Porcelain Girl [Open]

[Aori]

Today, a certain ninja wandered into the library in the academy once again. She didn't read much, but now that she finally had a little time on her hands, she felt like reading a good book for leisure. There weren't too many interesting pieces of literature she found interesting here in the library of Sunagakure. Most were about her ancient ancestors. It wasn't that is was boring, but really that she felt like she already knew all about her ancestors. Her parents would always tell stories about them to her as a child and when she became older, they would use their ancestors' honor to coerce Aori into strict obedience. So she decided that she wouldn't read about them until much later, when she felt that sense of familiar pride. All the way in the back of the library, she found it- the fiction section.
Aori unshelved a completely random book, flopped down on the floor in that same spot where she'd found it and began reading. She hadn't bothered to read the title and only saw it when she opened the book: "美しい白鳥姫の謎の殺人" Instantly, she regretted her choice, but she decided not to judge the book by its cover and continued to read. Besides, what has she got to lose?
Sitting there on the floor, propped up against the book shelf, dressed in nothing more than a black, skimpy dress that barely concealed her white panties and wearing her bear ANBU mask, she looked like a studious little girl for her size, but her clothes and mask revealed her to be much more mature than that. Anyone could very easily mistake her as a child with a lack of discipline. Subconsciously, Aori removed her ANBU mask from her face and placed it beside her on her left side so that only those approaching from the far end of the aisle she'd claimed her book would be able to see it. Now, she looked just as innocent as ever.

 

[Asagao]

The quiet solitude of the library, the peaceful way everyone went out their business in silence. There was never any commotion or large groups, loud noises or misbehaved children. It was always so perfectly calm in nature, like the sea after a wild storm. It was without question the best place in all of Sunagakure to relax and wind down after a hard days work, or even just when the outside world became to heavy on the mind.

Licking the tip of his right index finger, he would casually flip the page of the book he was reading, when out the corner of his eye the most unusual sight popped into his peripheral vision. A member of Anbu...here, at the Library?? He would think to himself. What a most interesting turn of events. Holding the book up with both hands, just below his eyes, he would secretly watch the shadowy figure move about the vacant alleyways of books, until they suddenly stopped. With his curiosity running wild, Asagao could not understand what a masked member of the corps was doing here of all places? They couldn't possibly be looking for him, he had served his debt to society and was now a free man - no, they had to be here all on their own, maybe doing research, perhaps?

Practically tipping out of his seat, he barely managed to catch himself when his chair began to wobble on its back legs as he leaned back. They removed their mask in public! Watching intently as she placed the animal shaped disguise down on the table; it looked to be the image of a bear. Following suit, he himself placed his book down on his table revealing himself, as well. Coughing a bit, as to try and get her attention, until she looked over in his direction; once they locked eyes, he would attempt to engage her in conversation.

"Do you think that is wise?" He would say in the most nonchalant voice he could muster, so as not to draw attention - yet his eyes would tell a different story, a much more concerned one. "Your mask has seemed to have been misplaced. I think it would be in your very best interest to hide it before anyone else sees you are a member of a certain group. I mean, you never know what kinda shady people are lurking about....even here in the library." He would smile kindly, attempting to break the tension, before introducing himself.

"I am Asagao....and don't worry, your secret his safe with me." He would smile again, though this time it was a completely honest, genuine grin.



[ ooc: Tsk, tsk....should neva take ya mask on if public! And Heya! Hope it's okay that I joined? =P ]

 

[Aori]

Aori barely noticed the light cough of a man sitting down at a table nearby. The book was too interesting, and it was only the first chapter! So far, the story is about a woman who is an excellent singer. All of her friends and neighbors envy her talent, but nonetheless revel in it. One day, a certain man hears her voice and he stops to listen for a while without her knowing. When he calls for her attention, the woman is kind to the man and he invites her to sing all over Japan under his management.
When the coughing persisted, she did peek around her book and saw a man looking in her direction.
"Do you think that is wise?"<i></i> his voice floated over to her. She couldn't be sure from her position whether or not the question was for her, so she watched him a bit longer, coaxing him with her eyes to verify. "Your mask has seemed to have been misplaced. I think it would be in your very best interest to hide it before anyone else sees you are a member of a certain group. I mean, you never know what kinda shady people are lurking about....even here in the library."<i></i>
Aori wanted to laugh. Not at the man, but at the idea he proposed. It's as if he wasn't even looking at her. But she judged him in the eyes and saw something there. It shined out through his polite behavior and stayed there even through the smile he offered her. Whatever the thing was, it dulled her desire to even smile back. He was a nice man, she decided, but she would hold on to that something she saw in his eyes until she could figure out what it was or until it was obvious she wouldn't need to. She stood, letting her dress fall to its mid-thigh length and walked over to the man with the suspicious eyes, her book in her right hand, her mask in her other.
He kindly introduced himself to her, "I am Asagao....and don't worry, your secret his safe with me," and smiled at her once more.
This time, Aori did laugh, a small giggle, however, so as not to offend Mr. Asagao. "You really think that I am in the ANBU? Close. It was my father's mask. He died in the line of duty. I wear it from time to time, just to feel as closely as I can to him," she lied. "But perhaps, if people would get the wrong idea about its purpose, I should leave it at home..." She pretended contemplation and humility, but gave a genuine gasp of realization, "Oh! I have not told you my name. I am Hanako. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Asagao." She placed her book on the table, face down so that she would not lose her place and reached her empty hand out for Asagao to shake. Hopefully, he mistook her for a child.

 

[Asagao]

Tilting his head to the side, a sly smirk would paint the corner of his mouth. "I see." He would reply, his eyes watching her carefully, he still had no idea what she was doing in the library. It seemed highly unlikely that somebody would wear an Anbu mask around town as a simple fashion statement; the number of dangers that could arise from such a thing seemed numerous, why would anybody take such unnecessary risks? If by chance she was actually telling the truth, and the mask truly was her fathers, well then hopefully she would be more cautious in the future: exposing one's identity could present serious problems if the wrong person were to catch a glimpse of who it was behind the disguise. It could have devastating effects on her family or the village as a whole.

Conceding to the fact that he had no proof if she was fibbing or not, Asagao decided to just let it go completely; it wasn't his problem after all, he didn't even know the girl. "Well, I apologize for the interruption then, Hanako-Chan. It was incredibly rude of me." His smile was once again honest and kind, as he returned her courteous introduction. "Please. Join me." His left hand would extend, gesturing to the seat opposite him, across the table. Bookmarking the last page he had read, he pushed the book off to the side and focused in on his new company. It had been a rather lonesome day up to this point, in fact this may have been the first person he had spoken to all afternoon.

"So, what brings you to the library?" He would ask, his curiosity was genuine. "It is not everyday someone as young as you steps foot within this building. Most kids tend to shy away, almost as if they would suddenly drop dead upon entrance." A light chuckle would escape his lips. "Me?" He would say, not giving much room for her to reply, or to ask any questions of her own. "I am quite fond of this Mother Suna character. Are you familiar with her work?" Asagao had actually discovered Mother Suna while in prison. With nothing to do but read or write, he often read about the legendary Suna figure to stay entertained.....though he would not consider himself a devout follower like some.

 

[Aori]

As far as she could tell, she had fooled the man into believing that she is a child and was not an ANBU. But what else could he want with her? She didn't mind entertaining him because he had really pretty eyes, even if they were suspicious. Gradually, Aori relaxed into the chair, put her elbows up on the table and placed her chin on top of her fingers. If he wanted to, he could steal a glance at her modest cleavage. Asagao started chatting, asking her questions and making jokes, but he didn't wait for an answer... well not to his first question. He then asked her about Mother Suna.
Of course, Aori had heard mentions of this person by her parents, but she didn't know much at all about her. Not enough to say that she is "familiar with her work." This time, she tried honesty with Asagao and offered up a question of her own, not wanting to steer the conversation in another direction, but being genuinely curious, "No, I can't say that I am familiar with her work. I have heard her name mentioned before... How... old are you?" She knew that the question seemed childish, which is why she had a slightly difficult time asking, but she is a child, as far as he knows, so she can be just as childish as she wants to be. Besides, for him to have taken such an ardent interest to someone Aori ruled out as ancient and boring, he must be older than she thought is initially.
Aori wondered then if she sounded childish enough. Is she speaking too coherently? Are her ideas too advanced? How incredibly self-conscious one becomes when they must keep up a facade. Maybe she should just tell him the truth. It isn't too late after all.

 

[Asagao]

Letting out a small laugh, his smile continued to grow until his perfect white teeth were visible and on display. The girl definitely had guts, he would have to give her that much. She didn't appear to be afraid of overstepping her boundaries and asking the important, yet slightly uncomfortable questions that most people would shy away from; this was always a quality Asagao truly admired in people, a quality he greatly wished he possessed himself. How nice would it be to be able to speak your mind, not having to constantly bite your tongue, afraid of what sort of ill-effect's your words might have on the other person? It is a freedom few people get to enjoy.

Remaining silent, Asagao would not immediately respond to her question, instead he would just casually take a moment to himself and observe her, soaking her in. His eyes would carefully trace over her pale white skin; it's color as smooth and soft as milk. Her body told a truth her words did not. This girl was not nearly as young as she pretended to be, there was a woman hiding underneath those clothes. The way her dress tightly hugged at her curving hips, and how her breasts pressed firmly up against her clothing, revealing such skin that would normally be hidden; he couldn't help but wonder what the rest of her looked like. His mind would gently drift astray and become clouded with erotic thoughts of her exposed body laying provocatively between some ruffled up bed sheets. The two of them would intertwine as they passionately advanced on one another, their hands delicately exploring each other's bodies, while their lips came together, interlocking, becoming a single pair.

Clearing his throat, he would quickly shake the seductive images from his mind and finally produce his overdue response. "I am..in my 20's." He would say, his answer being truthful, yet incredibly vague at the same time. He wasn't exactly sure WHY he had chosen to answer the way he did. It was unclear whether or not he was withholding his exact age due to him not trusting her, or because he felt embarrassed that he had just been entertaining the idea of taking this girl who was obviously much younger than he was. Nevertheless, he would continue to keep the specific details to himself for now.

"And how old are you?" He would question, his colorful eyes would meet hers; he would fall asleep in her deep green iris, only to be awaken the moment she blinked. He had serious doubts that she would answer honestly, so he was using this opportunity as a test. Hopefully she would tell the truth and drop her current charade. It wasn't too late after all, to come clean and start anew.

 

[Aori]

Aori's innocent question made Mr. Asagao laugh, but he didn't answer her just then. Did he know that he was gawking at her? She wanted to watch his eyes to see just what he was looking at, but instinctively, she shied away from his gaze. Maybe the jig is up. Maybe he didn't buy her story for one minute. To gawk at her like that, when she'd lead him to believe she was merely a child... She wouldn't know the consequences of her foolish question until Asagao finally cleared his throat and answered her with a vague, </I><I>"I am..in my 20's." The time between the question and the answer seemed like years, so Aori wasn't very satisfied with his response.
Nonetheless, she is a child. Well, maybe she isn't anymore. It would be absolutely horrible for her to keep up this ruse and possibly make Mr. Asagao feel horrible inside, thinking he was wrong about her adolescence when he isn't. If he is "in his 20's," then at most, he could be 13 years older than her. Or he could be 4 years older than her. Depending on where his true age lies within that range, he has the right to be interested... or at least intrigued.
Aori is conceited inside her own head- her parents spent almost a whole decade blowing it up. She knew that she was not very curvy, only the delicate curves of womanhood rest on her hips and legs and a humble bust. Perhaps it was by sheer will that she did not allow herself to grow too curvaceous. Her life would have over then, she presumed, men all across the nation wanting to court her. Then again, that is just how conceited she is. It's not really her fault. Her parents had given her no notion that she should be modest with herself because she was too busy being modest for everyone else.
She knew that Asagao's intrigue was her fault too. The dress she had on wasn't very modest at all. She didn't like to dress heavily, however, and miss out on feeling the air on her white skin. "And how old are you?" he asked her. It felt like a test that she wasn't prepared for. Well, now is the time to answer with the truth since she hadn't really considered which other age she could pass for.
Aori put her hands down, but sat back in her chair, parading her body before this man like her parents taught her she should and answered, "I'm 17," then she waited for his response. Shock? Surprise? Betrayal? She did not reveal excitement in her face, but her blood was pumping quickly through her veins. Aori simply watched the man's dual-colored eyes, waiting for his reaction.

 

[Asagao]

Watching intently as she leaned back in her chair, Aori would flaunt her body in such a way, that Asagao would have to restrain himself from acting on impulse. His eyes would hunger for the girl as she teased him, and if they had not been in a public facility, there is no telling what he may have done. He wanted to cast the books aside throwing them to the floor in dramatic fashion, sweeping them off of the tabletop with a swift thrust of his arms. He would reach across the table and take hold of her, embracing her in his arms just as he had done in his fantasy.

Once again, snapping back to reality, the crushing realization of her actual age sent a mighty blow to his lust filled heart. She was indeed much older than she had been pretending to be, yet at the same time much younger than he had been expecting. The longing in his eyes would reside a bit, as his primal urges retreated. He had, in fact, been her exact age when he was first sentenced and sent to the Obsidian Palace. Ten years of his life had been stolen, locked away, shackled to the shadows of his isolated cell. He could still remember the deep feelings of loneliness that would overwhelm him some nights as he lay awake in his bed: he would have given anything to have a conversation like the one he was having now, especially with a girl as beautiful as Aori. So why should something as trivial as age prevent them from being close?

"I see. Well, there does seem to be somewhat of a gap between us." He smiled calmly, the words floated out of his mouth easily, like the wings of a butterfly riding a sweet summer breeze. He had noticed that she had continued to subtly flirt with him, even after having learned he was over twenty. It would seem that the possibility of even a thirteen year age difference was not enough to fully push her away. As the hunger returned to his eyes, he would gracefully lean forward in his chair, the sultry images of earlier provoking him to act. With the thoughts of having her skin pressed up against his, the warmth of her breath on his chest, the feeling of running his hands through her fiery red hair - he would fight these emotions and do something more......unexpected.

"I was curious. Would you like to accompany me for a bite to eat, later tonight?" He would smile, his eyes studying hers, as he anxiously awaited her reaction. He had enjoyed her company and didn't want for it to end. But a Library was no place to build a friendship..or more. A date at a restaurant would be much more suitable, a much more intimate atmosphere where they could continue to get to know one another.

 

[Aori]

"I see. Well, there does seem to be somewhat of a gap between us."
Asagao spoke the words effortlessly, but she gave them more weight than his composure did. Why did it matter that there was a gap between them anyway? It's not like he'd just asked for her hand in marriage. Somewhat of a gap? What did that mean? He made it sound like a small gap- 4 or 5 years. When Aori told this man her true age, his eyes gave way to shock and mild disappointment. This was no small gap between them. Looking into his eyes still, she also noticed that he was gawking at her again. When his eyes came back to the present, he leaned forward in his chair, poised like a primitive creature, waiting to strike.
She found herself suddenly short of breath, heart still pounding. Never had she imagined that being wanted could be so intoxicating. Her parents made it seem like taboo to be beautiful and so she never enjoyed it properly. Asagao's gaze was so... bold, so daring and reckless. Maybe he didn't know it. Maybe he didn't know that she knew what he was thinking about. And never had she thought those things, let alone engaged in them. She tried to imagine it, but couldn't. The images were censored by a red fog. Feeling herself in reality once more, she realized that she was blushing, bright and hot. Her skin had transformed into a pink tint all over like that of a newborn infant.
Aori found Asagao's eyes again and remembered that they concealed something suspicious. But the same thing that had looked suspicious to her before she'd truly interacted with him now looked carnal, like that of a man wanting to take her in bed. This was too much for the poor little girl, she was very close to having a mental breakdown.</I><I>
"I was curious. Would you like to accompany me for a bite to eat, later tonight?" This question made all of her fantasies and hypotheses come to life. He never had spoken a word that would have given away his inward desires until just now. Aori almost fainted from the pressure of his request. Of course she could not go with him to dinner.
"You... you were supposed to be telling me about Mother Suna," she breathed in a whisper. Her voice was gone from her, trapped behind a hot lump pressed against her throat. She didn't want him to think that she was rejecting him. In truth, she was not rejecting him. She was rejecting herself, but she found she couldn't speak anymore. Her throat was on fire and her face was too. He'd made her imagine what it might be like to have sex and so her inner child was revolting. When she vowed to herself that she'd never let a man pursue her, she never once imagined that being with a man involved such activities. Her body had forgotten about that. Before the age of 17, she never had a reason to. That's why she's so reckless and flirtatious with her body- she forgot that there were physical consequences for behaving in such manners.
Aori looked at the table now. She found that she could not hold onto Asagao's eyes anymore.

 

[Asagao]

As her eyes nervously shied away from his, the tender moment shared between the two of them was suddenly broken. Her face, which was normally the pale shade of moonlight, was now a bright summer's sky, burning with embarrassment. He had caused her to feel uncomfortable; not on purpose I mind you, it's just that it had been so very long since he had interacted with another person, especially a beautiful young lady such as Aori.

Reaching across the table, his right hand would find hers and caress it gently. Her soft skin felt untouched by the rough world, perfect in texture, like silk. Her cautious eyes would no longer look at him, staring off in every direction but his. Her sweet face now as red as her lips were; yet all that really did was add a soft rosy tint to her flawless complexion. "Please, forgive me. I did not mean to make you feel uncomfortable." Asagao said, his fingers still softly stroking the back of her hand. "I just really enjoyed speaking with you," He smiled, which was becoming a recurring theme with him; Aori seemed to have that effect on him, obviously. "I did not want it to end. I figured it would give us a better chance to get to know one another, as a library is not really a suitable place to talk." Which was actually true, a library was not a place to casually converse with others. It was a facility with the sole purpose of providing a quiet atmosphere to study, learn, or read in private...not chat and build friendships.

Looking over at the history book he had been reading prior to Aori joining him, he thought about what she had said. He had been researching up on Mother Suna, yet that no longer held any bit of his fleeting attention. The old stories of yesteryear just seemed so ancient and boring all of a sudden. Compared to the girl across from him, Mother Suna was a decrepit old woman, who was more myth than real at this point. Standing up, he would gracefully lean over the table and delicately plant a kiss on her hand. His lips greeting the back of her palm as he lifted it up closer to him, so he could reach it.

"I will be staying at the Toraono Dojo. If you ever require my assistance, you can find me there. Or if you are ever interested in joining me for dinner, my offer still stands." Once again he smiled as he looked at her; though this time it was not with a purely sexual hunger, but one with a more sincere affection behind it. He had witnessed Aori's more vulnerable side, and now not only desired her body....but her heart as well. "I hope you will reconsider." He whispered, finally lifting his head and pulling his lips away.

"Farewell, Aori-San." And with that, he would push in his seat in and leave the table, exiting the library to head home.

[Topic Left: Unless stopped]

{ ooc: If you want to continue and turn this into a character arc, just pm me and we can continue to build something. Otherwise, it was fun rp'ing with you. =)

Oh, and thank you for being so patient with me. The Holiday's have been crazy! :3 }