In Search of Inspiration - [ Open ]

Age : 31 Posts : 716

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Public Park

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There she sat, silently roosted in a sturdy oak tree. Her left leg dangling off to the side, while the rest of her body was positioned in an arch, so that she may lay comfortably across the large branch. Pencil in hand, and sketchbook carefully placed on her abdomen, she searched for the slightest inspiration from the beauty surrounding her. A light breeze caressed her face, just barely lifting her hair. She looked to the sky, her green eyes shining in their radiance, and let out a long, dramatic sigh. Nothing seemed interesting these days, and honestly, seemed to only drag into the next dull tomorrow. Maybe she wasn't just looking for inspiration, but something that might sparkle in her lackluster life.

Finally giving up, she prepared to drop from the tree, and look elsewhere. Unfortunately, as she moved about carelessly, she managed to conveniently drop her sketchbook. In startled reaction, she dove to the ground to save her precious artwork. While she was able to successfully catch the sketchbook, her thoughtless actions left her close tattered and ripped in places, not to mention a scrape of the knee, and some soon-to-be bruises. She didn't mind one bit though, that's what made her different than most females, and why she was as dedicated kunoichi. There were things and people in her life that she would gladly risk her own life to protect. And with just that thought, and that thought alone, she found a spark of inspiration.

After patching herself up with some bandages and salve, she stood once more, this time looking for a bench. However, the thought she had in mind didn't exactly involve her sitting on it. She was hoping to come across a random person, relaxing in the park. But to her dismay, all the benches were empty. Her brow furrowed as she tightened her lips, and puffed out her cheecks in a childish pout. Then, let out yet another sigh. And just as she was about to go home, a little bird sat itself upon the empty bench behind her, and let out a cheerful chirp. As she turned to the sudden noise, with almost an annoyed look, her expression quickly changed to a baffled one. With a crooked smile, she sat where she was, took out her sketchbook, and began to define the little bird before her on paper...

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Age : 28 Posts : 2538

It was the evening in Konohagakure no Sato. As the sun was dying in the sky, preparing for it's approximate twelve hour rest, it dyed the whole of the village a deep orange. Akimaru loved that effect. Whenever he saw it, he couldn't help but to run outside in his ninja gear, and either do some gentle training or go for a quiet walk. This eve, he had decided to go for a walk. His favourite route, which he was taking today, happened to cut across the park. As Akimaru opened the park gate from the south side, he listened as it clanged shut behind him. He was looking down at his feet, as he often did.

Something that evening made Akimaru stop dead in his tracks. He didn't know what it was. His ninja insticts simply told him to stop walking and look up. He was glad they did. There, sat in a tree, was the most beautiful kunoichi Akimaru had ever layed eyes on. She was sat in an oak tree. Her left leg dangling off to the side, while the rest of her body was positioned in an arch. She had a pencil in her hand and a sketchbook carefully placed upon her abdomen. The wind was just lightly lifting her brunette hair off her face a little. She seemed to be looking around for something - or someone.

Akimaru watched in interest from a distance, as the girl dropped her sketchbook, she dropp aggresively yet angelicly to the floor to capture it in mid air. But she had grazed her knee, that much was visible from where Akimaru was standing. Not knowing whether he dare move close on warrant of being seen, Akimaru stood where he was, simply watching her. On the floor, she seemed to start patching herself up with a bandage, but Akimaru couldn't be too sure what it was she was wrapping around the graze. It was most likely a bandage though.

Her brow furrowed as she tightened her lips, and puffed out her cheecks in a childish pout. Then, let out yet another sigh. Akimaru smiled at the odd expressions the girl made. It made him smile. His smile disappated instantaneously as she made to go home, but he was saved by a bird. It landed on the bench behind her and chirped. The girl turned, now she was facing away from Akimaru and he could just see her back. He saw that she was holding the sketchbook again. "She must be drawing..." he thought serenely to himself. Akimaru knew he would like the drawing no matter what it looked like. Hoping this girl wouldn't see him, Akimaru also settled himself in the grass, slightly behind a tree to his left. That way, he wasn't directly behind this beauty, he had a diagonal view and could just make out her face, but she was less likely to see him behind the cover of the tree and shadows. Akimaru didn't know what he would do if she did...

Age : 31 Posts : 716

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Her body was still, only her hands making the slightest movements, as to move the pencil across the page, or smear the led to add a shadowed effect. She sat there for as long as time allowed her, a statue, not even phased by the world around her. Lilium was just finishing adding the last bit of details to the bench and the bird, when it abruptly flew away. In a bit of suprise and disappointment, she bit her lip, and just stared at the now vacant bench. She could easily finish the rest of her sketch, with only the details of the landscaping left to add to the plain black and white parchment. However, as she glanced back at her work, she felt a little discouraged, and decided to leave the rest of her sketch for later. As she thought about her missing model, she began to wonder what startled the little bird.

Packing her things carefully in their place, she stood from her previous sitting position. Finally entering reality, she came to notice the sunset, as the village became dimmer by the second. She casually shook her head, and began to glance around. It was getting late, and she wasn't sure if she should go home just yet. She didn't have a defined time to be home, but she didn't exactly like worrying her mother. After much silent debating, she decided she would stay out a little longer, and enjoy the pleasant feel of the peaceful air. Of course, she would return home before dark, but she just wanted to change her daily routine a bit.

As she turned around, in the direction of the village, she noticed a figure, almost as if they were hiding. Looking closer, she noticed it was too large to be a simple animal in a public park. Keeping her cool, but remaining cautious, as every ninja should, she spoke out to the stranger. "I am aware of your presence, I suggest you reveal yourself." She was straightforward, and to the point. Whoever it was should no better than to sneak up on a kunoichi of her status and rank, she sure as hell didn't receive her Chuunin title for nothing...

. . .

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

As he sat there watching, content, Akimaru smiled to himself. Akimaru startled a little as the bird the beautiful girl had been drawing flew away. The girl however, simply sat there for a few moments. What Akimaru wouldn't give to be able to hear what she was thinking. Suddenly, life flowed back through he veins, as she began to pack her things, and stood up. She looked as if she were going to leave. Akimaru smile sank, as did his now heavy heart. The girl casually shook her head, and Akimaru's stomach did a somersault which didn't have anything to do with the fact he hadn't had dinner yet. Still watching the girl faithfully, he saw she was glancing around. She stood still again, seemingly deep in thought.

She turned into the direction facing Akimaru, and for the first time his eyes fell upon her face. Akimaru actually felt his eyes glaze over. Her eyes were an emerald green, Akimaru would've doubted anything so beautiful could look so fierce. He eyes seemed to shimmer. He brunette hair glistened in the sunlight, and it fell upon her face a little. She looked a little closer towards Akimaru, and he began to notice he was sweating. Whether from the heat (it was quite hot for the evening) or from the anxiety, Akimaru sat as still as a statue, and forgot to breathe.

Then she spoke. "I am aware of your presence, I suggest you reveal yourself." Her voice was assertive, yet like a siren song. It was music to Akimaru ears. It wasn't until a few split seconds afterwards Akimaru realised what she had just said. Not knowing how to react, his first thought was to escape. He was no good at talking to people, never mind people who made his heart bang violently against his ribcage. Needing to get away from the situation; Akimaru formed several handseals and said: "Doton: Dochū Eigyo no Jutsu!" He instantly disappeared a foot or so underground. His heart still beating rapidly, Akimaru realised the girl would've heard him saying the words for the jutsu.

Age : 31 Posts : 716

. . .

As she spoke, she heard movement. This proved her theory correct, she wasn't just seeing things. Someone was out there, and whoever it was, she wasn't sure if they were friend or foe. Whoever they were, they shouted out the name of a Doton technique. Little did they know, with those words, the game had begun. A little game of cat and mouse, and you could guess who was the cat, and who was the mouse. No matter, friend or foe, the only way to approach this person would be through combat now. She noticed now his presence wasn't visable anymore, and she was sure he was hiding again. This time, she would be the one to break out a technique.

Though she was in desperate need to brush up on her skills, she didn't exactly picture this the way to do it. Regardless, she took a deep breath, and as she exhaled, she performed a wind technique that she was sure would scare the pesky mouse out of hiding. The light breeze quickly turned into a strong wind, creating a blast that slightly shook the uneven ground...

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Name: Daitoppa (Great Breakthrough)
Rank: C
Type: Ninjutsu
Element: Wind
The user sends out a powerful explosion of wind, which can easily level almost an entire area. It is known that a variation of the technique involves a smaller blast of wind which gets ignited with flame, making it stronger and more damaging to the given target.

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Age : 28 Posts : 2538

As Akimaru was listening underground to any movement he might hear. To hear if the girl would walk away, stand still, talk to him. Countless possibilities flowed through his head. Wishing he knew the Third Eye technique, Akimaru could no longer see the girl. In fact, he couldn't see anything. Everything was all dark and damp. Yet, it was to be expected underground. Suddenly, Akimaru felt a weird sensation. The ground he was underneath was shaking, but not from below him, from above. "She must be using some kind of jutsu." he thought to himself. Not really knowing what to do, Akimaru let his body flow freely, breaking through all of the underground mud.

Wondering why the girl wanted to talk to him so badly, if that was what she wanted, Akimaru decided to level with her. This was mainly because he wanted to be able to see her. The ground still quaking, Akimaru rose silently from it. As he stood, a little disorientated, he found he was a few feet behind the girl. "Should I run for it?" he thought wildly to himself. Encounter was the last thing he wanted and know Akimaru was sincerely wishing he had been able to keep his emotions in check. Forming a handseal, Akimaru created a shadow clone, whilst the real teen jumped silently into a nearby tree, climbed high to the top rapidly, yet without making a noise. He stuck his head out a little, so he could see what was going on. He had only taken this precaution because he didn't feel much like getting slapped.

Akimaru now had an aerial view. Thinking at a little slower pace to himself, he weighed up his possibilities. A fight with this kunoichi didn't seem like a bad idea. He would get to see her abilities, and through battle he would get to know more about her. Just sitting on the idea made him more confident about it. So he decided, if the girl reacted violently to the clone, he would play into combat with her. If she simply spoke to it, then that would be that and Akimaru would deal with it when it did.

Age : 31 Posts : 716

. . .

Lilium patiently waited for whoever was hiding to reveal themselves, keeping on guard at all times. If it was indeed an enemy, she would obviously have to take care of the intruder, which quite honestly annoyed her. She wasn't looking for a fight, just strolling along within her village. For the sake of nothing more than her current laziness, she hoped they were an ally. However, the more she thought about their approach to her statement made her think she wasn't about to make a new friend.

A few moments passed, and finally she sensed something nearby. Seeing nothing within her current view, she quickly turned around to see the figure. She could now see it was a boy, and before making any further observation, she took out a kunai, holding it within a defensive position, but ready to strike, if needed. Lilium eyed the boy, examining his attire, and more importantly, his headband. Finally determining that he wasn't a foe, she looked at him warmly. Her hand dropped to her side, as she slipped the kunai back in its pouch. And with a releived sigh, gently smiled.

He was tall, well, compared to her. What caught her eye most was his hair, though. It was ginger, though really light in color, and untamed. It gave him just a bit of a scruffy appearance, and this amused her, even if the slightest bit. After standing in awkward silence, she finally realized she hadn't spoken up since her last intimidating statement. "Soo..." she began to say, "Why, exactly... Did you hide from me?" Though her tone was gentle, her eyes were quite serious. To be honest, she didn't find herself all that intimidating...

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Age : 28 Posts : 2538

From the tree, Akimaru watched. As his hand slipped along a branch, it cut into a sharp jaggedy chunk pointing out, scratching into his skin and causing a bit of blood to drop to the ground, quite close to the girl as the blood was carried mid-drop by a sudden light breeze. Akimaru released a small sigh of relief. The girl was still looking at the point in which Akimaru had disappeared under the ground. She seemed to be on guard. Suddenly, the girl span gracefully on her feet to face Akimaru's clone. The moment she did, a kunai was in her hand. Akimaru wasn't even sure how fast she had been. He had been watching her carefully and he had not even seen her hand slip into what was presumably her ninja pouch.

However, she didn't run forward, or make any attempt to attack. Instead, she tensed her body into a defensive position. For a few odd moments, Akimaru looked at the scene. Then he saw her body relax, a small smile and a motion in which the kunai disappeared, presumably back where it came from. After another few moments of awkward silence, the beauty spoke saying "Soo..." she began to say, "Why, exactly... Did you hide from me?" From where Akimaru was sitting, it was hard to make out her expression. Conflict exploded in Akimaru's head. How odd would it look for her if he were to drop out of the tree and his clone disappeared? Akimaru would look very strange indeed. But he wanted to be the one talking to this girl. He wanted to be the one conversing with her, like a normal person. But he didn't trust himself to do it. Akimaru often had trouble talking to people, and he felt this girl was going to be even harder to talk to.

Then, Akimaru had an idea. A way he could switch positions with his clone and make his clone disappitate without this wonderful girl seeing and thinking less of him. Breaking his heart as he did so, Akimaru formed the different hand-seals for "Magen: Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu". If he managed to pull this off, the girl's vision would go fuzzy whilst he made his adjustments. Not waiting to make sure if it did, Akimaru dropped silently from the tree, and his clone disappeared with a slight pop, which he attempted to cover with a pop. He just sincerely hoped she hadn't noticed. Akimaru really wanted to get along with this girl, and acting the way he just had wouldn't help if she knew.

Jutsu Used:

Spoiler:

Age : 31 Posts : 716

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As she awaited his response, she couldn't help but notice that he was abnormally quiet. She then began to wonder if she had actually intimidated him, in some way or another. Her smile turned into a moderately worried expression, peering at the stranger directly in front of her, still as a statue. The longer she stared, her vision started to go fuzzy. She rubbed her eyes, slightly annoyed with her eyes change of perception. As she opened them again, she couldn't help but wonder if she was already tired.

Lilium continued to glare at the boy, though her intentions weren't negative, she just couldn't understand why he wasn't responding. In an attempt to grab his attention, she playfully chirped at him. "Hel-lloo!" A small smile appeared on her face once more, as she hoped she would get a response this time...

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Age : 28 Posts : 2538

Akimaru realised he had made a minor mistake in his plan. He had forgot to respond to the girl's question. However, when she rubbed her eyes he was quite sure his genjutsu had worked, which might take her mind off of things for a few moments whilst he composed himself. She had asked him why he had hid from her. The honest answer to that was because he didn't want her to noticed him. That didn't sound too harsh. If Akimaru could deliver it in the correct tone it might even sound "normal". Using a gentle voice, Akimaru said barely louder than a whisper; "I didn't want you to notice me." That was where he had planned to stop but he found his mouth muscles moving and he couldn't stop them. Surprised to hear the words coming out of his own mouth he heard; "I didn't want you to think I was weird. I used to get b-bullied a lot in the Academy for my s-size."

Very surprised at his own response, Akimaru couldn't help but blink harder than necessary. His hands clenched up into fists and he felt his nails scratching against the insides of his palms. His body tensed and his jaw clenched. He was getting very angry with himself and he didn't want to. He couldn't stop himself and this fact was making him more angry. He didn't want this girl to have to see all this. He didn't want to embarress himself. He found his whole body shaking, and in a desperate attempt to calm himself, he made rhymatic breathing, rather than deep breaths because that would make things obvious. He opened his eyes a little and looked at the girl, which really helped him to calm down much more effectively, although Akimaru didn't find this a surprise, for some reason.

Age : 31 Posts : 716

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As her patience was rewarded with his response, she listened quietly. When he spoke, she could immediately tell why he had hid from her. He obviously wasn't good at talking to people, or he didn't do it normally. She chewed her lip as he spoke even further, a habit of hers when concentrating. Whatever the reason, he seemed to be opening up to her, a complete stranger. Although it may seem weird, she kinda respected his odd approach to conversation. He made things more interesting, to say the least. Which she considered better than conversations she had with average people, which were boring, in her opinion.

His small story in only a few words interested her, though she knew it wasn't her business. Unsure of how to respond, without being rude, she tried for words. "Okaaay then." As the words flowed from her mouth, she bit her lip. She wasn't exactly sure of her response, so she tried to speak again. "Uhm... Anyways... No worries. Soo... What brings you to the park on this lovely evening?" Her head tilted slightly, awaiting his response...

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Posts : 1044

(OOC: Fatal, watch your word count, you've even dropped below the Genin required minimum in your latest posts and I was looking for your RP Sample because you're not supposed to far below that either but your app doesn't seem to have one. That should be corrected shortly, anyhow, post at LEAST at your rank required minimum of 250.)

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

As Akimaru had finished, the girl was chewing on her lip. It was a habit that many people had, but it interested Akimaru that this girl had it too. He watched her, hoping she wouldn't think he was weird or strange. He anxiously awaited her response to his outburst and he wished he hadn't done it now. The suspense was killing him. Finally, she broke the small silence which felt like an eternity by speaking. "Okaaay then." She sounded a little uncomfortable; as if she didn't know what to say. Akimaru had put that burden upon her. He felt very guilty. She bit her lip again, and Akimaru wondered whether this was because she was nervous, angry, or thinking. He really hoped she was just thinking.

"Uhm... Anyways... No worries. Soo... What brings you to the park on this lovely evening?" she said, seemingly struggling to find the right words, much like Akimaru did on every sentence. He smiled at her, because that always made him feel better when he was trying to find what to say. Then, realising this might creep her out, he wiped it off his face and reverted back to his thinking expression. He played the question again in his head, and decided to answer with honesty, again. "It was such a great day. I always come out to t-train or g-go for a walk. This time, I'm w-w-walking." Akimaru finished his sentence, then wince. "This time I'm walking!? Jeez, what a dumbass I am? Isn't that pretty self-explanatory? Why do I keep saying more than I need to!?" Once again getting angry with himself, Akimaru wondered why his problem reversed around this girl. He still found it hard to talk, but once he started, he said more than he had originally planned...

Age : 31 Posts : 716

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She directed her attention to him completely as he was thinking, and taking in her words. He smiled, which made her smile in return. However, just as quickly as the expression had sprung upon him, it faded away. And so, hers did too. He seemed to be contemplating what to say next, and when he finally did speak, she wondered if his stuttering was a speach impedement, or if he was simply nervous. Before responded to his statement, she was quietly thinking of a way to make him slightly more comfortable, if possible.

Looking to the sky for only a breif moment, she realized the sun was almost completely set, and she would have to make way home soon. This frazzled her a bit, as she would have to think quickly of a response. As he finished, and her attention gazed upon him once more, she tried to catch words, as if they were floating before her. He seems extremely uneasy... How should I go about this..? Lilium stared at him blankly a moment, the realized she hadn't even introduced herself. Maybe formal introduction was ease the tension? "Oh..! That's totally understandable, I'm the same way. However, today was a day for inspiration. Ya know?" As she spoke, a friendly smile took to her face once more. "I'm Lilium, by the way. And if you don't mind me asking, what is your name?" Simple and, yet formal enough for her, she had finally made her introduction...

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Age : 28 Posts : 2538

As Akimaru had smiled at the girl, she returned it. When his smiled faded quickly away, hers did too. It was as if she were mirroring his facial expressions, but Akimaru doubted that's what is was. Akimaru noticed the girl look up into the sky for a brief moment. Her eyes were still beautiful when they weren't looking at him. The brief moment was very short, as it wasn't long before she was looking directly at him again. Normally, this would've made him very uncomfortable, but, this girl seemed to have quite the reverse effect on him. Her eyes seemed to glaze over a little in the dying sunlight, as if she were gazing through him, rather than looking at him.

A few moments after he had finished, the girl began in her wonderful voice. "Oh..! That's totally understandable, I'm the same way. However, today was a day for inspiration. Ya know?" As she spoke, a friendly smile took to her face once more. The way she had said 'Ya know?' was a lot less formal and more friendly than Akimaru expected, and he hoped this was a sign of him making progress with this attractive teen standing before him, reaching out to him, in a way. He didn't want to seem rude by not looking at her when she spoke, but he didn't want to bore into the depths' of her eyes and make her feel uncomfortable. "It's all about a delicate balance." Akimaru told himself softly. So he tried to act as natural as possible around her. He scratched his elbow, and dropped his gaze to the floor every now and then. He also made sure he wasn't blinking too much or not enough. Little things which would help him fit in, depsite his size.

Akimaru found that he always had to look down upon the girl, and he hoped she didn't find him too intimidating. At a guess, Akimaru would say he was around a foot taller than her, maybe more. Akimaru thought about dropping his knees a little, but he decided against it in case the girl thought he was mocking her or something. "I'm Lilium, by the way. And if you don't mind me asking, what is your name?" the girl continued, blocking his train of thought. "Lilium, it's a beautiful name." Akimaru thought to himself, with a small smile etched upon his face and he drifted off dreamily. Then he shook himself back to reality, and replied with a little too much formality. "I am Akimaru Kiyo. I come from a clan of fisherman. I'm one of the first Kiyo's to become a ninja." Akimaru was getting more used to the fact he said more than he meant to to this girl, so it was less of a surprise when he mentioned a little background information on his clan. He just hoped this weird reaction didn't cause he to end up saying something he'd regret later on, in front of Lilium.

Age : 31 Posts : 716

. . .

She leisurely watched him and his minor movement, all seemingly amusing to her. Lilium was a bit strange in the fact that she tended to over observe everything, and everyone. It was practically a personal thing, finding interest in every little thing to keep her life from seeming too dull. And despite the fact she didn't exactly like people in general, she found them most interesting.

This boy wasn't exactly an exception, but only emphasized her interest. He was unique, above all. His hair, his lanky structure, his gestures, speach. He didn't seem to resemble anyone else, in any way. This boy was his very own person, without even trying. And for that, she couldn't help but be a little envious. Lilium didn't like attention, but she didn't like being cliche either. She could fit into a crowd easily, and though advantageous at time, this bothered her. But not him, he didn't mess in with anyone. He was the definition of unique, and she was the undefined.

Lilium smiled again, as he smiled and introduced himself, more formally than herself. She listened intentively, and responded accordingly. "Cool clan name, I like it. Kii-yooo." She emphasized on his name aloud, then continued. "A fisherman clan, huh? And the first to become a shinobi? Good for you! That's pretty cool, if you ask me." Lilium smiled with glee, eyes seemingly closed a moment. "Well then, it's nice to meet you, Akimaru Kiyo. Mind if I call you Kiyo-kun?" She tilted her head once more, awaiting his answer...

. . .

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

As Akimaru was talking he couldn't help but notice Lilium seemed to be serveying him with deep interest. Whether this pleased him or not, he did not know. Partly due to the fact he was busy talking and partly the fact he didn't honestly want to know. To have come this far, and fall, would kill him. She seemed to be listening tentatively to every word he said, which please Akimaru immensely. When Akimaru had finished talking, he opened his eyes and he still couldn't get over the form of pure beauty stood in front of him, having a conversation with him as if she hadn't noticed how his heart seemed to be banging with all it's might against his ribcage, trying to get out and snuggle with her or something.

As he was thinking about Lilium in his head he realised he didn't need to as she was stood right in front of him. There would be plenty of time for thinking about her later when they had departed, which Akimaru was in no hurry to do. "Cool clan name, I like it. Kii-yooo." Akimaru's brain jammed for a moment, until his conscience kicked it back in to gear. "She complimented me!" Akimaru thought happily to himself. He couldn't help but thank his ancestors for having such a 'cool name'. Chuckling softly to himself, Akimaru listened as Lilium continued, hanging on her every word.

"A fisherman clan, huh? And the first to become a shinobi? Good for you! That's pretty cool, if you ask me." Akimaru's chest swelled with pride as she finished, and it was the first point in this conversation in which he had wished his mother was here. He was sure she would react the same, althought she might be a little louder about it, and 'give the game away', so to speak. Because of his pride, it took Akimaru a little while to realise Lilium had complimented him once more, but thinking of nothing he could say apart from "Thank you." and a smile. A smile was fast becoming his favourite facial expression, taking over thoughful. Since today, that was.

"Well then, it's nice to meet you, Akimaru Kiyo. Mind if I call you Kiyo-kun?" Lilium tilted her head once more, awaiting Akimaru's answer. Akimaru pretended to ponder on the question for a moment, even though he was already certain of his answer, he didn't want to look too enthusiastic and weird. After a while he spoke. "Sure, you can call me Kiyo-kun." Getting more comfortable around Lilium, he gave her a small wink, but then bailed out at the last moment and pretended he had a bug in his eye. Rubbing his eye vigorously, Akimaru thought of a witty line to say to make Lilium laugh, one ran through his head. "Damn Aburame clan members, wandering around the place!" Even in his head it sounded stupid. He sidestepped around Lilium and sat on the bench behind her, on which the bird had perched. The one she was drawing.

Now he was say down, for the first time, Akimaru had to look up to see Lilium's face, but only just. He was glad he did. The sun was just about to set behind the Hokage mountain, and it was casting a great orange glow across the sides of Lilium's face and she looked, if possible, more beautiful than when Akimaru first layed eyes on her. A light breeze kicked in as well, and her brunette hair flowed softly to the right. It was like a picture out of one of the mature novels Akimaru had read in his spare time. Akimaru couldn't think of anything to say, so he just sat on the bench, gawping at Lilium, completely oblivious to the fact she would probably notice now, and all his attempts to act natural around her would have been in vain.

Age : 31 Posts : 716

. . .

He responded accordingly, plain and to the point. As she observed him, she couldn't help but notice that he didn't seem much more comfortable than he was when their conversation began. However, he was talking now, and quite politely. He thanked her for her compliments, and he seemed to be slightly amused with her words as well. The more they spoke, the more she seemed to get him to smile. If that wasn't an accomplishment for the day, she couldn't think of anything better. And despite her strange statements, he agreed to allow her to give him a nickname. She wondered if maybe she accomplished more than just a smile, but made a new friend too.

The ease didn't seem to last long with him, though. He quickly rubbed his eye, after what seemed to look like a wink. Then, sat down on the bench she had previously been capturing in her artwork. This time however, there was no bird, but a boy. Lilium looked around a little more, observing her position, the lighting, and the figure of the boy and the bench. Directing her attention on him completely, she noticed he was looking directly at her. And without consideration of the boy's thoughts, sat down where she had been standing, and started rumaging through her backpack again. It wasn't long before she pulled out her art set, and sketchbook again. She thoughtfully turned the page, intentions to start from scratch. The image she would capture now would be much more interesting than a simple bird. She was about to create the profile of this boy in an image of her own.

Reconsidering her previous work, she wondered if this was he inspiration she had been looking for. In a consistant pattern, she would raise her head to look at him, then look at her page as she gently placed her pencil to paper. Sometimes, she wouldn't even look as she sketched the outline, but look at him, while carefully moving her pencil across the parchment. She finally spoke up, in a way, considering his thoughts. "I hope you don't mind, Kiyo-kun." The first words to leave her lips as she concentrated strictly on her work, her voice almost monotone, and completely unaltered. "Just make sure you stay still." Lilium smiled a little as she said this, but it quickly faded as she continued to focus on her sketch...

. . .

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

As he was sat there gawping at Lilium, Akimaru realised she was looking back at him, and across the bench, as if examining the nearby area. She suddenly sat down where she was standing, which shocked Akimaru out of his adolescent trance. He felt the blood pumping around his body. His heart was beating a little faster than normally, and Akimaru looked down at his baggy cargo shorts. He took in every detail of every pocket, for some reason. He didn't even know why he was avoiding her gaze. It was as if it were judging him, and he didn't want to be judged. When he looked back at Lilium, she had her sketchbook sat neatly on her lap, propped up a little, and her art kit sat still beside her, flattening the green grass.

In a consistant pattern, she would raise her head to look at him, then look at her page as she gently placed her pencil to paper. Sometimes, she wouldn't even look as she sketched the outline, but look at him, while carefully moving her pencil across the parchment. She finally spoke up, in a way which seemed considerate. "I hope you don't mind, Kiyo-kun." The first words to leave her lips as she concentrated strictly on her work, her voice almost monotone, and completely unaltered. "Just make sure you stay still." Lilium smiled a little as she said this, but it quickly faded as her hazel gaze dropped back on to her artwork.

Then Akimaru noticed something. 'hazel gaze'? Earlier her eyes had been an emerald green, and Akimaru had had no account of any ninja being able to change their eye colour at will. "Maybe I just haven't been reading enough." Akimaru thought. Lilium even made Akimaru want to add more effort to his studies. She was certainly having a positive effect on him, that was for sure. Realising once again, he hadn't responded to her question, Akimaru spoke. "Uhh, s-sure." He would've spoken more, but that meant his lips moving and his face and he had to take more breath to talk, so he kept his sentence short. In accordance to her wishes to stay still, Akimaru took as small as breaths as possible through pursed lips.

Age : 31 Posts : 716

. . .

As he positively replied to her wishes, her eyes closed with glee, her hand still moving according to the image in mind. The silence would normally drive a person insane, but she enjoyed it. In this case, it was awkward, not for her. She was simply sketching this boy, whom she considered a new found friend. Lilium wanted to keep it as a memory. Like a book, she enjoyed images along with her story. It just wouldn't have felt as fulfilled of a day if she didn't sketch him, because right now, he was her inspiration. She had left home that morning, searching for something interesting, but to no avail. Then he happened along, and she couldn't just let him walk off. Teasingly, she spoke again. "This is your punishment for hiding from me earlier." Reassuring him that her statement wasn't serious, she childishly stuck her tongue out, still sketching.

Moments passed, as quickly as they had come. And then, she finally finished. Just in time, as the gaze of the sun shifted to the moon, and the world around them began to go dark. All but the stars were surely sleeping now, after such a long day. Lilium glanced up at him, smiling again, eyes nearly closed. "You can move now." She happily giggled to herself, as she stood up, rushing over to the bench, to show him her masterpiece. Although young, she was talented in the feild of art. And to be honest, she probably had more hidden potential as an artist than a kunoichi, but that didn't stop her from dreaming. That was Lilium - a dreamer, stuck in reality. She leered at him, her facial expressions now serious. "What'cha think? And be honest!" Even if she was completely serious when it came to her art, she tried to keep a gentle tone, as to not intimidate him.

Her arms reached behind her head, her mouth widening in a yawn, eyes closed and all. When she opened them again, she smiled sleepily. Although she was obviously tired, she still wasn't ready to go home. Lilium had always been stubborn, especially when it came to sleep. She liked to consider herself an insomniac, and even when she finally did get tired, she refused to go to bed, knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep anyways. In her opinion, sleep was boring, and uninteresting. When she did sleep, she never remembered her dreams when she awoke. Therefore, she found sleep useless. Most of her inspiration came from dreams, so not remembering them became frustrating. She eventually gave up on sleep altogether, but that didn't stop her mother from sending her to be at a reasonable hour, and requesting her home at a specific time. The moon reminded her, every night...

. . .

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

Akimaru kept his eyes on Lilium, daring not to blink or even shift them. That would mean disobeying her wishes, even if it were in the smallest way. After 30 seconds or so, his eyes began to sting and tear up. He had to make a decision. He didn't want Lilium to think he was crying, yet he didn't want her to see him blinking, and disobeying what she had said. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid?" Akimaru thought stupidly to himself. "Look, I'll just go for it. Now!" Blinking as fast as he could, Akimaru could have let out a sigh of relief when his eyes were moistureised. But obviously, he didn't. He decided then when he needed to blink, he would wait until Lilium looked down at her sketchbook, then do it. "Problem averted." he thought happily to himself.

Whilst Lilium was drawing him, Akimaru's mind drifted off into a blissful stupor. But his body stayed as still as a statue, under Lilium's command. After a few minutes of fantasies and light-headedness, Akimaru's mind made him feel paranoia again. He began thinking rapidly to himself. "Why? Why do I always overthink things? Why do I analyse every possible detail inside my brain? I don't need to! It's just stupid! I'm just stupid! His mind practically screaming in rage, Akimaru knew he was experiencing another moodswing. He'd already gone from bliss, to paranoia to anger. What next? He soon found out. Sadness. Akimaru had to concentrate to force back his tears. "Think." said a calm, clear and firm voice in his head. "Is this what you want? To cry infront of Lilium. Focus your mind. You can deal with this later." As so he would. Gaining control of himself, Akimaru blocked out his annoying thoughts, and began to concentrate on Lilium again, as his eyes had never left her, despite tearing up.

"This is your punishment for hiding from me earlier." Lilium said, helping Akimaru to block out his unwanted thoughts. Akimaru couldn't help but wonder if she was being serious and if she was genuinely upset that he had hidden from her, but when she stuck her tongue out jokingly, he disregarded it. Akimaru hadn't noticed, because he had been so preoccupied, but the setting orange sun had been replaced with the moon. The sky was now purple, half-way between it's transformation between day and night. The stars were beginning to wake up, twinkling slightly. Akimaru suddenly realised the abscence of the slight noise of Lilium's pencil against paper. She was smiling at him, her eyes nearly closed. "You can move now." She giggled, almost like a schoolchild. Akimaru hadn't seen her that way yet, but he loved it just as much as her maturity, all the same.

She stood up, rushed towards the bench he was sat on, and shoved the artwork in front of his face. She was certainly a skilled artist. She had managed to capture his look perfectly, from where he was sat, the expression on his face. She even captured where he was looking. Small details Akimaru had never seen on artwork before. "Wow." he gasped, quieter than a whisper, mainly to himself than to Lilium. As he looked up at Lilium, and he was about to compliment her, he saw her expression had changed to serious. He wondered what was wrong with her. "What'cha think? And be honest!" Akimaru comprehended what she had said. "Be honest. How could I be anything but honest?" Saying what he thought Akimaru voiced. "It's beautiful." that was all he intended to say, but not for the first time that evening, he continued. "How could I be anything but honest towards you?"

Realising what he had just said, Akimaru went a deep shade of red. He stood up rapidly from the bench, nervous more than anything. He looked up at the sky and mumbled. "Uhh, i-it's late. Gotta g-go, m-my p-parents'll kill me!" As he ran off utilising his full speed from being a ninja, Akimaru hoped two things. One, that Lilium didn't hate him or even dislike him for what he had said or did. Two, that she wasn't following him. He wanted her to, but he doubted she would. The way he had reacted was stupid. But then again, what he had said had been stupid.

Age : 31 Posts : 716

. . .

As she showed him her artwork, she managed to hear his words under his breath. Wow. She had made out what he had said, and blushed slightly. Although she was excited to have shown him her work, she didn't exactly know what to expect. In a way, she was prepared for that reaction, so it took her by surprise as well, and made her feel slightly embarassed of herself. Now speaking aloud, he made his compliment clear. Beautfiul. Lilium nervously chewed her lip, wanting to thank him for such kind words, but not knowing exactly how to go about her gratefullness. She also wanted to thank him for unvolantarily staying still enough to be a model for her sketch, remembering that she practically forced this on him. The more she thought about it, the more she felt guilt. And before she could speak up, he picked up where he left off. Something about honest, she wasn't quite able to catch. Because as quickly he had said it, he followed into words of retreat, and took off.

Her jaw dropped, as she stood a moment, surprised at his sudden actions. Late. She was late too, but she had carelessly spent time drawing srangers. Lilium had considered her mother's feelings about her time away, but had still chose to continue to fulfill her objective of the day. Sure, she found inspiration, in the strangest of things. But her inspiration had just ran away from her. For a moment, she questioned if that was even possible. Then she considered following him, and where that might lead her. After a few minutes of uneasy silence in the echoes of her mind, she decided, to not decided. She just started walking, which turned into a sprint. And then finally, she smiled, and called out. "If you can hear me, slow down for just a second!" She was gasping between words, for air. Not exactly exhausted from running, just the excitement of the day. For once, it hadn't been so dull.

Taking a deep breath again, and shouting, even as children were probably asleep in their beds. "I just want to talk to you for a minute!" She was laughing to herself, amused at her strange behavior. Out of all things, she was chasing after a stranger she had just met. She just didn't want to end the conversation on such a silent note...

. . .

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

As Akimaru was running, he entered his clan's, the Kiyo clan's, headquarters. All the buildings were slightly smaller than the rest of the housing district of Konoha, because the Kiyo's liked to live in small family units, from one to three children per adults. It was a restriction, just an average of the amount of people per household, hence the size of the houses. Also, the roofs were flat. This was built in mind of the females of the clan, as they liked to bask in the sun when expressing their creativity. All of these changes had been made when the Kiyo clan had begun to settle in their small little corner of Konoha. Their small little corner they were more than satisfied with.

He marveled at his clan's glory in building, something they didn't even have an affinity for. The Kiyo clan had built their own houses, with a little funding from Konoha. They hadn't asked for this, but Konoha had insisted since the amount of money and economic value the Kiyo clan's fishing pumped in to Konoha. Akimaru became slightly unaware that he was delving into his clan's history, stood outside a few yards from his house, the sky now a navy like the colour of ink. It was also getting rather chilly.

He had slowed to a stop. His breathing was heavy, almost panting. This was partially because he was out of breath, and partially because he was embarressed and nervous. "Am I having a panic attack?" His paranoia kicked in. "Don't be stupid." his concience told his mind firmly. Akimaru began to calm down. Just as he was seriously contemplating opening the door to his house, Akimaru heard a familiar call.

"If you can hear me, slow down for just a second!" Lilium's siren song echoed from behind him. She was a score or so yards behind his clan headquarters. She seemed to be gasping for breath between each shout. His head told him to ignore her and walk into his house. But his heart wouldn't allow that. She didn't seem to give a damn that kids all around Konoha were probably asleep, so neither did he. Akimaru was about to reply, when Lilium shouted again. "I just want to talk to you for a minute!" His teeth chattering a little, Akimaru called back. "I'm over here." He looked up into the sky. "So help me, stars."

Age : 31 Posts : 716

. . .

Only after running for what seemed to be forever, without reaching destination, she heard him call back. Lilium stopped dead in her tracks, and listened closely, making sure to get every word of his response. Surprisingly, he didn't seem to be too far away, so she walked in a moderate pace, giving her heart a chance to steady its beat, along with her breathing. Walking through the small quarters of Konoha, she soon realized she was in unknown territory. The houses seemed close together, small, but homey. Thinking back on her footsteps, she realized she hadn't really ever visited this side of Konoha, and wondered if Akimaru lived here, or better yet, she was in the Kiyo clan quarters. With this thought in mind, she took a good look around, taking in every bit of detail, which only seemed to inspire her more. Trying to avoid pulling out her sketchbook again, she kept her mind on track, continuing her search for Akimaru.

As she turned around the corner, her eyes looking back and forth as she walked, she finally found him. At first she waved, but then thinking he wouldn't notice, decided to verballing get his attention again. "There you are, Kiyo-kun!" Just as quickly as she had opened her mouth, she covered in with both hands. Just now, she realized that all the lights were out in this corner of Konoha, and many of the villagers were likely sleeping. After calming herself, she managed to quiet down, and relax.

She put on a crooked smile, and approached her new friend, only feet away now. "Sorry for chasing after you like that," she said just above a whisper, "You just left so suddenly." She rubbed the back of her head, trying to recall why exactly she had ran after him in the first place. Following him home likely made matters more awkward than ever, especially considering she would have probably ran into him again, eventually. Then Lilium wondered, how long eventually would have been...

. . .

Age : 28 Posts : 2538

Akimaru stood outside his house, waiting anxiously. After a few seconds, Lilium came from around the corner, her eyes darting from left to right. At first she waved, but then seem to drop her hand half-way through. Akimaru began to wonder why she had done this, when she said; "There you are, Kiyo-kun!" Akimaru flinched at how loud she had spoken, and Lilium clapped her hands over her mouth. They both seemed to share a look of horror for a moment. Without breathing, Akimaru strained his ears to listen inside the house. All he could hear was a slight ringing and the blood pumping through them, which was no real help at all.

Nothing stirred, and Akimaru relaxed a little. As long as they kept the noise down from now, they wouldn't alert anyone. Looking back at Lilium, she wore a crooked smile. She was walking towards him. "Sorry for chasing after you like that," she said just above a whisper, "You just left so suddenly." She rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "She's apologising to me?" Akimaru though to himself in disbelief. His brain had jammed from a combination of the shock and cold. Only then did Akimaru realise his breath was rising as steam because of the heat difference.

Shivering slightly, Akimaru hung his head in shame. Then he took a gulp of the cold air, which hurt his lungs a little, and replied at the same volume. "The fault is mine. You shouldn't be sorry, I should. I shouldn't have blurted things out like that." The hairs were standing up on Akimaru's arms and he became concious about it, so he suggested as monotone as possible. "Would you like to come inside, Lilium?" The use of her name might persuade her a little, or so Akimaru had read. Whilst he waited for her response, he scanned his own house. The flat roof and simple design. He loved it, but he was concerned about what Lilium might think. He was about to find out.