It's *Not* My Pleasure. [p]

[Estilo]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true] PIROUETTING IN HER GRIN. It was strange, the circumstances under which we had met, the events following our not so detailed introductions. But nothing really needed to be said verbally, did it? Formal introductions were so boring and tedious anyways. And masquerading under the façade of someone people thought I was proved to be a disheartening endeavor. We needed to be more honest with each other, as people, as fellow human beings. One could never truly understand the human heart, of course. But the whole meaning and benefit of actually giving it a try was all that mattered. To show that we actually gave a damn about each other, despite the majority of us being complete strangers. The war hadn't just killed men, you see. It had poisoned the humility in the world. It was slowly killing the morals that made us human, that set us apart from impulse-driven animals. This vast nihilism breached our confidence in one another gradually every day, spare this moment here. I was temporarily held spellbound with my thoughts, my gaze stuck to the floor- until I felt the light weight of her frame lean against my left side. The close familiarity that seemed to have flooded the room from her gesture had caught me off guard, as I had not been expecting her to approach me in that manner- to truly know that I understood, and was only here to support. But the act had planted a warm feeling in my chest, and I could not say I was vexed by her sudden movement, nor the verity that she had chosen to sit beside me at a more intimate distance. I was, in fact, comforted by it- enough so to embrace her with a single arm, extending it across her back then around her slim waist to give her access to the repose of my shoulder. It didn't matter that we were in the dank locker room of some scandalous club, or that I had a whole posse of friends awaiting me out in the fervor of that setting. I tugged her in as close as she wanted to go, and dipped my head gently towards hers. A pleasant fragrance coming from her silky blonde hair. Sitting on that somewhat narrow bench, I felt like the only thing keeping me balanced and upright was her. I had yet to know her name, but that could wait until later. What was worrying me at the moment was the reason for her previous sorrow. And though it was seemingly nonexistent now, as far as I knew, it wasn't something I thought she should ignore. Nor something I felt she had to face on her own. I could help- despite lacking the knowledge of how I would, exactly. But whether she opened up to my help, for this instance- at the very least- was all up to her. My willingness to embrace her in such a vulnerable manner would hopefully tell her that I was up for keeping her comforted for as long as she wanted tonight. I was in no hurry, nor was I troubled with the expectations of those outside this room, namely my skull-headed mates. Her hand touched my upper-thigh, and I turned to look into her blue-eyed gaze. She was beautiful, a beguiling young woman indeed. Initially, I could not fathom the reason behind her fit of depression. A beauty like her, I've seen plenty live out their lives in an endless amount of happiness and streaks of celebratory joys. But then again, that seemed like another stereotype I was sure she would rather not hear mentioned. Just like me, just like the character I had to play to live up to the people's expectations for a Raikage. I stared into her crystalline cobalt pools, a tentative smile. Raising my gloved right hand, I swiped off a single glistening tear from the surface of her smooth left cheek, gently removing the salty teardrop with the back of my two foremost fingers. 'And the smile that is worth the praises of earth, is the smile that shines through tears.' I'd heard that from someone, but I couldn't remember who. "I came here looking to escape, you know." I started abruptly, a smooth silky tone escaping my vocals. "From being someone I wasn't, someone other people wanted me to be. I came here to live out my last night as me." I held her close yet, my solemn gaze turning upwards at the ceiling pensively. "I guess, in a way, I'm doing that now." made by renni

[atrb=valign,top] silver like tin. silver like tin. silver like tin. silver like tin.

[¤ Tenkai ¤]

'Damn it.. The moment his gloved hand reached for my face, I could not help but release a soft moan in anticipation of his movements. I was somewhat startled, still a bit on-edge. Despite the rather loud music being drowned out by the walls of the locker-room, my soft shocking grunt was clearly audible to anyone present in the room. My dull eyes that were once glued to his dreamy eyes, hastily closed as his hand was reaching towards my face. It appeared as though my emotions were still intensified from the liquor I had consumed earlier, and I was unaware of what he was planning to do to me. I had thought he was attempting to grab my face, however, to my surprise he instead brushed off a single teardrop. ’Uhh.’ It was a thoughtful gesture, one that I could not ignore so easily. I had to let my guard down if I ever wanted us to get closer to one another.

’Closer.’ “I came here looking to escape, you know.” The abrupt tone of a more masculine, yet endearing voice was pleasant to my ears. His words left me wondering though, just what exactly could this man want to escape? Most people that went to the clubs went to release their stress, it was a natural occurrence. However, was he a dangerous man? The truth was—I did not know much about Atlas, but clearly there was more to him than he was telling me. The same could be said for me as well. Here I was, a young, seventeen year old lady working as a dancer/bartender in a club. Who knows what my story could be, and at that—I was almost taken advantaged of earlier that night. He was probably wondering how often something like that happens to me; never. I hated to explain myself to other people, or try to get them to understand what I’ve been through, because the fact of the matter was I was handling my life the way I wanted to. I did not complain about my life once to people, nor ask for their pity. I just live my life, and I did not want him to think I was weak or hurting badly, even though deep down I truly was.

’Last night as me?’ I had no idea what he was talking about, but I could somewhat understand what he was saying, or at least relate to his words. Tonight was the last night that I would be working as a bartender and begin my destined life to be a shinobi in Kumogakure, even though I had been procrastinating fulfilling my genin duties. I was not comfortable enough to tell him all of that just yet, though. I still felt as though there was something separating us, despite the fact that we were so close to each physically. I was almost so sure he wanted to hear more about me and my problems, but I just could not find it within me to go into detail about them. Instead, I was more focused on him, just exactly who was he anyways? I thought it would have been nice if I gave him a little something though, a piece of information about myself that would hopefully make him able to connect to my heart—the real part of me. ”My name is Hayline.”

My voice was rather bland, and almost unconvincing at that. Was my name really Hayline? I sounded as if I did not even recognize my own name for some bizarre reason. ”Again, thank you for your help earlier, but if you want to know the truth...I would have been fine.” I turned to him with a smirk upon my face. I hated telling strangers about my abilities, but I suppose he had a right to learn a little bit more about me. ”I’m, a Kumogakure shinobi.” I waited to see what he would say, probably curious as to why a shinobi of Kumo was working at a local club, but things happen. I did not really know what else to say, I was still a bit weary headed. ”How about yourself, who are you?” I had hoped that he would tell me more about him and his story...

[Estilo]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true] PIROUETTING IN HER GRIN. She would have been fine. I had no trouble believing her, as even now, an aura of what could be perceived as confidence radiated from her words when she stated she was a Kumogakure shinobi. Her smile- well, more of a smirk- laid to rest most of the worry I had strangely developed for this would-be stranger- Hayline. What an interesting name, so verbally appealing, especial. A sense of warmth washed over me, glad she had at last given me her name. Not that I wouldn't have remembered her face without it, but it was nice- to know a person on a first-name basis and not have to wonder who they were to a certain extent. If she had kept her name from me, I would have almost certainly felt a sense of trepidation, but with it having been given, I felt myself relax a bit more. The fact that Hayline was a Kumogakure shinobi definitely contributed to the surprise of knowing she worked at a club like this, as I found it hard imagining how one could evenly balance the two professions. But during times like this- where rebuilding efforts where still going strong since the dawn of the Great Flash- I understood why a shinobi might want to get another job on the side. Not only did it bring in more pay, but it gave said shinobi a break from the dire straits of their job as a soldier of their country. That was the way I felt about teaching at the Academy, at least. Now that Hayline had decided to quit this particular trade, I found myself wondering what she was going through, and whether she had decided to turn the majority of her attention to her occupation as a ninja. Sitting this close to her, the warmth of our bodies emanating between each other, I realized that the scene might look a bit inappropriate for others. The Raikage, presumably taking advantage of one of his subordinates. But that wasn't true at all. I was approaching her as the real me, not the commanding officer or leader of the village. The qualms, however- despite my own assurances- continued to flow through my mind. That was just the reason I had come here for, to shed the façade I thought I would have to wear for the rest of my life in office. But I just couldn't seem to shake it off. Even sitting here, on the bench, beside this blue-eyed belle. I almost felt like I wasn't supposed to be here- guilty that I had come in unannounced expecting to solve all of her personal problems when, as Raikage, I presumably needed to show more discipline and respect for others. But it wasn't the Raikage half of me that had brought me here in the first place, was it? So in a way, it had no part to play here. Keeping up appearances, however, kept pushing me into behaving that way- to close myself up and act what others saw as professional. It was a bit frustrating to be honest, and I had trouble imagining how long I could stand it in order to ensure the safety of my cloudy home. When she asked me who I was, I mentally recoiled. I was not sure whether I should inform her on my status as the Nidaime Raikage or not. Often times, it proved to create a social gap in relationships- both new and old. But if I wanted to prove that I was an honest person, I would need to begin to do so from the start. No secrets, nothing withheld. Glancing down at her with my deep green gaze, a smile creased along the edge of my mouth. I supposed she had a right to know, after lending me her trust. I would trust her in return. I felt like I needed to. "I'm... a shinobi, too." I answered, tentatively getting to my point. "Well, actually... Hayline... I'm the new Raikage." Before she could reply, I shifted my gaze to the wall across from us, continuing thereafter. "I hope that doesn't... change anything. I'm not that person here... not now." I closed my eyes pensively, rubbing the bridge of my nose with my unoccupied right hand. "That's what I came here to escape from, you see. Since tomorrow's the day I get inaugurated."

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made by renni

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[td][atrb=valign,top]

silver like tin.

silver like tin.

silver like tin.

silver like tin.

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[¤ Tenkai ¤]

"I'm... a shinobi, too." Normally, it was considered ignorant to make assumptions based on a perceptional view, however from the actions that Atlas did earlier that night made me believe that he was a shinobi. I mean, I had never seen such a big guy get knocked out so fast and easily without a commotion prior to it. But, for some reason, he was able to completely subdue this man without much effort, and it all happened way too casually. His movements were too controlled, precise, and effective in such a crowded environment. It made me a bit weary that he was also a ninja in Kumogakure, but for some reason, I was even more drawn to him. Though he and I might have two different lifestyles, we both had something in common. I was not sure if his friends that remained with the dancers in the club were also ninja, but it was comforting to know that they liked to have a social life as well as remain on duty for Kumogakure. Maybe the truth was, all I needed were friends. Ever since I graduated at the academy, all of my “friends” sort of drifted away and did their own thing, whereas I was left alone.

I was not placed on a shinobi team, and I did not have any real close friends from the academy except for one person. She moved away right after graduation to another town in Kaminari, so there were not many chances for us to see each other. But everything started changing as of late, and now I was luckily enough to meet Atlas, a fellow comrade. I snuggled onto his body even more. I was feeling relieved to know that he trusted me enough to tell me that he was a shinobi too, and he did not seem to judge me for my side-profession as a local bartender. Not many people were accepting of me working at the club and “exploiting” myself, as some people would say, (even though that is not the case), but this man did not seem bothered by it in the least. Though this was not exactly how I planned for my last night working in this bar would have gone, so far I was thoroughly enjoying myself. That was until his diamond words melted into some ice. “Well, actually... Hayline... I'm the new Raikage." What…what? The new what?! Raikage… My mind was absolutely shattered. The drinks, that larger man, us in the locker-room…it was strenuous trying to acknowledge his status as the Raikage!

If it were any other rank, it would have been easier to make a connection with him, even as just a friend to go to for advice or hang out with, but the Raikage? I had just left my old life In hopes of becoming active in my new life as a fully dedicated kunoichi, and here I was at one of my worst in front of my new leader. My arms weak from the news that I had just heard, lost its grip from his side and began to withdraw back to my side as I took some time to recognize this man. Tiny hands slipped into my lap as I turned my head slightly to the left, staring at the ground and remembering how the Shodaime Raikage was just outside of this room. So that’s why he was pleased to meet the Shodaime Raikage…but, clearly he is here with me now. But why?’ I undoubtedly was hit hard by his announcement, but I remained silent, absolutely still on the wooden bench. The night was almost over, and maybe it was for the best because it had been a long day. "I hope that doesn't... change anything. I'm not that person here... not now."

His voiced sounded emphatic, almost as if he was worried about informing me of his status. I guess it was not easy telling someone that you are the Kage of a village, especially if they are your subordinate. Of course, my thoughts were selfish as ever and I could not fathom the fact that this man here would soon be assigning me on missions and tasks to do within the village. He would be putting on a front in plain view of others as this great leader, when in fact, I know that there is more to him than that. It was not the real him, he was just putting on an act. It was all too confusing. I saw the ‘friends” he associates himself with as “Atlas,” and I now know that he went to the club to relieve his once exciting life before he has to take on the duty as Raikage. Since Shouta had stepped down, I suppose that he is able to now pursue his old life. The foreshadowing that was occurring between the two Raikages was just too blatant for me to ignore, but of course I would not say of this to him. They were just my own thoughts on the situation, and besides; he could say the very same thing about me. We were more alike than I had originally thought. It was not a good or bad thing necessarily, but just the observations that I was drawing between us two from all that had happened throughout the night thus far.

”Oh, well congratulations then, Atlas.” My voice sort of trailed off…I still was not sure how to react fully, and I was almost certain that he would pick up on it as well—but it could not be helped. ”Maybe I’ll see you again during a celebration on your new position?” It was still a bit awkward for me, but now that I had found out more about it, the more I began to question everything around me. In all honesty, maybe I just felt dumb for actually, possibly, falling for someone that I did not even know so well. I mean, what if he thought I was like to that everyone? What if he viewed me as some hideous being? I never wanted people to see any weakness of mine, and now my leader saw mine. I was a hopeless romantic. It would be my luck that I would be charmed to the next Raikage, and now I was in an awkward predicament. Hopefully on my part, he had not caught on, I mean, I could just be a very friendly person. I was in fact open to meeting people all of the time, but now that I knew he was the Raikage, and he knew that I was his shinobi, things would change between us, even though I did not want them to. If he was truly a great man in charge, he would know just want to say and do to make everything alright, right?

[Estilo]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420,true] PIROUETTING IN HER GRIN. Seeing her slip away almost made me wince. All signs pointed to me having made the wrong decision- maybe I should have waited longer to tell admit my status as the new Raikage? But then again, I would not have known how she would have reacted to me then. Would she have felt offended for not having told her after an extended period of time? And how did I know our currently newborn relationship would even go that far to begin with? Everything was currently up in the air. For the first time in a long time, I felt reclusive- not particularly willing to continue on with this discussion. A sudden feeling of mortification, pity and regret spawned within me. Mortified that I had gone that far, pitying the fact that I admitted to using a façade as 'Raikage', and regretting having caused that reaction from her. It was blatantly obvious she did not know how to react to this bombshell of information. I didn't even turn to gaze at her when she moved back to the other side of the bench, simply moved my gaze from the blank wall down to the tiled floor where it remained. A nonchalant expression crossed my face. I leaned forward on my seat, my elbows returning to their previous position, balancing on the balls of my knees while my gloved hands hung loosely at the end of my arms. She gave me her congratulations but... it didn't really mean anything, did it? Not to me. There was nothing for me to celebrate about right now. As far as my friends- and Hayline, as it seemed- were concerned, I was wrong. But I still hadn't figured myself out, I still hadn't come to a solution that would allow me to live my own life whilst happily maintaining a strong presence as Kumogakure's guardian. The prospect of the upcoming celebration seemed daunting considering the fact that I was currently going through these troubles with hardly anyone to turn to. When she had mentioned the event, I simply cracked a weary smile. "Yeah... maybe I'll see you there." I answered, my emerald optics glued to the floor. Maybe. Maybe I wouldn't even go through with being inaugurated. While it seemed like the coward's way out, the idea of essentially having your life stripped away from you was often incentive enough to get you thinking of escape plans. Even in the crowds that walked throughout Kumogakure... I always felt so alone. Though I never shared any of these feelings, it was embarrassing nonetheless. To be surrounded by those of your own species... and then feel so distant and detached. Would no one understand? Would no one help? Stupid. I was being incredibly stupid. I was supposed to be strong, resilient, and confident. The people's choice as the new Raikage. How could I fail my own people with such uncalled for and irrational thoughts? I finally mustered up the will to turn towards Hayline, the unmasked side of my face glancing at her with my exposed viridian green eye. My expression was the epitome of repentance, but with a light-hearted smile. "I... I suppose I was grasping at straws when I said I hoped it wouldn't 'change anything'. It changes everything, and I'm sorry if you feel like I deluded you in some manner. I can't even begin to wonder what you might think of me, the kind of person that I am. I just thought- well... I just wanted to get to know you. Maybe... help in some way? Sounds childish, I know, and I'm... sorry." made by renni

[atrb=valign,top] silver like tin. silver like tin. silver like tin. silver like tin.

[¤ Tenkai ¤]

”Don’t apologize, my lord. You cannot help who you are. It’s a lovely position that you’ve obtained. It’s an honor to meet you, despite our current circumstances.” I felt guilty, the pits of my stomach eroding itself and causing me to feel nothing but emptiness inside. I did not want to just leave on such a gruesome note, so I decided to stay put and perhaps work things out. The night was still young. My head turned to face him, even if he decided to keep his eyes fixated on the floor. I could only assume that he was older than me, more experienced than me and far more mature than I was, so maybe just talking things out between us would do some good. ”So you want to get to know me, is that it?” The tone of my voice sounded cynical, almost as if I was challenging his motives. I was thoroughly enjoying prying into his mind and delving more into the depths of the Raikage’s mind. I know it was strange, maybe even weird of me to like awkward confrontations, but it was these times that you showed your true personality. If he really wanted to learn more about me then this was his chance. Otherwise, he was just saying what he thought I wanted to hear.

”I won’t go into too much detail so I’ll save you the boredom, but I’m not your usual clean-cut shinobi. I’m too sporadic to be labeled as such a boring person. I’m random, and I change my mood more than you stare at the floor.” I began to giggle at my own joke of the observation I made of him. I truly meant no harm, but I was a complex person to try to understand. I was not a bi-polar person by any means, however, I was a very moody individual regardless. I never really took any one thing seriously for too long, and likewise for any other emotion that I may begin to feel. ”You’re a nice guy, and I’ve enjoyed your company thus far, but I’m not sure if you can handle someone like me. You say to want to help, but do you really want to, can you handle all of me?” It was such a weird question to ask someone, but what is the point in getting really close to someone, only to have them leave you after a few weeks. It had happened far too often in my life for me to even bother making that connection to someone who might not even be able to put up with my full personality.

I curiously wondered just exactly what he was going to do next or even say. Was he going to just let it go and leave? Was he going to actually try to understand me? Was he going to tell me more about himself? Luckily for me, despite all of the problems that I held deep down inside, all of the let-downs and heartbreaks that I had, somehow, I still managed to remain such a strong, confident person. No one would ever be able to break my spirit, and that’s mainly because of the fact that I would never let someone close enough to hurt me. A lot of my friends told me that if I ever wanted to ‘get better,’ I would have to let people close enough to me again and just move on. No matter how easy they made it seem, I just could not bring it to myself to trust people again. ”Do you want to know the truth, Atlas?” My voice sounded sweet, quickly breaking the silence of the otherwise empty locker-room. I was back to my normal, good natured-self. ”The fact that you told me that you are the Raikage actually did not change much between us.”

A smirked appeared across my face, grinning at the weird twists and misconceptions that were occurring all throughout the night. It seemed like only a moment ago I was distressed by the news that he told me, and I know I am informing him that it actually meant little to me. So what the hell was going on then? I have this bad habit of ‘testing’ people. I started to think back on how all of this happened, and why I tend to manipulate peoples’ feelings and emotions until I can trust them. I guess everyone had something to hide, and unless they were just as open and honest as I was, then there would be no point for me to even conduct a conversation with them even further. It was pretty harsh, but I did not need friends, I did not need a team. I am completely independent, and I choose to do whatever the hell I want to. “I make mistakes often, and at times I can be out of control and hard to handle. But If you can handle me at my worst, then you’ll see me at my best.” It was pretty obvious that I could be a fun, spontaneous, charming person overall—but friendship takes time to build, at least a lasting one did. Which type did Atlas and I have? What kind did he even want?

[¤ Tenkai ¤]

”Well, good luck with that Raikage stuff! I’m gone.”

The blond child would collect her belongings from the locker room and prepare for her exit. She would no longer be working at the club, and quite frankly—after her experience with the two Raikages, who knew what she was going to be up to next. Tonight was definitely not a night that she had expected at all, but she was not a girl to ever be kept waiting. The prissy child would brush her hair from out of her pace over her shoulders quickly, showing a bit of frustration and exhaustion. She needed some rest, clearly. Her silver shimmering purse swung over her shoulders and then bid Atlas “Au revoir,” and then she headed on with her pursuit. There was definitely something sparkling in her eyes, a fierce new determination. The crystal child was ready to shine on center stage.

[ Exit, Hayline ]

[King]

Hayline: 86
Estilo: 90
Shibu: 16

[Estilo]

EXIT

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