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Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 9:35 pm
Karuto's quinceanera. Takes place sometime after the founding of the muscle mansion.
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Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 9:48 pm
You know what was hard? Tying a tie with one hand! For the fourth time in a row Karuto ripped the knot from around his muscled kneck and began fumbling at it again with his STUPID SAUSAGE FINGERS GOD DAMMIT HE HAD TO START OVER AGAIN! His anger was bordering on the comical at this point! He laid the tie out over his shoulders and measured it correctly and then, for the fifth time, began the annoying process of trying this stupid piece of cloth in the correct manner. God so help Lahlil if she had asked him to get all dressed up and meet her near the town square for nothing. The newly elected Hokage may have been all 'shock-n-awe' to everyone else but he remembered her dorky Suna days! It had been less than a year since the war ended with him losing his arm and her ascension to the highest position in the land. During that period they had seen each other only a handful of times. She was, obviously, busy with restructuring the new village and picking up the pieces left behind. He, on the other hand (hehe), had been relatively...oh...what's the word? Bored-out-of-his-f*cking-mind! After he wrapped up physical therapy and had thrown away one half of his glove collection he had been pretty much twiddling his thumbs...-er, thumb. Turns out it's pretty hard to be a handi-capable ninja, and so retirement hit him like a freight train. While it was sad to be sure, his side project had been doing quite well. The gym was growing in popularity, and despite the No-Masato policy, business was booming! Now, if only he could figure out this DAMN KNOT!
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Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2019 7:44 am
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Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2019 8:25 am
He had somehow got the knot tied and had even sat down at a quaint little outdoor cafe when he heard the first notes of the parade. The beating of the drum was so unexpected it nearly caused him to spill his mimosa. The war veteran whipped his head towards the sound of the noise, expecting an immanent threat. Instead, what he saw caused his jaw to fall slack with surprise. Lahlil, little introverted Lahlil, was literally leading a parade. As the parade wound its way down the street and into the town square on which he was stood at the edge of, Karuto just stared at the Hokage in amazement. The whole situation was so unexpected- it left him stunned! He pushed his way through the crowd to her; being over seven foot tall made it quite easy. Once he drew abreast of the Hokage he realized the packed nature of the crowd caused the two to stand much closer to each other than courtesy would usually allow, and all the better as the cacophony of the celebration made it quite difficult to hear. Leaning down so that he could speak almost directly into her ear he called out "What is this?!" He tried his best to be louder than the surrounding fanfare, but who knows. He turned his head in kind to hear her reply, all the while stooping over to account for the substantial height difference between them
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Posted: Wed Aug 21, 2019 11:19 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2019 9:06 pm
As she threw herself at him, Karuto instinctively reached out to catch her. He found her face mere inches from his and his hands on her hips- wrapped up in a rather intimate embrace. He was glad she was so close, otherwise she might have seen the blood rush to his cheeks due to her proximity. He vaguely noticed the confetti that fell down around the intertwined pair, but the lions share of his focus was on her. The world seemed to fall away from them- the entirety of reality confined to the space that remained between them. He could smell alcohol on her. That explained her actions to him- a drunken overstep. Far be it from Karuto Raiken to press anything with someone in such a state, so in a modest voice he replied "Uh yeah, I love it! But, really, It was nothing- just doing my duty" When she mentioned that she had a second surprise for him and whispered in his ear, chills ran down his spine. He desperately wanted to take her by the hand and sprint to wherever she wanted to go, but cooler heads prevailed. He withdrew from her a bit, making sure to meet her gaze with his own. Through a slight smirk, he said "What did you have in mind, Lady Hokage?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2019 6:35 pm
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 9:03 pm
In response to her demand for informality, Karuto swept his leg back and executed a rather ornate, and impressive, sweeping bow "As my lady commands" He arose with a childish grin on his face, always amused at poking fun at Lahlil. He held onto that smile even as Lahlil led him across streets, down alleyways and through every back-woods route she could find. When they eventually reached their destination, Karuto seemed more bewildered than anything- the man had no clue where he was! As Lahlil went off to do whatever it is she came here to do, Karuto took a seat on the bench. He chuckled softly at the sight of the Hokage struggling to climb a tree "Just headbutt it until it falls over!" He said between soft laughs. Eventually, Lahlil got to the top and retrieved whatever it was she had squirreled away up there earlier. Once she had the package in hand she made her way over to him and presented to him...a jumpsuit? He took the cloth into his hand and ran his fingers over it. It seemed ordinary if not well-made. But, still, he could tell it was made by hand and judging by the size of his clothes it must have taken the woman months to sew. For the simple act of the time required in it's creation by a person Karuto respect, he cared for it. Looking up from the bundle into her eyes, he smiled warmly at her "Wow. Thank you Lahlil. This is more than I deserve. Why did you hide this in a tree though- wait, did you say Sannin?" Standing bolt upright, he now moved with a wild, enthusiastic energy. He pointed a finger at his face, a mask of surprise "Me?!"
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Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 4:41 pm
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Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2019 5:32 pm
He allowed the woman to pull himself down to her level at the bench- more or less following her lead. As he sat down on the rough stone block, he couldn't help but gawk at the picturesque day laid out before them. It was one that made him just glad to be alive! The enjoyment was only multiplied when Lahlil leaned her head against his arm. While she spoke about his actions during the war, Karuto chose to remain silent. His smile lessened by a slight amount at his recollection of those events- the lead up and battle that had cost him his right arm. She was right though. He had fought for her- not for the leaf. But he didn't consider it to be selfish on her part. She was trying to help others and had merely used her most dependable tool. He couldn't fault her for that. But, regardless, he remained silent, for he did not wish to drum up past ills. However, when she brought up Katsumi, Karuto couldn't help but letting his jaw drop in surprise. He didn't know know she knew her! But when Lahlil said that she had followed them on their one, and only, date...well, let's just say he was glad she couldn't see how red his cheeks were under that beard "Uhh, no. I think it's natural. I guess it really depends upon what it is you covet" Then, inspired by some sudden burst of courage, he continued "For example, I wish I was half as brave as you are, Lahlil. The things you've seen, the things you've done...I couldn't have survived them" He spoke softly, leaning into her a bit as he did. He knew not where this brash action came from, but in the moment it seemed appropriate, so he let his passions rule him if not for a moment.
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Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2019 12:17 pm
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Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2019 11:33 am
It was like an explosion- a torrent of water breaking through a dam. Everything he had been thinking, everything he had been about to say, washed away by the Hokage's kiss. Things fell into place for him in that instant, things he had not even recognized as awry. The reason he felt so protective of her, the reason he had fought for her as he never had another, all these things became apparent at that moment. The feelings that he had been vaguely aware of but never paid much attention to bubbled to the forefront of his mind and stepped into the forefront of his very being. As she pulled away, he exhaled a deep breath. "Well that.." Whatever he had been about to say was lost as she leaned her head against his chest. Instinctively he wrapped an arm around her diminutive frame, enveloping her in an embrace that not even Evergreen could force her from. In response to her apology, Karuto squeezed her gently "Everything I could ever need has already been given. Thank you" He didn't know what the future held for them. He didn't care. He sat in silence, living in the quiet companionship forged between the two after neigh on a decade of hardships. For the rest of his life whenever times got tough or Karuto became discouraged, he would remember the day in the park with Lahlil and would smile at the recollection of things long past.
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