Is This a Date?

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Kabu
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Is This a Date?

Post by Kabu » Sun Apr 29, 2018 12:44 pm

To say that Masami was nervous at what she was about to do would be an understatement. This wasn't a mission, it wasn't in any way related to her career as a shinobi.. No, she had a pair of hotspring passes that she had received as a birthday present some time back and as all her female friends had been away or busy, she was about to ask a boy out on what most would see as a date. Even she, as romantically dense as she was, knew the implications and yet one particular person had come to the front of her mind when it came to this particular event. Why she had thought of Gene she wasn't sure. Sure they had hung out before and she had had a lot of fun doing so, but was that really all there was to it? She just didn't know, but the butterflies in her stomach surely weren't helping her to figure things out.

Regardless she was now standing in front of his house, fidgeting nervously even as she knocked on the door, some part of her wanting to run away and yet another bigger part was willing her to stay.

It's not a date. Friends do this sort of thing all the time. This is normal. Right?
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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Legacy
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Is This a Date?

Post by Legacy » Sun Apr 29, 2018 2:22 pm

"Alright! I think that should do it." Gene stood in the door way of the bathroom admiring his work; two rigorous hours of scrubbing, scraping, re-organizing and decorating finally gave the space a much needed new look and a fresh inviting smell to boot. Much like the rest of the two story home the bathroom was decorated in hues of blue; specifically, Sapphire. From the decorative towels drooping along the two racks to the toilet lid cover and even the soft carpeting that rested at the foot of the toilet itself, the curtains...soap dish. If ever his favorite color had been called into question one would only need to take a look around his home to find the answer. Speaking of the rest of his home, the entire place sparkled and smelled faintly of tropical fragrances that blended well with the fleeting aroma of cleaning supplies. It had taken an early start and much effort on his part but he had managed to get through cleaning the entire place from top to bottom before noon.

His smile quickly turned upside down however, when he got a glimpse of himself in the mirror. In favor of getting the drop on cleaning bright and early he'd forewent the usual stop to the bathroom for grooming and the snapshot moment reminded him never to do so again. Like a fly buzzing around he zipped from the bathroom to his room and back again, this time with toothbrush, towel and toothpaste in hand. "Transformation jutsu Mitsurugi style!" Turning the dial on for hot water just a few notches and then layering it with the cold water, Gene ran the tooth brush under the water after putting Toothpaste on it then began to brush. From right to left, left to right, bottom to top and back again he scrubbed his teeth with the same diligence that he'd applied to scrubbing the floor but kept a delicate balance of firmness and gentleness so as to not break the brush or damage his teeth or gums. One thing was for sure, anyone who said that men were slobs had never met Gene. For someone so hardwired to the rough Shinobi lifestyle he always managed to find time to keep himself up to par.


Roughly thirty minutes later Gene emerged from the bathroom; his teeth brushed, rinsed and flossed to perfection. Face wiped clean of any dust, grime and rheum but his silver hair was still...in a word.....messy. "If only I knew how to cut hair..." It wouldn't have been the first time that Gene brought the idea up to himself and at least once in the past he'd tried to trim his hair himself....that failed miserably. For almost an entire month he hadn't left the house until his hair grew back to normal and even then he'd been so terrified of the idea that he swore off ever attempting the deed again. As a growing young man, being able to shave was perhaps one of the most pivotal things that a man could learn and yet Gene knew only how to take care of the...other areas. When it came to cutting his head though well, that was another story.


Headed for the staircase Gene had it in his mind to go and grab his clothes for the day but was stopped in his tracks by a knock at the door. To his knowledge, he had no guests expected and the day hadn't yet afforded him any missions to prepare for so curiosity surged to the front of his mind. Turning swiftly on his heel and briskly walking toward the door he thought for a moment about playing sick or pretending not to be home. Wonder who it could be... When his left hand gripped the knob and his right unlocked the many latches Gene took a deep breath then exhaled. Pulling the door open he was surprised to see...Masami?

"What's up?" Gene asked quizzically, fearing that he just may have ended up going on a mission after all. Noting her fidgeting he grew both concerned and semi-serious, "Something wrong?" Caught in the moment the young man had forgotten all about his earlier run for clothing and in the process, forgot that he hadn't put on a shirt before answering the door, sporting the pair of black sweats that he'd gone to sleep in the night before.
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Is This a Date?

Post by Kabu » Sun Apr 29, 2018 3:21 pm

For a moment Masami found herself wondering if he was even home or if she had the right house but soon enough she heard the sound of multiple latches being undone. With that, for better or worse she knew that she was in the right place. There was only one person she knew that would be so serious as to defend his home against any and all intruders. What she hadn't expected however, was the sight of Gene without a shirt, her face turning a deep red at the sight even as she looked him up and down, noting his fairly muscular physique. She had never really noticed before but it seemed that he had been working out and it was certainly paying off.

It was as he spoke to her that she came back to reality. What had she been doing? Great.. now she was more nervous than ever. That said, she had already come this far and there was no backing out at this point, unless she wanted to make herself look like a coward, which she most definitely did not. There was no choice but to say it. "I.. I was wondering." she paused a moment and took a deep breath, calming her nerves just a bit, though she was still incredibly fidgety. "I have a free trip for two to the hotsprings and Iwaswonderingifyouwouldliketocomewithme." she very rapidly said, presenting the coupons in her hands to hopefully better illustrate what she was trying to say.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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Legacy
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Is This a Date?

Post by Legacy » Sun Apr 29, 2018 4:49 pm

True to his profession, Gene ran through a list of possibilities that would have brought Masami to his doorstep. Naturally he thought that she would have asked him to head for Takeo's office to be briefed or maybe even break some urgent news to him before the former could happen but in his evaluation of the woman specifically, he began to notice little things about her - notably the fact that she'd turned red in the face. I wonder if it's that time for her... he thought, not understanding truly what had been troubling the woman. Quirking a brow he prepared for the worst and then....

"I...I was wondering." Gene quirked a brow, wasn't she going to tell him to pack his things and head out? "I have a free trip for two to the hotsprings and Iwaswonderingifyouwouldliketocomewithme." All that he understood was that the woman had gotten a free trip to the hot springs but everything else was well...foreign to him. "Eh? Say what now?" He asked, noting the two tickets before putting two and two together. "Oh! You want to hang out today?" There was no hiding the surprise in his tone and his eyes reflected the same. They'd had a nice time back during one of Konoha's mini festivals in the past but since then Gene had moved into his own place and seldom received requests to just chill out.

Stepping back and to the right, Gene pulled the door open and motioned for Masami to enter. "You had me going there for a second. Please, come in I'll just be a second getting ready, take your shoes off at the door though." Polite as he was, Gene wasn't about to let his morning spent cleaning go to waste with the allowance of dirt and dust onto his freshly scrubbed floors. With that, he headed for the staircase once again determined to find a shirt to put on.
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Is This a Date?

Post by Kabu » Sun Apr 29, 2018 6:10 pm

Masami couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief as he accepted her invitation, suddenly feeling much less nervous now that the invitation itself had been made. The nerves were admittedly still very much present, now for fairly different reasons, but she had calmed down immensely and was no longer fidgeting, though the blush hadn't yet faded, the sight of Gene's shirtless abs still embedded in her mind.

Stepping inside his house, she removed her shoes as asked and leaned against a nearby wall as she waited for him to return. While she was happy that he had accepted, she had to wonder why he had seemed so surprised at the invitation she had presented. Could he have been expecting someone else or had he simply not been expecting to be asked out in such a way? Nah, neither of those seemed likely. With what she knew of him, it was most likely that he had expected that she had come knocking for a mission. If that was the case then what was it that he thought of her? Was she a friend or simply a comrade?

She shook her head, chasing the thoughts away as quickly as they had come. What was she even thinking? Of course they were friends.

Upon his return, hopefully now being fully dressed, she skipped up to him, her lips turned up into a small smile. "Sorry for dropping by unannounced. My female friends were all busy and you were the first to come to mind. I hope you don't mind." she said with a slightly embarrassed chuckle, scratching her cheek all the while. Jeez, she just couldn't stop making a fool out of herself and it couldn't have been longer than ten minutes. Hopefully the rest of the day would go by better.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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Legacy
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Is This a Date?

Post by Legacy » Sun Apr 29, 2018 7:08 pm

When he returned Gene had been wearing a modified variant of his uniform; opting to forgo the white flak vest but keeping the long sleeved black thermal shirt and black pants which were still held in place by white wrappings along the ankle up to the middle of his calf. Though he didn't wear it, his forehead protector had been folded neatly and stuffed carefully inside of his primary Tool pouch at his waist (behind him). If someone of rank asked him why he didn't wear the thing he would come up with some suitable reason but figured that wearing it out on a day of fun would have been off putting. A light smile flourished acrosss Gene's face followed by a shake of his head, "No worries," he assured her, "had I known you were coming by I would have prepared brunch and...put on a shirt. But speaking of food are you hungry? I kinda skipped breakfast this morning - we could stop for a bite before heading over to the hot springs if you want."


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Is This a Date?

Post by Kabu » Sun Apr 29, 2018 7:43 pm

"Hmm? We could stop for something quick and easy I suppose. We should pass by a bakery on the way there." she said in response to Gene's suggestion, head thoughtfully tilted to the side. "I don't mean to rush but I want to get there as soon as possible. It's been a while since I've actually had a chance to sit back and relax and I want to enjoy it to the very fullest." she added, looking up towards Gene. What she didn't say was that her lack of relaxation had been mostly by her own choice as she had been either out on mission or training a lot of the time, but still she spoke the truth. She really did want to enjoy it as much as possible.

With that she turned and led the way out the door and down the streets, Gene hopefully following behind, stretching as she walked. The sun was brightly shining down upon them and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

[color=#FF9933F]"I think this is going to be a perfect day, I can just feel it. Oh, there's the bakery."[/color] she said, something all the while nudging at the back of her mind suggesting that she had forgotten something crucial. She had no idea what it could be possibly be though, so for now she decided to simply ignore it, making a sudden turn and entering the bakery that she had mentioned earlier.

"Should we just grab a batch of pastries to go? Eat on the way?"
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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Legacy
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Is This a Date?

Post by Legacy » Sun Apr 29, 2018 8:27 pm

With a silent nod of agreement Gene followed behind Masami though immediately lagged behind after the first few steps in order to ensure that the front door was locked and secure. I guess this is what I'm doing today, he thought joyfully. Since he began taking his responsibilities as a leader more serious it'd been easy to forget how to have a social life and living from tense moment to tense moment often kept the young Specialist on edge - skeptic of even the most menial things without clearly defined agendas to be thoroughly questioned, confirmed and branded for what they were. Only today he would need to break away from the mindset of a protector, enforcer and strategist. Today, he would need only to be Mitsurugi Gene - the young man with a normal life.

When he realized where his mind had been taking him Gene shook his head and cleared the storm - at least temporarily. Believing that there was actually a switch or two different people living in one body reminded him far too much of Minoru and the thought alone was enough to make him question just how long it had been since he had a great time. He'd never tell her, but Masami couldn't have come around at a better time. Despite being silent for most of the walk largely due to being in his own head, Gene did emerge from the catacombs of his mind long enough to confirm Masami's beliefs about the day. "If today is anything like the last time we hung out then I don't doubt that. Did you ever find a place for that life sized Takeo doll?" When he mentioned it, the memory seemed like it was only yesterday. He'd just gotten off a long shift of gate guard duty when Masami showed up and the two enjoyed a night out in the town; it seemed like she always just sort of showed up at the right time, even now.

"Oh, there's the bakery. Should we just grab a batch of pastries and go? Eat on the way?" Nodding, Gene replied with a nice "Sounds like a plan " before heading toward the direction of the bakery. When they walked in the bakery clerk immediately rushed to greet them. A short hearty fella with a slick bald head and a full beard dressed in what Gene figured was the uniform standard for the establishment and a green apron over it. "Hello there! Welcome, welcome! Please try our house special sweet steamed buns they're to die for!"
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Is This a Date?

Post by Kabu » Sun Apr 29, 2018 8:59 pm

Masami snickered at the mention of the life sized Takeo doll she had won, though shook her head. "Not yet. Right now it's sitting on a table in the living room but a place for it hasn't really been decided." she said, looking back towards her companion a moment before turning towards the man behind the counter. "Ah yes, we'll take four sweet buns to go please." she told the man, placing the necessary change on the counter as she received their order, a sweet scent very noticeably emenating from the bag in her hands as she returned to Gene. "These smell good. Stopping by was a good idea." she said, pulling a bun out of the bag and handing it over to Gene and then grabbing one for herself, heading out of the store and back towards their destination, chowing down all the while.

Soon enough they arrived at their destination, buns having been cleaned out on the way, and Masami approached the counter. "We're here for the springs." she spoke to the young woman behind the counter, the girl giving her a strange smile upon noticing Gene's presence, handing them each a locker key and waving. "Have a good time."

"What a weird girl. Well, might as well get ready." Masami muttered, brow raised as she headed towards the locker room, beginning to strip down but only getting as far as removing her shirt before that strange feeling from before came back. "Wait a second.. I asked the girls first. Why did I do that again? I'm only getting naked.." Her face going entirely red at the sudden realization.

"He's going to see me.. my everything." she squeaked, hands over her mouth as her blush deepened and she felt her face gradually heat up. Granted she still didn't feel like she had made a mistake but still this was deeply embarrassing. "Maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe he'll like what he sees. Wait what am I thinking? Oh boy, this is embarrassing." she muttered over and over to herself in her embarrassment, fidgeting once more as she finished stripping and pulled a towel up around herself. Oh boy.. what was she going to do?
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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Is This a Date?

Post by Legacy » Tue May 01, 2018 2:07 am

Meanwhile, Gene entered the men's locker room and found where he would be putting his things. For a storage locker he was pleasantly surprised to see that there wouldn't be a need to stuff his clothes into the narrow, stuffy crack in a wall that most places offered. In fact, these lockers were on the large side compared to what he'd read about. "Today just might turn out alright," removing his shirt and folding it several times Gene placed the fabric on the top rack. Next to go were his pants which were folded in more or less a similar manner and put on the shelf as well. Turning his head left to find what he was supposed to be changing into Gene immediately started to sweat. "Uh...there's got to be some kind of a mix up." The loin cloth was...narrow and as he imagined it on his body the damned thing would leave little to the imagination. "Towel!" Frantically he looked high and low, left and right, but the only thing he could find was a face cloth and that did him no favors.

"Well...this can either get really awkward or really interesting. What's the worst that could happen right?" But wait! The lady at the front desk! Scurrying off to the entrance Gene poked his head out from the side of the locker room."Hey uh - excuse me would you happen to have something other than this to wear?" He held out the loin cloth. At first the woman looked surprised and then giggled. "Sorry but that's all that we have." Oh boy...if only looks could kill. Sighing in defeat Gene retreated and emerged moments later in the loin cloth. "Now if I could just make it to the spring before she gets there..."


Creeping and peeking around corners, Gene made his way to the springs where steam given off from the heated water acted as his guide. So close to safety and yet so far away, Gene swallowed rocks in his throat before abandoning the covering of the final wall making brisk stride toward the springs. But would he make it in time?
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Is This a Date?

Post by Kabu » Sat May 05, 2018 10:20 am

Masami took a few deep breaths to calm herself as she stood in the woman's locker room, her realization of moments ago having sent her into a bit of a nervous panic even as she tried to convince herself it was going to be fine. Sure she was going to be naked alone with a man but there was no need to be so nervous, that this was something she would have to get used to at some point, or at least that's what she was telling herself, though it wasn't entirely convincing.

Regardless, she couldn't just stand around all day, nor could she really run away from this. She had promised herself a day of relaxation so she just had to suck it up and get out there. She was a big girl, she could do this. Only a coward would run away at this point.

With one more deep breath she turned around and exited the locker room, catching the receptionist mischievously grinning at her out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't sure why, she just knew that she didn't like that look. It made her vaguely uncomfortable.

Ignoring the strange girl, she made her way towards the springs themselves, some part of her wondering if Gene was already there or if he had been caught by nerves as she had been. It had crossed her mind that she would be seeing him naked as well, but somehow it wasn't nearly as embarrassing of a thought as the thought of him seeing her had been.

Arriving at the springs it was clear that Gene hadn't yet arrived, but she wasn't about to wait around, dropping her towel and stepping into the water, sinking down with a relieved sigh. "Ahhh, I really needed this."
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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Is This a Date?

Post by Legacy » Sun May 13, 2018 12:35 pm

"I see you went and settled in without me," called Gene from afar as he approached the steaming springs. "Can't say that I blame you - this place is truly amazing." When he finally reached the edge and dropped into the water Gene let out a sigh of relief, trying to seem more comfortable than he actually was. It wasn't an accident that he fixed his sights to the sky after settling into the water but the way he lounged about; arms hanging extended along the edge of the spring, legs extended as far as he could manage freely without other things floating entirely to the surface. At times, he thought, being a man was a peculiar thing and yet all the same he was proud of himself.

And so...there they were. "To think that the village actually has a place like this...I may just have to come here more often." He'd never been one to believe in Astrology but with his body submerged in water Gene couldn't have felt any more like a fish than had he grown gills and fins. Truly, he owed it to Masami for the experience - which reminded him of something. Come to think about it...we haven't exactly spoke to each other in some time, I wonder if everything is alright. Should I ask?...No, it's probably better if I don't ask straight away. Besides, we just got here - no point in rocking the boat already. And just like that, the specialist fell into listener mode. Only whims would decide how the day turned out now.
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Is This a Date?

Post by Kabu » Sun May 27, 2018 10:05 pm

Instinctively upon hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, Masami's arms shot up to cover her chest, only for her to lower them again, subsequently letting out a relieved sigh, upon seeing that it was only Gene. Granted, something in the back of her mind was telling her to stay covered still but she just ignored it. She had decided a short time ago that she wasn't going to let her nerves get in the way of this... even if he could see.. things. "Yeah, I got here first and it would have been a shame to wait so I got in. This is the first time in a while that I've really relaxed, and this is really one of the best ways to go about it." she said in response, smiling as she sank farther into the water and practically laid back, stretching her legs as far as they would reach, and letting out a contented sigh, ears and tail twitching happily all the while.

After some time, she noticed that he was looking upwards, a smirk coming to her face at the realization of the very intentional action. "You know, it's rude not to look at people when you're having a conversation. There's no need to be reserved or nervous." Granted, she was nervous herself but she felt she was doing a good job of hiding it, the fact that they were now in the springs and beginning their relaxation helping a lot with that fact.
NPCsShow
Shinsen Kyoko - #99840A
Kyomu Nozomi - #5960A8
Ibakuro Rin - #9E4FA5
Nakiya Hotaru - #9E540A
Nakano Kiyomi - #8E47AD], Nakano Ayaka - #0C1C8C
Fukusha Nezumi - #E00747
Karagata yamada - #CE1126, Makura Ayame - #7251BC
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Legacy
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User flair: Conflict begets Growth

Is This a Date?

Post by Legacy » Sat Jun 02, 2018 9:46 am

For a moment Gene thought about what Masami had said to him and he wondered if she truly felt that he were being rude by keeping his gaze away from her. Words were formed at the tip of his tongue but Gene's lips remained closed when he realized that the woman had been...smiling? Suddenly he felt a rush of calm wash over him and what anxieties he did have about the situation began to fade. That's right...you've always been so care free. "You know - I think there are exceptions to that rule." Gene smiled, "besides if I were to look at you now I'd..." Realizing what he was about to say the Auburn eyed male went silent. "Well, anyway...what's new?"
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