Underground Wonder's (Open to anyone)

[Sunaku Harupia]

Ahh...looking at this view made him almost not regret the fact that he had to spend most of his days underground in a constructed city. He had a few trips to his surface, along with his family, though they never could really stay for as long as they would like. The sandstorm was unforgiving. Even with their combined family skills...still, feeling the hot sun, the fresh air...how he yarned for the whole village to be able to feel that some day...

Yes, he had a somewhat gloomy mood as of late, which reflected on these melancholic thoughts. Still, he couldn’t allow himself to be put down. He just needed to refresh his batteries. And there was no better place then this. The underground lake...a wonder of nature found sometime ago, now made public...the beauty of the place never cased to amaze him. The ancient tree's, growing all the way up the cavern top...the lake, so crystal clear, so shining...and this was all in the middle of the dessert...whatever happened in the ancient times, it must have been truly marvelous...he could only imagine how the world could look back then.

And so he tried, relaxing while leaning on the bark of one of the massive tree's surrounding the lake. Dressed in a plain white shirt and some baggy dark pants, more to be comfortable, he decided to take a small trip here. He took a small backpack with himself and in it some food and drinks, as well as a paper clip and a few pencils. Now, he was no good at drawing, in his eyes. At best he was average. But a sketch could help him in his work of sculpting, when he was backing home. And such views were always inspiring...and so he sketched, looking down to the papers and then back up, focused on his work. He would be taking a break soon...maybe he would find some merry people to burn some time with along the way?

 

[Hanone]

For some time the lithe male sat watching the other visitor to the lake from above. He had fallen asleep hours before in the tree, hidden from obvious sight by it's greenery and a little skill. When he had awoken, he found another sitting under his tree. He was a moderately sized man with lax apparel and was doodling on some plain paper. Curious and not attempting to conceal himself from notice any further, Eiji swung his legs down so he was straddling a single branch and he looked down at what the man was drawing.

For a short time, perhaps, he would be unseen, but he would end that with a soft clearing of the throat. "What's that you're drawing, hm?" he asked, his tenor voice smooth and humored. He figured he would upset the other. No one liked to be watched while they were drawing or at least not in his experience.

He then would save the other of trying to look for him and leaped down, landing lightly on his bare feet. He was a flurry of blue and gray silks for a short moment. After everything settled, before the other stood a very short male wearing a fancy kimono of sorts (it wasn't very covering). He was beautiful in the way a woman was with fine features, a light brow, supple lips and even donned some uniquely applied make up to his eyelids and lips and his brown hair was long enough to touch his shoulders. Yet his exposed chest and visible musculature would make it hard to pin him as anything but male.

There was a hardness to his eyes. He wasn't a kind person and it showed through, but for the time being he was in good spirits. Good enough anyway.

[enter eiji!]

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Harupia usually focused on any given task fully, so when he was doodling the image of the lake he was pretty much shut out from what was happening around him, unless it would prod him straight in the nose. Which it did in a sense, as someone asked him what he was drawing. Looking left and right, he saw no one...before he could think of maybe looking up, the source of the sound came before him.

With a somewhat surprised gaze, Harupia would address Eiji saying "Why hello there Miss...ter?" tilting his head in slight confusion. His first impulse was to see the person before him as female...but she either had an unnaturally small chest and a very risqué sense of fashion, or he was dealing with quite an effeminate male. Not that he would mind that in any way...He often was poked fun at for his long hair and somewhat delicate features...this men took it to a whole new level, the long hair, the revealing kimono, make up applied with a masterful hand...He was pretty, prettier then some girls he had seen. Being someone who was quite interested in any form of art, Harupia wasn’t above appreciating beauty, even if it was in a somewhat...unorthodox form.

Still, besides admiring his good looks, he needed to get past the cover, and so, he stood up, and with a smile wide smile and a curious and cheery glint in his eye, he would say "I’m just doing some sketches...Drawing is not my filed of expertise just yet...I’m much better at other arts. Sunaku Harupia, at your service" extending his hand in greeting.

 

[Hanone]

Eiji grinned at the quick mistake from the other man. It wasn't uncommon for people to think him a woman at first glance. He wasn't offended by it either and he did notice the man took the time to admire what he saw. This too was common of both women and men who met him, but usually men were a little more embaressed by looking. A cough or a look away, a hardy thump on the chest or simply walking away from him were the most common things he saw. This one? None of the above. Interesting.

It was surprising to find the other unabashed by being watched doodling. It gave Eiji a good first impression of the man; he had self-confidence. His smile was welcoming and kind. Eiji was almost totally throw off by this; no one was just... nice anymore. The beautiful male shook his head and smiled, as if telling himself an internal joke. It caused his hair to move away from his left eye, revealing it to be white and blinded just a moment before brown tresses once again fell before the bad eye, hiding it from sight. He then took the offered hand and gave it a shake. His own grip was strong, unlike his lean and lithe appearance. He was a shinobi too; something notable from close proximity. Scars littered his forearms and a few old ones marred his chest.

After a moment, he released the other's hand and let his own arms drop to his sides casually. He spoke in return, "Motomori Eiji. It's a pleasure to meet you." Courtesies taken care of, he looked pointedly back at the man's paper then back to his face. It was a nice doodle. "What kind of art do you do, this one seems nice as is?"

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Haru kept his pleasant expression as they shook hands, the other male's grip quite strong, in spite of his appearance. One could easily see they were dealing with a Shinobi. Though slim, the body looked well trained, and had several scars and scratches over it, especially around the forearms. Perhaps the most glaring example would be the eye (pun not intended), covered by the men's long brown hair. He wouldn’t change his facial expression, but inside he felt a bit sorry for the male. Not in a condescending way...there they were, two Shinobi, one of them somewhat pristine without trying, the other looking beautiful, but with clear signs of experience...he could only wonder how such harsh experiences could have shaped his mind...Even with his years as a Shinobi, Harupia couldn’t help but to fear he had still much to learn himself.

Still, this was not the time for that...at least so he hoped. As he introduced himself and then after looking at his work commented on that. With a chuckle he scratched his head a bit saying "I guess I’m getting better at it faster then expected...Experienced hands do wonders, heh. But my main area of expertise is sculpting. Specifically using sand, though I also use other materials. Its just that sand is something I have quite a degree of control over...but thank you for the compliment, I'm trying my best to branch out. Maybe you could give me some tips? Or are you interested more in other hobbies, Eiji-kun?" he said with a slightly goofy grin appearing on his face. Kind of forward to already be so friendly with someone, but that was how he acted really. If he had any problems he would adjust accordingly.

 

[Hanone]

After they parted hands, Eiji relaxed his stance. He wasn't feeling anything threatening about the man; he sort of gave off this 'good guy' vibe. Whether it was a real display of personality or simply a well trained facade, he couldn't tell. But he was going with his gut on this one. And anyway, they were in Suna. There was no reason to worry about Sunans as they were all basically neighbors.

He observed the man as he spoke. Friendly, modest and he smiled easily. It seemed smiling was natural to him. The same couldn't be said for Eiji. He never smiled. There wasn't much in life to smile about. Well, there were those malicious ones and mocking ones, but those didn't really count as smiles.

The slim man cringed internally at the "honorific" Harupia used on him, but didn't address the matter when he responded. "I don't have much stake in art. I never really tried I suppose. So no, no tips from me." There was a moments pause where he thought how to answer the man's second question. What hobbies did he have? Killing wasn't a good hobby, though by definition a hobby was an activity or interest that is done for pleasure. Certainly he enjoyed learning new skills and honing old ones so he could be a more effective killer. Killing was his hobby and job. However, he wasn't going to say that true as it was. Instead, he answered him lamely, "Ya. I like to read."

But after another moment he added, "I do enjoy charting stars." He couldn't know if he knew anything about charting stars, but it was a very boring hobby that took literally weeks to do for each star. If he didn't know about it, well that was fine too. He could simply gather Eiji liked to look at stars which made sense for people stuck in a underground village.

Not sure how much personal information he wanted to share with a complete stranger, he turned the questions back on his companion. "So Harupia, I assume you're a shinobi then. You seem physically fit and since you said you have a knack for Sand manipulation, I am assuming as much." He looked to be around Eiji's age as well and was only a few inches taller than himself. With a graceful movement, Eiji reached into a pouch at his side and withdrew a small sake bottle and two small cups. He poured two and held one out to the man.

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Harupia listened to the other male speak, trying not to let his eyes wander to much away from his eyes. It wasn't he didn't want to maintain eye contact, he just wanted to learn a bit more about him. Haru knew very well that his outgoing and happy appearance gave everyone an idea of who he was and how he acted. The same couldn't be said about Eiji, as his facial expression remained fairly impassive as he spoke. Though the fact he was fairly relaxed meant that he didn't feel threatened or tense...though he wasn't sure if he noticed right, but he seemed to tense just a bit as he called him kun...Haru tried his best to get somewhat informal soon, but he would ask about it later on.

So, this man wasn't much of an artist. Somewhat suprising given his appearance, but he could guess his body was the only beautifully thing he cared about. And even then he was somewhat more tolerant, seeing the battle marks on his body...maybe it was part of covering those up. Besides the man liked book's, and star charting...hmm, that was something he knew little about,but it did sound interesting.

Then Eiji asked him a question of a more...professionally nature. He could guess it would venture there sooner or later. Though at least he offered something to unwind the situation a but, a small bottle of sake. He accepted the offered cup and then said "Thank you Eiji...erm, do you prefer any addition to that, or can I take the liberty of not adding a honorific? Sorry about that, just a small habit, hehe. And I also am quite an avid reader in my free time. I don't know much about start charting...but I'm guessing its a bit more complicated then just looking into the sky and pointing at them. Though I can understand someone appreciating their beauty more...its not often we can see them...Let the Storm be damned" he concluded for now rising the cup and taking a swig of the fiery liquid.

Swallowing the alcohol with a small shudder, he would say "Pretty good brew you have there. And yes, indeed I am also a shinobi. While my appearance and attitude may not show it, Ive been recognized to be quite good at the job...Its not something I thoroughly enjoy, but I am aware of the tasks and responsibilities. I do what is needed for my family and village...as cliche as that might sound" he concluded with a small chuckle before asking "Want something to bite for that drink?"

 

[Hanone]

Eiji took a drink of his own sake cup after his new companion did. The liquid was smooth because it was of high quality like most things Eiji owned, but it still had a bite. The heat of the alcohol sliding down his throat was pleasant, like the hand of your lover stroking your leg was pleasant. With that thought, he had one more cup himself, then slipped his cup back into the pouch it came from. As he did, he spoke to the man, answering his questions, "I don't care for them much but if you'd like to use one, san would be fine. Kun and chan are for little boys." which wasn't necessarily true, but this was Eiji's feeling on the matter.

Offered Harupia a second cup if he wanted, reaching his slim arm out and leaving the sake bottle partially tipped in invitation. His eyes lingered on the soft featured man's face though, "It is a nice drink, I agree. The White Wind in the Grand Palaius offers it for a decent price." A decent price being 3 times what your normal bottle charged you.

Little to his surprise, Harupis turned out to be a shinobi. He held himself with a self-confidence that those who were trained did, even if he didn't notice it. It was something subtle about shinobi. Even civilians could sense it usually. Even further Harupia informed Eiji of his distaste for the job, which too wasn't so surprising given the man seemed very kind. Their job was pretty straight forward; shinobi killed for a living. And not all people were as comfortable with it as Eiji was. His reasoning too was the same reason so many used when needing to justify their actions. I kill for my family. I kill for my village. It kept the heart strong, he supposed.

The offer for food, though, piqued his interest. For some time now his stomach had been letting him know it was craving a little nourishment. And alcohol on an empty stomach wasn't a good combination. He allowed a half smile to appear for a moment, letting him know his humor was well intended and joked, "I don't know, you look sort of soft for me. I like my meat a little tougher." A short, golden laugh left Eiji's mouth before semi-hastily he spoke again, this time serious. "No really, if you're offering, I'd accept. Anything sounds great right about now. Lead on if you will."

He would wave his hand outward and away from the lake, allowing Harupia to lead them if he so chose to and put away the sake bottle he was holding whether or not Haru had chosen to have a second cup. Since the conversation was already hitting it off in a relaxed and friendly way, Eiji thought best to continue his inquiry of the other. He had mentioned family so it seemed fair play. "Do you have much family here in Suna? A wife perhaps?"

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

Haru would never himslef compare the feeling of drinking alcohol to anything close to love...well, maybe if someone considerd his sigificant other pouring hot wax over his skin attractive...but he wasnt much into extreams like that. The sudden rush of warmth somewaht scratched his throat, it was a relfex he couldnt really control well. Still he didint mind the taste, and he liked the slightly light headed feel, the general relaxation it brought to someone...in moderate amounts. He had a few cases of overdoing it,and he would like to keep them at a minimum if possible. Simply nodding to his comment on the honorifics, he would take the offer of the second cup while saying "I see, Ill need to remember that...though I dont really have a habbit of walking around with some liqor around me. I dont really like drinking alone, heh. But with company its quite nice indeed" he chukled, twisting the cup gently as he waited for him to pur some more of the liquid.

As Eiji responded to his offer of food, he rised a brow slightly... he was preaty sure there was an innuendo in what he said. Heck, he didint make it really hidden to be honest...he guesed what he said was more of a sneaky pun in a sense. Coughing a bit with his filled cup, he would turn to the small backpack he had on the ground saying "Well, I meant it more in a sense that I had two sandwiches along with me to share...though alcohol always gives me a bigger apetite, so I guess heading some other place wouldnt hurt to much. And dont take it as me trying to politely say no the the suggestion. Just wasnt thinking about going to eat anywhere before now..." he said with a somewhat akward chukle. He had to say, seeing the feminen male smile had a certin charm in it...even if it was a small one.

As he took the second drink and eiji asked a slightly more personal question, he let out a sigh from the drink before saying "Ahh...well, the Sunaku clan has a praety strong population in this village, for obvious reasons, hehe. So I have a lot of somewaht distant relativs,cousins and such. Im preaty much a single child...and as it is now, a single person in general. Never had a wife just yet... Im planing on having only one, so Im waiting for the right women to come around" he conldued with a wide smile, grabbing his backpack and putting it on, and offering Eiji his cup back, while thinking just where could they go.

 

[Hanone]

Eiji had to agree. Company was nice when drinking. Sometimes it was just for social, good times. Othertimes you'd end up with company overnight. He actually preferred the latter though; your company asked less personal questions that way. Usually they just wanted to get your clothing off.

He took note of the raised eyebrow and wondered idly to himself if he'd said something inappropriate to the man, but couldn't think of anything and let the expression slide. The cough, however, led him to believe he had once again and hid a smile. He didn't mind making someone a little uncomfortable. His response to food being sandwiches made Eiji's nose wrinkle up and was glad he conceeded to find a place to go with him. He would have had to decline the sandwiches.

Since he seemed for the idea and wasn't necessarily deciding on a place, Eiji carried on forward, walking in a slow pace so his friend could get the clue and come along. Eiji would lead them to the White Wind probably. It was his favorite place afterall. To show he was paying attention, he kept his eyes on the man, nodding when given the chance to show he understood. As Harupia completed his thought on family, Eiji took the chance to respond to the man, grinning a little more than usual. "I don't believe in marriage. I think it's a fool's way of making you into property. I don't even really believe in monogamy for that matter. But then, I've really only had one real relationship before and perhaps if he hadn't died we may have still been together. Who knows."

It wasn't typical of Eiji to get so comfortable or to freely give out personal information. And he started to... "I...have a sister." Oh ya, descriptive and everything! (sarcasm). When he tried to say more, it stuck in his throat like unchewed chunky peanut butter and stale bread. He looked away from the man, thinking on Aika for a brief moment. Before anything more could be said on the subject, Eiji asked Haru another. "Tell me about your ideal partner."

The pair, if they kept up a good pace, would begin to round the lake and head back toward civilization. It would be a looong walk until they reached the White Wind. In the meantime they could speak.

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

He blinked a bit as Eiji first as Eiji wrinkled his nose, before the male started moving forward. He assumed that the smaller male was not interested in the sandwiches much, and would rather eat out...a bit of a waste of his food rations, but he'd probably eat them anyway... in spite of being somewhat slim, he did have a nice appetite. So Harupia followed, taking his bag with him, still holding onto the cup he was given, which Eiji didn't take back yet. Even if slightly ahead, Eiji seemed to be an inquisitive listener...he wasn't sure how much he was paying attention, but if it was his question he was answering, he fully assumed he was indeed listening indeed.

As he finished speaking, Eiji threw in his two cents about the idea of marriage. As he ended his thought, which Harupia listened to intently, he would stay silent for a bit, considering his words before saying "Sorry to hear about your loss...Ive also experienced death, but never of someone close like that...I can only imagine how that feel's... But I guess its part of our duty, to be prepared for such a loss..." he said with a small, somewhat sad smile, not wanting to drag on the topic much. He hardly ever had the chance to cheer up anyone after such a tragic event...but Eiji didn't seem like someone dwelling on his past, so he guessed a respectful silence was best for this case.

As he started to talk about his sister, he would chuckle a bit before saying "That confession came out a bit dramatic don't you think?". He just though the way he paused before he said it made it somewhat amusing. When the next question was asked, it was Kenta's turn to ponder a bit, as they walked on their hefty journey to civilization.

After a few minutes of thought he would say "That is...a tough question. I mean, at a certain point in my life, I started to do my best to see beauty in everything around me, so I could draw inspiration from it. I mean, some might probably think it would be hard to find that in an underground city...but besides the lake, there is always something beautiful. The crowd wandering around the Sietch, the view of the city from a top of a building, the children playing around their homes, shinobi practicing their Taijutsu...erm, sorry, rambling again. My point is, I don't really have a type of girl I like the most. I might like longer hair a bit more...and I have a certain affinity towards blonds and red-heads....but that doesn't mean I will not like a short hairdo brunet. I also don't mind if their not perfect model shaped and whatnot...I mean, uncontrolled obesity is nothing pretty, but even bigger people can look fit in their bodies, like the Akamichi clan...Not to mention that while appearance is of course a important issue, someones character is just as important... Argh, I need to keep track of my liquids if Im to get all chatty like this" he said with a chuckle while reaching for a bottle of water in his bag

Harupia was also feeling quite comfortable, as someone hearing their conversation might hear. A combination of the sake coursing through his veins and his general nature, he always wanted to make sure he got his message across the best way he could. Which led on to some rambling at times. After taking a sip of water, he would say "Ahh, that's better...want some cold water for a change? And maybe you could tell me a bit more about your sister...unless her introduction and you latter question were completely unrelated of course" he said with a short laugh. He wasn't of course quite sure what the male had on his mind, but this was the most obvious guess he could think of.

 

[Hanone]

Eiji couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as Harupia made the connection of love life and a sister. Made him have to wonder about his own choices... But since he decided to joke with him, he'd make one back at his expense, "Well." He said, stepping over a rock, "It sounds like you're into anything with breasts. Course if she was a fighter and lost them in a fight, I bet that wouldn't even deter you, hm?" The pretty man chuckled, enjoying himself.

"Water would be nice," he finally responded to the offer, moving on from his joking and humor. His expression turned somber once more, a natural state for the man. The pair passed away from the gleaming lake and into the thickness of stone 'trees'. Eiji's fingers dragged along the tops of several beautifully formed crystals. They were sharp, but he was used to handling sharp items and didn't cut himself.

They were getting further into the Elderwoods when he stopped, putting a hand to the cold surface. His face was turned away from Harupia, but his body language suggested he was relaxed. "Maybe the sandwiches wouldn't be so bad. This is a nice place."

"My sister is almost half my age. She came with me when I left my clan and became a Sunan citizen. Or rather I brought her with me. She's.. a good girl and the only worthwhile female I know of." He traced his index finger along the crevice of two crystals who formed from a singular base. One was purplish, the other was blue. "She's all I have here. For the most part, I'd like it to stay that way. I don't-" He sealed his lips then, not feeling comfortable to offer more about himself with this new man.

Pivoting his his heel, the beautiful man turned back to face him, tipping his head to the side which let his hair fall away from his face. His blue and white-blinded eye focused on Harupia. "Do you believe in love? Real love? Family and bonds are so fickle, so many tainted or poorly formed. I've no faith in such things."

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

He rose a brow at Eiji joke, scratching his head a bit, saying "Erm, yes, breasts are nice. Though come to think of it, I never saw a Shinobi girl who would have her cleavage damaged in some way... besides the occasional scars and whatnot. I guess people don’t have the heart to aim for that part of the body" he said with a small chuckle, letting Eiji take the water bottle from him. His joking tone faded away quickly as earlier, replaced by the more somber expression as they walked on. He noticed by now that the male seemed to be more of a clam, collected individual, so he didn’t take it against him. Though he wasn’t sure himself how funny his attempt of a joke was.

As they walked on, with Harupia taking note on how casually the other male run his fingers over the crystals formations, they would come to a halt and Eiji requested one of the sandwiches from him. Nodding with a soft smile Haru took his bag from over his shoulder, searching out the two yummy snacks. They were quite filling sandwiches, having most of the things you like in one, cheese, lettuce, some good ham, mayonnaise...ok, there were no tomatoes in it, but he hoped Eiji didn’t care for those much.

As he grabbed the food, he would listen in silence as he spoke about his sister. Hearing that made his earlier joke seem quite silly... Nodding a bit as he finished he said "I understand...I’d be protective of someone that close to me as well...though I’m not sure how she will feel about that when she gets a bit older. But you don’t have to worry about me, I tend to pursue women closer to my own age. My appologies for my earlier comments" he said with a chuckle, offering him one of the sandwiches.

As Eiji pivoted towards him, and looked him straight in the eyes with a somewhat complicated question, he stood in silence again, waiting for him to accept the offered food or not, before saying "I...would like to believe in it. Personally, I can’t say my family bonds aren’t good. I love my mother a lot, she always cared for me... my father was a bit strict, but I was lucky enough to meet the expectations he had for me...now, I would say he had them set somewhat high... As for the more romantic love, I can’t say I’ve ever experienced it...crushing, affection, lust, however you call it, yes...but I can’t say for certain I was in love. And yet I see my mother and father, so different, yet living with each other in peace and love for all my life...Maybe I’m a bit hopeless, but I would like to believe that if that the two right people meet...anything is possible "he finished with a soft smile. He really liked to believe that...weather life would crush those expectations, that remained to be seen.

 

[Hanone]

Eiji wasn't sure why he brought up love with the man. With his hands now full of cold water and a sandwich, he was forced to just stand there and eat with the man, and talk. He couldn't do other things with his hands to give him a reason to look away. Everytime love was a topic at hand he felt hardened and angry. Maybe it was because of his recent talks with Aika, but it was a subject right at the front of his mind.

Sighing, the man took a bite out of the sandwich and had to admit to himself it wasn't half bad for being a 'packed lunch'. Good quality ham and cheese. The lettuce was still crisp and not too mayo but it was really missing some tomatoes.. and fresh onion. No problem. "I'm not worried about you." he said, referencing back to Harupia's statement with his sister before moving back to the topic he made the mistake of bringing up. Eiji would probably kill anyone who tried to bed his sister actually..

Anyway.

"You remind me of a child in a lot of ways, Harupia." He confessed, looking at the bitten food in his hands. "Caring, niceness, hope. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but it's very naive to me." Unable to avoid it, Eiji looked the slightly taller man in the eyes again. "And the worst thing is, even if the two 'right people' meet, fall in love and move forward with life as a family, you're at risk to having it be torn away from you."

"And we're shinobi, we put ourselves at such risk of death all the time. It's unlikely you'll make it to an old age, or me. Would it be right to meet this person you love so much then go off and die on them? How would they survive the loss of you? They wouldn't be able to forget your smell, or how cute you looked when you spilled something on accident and pretended it wasn't you. Or how your skin felt rubbing up against... hers when you two were entwined in your bed.. Love is selfish. And pointless."

Fuck bad mood. He really should apologize, but this man was hopeless. Eiji couldn't look at him anymore and turned away, leaning his shoulder against a crystal-studded 'tree'. He took another bite. It was a good sandwich.

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

He ate his own sandwich as well in silence alongside Eiji...meh, onions, he forgot to add some of those...ahh well, it was still pretty nice, and it seemed Eiji wasn’t complaining as well. He would nod towards him as he spoke, assuming that he wasn’t worried about him trying to seduce his sister or something along those lines. That was a good thing to know.

Still, the conversation would be taking a turn to the south as Eiji started opening himself a bit more. Or at least, speaking openly about what he thought of Haru's point of view. He would listen to him in silence, as he spoke about the risks of their life, and the feeling of someone living their life after someone they loved so closely passed away. He guessed that he knew for sure now what happened to the male's partner he mentioned earlier. It was of course something he considered in his mind...he never experienced it beforehand personally... and he only saw the expression of the anguished people who lost their brothers, sons, wives during a mission... He knew very well he could someday die, most likely a lot sooner than anyone else...

After a brief silence as Eiji stopped talking, he would start saying "What you say is painfully true in a way... you and I will both die someday...it is a thought that I find quite dreadful...that one day I can simply stop being...case to exist. But, if were to go by you logic...isn’t life itself selfish, and pointless?" rising his head to looks towards Eiji now "Everything we do, my creation of art, us doing our work as a Shinobi for personal wealth, or for the good of the village, whichever you prefer, a weapon smith doing his trade, a child waking up...isn’t it all for nought, since we all will die? Should we all just lay in our beds and do nothing, waiting for death to take its toll?"

Another bite taken he would carry on " Making people feel love, and risking the loss of it may seem wrong...but denying the two right people the chance of happiness seems just as wrong to me. My life will end, no matter how I wish to live through it. I simply think it better to live it to the fullest, try and enjoy the most of every second, and deal with the pain it throws at me, rather than just giving up on life. I am not of course saying that is what you’re doing, since you are not locked in some kind of tomb or anything, hehe. I just think this pain is something one can’t avoid. I can’t truly understand the pain you went through, but I wish to believe that a chance of living my life with someone I truly love is worth the risk feeling pain because of it. It is probably very naive, yes... But I simply love life to much to note be as enthusiastic about it as I am." he concluded with a smile.

Moving towards Eiji he would say "Hmm, all of this talking really is making me more hungry...do you wish to continue our trek to some dining place? Or does my company not seem as enjoyable as it previously did?" he asked. He wasn’t sure if Eiji would take offense to his explanation. He truly couldn’t understand that the male was going through...but he hoped to at least try and make him feel a bit better, if a conversation could help.

 

[Hanone]

Eiji knew he'd probably overstepped it a little. There was no reason for him to have it out at this man. Everyone was entitled to their own opinion, no matter how Eiji felt. While Harupia spoke his mind, Eiji continued to eat some of his sandwich. He finished it before it was his turn to speak again and finished the meal with the drink of water he had been given by the man then held out the cup to give it back.

He wasn't sure if it was good to bring up all that anymore, so he took the chance given by Harupia to just drop it. He wasn't mad at him, just internally frustrated. He was sour about love...

"No, of course your company is enjoyable. I was out of hand somewhat." Then to address the issue about food, he responded, "No, the sandwich filled me pretty good. I don't eat much anyway. But if you'd like to continue walking, I have a better idea." It was a surprise for the man, if he was up for it. In the little time they had been speaking Eiji had learned a bit about the man. He thought the destination in mind would suit him well.

 

[Hoshirei]

Aika had sneezed at least a few times while on her way home from a date. It hadn't gone too well either. She had finally given the Onoko boy a chance. She huffed and clenched her fist. The boy was still an MiT, waiting for his med-nin exam even though he was already twenty. Lunch had gone fairly well, and they had an alright time while at a club. He had gotten a little hands-y but she shrugged that fact off, they had been in a club after all.
Afterward however, he had pulled her into one of the club's private rooms. It started off well enough, some playful kissing and petting. Just as she was getting comfortable with the thought of actually being with him, he had whispered a question to her that completely ruined the mood and any posiblities the boy had in ever getting her into this compromising situation ever again.
"So, if I shag you well enough, would I be promoted to med-nin?"
She had punched him in the face, making him fly across the room. Her eyes were wide and she strode over to him, fury obvious in her crystal blue eyes. She spent just five minutes yelling at him for trying to use her position to get a gain in his. She then went to the Tower and reported his stupid ass. That med exam he was supposed to take next month? Try next year.
Her feet had led her to the lake and she slumped down to lean against a great boulder with a sigh. She really should have known not to go anywhere with that jerk. She was still so frustrated that she hadn't healed her swollen lips or marked neck.
Aika took a moment to look at her self in the water before running through the hand-signs to form the necessary healing jutsu.

 

[Sunaku Harupia]

He would wait for Eiji to respond, accepting his water bottle back. As he finally said something which could be seen as a sort of apology, he would simply shake his head saying "You were just speaking you mind, there is nothing wrong with that. As long as I can do the same...and no one is jumping at the others throat with some kind of weaponry" he said with a chuckle. Eiji didn’t seem like a jumpy person like that, but he was still glad he didn’t surprise him. He wasn’t in the mood for combat.

As he mentioned an idea other then food, he would stand up with a light hearted smile saying "Sure. I’m not in a rush to do anything at the moment...need to enjoy my free time before I go and visit my family household" chuckling at the last sentence. As soon as Eiji would start leading the way he would follow suit, quite interested what he had planned.

 

[Hanone]

Well Eiji had learned only a little about the man since meeting him a short while ago. He was very nice and sincere. He believed in love and probably destiny. And he enjoyed art in whatever form it took. Since he wasn't up for helping out the slum soup drive in the Grand Palais to appease his niceness, wasn't a blushing pair of tits for him to swoon over, he had thought of option three. Which funny enough did take them to the Grand Palais.. oh well.

The destination was quite the walk away since the cavernous village they called home hosted thousands of people and multiples districts. They were also pretty far away. So he figured he could mention it to the man as they went. He'd originally thought to keep it a surprise, but he didn't much care for surprises. "I want to show you this small... I suppose you can call it art gallery. I doubt you've been there before. It's located in the slums in this guy's basement, but it's sort of like the diamond in the rough of the Grand Palais. For no charge and no profit, these people pour their emotional dribble on canvas on into sculpture and donate it anonymously to "The Gallery". Then people can come see it."

Aika and Eiji had found it one day when she was young. It wasn't well displayed and the house The Gallery was located in lied somewhere on the far end of a deadend alleyway. Many times they had made trips there. He had never made something for the exhibit himself, though he thought maybe his little sister had.

And speaking of, Eiji's little sister was nearby, yet not in view from the crystal trees. That didn't stop that little itch from the back of his mind from going off. Eiji was prone to Aika, could almost feel her when she was near. It was a trait that could only assume ran in the family. And it sometimes worried him; if he could feel Aika, then could someone more sensitive to these feelings find them? He hoped not.

Not to be rude, but hardly with much tact, Eiji raised a digit to Harupia signalling he needed 1 minute then parted from the man's side. He walked back toward the lake to investigate the source of the prickly feeling. Once he broke the 'tree'line, he looked around. At first he saw no one then just at the end of the lake, not so far from him but sorta hidden by a strange formation, he spotted her. Smiling slightly, a fond look reserved for only her Eiji said loudly, "Aika, come along!" No doubt he would startle her.

Then he turned back and headed slowly to return to Harpia's side. She would follow him or she wouldn't. But that smile was still in place. It made him wonder if she had come to the lake because she, like he, was drawn to the lifeforce of her own blood. That little.. itch thing.


[so sorry about the delays. Hard times at home, all better now. <3]

 

[Hoshirei]

Head in her hands, Aika almost didn't notice the itch of her brother nearing. She couldn't believe how stupid she was, believing that the Onoko-teme would ever be interested in her for anything other than her position. She hit her head more than a few times as the itching feeling became more prominent. When she heard her name, she jumped half out of her skin. She turned and saw Eiji standing there, he was smiling. She loved seeing her brother smile. It reminded her of happier times.
Aika just nodded and stood to follow her brother. She walked to catch up to where he had gone off to, following that itch she had been developing. Once she found him again, she saw another man beside Eiji. She froze slightly before walking cautiously up to the pair.
"Hi, I'm Eiji's sister Aika. What's your name."