Clearing Things Up [Private]

Shimiko pretty much spent all day stressing over what she would wear during her first date with Simon. She had considered wearing more revealing clothes around him. She was never ashamed of her body although Natsuru had made her feel insecure occasionally. She decided if he was willing to go out with her then there must be something attractive about her so maybe it was good to experiment a bit with something new to see how he'd react. Most of the young women in her sect wore very revealing clothes and they got all sorts of attention. People tended to trust and respond more positively to girls that showed more skin. This was part of the reason why Shimiko loved to wear short skirts but some part of her liked wearing more formal upperwear. Eventually modesty won out over seduction. Simon had sounded gravely serious when he offered the date. Something told her the subject matter might change her view of him and she didn't want to come off as making light of the situation by dressing too casual. Shimiko eschewed a flirtatious load-out and instead opted for something more along the lines of what she regularly wore. A white dress shirt, yellow sweater vest, and red mini-skirt with a nice pair of shoes. It was closer to business casual than anything else and was more or less what she tended to wear on days like these. She did her hair in its typical pigtail fashion resolving to try something new depending on how the date with Simon went. The only thing left was to decide whether to wear the yellow scarf he had gifted her. It was a bit too hot for the scarf and she ultimately decided that it would be weird and try-hard for her to work it into today's style.

Shimiko skipped out of her apartment and headed towards the destination Simon had outlined in his letter. Even the moment of receiving the letter had caused her to hop around with excitement. It was way too romantic for her to play it cool. The mystery and tension he had built around the date had put her on edge. A good kind of edge though, an exciting feeling that made her both look forward to and dread the date. Shimiko wasn't sure what specific faults Simon had but a lack of showmanship was not one of them.

Shimiko spotted Simon at the sushi bar she was supposed to meet him at and did her best not to skip towards him. She knew if she tried to play it cool and it failed she'd just end up looking like an idiot so instead she was her regular cheery and polite self.

"Hi Simon!" she said so focused on him that she hadn't even realized what he was holding. She made no attempt to hide her blush or excitement. Instead she went in for a hug hoping she wouldn't be rejected. He had something serious to tell her and she may not like him because of it apparently. But until then she wanted him to know that she fancied him. Once she had gotten over the initial hump of telling him how she felt everything from physical contact to talking directly to him felt easy and natural.

Shimiko of course notices that Simon only returns the hug with one hand. This makes her feel a bit awkward and worried but the reason for it is readily made obvious to her when he hands her a beautiful bouquet of yellow flowers. Shimiko's face lights up and she accepts it graciously. She sniffs deeply and sighs before looking at him with genuine gratitude. "Thanks" she says a bit unsure of whether she should have gotten him something. She sits across from him setting the flowers upright and next to her mindful of their presence so they would be unmolested and perfect for the duration of the date. He said she could order whatever she wanted and that he would be paying. Shimiko for her part smiled widely and remarked playfully "You're such a gentleman" before picking up the menu and reading over the items. After a few moments, a waiter had stepped forward and looked at them expectantly. Shimiko did not want to eat anything heavy as she was more concerned with Simon's company and what he had to say over what she was going to fill her stomach with. "I'll have the Temarizushi please" she said before handing the waiter the menu. Shimiko would let Simon make his own order while doing her best not to look away like a frightened child but not stare like a creeper. When he was done ordering Shimiko began to bounce her knee impatiently. He had something important to tell her. Something really serious that could change the nature of their relationship. She had put off the gravity of the situation until now and instead filled her minds with all the positive things that came with going on a date with your crush. But there could be no putting it out of mind now. She leaned forward eager to hear what he had to say.

"You said you wanted to tell me something..." she prodded. She didn't want to come off as rude but she couldn't handle the suspense. If he tried to make small talk or skirt the issue that would only serve to frustrate her.

Simon started off by thanking her, Seigi, and the Thundercats. This caused Shimiko to blush unsure of what she could have done that made him so grateful but liking the attention all the same. He then launched into what was essentially an origin story. Shimiko sat and listened in silence as Simon explained where he was from, why he hadn't been entirely truthful about who he was, and what he really did or used to do with his chemistry skills. Shimiko remembered vaguely he had said something about liking chemistry when she saw him in that maid cafe before she passed out. She was certain he didn't mention the fact that he was a drug dealer or she would have remembered it. Even more surprising was that he owned up to being the one that paid for her stay at the hospital. It was something that had been bothering her for quite sometime. She was confident that the amount of money for her treatment was expensive and that her parents might not have wanted to waste money on false hope. She considered a few possibilities but she was rather shocked that it came from a boy she fancied but hadn't ever really gotten a chance to know. This combined with the tragedy of his own story, missing parents, and the guilt he felt for deceiving her about his background caused tears to well in her eyes.

Shimiko was not angry with Simon. Just the opposite, she empathized and felt for him. In her eyes he had done nothing wrong. It wasn't easy to admit one's faults and if he was not comfortable sharing his real name with others that's something she could understand. Simon had also confessed that he was also a big fan of her older brother Seigi who had been his idol and the person who had promoted him to Chuunin. Chuunin...so that's his rank... Shimiko thought to herself. She couldn't recall him every officially confirming his rank to her but she had assumed he was stronger than a mere genin although he didn't exactly give off the vibe of being a by-the-book Jounin. Simon's rank had been a hard read but if she had to guess Chuunin sounded about right.

Simon, no Sakata's story was one of redemption, guilt, and hope for a better life. By the time he was finished Shimiko was wiping tears from her eyes. Part of her was angry at herself for showing weakness but another part of her was so moved that she didn't care. When he finished his story, she struggled for words unsure of what to say. She decided to start with the most immediate and obvious thing:

"Simon..." she began before realizing that he may not want to be called that. She decided she'd ask again later but judging by what he had said regarding keeping this whole thing a secret for the time being perhaps it was best to keep calling him Simon. "I'm not angry with you at all. I don't hate you, I like you...I really like you" she said. "I'm sorry that you lost your parents and when Seigi passed it hurt me a lot too. I don't know if you should be thanking me, I don't feel like I've done anything to help you". In truth Shimiko felt like she had been more of an errant burden in his mind. Constantly seeking his attention and creating drama when she failed to get it. She had apologized for her misbehavior before so she didn't want to do it again and risk making it insincere but it did make her feel like she had only contributed to his stress. "I know I haven't known you for a long time but I want to help. I want to be there for you. I want to help you find your parents and keep you on the right path. You don't have anything to apologize for and I'm sure the others will understand. I really appreciate the fact that you trusted me enough to tell me your story. "

Shimiko didn't care about the drug dealing stuff. She did but only tangentially so. It wasn't her place to criticize him for doing what he had to do to support himself. When she stopped living with her parents she could always rely on her older brother for support and by the time he had died she was almost entirely self-sufficient. Where he couldn't help her she had the support of her fellow Janshinists who were bonded by their persecuted faith. Even the Chinoike Clan had checked in on her once or twice out of sheer familial obligation even though her parents strongly disproved of her decision to become a shinobi. Shimiko had a support system that had kept her from having to do things like sell drugs. Any criminal activity she did was purely because she enjoyed it and not out of social or economic necessity. She would never judge Simon for something as trivial as dope dealing when she had committed acts far more heinous and with far less justification.

Shimiko felt her own sort of guilt at keeping her own secrets. She had not lied directly to him but it was the sort of deception that was arguably worse than an outright lie. She was not ashamed or regretful of the things she had done as a Janshinist, to the contrary she was proud and she'd do it all over again if given the opportunity. Yet if she was so proud of it then why would she lie about it to the people that mattered to her? She couldn't answer the question and the fact that Simon was revealing so much about himself to her yet she was unwilling to do the same made her feel terrible. She considered telling him her own secrets. Would he hate her for it? Would he look at her with disgust? Would he turn her in to the authorities? No. She couldn't risk it. If not for her own sake then for the sake of her fellow worshipers. She did not want to lie to him but she also didn't want to spoil this moment.  

She reached out and offered her hand in case he wanted to take it. She was somewhat unsure if he really liked her. He had called it a date but perhaps he was pressured to do so because he felt he owed a debt to her brother. Maybe he didn't want to hurt her feelings and make her feel ugly and unwanted. Shimiko thought it would be rude and inappropriate to ask such a selfish question after he had displayed this much vulnerability. The hand was offered out of both friendship and romance. Whichever he was interested in, he'd have it from her. She had found him dashing and cool when she had first laid eyes on him. Ever since then he had captured her attention but after revealing his struggle and his ability to overcome them he had fully captured her heart.

Shimiko felt electricity course through her body when she made contact with Sakata. When he squeezed the contact reminded her of when they held hands back at Natsuru's mansion. She could understand that he wanted to take time before he went out and searched for his parents. She would not push him and in his own time he'd make the decision to seek them out and make sure they were okay. Whenever he decided to make that journey she would be right alongside him. He explained what he had thanked her for and in the process he had subtly let her know that he cared about her because of her and not just because of who she was related to. Shimiko smiled at his words, they were filled with conviction and certainty. He was going to protect her and watch out for her. The thought made her blush even though she believed she could take care of herself. It was nice to know that someone fancied her enough to make her safety and development a priority.

"I won't lose you."

Shimiko smiled, blushed, and squeezed his hand in response. She felt butterflies in her stomach and the intensity of the moment was making her nervous and excited all at the same time. She figured now would be as good as time as any.

"So does this mean we're...." she trailed off not wanting to finish the thought out of fear that it'd scare him off and ruin the moment.

Shimiko practically squeals with delight when he nods in response to her unfinished question. She does a little dance in her seat at having secured her first boyfriend. The confirmation was a big confidence boost for her and it would keep her on cloud nine for a few days. The food arrived and they broke contact so that they could enjoy their delightful meal. She grabs her chopsticks and begins to nibble on one of the elegant handcrafted sushi. Sakata then shared a bit of good news with her. He was now a Tokubetsu Jounin with an official Jounin promotion coming his way. She raised her eyebrows when he mentioned that he was training with Nariko. It appeared their Raikage had a lot on her hands between training her, her squad, and now Sakata. The revelation makes her curious as to how strong Sakata is and what exactly he specializes in as a shinobi. Chemistry was a fine supplemental skill that provided a ninja with extra options much like her own weapons crafting abilities but ultimately it was not suitable for combat on its own. Shimiko decided to ask for herself as she ate but not before congratulating him.

"Congratulations on the promotion! I bet she's already doing the paperwork for your Jounin status as we speak" she said confident that he was a strong enough ninja to make it to the next level. "So what's your main specialty as a shinobi...I mean fighting-wise" she asked.

Raiton and Kenjutsu. That was a very orthodox style for a Kumo-Nin she half expected him to say something more exotic. It was good that he was interested in swords as she could definitely deliver on that front. She was a weapons crafter and it would be child's play to whip up something extra special for him. She took a sip from her glass of water and answered his question.

"I mainly use Chinoike Clan Ninjutsu to fight. We have a special doujutsu called the Ketsuryūgan. I use my Ketsuryūgan to manipulate blood and liquid iron" Shimiko focused and activated the clan's coveted doujutsu to illustrate the point. She blinked and her eyes returned to its normal green color. "I recently discovered that I have the Lightning element so that's pretty cool. I think I'll incorporate it into my Chinoike Clan techniques"

Shimiko took a few more bites of her food.

"By the way, I'm also really good at making weapons. So if you need help with getting some katana or Supervibrato swords, I'm your gal" she said with a smile and a wink.

Sakata flattered her! She shouldn't have been all that surprised as it wasn't the first time someone had asked her to make something for them but all the same coming from him it was a big ego boost. "Of course, just give me a description of what you want and I'm pretty sure I could make it!" she said a bit over-enthusiastically. She didn't want to overpromise and under-deliver but she liked a challenge. She wanted Sakata to think of her as the best weaponscrafter in the village and she'd only impress him if she was able to do things with his blade that no other person could do. He did say something that piqued her own curiosity. He mentioned that he was capable of creating alloys. She had come up with an idea for weapons for her comrades and it involved an alloy that was rare but not completely unheard of, one that she had no ability to make as she didn't understand the underlying chemical properties at play.

"You can create alloys and other materials using chemistry?" she asked. She didn't want to assume but if he answered in the affirmative then they would definitely be able to help each other out. "I was thinking of making a new weapon for Ryuko and Natsuru using a rare metal that only a Chinoike can make. I'm sure we can help each other out" she tried to sound as charming, pleasant, and sweet as she could without overdoing it. Shimiko took a few more bites of her meal and then a few more sips of her water. She was finished. She didn't want to stuff herself in front of Sakata.

Shimiko couldn't imagine that making new metals and materials was easy. She didn't want to pressure Sakata but she also needed to equip her friends when the best gear possible. "Yeah, you should stop by my forge and we can hammer out the details". Shimiko giggled at her own pun. She enjoyed his company but she was amazed at how calm he always was. When Shimiko had pictured her first boyfriend she had pictured someone who would openly flirt with her and treat her like a princess. Shimiko decided that the fact that he defied her expectations only made him more interesting. "I think I can rustle up some old guides on how Chinoike chemists made it" Shimiko was not on the best of terms with her mother and father but the other clan members liked and respected her. Some of the older folk that had mainly lived in the mountains coveted her as a future bride although she had no intention of marrying them. The young ones admired her brother and had spoiled her hoping to get in his good graces. Now that they were aware she was the Raikage's student their interest in maintaining a good relationship with her only increased.

The waiter came by and saw that she was finished. He took her plate with a smile after she indicated she was done. Shimiko smiled at the man. She wanted to carve her and Sakata's initials into his chest.

Sakata paid like the gentleman he was. Shimiko nodded when he asked if she was ready to go. The girl hopped up and took his arm allowing him to lead her out of the restaurant. She didn't expect him to walk her home but she did want to enjoy his company for a little longer. She decided that he probably had better things to do and she didn't want to be the type of girl that burdened him constantly with requests for attention. That being said saying goodbye after their first date only made her more anxious. It was as they said though distance makes the heart grow fonder. Shimiko smiled and turned to face him directly. She gave him a brief hug not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable by initiating a first kiss. The idea brought up unpleasant memories and she was through trying to force affection on him. He would give her her first kiss when he was ready and not a moment too soon.

"Thanks for the date Sakata" she said using his real name. "I really enjoyed it...I won't tell anyone what you told me but like I said before I'm glad you shared it. You're....you're the best boyfriend a girl could ask for" she said putting her feelings into concrete words. She hugged him again just to feel his contact before leaving. If that was all then the Chinoike would depart feeling elated.

Exit