:53 pm

That's was a bit less interesting than Kurado had hoped. But it made sense. She seemed to have a good sense of style and was well groomed. It was an easy way to make money in a small village. He kept his mouth shut as the girls began to talk about hair, diligently rowing towards the island in the distance. As they drew closer, Kurado noticed a very faint blue glow coming from the island, and began to row a little faster as his curiosity grew. It had the color of chakra, which was peculiar. "..Could someone be up to something on the island..?" He was brought back to the conversation when he heard his name mentioned, though wasn't quite sure the context. "Hehe, yeah." The standard thing to say when one was unsure what was said about them, but didn't want to ask. He stopped rowing for a moment and pointed towards the island, less than 20 second away now. The soft wind blew the water, causing them to drift every so slightly from side to side as the waves passed under them. "Do you two see that glow? What is that?" Akiko put her balled up hand in front of her mouth and giggled a bit. Did she know something he didn't. "You'll see." That was all she said, never turning to look at the chuunin as she did so.

Once they washed ashore, Kurado told the two ladies to walk on ahead while he tied off the boat on a small tree located nearby. It took all of three second for him to do so; very securely he might add. He wasn't kidding when he told Karliah he was good with knots. He was eager to go up the small hill that hid the rest of the island from view and figure out the mystery of the blue glow. As he walked up, he entered a garden of sorts. It was full of bushes growing neatly around a path that zig zagged throughout the island, leading to a small clearing in the center that seemed perfect for a picnic. The mystery was solved. There were flowers on the bushes that had bloomed, and each one gave off a small blue glow, almost like an aura, from their center. There was also a strangely pleasant humming sound and a fresh smell entered his nostrils. "..What kind've plants are these? I've never seen anything like it before.." Luckily the two had waited for him right on the other side of the hill, and Akiko hadn't told Karliah of the flowers either. Or, if she had, she was about to explain it for a second time.

"Pretty, huh?" She spread out her arms in front of her in one swift motion, sweeping over the entirety of the island as she did so. "Yeah, I'll say. What...what are those?" Akiko looked at the chuunin, the glint of amusement in her eye. "These are Wakagaeri Flowers. They only bloom at night." She walked up to one of the white flowers, and picked it from it's bush, the blue glow in tact. She took a small whiff and then passed it to Kurado. "Your turn." He looked at her inquisitively for a moment, then placed his nose an inch above the glow and breathed in. Instantly, a feeling of relaxation and rejuvenation came over him. He felt at ease and happy. "Feel that? It's great, right?" Kurado nodded, passing the flower to Karliah so she could partake in this borderline euphoric feeling. They began to walk along the path towards the center.

"That glow there, in the center; that's the Wakagaeri's chakra. They produce it naturally, we don't really know why. I think it's from the moon." She looked up at it with a smile. "But whenever you inhale it, all your worries wash away." Akiko looked up at the moon, her eyes bright with wonder. Or was it the reflection of the moon on her eyes? Kurado always got the two confused. She seemed to really like this place, and it was easy to see why. He grabbed Karliah's hand as they walked, interlacing his fingers between her own. His eyes met hers as this action happened, and he could feel the spark was still there. Perhaps stronger than before. Was it the flower? "This is a truly beautiful place, Akiko. Thanks for bringing us." Kurado continued to look around, taking in all he could of the wondrous site. A cloud passed over the moon as they walked, allowing the flowers to illuminate their path. It was like something out of a dream.

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
Ishiguro, Kisuke | Chuunin | Kumogakure

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Shikon
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Shikon » Sun Aug 23, 2015 8:50 am

Kurado agreed to getting a new hair-do absent mindlessly. Obviously he didn't here the question and simply replied. Nonetheless it caused the two girls to fall into a fit of laughter and giggles at his expense. Each eyeing him carefully then laughing in turn for some minutes as her continued to row. All was quiet afterward as they neared the island. Once they had gotten close, Kurado stopped and pointed to their destination. He commented on a glow, and now that he said something about, Karliah could see it to. A very faint but visual blue hue emanated from the land mass. The monk leaned forward in boat trying to get a closer look, but it was still far too dark.

As they landed, Karliah leapt from the vessel, getting ashore in swift motion. The steady rocking and moving was starting to make her sick, and she was glad to be back on solid footing. The girls went ahead as Kurado tended to the boat. The trekked up a shallow incline hill, taking a curving switch-back path flanked by bushes. The came to a clearing, and now Karliah understood the glow. The flowers were giving off the blue light, like some sort of bioluminescence. She turned in a circle, looking all around herself, seeing the entire area surrounded by the glowing plants. "Amazing, its like a field of stars here on the ground." she thought. Kurado caught up, just in time to hear Akiko's explanation.

"These are amazing I wonder what they could do for Ijutsu and medicine." She inhaled their aroma, feeling a strange lurid sensation wash over her. "They certainly have an interesting effect to say the least." She commented.

They continued walking, exploring the sights around them. Kurado grabbed onto her hand as they moved, interlacing their fingers together. She looked up at him, finding their eyes meeting once more. She looked down almost immediately, trying to hide her face as blood rushed to her cheeks. She felt light headed and her body tingled, and she wasn't sure if it was the effect of the Wakagaeri or not. The monk rested her head lightly on Kurado's shoulder as they walked. She liked being close to him, it felt right.

"Now, if you like the flowers. You'll love this." Akiko chimed as she led them down the path through the glowing pedals. It winded slightly, taking them seemingly deeper into the center of the island. As they walked, Karliah could feel the air starting to get thicker, like a hard rain had just finished falling. She was about to ask about it when they broke through another patch of foliage and everything made sense. Before them was a large pool of water, steam rising steadily from its surface. The entire pool was flush with the ground around it, the only break in it's surface being the reeds and brush that grew at its edge. It seem the Wakagaeri clung at it's edge as well. Which gave the sense of blue lights lining the entire rim of the spring.

"The Soothing Spring. This water stays hot from geothermal gas underneath the lake. Its that heat that seems to attract the Wakagaeri to grow by it. The water seems to soak up some of that chakra as well, so when you go in it, it seems to sooth and tranquilize your body. It's almost euphoric." She added with a wink. Karliah pulled Kurado over to the edge of the waters and peered into it's surface. Despite steaming greatly, the water didn't seem to move, and kept a mirror like finish. Karliah could see her reflection almost perfectly.

"Are we allowed to go in?"

"Why not? Want to do for a dip?" she smiled.

The monk turned to the chuunin now, squeezing his hand in hers briefly. "What do you say?"

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Isuzu
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Isuzu » Sun Aug 23, 2015 11:20 am

Kurado's jaw hung slightly ajar as he took in the view. It was one of the most beautiful and tranquil places he'd ever visited. The air was thick, yet crisp. The hum of the Wakagaeri was amplified across the water's surface, creating a more distinct sound than before. This only served to enhance the effects. As Karliah pulled him over to the reflective pool, they both peered into it, almost as if staring into their very souls. Kurado's mind again drifted, as it often did these days. "..These types of places need to be preserved. I mean, it's only a matter of time before the war's ever expanding grasp reach here too. What'd become of this place when that happened. Would it truly be in better hands if the shinobi seized control?.." It was as if the still water had opened a portal into his inner most thoughts that he tried to suppress. Those weren't the only thoughts that crossed his mind, though. Those were the ones that caused his cheeks to turn ever so slightly red, as if his inhibitions had been lifted as well.

"Sure, I could go for a swim." Kurado untied his Kumogakure belt, taking time to gingerly fold the belt and lay it out upon a rock where it wouldn't be messed up or accidentally splashed on. It was the symbol of his village and he wouldn't let it be deface. As he removed his kimono, he peered at the girls with a mischievous look in his eye and a similarly nefarious smile on his face. "On one condition, though." He'd removed his kimono and had his pants below his knees already. There were some slight scratches from previous scraps and rights he'd been in, but he was mostly toned, though not overly defined. There were also slight bruises from where the leader of the samurai they'd fought earlier had squeezed him so hard. The only thing remaining was his tight boxer-breif type underwear, which were made out of fishnet. He liked the breathability, okay. "Mmmm" Akiko let out a soft sigh to signify she liked what she saw, though more as a reflex than intentionally. The mesh undergarments left just enough to the imagination as to not give it all away, but wet the appetite for more. He wedged his left thumb between the waistband and the edge of his pelvic bone, he winked at the ladies before placing the other hand in a similar position on the opposite side and thrusting downward, revealing himself to the ladies in all of his glory. The question if the curtains matched the drapes would have to wait though, as Kurado was freshly shaven. Placing his fishts on his waist in a triumphant fashion, he raised an eyebrow as he looked at the two girls. "Your turn, ladies." He was really going out on a limb here, and he hoped the bit.

Akiko looked away from Kurado, placing her hand under her own kimono and pushing it over her shoulder in a very seductive fashion. Only her eyes shifted to the chuunin as she cupped her breast, keeping it from view as the rest of the kimono fell to the ground, exposing everything she had as she lowered her hands down to her side in a bit of an awkward stance. She then reached up and removed the ribbon from her hair, allowing her hair to fall down into it's natural, slightly curly state. The girl was surely beautiful, and the way her hair hung down to just above her breast got Kurado's blood pumping. He assumed Karliah would also partake, no doubt equally as beautiful. "NOW it's a party!" There was something about this place that brought this kind've behavior out in people. It was almost primal in nature.

He grabbed their hands, one on each side, and walked them over to the edge of the reflective pool. He let go as they all three peered into the water for a moment. Kurado could feel the heat radiating from it, the feeling in nice contrast to the semi-cold air around them. Akiko dipped a toe in to check it out. She then instantly jumped in without consulting the other two, disappearing below the water before coming back up again, most of her body hidden below the water. "What're you waiting for? The waters fine!" She giggled, eyeing Kurado and Karliah both over from head to toe from her excellent viewpoint. "Okay Karli, on the count of 3, we'll jump. Got it?" He'd called her a nickname, almost without realizing it. He was sure it hadn't escaped her ears though. "1.....2...." The two readied themselves to jump, bending at the knee slightly to allow more power. "3!" The two jumped, but where Karliah jumped out and into the water, Kurado merely jumped up a little, giving the illusion of him jumped in. She turned to see him land safely on the shore as she entered the depths and exited Kurado's view. The chuunin let out a hearty laugh, amused at himself with is victory.

"Okay, that was a good one." Akiko said, still running her eyes over the chuunin as he laughed.

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
Ishiguro, Kisuke | Chuunin | Kumogakure

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Shikon
Posts: 594
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2015 7:00 pm

[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Shikon » Mon Aug 24, 2015 12:21 am

Kurado looked like he was up for a swim. Though he had some more in mind as well. Karliah felt her face go flush as he started to remove his clothes. She turned away, covering her eyes with on hand. She didn't know if it was the Wakagaeri or not, be she couldn't stop her self from sneaking a peak through her fingers. When she finally turned around again he was completely naked. Oh dear even as the words entered her mind, the monk felt her heart skip a beat, and then suddenly it started racing faster. Were they really doing this? She looked over at Akiko, who was already slipping her Kimono down to the ground. The girl didn't seem to proud to show off her body, at least not striking a bold pose like Kurado had. Still looking at Akiko, Karliah felt a bit embarrassed. Hers are bigger then mine. she thought, biting her lips anxiously.

It looked like it was her turn though. The monk slipped off her gloves and sandals setting them neatly down next to her. Sitting on a low rock, she then slowly rolled down her white leggings, exposing the smooth skin of her thighs, before finally slipping them completely off. After removing the ascot she wore she started unbuttoning her blouse, pausing for a brief moment. "You can't laugh okay." Once she got them to agree, she removed the shirt. She didn't wear a bra, as the blouse was tight enough, and her breasts too small to really make a difference. She tried hiding them for a moment then moved her hands down at her hips, grasping her skirt and panties and removing both in one swift action. She then stood, horribly embarrassed, heart pounding. Her hair fell in a golden sheet behind her, reaching just to the top of her butt. She grabbed a few strands in her fingers, twirling it nervously. "Okay can we go in now?"

Kurado took both their hands then, leading them to the water. Akiko wasted no time jumping into the pool, calling over for them to join her. Kurado suggested they jump on three. Calling her by a nickname at the same time. Karliah giggled at this. No one ever gave her a nickname, it was cute. "okay." The monk readied herself, and at three, jumped into the pool. The was a moment, right before hitting the water that Karliah realized Kurado wasn't beside her. Once she broke the surface again, she gave the chuunin a stern glare. He seemed to think it was funny though, already laughing at his prank.

The water felt great though. Incredibly warm, and the aches and bruises she got from the fight earlier seemed to be getting washed away. In their stead, an invigorating feeling crept into her limbs, filling her body. After a few seconds, a restless and energetic feeling was moving through her, leaving her body tinging in a strange way. She swam over to Akiko, who was also smiling from Kurado's prank. "Fine then. Akiko and I can enjoy the spring together. You can stay up there." She said with a wry smile. The monk wrapped her arms around Akiko, pulling her closer. "Oh?" The brunette seemed to enjoy it, and began moving her hands over Karliah's body as well, sending sparks up and down the monk's spine.

The water was crystal clear and now that the surface had been broken it didn't hold the mirror-like effect, letting one see almost all the way to the bottom perfectly. Though Kurado wouldn't be able to see exactly what the two girl's hand were doing, or where they were. Karliah's hair still clung at the top of the water with Akiko's, creating a thin veil over the two of them. "We don't really need him do we? She said mockingly, loud enough for the chuunin to hear. "I suppose not, no." Akiko winked. The girl's continued moving their hands as they spoke, out of view of Kurado. Karliah bit her lip as she felt Akiko's finger brush closely over a sensitive area. The brunette giggled. "Unless you want to join that is."

Karliah looked over to the shinobi, a grin adorning her face. "Well then Kura? hmmm?"

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Isuzu
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Joined: Mon Jun 15, 2015 8:00 pm

[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Isuzu » Sun Aug 30, 2015 2:14 pm

OOCShow
Sorry for taking so long to respond. Particularly busy week of school.]
Not a care in the world crossed the young chuunin's mind at this point. Kumo could've been defeated in the war and it still wouldn't have phased him. He had the perfect opportunity to make one of his dreams come true and nothing was stopping it from coming true. Once Karliah asked for Isuzu to join, he took a step towards the water and began doing a few light stretches as he walked to the edge. He couldn't see a clear mirrored reflection in the water anymore, but got a good enough view to know that he was looking pretty good. As he prepared himself to jump into the water, he felt a familiar feeling.

"Give me one second, okay ladies? Keep doing what you're going!" He turned and made haste towards the trees, back to the path of bioluminescent flowers and more importantly, out of the girls sight. He exited from the path as hastily as he could and bent his knees as an instant pressure released from his stomach. A bit of sweat appeared on his brow as he pushed out the bodily waste as quickly as he could so he could get back to the girls. It only took a couple of minutes, and a dumb smile crossed his face at the relief. "...Thank goodness I wasn't in the water when that happened. But now what to wipe with..." He looked back and forth for a moment before finally looking down at the flowers at his feet. With a shrug of his shoulders, he picked one and began picking off rather large petals.

"HERE I COME!" The chuunin came forth from the darkness in a full sprint, everything flopping about in the wind. As he neared the edge, he launched himself into the air and folding himself into a ball. Once he brook the surface, a large splash exploded from the water and the girls squealed with amusement. He never came back up though, instead making his way to them underwater to surprised them. He had a rather impressive ability to hold his breath for longer than the average person. The girls would first feel fingers on their legs, and from there one can only imagine.

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
Ishiguro, Kisuke | Chuunin | Kumogakure

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Shikon
Posts: 594
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2015 7:00 pm

[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Shikon » Fri Sep 04, 2015 12:12 am

OOCShow
Did you just shit all over our thread!?!? >.<

Karliah screamed slightly as Kurado made his dynamic entrance. The water shot everywhere, blinding her and Akiko for a moment. When everything settled, he had completely disappeared. Well, at least he wasn't at the surface. The monk looked over to Akiko for a moment, with a puzzled look, she only got on in return. He was just gone? "Where did he-" The monk didn't finish her sentence, as she suddenly felt something touch her leg, and she jump, moving closer to Akiko instinctively. Not a second after, she felt it on her leg again, and she felt her friend jump as well.

She peered down into the water, trying to figure out was was going on. She couldn't see much, but the mass of red hair that swirled below her was all she needed to see put it all together. She giggled and pushed Akiko in front of her, putting the waitress between them. The brunette had figured it out as well, and didn't seem to mind as his hands moved around. KArliah dove under the water now, and moved to Kurado, grabbing him and pulling the man towards her. Her legs wrapping around his waist, he arms over his shoulders as she pulled his head forward and his mouth against hers. They surfaced, and Karliah pulled Akiko to them as well. Things were finally going to get hot in that little pool. *** Karliah pulled herself onto the grass, and laid down on her back. Akiko followed after, laying next to her. The two looked at each other a moment, and only giggled. They were both quite tired, and perhaps a bit sore. Though soothing waters of the spring had helped quite a bit though. The monk looked over to Kurado now, giving him a sly smile. "You had gotten quite tired for a little there Kurado-kun." She teased.

Akiko laughed at this and nodded. "Karliah and I were all by ourselves for a minute. We didn't mind though."

The monk splashed some water at Akiko for the comment. Though, it wasn't a lie, hearing it out loud was a bit embarrassing. The brunette splashed back and for a few moment there area was filled with giggles and water. Though once it died down, Karliah gave a long sigh. "This has been a rather amazing night." She said it to no one, though both Kurado and Akiko could easily hear here. The monk kicked her feet in the water slowly as she laid there, gazing up into the night. Of all the things she could have expected out her stay in this small town, none of this would have came to mind. There were new experiences of all sorts that she could remember forever now.

"You don't know of any magical fruits on this island that give you all your energy back do you?" she asked Akiko, laughing even as the words come from her lips.

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Isuzu
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[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Isuzu » Fri Sep 04, 2015 4:06 pm

The chuunin hoisted himself up from the edge of the water and walked a few feet from the edge before pivoting and bringing his attention back to the ladies laying at the bank with their feet soaking. Their bodies were glistening, both from the water still on them and the moonlight shining down and amplifying the effect. He took a band that was around his wrist and used it to tie his hair into a bit of a messy man-bun type do. The ladies had spoken earlier about doing his hair, so maybe they'd like the change. They hadn't really thought to bring towels, so Kurado figured they would just air dry. It'd be a lot easier if the sun was out, but nothing to worry about. It just meant that they'd be naked longer.

The girls chitchatted playfully amongst themselves, throwing jabs at him in here and there. He simply let out a light laugh and brushed them off. Karliah said it'd been an amazing night, and Kurado would have to agree. To think he'd been pissed at his father for making him deliver the book in the first place. It seemed the events of that night would make quite the story, and he already had some of it planned out in his head. "I like the new look" Akiko was now rolled over on her stomach, head propped on her hands and elbows in the grass. She was taking in Kurado's figure from head to toe.

"If only we were so lucky. Best I can do is some mango's that grow along the shore" Akiko raised up from the water, still dripping from their "swim" in the pool. "It is getting pretty late though, and Gran is probably worried sick as it is. I'm not sure how long that lasted" Her face turned a light shade of red as she recollected the events that had just unfolded. It appeared as if she was amazed that it'd happened more so than embarrassed about it. "Yeah, I have that effect on ladies." His poor attempt at a joke was met with a blank stare from both of them, but Akiko was quick with the rebuttal. "Yeah, but tonight it actually lasted a long time." She winked at Kurado and let out a light giggle. Even Kurado had to acknowledge the quality of the joke, however obvious it was. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms before letting out a quick burst of breath. "True." He opened one eye and looked at Akiko to let her know he wasn't truly upset.

She began skipping now, apparently not as worn out as Kurado was from the night's activities. As she passed by him, she turned around and began to skip backwards, though considerably slower than before. The way everything moved during the bouncing was quite the site. "Come on you two. Better keep up!" Another soft giggle escaped her mouth as she turned around and disappeared into the blackness. The red haired chuunin turned back to Karliah/ "Grab our clothes, with ya?!' Kurado said, as he began a light jog into the darkness, seeing the faint outline of Akiko as he waited for Karliah to catch up. A yawn escaped him as he ran after her towards the boat, and more importantly, the mango's she'd promised.

Nakamura, Takeshi | A-rank MN | Kirigakure
Hinoshi, Isuzu | Genin | Konohagakure
Ishiguro, Kisuke | Chuunin | Kumogakure

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Shikon
Posts: 594
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2015 7:00 pm

[Social] The Monk and a New Friend

Post by Shikon » Fri Sep 11, 2015 7:09 pm

The two of them exchanged their joking banter back and forth as Karliah looked on, watching intrigued. It was that sort of social interaction she needed to work on, telling jokes that didn't hurt people's feelings and were obviously just for laughs. It was so easy for normal people, one's that grew up doing it. But not for her. She opted to sitting upright now., letting her hair enter the breeze slightly so it could dry faster.

Akiko was standing and skipping around by this point. Karliah's eyes followed her, partly out of instinct - follow the motion - and partly because she did rather enjoy the view. Akiko seemed to be carefree, happy, nothing like herself. Stressed, uptight, sad. Not at the current moment, but overall in the past few months of her life, this was true. She assumed Akiko's happiness came from ignorance. She didn't really understand what was going on in the world, the Shinobi, the Samurai, and blood bathes. She didn't know the same way that Kurado understood, the way Karliah understood. So she could be happy, a blissful sheep among wolves.

The brunette ran into the trees after taunting them to hurry after her. Kurado began to move after asking Karliah to grab their clothes. The monk quickly began lifting up each of their garments. She tried making a mental checklist to ensure she had everything, but this was three people's clothing, she wasn't really certain she got everything, even after looking around and seeing nothing else left behind. With a shrug she moved on following after Kurado and Akiko. She caught up to the Chuunin quickly. She looked at him with a smile, arms over loaded with fabric. "I think I got it all." Well, she hoped.

Once they got back to the shore, Akiko was already in the boat. She was sitting in her previous spot, leaning against the side n a graceful pose. Her hair billowed about her body and face with held a smile as they neared. "Took you long enough. Have a mango." She pointed to the small pile that now sat in the water craft. She apparently had time to collect some while The monk and the Shinobi were walking. That's fine, she was practically starving. Karliah dropped the clothes into the boat, and happily took up a fruit. She looked at it, expecting to see some glowing blue chakra or other oddity, and was happy see that this mango appeared completely normal. The three of them had their meal, and dressed before finally setting the boat out to water, and paddling back to the main shore and off the island.

Kurado was working the paddles again, the big strong guy he was. While the girls sat, relaxing in their small joy ride across the lake. "We have to come back here sometime. The flowers, the spring, that was wonderful." She sighed and leaned backwards, resting her head on Kurado's lap as he rowed. The blonde looked upwards at him, starring at his face, and looked over the features. His cheek bones, the line of his jaw, the shape of his nose, and his eyes. She got lost in his eyes. After a few moments, Karliah smiled, a genuine, real smile. "Wonderful." She repeated.

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