And How Do You Feel About That?

[Checkmate]

Shikatsuko sipped at a cup of tea in a nice, quiet cafe overlooking a verdant park. Birds chirped, water flowed, families walked. And she could see it all. She loved this cafe. It had a gorgeous open terrace on the second floor where the sounds of the city just seemed farther away. She liked to come here to think and ponder, to process. And the nice thing was, it was right across the street from her office. She sat with the table to her right, right hand planted casually on a thick notebook, the exposed page filled with handwritten notes. The pencil in her hand was still for the moment as she breathed in the scent of the tea and took another sip before setting the tea cup down and returning to her work. Her left leg was crossed over her right, and a file lay open on her lap. The file hadn't been hard to come by. For a woman of her rank and status, modest as it was in the grand scheme of things, all she really had to do was ask. The file was opened to a page deeper into the file, and as her eyes returned to it, her previously placid expression shifted into a frown. "So the question is, why? Why resort to crime when opportunities abound?” She asked herself, flipping back to the front page of the file to look again at the image of a young teen boy. She furrowed her brow, studying the picture as if it could answer her question. But finally, her tea was finished and it was time to go. She flipped the file closed, exposing the name on the front: Senju Noeru. She packed up her things, sliding the file and her notebook into a bag and paying for her tea. She thanked the staff by name, smiling warmly at each of them before heading out and across the street toward a building that looked like most of the others on the street. It was a simple two story building with a sign over the door that said, "Nara Shikatsuko, Licensed Counselor". She paused on the other side of the street, looking both ways as if for traffic. But really, she was looking for the boy in her file: the boy named Noeru.

[hobnob]

With the atmosphere at it's peak, Noeru was walking down a quiet lane. People were scarce, the sun and breeze were not. He was enjoying a slow, long toke on his cigarette as he gazed up at the cloud-free sky above him. And with not a care in the world he casually strolled down the lane. His pouch was stocked with all the goodies from the night before; the real reason why he was in such a carefree mood - the addictions would not hassle him for a long time. And so, he walked; smiling at the few that he passed, people just going about their everyday life. There was something freeing about this lane, this walk, this situation. It was as if the world has been freed from all of it's problems. That is how Noeru felt; it was only the chemicals peaking in his brain, killing the sense of what is going on around him. He cared not. In that very moment, he was liberated. Liberated from the troubles that existed only in his mind; the hassle; the mundane; the boredom. All caused by his overall attitude. The lust for a thrill, that feeling that made the brain fire on all calipers; the go, go, go. That's what he wanted, and everyday life in the village did not offer it. Ninja life was, which he himself did not choose, offered it through life or death situation, but those were not as satisfying as simply doing something he should not be doing; like thieving the local store of it's cigarettes in the middle of the night. Part of him wanted him to get caught, to be shouted at; only so that he could wit his way out of it, and do it all again a little later. A sigh escaped his lips along with thick cigarette smoke as the lane joined onto a main streets that was filled with people, shops and cafes - that feeling was drowned by the noise of the busy street, but his carefree walk remained.

As he walked, he absorbed. Absorbed what was happening around him; people sitting; people standing; people walking; people drinking; a dark haired girl looking for someone. He took it all in, processed it, and continued smoking his cigarette as he walked. Sadly, it was time to begin paying attention. In his pouch, next to all the goodies, there was a letter from of anonymous origin. This letter instructed Noeru to meet with a certain individual, at a certain time, at a certain place. The time was already a few minutes pass, but he was just approaching the address noted on the letter. The door was a brown color, and there was a tag with a name and credentials that matched the card he was given. With a turn of the handle, he pushed the door open and ventured inside.

The room was square, filled with books, a desk, a chair, a couch, and a few plants that made the place fairly zen. Noeru was not sure what the meaning of this was, but he left the door open and took a few steps into the unknown room. Was he already too late? His mind was all over the place, not sure what he was suppose to do... It was only a few minutes.

[Checkmate]

The raven-haired beauty's dark eyes fell on Noeru as he rounded the corner, but she looked away again, not wanting to let him know he'd been spotted. He approached the door to her office, moving to open it, but would find it locked. Shikatsuko spoke to him from behind, having approached out of his line of sight. Her voice was relaxed and rich, carrying confidence and understated authority. "Senju Noeru.” It wasn't a question. "Nara Shikatsuko.” She introduced herself with a shallow bow. She wore an rosewood-colored long-sleeved cowl neck, crochet sweater dress with black leggings and knee-high heeled black boots. At her side was a a black document bag, held by a strap that went over her shoulder. "You're my three o'clock.” She said, a reserved grin on her face. She stepped past him, pulling out a keychain and jingling it for effect. "Please, come in. But if you don't mind, I'd rather you put that out first.” She said. She opened the door inward, allowing Noeru to step past her and into the reception area. There were a few comfortable chairs and a wooden desk with a calendar, a cup of pens, and a lamp. The room was empty of occupants, save for Shikatsuko and her guest. "Today was supposed to be a day off, but I didn't mind making an exception.” She ran a hand over an activation rune and lights flipped on, illuminating the carefully designed waiting room. She stepped past him once more, her familiarity with the place apparent. Another key, another lock, another activation rune, and the way was made for Noeru to enter Shikatsuko's office. Her name was on a plaque by the door, and as she turned on the light, a second sign was illuminated beneath it, stating, "In Session". "Have a seat.” She said, allowing him to take it time to look around if he wanted, but letting him know what was next when he was ready. The office was spacious and elegantly decorated, with calming landscape paintings on the walls, a large window to the left of the door illuminated the room with naturally warm light, and a three person sofa to the right of the door against the wall. Potted plants sat on end tables to either side of the sofa, and two cushions sat in the corners of the couch. Shikatsuko walked to the far end of the room to her desk which held files, notebooks, and other office supplies all ordered neatly. She pulled her notebook and Noeru's file from her bag and left it next to her desk before returning, pen and paperwork in hand, to sit in her own comfy chair in the middle of the room, opposite the sofa. A coffee table separated the two and held reading material and a box of tissues. A plush rug covered the wood floor, pulling the space together and making it feel cozy within the larger room without risking feeling claustrophobic. Everything in the office was carefully placed to let her patients feel safe and protected, but lacked any more homey touches that might run the risk of reminding someone of a negative home life. It was the curated environment where Shikatsuko had spent most of her daylight hours since returning from the war. And now, she was here again. After giving Noeru time to take a seat and get comfortable, Shikatsuko opened with a question. "So. What do you know about why you're here?”

[hobnob]

With the turn of the handle, Noeru pressed his shoulder gently to open the door; it would not budge, not even an inch. The youth took step back, his hand moved towards his mouth as it held the cigarette. Another long toke before grabbing it between his fingers and breathing in the smoke deep into his lungs. 'I'm either too late... or this is all a prank...' He thought before his eyes began searching for the potential prankster; instead, his gaze landed upon a woman he had never seen before, but she seemed to know him by name.

Once she introduced herself, a memory of the card that came with the note occupied his mind. It was the woman he was suppose to meet. 'Seems like I'm not late... nor is this some sort of prank...' Noeru did not say anything, he simply stood aside and allowed the woman who was dressed in an interestingly professional way, get to the door and unlock it and followed her inside, after she confirmed the appointment time. Now he was a little less reluctant to believe that this was in fact the person suppose to meet him. In his eyes, asking for iD was too easy, figuring out who the person was based on what they said was much more interesting.

The smoldering cigarette was still in his mouth as he stood in the doorway; he took one last drag and flicked it across the street. He was not going to disrespect this woman by smoking in her office. But it would only be a matter of time until his dependencies showed themselves. As he stepped past Shikatsuko into the office, he took in the layout of the dark room. It seemed to be a reception, and when the lights were turned on by a simple tap of the rune, it became apparent that it in fact was a reception.

Shikatsuko skillfully made her way across to the next door along, opened it and repeated the procedure, illuminating the next room. This one was the real deal, the office, where all her daily business activities took place. Noeru took it all in, the plaque by the door, and the other light which indicated the room was occupied. He was instructed to have a seat, and that is what he did. As he did, he glanced around the room; it was peaceful; he felt relaxed. His body however, was already beginning to twitch. His hand moved into his pocket, retrieving and brass zippo lighter which he began playing with; flicking closing lid; turning the wheel and causing sparks to fly out, igniting the fabric soaked in lighter fluid.

He sat down, looked across the desk at Shikatsuko, and as an answer to her question, he reached into his pouch with his free hand and slapped the note onto the desk. Her card, upon impact, slipped out from the note and glided towards her on the surface of the desk. 'Not much...' said the youth.

[Checkmate]

Shikatsuko crossed her one leg over the other as she got comfortable in her chair, smoothly adjusting her dress to fall neatly and smoothly in her new position. She set the notebook on her lap and gave Noeru her complete attention, as if nothing else existed in the world but the two of them. Noeru flicked open a lighter and ignited it, the small flame dancing as it sparked to life. He followed her instruction and seated himself, flicking his summons and her business card onto the table between them. Shikatsuko didn't need to read them to know what they were. After all, her summons had looked almost identical. All the same, after a brief silence, she leaned forward and took the first piece of paper before leaning back and inspecting it. "All right, let me ask you this. Do you know why the village would request that you see a counselor? Why some might consider that a certain level of intervention were called for?” She asked, eying his lighter. She could see him struggling already, and part of her, the compassionate side, wanted to offer to take the conversation outside, maybe for a walk in the park. After all, what use was all the work she put into her office if it couldn't help someone feel relaxed and open? But already, she was starting to see why this young genin might have been sent her way. And now she was going to test him. Would he choose rebellion and light up in her office? Would he tough it out and let himself get more and more irritable? Maybe he would storm out. Maybe he would, through sheer force of will, calm himself to remain functional. Whatever he did, it would be very telling about a great many things. Maybe now she knew why more information had not been given to her. She resisted the urge to write anything in her notebook, organizing her thoughts mentally for later. There would be time later for taking notes, but for now she scrutinized him calmly, even going so far as to hold herself, her posture, her head, her shoulders, in a relaxed yet confident way, so as not to add any more anxiety than he was clearly already feeling. She controlled her breathing, letting the sound of her breath be ever so slightly audible in its slow and steady ebb and flow. There was no judgement or assumption in her eyes, only observation and patience. It was a delicate balance, but she walked the tightrope with head high and shoulders back, eyes straight ahead.

[hobnob]

Frustration grew as his eyes watched the girl made herself comfortable. Exactly the opposite of what he was. It had not been long since his last smoke, but he was already feeling the effects. Normally it was not so bad, but with nothing to keep him occupied, the youth struggled. The flicking and sparking tick progressively intensified as time went on. To ease the pain, he slid down a little from his upright position, and was now almost horizontal on the chair. There was a bit of a triangular gap between his back, the back rest, and the seat. His eyes still fixed on Shikatsuko as he awaited for her to say something, explain what it was that he was doing here.

Soon, she began to speak, but it was not what Noeru was hoping for; it was a question, and questions did not go down very well when he was in this agitated state. 'Lady... I have no clue. I got a summon. I came. Now what do you want? I have things to do.' The words came out like blunt daggers, aimed directly at Shikatsuko. There was no intention to even soften the words, the youth simply did not care, he just wanted to tend to his needs, and they were growing, quickly.

His lighter hand was becoming more and more restless, and his attention shifted towards it as if he were about to light it and bring the lighter to his face where there would be a cigarette waiting to be lit. The images of this flashed through his mind, and the urge continued to grow. The usual soft features of his face were replaced with features that were rigid, quick, and serious. His breathing intensified, in depth and and rate. All he wanted, was to take out a cigarette from his pouch and light it, right there in that very moment, and rid himself of all this lust.

[Checkmate]

A silence stretched on longer than what was likely comfortable for Noeru before Shikatsuko responded. She still hadn't written any notes, and had simply tucked the boy's summons into his file. She studied him before responding, knowing that it would likely aggravate him, but needing to find the right approach. She breathed through her nose, even though the potent stench of tobacco had already wafted across to her. She wanted to open a window or even just seal off her sense of smell, but she couldn't move, not yet. She couldn't show him that the smell bothered her. It would be unprofessional and a weakness that could possibly be exploited later. The smell brought her back to her youth, but not in a fond way. In many ways, the boy before her seemed similar to how she had been around his age. There was already so much to see. He was clearly an addict. He was young enough that maybe the cigarettes were his only vice, but she expected there were at least peripheral concerns. He was too young to be allowed to buy cigarettes on his own, which left either getting someone older to buy them for him, tricking a shopkeeper into thinking he was old enough, or stealing them. She guessed with how quickly he was showing withdrawal that it wouldn't be too hard to find out which method he used. "I see.” She said, finally. "Well let me shed some light on the situation.” She said, leaning toward him to subtly shift her eye line down closer to his, now that he had slouched. "I am to evaluate you. There are certain psychological parameters a shinobi of the village must fall within, and it seems the village is concerned that you might be dangerously close to falling outside of those parameters.” It was an educated guess. The truth was, she didn't know for sure why they had been called together. If it had been the Hokage's office, she would have gotten more information. This reeked of ANBU or ROOT, more likely ROOT given the boy's rank, but she couldn't be sure. Maybe she could ask Yoru when she saw him next, but that would have to wait. For now, she would work under some necessary assumptions. "I can see that you're uncomfortable. My guess is, it wasn't as easy as you would have liked me to think to extinguish that cigarette.” She paused, letting him deny it if he wanted to. "Smoking at your age is a minor offense, not worth recommending a probationary status. But I'm curious how you get them. It was bold to ask such a potentially invasive question when they so clearly had yet to establish rapport or trust, but with how fast he was reacting to withdrawal, she needed to get to a place where she could leverage his discomfort, and this was how she would use that leverage. And if this didn't work, there were plenty more options to choose from.

[hobnob]

Noeru's patience was fleeting. The chair he was sat in was beginning to irritate him. The room was beginning to irritate him. The girls voice was beginning to irritate him. This whole situation was beginning to irritate him. His flicking intensified and became constant. His gaze a combination of boredom, anger, and a touch of anxiety around the eyes. He knew where this was heading, but did not know what he would do to get out of this mess he had got himself into. The shinobi parameters Shikatsuko spoke of, Noeru was not within them for a little while, all due to the boredom everyday life had caused for him. Smoking was like a get away, it satisfied his needs instantly and gave him the thrill that he was after. And he needed it in that very moment.

When Shikatsuko asked the question, Noeru realized that if he were to be found out that not only he was smoking cigarettes, but also stealing from the people of the village, he would most likely be in a lot more trouble. There was not going to be an easy way out of this, and he would have to lie, and then build on those lies with more lies.

He had a limited number of options; family was a no go as telling Shikatsuko one of his family members bought them for him would lead to a disaster - they did not know he smoked; finding them would be seen straight through as a lie and would lead only to more questions, and she would know he's happy to lie, and that was definitely not something that could happen; his best bet, was to blame aroma country and their salesmen.

'I bought them when I was in Aroma for the exams... Those guys would sell anything to anybody just to make a profit...' His voice seemed confident but the pauses were a little longer than brief as the words formulated in his mind, and struggled as lying was not a good skill of his.

After a silent moment, he returned to Shikatsuko's earlier comment about putting out the cigarette; 'Putting it out isn't an issue... It's the few minutes afterwards that are...' Noeru said his voice was distinctively different from earlier. Confidence beamed through it, this was not a lie but the honest truth.

[Checkmate]

Shikatsuko listened intently as he spoke, remaining nearly motionless. It was clear that the boy was lying. Not even well. She saw flashes of emotion run through him as he pulled together the his thoughts and scrambled to fabricate a plausible story. Interestingly enough, while he was trying to close off one part of himself, the truth about where he got the cigarettes, he opened himself up to her in another entirely unexpected way. If that weren't enough, the contrast between his two statements was clear. She leaned back once more, pulling away to give him more space and to lessen the pressure a bit, though it would not likely help him much at all. The question now was, should she push for an answer and force him to contradict himself? He was clearly uncomfortable sharing with her, at least so far. Maybe another approach. She stood up, holding her notepad and his file to her chest, and gesturing for him to stand. "Well come on, then. If you bought those cigarettes so long ago you must be running out. Why don't I buy you some more?” She offered, expression friendly and genuine. Unlike Noeru, she was an excellent liar, but this wasn't a lie. She walked away from him after studying his reaction for a moment longer, grabbing her jacket and folding it over one arm and grabbing her purse with the other hand after setting her notebook and file on her desk. "I think you'll be more comfortable if we're in a place where you can smoke.” She smiled kindly and gestured for him to take the door out.

[hobnob]

The offer came to Noeru as a bit of a shock. What sort of a higher-up would buy cigarettes for someone his age? thought the youth as he watched the woman move around the room. It made sense to take her up on the offer, after all it's been a while since he returned from Aroma country, and she must have known exactly when it was. His head bounced from the nod he gave in response before standing up, reaching into his pouch and withdrawing a packet of cigarettes from his pouch. Skillfully he flicked it open, removed a cigarette and twirled it between his fingers as if it were a kunai, and finally he placed the filter end in his mouth, lighting it as he walked to the door and opened it, after Shikatsuko gestured for him to do it. The youth had a tingling sensation in the back of his mind. Not sure how he should take this situation, but he was aware that he should be weary of it and to pick his words wisely.

As the door opened, a heatwave hit Noeru. The temperature had risen over the short amount of time they were in the office. Either that, or Noeru was so agitated, that the air was having a negative impact on him. Perspiration was beginning to show up on his forehead and arms as he took a drag on the cigarette. The gray, chemical filled smoke that entered his lungs had a nearly instantaneous calming effect on his mind. The body suffered more, but his mind was returning to its normal self. He brought the cigarette away from his face and breathed out the smoke slowly. Time felt like it slowed down as the chemicals entered his blood stream and rushed to his head. A few steps out the door, and Noeru stopped for a moment, then turned around, looked at Shikatsuko.

'Are you being serious...?'