Blue Skies, Green Eyes - [Open]

Age : 31 Posts : 716

. . .

As soon as the sun rose, peeking through her window, and shedding some light in her dim room, the setting seemed to take on new colors and shades. It wasn't long before the rays reached her closed eyes, forcing her to open them. She sat up, like every morning, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. It was always the same - staying up late, and sleeping in. However, this time she seemed to have woken a little earlier than usual, and for this she wondered why. As she got out of bed, and made for the kitchen to prepare herself a healthy breakfast, she slowly came to realization of her change of sleeping habits. Summer was approaching - beautiful, warm summer. The season always seemed to bring pleasant weather, and with it, appealing scenery all around. With spring coming to an end, all the flowers were in full bloom, and at their most lively. She could already imagine the world outside her front door, just waiting for her to take a step into this world of vibrant color. The thought alone made her shiver in excitement, the beauty she would behold on this fair day. So she lightheartedly finished a small, yet nutritional breakfast, and ran to her room for a change of attire.

With the new season, came a change of wardrobe. She would be wearing lighter colors now, to keep from getting too hot, and to compliment her environment so that she might blend right in. Today she wore a light purple, short sleeved hood over a white tank top, with jean shorts, and open toed shoes. Lilium was already welcoming the fine weather, and couldn’t wait to actually go out and enjoy it herself. Before she made way to the door, she made sure to grab her backpack full of art supplies, and useful, or otherwise fundamental items. She was completely prepared for whatever the world might throw at her on this bright day. As she successfully made sure all she needed was where she wanted, she walked back down the hallway, to the main entrance of her house, and exited through the front door, locking it behind her. She knew her parents were likely out enjoying the favorable weather, seeing as she hadn’t seen them yet this morning. So to make sure all was intact, she secured the door as she left – a daily procedure, and practically part of her routine by now.

Her footsteps were muffled with the crowd, as she made her way through the busy streets of Konohagakure no Sato. She didn’t exactly have a destination in mind, but was looking for somewhere quieter; more tranquil. Possible scenarios ran through her mind, as she tried to think of a pleasant place to spend her day. The park was likely full of noisy children, eager to play, and enjoy the sun. She could already tell the marketplace was packed, as that’s where most of the traffic was headed, probably anticipating the arrival of imported exotic foods. With it being such a nice day, there was no doubt in her mind that the majority of the village ninja were at the training grounds, if not on a mission. At last, the perfect place to come to mind was Hokage Mountain. Not many people climbed the earthen monument, and most certainly not for leisurely reasons. It was likely to be the less busy place of all in the village, at the current moment. And with that thought, her course made direction for her destination.

Even after having been stuck in the house on the rainiest of days, attending to housework, she still managed to keep in shape. Climbing the stairs was still no obstacle for this kunoichi, and she made it to the top in what seemed like no time at all. As she did, she proudly stood over the railing, looking down upon the village with a smile. Everything seemed so much more peaceful from here. Lilium pulled herself over the railing, sitting on the very edge of the cliff just below. She hugged her knees a moment, and with a content sigh, then pulled out her sketchbook and pencil from her backpack. While the rest of the world was busy with the days’ chores, she sat, drawing the image before her radiant, emerald eyes…

. . .

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

Akimaru rolled his face around in his futon. His hair had that strangly feel it always did when he just woke up. His eyes were groggy and saw, so he gave them a good rub. Sitting up on his futon, Akimaru got headrush. Rather than doing the sensible thing of laying back down, Akimaru got up off the futon, and stood to his full, towering height. Stretching out, his palms touched the ceiling. "I really should start thinking about moving out and getting a new house. I'm earning enough money from my ninja missions, this house is too small for me, I don't want to get in my parents' way and I need to be more independant."

Ticking off a sort of checklist in his mind, Akimaru decided his next major move in life would be to buy his own house. But the fact was, it was a major move, and he had to give it some thought. Opening the window and letting some air into his stuffy bedroom, Akimaru looked out on his clan quarters. The clan garden was looking beautiful. The trees were in full blossom, the grass was a fresh green and not a blade was out of place. The plants were vibrant colours of red, yellow and purple.

Looking beyond the horizon of his clan's headquarters, Akimaru saw the whole of Konohagkure no Sato. The sun was still rising, at a guess it was nine o' clock in the morning. Looking around and analysing as much of the village as he could from his bedroom window, Akimaru decided to get out and get some fresh out. "It'll help me think."

Turning away from the window, Akimaru began to change his attire. From his pyjamas to his ninja outfit, Akimaru didn't really wear much else unless it was a formal occasion or he was required to. And that suited him just fine. His mother got a bit annoyed with the amount of washing she had to do. Akimaru's ninja attire had to be washed everyday, because of his sweating when he was running around, sparring and doing missions.

Sliding his futon away, Akimaru closed his bedroom door behind him and made his way down the stairs. In the kitchen, his mother was sat on the floor, doing yoga. His father had obviously taken advantage of the good weather and gone out early to catch the best fish. Sitting down beside his mother, he smiled at her. For fifteen minutes they sat, in eccentric positions, relaxing their muscles for the day ahead.

After a while, Akimaru got up and got some breakfast. He had muesli. Slurping it out of his bowl, Akimaru placed it back in his mother's hands. They did not speak all morning, they never did. They had their own way of talking. Kissing his mother's cheek, Akimaru walked out of the door. He was going to go to the Hokage Mountain. Everywhere else would be busy today, and he needed the peace to think.

Making his way around the back of the hustle and bustle of the village, Akimaru made it to the stairs of the mountain. He began to climb them at an average pace. Each step making a dull clanging noise as his foot trod on it, Akimaru finally made his way to the top. As he walked back up onto the mountain, he saw a girl, a few feet away leaning off of the edge. From the angle Akimaru was at, it looked like she was going to jump.

Studying closer, Akimaru saw she had got a sketchbook and pencil in her backpack. Akimaru's mind jammed. He knew who the girl was; Lilium. His mind had all but fogotten about her, as he had ordered it to do so. Now all of his emotions came back and hit him in a wave so powerful, he almost fell over. Standing still, looking completely gormless, it was only a matter of time before she noticed him...

Age : 31 Posts : 716

. . .

She had just put her pencil led to the surface of the canvas when she heard distant footsteps, slowly becoming closer. This surprised her a bit, seeing as she hadn’t expected many to visit the mountain today. As she listened more attentively, she could make out the footsteps of only one. With this thought, she remained at ease. It was only one person, not a group, she could tolerate this. And as she continued her observation, she realized the placement of their feet was heavy, probably a male. The presence seemed familiar, and she had already distracted herself from her sketch, so her attention was fully drawn to the unidentified person. With the sun blinding her, she was forced to shield her eyes with one hand, squinting up at the figure of what only looked to be a shadow at the moment. As her eyes readjusted themselves, she could make out the full figure of the tall boy, the one she called Kiyo.

A smile appeared on her face, bright, and as warm as the sun’s embraceful light itself. Instead of standing, she was cautious of her position. Lilium sat still, only moving her hand again to wave at him, a friendly gesture. “Hey, Kiyo-kun! Over here!” She wasn’t exactly loud, but made her voice audible enough to get his attention. This was her invitation to him, assuring him it was okay that he joined her. In fact, she enjoyed his company. A familiar face was always nice, especially when sharing such a nice day with a friend. The more she thought about it, the more appealing a day hanging with a pal sounded. Maybe they could even find something more fun to do, rather than just looking over the busy village below. Either way, she could already tell that today was going to be interesting enough.

Lilium awaited him, patiently. She knew he’d eventually decide to accompany her - he was a polite boy, a kind soul. To ensure he would, she made further conversation. “What brings you all the way up here?” Her voice was clear, and cheerful. She didn’t ask this question just to keep his interest, but because she was curious of his destination as well. There had to be a reason for him to stray so far from the village…

. . .

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

As Akimaru stood gormless looking at Lilium, she turned around and smiled at him. Her warm, lovely smile which made her cheeks firm and plump. Akimaru got butterflies, even more so when she waved at him and said: “Hey, Kiyo-kun! Over here!” Akimaru's stomach dropped, yet he remained calm. He walked over to her, his head hung. Taking a risk, Akimaru decided to sit down besider her, and try to be more at her level.

“What brings you all the way up here?” Lilium asked, now level with him. Being level with her felt much better. Deciding to answer her truthfully, Akimaru began,"I've come up here to t-think. I'm t-thinking about m-moving out." Harshly exhaling, Akimaru blinked quite hard and his fist clenched. Nevertheless, he continued hastily, "N-not b-because I've f-fallen out w-with them or a-anything!

Knowing that he hadn't really summed up everything he wanted to say, Akimaru stumbled. He couldn't continue talking, so he dropped his gaze to the urban life of Konoha below. Akimaru was shaking slightly, his fists were clenched and his teeth were also clenched, gritting together. Most people would think he was angry, and he was slightly. Angry at the fact he couldn't talk to the person he wanted to talk to the most. He only hoped she would understand.

Age : 31 Posts : 716

. . .

Quiet, waiting, was Lilium. After a brief moment, he sat down beside her. It wasn’t long before he answered her question, or more so tried. As the words escaped his mouth, it became a stuttering mess. He was almost always like this - nervous, uneasy. And although she hadn’t known him that long, she was already accustomed to it. His fist was clenched, with what seemed like frustration. What she could make out, he had come up here to think, and obviously about some serious business. She could tell he was already stressed on the subject, and hoped she wasn’t the cause. So she patted him on the back, gently. If she didn’t have words for the moment, she would just have to try and comfort him. It was the least she could do, as a friend.

When he seemed to calm down a bit more, looking down at the village below, she tried for some words herself. “Now, that you are calm, would you mind explaining what has you so worked up?” She had to admit to herself, when she asked such a simple question, she didn’t exactly expect such an outburst of emotion. Lilium didn’t consider this a bad thing, but actually respected it. She would rather have a friend who would openly share his thoughts and emotions, than one who would hide everything away, only bringing more emotional distress upon themselves. In this case, she could provide whatever help she could be to the situation. And if she couldn’t help, she would listen. Regardless, friendship was a big thing to her, and it had its rules. These rules weren’t exactly as the literal term refers, but how she treated her friends, or how she reacted to said situations. With Kiyo being a new friend, she would have to do a lot of getting to know him before she could accurately react to every situation. This meant a lot of experimenting, but she didn’t mind, it was all worth it in the end.

There they sat, in silence. It wasn’t awkward, or otherwise eerie – it was pleasant. There was a light breeze among them, caressing their suntanned faces, making the hot weather a little more tolerable. This was summer – relaxing in the sun’s warmth, sharing time with friends, and more importantly, getting to know each other. And this is why she loved it so much…

. . .

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

Akimaru was getting very worked up. There was a prickly heat hitting his body from each angle, attacking his soul and making his neck sweat. His eyes were scrunched up and all he could see was a purple depth which seemed to have no end. His fists were so clenched, his small amount of fingernails were cutting into his palms, and his blood oozed out slowly, and dripped down the inside of his arm.

Not wanting to get so angry and worked up in front of Lilium, Akimaru started taking deep, rhymatic breaths in an attempt to calm himself down. "In through the nose, out through the mouth." Akimaru kept repeating the sentence in his mind as he was breathing. After a few moments of composing himself, the fear and embarressment of the realisation that Lilium was watching kicked in. Rather than getting worked up about it, Akimaru opened his eyes. Everything seemed to have a bit of a blue tinge, but Lilium was still as beautiful as before.

“Now, that you are calm, would you mind explaining what has you so worked up?” Lilium said to him. Rather than answering straight away, Akimaru dropped his gaze to the floor. He picked up a stone in his hand, and began to flip it around his fingers. It was getting dirt on his hands, but it didn't really bother him. "I'll wash my hands later." It was such a mundane thought and Akimaru was unsure why it occured to him, but it did. Taking a deep breath, Akimaru made his attempt to explain himself to Lilium.

"I f-find it h-hard to t-talk to people. A trait of my c-clan is that w-we all d-dislike talking, for whatever r-reason it might b-be. W-whether we don't want to talk to p-people, whether we f-find it hard; w-we all have our o-own reasons. It's the m-main reason I have such a t-terrible stutter. After mentioning his stutter and surverying Lilium's reaction, it seemed to get better. "I especially find it h-hard to t-talk to people I l-like. Apart from my f-family." Akimaru dropped in a gentle hint about his emotions towards Lilium, but he did not make it obvious at all, so he highly doubted she picked up on it.

Akimaru desperately wanted Lilium to like him, so he continued, despite his mouth being tired at this point. It wasn't used to all this blabber. "The reason I get so u-upset is I get fr-frustrated when I c-can't talk, and it sort of s-sends me into a shame s-spiral, so to speak." This came out in an almost matter-of-fact tone, which was a complete accident. Embarressed, Akimaru's cheeks tinged red and he hoped Lilium hadn't noticed.

Age : 31 Posts : 716

. . .

She managed to notice his hands were bleeding, from clenching his fists so tightly. This honestly bothered her a bit, but she bit her lip and waited. He closed his eyes, and took deep breaths, in and out, in perfect rhythm. It wasn’t long before she herself started breathing so steadily, though not in as large of breaths as he had. It was calming, nonetheless. However, she still worried what had gotten him so worked up in the first place. So she patiently awaited his answer, in silence. When he finally opened his eyes, he looked directly at her, and she thought he might say something. Instead, he picked up a rock, and smoothed it in his hands. Lilium cringed a bit at the thought that all that dirt probably didn’t help the fact that he had tiny gashes in his hands, and could possibly infect it later.

It was just as she reached for her bag, to retrieve some bandages for him that she heard the words escape his mouth, a little clearer than before. She paused what she was doing, and turned to him, looking at him as he spoke. He was upset over the reason he has such a difficult time speaking, and for this, she felt bad. She wondered if she hurt him in any way, since she always seemed to talk so much, and even before he could answer. By this time, she wasn’t just biting her lip, but chewing it in her nervousness. Lilium did find it interesting when he said that all of his clan had problems speaking, for reasons of their own, his reason being his stutter. She wondered that maybe if he overcame his speech impediment, that he might have less problems speaking. However, it wasn’t her choice. If he didn’t want to speak as much, or if he wanted to break past his speech limitations, it didn’t matter. She was still his friend, and would remain his friend regardless.

All in all, he was embarrassed. She knew this, and she could understand why. Lilium understood his frustration, his stress, his fear. And to tell him this, she smiled. Not only did she give him such a friendly smile, but she gently patted him on the head as well. For the moment, all she wanted to say was, “It’s okay”. And that’s exactly what she did, as she pulled her water bottle, black salve, and bandages from her backpack. Whether he liked it or not, she pulled his hands free, her smile still warm, and her gaze gentle. She did her best to wash the remnants of the bits of dirt from his hands, and applied the salve to keep from infection. Lilium wanted to make sure all was clean, so it would heal well. Then she finished by wrapping the bandages carefully around his hands, trying not to harm him anymore than he already had…

. . .

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

They sat in excrutiating silence for a few moments. Akimaru felt comfortable in silence with Lilium; it was just the fact he was waiting for her to say something which was making it excrutiating. Otherwise he would have been fine. "You know someone's your friend when you can sit in silence with them and not feel uncomfortable." Akimaru thought to himself, reciting a quote he had read from a book when he was a younger boy. Not having friends took his toll on him when he was younger, and his lack of social skills is probably what helped build up his speech impediment, but he was determined to beat it. He only hoped Lilium would help him through this and co-operate.

Akimaru remembered the book he had read the quote from.

Flashback;;

Spoiler:

Phasing back just in time, Akimaru heard Lilium speak. "It's okay." she said, and Akimaru let out a sigh of relief. He had been holding his breath for quite a while, anxious of her answer. Almost jumping out of his skin, Akimaru felt Lilium's warm hand patting him on the head. It was probably the first time they had ever had contact, as when they usually talked they sat beside or opposite each other. Imagine her hands running through his hair, Akimaru pulled his thoughts back and enjoyed the moment, without giving away too much on his face.

Lilium pulled her hand off of his head much sooner than Akimaru would have liked, and the disappointment was probably obvious on his face. But his frown turned to a smile as he thought about it again. To Akimaru, their physical touching marked another milestone in their friendship, if that's what it was. "That's not what I want it to be." Akimaru thought bitterly to himself, but he was happy with what he had with Lilium; as long as she was.

Akimaru's hands were still clenched together in a giant fist, but he was no longer digging into his arms. Akimaru had been so absorbed in his contact with Lilium, he had failed to noticed she had been rummaging in her backpack. By her side Akimaru spotted a waterbottle, bandages and a black salve. Lilium's small and gentle hands ripped Akimaru's big clods apart, her touch very feminine. Akimaru's skin burned under her touch, but it was the most enjoyable experience he had had with Lilium.

Lilium began to wash out Akimaru's wounds from earlier. "So she noticed how I counteract my stress. I wonder what else she notices..." Akimaru thought to himself, marvelling at how observant Lilium was. He smiled at her whilst her gentle gaze was still on his now cleaner hands. She wrapped the bandages around his hands, and Akimaru noticed the large difference in their size, despite the fact she was a couple of years older. But it didn't matter to Akimaru. Resisting the urge to pull her chin to face him, Akimaru spoke. "T-Thank you."

Age : 31 Posts : 716

. . .

As she finished wrapping the remaining bandages around his large hands, she heard him speak up just long enough to thank her. This made her smile; though he had been frustrated, he was still polite. She let out a pleasant sigh, having successfully patched him up for the moment. Then, she returned her supplies from whence they came. Her arms outstretched above her head, then took to a more comfortable position of seating. Nonetheless, she had done well. Not only had she patched him up, but she seemed to have calmed him down furthermore. This was good, all in all. Now that he was calm, maybe she could get him to keep conversation. She had already made clear his stuttering didn’t bother her, so she hoped he would be less nervous about it, and talk a little more. Lilium felt bad when she did all the talking.

Nonetheless, to keep the limited conversation they had going, she decided to speak up first. “Sooo… Why is it that you are thinking about moving out, then?” It was an innocent question, and a simple one at that. These words would take them back to the original topic, and she hoped that with that said, he wouldn’t go into a panic this time. After all, she was patient. So she sat quietly once more, a small, yet warm smile on her face. However, she didn’t stare at him. Her attention soon took to the clouds above them. She didn’t want to put any more pressure on him than he already did himself. And she was honestly thinking, about his previous words. She really did wonder why he would want to move out, and it kind of made her think of whether she should be considering the idea. In fact, she was approaching the age of seventeen now. And being as independent as she was, she had considered the idea many times over the years. Yet, her parents always insisted she needn’t worry about such things, that their home was her home. So she tried to keep her mind on more important things, such as her life as a kunoichi.

As she stared off into the sky, she wondered just how many of the children around their age did consider this idea of moving out. And if so many did, if there was even enough houses in Konohagakure no Sato for all of them to have a residence. They were random thoughts, silly thoughts. But that was just how her mind went about things, keeping her everyday life a little more interesting. She wondered how many kunoichi and shinobi were honestly independent, as well. And the more she thought, the more she questioned. Thinking about such strange ideas made this less dull, to say the least, and so she never really tried to think so seriously…

. . .

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

Lilium's eyes were still on his hands when he spoke, but Akimaru knew he had been heard. Lilium smiled and let out a pleasant sigh. Akimaru imitated her. "Imitation is the most basic form of flattery." Akimaru found his mind thinking, taunting him in a way. He was in one of the situations where his brain power was working against him. "It's probably because I've been using more heart more than my head where Lilium's concerned." Akimaru answered back. It was a weird thing. Akimaru saw himself as his concience and his mind as his friend that would give him advice. "But even the best of friends have their disagreements; that's what makes their relationship stronger."

“Sooo… Why is it that you are thinking about moving out, then?” Lilium asked Akimaru innocently. Now that he had had time to prepare for what he really wanted to say, Akimaru didn't get frustrated or upset this time around. He managed to stay calm, and rather than think about what he was going to say, he spoke honestly to Lilium. There was no need to lie to her. Akimaru eye's bored deep into the depth of hers, and he began to talk, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Well, I h-have ample money from what I've saved up doing my ninja missions and I feel it's about time I gained some more independance. My parents love m-me very much, but they're g-getting older now and if I move out I gain more space for myself, a-and f-future fa-family--" Akimaru began to stutter as he thought about his future family being with Lilium, but he spluttered forward anyway. "A-and my parents get more space to live their life. I'm s-sure my mother would like a r-room to display all h-her paintings, rather than the roof. Proud with himself that he had managed to speak several sentences with his stutter much lighter than before, Akimaru gave Lilium a big smile.

Age : 31 Posts : 716

. . .

As he spoke to her directly, looking her straight into the eyes as he answered, she was sure to keep her attention on him as well. She often drifted off, and she didn’t want to disrespect him, or otherwise create an uneasy feeling. Her lips were pursed, not exactly a smile yet. With her mouth shut, she left the stage to him. She had noticed when she didn’t speak so much, or interrupted him, he had less of a difficult time continuing the conversation. Knowing this, she paid close attention and kept quiet, so that hopefully she could help his situation just the tiniest bit. As a friend, she found it difficult to not want to help. Besides, if she paid more attention to others, instead of interrupting them all the time, she was sure to get to know them a lot more. All in all, if she managed to keep quiet for just a little bit, and her mind on track, everyone would be pleased, nonetheless. The more he said, the more she couldn’t help but question him in her mind. Just as she had thought herself before, they shouldn’t have to worry about such things at such a young age. In fact, they had enough trouble with their teenage years in general. So why add more stress to the equation?

That was Lilium for you - laidback when it came to other peoples’ situations, but hypocritical when it came to her own. She could understand his want for independence, but she worried he was thinking into it all too much. When he spoke about family, she knew though. This wasn’t just about independence, it was part of maturing. He was thinking of his future, and although he has plenty of time on his hands to be worrying about such things, he wanted to be prepared. However, when he continued to state how much better off his parents would be, she began to question herself. She wondered if it was another trait of his to worry so much, because the more she analyzed the conversation, and his habits, she began to wonder so. What she did know was that this boy had to be the most selfless person she had ever met, and she had yet to get to know him fully even still. The constant in this equation was family – he was all about family. Maybe it wasn’t independence, maybe he felt like he was a burden to his parents. Lilium had definitely felt this way before, so she couldn’t help but consider the idea. But as he progressed in his statement, despite her attempt to concentrate on the conversation at hand, her mind began to drift.

It was when he mentioned his mother’s paintings that she seemed to have just froze in place. This intrigued her, to say the least. She would have never guessed his mother was an artist, like herself. When he spoke of his clan being of fishermen, she assumed everyone just fished. It was an automatic assumption, and she hadn’t thought much of it, especially since he said he was the first of his clan to become a ninja. This made her wonder if it ran in the family, to stray a bit from their roots. And she couldn’t help but smile as she thought, as strange as it may seem considering. She hadn’t completely lost herself, as her mind was still on the original subject, and she easily pulled herself back to the conversation.

Although one wouldn’t think she had, Lilium noticed his lack of stuttering in his last statement. She wanted to think that he was already improving, but she didn’t say anything, as to not make him nervous or such. Instead, she just continued to smile with him. And instead of speaking her mind, she did what she always did - she listened closely, but provided some words of her own. “I see…” Such a simple, and possibly lame statement. But it had always gotten her thoughts across, in a sense. Besides, in this case, she wanted to make sure he was finished before she decided to give any input, if she could even bring herself to say anything otherwise. She understood his ideas and intentions, and she couldn’t really oppose. He seemed prepared for starting out on his own financially, as he had said. She just hoped he had enough self esteem to keep in high spirits, and take care of everything on his own…

. . .

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

After that, it was much different than he expected it to be. Lilium was very quiet, and Akimaru got the impression she wasn't listening. This hurt him and he even recoiled slightly as the thought ran through his mind. "Why would she want me to speak and the not listen when I do?" Akimaru thought, incredibly confused. He did manage to pull his thoughts back though. "You're just making assumptions- sometimes you take this long to reply." his mind offered him a nicer alternative, but he still didn't want to believe it. "Yeah, but she doesn't find it hard to talk!" Quite distraught at just the thought of what Lilium might have done, he tried his best not to make his rage and sadness apparent to her.

"I see..." She said finally. This finalised Akimaru's thoughts that she hadn't been listening. Usually, she gave a bit more of an in-depth answer. The situation was now much different, with the two teens sat silent in amongst the nature of the Hokage mountain. The chattering crowds could be heard below, their voices rising up the edge of the mountain to Akimaru's ears. "Maybe moving out and maturity is a sensitive issue for Lilium?" Akimaru's mind provided him with another alternative, desperately not wanting the truth to be that she hadn't listened.

"I don't know why it's bothering me so much." he contemplated, trying to calm himself down. "Everyone phazes out now and again." These excuses were feeble when pitted against his emotions for Lilium, so he decided to give his mind a rest and just accept the truth. He examined the bandage around his hand. It fit well, considering his size, and it was quite comfortable. Normally, Akimaru wouldn't have worn a bandage for something like that, but Lilium was beginning to take care of him. Wanting Lilium to talk now, Akimaru stayed silent.

Age : 31 Posts : 716

. . .

He didn’t speak, although she hoped he would. And this time, the silence was a bit awkward. She wondered if she did something wrong, because she certainly didn’t say much. Or maybe that was the problem - she wasn’t talking like she usually did. To avoid letting the anxiety grow, she tried for words. Lilium liked the idea of thinking before she spoke, even if she didn’t do this all the time. Unfortunately, the only way she could even come up with a legitimate answer to everything he had just said, she would have to dig into her own feelings on the subject. This meant she would have to be more open about her feelings and ideas, something she didn’t exactly do well with, and others might find surprising. However, she convinced herself that she should, considering he gave the effort to open himself up to her. She could be considered a fair person. She analyzed things more than the average person, which greatly changed her mind set over the years. So she forced herself to think back to a time she was insecure as a young teen, and when she thought that moving out was the best decision she could make, at the time.

Maybe it was when she was her whole family was living together, in the beginning. Even as a child, she felt she never contributed enough to the family. Her parents found this rather ridiculous, considering how young she was. But Lilium continued to think of herself as a burden, even if she hadn’t made her feelings so public, even to her mother and father. It had to be around the time when she and her father returned from that journey that ended so strangely, and not for good. That was when her father was forced to live separate of Lilium and her mother, in the Tetsumi clan quarters. During this time, she and her mother lived at home, under her mother’s maiden name. This was all efforts to keeping them safe from the criminals who had attacked her and her father while they were out on their journey that was unfortunately cut short. Her father was horribly injured, and suffered a handicap when they returned. They were fortunate to have even escaped, and even more fortunate to be alive, for that matter.

Unfortunately, the criminals caused much more suffering than just the physical pain, by separating the family. Her mother suffered most, going in and out of depression, unsure of when her husband would be allowed to finally return home. Lilium snuck back and forth, in hopes to keep things together, somehow. Maybe it was then that she realized her importance in her family, and how much more she did for her mother and father than she had originally thought. As their daughter, she managed to hold them together, and give them hope, make them happy. She never really considered moving out after that, or more so, not in a serious manner, just thoughts of how much more different everything would be if she did decide to leave.

It was her turn again, to break the silence. And so, she finally did. “It’s been awhile… Since I considered the thought of moving out, I mean…” It was a slow start, a rather broken start, but it was a start. “There was a time I thought it would be better for my family if I moved out, but I was soon proven wrong… Maybe we don’t see it at first, because we are so young, and ignorant in a sense… But we’re more significant to our parents than we could ever see…” She said this from the heart, from personal experience, something she herself knew. “Besides, sooner or later, your parents will need you. There will be a time when they won’t be able to take care of themselves on their own, a time they will need your help… I can see why you would want your independence, but I also know you enough to see that you care for others more than yourself…” She spoke clearer now, a little more confident in her words. Lilium was beginning to find that she had more self esteem when she spoke, rather than when she kept her thoughts to herself. “You may not realize it… But I think it would hurt your parents if you moved out, and at such a young age…” As she finished, she managed a crooked smile…

. . .

Age : 28 Posts : 55

||OOC: Ignore the first 3 paragraphs x.x, They're just spam to raise my word count, As I'm training jutsu..||

||IC:

Fire. Heat. Death. Tatsuya walked out of the cave he somehow got into. He walked out and saw what was happening. Konoha, It was on fire. The incinerating flames burned everywhere. The seemed to make a nice coat on the village. A coat of destruction. Tatsuya went wide-eyed. How could something like this happen to his village? Nobody had any reason to attack them. Tatsuya's head started throbbing thinking. He wanted to yell out, But he stayed in a shocked stupor. Amazingly the flames which seemed to reach the heavens, did not even heat up the area near Tatsuya. There was no smoke around him. He could see everything clearly. Tatsuya shook himself from the stupor he was in and gathered the courage to yell. But nothing came out. Tatsuya tried and tried. But no noise would come from him. Not even a groan. He could feel the tears start welling up. But they wouldn't fall. His over-active imagination kicked in. Was he stuck in a time paradox? Or maybe it was a genjutsu? He didn't remember fighting with anyone.

That was when Tatsuya noticed something weird going on. The people that were a blaze didn't say anything. The didn't yell or scream or run around in a panic. The continued on as if nothing was happening. They shopped and gossiped, They even picked up food that was on fire. He wanted to laugh and to cry. He tried to yell again. Nothing. He strained and strained to just get a single noise. Again, Nothing. Tatsuya looked around. It seemed as if his air seemed to get constricted. He clawed at his throat and gasped. A NOISE! Tatsuya thought. His moment of joy was almost immediately crushed, when he remembered he was dying. He had gotten very scraed and ran towards the edge. He was going to jump off and try to save as many people, Or at the least, Warn them. But it seemed there was a barrier. He jumped at it again, but he hit something with the density of a brick wall. He fell back. His vision blurred. His throat constricted. His back was getting spasms. Then, Out of the blue. Nothing. Peace. Quiet. He could breath. He could sigh. His throat loosened up.

Tatsuya shook his head as he got up. 'It must've been a dream.' thought Tatsuya. Once again, his happiness was crushed. Everybody was on fire. Just when Tatsuya thought it was as bad as it could have gotten. It happened. Tatsuya didn't notice until a huge shadow over-came him. He slowly turned his head upwards and his mouth fell open. His eye's went extremely wide. He tried speaking but nothing would come. Tatsuya was sure it was out of fear this time. A Jellyfish. A Giant flying jellyfish. Tatsuya was going to give up. He thought 'Okay. Screw this. Everybody is going to die..'. Then, It hit him. HOW in the bloody HELL was flying jellyfish invading Konoha? Tatsuya was about to answer himself when a blinding light came over him.

Tatsuya blinked a few times. Everything was bright. He could hear bird's chirping. His eye's took a minute to accustom to the light. He was in his room, on his bed. Nothing was on fire. Tatsuya laughed at him self. He had been so silly. He had actually thought it was all real. A Ninja should've been able to put all the facts together, especially a Nara. He got up and put his usual attire on. He didn't mind the recurring theme. It was comfy and allowed for graceful movements. He walked into the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He splashed his face with water and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked okay, Not like a drug dealer, Nor a push-over. He walked down his stairs. He stretched as he got out a bowl of his favorite beef ramen. It was extremely tasty. Tatsuya slurped every bit down and got up. He put on his ninja sandals and waked out the doors.

He had errands to run later that day and he wanted to get in some training first. He ran all the way to the Hokage mountain, He figured that it was a good warm-up. Usually he was the only one there. But today he heard some people. He thought it was weird. Nobody would meet up here. Tatsuya sensed something fishy going on. He walked up to where he could hear and not be seen.

“It’s been awhile… Since I considered the thought of moving out, I mean… There was a time I thought it would be better for my family if I moved out, but I was soon proven wrong… Maybe we don’t see it at first, because we are so young, and ignorant in a sense… But we’re more significant to our parents than we could ever see… Besides, sooner or later, your parents will need you-" Tatsuya heard the girl say this much before he clamped his hands over his ears. It was their personal business and he had no right to listen upon it. He was walking away when his foot hit a piece of rock jutting out. He fell flat on his face before rolling backwards. He tried to stop himself but couldn't get a grip. He braced himself for the fall and landed near the people. He had landed on his back, face up. He coughed and smiled in embarrassment.

"Uhh..Hey.. Just thought I would.. Uh.. Drop in. Haha." Tatsuya laughed at his own attempt to make a pun. ||

928/900

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

The two teenagers sat in silence for a few more minutes. It wasn't all that bad for Akimaru. The silence often gave him time to recover from talking too much and find his words again. It also gave him time to prepare what he was going to say. He didn't really have much to add to his previous words, so he decided to let Lilium speak. He wasn't sure if she wanted to or not, as she had been quiet for quite a while now. "Should I be the man? Should I say something?" Just as Akimaru was getting worried, Lilium broke the silence. Before he had even registered what she was saying, he heart plunged in relief. Generally he got this feeling when his hopes were let down, so he couldn't connect it to what was happening. Akimaru had to quickly ignore his thirst for knowledge on the matter in order to catch what Lilium was saying. Unlike her, he was going to pay attention. ”You’re not still on about that are you?” His mind squabbled immaturely. ”SHUT UP!” he yelled internally, and everything went quiet as he listened to Lilium. ”There was a time I thought it would be better for my family if I moved out” Akimaru caught, as his mind interrupted again with a simple word. ”Freak.” Gritting his teeth, he ignored his own subconscious taunting him.

“Besides, sooner or later, your parents will need you. There will be a time when they won’t be able to take care of themselves on their own, a time they will need your help… I can see why you would want your independence, but I also know you enough to see that you care for others more than yourself…” Akimaru was listening intently, his hands placed limply on his lap. He dared not even breathe in case he missed a single word leaving her beautiful mouth, enhancing the smells around them with fresh cherries. Akimaru noticed that Lilium began to speak a little clearer, more directly to him. ”She’s gaining confidence,” he thought happily, putting a smile on his face. It was nice to see Lilium excel where he was failing. It filled the void of failure more than he had expected. It was as if he himself were excelling now, as if he were merged with Lilium emotionally. “You may not realize it… But I think it would hurt your parents if you moved out, and at such a young age…” she finished, granting him that crooked smile that made him want to put his arms either side of her and kiss her tenderly, smashing all the barriers that prevented him from doing so. His inability to talk, their age difference, their emotions; All these things swirled around in Akimaru’s mind, and he forced himself to dismiss them. He tried to disregard his romantic feelings as a part of puberty, but he knew it wasn’t. Just as Akimaru was contemplating on what Lilium said, he heard a crash and a body rolled between the two of them.

From one simple glance Akimaru deduced it was a male shinobi from Konoha laying face up on his back looking awkwardly at the two of them. Akimaru shot Lilium a quizzical look. "Uhh..Hey.. Just thought I would.. Uh.. Drop in. Haha." The boy laughed awkwardly, in an attempt to break the ice. It hadn’t worked. Akimaru did nothing but stare at him, his expression deadly. He never normally acted like this, but his hormones just seemed to amplify when around Lilium. Closing his eyes, Akimaru calmed himself. ”Look, it’s probably just a dumb Genin who stumbled upon the two of you. Don’t get all worked up about it.” Yes, that worked. Feeling less angry, Akimaru was the first to respond.

”Who are you?” he asked. His tone was suspicious. Normally, Akimaru would have bowed and presented his own name before asking someone theirs, but this was not the situation. The boy had stumbled into a private conversation and was yet to explain how. Even by Japanese standards, Akimaru had every right to be suspicious. He wondered what Lilium’s opinions on this were, but he couldn’t just block the newcomer out whilst he asked her. It would be stupid. Either way, Akimaru certainly didn’t like talking to Lilium on such a level when there were other males around. They felt like competition. Akimaru had already formulated the plan in his mind. He would present the idea that they train together. Akimaru had been meaning to work on his taijutsu for a while. He would get to see Lilium’s style as a ninja which interested him greatly and training would be a great way to tire the newcomer out and get him to go away. Also, being absorbed by the training would make it easier to talk to Lilium in private, if they were just quick snippits of conversation.

Age : 31 Posts : 716

. . .

For a moment, she had thought that she might have eased the awkwardness of their conversation although it consisted of opening up a bit herself, which was awkward for just her. As she finished her small speech, she went silent in hopes that Akimaru would speak up. However, something more interesting and unexpected happened instead. A boy, the looks of a Genin at that, had stumbled upon their conversation, quite literally. Her eyes widened as she stared at him, lying on his back. She nearly jumped, not only from being startled, but to make sure the strange boy was alright. But before she could say anything, he spoke. He tried for a pun, probably in hopes to take the attention of his embarrassing act, and even laughed at himself. Her face turned a bit red, as she looked the other way and sighed. She was mainly concerned that he may have been eavesdropping, and if that was the case, what all he had heard. “What the hell is some kid doing all the way up here anyways?” She was careful to keep her thoughts to herself, and try to appear less irritated than she actually was. “For his sake, he’d better have a good explanation for his sudden interruption.” Lilium already had a difficult enough time opening up to people she knew, but strangers bothered her.

She finally looked back at the boys, her face blank. Akimaru finally spoke up, but his words were not directed at her, but the other boy. His tone had changed, more serious, and seemingly suspicious of the boy as well. She kept quiet for the time being, it wasn’t like she really had anything to say anyways. Or more so, she wasn’t going to say anything that was on her mind at the moment, to avoid making herself out to be rather ‘mean’, to say the least. Not that she really cared, considering he was the one who rudely interrupted them. But it was different, because she didn’t like being cruel to people in general, let alone in front of friends. She’d let Akimaru handle things, he already seemed to be doing a good job. In fact, his straightforward question made her want to chuckle a bit, but she controlled herself as always. It was funny how much one’s emotions could affect the way they spoke, or better yet, how quickly one’s emotions could change over one simple action. With this thought, she breathed easy, trying to avoid sighing once more. She had already calmed herself down, now it was time to see how this boy reacted to their actions, just as they had accordingly with his own actions.

So she sat back, and tucked her knees within her arms, sitting more comfortably once again. She tilted her head, to go with Akimaru’s question. It was as if she was acting totally clueless, though she obviously was well aware of what had just happened. Again, she didn’t say anything, just waited…

. . .

Age : 28 Posts : 55

Tatsuya watched the boy look at the girl. He gulped, He had a knack for finding trouble. Correction, trouble had a knack for finding him. Where ever he went, it followed him around. No matter how hard he tried to drop it. It would get back at him. It ranged from Vandalizing to name calling. Tatsuya took a deep breath and watched their reactions, Maybe he could find a way to get out of this. The boy seemed to get a bit more serious. The girl looked like she was embarrassed and a bit mad. She turned her head around when Tatsuya made his pun. He thought in his head 'Bad puns I've made today: 2.' Although it was nothing to be happy about. Tatsuya frowned as the boy looked at him. He spoke to him, He asked Tatsuya's name. Tatsuya cleared and his throat and spoke "My Name is Tatsuya Nara, I am of the Nara clan. Sorry for unexpectedly dropping into your conversation. Umm.. May I ask your name, Sir?" Tatsuya asked him very politely. He was in no spot to be rude. He looked from the girl to the boy. The boy was quite tall and fit, He seemed a bit scary to Tatsuya. But Tatsuya had learned to never judge a book by it's cover. He had freckles and very interesting eyes. The seemed brown around the edge with green and hazel on the inside. He had a blondish color of hair, Which was kept in a bushy manner. He wore a forest green, long sleeved shirt beneath his Chuunin flak-jacket. He also wore thick nylon combat shorts, which were a slightly lighter shade of green than his shirt and Chuunin flak-jacket. The combat shorts had many pockets. His weapons pouch was also attached to his shorts, making them seem very overcrowded for one piece of clothing. Tatsuya almost grinned to himself, Because of being a Nara he could notice all these features within a moment.

The girl was almost as tall as him and seemed quite fit. She wasn't chubby. Both of her ears were pierced, Which made Tatsuya look at the boy to see if he had any. Tatsuya looked at his attire and thought that wasn't to out of place. He thought for a bit on what he should do next. He ended up deciding to explain a bit more. "I woke up from a very scary dream and got ready. I still hadn't shooken off the dream so I decided to train. I know what your thinking. That I'm a Nara and Nara don't do much physical training. Well, I do. Everyday I run from my house to Hokage mountain. The reason I try to become stronger is because, In academy I was ridiculed by other kids. When we were doing any kunai throwing or hand-to-hand combat, I was at the bottom. So I decided to learn Kenjutsu. Kenjutsu increases your strength." Tatsuya stopped himself before he started giving them a sermon on Kenjutsu. "And when ever I came up here, there would be nobody else. This was the first time ever to encounter somebody, But because I was still a bit paranoid from the dream I decided to inspect. I only heard the first sentence. Then I clamped my hands over my ears and wanted to walk away. But then I tripped.... And you know the rest."

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

[OOC:- Topic continues here, any Konoha ninja are welcome and are encouraged to come by me. ;D]

Still on his back, Akimaru noticed the boy frown at him. He felt anger rise within himself, as he felt the boy was in no position to even look at Akimaru right now. But Akimaru kept his emotions down; he didn’t want to seem like a volatile person, especially to a fellow shinobi. A fellow Konoha shinobi. Clearing his throat, the boy spoke. "My name is Tatsuya Nara, I am of the Nara clan. Sorry for unexpectedly dropping into your conversation. Umm.. May I ask your name, Sir?" Akimaru registered surprise at hearing the boy was of the Nara clan, the most intelligent clan in all of Konoha. ”Then surely he should know not to drop into conversations like this?” Akimaru thought wildly to himself. His anger was calmed a little at how politely Tatsuya spoke and he did seem genuinely sorry. It was still rather odd to be talking to someone who was laying on their back looking up at you. The height difference was immense, even for Akimaru. He noticed Tatsuya was scanning both him and Lilium. Akimaru’s anger which had faded now came roaring back to see Tatsuya even looking at Lilium, but again he kept quiet. Bowing lowly in a sign of respect, Akimaru spoke, ”I a-am Kiyo, Akimaru.” He placed his hand out and offered it to the fallen boy, as a sign of helping him up. He wanted to make a good impression on both Tatsuya and Lilium.

If Akimaru could get used to being around Lilium whilst being with other people, it could open up their relationship to much greater possibilities. Looking back at Tatsuya, Akimaru saw him suppressing a grin. "I woke up from a very scary dream and got ready. I still hadn't shooken off the dream so I decided to train. I know what you’re thinking. That I'm a Nara and Nara don't do much physical training. Well, I do. Every day I run from my house to Hokage Mountain. The reason I try to become stronger is because; in academy I was ridiculed by other kids. When we were doing any kunai throwing or hand-to-hand combat, I was at the bottom. So I decided to learn Kenjutsu. Kenjutsu increases your strength." Tatsuya spoke very matter-of-factly and stopped somewhat abruptly as he seemed to realise this. Akimaru widened his eyes slightly, looking at his still outstretched hand as if chivvying on Tatsuya to take it. "And whenever I came up here, there would be nobody else. This was the first time ever to encounter somebody, but because I was still a bit paranoid from the dream I decided to inspect. I only heard the first sentence. Then I clamped my hands over my ears and wanted to walk away. But then I tripped.... And you know the rest." Tatsuya continued. Akimaru still listened, but he felt like Tatsuya was babbling a little. He thought about retracting his hand, but he didn’t want to be rude. He also thought about adding a sarcastic comment, but then realised it would be unnecessary.

Just as the atmosphere was getting awkward again, Akimaru decided to remove himself from the situation. He no longer gave Tatsuya the choice, slipped both his hands beneath his back and pulled the young man to his feet. Walking over to the edge of the mountain, he leant over and looked at the mighty village below. Konohagakure no Sato, The Village Hidden in the Leaves. The greatest of the hidden villages, well the greatest economy anyway. Akimaru was very proud of his village, and marvelled the sight. Just as he was scanning the area, Akimaru noticed the canine-genin he had taken a mission on a few weeks before approaching the mountain. He wasn’t taking the stairs up the mountain, but rather climbing it directly. ”What’s he doing?” wondered. ”He always was a weird one...” He didn’t seem to be aiming for the mountain directly, but the actual Hokage Tower. He had two big bags on his back, and he looked suspicious. Akimaru was feeling uncharacteristically confident today. He decided to confront the genin, see what he was doing. ”There’s a genin acting suspicious, I’m going to go and check it out.” Akimaru said oddly, trying to radiate a cool demeanour. He brushed past Lilium and allowed his arm to rub against her slightly as he did so. He wondered if she would follow...

*Topic Exit*