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Naruto Saga » Kaze no Kuni » Sunagakure » Excavation Site » Roundabout Celebrations [Private | Invite Only]

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Keiko

Keiko


D-rank
It was six in the evening. And a certain kunoichi was facing one of the biggest dilemma in her life. Back in Kirigakure no Sato, Keiko paid little to no mind of what she wore – in fact, her usual daily outfit consisted of a pink sweater, shorts, and practical black boots. A strange combination really, but it was comfy. The temperature never really bothered her, and she didn’t feel the need to dress any other way. But now it was different. So many factors to consider, so many complications that called for a change in lifestyle. At first, it was the heat. The unbearable heat of Sunagakure forced her to dress in ways that would somehow both spare her from the heat and protect her pale complexion from the sun. This took weeks of experimentation until she built herself a decent wardrobe of appropriate clothing.

At that very moment, the contents of her drawers had been flipped inside out, clothes strewn across the one-bedroom space that she was currently an inhabitant of. Never had she experienced the need to be fashionably presentable. But tonight, that skill was something that she required. Throwing a random oversized t-shirt over her shoulder, she picked up another piece. A dress? She glanced at the small selection of light sundresses that she possessed. No, too casual, more suitable for the day than the night. And certainly not what she wanted to be caught in at the pub. Shorts? But she had nothing that she felt like pairing them with. Not tonight. Chewing her bottom lip, she gingerly stepped over the long-sleeve pile. As she did so, she spotted an article of clothing that appealed to her current taste. Picking it up, she placed the black, sleeveless high-neck crop top against herself and glanced in the mirror. It’ll do.

Grabbing a pair of high waisted maroon pants to go with it, she changed in under five minutes. The high waisted pants worked well with the crop top – with only a sliver of skin from her midriff showing. Swinging a small handbag over her shoulder, she headed off towards the designated location, unable to believe how long it took her just to decide on what to wear. Kobi’s pub, Kobi’s pub … she vaguely remembered passing by the establishment during the day, but as expected, it was harder to find in the evening. It was nearly a quarter to seven, and it would take her another ten minutes of wandering around before she found the rather small entrance to a cozy little pub. Pushing on the door, a bell tinkled to announce her entrance. Her eyes took a while to adjust to the darkness, and she began scanning the area for the person she had spent the past two days waiting to meet. Although small, the establishment sported both tables and booths for privacy, with a bar quite obviously in the center of the establishment.

Keiko wasn’t used to coming to places like this. From her past experiences, she knew that she wasn’t as light-weight as her size would suggest, but that didn’t mean she drank frequently. Bars … pubs … all places she did not frequent, mostly because she normally didn’t have anyone to go with anyways. It wasn’t that she didn’t get invitations … they just tended to come from sleazy individuals she had only recently met.

“Hey, ojou-chan, here alone?” Speaking of sleazy individuals. Keiko eyed the approaching figure, who looked to be in his early forties. Did people feel no shame in approaching those much younger than themselves? A quick shake of her head didn’t seem to deter the man, as Keiko made no movement to move away – mainly because she had yet to find Seiryū. She should have brought her senbon, or some other subtle form of defense. Being none too familiar with the antics of the night life scene, even though it was barely 7 – she hadn’t expected that she would need to ward people off.


679 | 679 Total

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
This was simply another passing day that held no real significance as far as Seiryū would normally be concerned. The day of May 27th was of general unimportance to most, though it held a slight significance to Seiryū himself. It was another mark on the calendar that indicated he had survived yet another year on his own. Twenty-one years in total, yet thirteen of them had been Seiryū having to fend for himself in the slums. Most if they had the opportunity would escape the slums and live in a better neighbourhood, if they could afford it, but he simply couldn’t convince himself he deserved to live in a better area. Money was no longer an issue as he progressed through the ranks of being a shinobi of Sunagakure no Sato. He could easily afford moving out of the slums and living in a neighbourhood with a higher socioeconomic status. The issue lay in the fact that he simply could not – would not – convince himself of leaving the slums, even if most would pay an arm and a leg to do so. In the end, it simply was a matter that Seiryū decided it was a topic that didn’t need to be debated further.

It was just another day he had all to himself – or at least had the majority to himself alone. Already having made plans for the day with the female that occupied his mind for the past few days, the previous day had passed by excruciatingly slow. Seiryū wished he could have made the time speed up to seven o’clock, so he could meet Keiko once more, but that was not within his realm of abilities. Instead, the day was spent lazing about, rifling through his belongings, trying to figure out what he should opt to wear when going out to meet Keiko. The more pressing concern for him was what exactly he would do or say. He hadn’t mentioned the fact that it was his birthday to her, nor could his mind come up with a method of bringing up the topic easily. Though the date in itself was the reason he asked Keiko to meet with him today, rather than yesterday. If they had met yesterday, the chances of her agreeing to meet with him once more would go down the gutter should she discover more about him.

Currently he found himself sitting on the couch in the living room, his eyes closed and listening to the background noise emanating from the television. Seiryū wasn’t even sure what channel he had turned the television to, but it was definitely not something that held his attention for too long. The lack of will-power to remain fully awake took over, resulting in him nodding off once more for the day.

The moment his eyes reopened, the channel remained the same, yet the program that was being displayed was completely different. Purple eyes quickly darted to the kitchen where one of the only two clocks in his apartment were located. 6:25pm. It was more than enough time. Having had the entirety of the earlier day free, Seiryū had already decided what clothes he’d wear – a complete difference to his usual last minute selection. Pushing himself up to his feet, the first thing he needed was a shower, then to quickly get ready and likely be at the pub in the nick of time. He just hoped Keiko wouldn’t show up before him, as that would look bad on his part since he was the one to invite her out.

Clad in a medium-grey button down shirt with his sleeves rolled up to just below his elbow, along with white sneakers and a pair dark blue jeans, Seiryū darted out of his apartment, know he’d be a few minutes earlier than 7. He simply assumed since he said 7, that Keiko would arrive then, but he never gave thought to the fact she could easily arrive earlier and be waiting for him. Deciding to get there a bit quicker, Seiryū chose to take the rooftops to arrive at Kogi’s Pub. Walking inside, he was greeted by the familiar sights of the bar. The occupants were vaguely familiar and some completely new to his eyes. It didn’t take Seiryū long to spot the familiar head of magenta hair – having been thinking about it for far too much longer than he cared to admit. “Hey, ojou-chan, here alone?” He didn’t know who the man was that asked the question, but Seiryū’s eyes quickly narrowed in on the man. Knowing people like this, after having a somewhat familiar experience before, he hoped this one didn’t turn to throwing fists. Stepping up beside Keiko to her left, his right arm snaking around her body and resting against her waist while his eyes slowly went from the male to Keiko herself. He was closer to her than they had been before, but simply put, he could get the feeling that the man’s company was easily unwanted.

“Sorry I’m late Keiko.” Her name simply rolled off his tongue; long forgotten was the use of honorifics in this case; it was much simpler getting rid of the man this way. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.” An easy smile fell on his lips as he greeted her, not really paying attention to the third party at this particular moment. He simply hoped she wouldn’t be peeved at him afterwards about his invasion of her personal space. After all, they were still people getting to know one another.


945|945 Total

Keiko

Keiko


D-rank
It wasn’t that she was unable to defending herself. In fact, she was quite sure that the older man before her hadn’t encountered a situation where a young woman he was attempting to hit on happened to be at Jounin-level. Despite being a shinobi village, she was certain that it was unlikely to run into higher-level members at common pubs, especially one as unknown as this one. Seiryū himself had likely picked this pub for that very reason, to avoid any potential issues or unwanted interruptions from arising. However, that also meant having to deal with people like this, civilians – likely businessmen conducting their trade – who came out often for drinks and lurked in pubs and bars for women. Keiko wasn’t familiar with Sunagakure’s scene, but she did know of kunoichi back in Kirigakure that allow themselves to accompany such men for money. Unless capable of taking higher ranked mission or coming from a good background, money could be pretty hard to come by.

“Come now, I don’t see you with anyone, how about I –“ Even as he spoke, she was running through her options. Getting physical was out of the question, even if she was strongly considering it. He hadn’t really committed any real offense towards her, but it was unpleasant as it was, and she wasn’t keen on having this conversation go on for any longer than it needed to. Which meant she wanted it to end now. A sharp word may ward him off, but it might also provoke the man into getting more forceful … judging by the smell coming off him, he was a couple drinks in. How fascinating that a simple situation like this came with such complications. If they were out on a battlefield somewhere, this would be much simpler. But the man didn’t get a chance to finish what he was saying. Keiko felt someone step up from behind her just moments before Seiryū made himself visible to her. In one fluid motion, his arm was around her waist, and he was addressing the offending man.

“Sorry I’m late Keiko. Hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.” For a moment, she forgot how to respond. In most cases, she would have immediately rejected – and called him out on – assistance, especially in something as minor as being approached by an older stranger. She was independent, and liked to think that she would always keep it that way. Even as a medical ninjutsu specialist, she hated the idea of staying in the back to treat the wounded instead of doing her part in a fight. That was proven multiple times throughout the Seven Bells war – she would treat people when necessary, but apart from that, she continued to insist on taking missions and orders. But at that very moment, everything seemed to freeze. She couldn’t quite process what he was saying or doing, and she most certainly was not going to object to the fact that his arm was around her.

“…” It took her several seconds to wake her blank mind. Seconds that seemed eternal to her, but wouldn’t have been significantly noticeable by others. First, she re-processed what was going on. His arm was around her waist. Physically touching her, pulling her against him in a show of intimacy. Was it just a show though? It was clear that his sudden forward move was a direct result of Seiryū’s observation of the situation, but surely there were other ways of intervening that didn’t require physical contact? Did he choose this particular course of action for a reason? He also called her name without honorifics. Another show, but one she didn’t mind in the slightest. Now it was her turn to react.

Seeing as how he put in so much effort to put on a display for the older man, Keiko figured she would play along. Not that she was against anything that she would end up doing – if anything, she took great pleasure in being able to use this as an excuse to respond in the same manner. Besides, he looked positively alluring in the dim lighting of the pub, especially with the button down shirt. It was much different from his training clothes, but she couldn’t deny that it suited him well, especially with his sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms. She would lean into his embrace, turning her body slightly towards him so that she could tilt her head up to look up at him. There was a significant height difference between the two, but one that she didn’t mind – it felt nice for once, despite years of lamenting over the fact that she likely wouldn’t grow any taller. “Of course not, I just got here, Seiryū-kun.” She would reply sweetly, smiling. She exchanged the honorifics for one much less formal, reciprocating his idea of making them seem much closer than they truly were.  “It looks like you were rushing though, look, your collar’s folded in.” Reaching up on her toes, Keiko would ‘fix’ his collar, letting her cold fingers linger briefly against the bare skin of his neck that was exposed at the top of his shirt. Truthfully, there was nothing to fix, but now she was nearly in front of him, with little gap between their bodies as she reached up. To no one’s surprise, the older man made himself scarce within seconds.

Before she pulled away, Keiko would take the opportunity of their close proximity to whisper to him. “Didn’t really need help, but if we’re going to put on a show, let’s make it …”, she would let her hand travel from his neck down his arms, drawing a little trail down to his wrist, ”convincing.”


976 | 1655 Total

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
Kogi’s Pub was familiar to him in the sense he had been here quite a few times prior to this occasion. Seiryū would not consider himself a regular of this particular establishment; it was one meant for those who lived a decently accommodating life style, the middleclass citizens. It wasn’t an ideal choice for where he could take Keiko, but it was one that suited him well enough that he felt comfortable inviting her out to this particular pub compared to the other ones he frequented a bit more often. Kogi’s held an atmosphere that usually didn’t spell trouble when compared to the one’s down in the city’s center – those right next door to the night life – and the bars that were close to his own residency – those, he wouldn’t ever invite anyone to, especially Keiko simply due to their atmosphere.

It wasn’t odd to find another male try his luck with another female in Sunagakure no Sato’s scene, yet he could easily tell that the man had other ulterior motives just from a simple glance in his direction. Whether Keiko could defend herself or not from the other male’s advance wasn’t what drove Seiryū to doing what he had done. The purple-eyed shinobi had acted that way purely out of self-interest and the desire to being closer to Keiko. He would not describe his actions as ‘saving’ her from the male, but rather helping her avoid a situation in a simpler method. Being physically closer to her was just an additional bonus that Seiryū would receive, whether Keiko was aware of it or not. The lack of an immediate response from Keiko had Seiryū a bit amused and concerned at the same moment. Both feelings stemmed from Keiko’s immediate response. Whether it was due to her aversion to his touch or Keiko trying to comprehend his hold, he couldn’t figure out. Perhaps this was not the best method for Seiryū to address this confrontation and he should have left Keiko to handle it on her own – he knew she was capable of it.

The debate of pulling away from Keiko hadn’t even begun as she leaned in towards him, her body tilted to face him. Having his eyes slowly take in her features – not that he hadn’t the other day – Seiryū could appreciate the time she took to get prepared for their outing tonight; even if she didn’t know the reason why he chose this specific day. He hadn’t had the time to get a better glimpse of Keiko’s attire, but he certainly hadn’t been displeased when he first saw her tonight. “Of course not, I just got here, Seiryū-kun.” The less formal honorific made his smile widen more, deciding that she didn’t particularly dislike his arm around her; unless this was simply to play on the act he had voluntarily begun. What she thought about him was certainly important, but being this familiar with Keiko did levy off some of those negative thoughts. A curious bow rose slightly as she mentioned his collar being fold in, he hadn’t felt that it had when he finished getting ready earlier, unless it somehow manage to tweak itself on his way here.

He felt the coldness of her touch as Keiko’s fingers skimmed over the back of his neck, her face being much closer now as she had used her toes to reach up a bit further. Now, if he just leaned down to meet her. Briefly the thought of her ice technique, being able to freeze a solid glass, began to make a bit more sense to him if this was how her touch felt, her breath as well. Bringing it up as a topic of discussion seemed a bit off, considering the last thing Seiryū wanted to worry about tonight was being a shinobi. In fact, he hadn’t brought a single item of equipment with him tonight, not a kunai or senbon on his person. The only thing he carried with him in his pockets was his wallets and the contents inside of it.

Having Keiko’s body so close to his own had his mind working once more, not in the thoughts of making coherent sense, but rather of images he had previously, only this time adapted to this scenario. “Didn’t really need help, but if we’re going to put on a show, let’s make it … convincing.” Even if she didn’t, Seiryū was still content that he had done what he had done when he first spotted Keiko. Having Keiko’s cooler hand slowly trail down from his neck to his wrist, Seiryū kept his eyes trained on her with the same expression planted on his features, albeit softer. With her pulling away slightly, Seiryū only leaned his head down in the slightest, so he wouldn’t need to speak too loudly.

“Is that what you want? Because I honestly didn’t think the show would start until much later.” Standing here, near the entrance to the bar, and having this particular conversation wasn’t the best location for it. Sitting down where they were less likely to be interrupted would be far more ideal. Noting a hostess walking up to them, Seiryū turned his attention towards her briefly, indicating that they required a table for two. It was likely that they’d end up in a booth for more privacy. Before he’d begin following the hostess to their table – booth – Seiryū would once more turn his attention to his companion for the evening. His voice would be quiet, barely audible for Keiko, but audible nonetheless. “I hope I’m in for a good show.”


968|1913 Total

Keiko

Keiko


D-rank
She had nearly forgotten that they were in a pub, waiting to be seated. She didn’t pull away entirely, allowing him to keep his arm around her if he so chose to. Warm, he was so warm, much like most other people … except she rarely was so physically close to other people. Taking every aspect of Keiko into perspective, it could almost be said that she wasn’t one at all for physical contact. Her adopted parents tended to dance around her, always careful – too careful – of her feelings. So natural displays of affection like hugs or pats on the back were rare, and often only done if Keiko herself initiated it, which was rare in itself. Not one with many close friends, there were no friendly physical affection there. And even combat-wise, being a mid-long range fighter, apart from getting out of holds to distant herself from her opponents, she rarely allowed herself to be within reaching distance. But people were warm. Against her constant, below normal body temperature, Seiryu was a welcome source of warmth and although she was no longer up against him, she kept herself close, close enough to maintain that feeling of bliss.

“Is that what you want? Because I honestly didn’t think the show would start until much later.” Keiko smirked, whether he saw her facial reaction or not didn’t particularly matter. That response suggested that even though he was perhaps surprised at her sudden expression of interest in bringing up their game, he had been expecting to sometime during the night regardless. “I hope I’m in for a good show.” How delightfully frustrating this all was. From the start, Keiko was unsure of whether they really were simply putting on a show. But if he had no interest towards her, he wouldn’t bother with returning her antics, right? If he was expecting a good show, then she’d play the part of the star actress alongside him. As much as he seemed to word it to suggest that she played a bigger role, it took two to tango.

As they followed the hostess in, she let her gaze roam, curiously looking at people sitting in other booths, tables, or at the bar. The whole place smelled like alcohol, but it wasn’t necessarily unpleasant. As they walked, she caught a few returning stares, eyes that followed them as they moved towards their designated seating. Maybe it was natural, or maybe something about the two of them stole attention away. At some point, the hostess stopped in front of a table, looking at them questioningly. “Somewhere a little more … private, if possible” Keiko would request. An innocent enough request, if she hadn’t used that particular tone. A tone that made the hostess pause for a moment before leading them to a nearby booth, likely used to such requests loaded with suggestive implications.

The temperature of the pub seemed to increase ever so slightly by the time they got to their booth. Keiko moved away from Seiryu to slide into the booth first, tilting her head up at him to see what he would do. The booth was a corner one, and the bench curved around, allowing its customers to sit as closely as they liked. “Drinks?” The hostess would ask once they were seated. Unsure of what to order, Keiko would look over at Seiryu. “Your call, I’ll have whatever you get.” She was quite picky of what she drank, but then again, she also didn’t know what she wanted. It would probably be better for her to just try whatever is set down in front of her – she wasn’t here for the drinks, though perhaps the alcoholic effect may come in handy.


630 | 2285 Total

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
The thought of retracting his arm away from Keiko passed by briefly, a consideration that Seiryū would easily dismiss due to a single factor, added to that was his own personal desire. Seiryū would only withdraw away from her should he get the sense Keiko did not want his hand remain where it was; she hadn’t made a move to extract herself from it, so the motion of him drawing away never came to arise. Aside from the fact that Keiko had not made a move to remove his resting hand, Seiryū simply wanted to keep it there; feeling the cool temperature that seemed to radiate off her body even in the warm atmosphere provided to them by their current environment. For two people who still knew little about each other, for attraction sometime did not account for that factor, Seiryū wished to keep her as close as possible; a base instinct that didn’t seem to disappear over the past two days. In his reality, he hadn’t stayed this close to another person in a long time, in fact it was likely that Keiko was near the top of the list with people he spent a constant amount of time with; for current day she was held the number one position. More often than not, he found himself conversing and interacting with strangers for a short period of time before eventually making himself scarce. The case with Keiko, he hoped, wouldn’t turn out to be that way, but he knew that it would happen. His past already had such occurrences happen that there was no avoiding Keiko eventually leaving – a thought that constantly played in his mind and made him decide to enjoy the little time she had in Suna. He assumed she would be leaving soon enough.

Keiko’s offer to put on a show had his mind flitting back and forth, wondering if this was a game to her or whether it was based off mutual attraction. So far, from their previous three encounters, Seiryū got the sense that she was rather playful; evidenced by the incident regarding the glass at The Dragon’s Tongue earlier in the week. Committing to joining her play was no skin off his back, but it left Seiryū more perplexed than he would actually admit. The desire to ask what all this was presented itself, though asking about it was an entirely different matter. Seiryū could easily make their interactions odd and forced should he ask that question; especially if the answer was that it was all a game. In this moment, with her still close to his side, he decided it was a question best left unanswered for now.

Following after the hostess, Seiryū remained quiet as he mulled over his last train of thought, preoccupied by that and trailing after their hostess and to where she would lead them. The smell of alcohol in the establishment didn’t bother him, for he’d grown used to it over the past few years; by no means was he a frequent drinker, but he had his fair share of drinks over the past few years. Tonight just marked another night – another year – where he’d have the opportunity to drink and let his mind avoid those negative thoughts that constantly came up regarding his past. Finding themselves in front of a table, Seiryū was brought out his train of thought by the tone Keiko had presented her request to be in a more… private area of the pub. An unspoken question came up, regarding her choice of seating, but he wouldn’t ask it if he could have the evening solely to himself and Keiko.

As Keiko slid in to the corner booth, Seiryū waited a beat before sliding in as well. The distance he would place between himself and the ice-user would still be intimate, though not exactly pressed against her. It had been a while since he had done something like this, thus not being sure how close to sit to Keiko. Now that they were in this corner… perhaps she simply wanted to stop playing this game, stop putting on the show they had begun just a minute ago. A call for drinks and Keiko stating that she would get whatever it was that he was ordering made his brow raise slightly. Did she not want to be here? She could have easily just rejected the invitation, or just simply not have shown up. Thinking on it made his head hurt slightly more than he cared to admit, and alcohol hadn’t even been a factor yet. Regardless, Seiryū knew his alcohol and debated the possible drinks he could order for both himself and Keiko. “Two Vieux Carrés then.” Placing the order for their drinks for the time being, needing some alcohol in his system right now, Seiryū turned to face Keiko once the hostess had left them. The words darted around on his tongue, unsure of what exactly to say next; he simply didn’t know what to talk about to Keiko when they weren’t playing their game, partly because talking to her was still a foreign experience and because he didn’t want to bring about a topic that would deter her. “So where are we going with this show? Because I’m certain I can keep up all night.” The last portion was included with a wink, while he alluded to the fact he simply wouldn’t mind continuing what they had been doing thus far. More importantly was trying to attain a clue as to how Keiko wanted this charade to go.


946|2859 Total

Keiko

Keiko


D-rank
Normally, if she ever wanted a drink at any establishment, her lack of experience generally meant she ordered whatever seemed to catch her attention. Whether that was picture on a menu, or an appealing description, or simply just pointing to whatever the next person had and requesting for the same. Nearly seventy percent of the time the drink would be wasted, as her picky pallette rejected whatever spirits were mixed into her glass. Interestingly enough, she wasn’t a fussy eater – in most cases, she’d eat whatever was placed in front of her as long as it looked semi-edible. Not that Seiryū would know this, seeing as the only time they ever dined together, she had practically coughed up her curry. The flavour had been fine, it was the heat of the spices that she wasn’t used to, resulting in that embarassing spectacle. Drinks were another matter entirely, and so she decided to fall back on her usual decision – to let something influence her choice. In this case, she had decided it would be best to simply let Seiryū choose.

“Two Vieux Carrés then.” The name of the drink went right over her head. It sounded fancy, whatever it was. And quite impressive that he was able to place what sounded like an official drink order, much different from what Keiko would have been able to do. Briefly, she wondered what his economical status was – was he rich? Frequented places like this often? Kobi’s pub did not seem like one of the many common bars and pubs down the busy streets of Sunagakure, the interior was quite asethetically pleasing, with the bar being very neatly organized, displaying a large variety of alcohols. She couldn’t imagine that the prices of everything were as cheap as other pubs either. And Dragon’s Tongue … that restaurant  was also of a higher class, which added to her suspicions that Seiryū was on the wealthier side. Keiko herself had never been left wanting, even without the money she made on missions, she had a steady flow of disposable income from her adoptive parents, whose business continued to thrive, especially in the time after the war. Of course, the small room she rented in Sunagakure was no indication of the money she had, but Keiko had decided that she didn’t need much in terms of living accomodations. Her money was spent elsewhere – going out to play, buying new clothes to suit her needs, trying out all the food that Sunagakure had to offer, etc.

As their hostess began to walk off – Keiko noted that the woman likely doubled as both a hostess and a server, seeing how she had asked them for their drinks – Keiko stopped her to place down an order of seasoned fries. Food was something she never liked to pass up, and seeing how she hadn’t eaten much prior to this, she would need something to help stave off the effects of the alcohol they were about the consume. Briefly, a concerned thought entered her mind. Given how both of them had gone pretty far with their little game during their training session … how bad would it be once they both had a fair amount of alcohol in their system? “So where are we going with this show? Because I’m certain I can keep up all night.” Her worries dissipated as fast as they had come up. If he was going to taunt her like this, then there was no reason for her to hold back either. Even if she couldn’t confirm whether it was mutual feelings – on a deeper level – she was sure that at least there was a mutual attraction, enough for them to continue … whatever this was.

“Well, you did say you were going to teach me how to relax. I suppose alcohol is part of it, you’re just going to have to make sure I master it.” Her voice was that of a soft purr, placing a hand on the seat in between them to lean forward towards him, shifting her weight forward. “Take it anywhere you’d like, Sei. Ryū. Kun.. Surprise me.” Sectioning out his name, along with the informal suffix, was her way of solidifying the idea that that was now what she would call him. Gone was the formal honorific, and with that, her view of him as a stranger. She wasn’t sure what they were, but that was something she would dwell on another time. Her eyes gave him an appreciative head-to-toe inspection. It didn’t appear as though anything he did at this point would make him appear less attractive – if she had thought he looked good in combat wear the previous day, she now found him even more charming in a button-down shirt. “I wonder if you have any ladies coming after you, you’re certainly a good sight to see.” She murmured, voicing out her thoughts. The comment doubled as both a compliment and a door to her curiosity. Perhaps he already had someone. Someone that was in a far deeper relationship with him than the game the two were playing. If he did, then that would come as quite the unfair advantage that he had over her. After all, that would mean he had something to fall back on once this game ended.

It didn’t take long for their drinks to appear. Two glasses with dark amber liquid inside, with a piece of lemon floating along with the ice. Moving to sit up regardless of how he replied to her comment, Keiko would wrap her fingers around one of the glasses, bringing it up to her lips for a sip. It was both spicy and sweet, an odd herbal aroma was also mixed it – a complicated flavour was the only way she could describe it. It wasn’t necessarily good, but she welcomed the warmth trickling down her throat. Raising her glass towards Seiryū, she grinned at him. “Nice choice … now hopefully, this isn’t the only drink you know how to order.” She clearly implied that he should look forward to drinking more throughout the night.


1025 | 3310 Total

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
Usually Seiryū’s personal choice of drinks had names that were far easier to pronounce – mostly including his alcohol of choice and how and what he liked it with. Tonight’s choice was due to mix of varying factors, though the largest one playing a role happened to be the woman sitting next to him. Keiko’s company had already dictated that he wouldn’t have taken her to one of the establishments that were friendlier on his personals funds. Kobi’s Pub was one that would put a small dent on the mostly unused money that Seiryū had stored away. The lack of personal spend, of never buying more than what was necessary and the relatively low rent he paid, resulted in Seiryū being financially well off, especially as a jounin of the village. Higher ranked missions paid him more than enough to not need to worry about his financial status, so a couple of nights out at higher class places – like Kobi’s and The Dragon’s Tongue – simply didn’t make much of a difference in the overall picture. He could indulge himself from time to time, but never for a prolonged period of time; not due to money, but out of personal reasons. So while Seiryū certainly was on the wealthier side of the socioeconomic realm, what he chose to do with his funds clearly stated otherwise.

“Well, you did say you were going to teach me how to relax. I suppose alcohol is part of it, you’re just going to have to make sure I master it. Take it anywhere you’d like, Sei. Ryū. Kun.. Surprise me.” Keiko’s words had sent a delightful sensation that rung through his body, eager to quickly resume being back in the stage of the game they had clearly left off at. Whatever it was to Keiko, he’d be respectful of that, but sitting back and letting the opportunity pass by clearly was not an option. Considering she was continuing to call him with a more informal suffix, Seiryū surmised that it wouldn’t be unbelievable conclusion for him to consider that Keiko felt somewhat similar – at least in the realm of physical attraction.

Watching Keiko give him a once over, his eyes remained trained on her features, trying to get as much out of her expression as possible. A lingering thought in the back of his mind came up, telling him that Keiko didn’t know much about him at all, considering there was still a charade he was playing, even with himself. So much time and effort was gone into it that he really didn’t know when or where he should end it. Perhaps it was best for him to keep it as it was, seeing as how everyone he knew was familiar to the him now, rather than the reality. Shaking the train of thought off, his mind went back to the event at hand. “I wonder if you have any ladies coming after you, you’re certainly a good sight to see.”

The question wasn’t an odd one, if it was even a question, he presumed if events played out how he imagined them to – in a fantasy land – that this particular question… statement would eventually have to come up as a topic of discussion. It was laughably easy how the answer was not difficult to produce, knowing his own life and the lack of people in it. Considering how addressing it that way would likely dampen the mood they had created, Seiryū figured it was best to simply address the inquiry alone and leave out other details. “Is that jealousy, I hear?” There was slight glint of mischievousness in his eyes, not really answering immediately, but he would shortly after. Leaning in closer towards Keiko, as if he was relaying a secret, he would voice his reply in to the ear closest to him. “Even if there was someone else, I’d much rather be here.” Definitely not a direct answer, but one that would provide her with the answer she likely sought once the words registered in her ear. Pulling himself away from her and back in to his somewhat neutral position – albeit still close to Keiko – Seiryū would keep his attention on her. There was nothing else that could hold his attention more than Keiko, nor did he want to turn it elsewhere.

As their drinks had arrived, two equally similar glasses with the amber liquid within, Seiryū held his glass before him, not taking a drink straight away. Instead, he slightly played with it, not ready to dive straight in to drinking tonight. While today may be the mark of another year he lived, the company was more than he could ask for and he didn’t want to dampen it by drinking more than necessary. Seiryū knew he didn’t get out of hand when he was drunk, but his negative thoughts often became… more realistic during that time. Alcohol, to him, often tended to make his thoughts aggravate. There were still those occasions where they lightened the mood as well, but more often than not it was the former before the latter. Watching Keiko raise her glass towards him, after having taken a sip, he returned the gesture. Taking in her words about making him order more drinks, Seiryū’s grin was only wasn’t as wide as it usually was around Keiko, but present nonetheless. “And what if it happens to be the only drink I know how to order? Going to cancel this night short?” He jested, knowing that it likely wouldn’t be taken too seriously, but wanting an answer regardless.

Leaning back in his seat, having taken a sip of his drink and putting his drink on the table before them, Seiryū’s attention was still turned towards Keiko. “So…” A playful grin taking over once more as his left arm rested against the back of the booth for a moment. His arm rested there so he could turn his body to face her. Waiting a moment before continuing on, grin still in place, he leaned in closer to Keiko once more. “Are you always that cold…” He lightly questioned, referring to the coolness of her touch, “or is it just around me?”


1053|3912 Total

Keiko

Keiko


D-rank
Maybe she shouldn’t have pried into his personal affairs by asking such a question. Given how he didn’t share much about himself, it might be that this game was intended to remain as shallow as possible, never delving any deeper than flirty exchanges. Keiko wasn’t sure what she was expecting for an answer. What if he told her yes? The next question to haunt her would then be whether it was serious, and if she was simply an extra enjoyment on the side. He didn’t strike her as someone who would cheat on a significant other, but then again, who was she to think that? She didn’t know anything about him, and that was likely the infatuation state talking.

If he told her no, what would she feel then? Relief? Doubt? It couldn’t be that someone like him had never been in a relationship before … unless the reasons lay beyond his charming looks and amicable persona. Perhaps he was like her, in a way, preferring solitude over the company of others. Relationships, love ... these ambiguous, feeling-loaded topics tended to clash with their lifestyles, their choice of career. With the constant threat of death so prevalent in their day-to-day activites, personal feelings that came in the way of decision-making could result in severe consequences. If not life and death, then in other damaging ways. Her own biological parents were in love – or so people said – but what they hadn’t expected was to have a child so young, so early in their own lives. After nearly dying at the tender age of 5, Keiko was surrendered to another family, in exchange for a hefty sum of money. Love wasn’t all good. Not at all. So then, was feeling relief a good thing? What exactly would that mean? It could just as simply mean that she was his only current interest, but wouldn’t confirm what she really wanted to know – confirmation that would determine whether it was appropriate to truly pursue her feelings.

“Is that jealousy, I hear?” With all her deeper, darker thoughts, she should’ve known that she just as likely would receive roundabout, teasing answers. Especially considering the way she had phrased the question herself. Maybe he wouldn’t answer her at all. Leave her to wonder – “Even if there was someone else, I’d much rather be here.” What. Keiko blinked at him, then returned a slowly growing grin. That was nice to hear, even though he hadn’t directly answered her question. As long as she was currently monopolizing his attention, it felt good. Very good. They seemed to have found something that worked well on both of them … leaning close and whispering into the ear. It never failed to raise the hairs on her neck, send a shiver down her spine.

“And what if it happens to be the only drink I know how to order? Going to cancel this night short?” Keiko stuck her tongue childishly at him, then downed the rest of her drink, barely done processing the burning sensation before her hand was up, catching the attention of the already-approaching server, who was carrying the seasoned fries Keiko had ordered. “Don’t blame me if we both can’t drink whatever it is I’m about to order.” She first addressed Seiryū, then turned to the server. “Two orders of Dark ‘N’ Stormy, please.” She had heard the term somewhere, likely from that one talkative shinobi she had the misfortune of doing a mission with a while back. Her mood had been terrible throughout the mission, and despite slowly catching on that his companion was in a foul mood, he still had the nerve to try and ask her to get a drink with him after their mission. The drink name came up after she refused, likely made as a comment to her bad temperament.

“So…” Almost too eagerly, she turned her body to face him, noting how close he had gotten once more. Seeing his raised arm resting against the booth made her want to close the gap at once, cuddling right into what looked temptingly like an inviting, open embrace. But she resisted, forcing herself to concentrate on what he was saying. ““Are you always that cold… or is it just around me?” At first, Keiko was confused about what he was referring to. Cold? Then it clicked. He was talking about her body temperature, something anyone was bound to notice after spending a few long moments with her. Hmm … she could work with this. A response came to her head naturally, perhaps she was in the right mood, or maybe the alcohol was already helping. “I don’t always have to be cold, it just takes skill to warm me up.” She would answer suggestively, walking her cold fingers along his extended arm.

Almost too quickly, the next round of drinks arrived. Pulling her hand back, Keiko would reach for both glasses if Seiryū was done with his first, handing one to him. “So, Seiryū-kun, what shall we toast to?”


854 | 4164 Total

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
Seiryū having answered the question regarding his… relationship status, should have given Keiko enough insight as to what his actual answer was, without directly stating it aloud. Seeing as how her expression hadn’t changed much initially when he lightly joked on the topic and only differed once he presented the fact that he enjoyed spending time with her, was pleasing to see. He could assume that Keiko was able to connect the dots, that he really didn’t have anyone – never had – and thus, his attention would solely be on her until their respective lives demand they depart from one another. Seiryū did not expect his relationship with Keiko to progress further than where it currently stood, as one day she would return to Kirigakure no Sato while he remained here in the desert village. Long distance, much less a relationship, simply didn’t seem to be in his cards as far as he could imagine his future. So, as much as he enjoyed Keiko’s presence and wished to see her more often, that one notion put a sour taste to his life. The concept in itself was difficult to wrap his head around, though the only way that idea ever made sense for Seiryū was because he didn’t deserve it. He fancied Keiko, a lot more than anyone he had encountered in his past, and for that very same reason, Seiryū felt guilty about not being really honest with his intentions; wanting to spend more time with her, yet knowing nothing would ever come of it – he was certain of it.

His light comment on Keiko cancelling their night at Kobi’s pub short if he didn’t know how to order more drinks was answered by a tongue being stuck out at him. Seiryū’s eyes easily fell towards it, as a glass was raised to her lips as she finished the rest of the drink he had ordered for them; he usually preferred to take his time with a drink, as it also meant he’d be less inebriated. Slowly her lips disappeared behind the glass, only to reappear moments later, tantalizingly present. It seemed that Keiko had decided to takeover, not that Seiryū minded at all. Seiryū’s response to Keiko taking the helm of their drinking was met with a curious expression, considering the name of the drinks she had ordered was foreign to him – the words normal, the drink not so much. Contemplating the name of the drink for just a brief moment, a moment that quickly passed as Seiryū wouldn’t delve for too long on such a miniscule detail. He wondered more on if it was something she previously had, a drink that was her first choice in ordering. It certainly wasn’t something Seiryū would order, simply for the reason he had never come across the name before, the pivotal factor that was at work when Seiryū usually ordered a drink.

Seiryū could sense that Keiko had something on her mind, yet it wasn’t something she had voiced aloud to him. The moment he had turned to face her, there seemed to be an unvoiced question that seemed to radiate around him, yet he had absolutely no idea what exactly it was. His question regarding her ‘coldness’ was definitely regarding her body temperature, complete curiosity on his part regarding Keiko. It slowly allowed him to learn a bit more about the woman who seemed to consume the majority of his attention over the past week; even after their first where she more or less wanted nothing to do with him. “I don’t always have to be cold, it just takes skill to warm me up.” A raised eyebrow and the rest of his drink being consumed, was all he provided Keiko with. Her suggestive answer and the fingers that would run along his left arm consumed the enormity of his attention, so much so that he missed their server arriving with their next round of drinks.

“So, Seiryū-kun, what shall we toast to?” He supposed there was a simple and easy response he could give her, though Seiryū was unsure of how she would respond. Most people tended to enjoy birthdays, celebrate them even. Seiryū didn’t really celebrate his own birthday, instead choosing to just ease his mind and relax for a night. It helped that the present company was more than he could ever ask for.

Taking the glass offered to him, he’d raise it slightly, a wry grin on his face. “You know, most people tend to do this on the first round.” Seiryū motioned with his head – tilting it slightly towards the glass before going back to its initial position. “Suppose we can toast to surviving another year and being another year older.” Regardless of it was his birthday or not, Seiryū didn’t prefer having an extravagant event to celebrate it. There was nothing about his birthday to celebrate. The woman who birthed him, his mother, Seiryū had never met before, not even having access to a name. The man who was his sire took him in for eight years before deciding that he didn’t want a bastard child. All in all, his life had been pretty… shit. Regardless, he’d put up a front not to let others in to those thoughts, there was no need for Keiko to know about his world when it would barely affect her; now and in the future. After the proposed toast, whatever it was they were toasting to, Seiryū would take a large gulp his drink, downing more than half of it; that, he hoped, would be one of very few mistakes tonight. Then, a thought popped in mind… and he already knew there was no point fighting it; it would simply ruin the night.

After setting his glass back down on the table, turning his attention back towards Keiko, he’d slide in a bit closer to her, his extended arm coming to just graze against the back of her top. It was an open invitation, presented with a vocal offer. “I’m sure I have the necessary… skills to keep away the cold right now. Though, I think you’d prefer the alcohol to do that job.” It wasn’t a hushed tone, but it wasn’t vocalized so their nearest neighbouring patrons could hear either. Seiryū wasn’t sure why he was testing these boundaries… knowing that it would simply create more turmoil for him down the road. The desire, however, simply outweighed any pattern of thought he could raise against it.


1105|5017 Total

Keiko

Keiko


D-rank
Maybe it was because she was on an empty stomach. Or the general atmosphere just helped to increase her sensitivity to the spirits being consumed. The tray of fries lay untouched in the middle of the table, easily within reach but long since forgetten. It was only the drinks and her company that seemed to be within Keiko’s sights now, and unless her attention was somehow diverted elsewhere, it would remain this way. “You know, most people tend to do this on the first round.” A giddy giggle escaped her as he took the glass from her. That was true, maybe it was rude of her not to ask about toasting prior to consuming her first drink. But the first taste of alcohol was a necessary evil, especially in encouraging the events that would come. Lilac eyes followed Seiryū’s gesture towards his glass, noting the difference between this shade of amber and their previous drink.

“Suppose we can toast to surviving another year and being another year older.” … What an odd thing for him to say. It wasn’t the new year, nor was it anyone’s birthday. A moment’s pause, and Keiko’s eyes widened as realization dawned. He hadn’t directly confirmed it, but what else could he mean? It had to be his birthday. And it did make sense – why would he request that they meet two days later, on this day specifically? As her mind frantically tried to connect the clues, she couldn’t help but wonder whether he had tried to clue her in to the special day in their previous exchanges. No, nothing. But judging by how he worded it, it didn’t seem like a huge deal to him. But Keiko wasn’t about to let this slip through easily.

“You didn’t tell me it was your birthday!” It was an accusatory tone, but a playful one at that. Leaning over him to click their glasses together, Keiko downed half the drink before turning back to him, a sparkle in her eyes. “Happy birthday, dearest Seiryū-kun~” She would wish him well in a sing-song voice, loud enough for other tables to take a brief note, but nothing too disruptive.   “What am I supposed to do if you tell me that now? I don’t even have a gift!” This time, the accusation was mixed with a large portion of whining, as she stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. Internally, a turmoil of emotions swirled. It was upsetting that he didn’t tell her earlier, because now she was empty handed and caught offguard. But at the same time, being revealed this tidbit of information made her ridiculously happy. A glimpse into the man sitting next to her, albeit small.

“I’m sure I have the necessary… skills to keep away the cold right now. Though, I think you’d prefer the alcohol to do that job.” He was definitely walking on the same tracks as she was. There was no mistaking it. She briefly wondered if her words had the same effect on him as his did on her. “The alcohol is a constant, but you sir … we’ll have to put those skills to the test.” She would murmur back. It didn’t take her long to take him up on that non-verbal offer. Shifting just a bit so that she was leaning right into his chest, she took a moment just to enjoy his warmth once more. It was nice, being in such an intimate embrace. Especially his. Right at this moment, she casted away all her worries about the reality of their relationship, treasuring every second. That is, until she got an idea.

“Maybe I do have a gift for you.” She would suddenly break the silence, keeping her head resting on him, but tilting it upwards to look at his face. For several milliseconds, she was distracted by his white hair, now dangling so close to her own face. How she wanted to run her fingers through them. “Since I came empty handed … I’ll need to make it up to you.” And then their lips were touching. Ever so gently, she shifted her body even closer to him so that she could brush her lips against his. Her eyes closed for that brief moment, allowing her sense of touch to take over. It was meant to be a brief kiss, and unless he decided to respond, Keiko would then pull back, eyes immediately opening to scan for his reaction.


760 | 4924 Total

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
It seemed his admittance to today being his birthday, although not in those exact words. Whether it was his birthday or not, there was nowhere else Seiryū wanted to currently be. The occasion wasn’t anything special to him, the presents he accumulated over the years happened to only be a handful over the past twenty birthdays that had passed him by. Seiryū assumed most would take it as a compliment, which he wished to spend an important day – one’s birthday – with someone else. This wasn’t entirely the case; Seiryū knew why he had invited Keiko out today and why specifically today over yesterday. Needless to say, there weren’t many people he would spend his birthday with and the instant connection and attraction he felt towards the woman seated beside him was the reason why he chose to go out with her today. A self-imposed gift was what this was… it was a date, there was no denying it. There was no other way for Seiryū to phrase it. It just happened to fall on the date that marked another year of living. If he hadn’t met Keiko, his birthday would have likely went as today had, as far as locations went. The presence of company would be completely void. All in all, his birthday would have been spent alone, had he not invited Keiko to go out with him.

“You didn’t tell me it was your birthday!” Seiryū clearly hadn’t given Keiko any prior warning about their outing tonight falling upon his birthday, but it didn’t seem to be a detail that Seiryū thought held much importance. Keiko knowing certainly didn’t damper his views on how tonight would play out. He already knew, to a degree, what would happen. It would be nothing more than continuing their game and seeing how far Keiko was willing to go. It certainly couldn’t entirely be all a game, for attraction had to play a role in it for her want to spend time with him. If it was for the company of another person, she could do far better than him. “Happy birthday, dearest Seiryū-kun~” He clearly enjoyed the way she said his name, particularly due to the fact she was singing it briefly. It clearly was loud for others to take note of, but they’d still maintain their sense of privacy. Hopefully this wouldn’t become like one of those full blown ‘Happy Birthday’ songs that the waiting staff would conduct. Given what he knew of Kobi’s, they weren’t the kind of place to do so. Her latter words brought a smile to his face, though he shook his head in sequence as well. There was no reason for Keiko to give him a gift if he hadn’t told her about it being his birthday. Just being around her seemed to be more than what he deserved, not that he’d vocalize that with his filters still intact. Seiryū’s eyes once more fell to her lips, taking note of the pout upon her lips.

He knew other males would, in this situation, be more aggressive in initiating contact with Keiko, yet Seiryū’s mind worked with different beliefs. While Seiryū assumed that physical attraction was a forgone conclusion between himself and Keiko, he didn’t know how she would reciprocate to touch, to him being closer to her personal space. That aligned with him not wanting to put her in a situation that she deemed uncomfortable, one that would cause what they currently had to go bad. His bloodline – his father’s – ventured in to the realm of reading people’s facial expressions, yet Seiryū himself wasn’t competent in that regard, due to not learning it to the degree most Kōga received their training. The moment Keiko leaned into him; he would pull her in closer with his arm, putting his leg against hers.

That moment seemed to be cut short, as Keiko had mentioned having a gift for him. The pressure of her head against his arm, all the while her eyes looked up at him. Running through what it could possibly mean, his mind instantly locked in on one thought, for it certainly was the only one that she could come up with without any prior knowledge. Seiryū’s mind worked briefly against him, thinking that it would be near impossible for it occur. Briefly following her hand as it inched towards his head, before going back to Keiko, his eyes went to the one thing that had been on his mind for the past few minutes. Having her fingers run through his hair was something he could enjoy for hours. It was a slightly odd sensation, yet familiar to some degree. He had his hair played with before in his brief romantic excursions as a teenager, yet he matured greatly since then. Now, it felt... intimate. “Since I came empty handed … I’ll need to make it up to you.” If that were true… it would be more than ‘making it up to him’. Primal instincts wanted it, he wanted it, yet it felt… off to solely want that from her. The train of thought was instantly derailed the second her lips would touch his. The soft, gentle embrace that was her lips on his, the press of her body becoming even closer to his, was enough to make his heart race and mind relax. His eyes were only momentarily open, not really believing she had done what she had done, but once it set in, his eyes closed. He felt Keiko pull back slightly and that was when he bit her lip lightly, his arms going to pull her closer to him for just a few more moments. If he could keep this going for hours, he would, but they were in a public place and still needed oxygen. No more than a few more seconds before he’d ease off regretfully; he wanted more.

Opening his eyes to meet Keiko’s, a soft smile fell on his lips; easier than the one’s he had previously given her over the previous encounters. “That’s probably my favourite gift so far, Ke-i-ko.” His voice was no higher than a hushed whisper as his head hung forward. Looking at the rest of his drink on the table, he knew, after that, he needed another one after the current one was finished. “You don’t know what you are doing to me.” He all but growled. The abstract sentence regarded his current state, torn between preserving Keiko’s modesty and giving in to desire; his current expression would match that predicament. Seiryū reached for his drink only to quickly finish it off and put the glass back on the table. Knowing that if he remained facing her that he’d give in once more, which he really wanted to, he opted to going back to leaning against the booth, pulling Keiko in close to him. Seiryū’s arm, the one that would be around her back, would faintly run over the skin of her arm, constantly repeating the same pattern.

Noting their server return, Seiryū ventured to ordering them a round of shots; two each to be precise. “Four Kamikazes please.” Hearing his stomach begin to quietly growl and looking at the basket of fries Keiko had ordered earlier, Seiryū knew it wouldn’t be enough to satisfy him –especially if he only nibbled on a few fries. Deciding a simple burger would do the trick, he looked to their server once more; his arm still wound around Keiko. Gesturing to Keiko, towards the menu in case she wanted anything else, Seiryū already knew what it was he would order exactly. After Keiko stated her order; or the lack thereof, Seiryū would voice out his, “I’ll also get your classic chicken burger.”

Once a semblance of privacy had returned, with their server departing, Seiryū would tilt his head to the side so it would press against the top of Keiko’s. In a soft tone he’d ask, “I hope that gift happens to come in multiples of two or more.” The alcohol hadn’t really taken over for him yet, that would be in a few more drinks, but the turn of events and the alcohol in his system allowed for him to speak more freely, be a bit more affectionate with Keiko than he would otherwise be; she was still a complete mystery to him. Reaching for the fries, he would go to plop it in his mouth lazily. Regardless of if the fry reached his mouth or not, his arm around Keiko would go to rest against her waist, though not before lightly pinching at it, wanting to see what kind of reaction he could elicit from her.


1483|6500 Total

Keiko

Keiko


D-rank
It wasn’t that a quick peck was the only thing she wanted. No, far from it. If she had it her way, she wouldn’t give them time to catch a breath. But as forward as she was being, there was still a line she wasn’t willing to cross. A line that had yet to be defined by the recipient of her attraction. The “birthday gift” was something she intended to play off as a jest in the case that he responded negatively towards it. After all, with all their playful exchanges and teasing touches, nothing came close to an actual kiss. There was still a possibility that he would respond the same way as what had followed after their little mishap during their training session – a period of inexplicable distance. Although that hadn’t lasted long, the fear that he would suddenly revert back an air of unfamiliarity was still present.

But that wasn’t the case. As she pulled back, something sharp gently tugged at the bottom of her lip – a sensation that shot through her body as she identified the source. For a while, their lips were locked, moving gently against each other in soft, tender movements. But all too soon they broke apart. The need for oxygen was a contributing factor, but Keiko wasn’t too sure how long they would keep it docile before things got a little heavy. “That’s probably my favourite gift so far, Ke-i-ko.” Breathing lightly through her mouth and not trusting herself to say anything, Keiko bit down on her bottom lip, feeling a small wave of heat rush through her cheeks. “You don’t know what you are doing to me.” Seeing him react this way did nothing to help Keiko calm down. On the contrary, her excitement spiked upon realizing that he was equally affected. If it was mutual, then she did have some idea of what she was doing to him, because it had the same effect on her.

Reaching for the rest of her drink, she downed it as Seiryū ordered another round of drinks. The drink actually wasn’t too bad – maybe it really did fit her. Dark and stormy. A description that might fit well in other circumstances, but certainly not now. She was acutely aware of his finger tracing a repeated pattern on her exposed arm, and no matter how much she tried to ignore her, her attention always seemed to return to it. Despite being in an innocent location on her body, something about the repetition was overly sensual, the goosebumps on her air refusing to relax. It wasn’t just the goosebumps. Her whole body was tense, coiled up as though waiting for something to happen. So much for the whole relaxing lesson. Shaking her head briefly to indicate that she wasn’t looking to order any food, Keiko would reach for a fry, suddenly being reminded of the food she had ordered previously. Placing one in her mouth, she chewed slowly as Seiryū placed his food order.

“I hope that gift happens to come in multiples of two or more.” The second piece of fry that she was about to put in her mouth paused midway through its travel. He was asking for more, wasn’t he. A slow, sly smile graced her features, right eyebrow raised. “Well that depends. The first gift came with no strings attached, what can you offer me for more?” She wasn’t quite sure what she was asking for. Or maybe she did. “You’ll have to join me for drinks then. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how slowly you’re taking your drinks, you’re not allowed to let me be the only one to enjoy the night.” Eyeing the fry that he was lifting to his own mouth, she watched it make its way closer towards them. Disregarding the fact that she herself was holding a piece of fry, she sat up to reach his first, taking it into her mouth. Her actions were slow and deliberate, as she pulled the fry out of his grasp, she would let her teeth gently graze the skin on his finger before leaning back against him, eating her fry with a feeling of success. But before she even had time to relax, she could feel his hand dropping down to her side. Her curiosity had but a moment to rear its head before he pinched at her waist. A startled yelp escaped her and her head whipped around to look at him in surprise. She wasn’t expecting that, hence her rather comical reaction, but it wasn’t like she didn’t like it. “… That wasn’t very nice, catching me off guard.” She would chid at him, but it wasn’t in response to the fact that he had pinched in. Her only issue was that it caught her by surprise, quite likely implying that she did not mind it at all otherwise.

At this point, the shots Seiryū had ordered had arrived, with the server informing them that the burger would be a few more moments. “So, birthday boy, let’s drink this night away! A birthday gift for every drink we take?” She would ask cheekily, a suggestive glint in her eyes. Clearly, they were about to get quite out of hand should Seiryū agree. But the night was young, and they had many hours to go before the pub would show them out.


920 | 5844 Total

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
His vision blurred slightly together, half induced by the alcohol while the rest was affected by his eyes closing in the slightest. Knowing that his question was sought out an answer that would relate to getting more than he had gotten, he hadn’t considered it being greedy at all. Given how she reciprocated his indulgence for more provided Seiryū with the knowledge that she was just as eager as him to continue where they had left off just mere seconds ago. Feeling Keiko shift next to him, Seiryū shifted himself slightly, opening his eyes fully when he heard the first couple of words slowly ease themselves off her tongue. Seiryū knew this feeling, this sensation, he received from Keiko was far different than anything else he had dealt with over the period of his life. She remained an anomaly that he wished to explore to the best of his abilities. If that meant continuing what they had been doing mere seconds ago, he would. The fact still lay in the idea that Seiryū was still blissfully unaware of who Keiko was as a person, beyond the playful and flirtatious nature that he had been exposed to so far.

Seiryū’s question regarding his ‘gift’ seemed to be met with another response, similar to their past few interactions. “Well that depends. The first gift came with no strings attached, what can you offer me for more?” A light snort escaped Seiryū as he thought about how she phrased it, his mind still at work while the alcohol continued to make its influence upon him. “You’ll have to join me for drinks then. Don’t think I haven’t noticed how slowly you’re taking your drinks, you’re not allowed to let me be the only one to enjoy the night.” It was a simple task of joining Keiko in drinking, briefly wondering if she would become more aggressive in her actions or retract from them. It was one of the many wonders when it came to drunken people, some acted so differently than they normally would act; himself included. Considering her challenge was simple enough for Seiryū to match, there was no point in denying it.

“I thought gifts all came free of charge, but I’m sure I have more than enough to offer.” He supplied, just as the fry he was carrying over was about to reach his mouth, it was quickly interceded by Keiko herself. The light pressure on the skin of his finger happened to be Keiko’s teeth, feeling her lips lightly brush against it as well as she pulled away. That… did something to him. Seiryū knew exactly what it was invoking, what pattern of thought it was leading to, yet there was nothing he could do to fight it off. She knew what she was doing… she had to.

Pinching her side had resulted in the lightest chide he ever had directed his way, and it wasn’t for what he had done. It brought a brighter smile to his face as he peered down at her, a thought instantly rising as she mentioned it ‘wasn’t very nice’. Without even ushering out a word, he would lean towards her once more, to continue where they had left off; this time being the one to initiate. Pressing his lips to hers, this time being more forceful, though not overpowering, Seiryū let it last a second or two before pulling away, lest Keiko decide to respond much like he had earlier. Once he would pull away, he’d just look at Keiko with a raised brow, as if what he had just done never took place. “And that?” The smirk was clearly apparent as well. “I’m sure that was ‘very nice’.” It definitely was to him, and from her previous reaction, he could only assume the same applied to her.

It seemed that more drinks would be a common theme tonight, more than he initially anticipated when he decided to go out. Having four shots set upon the table and Keiko proposing a deal that he absolutely couldn’t pass up, his agreement was near instantaneous; even if her could sneak in a few gifts every now and then. “If that’s the case… then I hope you brought plenty of birthday gifts with you tonight.” Seiryū’s suggestion was clearly there. Considering that the night was still quite young, it would be quite a while before they would eventually need to take their leave. So, without much hesitation after responding to Keiko’s offer, he’d slide the shot glasses in front of them, two in front of himself and the other two for Keiko. Raising one of the glasses, he’d look towards Keiko; waiting for her to pick hers up. “Hope you can keep up… because I’ll be real disappointed if you can’t keep up.” The deal Keiko had proposed meant that she’d be taking a drink with him each time, thus for his own desires, he wished that Keiko would be able to keep up. If the need arose to cut the drinks short, he would, so long as he retained that common sense from the alcohol.


876|7376 Total

Keiko

Keiko


D-rank
His smile was hard not to reciprocate, given how contagious it was. From what Keiko gleaned from him since meeting him day one, he wasn’t necessarily a bright and friendly type with easygoing smiles, but that was what made his smiles much more valuable. When it happened, Keiko couldn’t help but smile back, though at this point, she was likely grinning to some extent at everything. Most of the time, Keiko was certain that she had what people called a “resting bitch face”. After all, despite her doll-like features, she rarely had opportunities to display a wide range of emotion, especially not unbridled joy. A 'waste of a pretty face', one of her mother's friends once told to her face. As though it was any of her business.

She was expecting a comment back at her for calling him out on his sudden pinch, given how he had flashed one of his smiles at her. But he was silent, remained silent, as he leaned forward , bringing his face down to hers. Although surprised that this was the course of action that he had decided to take, Keiko wasn’t as caught off guard as she was before, her eyes fluttering shut just as his lips made contact with hers. She was left wanting for more as he pulled back no later than maybe two seconds maximum, her eyes blinking open in confusion, lips still slightly parted and intaking air. His smile had now morphed into a smirk, one that made her frustrated in so many ways. “And that “I’m sure that was ‘very nice’.” If he was trying to elicit some response from her, he was doing it right. But instead of answering verbally, Keiko merely drew her tongue briefly over her bottom lip, as though savouring the aftertaste.

As Seiryū reached for one of his shot glasses, Keiko picked hers up as well, an thin eyebrow raised questioningly at him. “You seem to be implying that you’ll outdrink me, Sei. ryu. kun ~” She would giggle, “Don’t you worry, my gifts won’t run out, you better just worry about yourself.” And with that, lifting her shot glass up briefly to gesture at him, she would down the drink in one go, the liquid burning its way down her throat and filling her chest with a satisfying warmth. They would continue to down shots, ordering more rounds as the night went out. Keiko would throw out little suggestive comments here and there, with “birthday gifts” being delivered after each drink until she would eventually be reduced to a giggly, incoherent heap. At which point the pub employees will begin to usher them out, ready to close for the … well, morning.

There would be a few hours left before the sun rose, leaving the two to decide where to go in their groggy, drunken state. Hopefully, at that point, the two would still be somewhat functional, especially given that Keiko still faced a big possibility that she would forget her way back to her rented room. As much as she teased and challenged Seiryū, she didn't doubt that his tolerance was indeed higher than hers. Even if she had an unusually high tolerance for alcohol, despite her smaller stature, it didn't make up for the fact that she didn't normally drink a lot, and therefore haven't built on to her natural tolerance. Sometime during the night, a small corner of her mind suggested that she stop drinking in case Keiko did something she would regret, but that was easily cast aside in favour of picking up yet another small shot glass and raising it to her lips.


-- Exit Thread --



617 | 6461 Total

Training
Learning Bukijutsu (Kyujutsu) -> D rank: 1500 words
Strength B-3 -> A-0: 1000 words
Endurance D-1 -> B-0: 3950
Remaining Words: 11



Last edited by Keiko on Thu Jun 02, 2016 1:24 pm; edited 1 time in total

Seiryū

Seiryū


D-rank
- Exit Thread -
7376 Words Total

Training Strength (A):
Speed (A):
A -> A-1 = 1000/1000 Words (6376 Words Left)
A-1 -> A-2 = 1150/1150 Words (5226 Words Left)
A-2 -> A-3 = 1300/1300 Words (3926 Words Left)

Training Fuuton (D):
D -> C = 3000/3000 Words (926 Words Left)

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