Mousetrap. [Ayumu]

[Kogami Ayumu]

This curry was simply divine, as if made in heaven, though the heat from the spices reminded him of some place else. Fortunately he liked spicy food, so it was all the better that it had a good bite to it. He scooped bites carefully in to his mouth, sure not to make a mess no matter how hungry he was, taking a sip of wine every now and then. He looked up as Katzumi took his glass to refill it then replaced the bottle in the refrigerator before turning back to him. He was sharp enough to notice the subtle change- she had unbuttoned one of the top buttons of her shirt. He was too dense to realize why. 'Must be getting warm,' he thought, completely missing the mark. She continued to tell him about her nanny who had taught her to cook. He occasionally referred to his grandma as Nanny, but he doubted it was the same kind of nanny she meant. "She taught you well then," he said in response before taking the last bite of curry. He then took his glass and tipped it up to drink the last of the wine in it before setting it down.

She asked if he wanted to go for a walk, and of course his mind connected this to his earlier thought that she might be getting too warm. He himself was feeling a little warm with the combination of the heat and spiciness of the curry and the wine he had just imbibed. He fanned his face lightly as he nodded. "That sounds like a good idea, I'm getting a bit hot," he said, standing up and also picking up his plate and glass. "I just hope we don't run in to thugs again. Then again, this is a MUCH better part of town," he said as he carried the dishes over to her sink. He paused in front of the sink and began to rinse the dishes off, though he had already cleaned them off pretty well just by eating every last bite. He assumed that this was usually up to Mizuki, but this wasn't a big deal for him to do.

"Right then, off we go. How big IS your property that we can actually go for a walk within it?" he asked curiously. He had only seen parts of it when coming and going, both times at night. From the size of the house he expected it was impressive but had no idea for sure. His "property" had no land to speak of, sadly. That was what you got when you lived in the free room provided by the ANBU. It was free, but it was small and just one in a hallway of many others. One of many reasons why he didn't really go there unless he wanted to sleep. He followed Katzumi outside, enjoying the cool air as the emerged from the house. It was up to her to give him the tour, he began looking around as soon as they were outside.

 

[Kokomo]

Ignorance Is Bliss...​

The woman had a gentle look to her. Her features were soft and the splash of freckles across her cheekbones (that were mostly faded) gave her the innocence she might of otherwise lacked. Her eyes were large and a childish, but they smoldered with hidden secrets. Her body, slender and athletic, but with a few bumps and curves to point across her feminine attributes.

Ayumu agreed to the walk as he moved across the kitchen to rise off his dishes. Katzumi observed, mildly impressed with the friendly notion as she gave a brief smile and waited for him. He was polite gentlemen, the kind you bring home to the folks--er! Had she had any reason to, of course!

Kat turned towards the door, moving out of the kitchen and past the slumbering Nameru who was curled into a ball on a nearby couch, and into the mud room where she slipped on a pair of walking-appropriate shoes, "Oh, it's only about six acres--it really isn't that much. Don't expect anything." Of course, it was a large amount of land, and she was aware of it. She was simply teasing him. And for the time being, a majority of the land was forestry, and the green house in the back--oh, and not to mention the size of the house itself. But as a Yamanaka, her father figures she needed a mad amount of land for training and hunting for various herbs--which, she quite often did, but not enough to be worth the money.

She moved outside, the night air warm with very little breeze. The starts kissing the purple-hued sky as she galloped out towards the zen garden, giving a gentle smile to Ayumu as she took his hand and led him to the gate of the garden. "I grew this myself!" She gloated, her eyes twinkling in the moonlight as she released his hand, "Try not to gawk!"

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu followed Katzumi past the couch where he had to use all of his willpower not to stop and pet Nameru who looked adorable curled in a ball. They continued on to the mudroom before the exterior and paused as she put on shoes and he slipped in to his own as well. She commented on the modest acreage of her property, a comment which caused him to pause briefly as she started through the door and stare. He couldn’t tell if she was joking or too accustomed to it to realize it was not common.

”Huh… ‘Only about six acres,’ she says,” he repeated after her with an incredulous tone. He shook his head and laughed before following her out the door. He glanced around as he first passed through the door, taking a moment to really look at the whole of the property that he could see. There were a lot of trees, a much more thick accumulation of them here than in most places within the residential areas of Kumogakure. He assumed they were somewhere near the edge of the residential district where it made sense for her home to back up to a forest. There also appeared to be some kind of structure further in the back he couldn’t see well through the darkness.

Suddenly, he felt his hand grasped tightly and pulled along with the rest of him in a manner very similar to when they had first met. ”What is it? More thugs?” he questioned jokingly as he kept up with her pace until they reached a gate. They passed through it and entered a garden that was impressively grown and maintained. She released his hand as they stopped and he placed both of his hands on his hips as he looked around the garden she was clearly quite proud of.

”I would try not to, but isn’t that why you’re showing it to me? I guess you’ve got a green thumb… pretty sure mine’s black,” he said, recalling an unfortunate incident with a house plant he had tried to take care of within his small dorm at the Sileo. It turned out that long periods where he was out of the village on missions were not good for plants he left behind. ”Ah, the poor thing… it never stood a chance,” he said wistfully. ”But you’ve certainly done well with the… ‘modest’ space you have here,” he complimented, still amused that she had called it not much.

 

[Kokomo]

The gateway was like a portal. It opened the mind's eye to a totally different world that the blonde Yamanaka had created with her gentle hands and sweet kisses. The garden was exploding with color even in the night's light. It was massive, and practically glowing from the numerous colors, and her hand would brush against the petals of the various flowers. Had Ayumu paid close attention, as she walked by them, the flowers would bend towards her energy.

A true Yamanaka.

The woman turned, giving him the gentlest of looks as he spoke of his black tumb. "Best you not touch anything, then," She joked, her eyes turning back to the glorious rainbow arrays. "I have a lot of free time when I'm home--even when I invite people, it seems they sparingly visit." Kat inquired, falsely-accusing Ayumu of such a thing, as hinted with her side smirk as she continued a bit deeper into the garden.

Upon walking she crouched towards a flower that was beginning to bend and look terribly sad. Her knees bending as she used the tip of her index finger to tip it's petals slightly up, "Oh, dear, did Ayumu do this to you?" She teased, giving him a sideways look as she wrapped her palms around the bulb, smiling as a slight glow of chakra pulsed through her hand--a strange pinkish color--before she'd pull her hands away, kissing the top of the yellow flower that now stood straight and proud, and standing straight, herself. "Perhaps we should leave this area before you kill all of my hard work." Kat joked, moving closer to him as though to look 'menacing'--which was the same type of scary that a newly declawed kitten had when trying to attack a person's hand.

Exactly.

 

[Kokomo]

[Ba-Da-Bump~]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

The garden really was quite the work of art, perfectly manicured and tended to as carefully as if it were someone's child. Ayumu had to wonder where Katzumi found the time to maintain it so well with how busy she was. He wondered if perhaps Mizuki also lent a hand from time to time while Katzumi was out. Maybe she helped by watering when Katzumi didn't have the time. Ayumu didn't know that gardening was literally in Katzumi's blood. He followed slowly behind her, glancing at the various flowers they passed. He brushed it off as a light gust of wind, but it almost seemed as though the flowers were turning to watch Katzumi pass by. As he told of of his black thumb she reacted by teasing him, something he was growing accustomed to by now.

"Don't worry, I'll keep my hands to myself. No flowers will die by my hand tonight," he promised, slipping his hands in to his pockets. She explained that when she was at home, she had plenty of time to work on the garden. Ayumu supposed that explained why it was so well cared for. She joking accused him of failing to visit, though it was true. It wasn't his fault, of course, but he did feel a tinge of guilt. "Hey, missions have been keeping me busy, and when I'm back in town I often have to taken care of things that need doing rather than what I want to do!" he defended himself, though he knew he didn't really need to with her. "I'll try harder to get some time," he said, though he had also said the same to others with little success.

After a few more steps, Katzumi crouched down and Ayumu slowed to a stop, glancing down over her shoulder. She was inspecting a flower which was drooping as if it were on its last limb. Chances were that it would die soon. She teased him again, accusing him of killing the flower. "Hey now, I didn't touch it!" he said before sticking out his tongue at her. It was then that he saw an interesting sight. She placed her hands around it and used that pink chakra that she had used to heal him before. Immediately, the flower perked up and looked as healthy as the rest of them.

"Huh, I was wrong. Not green thumb, pink hands. What was that?" he asked curiously as he followed her instructions and began to follow her out of the garden. Any attempt to look menacing had been completely lost on him. What she had used on him was obviously a medical jutsu, the color of the chakra being unique to her. He wasn't aware that they could also be used on plant life, unless that was actually something else. "I imagine that helps with keeping the garden looking so healthy!" he added, though he suspected it was still mostly hard work that kept it in good shape. He wondered where they would head next on their tour of the property.

[OoC: Sorry 'bout the wait, you posted right at the beginning of my trip to see my girlfriend and I just got back!]

 

[Kokomo]

It was a miracle that her face had been turned towards the flower as he spoke of keeping his hands to himself. A sinking feeling pierced through her stomach as she stared at the flower, slightly wide-eyed for a moment. No....No that's not what I meant. She thought as she stood to her full length, taking note that his hands had been shoved into his pockets. She stared at them for a few seconds as he spoke about his missions and how busy he was before her eyes snapped back up to look at his eyes as he promised to try and find more time.

Well, she screwed that chance up.

Turning away and heading towards the South Gate of the garden, her arms loose by her sides as she watched the gravel path carefully as she walked, he inquired what it was her chakra had done. "I'm a Yamanaka." She said simply, her eyes still staring downwards, her voice lost of the bubbly emotion she had had before. She had moved into a tone that was simple, and rather emotionless-- like a lecture. "My chakra is different than yours. Than, well, everyones, I suppose." She smiled, her back still to him as she walked, her head tipping upwards to look at her direction she goaled.

"We're naturally experts at healing. Healing...everything." She laughed, that musical and melodic laugh, as she pushed open the south gate and moved through it, the large and towering forest before them on the other side. "It's pretty useless in battle though." Kat joked as she moved into the forest. The trees towering and dark green. It was a bit hard to see, as it was dark, and the massive trees hid the moonlight.

[OOC: Short post is short...o_o]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu got his explanation, though Katzumi's tone of voice underwent a less than subtle change. He wasn't sure if he had said something wrong, but she at least smiled which relaxed his worries slightly. Apparently she was a Yamanaka, a bloodline which was traditionally associated with flowers. This now explained the garden entirely- she was a Yamanaka, of course she was going to take care of her garden. Her comment about healing made him laugh. "Whether withered plant or random stab wound by some punk," he added, taking his hand and placing it briefly over the non-existent scar where he'd been stabbed in the tussle before letting it drop to his side. He increased his pace to catch up to her and walk at her side after they passed through a gate.

Katzumi joked about her bloodline's utility in battle as they passed in to the forest, but Ayumu had to disagree. "Shinobi are like... machines. Doctors or medics are like mechanics. A Shinobi Medic is like a self-repairing machine that provides maintenance to other machines... if you ask me, that's pretty damn useful," he said as he matched his pace to hers and tried not to trip over any exposed roots in the forest floor. It was much darker under the canopy of the trees, but there was just enough light to keep the path illuminated enough to walk on. It wasn't as flashy to look at as the garden, but it was nice nonetheless. Few could boast they had a small forest on their property. Glancing over at Katzumi, Ayumu continued speaking.

"Without our mechanics, us machines would just fall in to disrepair and break down. We'd be pretty useless then," he said, offering a smile. Countless times he had been healed up after a mission by a Med-nin. He didn't even want to think about what shape he would be in now if all of his accumulated injuries went untreated. "Really, I'd be a mess," he said, shaking his head at the thought. As it was, he had a few light scars, but for the most part he didn't look like he had been in as many battles as he had.

"Although I guess machines and mechanics isn't the most brilliant metaphor. Not exactly glamorous," he said, adding a sheepish laugh to the end. Then again, shinobi life was not supposed to be glamorous. In his view, the metaphor was pretty accurate to the traditional shinobi. They were supposed to be tools, after all.

 

[Kokomo]

An analogy? Strange. Her mind worked to understand the quantum mechanics of her own blood, a tired smile gracing her face with understanding as he spoke. It was clear to her that Ayumu had a knack for making her feel... feel...

Wanted.

Perhaps that was the incorrect word for the situation, but, nonetheless, he gave her a different standing point of something as minuscule as her ability to heal the sick. It wasn't that impressive, considering she had been working her entire life with this blessing. Especially in comparison that she practically gave up the ability to fight as well as the next man in order to lick their wounds. Sometimes she thought that she'd be a more successful Shinobi had she decided to balance both of the abilities to be mediocre at both. Maybe then she wouldn't need a knight in shining armor to defend her against thugs.

Yet again, that knight did make good company in the end.

They walked through the woods, Katzumi having nothing to add to the sentence rather than a brief smile to show her appreciation for his kind words. Stepping through it as she came to a small clearing where, had the sun been shining, the grass and wild flowers would be blooming brightly. Instead, the wary moon kissed her pale skin with a light glimmer as she shifted to sit on the ground, leaning back until she way laying. Her blonde hair, in long golden locks, spread behind her like make-shift angel wings as she stared upwards, a sigh escaping her supple lips.

"I'm sorry, Ayumu," She said quietly, her caramel eyes reflecting the moon as she watched the stars, "I'm a pretty terrible entertainer," Especially when my mind is distracted. I'm having a terrible time focusing... "But I do hope you forgive me for it. I'll have to buy a croquet set, or something, to keep you busy," She laughed, thinking about the possibility.

[OOC: Running dry. Might have to throw a tiger in here. xDDD]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu languished in the silence follow his metaphor. Katzumi did smile, but Ayumu got the feeling it was one of those "just smile and nod" moments. He turned his head away slightly and scratched his head sheepishly. "That was a pretty lame analogy..." he whispered, mostly to himself as they continued walking and entered a clearing lit by the light of the moon. Katzumi sat down and then leaned back on to the ground, staring up at the sky and sighing. Ayumu sat down as well, his legs stretched out as he leaned back supporting himself on his arms. Katzumi suddenly apologized, catching Ayumu off guard as he blinked and looked at her in confusion. Apparently she was concerned that she was being a poor entertainer. He laughed at her suggestion of buying a croquet set for entertainment.

"I don't think I've ever known anybody that owned a croquet set. Don't worry though, I am entertained if only by the idea of me playing croquet..." he said in response, smirking at the thought. That was certainly not a sport that screamed "Ayumu" from his point of view. "Plus, I'm getting to see your property, which seems more like a park than anything," he said, looking around at all the trees and listening to the (hopefully) small critters rustling in the brush. He could hear an owl hooting, probably looking for those small critters himself. "You should consider charging admission," he added, jokingly for the most part although he supposed it was possible someone would pay to come and see the garden.

"I suppose I should probably head back home soon, though. I'm going to need some R&R after that last mission. Left me a bit sore," he said, rotating his shoulder a little. It was more so the travel than the actual infiltration part of the mission that wore him out. He was imagining his bed now, and it looked pretty good, even if it was a bit small. It was better than anything he had slept on in the past week for sure.

[OOC: Me too. That's okay, we can wrap it up and have another one some time if you want.]

 

[Kokomo]

She hadn't meant to come off rude. Katzumi had, as most women were unintentionally famous for doing, shot him down. In a way, she couldn't fix it. His head had bowed and he had mumbled to himself as he kicked himself while he was already down. Why did it matter to him what she thought of his analogy, anyways? It was a pure genius linguistic twist, and he should have taken it and ran with it. She was just some girl, after all.

"Croquet is easy." She informed him, trying to sound light hearted, as though to get away from the topic of her being a bad host, now that she had finally spat out a section of her thoughts. He didn't seem to mind that much, which was nice. Though his response was very much that of a man. Very blunt, and more joking than serious. Maybe it was for the better.

Ayumu brought up the idea of home, and Kat sat up, giving him a sort of...sad... look, before smiling again, standing, and giving him a brisk nod. "Oh, yes, I'm sorry. You have been traveling all day and night, I'm sure." She began to pull him hurriedly through the woods, her mind focusing on making sure he was able to get home and rest--a typical doctor, mind set. Or, simply, her caring about him. Depends on if you're romantic or not. Anyways: She pulled him through, hopping over roots and foliage before breaking out into her manicured lawn, giving him a brief smile.

Her skin reflecting the moonlight again. She was pale with a sprinkle of freckles and golden locks that framed her angular face. Her nose was small, and her eyes large and round. Her lips were soft and supple, as all feminine women's should be. A beautiful young woman.

"There," She said, slowing in front of her door step. Her eyes glistening slightly, "Did you leave anything inside? Or shall I bid you adieu?" A joke, sort of. "Rest well, Ayumu," Kat smiled, releasing his arm as she gave a slight bow before straightening out again, "I'm sorry for keeping you so late."

[OOC: Of course I want to do another! He's adorable! xD]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu's mention of going home seemed to remind Kat that it was late. She apologized to which he of course said, "It's fine, don't apologize. I just need a good night's sleep in my own bed." He hurried along behind her as she pulled him, matching her pace while making sure not to trip over anything in the dark. When she hopped over something, he simply followed suit and jumped as well hoping he would land on the other side of whatever obstacle she was avoiding. Soon they reached the lawn and slowed down briefly as she smiled at him.

They stopped in front of her door and she asked if he had anything remaining in the house. He thought about his clothing inside and looked at the robe he was still dressed in. "I'll be right back!" he said running inside and slipping momentarily out of his shoes to return to where his clothes remained, mostly dry now. He picked them up and quickly changed before returning to the front fully dressed where Katzumi remained. She gave him a slight bow and apologized for keeping him.

"Nah, you didn't keep me, I stayed," he reassured her with a smile. "Anyway, have a good night, Kat. I'll have to head out of the village soon, but hopefully I'll see you after," he said as he turned to walk away. He raised a hand to wave as he departed headed towards the Sileo for a good rest. He couldn't wait to slip under his sheets again.

[Topic Left]
[OoC: Sorry 'bout the delay, was out of town.]