Ripple of Embers (Takara) (M)

The clone saw him prepare a swing of his sword but didn’t waver in the slightest knowing full well that if he succeeded she would simply be dispersed, and according to the texts, the original Takara would get all the chakra back plus the experience, meaning that she would be better prepared to handle some sort of follow up attack. Now, one of the main advantages of wearing a swimsuit aside it being easy to dry out while still wearing it was that it wasn’t too easy to damage the clothing most of the time; the surface area simply didn’t allow it. However, thanks to a miss-timed swing of the blade, which was noted to be faster than she could track, the fabric did get cut, right down the middle, avoiding her dark skin by millimeters but completely shredding the swimsuit and splitting it open. Takara was relatively well endowed, and her suit was designed to compress and hold those assets in place, so they essentially broke free in full force… causing the clone to try to protect her modesty by using both hands to keep as much of the fabric covering her as possible, a basic instinct in the situation since there was no bloodlust.

This however completely threw off her center of gravity and caused her to stumble towards Valen full force instead of preparing to tackle and grapple with the man to try to get his sword out of the way, also being beat red because of the incident. The original Takara was still slowly moving forward, unsure of what exactly happened because of how quickly it had occurred, but the curiosity got the better of her because she did not begin to perform any follow-up Jutsu while Valen was completely distracted. She simply hoped that the clone had managed a headbutt to the gut at least because that was what it looked like the positioning would grant.

---

No Change

One moment he was slicing downward and coming the the conclusion that perhaps he had slashed just a bit too quickly. Then he was seeing Takara's bare chested form for a brief moment before all of a sudden his world went bright as when she fell she managed to him square in the groin with her head. The impact, took the breath out of him and force him to his knees as it would do to most individuals. The majority of the impact hit him in the shaft thankfully but a good part of it did indeed impact him in the more sensitive parts and he grunted in pain as he landed on his knees. The clone next to him, it's hands covering her naked torso. Valen himself braced himself upon the earth, his breathing difficult due to the pain and his eyes squinted shut due to it as well. It took a few moments but he would finally be able to open his eyes again and when he tried to move found that the sensitivity he had felt at the impact and after had faded to something painful but manageable. Steadying his breathing he would stand up off of his knees, still grasping his blade. He had never let go of it, even then. He turned toward the clone.

The clone was on the ground, desperately trying to cover itself. Their impact had kicked up some dust that would prevent Takara from seeing what would happen but in annoyance Valen's eyebrow would twitch again before he took a certain kind of cathartic glee in trying to stab the clone to dispel. Which granted it couldn't see his face because of that same dirt. So it couldn't know about. All it would know of was that it had been naked, it headbutted his groin and got a face full and then it was gone. If the thrust landed of course. Then he would move out of the dust toward the shore, his steps mildly ginger as moving still seemed to cause some discomfort. When he arrived he would sit upon the edge of the shore, placing his feet within the water and setting his sword aside in case his opponent still wanted to continue their spar. Then he would roll his neck around, cracking it audibly after the impact with the ground. "I think that's enough sparring." He would say, his voice quiet, with a hint of annoyance to it. "Also, you have a hard head." He would add on, as an afterthought

[14]

Takara was baffled for a moment, unable to see anything within the small cloud of dust that had erupted from the impact of them hitting one another. And then, suddenly, she had a wave of insight, and blinked for a few moments as the sensation was very foreign to her; the surge of information transferred from the clone to herself was startling, but as her mind began to process the information, she began to turn a bit redder than before, but it was controlled. She took a scarce moment and looked at her forearm as she began to emerge from the water, and then shook her head to dispel her own thoughts and moved to where she could now see him approaching her, but she had no follow-up technique. That had been a complete fluke, and she would not sully his pride by taking advantage of it and striking him down, especially considering that in all truth, she kind of liked his company. He was very different than most people in a way that was both comforting and shocking, and she would enjoy it while she could. His comment about her having a hard head brought a very gentle smile on her face as she moved towards him.

“I can help you get back to the Inn if you need to reset… I would understand.” How many times had she witnessed someone doing that with intent and the boy on the ground with tears in his eyes, no matter how tough they were? He was amazing just being able to walk, even wobbly, at the moment. “Perhaps we have a rematch at a later date. I apologize for the low blow considering we are only sparring.” It wasn’t cheating, but she also didn’t like the idea of rendering him incapable of moving around freely. If it was the result of a technique, sure, she would take advantage of that, but there was no strategy in what happened, only blind luck and a bit of chance. She wouldn’t make mention that she now knew something about him that was far more intimate than intended, mostly because the silent pact she hoped would form with him not mentioning her own assets which had been revealed. Once more the Tiger Seal formed, and a Shadow Clone moved quickly to pick up the clothing and such they had set aside, bringing it to them before dispersing itself. The match was over, but now Takara had an interest in the man as an individual. Learning more about him would help them grow more familiar and allow them to fight together better after all.

“You have very powerful flames. I was barely able to keep up. And your sword speed… I couldn’t even track it.” These were not idle compliments, but assessments, and she was already working her mind on ways to both compliment and counter them.

[14]

Her comment made him stretch his legs out carefully before shaking his head. "Nah I'll be alright after a minute or two." He would say simply before learning back on his hands and looking up at the sky. The clouds were significantly closer since the Heavenly Emporium was a flying city and it was certainly interesting to see the view from this close to them. Even when he had been here for a while and had even been up into them thanks to the Uchiha named 'Satomi'. When Takara commented on a possible rematch and a 'low blow' he shook his head. "Fighting is fighting, anything to succeed. Besides it wasn't like I didn't cause it by mistiming my swing. I haven't tried to use two different styles in a fight before and for some reason I completely forgot that Kendo is a bit faster than the other one. So I of course mistimed it beautifully." He would say, his voice much quieter now. He usually was when things didn't require speaking loudly.

"I've seen that water jutsu before, but it was much bigger. I assume you held it back. That takes good control I imagine." He would say idly before pulling his feet out of the water and stretching. With that done he would nod his head toward the clone as it put their stuff down and dispersed."I'm hungry, and I'm gonna go fix that. You're welcome to join me if you want." He would say before beginning to put on his clothes. Using fire chakra to dry himself off quickly. Steam would seem to rise off of him for a brief moment as the water was simply heated away and he would don the attire. He would nod at her words regarding his swing speed"It's one of my strongest assets at the moment. I'm working on improving it." He would comment, tying off the sash and sliding his katana through it. "Coming? I'll buy" He would ask, eyebrow raised in curiosity.

[15]

Takara listened to his explanation and nodded quietly, noting that everything sounded true and whole; it wasn’t something intentional in the slightest, so if she left it alone, most likely it would be forgotten and dismissed entirely. She would struggle with that, as per usual, because she couldn’t forget what she had experienced, even through the clone, so that would likely be rattling around inside her brain for some time. HIs softness in his voice was also very soothing; she had met too many people who liked to speak loud and proud for some damn reason, and it always drove her nuts. Then he began his assessment on her own technique and she nodded. “Hitting you point blank with one that was full force would have tossed you to a height that might have resulted in broken bones, and I didn’t want to take you out of commission like a real enemy. I do not train a Jutsu unless I am certain I can master it.” And thus, the line was drawn; he was an ally, so naturally she was going to hold back a bit.

Valen would claim he was hungry as Takara was putting her outer layer back on, using water chakra to force the moisture off her body beforehand to get herself dry and make a puddle at her feet she stepped out of before putting her boots on. He commented on his strengths and then offered to buy her a meal, a gesture she could appreciate. “I would enjoy a meal, made better by good company.” Moving to stand beside him, Takara took a moment to get her hair out of her shirt and then relaxed a little bit, looking down towards her new… acquaintance? No, considering all that happened already, that was a little too distant. Friend? Maybe? She hadn’t really had a friend before, too many lecherous or untrustworthy people around her for that… he was neither. Valen very well could be her first friend.

“So… maybe we could get to know one another better while we eat? Build a sense of familiarity between allies.” It was a simple enough statement but would be interesting to see if he was willing to open up; with that many scars, there was a story to tell. One forged in pain… so she would understand if he was hesitant.

[15]

He would listen to her explanation of why she had weakened the jutsu and shrugged. It was simple enough, although he wasn't silly enough to not turn any sudden descent into a dive. They had been fighting under water after all. Essentially she could have ended the spar almost immediately by using the technique at full power and when he was forced to turn any descent into a dive he would have literally been surrounded entirely by her own element and at her mercy. However she had decided not to. He had not met someone that would take such an action. Although his training partners were generally the other members of the Nightmare Brigade. There was a certain degree of ferocity and viciousness there meant to instill instinctive action and immediately lethality against an enemy. So he was used to facing off against individuals who specifically did not pull punches. Still though, it was something he could perhaps try to do himself. About the only thing he would be willing to do for most opponents was turn his blade around so that it was the blunt edge that hit them. Granted that seemed a little silly now that he thought about it. He did after all tend to ignite his blade on fire. So perhaps turning the pointy end away was a tad bit silly.

Still, in the end she would agree to his proposal of food and he would nod before simply leaving toward a few of the restaurants. He was specifically walking back toward the area of their hotel. So that any trip back to it would be short and so that if they wanted wherever they ate again later it was also close at hand. He was trying to consider where to go as she spoke up about potentially getting to know one another better while they eat. He would shrug at her as he continued to walk. Arms behind his head as his red eyes looked up into the sky in thought. "I don't do secrets, with that in mind I don't know what to talk about. Ask and I'll answer. For example, what do you like to eat?" He would say, asking the relevant question he had been getting ready to ask before she had spoken. It would help to decide where they went as he himself was not particularly picky when it came to food. One tended not to be when one grew up with barely any to survive anyway.

[16]

Doesn’t do secrets?  As a Ninja.  Really?  How the hell did that work?  Unless he was literally the type to ‘kill first, skip the questions later’, which she knew was entirely possible, she couldn’t see a way to make it work, especially with her own style.  She valued information, knew how Knowledge was Power and the only way to keep it safe, was to keep it hidden.  But, to each their own.  He would propose a place to eat, and Takara would turn her eyes skyward in thought for a moment.  The dark-skinned woman was very tempted to tell him to choose anything, but considering things, perhaps he needed direction a little more than most, and that would end up going badly.  “Hmm… I’d like to try something we don’t have much of back home.  Something new and unique… perhaps some sort of of barbeque?”  It wasn’t that Kirigakure didn’t have a place like that, but it was rare and expensive, meaning that it was something she hadn’t had a chance to try.

But then it was time to start guiding the topic towards what she wanted to learn about him, but she decided to make it into sort of a game to make it easier and to essentially force him to ask questions too.  “Let’s make it simple… I ask a question, and after you answer, you ask a question, and we go back and forth.  Since you already asked the first one about what I want to eat, my turn.”  She let that statement settle for a moment as she processed what she would figure out would be the first question… and settled on a simple one.  “Born and raised in Kirigakure?  And if not, where did you come from?”  It was one of the most basic of questions, something that would give a root and basis for any questions to follow up.  Listening intently, she quietly scanned her surroundings as well; she wasn’t feeling particularly threatened, but there was nothing against staying vigilant.  Especially considering that those jerks from earlier were somewhere around here still.

[16]

Nodding his head at her choice he would begin to move toward a restaurant that had such food. He had passed by it a ton of times but had not yet stopped in the eat anything. As a matter of fact the only restaurant he had stopped to eat in had been the Sushi restaurant he had intended to eat at with Kaida. Although he had been interrupted then by Kara's arrival. He still had yet to have any luck finding the blonde woman but he was not willing to give up on that front yet. He wanted and intended to order custom equipment from the woman even if he had to camp out outside her office until she arrived at its doors. As he led them toward the place she would give an interesting little game they could play intent on helping them get to know one another. He shrugged at the thought. It was as good a way to learn more about each other as any he had heard of thus far so why not? Apparently his first question about where to eat counted so she went ahead and asked her own question. Which actually ended up being two. How did that work? Regardless he would answer with a shake of his head.

"You saw my scars yeah? They're slave brands. I was born into the trade and have been bought and sold for the vast majority of my life. Right up until about three or so years ago. That's when I arrived in Kirigakure after ANBU freed me. That's when I started learning all I could. I needed a caretaker to teach me basics but he died right about when I graduated the academy. There's a great many things I didn't manage to learn from him before he passed away. Which is why I tell people I'm fairly uneducated. It's not a slight at my intelligence. It's just literally the truth." He would say, answering her question and explaining his answer and past. "I grew up on various pirate ships. My arrival in the Island of Water was the first time I'd ever stepped foot on land." He would say, finishing off the answer as they came within sight of the restaurant. "Sleeping, naked or clothed?" He would ask simply, not bothering to beat around the bush regarding the question. He would let a pause hand in the air for a moment if she didn't say anything before elaborating. "We're sharing the same bed tonight remember? I need to know so I can know in advance to make sure I don't accidentally turn around. It's best to find out earlier than later and it be awkward. Although I don't care what the answer is either way." He would say, completely bluntly, and honestly. He really did not care, he was interested in sex sure. But he had to receive interest before showing it generally. So he didn't even consider the prospect.

[17]

Takara listened quietly as he spoke, and to be honest, she was more surprised by the combination of his tone and the content than anything; for him, it wasn’t traumatic, just a simple fact. She brought her memory up and considered the style and shape of each scar; definitely deliberate, each of them with a line through them to indicate that the particular ‘master’ was no longer his owner. She might not have seen all of them, so she couldn’t be certain, but she was fairly certain that when it came to the brands, he didn’t have any that didn’t have a line through them. The only exception was a bite mark, but that wasn’t the same thing, so it was likely that he was free now in every sense of the word. She could have easily been wrong, but that was the most likely thing without prying much deeper, which he didn’t seem to object to, but considering what he said, she had a much more pressing one that needed to be asked first. To her credit, she didn’t seem all that surprised though either; it explained a ton about his mannerisms and such and made a vast majority of the puzzle fall into place.

But now it was her turn to answer his question which was very practical and straightforward… had she not been a teenage girl who had never really been in any sort of relationship. She had read plenty on them, knew the ins and outs of it, but only from a logical standpoint, so a part of her wondered if she should try to take advantage of the situation and learn more in that aspect… but she definitely hesitated on that thought and shut it down. Take advantage of him? That would make her a monster. Especially considering she was only interested from an intellectual standpoint. No. She would save it for someone she grew to trust, to love. That was the right answer… at least she was pretty sure. Time would tell if Valen would become someone like that, but it didn’t happen instantly, that much was for sure.

“If we share a bed, I will likely be clothed. You sleep however is natural for you.” She normally slept with just a pair of panties, but she wasn’t about to tempt natural instincts from him considering what she knew about his past. This would hopefully make him the most comfortable about the situation while still guarding a bit of her modesty about it. They were approaching a restaurant quickly and the smell fo fresh food began to make her even more hungry than she already was. “I am quite educated, and can tell you are intelligent. Would you be willing to begin to take your lessons from me? I can teach you about much of anything, and if I don’t know something, I can figure it out or find out.” She was basically asking to be his teacher, which she felt was a much more important question than anything else at the moment and gave her a tinge of excitement.

[17]

Her answer would prompt a simple nod from him. He would probably sleep unclothed, simply because it was how he was most comfortable at night. His core body temperature was already hotter than normal so attempts to prevent overheating were usually within his best interest in general. Although that was not something she would know. He wouldn't offer the information freely though. After all, they were playing a game of questions. So why offer anything for free? As they arrived at the restaurant he would walk in, idly looking around. A young woman with a friendly smile would wave toward them and spread a hand around. "Good day and welcome. Please go ahead and pick a seat wherever you would like." She would say, prompting a nod from Valen who would move toward a booth seat toward the back with a view of the front door and away from windows. It was an unconscious decision. To ensure he wasn't near breakable glass and could see the entrance of the establishment. When he arrived he would sit down.

He had heard her question but would choose to sit down before answering. When he did though his answer would be more or less a shrug. "I'll learn from anyone, it's all things gathered over time. If there's something you want to teach me. Teach me, it doesn't make a difference to me who helps me learn anything." He would say, perusing one of two menu's that were on the table. "Water ninjutsu all you can do so far?" He would ask simply, asking the next question. It was blunt and could be construed as criticism. However he really just meant it as a question of how far along she was and where she was going with her goals. Innocent enough if one wasn't easily offended.

[18]

They were greeted at the door and told to seat themselves, and Takara saw the exact same place in the restaurant as Valen, and started walking towards it at nearly the same time.  Taking a moment to recognize this, mid-stride she allowed herself to slow just a hair bit to let him take the lead, only to see where he decided to sit and what he would do.  As she predicted based on what he had done thus far, he took the exact seat that she would have preferred to take, but being kind and trusting in him to warn her if there was something to worry about coming from the front door or able to be seen through the windows.  Once they were seated, she smirked across the table.  "Seems like we have more in common than I originally thought."  She wouldn't explain what she meant by that right now... it would hopefully prompt him to use one of the questions to figure it out.

Hearing him speak about learning from anyone made her smile as she shook her head.  "In that regard, I am not simply saying things you can learn from experience, but formal education.  Someone you can rely on to teach you the more advanced things.  Math, strategy, arithmetic... things like that.  In combat, you are extremely capable, but I wonder how you would handle logistics.  Teaching others.  Things like that."  She then transitioned from that topic to what he had asked.  "And yes, as of the moment I am only capable of Water Ninjutsu, but I am intelligent enough to understand the basics of Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, and Taijutsu as well.  That being said, I am the type that trains in a single category until it is so well-honed that it is second nature.  I am sure you noticed I didn't require seals.  Water Ninjutsu has always been natural for me, so that was the first target of my training outside of my body."

This time, it was Takara's turn to offer a lot of information, but she didn't want to bother with explanations later and this would help him understand her mentality if they worked together again soon, but now it was her turn.  "What is your skill level with reading and writing?"  A follow-up question from her last one, but still important for the role she wanted to take... but then she found herself losing that overly mental side of herself for a moment as she found herself losing her focus as she stared into his eyes.  After a couple of seconds she realized it, shook her head to clear it, and mentally cursed her hormone riddled body for getting her distracted.

[18]

Valen was an idiot, he was not however stupid, and he could recognize her intent as well. Although he would recognize it a bit after she did. Particularly once she had already slowed down to give him the lead. Deciding to go ahead and take it anyway he would seat himself, red eyes scanning the surroundings as she spoke. He would respond immediately however, shrugging. “It’s a basic survival skill, always be able to see the exit and never sit near breakable glass.” He would say, perusing one of the menus as he spoke. The hope that he would need to use a question to figure that one short lived for the woman. Although he would not be able to know that. When she elaborated on what she meant he would turn his head up to her and give her a pensive look. “What I said counts for that type of stuff too. If you want to teach me things, go ahead. If someone else wants to as well, I’m not going to say no to them either. I need to learn, I don’t care who from. The progress is what matters to me.” He would say simply, as the waitress came up to the table.

“Hey you two, one a little date are we? Well you look cute so don’t worry about it. My name is Serin’ and I’m gonna be your waitress. Have you two decided on anything to drink?” She would ask, introducing herself and making her assumptions about the two known to both of them. Valen wouldn’t care in the least and didn’t intend to extend the energy to correct the woman. “I’ll have a soda please, coke if you’ve got it.” He would say, prompting the woman to nod. Of course they had coke, this establishment had standards. “For food I’ll buy the all you can eat meal for both of us. We’re both shinobi so we blow through calories like they don’t exist.” He had had that explained to him by his caretaker. It was important to eat heavily because all of their training and fighting expended a huge number of calories and if they didn’t eat enough to offset then one could easily still be malnourished. It was partly why shinobi tended to be paid so much. Buying the all you can eat special cost a lot, but he didn’t care in the least and he had offered to buy Takara lunch too. He didn’t know how much she could eat, so this just made it easier.

[19]

Takara nodded as he pointed out what she had already identified mentally, confirming her theory; he was very intelligent and tactical, and kept vigilant much like she did, just in different ways. In a lot of ways, actually… and she had to admit that it complimented her own style quite well. When he spoke about learning things again, she shook her head slightly. “And teach you, I will. I still want to understand where I am starting from in that regard… but more importantly, you must know that you cannot trust everyone to teach you properly. Some will try to use that to try to guide you down a path you may not enjoy in the grand scheme of things. For example, you only knew what you were taught in the slave trade, and it was not what real life is in this world, but you only know that now because you learned more than what they wanted to teach you.” Her conversation came up short because the waitress approached, and the dark-skinned woman leaned back and relaxed a little more, but in truth it was a state of preparation and a trap that invited anyone who was planning to do them harm to fuck around and find out.

The waitress’s comment about it being a date went by without comment from either of them, something that she didn’t need to bother correcting. Partly because spreading a bit of misinformation around a group of people, she didn’t trust, based on their own incorrect conclusion, was fine by her. Partly because she sort of wondered if this was what a date was actually like, as she only knew what she had learned from reading various books. Takara waited patiently as he ordered, nodding in thanks to him buying her the meal she planned on anyway before adding, “water for me please.” And finally once the waitress left, she paused and turned towards Valen once again.

“So, that being said, I still need an answer to my question.” This would hopefully prompt their little game to continue as there were a great many questions that the young woman still wanted to have answered, and the best way to do that right now was through the question game that they had started. Takara found herself wondering why she was so interested in the young man before her, as he was at the forefront of her mind; most of the time she was able to predict the answers before they even spoke them and it became a very dull interaction… but not Valen.

He would nod as she spoke and when she would order water for her drink, nodding her thanks to him for ordering the two most logical meals for them. As she did he would consider what she said before speaking himself. "From what I've seen, life is about learning. It's up to me to turn what people and it teaches me into what I wish for my own path. I accept what people teach me, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid. Just ignorant, I'm able to think for myself and form my own decisions off what I know. My caretaker did ensure I could do that at least before he passed away. So while I will gladly accept any teaching you give me. You will not be the only own teaching me things and you never will be. I intend to learn all I can from everyone I can. If I don't, am I not doing myself a disservice?" He would ask, his head tilted to the side as he looked on at her in curiosity, his red eyes never looking away from her blue ones.

When she reminded him of the question he had never answered he would blink in mild surprise. "Oh, right, my reading and writing level? I'm unsure by what bar I should measure them by. I can get through most day to day things easily enough although at times I need a few moments to get through it. In terms of writing my handwriting is passable and I can recreate any word I can see in reading. There are many words I need explained to me thus far and I tend to ask immediately if there's one I don't know. No ones given me any issue with asking yet." He would say before considering his own question for her in turn. "Why the sudden interest in teaching me?" He would ask, his curiosity piqued. Why should she care after all? They had only met today after all so why should she want to teach him so badly?

[20]

Takara listened to what he said and nodded quietly periodically as he spoke, ensuring that he understood that she was comprehending it all. He would find no argument from her because he was absolutely right; good or bad, all information was useful, even if it only told you who you couldn’t trust the information from. Her blue eyes stayed locked onto his own, and he didn’t seem to waiver, likely because of how he was raised. Was he even capable of lying? It wasn’t something the water-user liked, but sometimes it was a necessary skill when confronted with a situation that demanded it. “Knowledge is Power, Guided by Experience. Learning from all sources is exactly what you should do.” After confirming that with him, he then began to answer the question she had posed, and while technically she had answered a question from him, she wouldn’t hold that one against him. It didn’t quite count, even if technically it did.

Able to get by Day to Day. So he would likely struggle with any in-depth reading or writing… and to an extent, anything further didn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, but they mattered to her. She had standards, after all… ones she didn’t even know existed before meeting Valen. But then she was called out by his actual question that was a part of the game, and she gave a small smile, but hesitated for just a moment before answering, only because she worried about how what she said next could be answered. “I am hoping we could be more than simple allies, but friends. As a friend, I want you to be as well prepared for this life as possible, and my forte happens to be education, so that is what I am the most well equipped to help you with, considering it is something new to you.”

She worried for just a moment that he might reply with not wanting to be her friend, but she didn’t dwell on that for very long, instead opting to move on to her next question. “What are your goals in life?” she asked simply, knowing that this answer would truly be telling of what motivated Valen, something she needed to know as a potential friend.

[20]

She would agree with his sentiment of learning from anyone who would teach him and then would hesitate before answering his own question. She would speak of wanting to become friends and he would tilt his head to the side in curiosity. It would look almost like a dog that had heard a new sound and when she finished speaking she would move past to her next question. Asking about his goals in life. He would blink once or twice in evident curiosity before speaking. Choosing to focus on the what she had said before answering her question. He understand the concept of 'allies' and 'comrade in arms'. He understood the term 'lovers' and 'enemies'. However he had never quite understand the word 'friend'. Mostly because he simply never had any. Sayuri was his owner and master. Sero was a colleague and his superior within the Nightmare Brigade. Takano and Blitz were colleagues on his team. However none of them were 'friends'. Or at least he did not think they were. Because of this the question would have to be asked and he opened his mouth to speak quietly, his head still tilted. "What is a friend?" He would ask simply, the question obviously something he did not know the answer to.

His question would totally break up the flow of the game and he would actually neglect to answer the question she had asked. Simply because of the fact that he was so invested into the answer. He went so far as to count things down on one hand. "I know the term 'ally', 'enemy', 'colleague', 'lover', and even 'comrade in arms'. However the understanding of the term 'friend' has always eluded me completely. I fear I can't understand your desires without knowing what you're truly after." He would say, referencing the fact that she had spoken of wanting to be his friend and progress his education.

[21]

His reaction to wanting to become his ‘friend’ was something that she hadn’t expected, but at least now she knew how he would react if confronted with something he wouldn’t understand. It was immeasurably cute how pet-like it was, and his up-front and blunt question instead of answering her own question was something that she found to be charming in an innocent way, and she took a moment to consider how exactly to explain it. After a moment or two, he explained the words he did know, and she nodded quietly. “It depends on your definition of ‘lover’ I suppose. Do you feel an emotional attachment to these people? If not, then it is a tier below ‘friend’.” At least, when it came to her own personal ranking system it would, but it was interesting to know that he at least knew what lovers were.

“The ‘by the book’ answer is a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations. To me, a friend is someone who cares about your, and you their, mental, emotional and physical health and happiness and care about their opinions. You enjoy spending time with them. It is also a step above, also inclusive of, an Ally and Colleague in most cases.” She hoped that was a definitive enough answer to really get the question resolved, but she would understand as well if it wound up bringing up even more questions. That was how an inquisitive mind worked; you got the answer you wanted and it spawned more questions.

But she was not going to let him off the hook either. “Still need your life goals; don’t forget, but if you have more questions about what I explained I will exclude those from our little game.” After all, she enjoyed teaching him a little bit, and didn’t want to discourage those types of questions.

[21]

Valen considered her question for a time, wondering about just what an 'emotional connection' felt like. He quite enjoyed himself with Sayuri physically, and he quite enjoyed waking up next to her amongst the furs of her bedding with her lithe, pale, form next to him. He enjoyed the voracious play they had together. But did that constitute an 'emotional connection'? Could he have an emotional connection with his owner and master? How did such rules work anyway? He wasn't honestly sure and he tilted his head in consideration before deciding that if he had an emotional connection than he would probably know it, wouldn't he? "I'm not entirely sure. I don't think I have an emotional connection to the woman in question. I enjoy her thoroughly and I know she enjoys me as well. However beyond that I do not believe anything deeper is there. If that is the question." He would say, his red eyes meeting her blue ones again after his consideration was over. When she explained what a 'friend' was he would blink in confusion.

"If the 'by the book' answer is correct, than I've never had a friend before. I suppose my master might qualify because I do enjoy spending time with her. However otherwise my enjoyment has always come from sexual endeavors or the thrill of fighting a strong opponent." He would say, responding to her definition of a friend. During that time their waitress would begin walking over with trays of food and when he finished she would arrive and begin setting things down. The 'All-You-Can-Eat' special came out with a variety of barbecue meats and vegetables and once that was done she set two pitchers on the table. One of soda for him, and one of water for her. Along with two cups of ice. "Here ya go you two, if you need more food, ice, or drinks, please don't hesitate." She would say, prompting a nod from Valen before she left. Valen would pour himself a drink and take a sip of the soda, the acidic bite of it something he found he quite enjoyed. "I have no life goals, never have. Unless you count 'becoming as strong as I possibly can' as a life goal." He would say honestly, his red eyes falling to her again before he considered a question. "What's something you don't want to admit?" He would ask randomly, his inability to find a good question to ask culminating in asking something that might end up making her annoyed at the game.

[22]

Takara watched Valen closely as he began to work things out in his mind, watching his reaction both physically and verbally, and awaited his reply which when it did finally come, was a bit of a surprise.  So he was sexually active?  Why did that bother her?  It wasn’t like she was in a relationship with him or had staked any sort of claim.  I mean just because he was wielding something akin to a forearm shouldn’t be that interesting!  But it was!  And she was interested!  WHY?!  And why was it a source of relief that he didn’t have an emotional connection with this woman?!

It took a moment to realize that her hormones were likely the root of all of this, and she took a moment before he began to break down her answer to take a deep breath and let it out, hopefully pushing the blush out of her cheeks as well… luckily thanks to her darker complexion, it should be harder to spot.

Never had a friend?  Master?  He did speak to slavery being his entire life, so perhaps the only way he functioned was to have someone as a ‘master’ and continue from there.  A large part of her wanted to liberate him from that, knowing full well that it would be a lengthy process and a lot of work, but more than willing to do it anyway.  Another part of her… and quite possibly more potent, wanted to go about that by becoming his ‘Master’ and teaching him how to be his own person… while also keeping him close by.  There were absolutely no selfish reasons behind that desire whatsoever… nope.  Not at all.  The fact that he was only interested in Sex and Combat made sense, and it only made it harder to focus on keeping herself calm and relaxed without showing any of the turmoil she had going on inside her own body that had decided that now was a good time to betray her.

Mercifully, food arrived, and she was able to shift her focus to that.  Quickly she managed to scoop up a blank plate and begin to take modest-sized portions of each thing to try and pile it on her plate in nice and neat piles.  That was about when she heard that he didn’t have any life goals, and she slowed to a pause to process that.  A life without a destination?  How did one live that way?  No, that couldn’t be completely true; he was far too strong to simply not have a goal in it all.  It was what motivated people to get up and put their bodies through hell to get stronger in the first place.  Becoming as strong as he could require more than that, but it was quite possible that it was something subconscious as well… like never wanting to be taken advantage of again.

Would that be what Takara would be doing if she became his ‘master’?  Taking advantage of his mental state to not just teach him more about life and being his own person, but partaking in him?  She was immediately ashamed she had gone down that path in her line of thinking… but before she could really concrete it, his own question came out, one that made her pause for another moment.  Something she didn’t want to admit?  That was easy.  “I am not nearly as experienced with the world as I would like because of my tendencies to overprepare.  As an example, I have not been with a man.”  Why… in the everloving hell did she have to add that last bit?  She once more cursed her hormone-riddled body but continued like nothing happened.  “Why do you want to be strong?”

[22]

Valen himself began to obtain food, putting various kinds on his plate and beginning to eat with a voracity that he seldom let people see. He was constantly training, constantly pushing himself to become stronger and because of that he was constantly eating. The calories he burned were absolutely unreal and so he tended to put away food like it was absolutely no ones business. As he ate she would respond to his question in a way he wasn't expecting. So she wasn't as experienced as she would like because she had never been with a man? Valen wasn't quite that stupid, he knew what the context of 'been with a man' meant. However his mind tended to go straight for the point in things in many situations and the operative phrase in that statement had not been that she hadn't ever lain with a male. But it was the phrase 'as I would like.' Which implied she 'wanted' to do so. He ate for a time considering her answer and her question. A comfortable silence, well, comfortable for him, he didn't stress overly much, settled over the table. He ate for a time, refilling his plate once and his drink once as well before stopping long enough to speak.

"So you want to sleep with a male then. Being a male, I'm uniquely equipped to help with that." He would say, not even bothering to point out that her own wording earlier had made the initial statement obvious. Once he had said that his eyes would move up to the side as he considered her question before answering. "I want to be strong because being weak leaves you with zero options. Being strong gives people pause, either out of respect, or fear. Either work as a tool for getting something you want. I want strength so I always have an option. Beyond that, the stronger I get, the stronger opponents I can face. I love fighting, adore it really. Love the competition that comes from trying to outperform a powerful opponent. That's about it on that front." He would say before turning back to his meal for a time, trying to consider a question. Blinking as a realization struck him he asked the first question that came to mind. "Did you answer my previous question like that because you knew we were sharing a hotel room anyway?" He asked curiously before turning back to his food and finishing his second plate and beginning to fill it a third and probably final time.

[23]

Takara let him mull over the information, and while she wasn't quite as voracious as Valen in the way she ate, by the amount she was consuming, it was obvious that she probably could eat just about as much. Being in a constant state of vigilance made nutrition extremely important, and it wasn't like she slacked on training either... hell she had learned a technique she had been meaning to learn mid-fight with Valen just a few minutes ago. She too was on her second plate and glass of water before he spoke, and she immediately turned a beat red, even if she didn't slow on eating. He was offering to help her gain that experience. She continued to eat food as though she hadn't heard him, but it was obvious she had by the fact that even though her darker skin he would be able to tell she was blushing a bit.

But then he answered her question, and it made perfect sense. Freedom. He wanted to be strong enough to make whatever choices he wanted to make without worrying about someone stronger forcing their opinion on him. Considering his background that made perfect sense, and that meant it was also his life goal, despite his earlier response. Maybe he just didn't see it as a life goal for whatever reason. His desire to simply fight against stronger opponents was also an honest one, and something she understood. The time she outwitted a Chuunin came to mind; she had only the most basic jutsu at the time she learned from the academy, but she managed to use just that and some knowledge of human biology to win that little spar and make him eat his words.

Then he asked a question, and she slowed her eating a bit and finished what she had in her mouth, finally looking up from her food and looking into his eyes, her expression serious despite the blush still being present. "I said it that way because earlier I felt what you are wielding through the experience of my clone, and despite my will, I am still riddled with hormones that make me act irrationally. My body would like nothing more than to take you up on your offer, but my mind and heart require a bit more. That emotional bond I described earlier? It would need to be strong between us for me to be comfortable with having a more intimate connection. Perhaps that is something we could build over time. I would like that." If for no other reason than to have a friend, even if they didn't wind up being romantically involved.

She let that sink in for a moment before taking a breath. "Is that something you think is possible?" This question was purely selfish and along the same train of thought. Takara hadn't ever really had a friend either, much less someone interested in her physically... where would this go?

[23]

He would see the blush of course. He just would not act or speak of it. After all why bother? What was he going to do? Poke fun at all? That served no purpose and only made to turn the outing into an embarrassing one. They would continue to eat and she would answer his question. Effectively telling him that she didn't want to without that emotional connection she had spoken of before. He considered the words and shrugged with a nod. "That's fine, offers open if you change your mind." He would say simply after taking a drink of his beverage. It was still ice cold and he was moving through plates quickly. He moved through his third plate of food, eating as she asked her question and pausing between bites to wash his food down before speaking. He needed to think about his answer. The problem was that he had never attached any emotional significance to the act itself. It was just something you did for fun. Emotions didn't really seem to play a part in it except for those entwined with that of lust. So it was with a casual shrug that he would respond to Takara's question.

"I can't see it. I've never attached emotional bonds to the act. It's just something you do for fun for me. I don't particularly care if I see one woman I hook up with again or not and if we do I don't act any differently around them. It doesn't bother me and the act itself is quite enjoyable. Even if we do become friends though, I don't see those emotions changing the actions." He would say honestly before turning back to his food and continuing to finish the plate he was on. He needed to consider a question and after a bit of time, and not being able to come up with one he would stop and look up at her. "I can't think of a question. I think you win the question game." He would say simply before popping the last bite of his food in his mouth and washing it down with a drink. It was clear by the act after answering her own question in such a way that he really didn't have any idea how emotionally stunted he was. As well as how much he simply did not care one way or another. "Done eating?" He would ask idly, not rushing her but simply curious as he leaned back in his booth and scanned the room idly.

[24]

Takara took a moment to consider his response and felt her heart sink a little bit. The moment that emotions came into the equation he wasn't interested anymore. The offer stood if she didn't want any attachments, and while her body might have been fine with that, her heart and mind knew better. She would wind up getting attached and then would get hurt because he wasn't reciprocating. Logically, she knew that was no fault of his own; he was simply raised in an environment where he wasn't able to process that sort of emotion, pure and simple. Takara was into her third plate of food even at her pace before he began to explain himself. The explanation solidified her own theory, and she was not in any way mad at him for what had happened; he hadn't chosen that life for himself, and it was selfish of her to want him to have a little bit of emotion if they were to get entwined despite that. She did a pretty good job of ensuring that her disappointment wasn't being expressed outwardly though, and the emotions that she had didn't touch her face, concealed perfectly.

"We can stop there... and while I still do want us to be friends, I'm relatively certain that I could not interact intimately without getting an emotional attachment. And I won't try to make you change to accommodate me. I will keep it in mind though, and thank you." With that said, she would finish the plate she was on, down her last glass of water, and then sit back, deep in thought for a moment. Would he be able to consider her a friend? Was he capable? She would of course not back down from what she promised and he would be a valuable ally, but without an emotional attachment, she was far less certain that he could fit what she thought a friend should be.

So be it.

As per usual, Takara began to stack the plates and silverware, making it a nice and neat pile to make it easier for the staff to pick up and take away. Since he was paying for the bill, she provided the tip for the waitress, and then moved to stand up. "We should get some rest." It was a bit of a disappointment, but it was also something that made it to where she knew exactly where they stood moving forward.

[24]

Valen would simply nod at her statement of them not being able to be intimate unless there was an emotional attachment. It didn't matter to him if she said yes or no. He was content, because there was always someone who would say yes. She would begin to stack her plates and silverware and everything else into a nice, neat little pile and he would do the same. Wondering if this was another game they were playing since they had agreed to stop playing the question game. In the end though it appeared that they were making it easier for the wait staff to do their jobs. Which was nice enough he supposed. He would pick up the unobtrusive little black book their waitress had left at the table and check the amount before leaving it on the counter. He had seen her leave a little extra for the top so he just covered the cost of the meal. With that he would shake his head a bit at her prospect of rest. "You go ahead, I'm not tired yet and need to do more training before the day is gone. I'll be along later, besides it'll let you shower and such in peace." He would say standing and moving toward the door.

He had some training he wanted to do, the intensity of his fire needed to get hotter if he wanted any hope of using it to cause harm to Sayuri and he was still motivated partially by that desire for his flame to hurt her as she so desperately wished. Progress had been made, but not enough he felt. He needed more, needed to get faster, stronger, more capable. With a final wave toward Takara for the moment, they were sharing a hotel room after all, he would make for the training grounds for more training. He'd work himself into the ground before quitting, it was how he always did it.

Exit

[25]

He would claim that he wasn't tired yet and was going to train some more, to which she would nod. "Take care not to overdo it. I'll see you back at the room." She would be taking advantage of the extra time as well, naturally. The dark-skinned Genin would be definitely taking advantage of the temporary privacy to get her shower taken care of and rinse off her swimsuit, but after she was done with that, she would be hitting the books; in her backpack was an assortment of knowledge she was going to try to work through before he arrived back at the room. Normally, considering the contents of these books were an in-depth knowledge of human biology, medical procedures, and a metric ton of information pertaining to those topics, it would have been impossible, but not for Takara. Blessed with a powerful mind, she would get it sorted and still have time to process the events for the day, she was certain.

And what a day it had been. The young Genin knew that he hadn't meant anything he said in a bad way, but the rejection had hit her a little more harshly than she cared to admit. Logically, everything made perfect sense, so why was it that she couldn't simply move on and ignore the ache in her chest. Was it that she felt guilty for not trying to accommodate the harsh upbringing that Valen had gone through more? Guilt because she couldn't simply conform to what he wanted? Or was it because doing so would ultimately compromise her own morals and beliefs? It was hard to say, but she planned on meditating on it thoroughly before actually going to sleep, which she would keep her swimsuit at least on for. No time like the present to get started.

[25]
[EXIT]
[500 EXP]