❧ || Ramen Shop

[HeadlessKoko]

Surprised by how pliable Hono's body was, Kagerou's touch linger for a second and a couple grips longer than it should have. Squeeze. Relax. Squeeze. Relax. Release. So soft. Very huggable. She would need to ask Hono where he got his clothes from, but for the time being, she needed to focus on restraining herself. Properly, Kagerou pulled her hands back to herself. Knowing that her eyes were probably shining brightly with anticipation, Kagerou turned them away so that she wouldn't scare away the shy deer that was Hono.

"A playboy is well," Kagerou started to explain, a little sad that the tease had flown right over Hono's head. However, before really beginning, she shook her head and waved her hand, "Actually, never mind. That's not actually important." She smiled and moved on to the next topic instead. She admitted, almost apologetically, "Actually, the neck muscles were a bit of a guess. I was fishing for an answer, I guess you could say. However, they were an educated guess." To help demonstrate, Kagerou pulled down on the collar of her purple jacket slightly and bent her head away from Hono to expose her neck. Tapping on the muscle that ran alongside her exposed neck, she explained, "My neck is a pretty bad comparison since I'm currently shifting to a more jutsu-focused approach, but the gist of it is that the muscles on Soraru's necks looked more developed than yours or mine. Usually, that's an indicator that someone is particularly physically fit. I just extrapolated that he must train his body a lot to get those muscles." Kagerou relaxed her neck, rolling it around once before straitgtening it. "Of course, like I said," she repeated as she looked into her almost empty bowl, "It was just a guess. Not many shinobi where traditional clothing like you and Soraru, but a good many do cover their entire bodies, so I've been trying to figure out ways to accurately analyze individuals with limited visual information."

Kagerou took a short break in speaking to fish out the last of her noodles and whatever else was left and then to drink the remaining broth all in one go, lifting the bowl up and draining it in one go. Once done, she put the bowl down quietly with a refreshing, "Aahh, the ramen here really is delicious," and poured herself a cup of sake to drink. With a full stomach, she figured she should be okay for at least a couple more bottles of even the strong stuff, right?

Lifting the cups to her lips but just before sipping, the green haired girl turned her red eyes to Hono. "Diagrams?" she asked, curious, and figured she'd take a guess at what he meant, "Ah, such as, wait no." At the last moment, she changed her mind. Her eyes darted to the side in thought then back to Hono. She changed her mind again and went for it anyways, "At first, I thought you meant glassworking diagrams, since you said you were a part of the Hari clan, and they're known for their glass. However, you also said that your preference for diagrams was locations?". Not a particular type of objects but a location? In that case, Kagerou didn't see how they could be glassworking diagrams, but then what kind of diagram would be based on location?

BlackFruity

 

[HeadlessKoko]

No words. More than that. No reaction seen in the corner of her eye. It was even less than just ignoring something awkward to move on with it. Almost like he didn't care. Such a lack of reaction replaced the eagerness in her eyes with the return of curiosity as she glanced slightly over.

The conversation was moving on, however, before Kagerou can assess if this meant Hono was the kind that was okay with close contact. His energy returned, and she was happy to see his eyes light up again. Even if it had been acceptance, she found such passive acceptance almost... sad? It was hard to put into words something she hadn't had much time to think about, so she just smiled happily at Hono while he spoke.

She knew she couldn't trust herself, so she sat much like Hono did, with hands tucked into her lap. Not while she was eating, though. While eating, she kept her hands on the table, where they were busy enough with how she liked to grip bowl and chopsticks or spoon and chopsticks or continued to politely use both hands to drink her sake. After she had finished her ramen and sipped her sake, however, she clasped her hands together between her legs and listened like a good student.

She was perceptive, but it was a shame that she hadn't thought to look, nor had many chances to look, at Hono's hands. The spread of scars at his fingertips would go unnoticed by her as she focused on the calm green pools that were his eyes. She did not know much about glasswork, nor did she expect it to be a mathematically inclined craft, or one that used primarily straight lines. Nonetheless, she nodded. She did understand, after listening to such a simple and sweet explanation, what the soft-spoken worker was saying.

Kagerou opened her mouth, ready to reply as she had thought Hono had finished. The unpredictable thought, however, stopped her mid-breath. She stared blankly, and rather inelegantly responded, "Buh? Oh. Um... Yes..."

Embarrassed at being caught off-guard, she leaned back and raised a hand to her red face. She had been the one to make the joke, but at the spur of the moment. The reason why she had waved off the definition was because she had subsequently felt bad about it because 1) she had barely just met Hono and 2) she did not think such crass jokes were appropriate to exchange with him. Except, here he was, defining them very bluntly. It could have been worse, of course. Very much worse, but even a small smear of dirt on pure white would stand out.

However, Kagerou wouldn't be Kagerou if she didn't stabilize with ease, especially with a matter as small as this. She calmed down in a flash and the red flush also quickly disappeared. "Yes, you're right about the playboy, and the term playgirl is technically what a female playboy would be called. Although, you don't really hear it much compared to other synonyms, like minx or tease if we're trying to remain somewhat polite," her voice came out smoothly, without any of the stutters that would accompany someone still caught off guard, "Sorry, I made the joke thinking your reaction might be interesting, but after it left my mouth, I realized this wasn't the right time or place to make it. Not to mention, I really wasn't expecting you to know, so that also caught me off guard." Following Hono's example earlier, she accompanied her apology with a bow. Though, while she bent her back at a significant 45 degree angle, she did not hold it as Hono had, and straightened up after an appropriately timed pause.

BlackFruity

 

[HeadlessKoko]

The head dip forwards concerned Kagerou. He looked like he had found something to bow about, but previously, Hono's bows had been so carefully controlled. If Kagerou had sensed a more conniving aura from him, she would have even called it calculated. This one felt, more than just spontaneous, like it was completely out of Hono's control. Tired? Out of it? However, he recovered correctly, and certain wounds about being pompous being still rather fresh in the young woman, she decided that maybe she shouldn't be so nagging and simply let Hono be.

It was when she worried for the wellbeing of her new friend that Kagerou's smile finally started to fade. However, once she saw Hono's attentive eyes return, so did her smile. Indeed, he looked fine, she assured her worrying self. If he wasn't fine, then she would be here. She made a mental note to definitely walk him home tonight, just to make sure.

Once again, Kagerou was astounded by how plush, for lack of a better word, Hono's touch was, even when he was taking the initiative. He was so pliable. The force behind his pats so precisely balanced so that Kagerou could feel the intention he wished to convey but not so much that he felt like he was affecting her in one way or another. Kagerou couldn't believe that this could all be achieved merely with talent. However, she also couldn't imagine Hono training for hours on end to achieve this perfect pressure. Then again, those trained in the ways of comfort were precisely those who appeared the most natural and least trained. She looked with speculative interest at her drinking buddy.

While considering how, if at all, to test the waters, she noticed that Hono seemed to be misunderstanding something about. Wishing to clarify, she gently explained, "In general, what you've said is true, but actually, what I'm sorry about is making your friend the butt of a joke at all."

She considers briefly.

Then, taking the leap, she dared to ask, "Perhaps it's just how your demeanor naturally is, but you seem surprisingly unbothered by the talk of sex. I would think you would be easily flustered by it," which had been part of the reason why Kagerou chose and then immediately regretted such an angle, "but that doesn't seem to be the case at all."

In the meantime, she noticed how Hono had already finished his second cup of sake while she was lagging behind at only halfway through her second cup. He seemed to enjoy the drink, but his hands had gone to them rather absentmindedly... Curious. That and the sudden dip of the head earlier. However, her own judgement deceptively foggy, she worried more that if Hono saw that he was ahead of her, his painstakingly courteous self would hold back. Believing in herself, Kagerou finished the rest of her cup in one go so as to avoid such an outcome. To the best of her ability, she kept her outer appearance composed and neat, sipping multiple times at once rather than simply throwing it all back in one gulp so that she avoided looking uncouth. However, she couldn't stop how the sudden surge of hard liqueur sent the budding warmth in her chest shooting up to her face, creating a visible glow in her cheeks and a palpable dizziness in her head. She remained physically steady, however, with only a rapid few blinks of long eyelashes. Kagerou rode out the alcohol driven wave within a few moments, and while her flushed cheeks lingered as they gradually faded, she deemed that she was still clear of mind despite the momentary lapse. Though, it wouldn't hurt to start beginning to take slightly more care in the words she gave out.

She was silent but not idle while ascertaining that she was fit to continue, filling her glass and Hono's to the brim once again, or tried to. The last drops of sake fell into her cup, leaving it just a little bit below the rim.

"We're out," she commented as she settled down the bottle in a collected manner, having determined she was fit to speak by this point. No silly shaking for the last drops from her. She asked with a soft smile, "Would you like to continue?".

BlackFruity

 

[HeadlessKoko]

"I am glad," Kagerou responded with her support of the... pride? She thought it something like pride. Kagerou responded with her support for the pride Hono felt for Soraru. This Soraru being his own man also meant another thing to her. These two were just friends, which was what the likely outcome was to be.

Sexual education is of course an important skill, something that everyone should learn. At least, that was what Kagerou, who often thought like most people did, assumed what Hono was saying. She could catch that Hono sure talked strangely about sex ed, considering it a service rather than knowledge, but she remained undeterred in her assumption. Hono was simply very passionate about sex ed. Yes, indeed, everyone should learn it. Then it would stop spiders from hiding porn mags in the nooks and crannies of the village or a blithe kage from assuming incorrectly that the only difference between men and women were the average sizes of their chests.

Kagerou nodded to Hono's assent to continue, and she raised a hand, coolly asking for another round of drinks. Two fingers were held up, since there were two of them, and the careful leash she put her words on created a misunderstanding when she asked for, "Sake for two, please." Two bottles of sake were presented and Kagerou, while surprised, accepted the incorrect order nonetheless. She was still feeling fine and, as she estimated earlier, she thought she could finish another one or two bottles without much more trouble than getting maybe a little drunk at the end.

Sneakily, she also paid for the meals and the drinks as she received the new bottles of sake.

As part of proper etiquette, she looked to Hono's cup and then hers after receiving the bottles to make sure if they needed to be filled. His still had sake. Her's was, "Huh?" empty, "When did I empty my cup?". Not remembering, but with proof that she had drunk without thinking right in front of her eyes, Kagerou had to reconsider, "Perhaps I overestimated in my ignorance and inexperience..." Nevertheless, she was still filling her cup, and her error only steeled her smile and tightened the leash on her words even further. The sake had been ordered and paid for. It would be a waste to leave it.

Only after she had poured her drink, leaving some leeway from filling it to the brim unlike previously when she would pour precisely enough to fill the cup, and settled the bottle safely on the table, did Kagerou give her reply as she exercised greater care over her actions. This is my first time seeing you this passionate," she smiled in warm acceptance, "I agree. Sex education has long been shunned as improper, but it is important to know about one's body."

BlackFruity

 

[HeadlessKoko]

Kagerou sipped her sake and gave a minimal shake of her head when Hono dared mention that his passion might be obstinate. Such nonsense. Being the nice girl she was, Kagerou always liked hearing about what the other party was passionate about. There was always something new to learn, and it was always so easy to talk to someone when they were passionate. Her words, she watched, so to show her intent, she looked Hono in the eyes with a smile.

No matter what, she kept her gaze locked on Hono's eyes, even when she slowly realized that Hono was talking about sex sex, not sex ed. Although, such a task was easier for Kagerou to endure than most others. She nodded and let out a soft, "Mm," of assent to what Hono had to say, as unbothered as she seemed. A little unexpected, perhaps, but not surprised. She accepted the new knowledge that Hono had quite open views about sex without a fuss.

She had, earlier, already been shocked to hear Hono speak of sex so casually. This was merely an extension of that, really.

Her own family and training, as well, treated the act as a tool, exactly as Hono had just described and for the very same reasons. Her father, the normal one, had tried to approach it modestly. However, ever since Kagerou would question why she needed to work so hard to perfect the act of the ideal lady, it was spelled out to her as clearly as needed: to attract and lower the guards of her targets.

She had her own understanding of why sex was such taboo in casual conversation. That, too, was something she had to understand because it was also a part of social training. For everything, there was a time and place. Moreover, Kagerou did grow up normally, barring the training she received. However, it wasn't necessary to say such a thing. Neither was it harmful, but because it simply wasn't necessary, the extra careful Kagerou maintained her silence on this topic.

However, Hono asked her for her opinion directly, so in the end, she blinked at him and thought about what to say. "Sex is a potent tool," she recited in a low yet still musical voice what she had been taught, "Every tool has their time and place, but do not hesitate to use every tool given." Her hand reached for her glass and delicately sipped some of the sake.

Her eyes raised to meet Hono. There was yet one more thing she wanted to add, "However, it is not shameful to think it precious." She smiled to help him feel comfortable speaking more on it.

Before continuing the conversation, however, there was one thing she wanted to do. She had noticed that, in these past few seconds, he had been staring at her cheeks and not so much her eyes. That was an improvement, she felt, from when they first met. However, the glaze that covered those soft green eyes had a little furrow form between her brows.

"Hono," she called out in that still low voice, hand reaching up without thinking to cup his face and feel for his temperature, attracted by the little signs Hono gave off that showed he was starting to relax in her presence. With how far away his face was, Kagerou had to lean over in order to reach. His skin was not flushed, but his eyes appeared unfocused and distant. She considered her words, and then, deciding she would try to improve herself, mimicked the way of speaking Hono had that she was impressed by. "Would you like some green tea instead of sake?" she asked in a gentle voice and with a patient smile, providing as little as possible that may bias him towards one decision or the other. Not that green tea would make someone less drunk, but that it was commonly ordered when one did not wish to drink. A roundabout way of Kagerou letting Hono know that he should not feel obligated to continue drinking.

BlackFruity

 

[HeadlessKoko]

The sudden stillness and disappearance of the tranquil smile, the ripple that shivered through the green pools that were Hono's eyes, did not escape Kagerou's notice. She lowered her hands and stared deep into him. However, she did not say anything about them, merely giving an extended, "Hmmm," as she broke the eye contact, turned around, and nursed her sake in thought. Though, she did not drink as much as she seemed to be. A sip, and then she spent most of her time nibbling on the rim.

Hono had stated that he was enjoying the sake, or at least Kagerou thought that was where his favor leaned towards, so she did not try to go against his wishes. She was concerned for whatever secrets Hono may leak in his current state, but the most important thing, his health and life, were far from being under any sort of threat.

It was while considering this that Kagerou noted Hono's glass had emptied once more. Since it was customary to fill an empty glass, and by consequence a not empty glass being the sign that the drinker was done for the night, she went to pour more for him, still using one hand to grip the neck and the other to grip her sleeve. Like her cup earlier, she did not fill Hono's to the brim, taking her tipsiness into account and leaving some leeway so that she would not spill.

The bottle was lowered, and Kagerou looked back up at Hono. Still without saying anything, she reached up again, an effort that required her to stand up from her seat to reach. This time, her advance was slow and deliberate, even pausing midway for Hono to quickly duck out if he so desired. She smiled gently, to assure him that everything would be okay. Then there were her eyes, which focused on a sole point on Hono's head, clearly marking her target. If contact was permitted, she would just softly pat the top of Hono's head, a light pressure running through his hair, lifting up, and then repeating in a rhythmic motion.

BlackFruity

 

[HeadlessKoko]

Seeing Hono settle under her touch with such ease eased Kagerou's heart. She had been concerned, when she first saw his reaction to her contact, too much like a child flinching from a strike they had grown far too accustomed to expecting. She had wanted to show him, while the alcohol fogged his mind (and her's too considering how boldly she enacted upon it) that such wasn't the case. Perhaps it was unnecessary, however.

Nonetheless, Hono's hair was soft to the touch. Like clouds... Okay, not really. Clouds were formed of condensed water vapor, through which a charge could travel to induce electricity, making their presence conducive for raiton in certain sit- and Kagerou realized mid-thought that she had been patting his head for a long while, and had even fallen into softly humming some lullaby traditional to one of the Water Country's tribes while petting. Reluctantly, she brought the looping lullaby to its end and lifted her hand from Hono's head for the final time. Her content smile turned into an embarrassed grin, embarrassed for getting lost in thought, all the more accentuated by the red tinge that was now steadily present on her cheeks due to the influence of alcohol.

She stepped back from Hono and, taking her glass from the bar, took a drink, more than a sip but less than a gulp. The sip emptied her cup, so she poured another shot for herself and, if somehow Hono had emptied his drink while Kagerou patted him, another shot for Hono as well. Then she took another more-than-a-sip-but-less-than-a-gulp drink of her newly poured sake. The burn took her mind off of her earlier embarrassment, and after that first drink, she felt like she actually didn't have a reason to be embarrassed. Then after the second, she thought that she might as well also try to see if he would accept a hug.

Considering this, Kagerou turned her eyes to look at Hono up and down, calculating and analyzing from his body language and his facial expression if he would accept a hug and, considering the circumstances drinking would often lead to, if it was a safe move to hug.

BlackFruity

 

[Tenshuyami]

╔══╬═════════════╬══╗

Ｍ Ｕ Ｓ Ｕ Ｎ Ｄ Ｅ ※Soraru※ Ｈ Ｉ Ｒ Ａ Ｉ Ｔ Ｅ

╚══╬═════════════╬══╝

"Truth is not what you want it to be. It is what it is,
and you must bend to its power or live a lie.."

"Ahh...yokatta." A breath of relief left the swordsman, his hands cradling a beverage in pink packaging. If there was anything that gave him comfort, it was cold strawberry milk after a hot bath. It was a certain "bath tradition" that had been passed down to him from an old friend back in the Iron Country. Both its taste and the honoring of an old tradition brought peace to his troubled mind.

Despite the fact that he hid it well, Soraru was left on edge following his earlier mission. At some point his body desired combat, but all that was there for him were diplomatic solutions. There were some thugs that he was paid to rough up, but to call that a challenge would be quite the long stretch. I miss Kaileer. The thought occurred to him without warning while he was speaking with Hokori, and he saw himself out soon after introducing himself to the green-haired girl. There would always be warriors out there who could defeat him, and Soraru didn't consider himself strong by any means. Nonetheless, he felt a goal when the other Hakemoto was around. A fellow swordsman, one who also used lightning and focused on mobility. A void had come to exist where Soraru's aspirations once were, and he found a lack of interest in fighting other Genin in order to fill it. So he trained. In the morning, regardless of how tired he was. In the evening, even if his day was full of hardship. Somewhere along the way, he'd grow strong enough to find another rival.

He initially took the scenic route home so that he could enjoy his drink to the fullest, but a nearby scent urged his stomach to remind him of how little he had actually eaten. Right. Sensei did say that i should eat more often if I want to continue his training. The pay wasn't bad for today's work either. He pondered on whether or not he'd stop by for a moment before ultimately making the decision to eat at the familiar ramen shop. Given that it was smack in the middle of town, the swordsman had grown quite familiar with the place during his time in Konohagakure. Navigating his way to the establishment, he was too drawn into his own thoughts to detect anything strange happening within. It wasn't uncommon for his pensive ways to work against him. His hand moved the paper sheet that divided the stall from the rest of the street, and he listlessly voiced his presence in a way he had many times before. "Good evening, sorry for the intrus-" His normal phrase was cut short by quick movement, a mass of white lashing out in his direction.

While he couldn't decipher all the details in the short time he had, Soraru was able to tell that the one moving towards him with some small object in hand was Hokori Hono. That instant recognition was all he needed to respond accordingly, in a way that wouldn't hurt his white-haired friend. He swerved to the right of the attack before it could make contact with him, using Basai Bagua's method of turning the body to let the momentum go unhindered. Instinct told him to follow up in a number ways, which happened to include both judo slamming the Hokori or shoving him up against the stall, but he didn't feel the necessity of any extreme force. Planning to just step back and observe further, the Hakemoto actually got caught off guard by a weight on his back foot. At the same time he realized that his milk was no longer in his hand, he tripped backwards and fell on his rear end, a tinge of red showing up on his cheeks from embarrassment. Soraru hated looking like a fool. It must've got knocked out of my hands when I turned without me realizing it. That's what I get for thinking too much.

The small pool of pinkish milk near his sandal and the bottle that had been kicked into the street unintentionally were all he needed to confirm his theory. "Ugh. Congrats, Hokori-san. Your surprise attack was incredibly effective. You've earned the great prize of owing me a hundred ryo for my spilled milk." He tried to speak in a teasing tone, but it really just came out somewhat bitter, probably from the whole embarrassed and falling on his a** thing.