a little unsteady [invite only]

[Junichi]

(-17,000 ryo for the following augment, performed in a flashback)

Scent
Rank: "B"
Type: Augmentation
Effect: User can detect approaching opponents, sniff out hidden opponents, and track by sense of smell.
Special: To perform: 3 hours; Duration: Permanent
Drawback: ---
Description: Takes up 2 Augmentation Points. User can also identify familiar odors the way humans do familiar sights. User gain the Scent technique "D" Rank. Please look in the Scent Technique Tree for more information. User may learn all techniques within the Technique Tree.
Limit: Must be a Ritualist for Augmentation Rituals.
Cost: Market Price: 23,000 Ryo Performing Price: 17,000 Ryo

Junichi couldn’t help but frown as he looked himself in the mirror, massaging one of his large cat ears for a moment and sighing at the sight of his tail twitching behind him because of how sensitive they were. It was a pain to always hide them, but like hell he wanted anyone to know about his abnormalities. He did like them as well, solely because they reminded him of the man he thought had been his grandfather. Takashi hadn’t been exactly sane when the augments had been forced on him, but eventually he forgave the old man for the lapse of sanity and they actually grew on him as mementos because they had made the elder so happy.

It was roughly a decade ago now, that their beloved cat Mimi had passed. Takashi hid it, but he had loved that cat more than Jun himself- it had been his companion long before he had bought the Kaishin as a baby. So when it was gone he sort of snapped, he drugged Junichi while the young boy was sleeping and took him to a ritualist who worked in the black market. For a hefty sum the boy was given somewhat minor changes in the cat’s likeness, the black fur fitting in well since his hair was naturally the same color.

One of the augments that had been forcefully bestowed on the kid was a scent akin to an animals, the only nonphysical and certainly the most useful one in his opinion. It took him a while after waking to notice it as well, since Takashi hadn’t informed him of it. For quite some time he had given his ‘grandfather’ the cold shoulder after that stunt, but eventually he hadn’t really any choice but to forgive the man since he didn’t have anyone else at the time- or now either, for that matter. Ever since Takashi died, he kept himself distanced from people even after joining the village.

Suddenly he shook his head as he snapped out of his thoughts, using the sink beneath the bathroom mirror to cup some water between his hands and splash it onto his face and scrub it clean. As he looked up again he couldn’t help but feel a tad annoyed at how cute the additions were, but he quickly shrugged it off and went on with getting ready for the day, only in the pair of pajama pants that he had worn to bed the night before. Like usual he tied his tail gently down to his leg, not wanting to have to concentrate on keeping it from twitching and swaying all day. The pair of poofy pants he wore helped with that as well, and then he wore a hat and even attached some pins between it and his hair to hide his ears as well.

The cat-like shinobi wore his usual outfit, including a blue scarf with yellow stripes and a white shawl beneath it. He wore a light blue, form-fitting tanktop that left a lot of his muscled midriff exposed since he wasn’t too great at handling the heat. After adjusting the bronze band around his right bicep, he pulled on a pair of blue cloth shoes before making his way out and locking his apartment door behind him. Junichi was running late and he knew it, after having realized he slept in that moment. Because of it he skipped breakfast and he still knew he’d be a few minutes past the scheduled time, despite dashing through the back alleys that he had memorized to reach the café quicker.

He didn’t actually know a whole lot about who he was supposed to meet, besides a basic physical description and a name. Since Junichi was so old when he joined the village, someone thought it a good idea to hang around someone who had already been a shinobi for a while but was still his same rank. Slowing to a walk as he neared the café, he pretended as if he hadn’t just been near sprinting and fixed his clothes up a bit and made sure his hat was still on securely. As he approached the building he scanned the outdoor seating area and what he could see of the inside, deep blue eyes narrowed concentration as he searched for a certain redheaded man.

[Father 'Suke]

Transaction Complete

[gorou]

A name and location was what he was given, a description of the newbie ninja he was to escort and whatever. The point was that he had been chosen to practically mentor this guy, show him the ropes, so of course Gorou was splitting at the seams with excitement. He woke up early and donned his wardrobe, forgetting both his hat and overcoat in his haste.

He arrived a shocking five minutes prior to the designated time, slipping into a booth three pedestrians away from the counter, his eyes glued to the doorway as he waited for a certain blue-eyed individual. After his third herbal tea (or whatever that sloshing green liquid was), Gorou found his head spinning towards the direction that told him he was perhaps being stood up. Wouldn't be the first time, he mused.

But then a man who matches the description flies in, his eyes clearly in search for someone. On cue Gorou tosses his hand into the air, waving it until the man catches his location. If he were to decide to approach, Gorou would drop his hand, his lips pulling back into a warm sneer.

"Junicihi?" He would inquiry, gesturing to the seat opposite of his own across the small table. "You're a little late." He would continue to smile, however, as if that fact didn't bother him.

[Junichi]

Soon as he noticed the man waving, Junichi nodded and moved over to take a seat across from the redhead. “They probably told us different times by mistake,” the freshly promoted genin lied through his teeth, not wanting to admit that he was just late. He shifted his weight a little as well in his chair, leaning forward onto the table with an elbow and resting his chin into his palm as ocean blue orbs took in the other’s appearance closely. Those sharp teeth were certainly strange, but he wasn’t about to complain considering his own oddities, and the guy smelt of shark- also strange, considering how far they were from the ocean. It actually made him feel a little hungry, he always had loved fish.

“You’re Gorou, then,” he muttered, sounding more like an observation than any sort of question. His gaze landed back up at the man’s face as well, finding his fellow genin quite attractive but not making any sort of comment on it. “So I take it you’ve lived here for quite a while? This is probably the longest I’ve ever stayed in one place,” Jun felt a bit awkward as he tapped his thick, sharp nails against the table. He wasn’t used to being sociable, his nerves probably obvious. He waved a waitress down first chance he got, ordering a cup of milk and a pastry since he had skipped breakfast in his rush.

[gorou]

Well, that was quite obviously a white lie, why would they give different times?  He grinned wide at that, chuckled or snorted even, but otherwise leaves it unmentioned.  He smiles and nods as Junichi speaks, and then the waitress comes by so he orders another tea and tells the waitress to just grab him whatever it is Jun's having, adding a wink in her general direction as she scurries off.

"Uh," he clears his throat.  "Yeah, born and raised here.  Why, you been on the road your whole life or something?"  It's an invitation to tell him about his life, and Gorou hopes quietly that he'll take the bait.  Gotta get to know each other, right?

He clicks his teeth a few times patiently, his obscenely stationary grin lingering on his lips as he mirrors Junichi, resting his chin in his hand, supporting himself by placing his elbow on the table.  He stares almost dreamily at the attractive shinobi before him.

[Junichi]

Junichi couldn’t help but roll his eyes when the redhead winked at the waitress, finding it a bit tacky. Cute, but still tacky. “Pretty much… I’ve spent most my time transporting merchandise all over the country,” he explained, leaving it quite vague since he wasn’t the sort to open up to people easily. It took a moment, but soon he couldn’t help but squirm uneasily beneath Gorou’s stare as he diverted his own gaze. He wasn’t really used to this sort of attention- or any sort of attention, for that matter.

“I… I didn’t do too well after my business partner passed, this was the best opportunity that I came across since,” Jun rambled a bit because he was uncomfortable, able to feel his tail twitching uneasily against his leg as well. Still he avoided eye contact as well, at some point moving to lean back in his chair as he played idly with his scarf. People had never really been his thing, the Kaishin just wanted to distract himself for a minute. He was trying not to act as shy and socially awkward as he usually was, which probably wasn’t very successful.

[gorou]

It's not like he doesn't notice how uneasy Junichi has grown, so Gorou turns his gaze to the tea cup from before Jun arrived in front of him. It's empty for the most part, a bit of the green liquid still at the bottom, herbs and sweeteners floating visibly at the bottom, too. He rolls the cup, moving the green inside, as he listens to his counterpart, and when it's his turn to speak he sets the cup aside.

He wants to ask about this business partner, because honestly the guy was making it sound like they were a bunch of drug mules, but he deters from that and delves into another topic.

"Sunagakure is great," he says matter-of-factly, "I'm sure it'll turn out great for you and all, it'll bite you in the ass a little but that'll probably just... Be the critters." He chuckles at his joke, as he often does, despite how no humor really bounced around in the statement. He wants to explain his joke, but he decides against that.

Dropping his tone, he searches for eye-contact. He wouldn't say the next piece without it, and upon sharing a gaze he would offer apologies referring to the dead business partner, "Sorry to hear about your friend, by the way. Really."

[Junichi]

One of his dark brows quirked upwards when he heard that joke, Junichi not really having the best sense of humor. He didn’t say anything about it though, especially after he heard that apology when he looked back up at the redhead. “Thanks,” he muttered quietly, trying to ignore how it felt as if his heart was tightening in his chest for a moment. It was probably obvious that he had been close to his business partner despite how vague he left the title, ocean blue orbs clearly reflecting sorrow before he quickly composed himself.

“So, uhm… Have anything in mind for what we’ll be doing? They didn’t tell me a whole lot, besides that you’re supposed to show me how things work or whatever,” Junichi was rambling again, wanting to change the subject. While he wasn’t actually speaking a whole lot, it was certainly more than he was accustomed to. The only person he had spent any sort of real time with was gone, he hadn’t yet figured out how to deal with anyone else. It didn’t take the waitress long to return either, since what he ordered wouldn’t require any time to cook or brew. Jun was happy for the distraction as he nibbled at his pastry, his haywire nerves messing with his appetite.

[neko bo beko]

wrong fucking account kill me now jesus twke the wheel

[gorou]

Right, something to show him.  Gorou forgot to think about that.  He chews noiselessly on the thought, occupying his mouth also with his own treat.  He swallows his food nearly whole, dusting the crumbs from his hands.  Big appetite, he would often tell people who asked him how he ate things so quickly.  Truth was he's always just had a big mouth.  Also the shark thing.

He clicks his tongue before answering.  "Uh, well, I guess we could go on a mission?  Something simple, maybe?"  Gorou smiles preemptively, pulling the idea straight from his poop chute.  Or ass, whichever is most becoming to call your behind.  

Gorou takes a moment to shake his head, ridding his brain of the intrusive thought of butts.

[Junichi]

Junichi couldn’t help but stare as the other utterly devoured the pastry, blinking a couple of times before shaking his head at the sight. A quiet snicker escaped him as well, but he stifled it and pretended as if he wasn’t so amused by the sight. “Sure, why not,” he nodded, since it sounded like a good idea to him. He had little experience with how missions worked in the village, so he figured it could help. And at the very least, Gorou didn’t seem like a horrible person, despite how awkward he was he didn’t mind the redhead’s company.

The dark haired one wanted to add on that he’d rather not do a mission involving a large group of people, but he held his tongue since he wasn’t one to advertise his insecurities. Though it was probably obvious that he wasn’t exactly a people person, by this point. “Now or later?” Jun really wasn’t one to beat around the bush, when his nerves weren’t getting the better of him.

[gorou]

Gorou chuckles at his question, swaying in his seat with thought.  "We just got here. Or, well, you did. So we can hang out a little first, if ya want?"

With the friendliest smile he can conjure up, Gorou so much as flicks a 'thumbs up' briefly. InstNtly regretting the gesture, he shoves his hand into his lap, grabbing his tea with the other. He brings it to his lips, sipping at the warm liquid casually as his eyes search the room. He's not particularly looking for anything other than an excuse to avert his eyes away from the blue ones on the other. Setting his tea back down, he clears his throat before continuing.

"Or we can go now. It's up to you." Another warm smile before he brings the tea back to his lips.

[Junichi]

Another stifled laugh escaped him when Gorou flashed a thumb up, finding it to be another adorably tacky act. “It’s fine, I wouldn’t mind staying here for a while,” he said without really thinking about it, though after a moment he realized what he was agreeing to. Junichi didn’t say anything, but he was a bit on edge. He didn’t know what to do, he never spent quality time with anyone but his grandfather.

“Why did you become a shinobi, anyway?” Jun asked before taking a sip of his milk, mentally assuring himself that he could handle a simple conversation. His nails traced gently across the tabletop as well so he could distract himself a little, careful not to press down hard enough to leave a mark. Surprisingly it wasn’t particularly difficult to talk to the redhead either, despite how he usually didn’t do well with strangers.

[gorou]

“Why did you become a shinobi, anyway?”

The answer is quite a mouthful, but also very simple. Gorou contemplates for a moment, his eyes on Jun but he's not really looking at him per se. When he finds his answer, his eyes focus back on the man and he just kind of smiles before turning his gaze to the table, grinning to himself as he runs a finger in circles over the surface.

"My parents, mostly. And my big brother." His smile dissipates and he looks back to Junichi. "He's some AnBu big shot, my brother. Shinji," he strains the name. "I guess I wanted to be like him, show him up and shit. I also kind of wanted my parents to stop referring to me as some kid, the baby of the clan. Household, whatever."

He shakes his head lightly with mere thought before adding, "I wanna be great, do great things, you know?"

An alternative answer would have been, "I wish that I could be like the cool kids," but such a catchy, lyrical string of words would have only grazed the minimum of an appropriate response.

Then Gorou smiles warmly and sets his chin in his hand, supporting his arm with an elbow to the table again. His red eyes drinking in his counterpart, he decides it's time for a shift in topic, settling easily on asking, "Why'd you choose Sunagakure? To be affiliated with, I mean. You could have gone anywhere, right?"

[Junichi]

Junichi couldn’t help but stare for a moment at the redhead’s grin, finding himself oddly drawn to it. Yet when it fell and Gorou looked back up at him, his gaze drifting back up to those eerie yet strangle warm red orbs. Normally the dark haired man was a bit skittish in social situations and would look anywhere and everywhere else, but this guy made it strangely easy for him to maintain eye contact. Remaining silent, he simply nodded at the explanation he was given, figuring it made enough sense. It seemed to sort of be a family business.

“You probably will,” he muttered awkwardly, the encouragement brief and quiet as he looked off to the side and pressed his sharp fingernails into his own palm softly as he tried to contain his nerves. Something about Gorou made him at least feel like trying to be civil, despite knowing how foreign it felt. It probably had something to do with the warm smile that popped up again, a small shiver coursing down his spine despite how warm the weather of Kaze no Kuni always was. Yet he didn’t return the smile- hell, those little snickers that were pulled out of him were incredibly rare.

Blue eyes blinked when the subject was shifted back over to him, the dark haired shinobi shifting his weight a little as he took another sip of his milk. “I guess it’s just that I don’t know anywhere else… I didn’t want to leave after… I… I’m so used to protecting someone out in the desert, I just figured I’d be best suited to stick with it,” Jun mumbled, having a hard time putting his thoughts into actual words.

[gorou]

Those few words of encouragement don't go unnoticed, Gorou's lips tugging into an almost flattered smile as they pass the dark haired man's lips. He tries to hide the slight rush of confidence with an intent nod as Junichi goes on with an answer of his own. He's got no real response for it that won't sound cheesy and cliché, so he sips at his tea.

The tea is gone too quickly and he curses under his breath about such inconveniences, though it's hardly audible. Setting the empty cup aside, he turns a brief smile up to the other genin.

"When you're all set, let's get going!" Maybe he forces too much enthusiasm into the statement, but he's attentive now and ready to go.

[Junichi]

Junichi was actually sort of glad that the redhead didn’t comment on what he said, not really wanting to elaborate when it was hard enough to come up with proper answers in the first place. He caught to forced enthusiasm and couldn’t help but snicker again, but he finished off what was left of his milk before commenting on it.

“You don’t need to pretend to be so excited, really, I appreciate you doing this to help me out either way,” Junichi sent the other a little smile, sincere even though it was barely there. With that he would move to stand as well, gesturing for the redhead to lead the way towards wherever missions were organized.

[exit, following Gorou]

[gorou]

Standing to his feet with a smile plastered to his face, Gorou would graciously lead him out and into the street, sure to walk beside his fellow genin rather than in front of him.

//EXIT.

[Junichi]

(I figured there's no harm in just reusing this thread)

“Hey, you hungry? Those pastries weren’t much and I don’t live far from here,” Junichi offered as he walked along the street next to Gorou, offering to make them lunch. Teaching those girls hadn’t taken particularly long, but he was still quite hungry since he didn’t have the best breakfast. His blush had faded a little while ago, but the dark haired one hadn’t calmed down entirely yet. He was still a bit on edge, not at all used to being flirted with and obviously uncomfortable because of it.

If the redhead agreed he wouldn’t hesitate to lead them to his apartment building, it wasn’t anything great but it worked for now. He’d remove his scarf but not his hat, moving into the kitchen to start on some relatively simple sandwiches.

[gorou]

"That would be awesome," Gorou replies to the invite, a bounce in his step as he follows close behind Junichi as he leads the way to his place. He can't say he's not excited to see the guy's apartment. Also, the privacy of it all would be quickly utilized as he follows Jun to the kitchen, hanging back in the entrance as he spoke.

"So, uh..." He rubbed the back of his neck hesitantly before continuing, "What, uh... What's under that hat of yours?"

If he were to be answered by silence or even a heated look, he would follow up defensively with a few short words of apology. "It's just that, I thought I saw, like... I dunno, animal ears, maybe?"