Chiaki awoke that day with the sun shining into her apartment from her east facing window, the western facing window showing the orange sunrise cascading colors all the way across the village to the great faces on the mountain. The seven faces there, carved into the immortal stone that watched over the village. It was a bit garish, but she thought, maybe someday, she might be up on that wall.

It was all just a fevered dream, of course, she knew, but she wanted to be a part of that wall anyhow, and as she stared from her window she could almost see her face on the stone, then laughed, she didn’t think that she was anywhere near as great as the faces up there. They all did something extraordinary for the village, for the world as a whole, and as things were now, even in this time of relative unrest there was a laziness about the days, a lack of tension in the air, the unrest that was caused earlier on by Takao, earlier on being not just two weeks ago, was just lackluster compared to the tensions of yester-decade. She didn’t know how long ago those events happened, the exact dates that was, she never was good at history, nor geography, but she knew that she would never get to be at the same level as them.

Not in her short life span. That fact settled into the back of her head as she threw her feet over the edge of the bed, wiggling her toes and feeling the rug beneath her bed squish between her digits. Frowning, she wanted to paint those before they met up today.

Today was the day that she had asked Akaneya to do yoga with her after their exercises and training. Yoga was a way for a ninja to loosen up, besides meditation, and keep limber in the meantime. She often contorted herself after her training, working on her flexibility and her core. She didn’t know whether Akaneya would enjoy the activity, but she had agreed in the rather logical way that she always did. Chiaki couldn’t explain why she thought that was so cute. It was like she was experiencing things as they came, with no real input other than observance, and that cool regard for the world around her made what she did… pure?

She couldn’t put her finger on it, nor did she care to at the moment. She had another reason for meeting Akaneya and she was happy for that, at least, and wanted to share a tender moment with her in the woods. So what if it was under the pretense of training and getting loose after such?

Wiggling her toes, she reached into her nightstand and took out a bottle of nail polish, shook it vigorously and started her walk to the bathroom. She wanted to look her best, even if she had just done training, because she wanted to impress upon Akaneya that she took care of herself. Of course, and also to look cute for her. Setting down the bottle of nailpolish she took both open palms and slapped her cheeks, no, none of those thoughts, just getting to know the girl.

The last time that they had been together though, not long ago, she had… And then the memories swam in front of her face, the walk through the forest to get to the clearing, the song, the unfinished melody, her kissing Akaneya, them both going their own awkward and seperate ways. She wondered if it had been too much? She wondered if their relationship had changed any due to her actions. There was only really one way to find out though, and that was to go and see for herself on a second ‘date’. Hopping onto the toilet, she brought her heel to rest against her rump and extended her toes as far as they could go, putting cotton balls between them. The cotton balls had been fished, rather unceremoniously with many grunts and finger-wiggles, out of the bottom of an almost empty jar.

Her cabinets were mostly bare, as happens when one does not go on missions for a long time and that is the sole source of income. She didn’t much mind, but she would have to do another mission at least to make this next month’s rent. These thoughts bombarded her as she placed the cotton balls between her toes and painted a dark iridescent blue on to the mini canvases.

Next came her finger nails. She painted these the same color and propped her feet on the bath tub, extending her legs and resting her back against the sink’s countertop. Laying her head back onto the cool surface, she wiggled her shoulders so that the bones wouldn’t dig into the hard surface of the counter so much and sighed. Half an hour to become dry enough to get on with her day. She wanted to look cute, but she also had training to do, training that she had neglected as of late.

Chiaki remembered when she had made the breakthrough of her guanyin senbon, made the breakthrough of her new jutsu. She wanted to feel that rush again, but didn’t have the proper discipline, it seemed. A sigh escaped the girl, and she sat there on the toilet for the next half hour thinking of new jutsu that she could develop. Running through what they should be able to do, what their intended purpose would be, and whether or not she was ready to make a technique that was able to kill.

A gulp came from her as she blinked back tears. She rolled her head off of the counter, a sick feeling in her stomach as she checked to see if her nails were finally ready to touch other things. The surface was smooth and not tacky anymore so she would be able to go about her regular routine without a hitch.

Shaking off her clothing, she looked at her frame in the mirror, there was less definition to her muscles than there had been, probably from lack of training and her more sedentary lifestyle as the hokage’s assistant. She wanted to fix that today, at least get rid of the little bit of flab that was hanging out over her hips, or what she thought was a bit of flab. She had a serious habit of checking herself in the mirror with a scrutinous eye, and she always was dissatisfied with where her body was. She checked the rest of her dimensions and sighed, her shoulders slumping and her spine curving. Perhaps someday she would meet the standards of the posters of the girls that hung, garishly, on the walls of the clubs.

Perhaps one day she would get that true hourglass form, but today wasn’t that day. Stepping into the shower, she let the hot water wash over her head for a while, carrying with it all of the hopes, all of the fears of the morning. It took a while, but when she stepped out of the shower, her skin pinkened by the hot water.

Blinking against the water dripping off her forehead she reached for the towel and patted herself dry, which took a bit longer than usual. She didn’t notice, trapped in her own headspace.

The next steps of the morning were rather mechanical. She put on breathable underwear, breathable clothing in general and tied her hair back in a tight braid while it was still wet. Chiaki looked at herself, not really seeing the person there, but checking to see if everything still fit, it was more of a checklist for contours, how the body looked in the clothing than staring at the actual person in the mirror. She nodded, at least the teal and red matching yoga pants and sports bra looked alright on her.

She walked to the kitchen, opened a banana and with one hand prepared a bit of breakfast for herself, which she ate with as much vigor as dressing, which was to say that as soon as she was done and the dishes were washed she didn’t even remember what she had eaten. The dishwasher left open to dry off the dishes and keys in hand, she gave the apartment a once over before she left the place, the silence reverberating and haunting her steps.

It seemed that, as she passed people in the streets, that her silence she carried with her spread to them. The crowd ahead much more talkative and animated than the crowd behind. She didn’t notice as she was walking that her thoughts, her headspace that she was carrying around with her was manifesting itself in a very thin aura around her, reddish, guanyin, the color of lust, the color of blood.

She turned off the beaten path and started to make her way towards the training grounds. The Zeroth training grounds, that was, and when she got to the gates, she looked inside, her hands on the chain link fence, her eyes staring into the forest as far as her sight would allow.

She stood here for a good long while before sighing and stepping back.

Not knowing where else to train she walked along the perimeter and took up a stance a good couple yards off from the entrance, in a small grove of aspen saplings. She conjured her senbon and started to do shadow boxing with them.

Throughout the day, she rested, shadow boxed, and then rested again. It was a good routine, and burned, then replenished, then burned her chakra again. Sighing, a sheen of sweat glistening on her skin, she looked at the time and nodded to herself. It was a half hour before she was supposed to meet Akaneya at the gate they had gone through. She jogged home, keeping up her heart rate and her energy. She grabbed her coat, the one that she had purchased with Akaneya and made her way to the gate, arriving right on time at the predesignated spot.

WC: 1695

Akaneya woke up relatively late. She didn't feel particularly rested, she never did. Sometimes she woke up with an aching back, sometimes with burning eyes. Sometimes she woke up late, sometimes early. Sometimes she woke up from a dream, or a nightmare. Only one thing was certain, and that was that she would always wake up feeling unrested and would remain so for the first moments, minutes, or hours of the day. She had no fixed schedule that demanded sleep here, alertness there, indeed adjusting to the individual needs of each and every day instead. That sort of flexibility was a benefit in the field, and under rapidly changing circumstances.

She sighed, and began to dress. It began with her tight shorts, and her mesh shirt. Over that, the famous black dress she always wore, wrapping up the sash that always bound her waist. Next came the shoes, and for the occasion she chose her closed-toe boots, slipped on, strapped up, all due care taken. It was, after all, quite cold - and boots were just as good as shin-wraps in any case. After that came her short leather gloves, dark brown, almost mahogany. Ah, but one could never forget the leather string bracelet she always wore on her left wrist, and her silver-on-a-string necklace she never went anywhere without. It was her typical dress through and through, comfortable and familiar, comfortable because it was familiar. Perhaps, too familiar. All too familiar.

Akaneya woke in her dank cell. It was humid and cold, as always, but she wasn't chilled to the bone. No, the insulating dirt on all sides of the complex kept most of it out, trapping in the head of torchlight and 30-odd bodies crammed in a single wall-sized cage. She had chosen to sleep in the corner of the room - it felt more secure, more private somehow. Perhaps because it offered less places for eyes to glare at her? Indeed, it was also a smart strategy - it offered less means of approach, she could always see the whole cell and would never be caught off-guard by another prisoner. Good strategy, and one of the more secluded places in the entirely-too-intrusive nature of the mass cell.

Feeling the rough rags she called clothes, Akaneya was pitifully reminded of her situation. It didn't seem many others were awake, and whatever experiments, fights, or activities lay ahead lay well ahead. With that in mind, her grogginess weighing heavy, she crossed her legs into a simple stance of meditation. Already, she could feel the bricks in the walls, the cracks in the bricks, the dirt in the cracks. She could feel all the bodies laying around, the warmth coming off of them. The roughness of the cloth in her clothing scratching against her sensitive skin, and in due time the layout of the space around them. For at least a limited range, she could even see beyond the heavy wooden doors that blocked off the room the cell was in, and the hallways connecting to it.

Every little detail opened to Akaneya's mind in her meditative state, and now, years later, she could almost see every little detail all over again. It quickly faded, though, returning to her lonesome apartment. Despite being so much smaller than that cold cell, it felt infinitely more comfortable and spacious. The clothes that adorned her did not hurt to wear, there were no trials and tribulations ahead to face, the sun shone outside, all was calm, peaceful, and she opened her eyes to see the coat that Chiaki had made her wear on their previous outing. It was the only thing that stood out, the biggest difference between her life then and now. Something she never understood, never had before, and as she cinched the belt and snapped the choker, she felt such a marvelous distance over only a couple of years.

Taking a sigh, she rubbed her eye. The grog was still not entirely off, but Chiaki's invitation was not to be anything too stressing on her. At least, it wasn't meant to start that way. It was only yoga, simple stretching, a humble, slow-paced, and overall calming exercise. It may evolve into something else entirely, but as a starter, Akaneya believed she'd be prepared for more intense training when the time came. With that thought in mind, she patted herself down, strapped her ninja tools to her thigh as she always did, and set out into the street. By that, of course, the real meaning is quite plainly that she avoided crowds anywhere and everywhere possible in her usual manner.

Seeing Chiaki at the gate already, Akaneya was punctual as always. She deftly made her way over, doing her usual graceful dance to avoid clusters of people and navigate the crowd efficiently without making contact with any single person. Arriving at the gate at last, she looked her companion up and down, and uttered simply, "Are you ready?"

Chiaki stood there, waiting for Akaneya and looked up, it wouldn't rain or snow, but it had grown cloud covered. Maybe today wasn't the best day for yoga after all. Sighing, she looked at the ground and then back to where she expected Akaneya to appear. Sure enough, the girl was weaving her way through the crowds, bobbing and weaving her way like an acrobat, clearly trained to interact with large crowds, and not touching anyone. It looked like quite the dance. A bit of heat rose into Chiaki's face as she watched the dance, watched Akaneya's body move. Her face held the same, almost disinterested look to it, but she could see that there was something behind the eyes that wasn't there before. Something that perhaps Chiaki herself had sparked. That made her heart jump a bit, landing softly in her throat as Akaneya approached. She swallowed hard, twice, to clear it.

Akaneya reached where Chiaki was and Chiaki couldn't help but smile a small and soft smile to the other girl, "I am ready," She said, in response to Akaneya. Her eyes flashed with a bit of excitement and she extended her hand to ask for Akaneya's hand in return. "So have you done yoga before, or is this your first time?" She asked, looking Akaneya up and down and then remembering that she had forgotten her yoga mat at home. Oh well, she would just have to find someplace with soft ground, perhaps with grass covering it. A nice place to lie down, kick your legs back up and behind your head and relax into a good position. A tremor ran through her body as she got a chill from the wind that had picked up and it rooted her back in the here and now. She had started to blush again, and looked at Akaneya, wondering if she had embarrassed herself, once again, in front of her.

"I forgot my yoga mat, but I think it'll be fine." She said, thinking aloud, "But I don't know of any particularly good places to lay down and contort myself into positions in." She blushed a bit, and looked out to the forest, "So I guess we might have to try to find a place all our own?" The last was more of a suggestion than a question. She didn't want to lead Akaneya towards anything she didn't want to do, nor bother the other girl unnecessarily.

Akaneya gave her answer coolly - "I've done yoga before. I believe I have, at any rate. I never had an instructor, nor a partner, nor a guide, but basic morning stretches are a good exercise for soon after one wakes up. They prepare the body for the day ahead, while not being too taxing for the body or mind while it recovers from sleep. It is a good way to use time when the body and mind might not be ready yet for the challenges of the day, that nothing is wasted. We must always be prepared to fight, to move, to dodge, at any time, and so such exercises are quite beneficial to our practice."

Chiaki mentioned that she'd forgotten her mat, something Akaneya found quite curious. She'd never used a mat before, and in her earlier days only knew a cold stone floor. Perhaps her bedroll might've counted as a suitable mat, though making a definitely answer out of that supposition would be near impossible. These days, she often used her bed. Indeed, perhaps that was much more close to a mat. It wasn't exactly firm, but it wasn't a hard surface like the floor either. Whatever the case, it probably didn't matter that much in the end.

It was then that Chiaki also noted that they might need to find their own place to do it. Akaneya replied at last, "If it is preferred that we keep indoors, then one of our homes might suit our interests best. This will provide a calming, isolated atmosphere without interruptions in which we may conduct our exercise. If the outside is instead preferred, then I suppose we might do as we did last time, and follow an animal trail until a good clearing is discovered. I would say the choice is yours, I am not bothered under either circumstance."

Chiaki nodded as Akaneya gave her answer. The chill of the wintry weather was settling into her joints, into her muscles, making them stiff, especially since she had just been done with training. “I ah, I am not a good guide. But I could be a good partner perhaps?” She smiled, then nodded as she started to answer the rest of the statement, “It is a good thing to ready the body, but it is also a good relaxer. It can bring people together and make them closer. It can sync a person with another person’s body, make them react as the other person acts like a harmonious symphony, rather than a trilling solo. As for being always ready, always vigilant-” She trailed off a bit and shook her head, “I don’t think that I am very good at that.”

“I ah-” Another breeze blew up her coat and chilled her again. This time she visibly shuddered, “Yeah, probably a good idea to keep it indoors. We can use my place.” She offered, “because I don’t want to bother you… even if you say that you wouldn’t be bothered.” She put a hand behind her head and scratched the back of her neck, embarrassed that she had said that. What was she thinking?

“But, but if you’d like to come with me, I’ll show you where my house is!” She would offer her hand to Aka, and if she would be given it she would drag Aka through the streets as she had done before. If not, she would lead the way through the crowd of people. The dance of not bumping into people Chiaki had learned a long time ago, and working in a hospital, she had learned it well. She didn’t know where Aka had learned it, but it was a good thing to have such an apt partner. They wound their way through the districts, finally arriving at a bright orange apartment building. Quite garish, if Chiaki had to say it herself, but in the sunlight it was almost a burnt orange today.

Chiaki pointed to it, looking to Akaneya and smiling, “This is my building. I’m on the second floor.” The building was a rectangle, the western side facing the administration building, and her apartment was on the eastern side, with both south and north facing windows she picked it out to their right, “That one’s mine.” A small and familiar smile crept onto her face as she looked at it, then focused on the wrought iron staircase ahead of them. The stairs were on the opposite side of the apartment building, but ascending these, she brought out her keys.

The keys were nothing special, but there was a small kitten, gray with a white stomach, blue eyes, and white paws in a begging position was hanging from it, along with a small brown furry otter. The kitten was well worn, but the otter was newer. As she fiddled with her keys and found her apartment key, she pulled back a stray hair behind her ear and opened the door, ushering Akaneya inside and closed the door behind them.

The apartment was smallish. Only 600 square feet, it was comfortable for one person, but most probably uncomfortable for more than one to live in at once. She had her mail stacked neatly on the table with a written notice of past due payment on top of it, in big red letters. She had forgotten that, but hadn’t realized it yet. The table was a quaint piece, able to sit four around it, and two comfortably. It was to the left, as one entered the apartment, with two identical chairs made of the same dark wood as the table itself. To the immediate left was a coat rack, and beyond that was a small china cabinet with a set of dragonware china stacked neatly in the display cabinets.

Beyond the table and chairs to the left,there was a small lounging area with two chairs, a coffee table, all set on a yellow and grey area rug. The pattern of the rug was that of a mandala.

The floors were a faux wood of some sort, and as Chiaki kicked off her shoes, they made a little clattering noise against it. She hung her coat on the rack to her left. To the right, as they entered was the kitchen, really some cabinets shoved against the right wall, interrupted by a refrigerator and a dishwasher. In the middle of the ‘kitchen area’ was an island with a smooth top range. The accent wall was straight ahead in the kitchen, a dark teal color. The rest was a warm off-white almost cream color. Straight ahead the walls tapered into a hallway, on the left of which was the bathroom, the door open and a full length mirror was hung on it to reflect natural light. Another full length mirror was hanging from the bedroom at the far end of the apartment. Barely visible on the left was the bed, and on the right was a poster versioned map of the world.

“Well, make yourself at home.” Chiaki said, taking off her coat and hanging it up on the coat rack, exposing what she was wearing underneath with a warm smile. She had Akaneya in her home!!!


WC: 3013

Akaneya followed Chiaki. She followed her through the crowds, guided by a grip in her hand. She followed her to her apartment building. She followed her into the apartment. When she saw Chiaki hang up her coat, she undid the choker and the belt and the coat as a whole and hung it up right alongside hers. The apartment had a....cozy feel. It was small, but not cramped. Most certainly, it seemed welcoming. Far moreso than Akaneya's ever would be. She could see why Chiaki would call it home, for that seemed exactly what it might be.

She leaned down and fiddled with the straps on her boots. They were tight around the calf near the top of the shaft, and she simply undid the straps. First the left, then the right, and then she unzipped them both and put them beside Chiaki's haphazardly tossed shoes. It was a bit harder to toss secure boots off, after all, but custom dictated that she remove her shoes before entering someone's home. At the very least, she wouldn't want for clean feet. It would seem that Chiaki was quite the cleaner, and had a very organized home. Quite impressive, all things considered - namely the cheery manner in which she conducted herself. In Akaneya's experience, people so consistently and constantly bubbly could rarely manage such organization. Once more, Chiaki managed to surprise her with her utmost competence despite all that Akaneya had observed in the Leaf. What a curiosity, indeed.

Underneath her coat, Akaneya of course wore the same old thing she always wore. The same mesh shirt, the same tight shorts, the same black dress, the same sash, the same gloves, the same bracelet, the same necklace, the same tangled hair. With the same dark eyes, she looked Chiaki over and found her attire quite curious indeed. She had perhaps seen people wearing such things but never truly understood their purpose. One might infer that it was a relatively liberating attire that did not hinder physical activity, but in that case why stop at only half naked? Indeed, she thought her clothes were just fine for the task already. Perhaps Chiaki's dress was more stiff than she knew?

"It is...warm. Comfortable. Clean and organized, as well. Well-kept by all means."

As soon as Akaneya kicked off her shoes and started to survey her surroundings, Chiaki put both pairs of shoes next to the front door in an orderly fashion, placing them both side by side, almost like they were kissing. overwhelmed by the thought that they were kissing and the cuteness of that through, she giggled a bit. She stretched upward after this, her back making a curve as she reached for the ceiling. The previously worked muscles already starting to stiffen. She needed the yoga.

"Mmm?" She looked around and smiled at the compliment, a bit of pink creeping its way into her cheeks, "Well thank you!" Chiaki wasn't used to getting compliments, and well, Akaneya was the first person that she had ever invited into her home. It was well kept, of course, with nerry a thing out of place, but she still had some hidden things that were out of order. There was a stack of magazines that were hidden by the couch that were of all different kinds, fashion magazines, ones on how to conduct oneself on a first date, a plethora of magazines about home improvement, plants, and keeping tidy.

She wanted to show Akaneya around, but perhaps… perhaps she had already seen all there was to see. Still, best to be a good hostess and get her yoga mat out of the closet too. Offering her hand she asked, “Wanna see the apartment?” A bright smile blossomed on her lips. “Oh and I’ll make us some tea and put some biscuits out, do you like chocolate or vanilla more?”

WC: 3281

Whatever flaws may have existed in the apartment, Akaneya was for once oblivious. Either that, or she didn't particularly mind. She kept her own apartment neat, though she was rather minimalistic anyways. There was no clutter perhaps because she simply did not own enough things to cause clutter. The bare essentials was all she knew, and in the luxury and excess of Konoha, she could barely comprehend the options thrown at her. Indeed, like a hermit, she instead chose to isolate herself and continue her ascetic choice of lifestyle. It was all she knew, and to some extent, all she cared to know. Why be lost in decadence and turn soft?

Well, Chiaki's home was cozy indeed. She hadn't turned soft, not that Akaneya knew of at least. It still wasn't exactly bathing in excess, but it was more full than her own. It was through this that she could tell Chiaki didn't live an uncomfortable life, didn't deprive herself of things, and perhaps she could even see the appeal of having a comforting, warm, cozy place to call your own, to come back to. For Akaneya, her apartment was little besides a private space - and in a sense, that was a comfort to her, was it not? All fair, she supposed. It didn't seem to impact Chiaki's ability to train, to function as a kunoichi, to complete her missions effectively and efficiently, and so she could only assume Chiaki didn't let this comfort get to her just as Akaneya didn't let her own get to her. In fact, she dressed in a familiar way because it was, to her, comfortable, what she was used to - comfort was indeed not the problem in any case.

Akaneya placed her hand in Chiaki's when offered, and was told about upcoming tea and biscuits. Chocolate or vanilla? What a question. "I can't say I have a particular preference." she offered in return, and this was true - she didn't. What was there to say? Both tasted sweet, albeit in different ways, and both served the purpose of a biscuit satisfactorily. Function over form, right? Well, in cases of taste, subjectivity had to come into play at some point, but all the same the difference was too minor for her to fret over it. "Whatever your preference is, I think, would suffice."

Chiaki took Akaneya's hand and felt a bit of color rise into her cheeks from her chest, she liked it when she held the girl's hand and she didn't know whether Aka meant for it to be as gentle a holding as it was, but it always made her heart skip a few beats. She pulled Aka along and started the tour, "So this is the kitchen" She said, looking at the pile of papers and frowning, then gave an apologetic smile. It was a bit messier in here than she had remembered. Clearing her throat she continued, "I got the china cabinet and china from my mom, but haven't had a chance or an occasion to properly use them before, perhaps sometime at like... christmas or something." She shrugged and moved around the couch to find a stack of magazines waiting for her.

She realized, having never had company over, that she had left a couple of them open, the topmost one was 'dating tips for the young kunoichi on the go.' The first paragraph or two talked about how it was hard for a kunoichi in konoha to keep up with her love life, and then said that the best way to have a lover, was to find another kunoichi. Buried about 1/4th of the way down, however, there were a bit more lewd magazines to say the least, and Chiaki, once she caught the glimpse of the magazines blushed a deep crimson. "I ah, this is the living room." It wasn't a separate room by any means, but she wanted to continue with the tour, keeping a hold of Akaneya's hand and gently guiding her away from the magazines that were there. On the opposite page, however, should Akaneya look at it, it was 'ten cute tips on how to dress!'.

Chiaki looked to the left and dragged Akaneya down there, opening the bathroom door and flipping on the light switch, showing her the bathroom. It was big enough for her, and was the typical japanese style, with a toilet, sink and washroom all tiled, with a bathtub at the back of the room for soaking. The towels she had were a bright yellow color, and the hand towels resting on them were a geometric grey patterned set. The shower head was opposite the toilet. "The bathroom." She said simply, let Akaneya look into it for a bit before closing the door.

"Next is my bedroom." She said, opening the door and showing off her bedroom. There was a big south facing window, and a smaller, more quaint northern facing window. The room was decorated in a minamalist fashion, and there was a poster of the world on one side, and on the other there was her title as 'hokage's assistant' framed over her bed. Her bed was a four poster bed, full size, and had a comfy down comforter on it. Poking out from under the bed was another one of those notorious magazines that she hadn't wanted Akaneya to see, and seeing it, she looked everywhere but there, growing red. "my desk is over there," She pointed to the north part of the room, where indeed, her desk, a lighter wood, stood. She let go of Akaneya's hand and went to her closet, pulling out her yoga mat from the shelf above where she kept her hanging clothes and showed it to the other girl, "This is my yoga mat. You can borrow it for this time, since you forgot yours." A small grin traced her lips before she moved past and into the kitchen.

"And finally the kitchen." She said, moving left out of the hallway into the kitchen. Most of her cookware was stainless steel, but most of her glassware and general ware such as plates, bowls, and the like, were the same color as her towels, a bright yellow on a semi-dark grey background. She went to the stove and turned it to on, filling a kettle retrieved from under the sink and placing it on the stove. "Tea... what kind? I have Oolong, peppermint, chai, er..." She put a finger to her lips and then rummaged through the drawers of her tea caddy, "orange twist, and black tea." She nodded, then looked up, "and do you take it with cream or sugar?" The question hung in the air a bit as she bustled to the pantry, opened it, and retrieved a pre-packaged tube of biscuits labeled, "double dribble fudge." Opening these, she set half of the stack on a plate, fanned them out so that they fit the countours of the plate, and then set the package on the plate as well.

WC: 4047

The tour guided her through many parts of what she'd thought was a small apartment. It was still small, at least relative to a house, but by all means, like many things, it got bigger on the inside. The first stop was the kitchen, the most imminently obvious thing considering she'd been standing in it for a minute or two at that point. There wasn't much to see except fancy dressings, anyway. There wasn't much time to think about it, as she got rather suddenly pulled into the living room.

Taking in all the details, she noticed Chiaki glancing. She followed it to find an open magazine, nothing too particularly revolutionary. She did, however, notice a bright headline - declaring its knowledge and wisdom in how to dress in a 'cute' way. Akaneya made a mental note of that, wanting to perhaps take a look by the time Chiaki started to speak once more. She was introduced to the living room, she introduced herself silently in return, and was once more dragged away into the great blue yonder by her companion. Watching the glossy glint fade away, she was ushered to a new location.

The bathroom. Well, it certainly was. What more could even be said about it? A bathroom is what it is. There was suitable accommodation for being a bathroom, nothing too eye-catching, glaring, or out of place. The entirety of the room seemed perfectly suitable to its purpose, the tiles waterproof, the towels present, everything clean. Clean, as always with Chiaki, of course. Well, it most certainly was a bathroom - to this, there could be no denial.

Next came the bedroom. There was a map of the world, good for study one might suppose. A kunoichi should always be prepared, to know borders and geography, mountains and rivers, was invaluable when in the field with only minimal tools for navigation. Moreover, as the sign 'Hokage's Assistant' so helpfully informed - was that vanity, or simply relishing in accomplishment? - such a political post would mean studying up on a map might be a good idea at any time really. For just a moment she saw another shine from under the bed, another magazine of some sort, but before any attention could be had Chiaki pointed out the important features. The desk, for example, upon which she could only imagine a great deal of work passed. She was hurried to the closet and shown a 'yoga mat', something she seemed at least slightly confused by. She'd never used such a thing - was this, like Chiaki's strange attire, just a thing that people did? How odd, indeed.

At last, back to the kitchen. As Chiaki rambled out all the types of tea she had, Akaneya couldn't be bothered to know the difference between them. Her tea in times past had been crudely boiled from whatever had been given to her, without care for type, most often just what was cheapest. More often than that had been water, or perhaps sake. When Chiaki had finished setting up, she plainly responded - "I have no preference in that regard either. I've never known the differences between them all, nor have I often had the opportunity or need to. I will have what you give me, unless you have a lecture prepared otherwise."

"No prepared lecture, no." She shook her head, "Just wanted to ask, er... I suppose that I'll base it off of your preference for caffeine or not." She tilted her head and smiled, the pot had started to simmer, making a hissing growling noise within the kettle.

Chiaki bustled about the kitchen, getting out two tea cups and platters, while she was burying herself in the cupboards she asked, "Could you do me a favor and move the couch and the coffee table out of the way for us to practice on the rug in the living room? You can take a seat on the couch afterward and I'll bring your tea. Oh, and perhaps you could bring over the biscuits while you're at it? We can sit on the couch and eat them at our leisure: Before, During, and After the yoga." She looked over her shoulder, smiling sweetly, her eyes squinting from the wide smile before she went back to busying herself.

Akaneya would have five to ten minutes before the tea was done, Chiaki would bring over the tea kettle in one hand, the two tea cups stacked on top of saucers, stacked on top of a hot pad in her other hand, and the hot pad for the tea kettle gripped delicately between her teeth. When she came over to sit, she would smile at Akaneya and set down the tea, opening the tea packets and pouring the tea into the small cups. They were Dragonware, and as such were delicate, but not overly delicate. A powerful black and gold dragon encircling each cup, of course of the eastern persuasion artistically rather than the western.

"It is of little importance. Caffeine can be a crutch, but tea naturally has it regardless and the amount is minuscule." Her comment was crisp and clear as always, maybe even a bit gravely, but Chiaki's request gave her a mission to do beyond her idling about. Good, then. She set out to complete it only but a room over. Starting with the couch, she made absolutely sure that the stack of magazines would not be in the way when she moved it. Cleaning those up, even ordering them properly, would be incredible tedium, a total waste of time. She picked up one end of the couch and swiveled it away, and repeated this for the other side. Just as well, then, the whole of the couch had been moved. The small table was a simpler affair, even less effort involved. The space was sufficiently cleared, and Akaneya did as ordered and took her seat.

The tea wasn't done. Not even close, really. Akaneya reached for that magazine with fashion advice, perhaps hoping to glimpse some sort of wisdom from its pages. All she found instead was nonsense, what seemed to be a confusing list that followed a logic entirely its own, one that she was utterly incapable of comprehending. It almost seemed contradicting, with little to firmly support any given stance. Far too subjective for her liking - albeit, Akaneya had her own logic, her own subjectivity, but it was still largely function over form and could be explained in only a sentence. Wearing a gown at formal occasions was already bad enough, how could she be expected to memorize and follow all these tips without compromising her standards? If this was it, perhaps letting Chiaki continue to pick out her clothing was best. After all, everyone is an expert at something, and Akaneya did not believe that, even if she did get this magazine regularly - she quickly checked the cover to find its title - she would ever put aside the time to read it or any of its kind. Her time was spent much better elsewhere.

A few minutes, or perhaps only moments, before Chiaki brought the tea, she returned it to the pile. The tea followed not long after, and Akaneya wasted no time taking her sips. The fancy cups had, perhaps, left a minor impression before she got right down to business as always. Whatever tea it was, it was probably perfectly fine. She had to admit she never had a tongue for these sorts of things, and in fact already had admitted it before. Oh well, at least it made Chiaki content.

"It's true that caffeine can be a crutch." Chiaki nodded, busying herself around the kitchen and selecting the Chai tea for both of them, "But sometimes it can be used to gain better strength. Warriors, shinobi of the past, used to make epsresso, or rather strong coffee and imbibe it right before battle." She watched as Akaneya went over to the coffee table, picked up the magazine and started reading. Perhaps she would find herself something to amuse herself while Chiaki tidied around the kitchen.

Indeed it didn't take long for Chiaki to sit down and pour the hot water over the tea, letting it steep while retrieving the bag and dipping it back in repeatedly. Looking across the table, her eyes drew a bit bigger as she saw Akaneya sipping her tea already, "Not letting it steep much mmm?" She sipped her own tea, trying to keep up, "I am eager for the yoga as well I suppose." A small smile broke her gaze, as she looked down to the tea and sipped twice more. It was a good thing these cups were so little. Setting her tea down, mostly finished, no cream or sugar for herself. She wanted to get to the yoga, and once she finished her tea she stretched upward, clasping her right wrist with her left.

"That was good." She said, part groan, part purr, then put her arms down and folded her hands in her lap, "So, I have some books that we can follow for poses, or we could just do a bit of free form, teach each other new poses? You know, generally pal around?" She gave a warm grin, wondering if she could get Akaneya to open up a bit about her past, about her daily routine, well... truly, about anything.

WC: 4631

Chiaki made a comment to Akaneya about her rapid consumption of the warm liquid placed in front of her, but the girl was too involved with her drinking and perhaps a biscuit here and there to actually provide a proper response. Had she inquired more properly, however, Chiaki might've come to know something more about her. Her past, her habits, where she comes from and why she acts the way she does. Akaneya had little to hide and little to fear, all that would be necessary were the right questions. Sure, she might not give the desired answers, much as she did not give the desired answers to Zhi initially, but she would give answers at the very least.

Next came a statement by Chiaki, a proposal to figure out the particular means of yoga. Whether to follow instructions or go free-form, that was the central debate. She made a 'hm' followed by a 'hmph', to respond "I have never known any standard forms, poses, or practice for stretches. It almost seems counterintuitive to stretch with structure. The needs of each day are different, as is each body. For that, I suppose we should do more 'free-form' exercises then."

She sat on the cleared floor, "Though I cannot guarantee 'palling around', I can demonstrate what I have learned." She demonstrated a quite space-efficient stretch, as well as the spectacular flexibility she had, by layering both of her feet on top of her knees and folding herself forward until her forehead touched her shins, and her scalp the floor. The arms had little to do in this case, so she folded them behind her back. There was no name for this pose, nothing so ceremonious as instructions, quite simply there was doing. All instruction would simply come from following her movements and form, at least that's what she expected from it.

Chiaki watched as the girl consumed a biscuit or two, drank her tea, and generally went about nourishing herself. Chiaki thought that sandwiches would probably be a good thing to bring next time, or perhaps rice balls? Maybe sushi. Nodding to herself, she sat up when Akaneya started to deliberate upon the subject of how they would do her yoga. She had, apparently, little use for the book that Chiaki had, but rather wanted to do free form yoga. Perhaps she was right, that each day brought about new stretches, new sensations, and new aches and pains that needed tending to with the stretches. She nodded along with Akaneya, she supposed there was wisdom in her words.

"You're pretty wise for how old you are." She nodded sagely, as if she knew of such things as this, and wasn't completely a young adult, same as Akaneya. She had, after all, her own apartment, and was renting it all on her own. Albeit there were several bumps and bruises along the way financially and otherwise, but she was still, after all, an adult. Right?

"I only wish that I was as wise as you." She grinned, and then Akaneya did the strangest thing, she contorted herself into a human pretzel, laying down in a sort of, fetal position pretzel position. There had to be a name for it in her book, but for the life of Chiaki, she couldn't think of what kind of a form this would have. Twisted downward facing horse pretzel. That's what she decided to call it, internally, but she instead praised the girl on her flexibility, "I can't do that. I don't think." Frowning in thought she chewed at her bottom lip as a stray strand of hair decided to tickle her nose. Blowing it out of the way she set her jaw and kicked her legs out, doing half of the splits. She put her hands behind her foot and kept her knee straight, bending low to have her forehead meet her shin and bringing her other foot up under her rump.

"But I Can do this." She grunted, then moaned as her muscles tightened, then started to loosen, some of the lactic acid receding from the tightly wound muscles. "This is about all I can do, for the extent of my flexibility."

WC: 5042

Holding her position for a while, she finally released and uncurled herself, moving back to a standing position in one smooth, but slow movement. Akaneya inspected Chiaki's own position and was sent into thought for a moment. Yes, it was a quite decent position, a good stretch, but it took up a lot of unnecessary space did it not? It worked many things well, but it was inefficient. She looked around briefly, realizing with a mental sigh that there wasn't necessarily a need for efficiency at the moment since there was plenty of space. All the same, she thought of how to improve upon it.

"That is good form, certainly. It provides an excellent deal of stretching to various parts of the body, but it isn't as space-efficient as it could be. Although we are comfortable here, one will not always have sufficient space in other circumstances. If I may..." she placed her gloved hands on Chiaki, waiting for confirmation. Once it was given, she pressed down a bit to see if she could get Chiaki's split to sit lower. Indeed, her corrections would be a bit more trying for the girl, but would help her to shrink it all a bit more.

The next correction was to tuck the leg on her back in a bit tighter. She did this my hand, pulling it physically up, and pulling one of Chiaki's hands to hold it in place. She politely informed Chiaki that she could use both hands if preferred, since they often didn't play a vital role in many stretches and got as good a workout either way. She then tried to see if she could correct Chiaki's back. It was already more or less as good as it could be, but could it be better? Perhaps in a different sense, she mixed it up a bit. She straightened Chiaki's posture a bit, and then pushed down on her upper back, trying to encourage a more straight lean than a curl as had been before. It was here Akaneya informed: "This isn't necessarily a better stretch, but it is a different stretch. It is, at least, more compact, and may work a bit harder." The end result, even if successful, would almost certainly still have some curling of the back, but it wouldn't rely on hunching to reach the leg. "The goal of such an exercise is not to reach low, but rather to use many muscles at once in connection. To rush your way to a low position will provide an artificial limit, but with this posture, it will be a truer test to reach your forehead down to the bottom. Such will simply be a side effect of your performing the stretch to its full extent, rather than being the goal of the position."

She looked over her work, "If you would prefer, I could guide you similarly to the stretch I performed. I would usually not provide such assistance, but sometimes all one needs is to be in the position once to be able to repeat it later. My demonstration may have proven insufficient, but experiencing it personally might provide a better understanding and an ability to do it on your own. Rather than a crutch, instead a guide."

Chiaki nodded as Akaneya asked if she may, more of a non-verbal agreement to let the other girl touch her. Was this really happening? Was she going to be so close to Akaneya? She was going to be touching her?

A giddy feeling rose in her chest, leaking into her face as she kept the position held and Akaneya's firm, but soft grip helped her to bend down. Chiaki breathed out slowly, feeling the stretch intensify, her eyes closed and she inhaled to exhale again, but as she inhaled she breathed in the scent of Akaneya. It was the smell of leather, the smell of skin, the smell of the forest that she had been walking through. The smell of bark and wood, and the smell of loamy earth. It was a down to earth smell, and while Chiaki didn't usually notice those smells, she certainly didn't find them unappealing, much the opposite.

As she had Akaneya's help with her stretching, she became acutely aware that her heart was beating faster, she was perspiring a bit, blood was rushing to her skin. She was becoming more and more aware of her own heat, the heat of Akaneya beside her, with her hands on her. Swallowing to try to get a grip of herself, she wondered if Akaneya was aware that Chiaki was having as good a time as she was, or if she was aware that Chiaki was feeling as she did in this moment.

"It is a different stretch." She nodded along, tilting her head to the side, her ear now against her kneecap. "I didn't know that it could feel this tight. It reminds me of when I was younger, and less limber." She giggled, the sound of the bubbly noise filling the apartment as she looked at Akaneya with a fondness and gentle look in her eyes.

"So the goal is perfection, and the result is my head touching the ground." She nodded, "that makes more sense to me than actually trying to put my head to the floor.”

She straightened, relaxing her muscles, her rump and hips now pressed against the rug, feeling every contour pressed against the floor she realized that she was more against the rug than she had been, she nodded, “I actually would like that very much. I don’t know how you did it, but perhaps it would be a good position. It, it would certainly lend itself to helping with keeping me loose, not too rigid in training.” She coughed, “Amongst other activities.”

Her mind might have gone a bit to a different subject but she held tight to it, didn’t let it squirm free. She didn’t want those thoughts to get loose. But with the magazine, with the closeness of Akaneya, with the tenderness they were showing each other, she couldn’t help it.

It was bound to slip through in either her actions or her words.

WC: 5540

(Akaneya's WC: 3809 for purposes of using this thread to rank up in the midst of writing :D)

Chiaki seemed more than welcoming of her guidance. That was good, Akaneya supposed. She'd never really been in a position of mentorship and authority before, and Heaven knows she never imagined herself taking up such a position either. She was crude, crass, direct, and at least slightly misanthropic. The morals she had to teach people were not the morals people wanted to hear, and she despised the little snot-goblins to the last for their weak-willed rejections of the realities of life. Given the circumstances, how could anyone reasonably expect that she'd slowly and methodically take her time to be an instructor, rather than throttle her protege for failure?

The circumstance was different, though. Chiaki wasn't like them, she was better than them. Her own humility despite that circumstance only showed the depth of her understanding. It was something she never expected to find in the Leaf, where even the leaders - even those she swore to serve as a weapon to her best ability - were often overly emotional and burdened by frivolity. A few good men had come through to be certain, and for their flaws, they still had a hardened core that saw all for what it truly was. Indeed, it was more their defense of the snot-goblins that Akaneya questioned than any of their actions or behaviors. They were wise, thoughtful, scheming in all the proper ways. They were better.

As Akaneya watched Chiaki unfold her body, she gave a simple command: "Sit." The girl would do so, of course, as part of the instruction. It was interesting, and most peculiar that Chiaki listened and followed such commands so freely. It was, of course, another sign of a good kunoichi - to do as commanded without question - but Akaneya had never known such authority in her past. She thought of the peasants she'd brutalized, families terrorized, the things she'd done to keep order and shut down the dissenters of her master. That wasn't authority, though. That was fear. Terror. Brutality. She knew power, but women like her might never know respect and, of course, authority.

As Chiaki entered the lotus position, a fairly standard start to the stretch, Akaneya reached down. "Lean forward," she commanded, "As far as you can." She placed her hand on Chiaki's upper back, just a bit further down than the nape of the neck, and pushed down a bit further. The stretch was mostly complete at this point, having pushed her just a bit further than her normal limit, but as always there was nothing for the arms to do. Pausing for only a moment, she pulled Chiaki's arms into a crossed position behind her back, holding them there for a moment, palm-to-elbow, before releasing and stepping away to view her work.

A memory stirs. A cold, dank cell. Large, but lonesome. Dark. Nearly pitch darkness. Alone, quiet, no sounds but the echoes of her own breathing and the occasional muffled sound of footsteps beyond the heavy door. The only light in the room is the candles in the hallway shining through the crack under the door. Sore arms, crossed behind her back. Coarse hemp rope tightly wound and bound, scratching her forearms with each small movement she made. The upper arms fared not much better, being squeezed tight against her ribs. Hard to breathe, still, stagnant air, chilling in her lungs with every breath. Her eyes closed, though it made no difference. She curled into a tight form, legs crossed, torso slouched over. Basic stretches, twists, contortions to pass the time. To maintain fitness when her bindings wanted her to keep still. No moment must be wasted, but little else was possible.

Chiaki was doing well, considering it was probably her first time in this position. Well enough, anyway. "With enough practice, such compact positions will become a natural means of exercise under nearly any circumstance. Learning to use even unwelcoming accommodations will ensure advantage on the battlefield over those who cannot."

Chiaki strethed up, and then a command came. She sat without really thinking about it, her eyes going up to Akaneya, a bit of confusion hidden there. She blinked twice, didn’t really think much about it until she had been sitting there for a little bit. Why did she sit at Akaneya’s behest? Perhaps it was the tone, the tone that brooked no resistance, no tolerance for anything but for Chiaki to obey. Perhaps it was because she was being instructed already, and had asked for this. Perhaps it was because she wanted to be close to Akaneya, to feel her next to her again.

Whatever the case, she sat down, looking for all the world like some sort of pet. She looked up, the hopefulness there in her eyes, the silent plea to not stop with just giving her the command to sit. Perhaps she would learn something about Akaneya, rather than just learning something through her. She had learned so much. That she didn’t take her time with her meals. She didn’t tolerate tardiness, sloppiness, nor frivolity for frivolity’s sake. She didn’t understand cute, but thought it a useful tool for espionage and that utility trumped looking good any day in her eyes. She loved to be in command of the situation, rather than a pawn in someone else’s machinations, but knew how to take an order when she was given one. She was a machine when it came to applying herself to a problem, but given a conundrum would sort of short circuit before taking the shortest route to the goal that she could find.

It was rather cute of her, Chiaki thought, as she stared into the eyes of the person that she… well, she didn’t know how to feel about Akaneya, she was, after all, her junior, and she didn’t know whether she was overstepping herself with kissing her in the first place. The way that she felt though, she couldn’t help that.

Chiaki assumed the lotus position, her hamstrings straining as she did so. She probably should have stretched before exercising today, but stretching after was a necessity too. She closed her eyes and exhaled, letting her body fall limp against the straining muscles of her butt and her back. She felt her neck crane forward, and then the touch came, an electric thing, that pushed her forward, beyond her boundaries, past them. It pushed her in a way, towards what she was already feeling, a sense of belonging, a sense of trust in Akaneya. It was a gentle, but stern push down, an instructor would have done the same, but was it Chiaki’s imagination, or was it too tender to just be an instructor’s touch?

Then her instructor, Aka, or perhaps her friend? Friend was too strong a word now no? She started to get hot around her face as Akaneya, whatever she was to Chiaki now, pulled her arms back, her latissimus dorsi strained from the working, she looked at the ground, her muscles straining for a bit before she was given praise, “Thanks, it uh. It is really tight, but I don’t know how it would be if I hadn’t worked out before this. I trained a bit to get out of a bad headspace.” She shook her head, she had overshared. Sighing, she leaned forward and let go of her emotions, let go of the room, there was just her… and the stretch, and it payed off. She slumped forward another couple inches and her arms started to go more limp, rather than straining against the tendons there.

"What next?" a simple question rang out from the blue kunoichi, relaxing there, she tipped her head to one side, then the other to loosen the muscles there too.

WC: 6187

"You trained to clear your mind?" Akaneya posed the question with a certain surprise, perhaps a curiosity, and she paused to think. To process what she had just heard. "That is...healthy," she concluded, "To be working to improve yourself under any circumstance, that is what leads one to excellence. To become an insurmountable obstacle to your foes, to become the sharpest blade for your master. If the body is unwell, then train the mind. If the mind is unwell, then train the body. To not be limited in your capacity by emotion, that is a central pillar to true strength."

And then the question rang - what happens next? Well, Akaneya wasn't entirely certain. She didn't really have a plan by any means. They had agreed earlier to more improvised exercises, after all. She pondered the question for a moment and shrugged, starting to take a stretch of her own. The two kept their stretching going for some time, nobody was truly keeping track of the specifics. Sometimes Chiaki would offer a stretch, sometimes Akaneya, the latter of course sticking to 'space-efficient' methods as she was wont to do. They ended the exercises temporarily for a brief break, sipping out what tea remained, with proper conversation of a sort this time to slow down Akaneya's constant rush.

The conversation drifted. It wasn't anything too particularly substantial, Akaneya perhaps talking about recent missions and some of her means of stretching, describing how the efficiency of used space can make a big difference in its applicability across many situations. Soon enough, though, Akaneya commented on the magazine she'd peeked at. The tips for dressing 'cute', she recalled that it still didn't quite explain Chiaki's choices for her. Chiaki went through the bother of fetching it from the pile, quite easy since it was on top, and they discussed the contents a bit too. Akaneya listened intently but still did not fully grasp the reasoning behind fashion and style, nor the purpose it served, but she could at least respect that it was seemingly an art of its own. Although she peered at the other magazines in the pile, Chiaki pushed her away and the two got back into their exercises instead.

They continued and Chiaki began to bemoan some pulled muscle or another. Akaneya, of course, was trained in battlefield first aid - and tried to apply this. She untangled herself from her current stretch and went over to Chiaki, kneading the muscle to the best of her own ability. It was hardly a professional massage, but it should suffice to work out whatever stress and issues might be felt there. She even took off a glove to do the deed, though it went straight back on after she was finished. Akaneya prepared to resume her stretching when Chiaki chimed in - offering to return the service that had been lent. While she didn't really see the point in such a thing, as she did not ache, but Chiaki was insistent enough that she relented. Taking her seat, she let it happen - feeling the much more expert kunoichi work her magic.

Certainly, by the end of it, she could not say anything was worse for it. Indeed, she felt much more relaxed than she'd been in quite some time. Their exercises continued just a bit more and, as the time came for Akaneya to leave, she made no haste but no reluctance to leave. Quite simply, she expressed that the session they had shared had been spent well, and bid her partner farewell. That was quite an interesting start to her day, certainly.

[EXIT]

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“Indeed I did.” Chiaki would nod to the question of her training her mind. It was healthy, but she sensed a bit of confusion coming from Akaneya, was she not supposed to be training her mind? Had she lived up to some hidden expectation? She felt a little more self conscious with the imaginary scrutiny she was under, not that Akaneya was meaning to be scrutinous, just that Chiaki was all too good at letting people into her head, even if they had no intention of ever being in there in the first place.

“I ah, I get it, but I don’t really want to be an obstacle for anyone. I just want to hone myself to be like a scalpel. Precise, cutting away at the necrosis of this world, until there is only the healthy left. Only the people that truly want to better the world and those around them.” She shrugged, “I want to help as many people in this life as possible, and if that means that I have to crack a couple heads on the way to that goal, then so be it.” She clenched her fists, thinking about how tiny they were. That five foot nothing kunoichi could pack a punch, but she was still small, and still felt small in that small apartment of hers.

It was good to get some praise though, especially that she was headed in the right direction. “From what I can tell, you yourself are strong, and quite unwavering. You seem precise, accurate, and want to do as best as you can given whatever adversity or situation that you are given.” She nodded once, “It’s what makes you such a good person. You are attentive and react to the situation with each moment, rather than letting past experiences marr your overall approach to a person or situation. True, you do know how to handle situations from the past, but it doesn’t seem to cloud your judgement of the… here and now. It’s very Zen of you.”

The two girls started to do their own poses, each one a bit cookier than the last. Or at least that was what Chiaki thought. She cleared her throat as she looked at Akaneya, who twisted herself into a knot, completely letting go of herself in the pose. Chiaki attempted the same, grunted, twisted some more, grunted and gave up. She laughed and smiled at Aka, who nodded to her and bent her into the position. She explained how this position would be good for her legs and thighs, as well as being the most efficient use of space.

Chiaki nodded and they actually got to talking, “So when is your birthday, I don’t think that I have ever heard you talk about it or anything like that.” Chiaki asked, tilting her head to the side and smiling at the girl sitting across from her, sipping tea out of her dragonware. She had never had the chance to use it, and she was excited and pleased to have someone over that she could share this moment with.

She was told January nineteenth. That was so close to now! Looking at the calendar she had a couple of things race through her head as to what to do for her birthday. Perhaps she could take her to a movie? Perhaps she could write her a poem? She had no idea how to do that, stupid stupid.

Hitting herself in the forehead with her fist she sighed. She had no idea what to do for Akaneya’s birthday that wouldn’t either traumatize Akaneya, or make a fool out of herself.

Soon enough, Akaneya asked about the magazine that was sitting on top of the pile, which she had seen Aka pick up while she was making tea. She nodded as she did and said, “Oh that? Yeah I do get a lot of my ideas from that but it isn’t a hard and fast rule as to what is cute and not cute. It is mainly for ideas.” She flipped through the pages to a virgin killer sweater and pointed, “there was a girl that had one of these that I really liked on her, but as soon as I tried one on myself, I didn’t really enjoy it. I don’t have the body shape, nor the poise to pull this off without getting myself into trouble.” She tapped the magazine, showing how low the virgin killer sweater was cut in the back, and then showed it from the side. There was a buxom woman there, in the picture, and she was able to pull it off. But with such small dimensions, Chiaki was just outclassed in that regard.

“Cute is.” She sighed and pulled her hands together, then spaced them out and then twirled her fingers before blowing out a rush of air and scratching the back of her head. “Cute is something that others make, and that you can feel in your chest. It is a gut feeling that you look good today. It is pride in the way that you are portraying yourself, and also it is about fashion, yes, but not about everyone else’s fashion. It is about your own fashion, how you portray yourself, and how you are viewed by others. There are many facets which I can’t explain, but if you add it to your vocabulary you will probably run into others that are able to tell you what their thoughts on cute are.” She shrugged, “My taste for cute is different than others. Snakes are cute for me, but they aren’t for other girls. Otters are cute, just plain and simple, and I don’t know of many people that say that they are not. Uhm…”

She pointed to the picture with a girl in a business suit and tie, all too baggy for her frame and with a fedora dipped low in a sensuous fashion, “I don’t think this is cute, but since it is in this magazine, someone somewhere in konoha thinks that this is.” She smiled, “So really, it is all about keeping up your appearance.” She nodded, “Oh, and old clothes, old things are usually not cute. Vintage is, and cute things can appreciate over time. But most things won’t age well.” She flipped through the pages and pointed, “Lace usually ages well, and will be popular now, and well into our golden years.” Flipping past that and to a more art-deco style of bold colors and brazen makeup, “This however, won’t be lasting too much longer, as the style is changing and if you have it and it is old, you most likely will throw it away as it won’t come back into style.”

She looked at Akaneya, who had grown bored and nodded, smiling and drinking her tea. She soon picked up a magazine with a scantily clad woman, making a rather lewd pose on the front. It talked about different positions to try, how to find your true love, and what would ‘drive her wild in the bedroom’. She grew extremely red and shook her head, her tea cup clattered against the saucer as she took the magazine gently, but sternly from aka’s hands. She was beet red, “That one is a personal choice and- and- and- and I don’t think you’d find it very good. It’s all about superfluous girly things. It is just - just my personal take on the world of - of fashion for under wears. And and it gives good advice for er… how… how to treat other people in a good fashion. You’re already good at that so you don’t need it.” She laughed, it was a bit too loud and a bit off pitch, too high, too shrill for it to be comfortable laughter. Scrambling and placing the magazine under the couch where it wouldn’t attract any more attention they moved into some other poses before Chiaki’s shoulder started to cramp up.

Akaneya decided that she would help her with that knot, and kneaded her back. Chiaki sighed in contentment, allowing Aka to send her to a new world of pleasure from having her back rubbed. She had never had a massage from a friend before, and certainly, it was a good bonding experience. When she was done, she smiled and nodded, rolling her shoulders. Aka was already getting into another position before Chiaki shook her head, “Reciprocity is the way to build friendships.” She nodded as she went over and then started her own massage. As she did, she started to knead her own chakra into the massage, a dark teal color coming through her fingertips, coursing through each movement, finding and replacing the cells that had been pulled apart and repairing any damage that Aka might have had. It was a technique that she hadn’t perfected yet, but that she hoped to perfect someday.

As their time came to a close, Chiaki reluctantly let Aka out of the door and closed it, slumping down the door as she did so and burying her face in her hands, kicking her feet out and fanning her legs in front of her. She had just had her first friend over. A high pitched and excited squeak came from her as she turned a bright red and the joy of that moment permeated the rest of her day.

She picked up the dishes, washed the rug, tidied the house and pattered here and there for the rest of the day, really just putzed about. All the while she thought of ideas for Akaneya’s birthday which was coming up fast. She started to plan and took out a notebook.


She would need to work quickly to set it up. First was to get the key to Aka’s apartment without her knowing, and then go in and… She scribbled out that and sighed. First was to pick the lock on Aka’s apartment and decorate it. Since she liked the color purple and black, perhaps she could get those colors, and make it a dark themed birthday party.

She nodded and started to draw up a cake, perhaps with a purple theme? She nodded to herself and took her time doing it, before long she looked up, having planned out the entire day and blearily looked around the room.

“I don’t know what time it is, but I feel stiff from all the sitting.” She got down on the floor and started to stretch once more, not wanting to take more time than she needed, nor as much space as she did, she sat down and put her feet on top of her knees, breathing deep and put her arms behind her back.

She bent low, the muscles in her lower back straining as she bent forward, letting the air slowly out of her to reach the floor, her forehead touching, finally as her mind calmed, the world faded away and she sat there for a time.

The sun dropped low in the sky, the light fading to a golden orange, dipping all of Chiaki’s apartment in royal colors that cascaded off of the floor and countertops, shined from pots and pans above the stove, and radiated from the mirrors she used in her apartment. In that small apartment lived a small kunoichi who tried in her own very small way to make sure that Aka never felt small, or forgotten.

|Exit thread|


WC: 8118

Using this to get 4 A ranked techniques.

Otters breath, Giant Guanyin Otter Nuzzle, Otter's Sleuth, Otter's Dispersion.

techniques I would like to learn: