--the heat. [p, tenkai]

[notryu]

The sand never really bothered the shinobi, being made of it, it was just a normal thing. Not many people knew of his heritage, however, and he hoped to keep it that way. Stepping out of his apartment onto the front porch, which was really more of a step, he sat and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his shorts pocket. Guarding the tip from the wind, he lit the end with a good inhale, pausing briefly before releasing a puff of smokek from his lips and surveying the surroundings.

He lived fairly in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the main are of Sunagakure, a small apartment attached to a local grocery store. He enjoyed sitting around and people-watching. There were a lot of people out today, the weather was nice for the desert, still hot as fuck, but there was an alright breeze once in a while. He took another drag as he looked to his right, catching sight of one of his regular visitors, a small, faded tabby cat he had named Roo.

"Hey, Roo-Roo."

He lowered his hand onto the top of the cat's head as it pressed it's face against his fingers. He gave the feline a good scratch behind the ears before returning his gaze onto the street before him, taking note of any interesting persons that should happen to pass. Roo took a comfy seat on top of the shinobi's feet. Ryu didn't mind at all. He did, however, be sure not to flick ash onto the poor cat. That would be unfortunate.

[Tenkai [m]]

{ Enter, Tenkai }

”It’s too beautiful outside to be staying indoors…”

The young blond was feeling relentless staying indoors on a day where the temperature easily reached over one-hundred degrees Fahrenheit. His dress shirt was unbuttoned all of the way down to mid chest-level, and his white sleeves were cuffed up halfway up his arms. On days like this, he would normally prefer to not wear a shirt at all, but seeing as he was about to take a stroll through the village, he decided he might as well look fashionable decent while doing so.

Hazel eyes would scan the street, observing the lazy old woman sitting on her porch fanning herself with her hand, and even the man trying to sell watermelons and other fruits at a local fruit stand. Sunagakure was truly something else. The rays from the sun began to shine more viciously, almost blinding Tenkai’s sight until he had no choice but to put his shades on. He looked like a real authoritative specimen marching along the street. His fingers never missed a beat on his side as he was whistling a rather common tune.

Even though he felt a bit relieved to be outdoors on a day like this, despite the uncomfortable heat from the sun, there was still something amiss. He was not sure what it was, but something was bothering him, and anytime he felt stressed out, there was only one thing he really wanted to do. ’Hm?’ Noses flaring, mouth drooling, and eyes searching—Tenkai’s brain began to lust for his remedy, cigarettes. The smell, the oh-too familiar scent of burning was too haunting to him. He knew that someone nearby was smoking, and he surely wanted a drag.

There, to his right, Tenkai had spotted the culprit. He noticed a darker haired man resting on his steps, petting a feline that also rested at his feet. What a precious sight. Not everyone was as generous as others when it came to nicotine, but maybe today he would be in luck. He had approached the man sitting down and would casually stand there, un-phased by the awkward encounter of not knowing each other. ” Yo. Can I have a smoke?” He was not one to use words such as, “please” or “thank you,” so he had hoped that this man was not going to hassle me about it. His tone was pretty direct, but also friendly. They were all family technically, right?

[notryu]

The shade from the small covering from his doorway was enough to keep the sun from his eyes, allowing him to watch comfortable the bustle around him. Roo sitting on his feet was an easy thing to deal with, although his warmth was beginning to make Ryu's feet sweat, which wasn't exactly good...

With another drag, he noticed a male approaching him. A not-too-shabby lookin' one at that. He watched the man walk up to him, releasing a cloud of smoke as he walked up, requesting a cigarette.

"Yeah, sure. I know it sucks having to bum them."

Leaving the cigarette to rest between his lips, he reached into each pocket, removing both a box of cigarettes and a lighter. He held them out towards his new acquaintance. He'd wait patiently for them to be returned, and after, he'd take another drag, beginning to speak while smoke rolled off his tongue.

"So, I'm Ryu. Don't believe we've met."

Truth was, he didn't really have any friends, and hey, might as well meet one that has at least one common interest, right? They already shared at least one thing.

[Tenkai [m]]

To his surprise, the man was actually quite generous with his items. He responded in rather non-chalaunt manner. "Yeah, sure. I know it sucks having to bum them." Tenkai began to smile a bit at his statement, realizing the truth in it. Though he would never openly beg, or even lower his class by asking for someone else’s assistance when it was not needed, Tenkai could however relate to what the man had just stated.

This was actually the first time Tenkai had even asked a complete stranger for something, and he was almost certain that he was going to get what he wanted as well. The kind man held out a pack of cigarettes for him to take one, and he was also so kind enough to let him use his lighter. He took the box and removed a single cigarette from it. Handing the guy his box back, he would then light the deathtrap and begin to take a puff.

Boy did that feel good…taking my own life away, yes! He handed him back his lighter and curiously looked at the guy’s pet cat. Eh, so your name is Ryu, but what is the little fellow’s name? My name is Tenkai.” He placed his left hand in his pocket, keeping the cigarette in between his fingers on his right hand. He stood there, enjoying his free gift and relaxing in the warmth of the sun; he was a cool cat.

[notryu]

This stranger, well, not so much a stranger anymore, seemed like an alright guy in Ryu's book. Friendly enough so far, and a human male companion wouldn't be so bad. He felt comfortable with the person already, instantly. Maybe it was that they were already sharing a cigarette together, who knows. Could be anything. Destiny, for the fool-hearted.

The guy noticed Ryu's cat. Well, not really his cat. The stray who had claimed him as his human. At the mention of it's name, he reached down to give the cat a pet.

"This is Roo. Roo-roo is what I call him; I'm a fan of pet names, but me and Roo are more than friends, so you can't call him that yet."

He smiled up at the blonde before him and gave a wink before standing, much to Roo's dismay, and stretching out his right hand in offering.

"Nice to meet you, Tenkai."

The cat seemed to take a liking to Tenkai and brushed against his ankle in a friendly manner. Ryu noticed.

"Well, I trust his judgement. You must be cool. Wanna come in? I was gonna make food after my smoke. Starving."