Nixcore

NIXCORE BUILDING LAYOUT

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 05:04:53 GMT

Nixcore Incorporation - We live the dream for you.

BASEMENT

-Underground is the surplus parking for all employees. Rather than have them park along the bustling streets of the city Nixcore supplies a spacious garage. It's just like any guarded utility of a business. Supply the personalized badge given to all employees to the guard and you're permitted entrance. There's no given parking spots; all spots are within walking distance of the elevators.
-You can exit the floor two ways:
a. Through the exit after being permitted by the gaurd.
b. Using the elevators to reach the first floor.
-The elevators are located in the area you arrive in. There is a small lobby, but not much else entertainment wise.
-The janitorial offices are also on this floor as well as the workers.
-The boiler room is kept on the far end ~~away from lurking eyes~~ of the garage ~~to hide the bodies~~ to conserve space.

FIRST FLOOR

-You can also walk into Nixcore through the revolving glass doors. You will only be permitted past the lobby if you have supplied identification or have an appointment. Otherwise the adorable security guards will escort you out. It's a valet service supplied on all floors of the company. ♥
-The lobby is rather vacant, yet spacious. There are couches on the right whereas the receptionist is near the opposite wall. The building is symmetrical so you simply walk forward towards the hallway located in the middle of the building to reach the elevators to go to the second or third floor.
-If you continue walking you will find the secretarial offices and writing studios located behind locked doors for privacy. You really wouldn't know they were there unless someone pointed it out.
-If you go farther down the hall there is a spacious auditorium used for all company events. Or fully abused by Orochimaruko. Usually the latter more than anything else. How they find the time to decorate the spacious room is far beyond anyone to actually say. Or pay for.
- The Cafe! A quaint and charming little place for you to stop and grab a quick bite, or have something a little more filling. Or perhaps a nice beverage?
- Watch me crank that Soldier, boy.
- Now Superman that ho.
- That's not nice at all.

SECOND FLOOR

-All movie sets are on this floor.
-There are specialized sets used for the recurring movies. A 'teenage' girls bedroom or classroom. But otherwise they are pretty blank and different props are put into place to make it believable.
-Meanwhile the prop design storage rooms are located nearby. You never know when you'll need that giant chalk penis or shag rug.
-Also close are the showers. If anything Nixcore supplied their actors with bathrooms nearby to scrub away anything leftover from filming.
-There are showers also in the bathroom used for filming purposes. But the staff won't stop anyone from actually using them during off time. They're really nice showers.
-No, they cannot promise there's not cameras somewhere in there. Don't ask them to tell you, either.

THIRD FLOOR

-This is the information and editing floor. As well as an area where there are some abandoned movie sets. Actually there's a whole wing of the building that nobody goes to. Why? No idea. Maybe it's haunted or just smells really bad. Maybe it's the mysterious noises and flickering lights. But for whatever reason the directors don't set up camp there, and even Tobi won't go there to clean. End of story.
-The movie archives of all residing actors are kept here. If an actor made a movie even before Nixcore then it's here. Whether it was just a thing you did for fun or maybe back in the day when you used to be a cross dresser. It doesn't matter. Nixcore has it.

They know what you did.
-Close to the film rooms are the editing rooms. It's dark and cold to preserve the film. To serve it's real purpose the workers are supplied with whatever technology they need to get the job done. ~~And no, Udon. It isn't there to play your damn Resident Evil. Stop abusing it.~~
-The prop design offices are also on this floor. Need that empty studio to become a makeshift jail cell? They'll map it out and get right back to you with the things you'll need and ring up the people you'll need to do it. Need to change what was once an innocent bedroom into erotic heaven? They can do that. Whether they use it for their own purposes while you're out, though... We can't rightfully say.
-As far as sanitation goes... Well.

You would do well to understand there's just some places in Nixcore you don't go. Like the-

FOURTH FLOOR

-The floor nobody goes to. Nobody knows what's there. Nobody knows who is there. It's just known that whatever is up there nobody has seen. Not even senior employees of the company. The stairs won't lead you there. The elevator won't lead you there. Though it is known that you can access the floor from the roof.
-But how do you get to the roof?
-Nobody knows that either.
-Because if you get to the roof then how do you get down?
-Well we don't know that, idiot. Or else we would have been getting you learn'd. :|
-Now go to your corner.

-Oh. And did we mention that it's also fucking creepy on that floor? Just putting that out there.

This is an information post. For the muns. All comments are OOC.

MAMA, OOOO~ DIDN'T MEAN TO MAKE YOU CRY

Sun, 10 May 2009 17:08:42 GMT

BABIES!!!

Mother's Day is a day for all of you little squirts to thank your mothers for holding you in nice, squishing embryonic sacs for nine months. So you should be thankful, because you mooched off her just like a little parasite! Now, I know I didn't give birth to any of you-- and thank god, some of you are just hideous and some are just DELICIOUS and I'm not one for incest but-- I do love to think of you all as my babies. My sweet little babies that fuck each other. ♥

So, my little dears, think of me as your almighty surrogate, because I want some Mother's Day love!

[Complete Log.] Naruto, Sasuke. And the Plot Thickens.

Tue, 05 May 2009 03:01:03 GMT

Who: Sasuke, Naruto.
When: Sunday, May 3rd.
Where: Sasuke's apartment.
What: Worried about Sasuke, Naruto comes over for the second (or third idk) time to check in on him. He gets in this time (due to the broken door -- thnx Obito) and the two have a serious conversation.
Log Format: Asterisk.
Warnings: Short and sweet.

Naruto: ::arives at Sasuke's apartment in a rush, parking quickly and dashing from his car to Sasuke's front door. feels his heart skip a beat with fear as he sees the door is broken, pulling his gun out from beneath his jacket as he slips into the apartment, holding his breath as he looks around. no signs of anything wrong except for the door, but that's all Madara and/or Izuna would need to break to get to Sasuke. steps through the small apartment as quietly as he can, heading into the empty living room. once he's sure the coast is clear, turns around to look up at the loft, but can't see from where he is.:: Sasuke? ::calls, pretty convinced that there's no one there.::

Sasuke: -isn't really sleeping, but hears the front door whine it's pushed open, stirring. doesn't have the care to really be worried, and lies where he is, listening silently for anymore sounds. half-wonders if it's Izuna or someone else dangerous, sliding his hand underneath his pillow to wrap his fingers around the handle of his gun, but when Naruto calls his name pulls his hand back and slowly sits up, as if it takes a lot of effort.- Here. -calls, wearily, not bothering to get out of bed. even though Obito made him get up and cleaned up a little, just went right back to bed when he left, and so another day has passed where he hasn't really moved, so his hair is a mess and he looks tired and withdrawn.-

Naruto: ::almost jumps out of his skin when he hears Sasuke.:: Bloody fucking hell! ::in surprise and sudden anger.:: You're in? ::goes right to the ladder to the loft, climbing up, looking annoyed.:: I should shoot you! ::still has his gun in his hand, glaring at Sasuke as he gets up there.:: Where have you been? I've been calling your phone for days! You said something was going to happen, that Izuna tipped you off! Then you disappeared! I thought something had happened!

Sasuke: -doesn't really react to Naruto's emotional outburst, noticing his cigarettes on the floor beside the mattress, leaning over to snag them and tap one out, lighting up.- Sorry. I didn't feel like talking to anyone.

Naruto: That makes everything okay. ::sarcastic.:: You look like crap. ::Sasuke may have looked better than before Obito got to him, but still doesn't look very good. spending days in bed will do that to a person.:: What the fuck made you think it was okay to tell me something's going to go down and then disappear! And what happened to your door?

Sasuke: -drags his fingers through his hair, really not in the mood to be lectured.- Obito came over. -answers the last question first.- He didn't care about the door being locked.

Naruto: Did something happen? ::looks concerned now.:: Are you okay?

Sasuke: -just gazes past Naruto for awhile, the cigarette burning down slowly, not smoking it.- I don't know what to do. -says finally, pressing a hand over his eyes, clearly distressed.- I don't know ... I'm afraid ...

Naruto: ::feels his anger drain away just like that. settles down beside Sasuke's mattress, setting his gun down.:: Of course you are. So am I. Everything's changing still ... and it's dangerous. But ... it's actually a good thing. You know? Because ... we're not like the people we're going up against. This matters to us. ::looks down.:: Sometimes I wonder if I can actually do it. Can I really kill someone? Should I? ... It would be so much easier to do what the people around us want us to do. ::lifts his eyes to look at Sasuke again.:: Is the reason you're not doing that worth being scared over? I've had a lot of time to think about this stuff.

-shakes his head, slowly.- That's not what I'm afraid of. -has put a lot of thought into killing Madara, definitely. didn't make that decision lightly, and hasn't changed his mind about that. but Itachi's involvement has changed everything. doesn't even know if he can tell Naruto, because he wants to protect Itachi. but not telling Naruto will put him in danger, too. this decision is ten times harder than contemplating whether or not he can kill his uncle.- What would you do if Tobi was still on Madara's side? -asks suddenly. it's the closest comparison he has right now, and needs to carefully get a feel for Naruto's take on it before he dares tell him what happened with Itachi.-

Naruto: ::eyes widen.:: What? ::grits his teeth.:: Who said that? ::angry.::

Sasuke: It's just a question.

Naruto: ::on edge now. doesn't know where Sasuke's coming from.:: He isn't.

Sasuke: I said what if. What would you do?

Naruto: ... ::wills himself to calm down. Sasuke probably isn't trying to antagonize him.:: It'd be over between us. ::still agitated. does not like that kind of talk right now, especially because of his most recent conversation with Minato.::

Sasuke: -can tell Naruto's taking this a lot harder than he expected, and looks at him for a long moment, for a minute focusing intently, something else nagging him. knows only what Naruto's told him of Tobi's story, but always trusted Naruto's judgement on Tobi since Naruto clearly loves him and believes he has nothing to do with Madara anymore.- And what if he ... stood between you and Madara? If you would have to hurt him in order to kill Madara, could you do it?

Naruto: ... If that were the case, I might have to. ::sighs, looking away again.:: If Tobi went back to Madara and he stood between me and Madara, he'd try to kill me before I could get there. He's told me as much in the past. ::assures himself that this won't happen, so he doesn't have to get upset.::

Sasuke: -knows in Tobi's case Naruto might be able to subdue him without any serious damage, but doesn't kid himself with Itachi. if Itachi's working for Madara, he's dangerous and even if he might still be safe Naruto certainly won't be. or any of his family or friends. finally smokes his cigarette, wishing there was an easy solution to this.- I'm going to tell you something because ... I know I have to if we're really going to stay partners. -leans over to flick ash into an ash tray beside the bed, which is already half-way full of cigarette butts.- I think my brother's with Madara. -is quiet for a beat.- Izuna only went after you because he tipped him off that something might be going on between us. What he might have said, exactly, I don't know. All I know is he went to Izuna, and that's all the proof I need. -feels a knot form in his throat, and tries to swallow past it, unwilling to let his eyes get damp.- I don't want to believe it ... but he wouldn't give me any explanation. I already knew he didn't like you and thought you were dangerous for me -- and you are -- but I can't forgive him for going that far. I'm just afraid of where we'll find ourselves in the future. I don't know if I can do this if he stands in the way.

Naruto: ::is curious when Sasuke says he has to tell him something, but his expression hardens when Sasuke does tell him. waits for Sasuke to finish before replying.:: I thought Itachi was the one to tell Izuna about me. ::admits, softly.:: I didn't tell you because I didn't want to fuck anything up between you and your brother. I know how it is to be at odds with the person closest to me over this.... My dad and I can't stop fighting about it. ::sighs.:: If you can't do it, I'll do it. ::determined.::

Sasuke: I'm not out yet. -assures him.- I just have a lot to think about. It's not worth it to you to count on me if I have a weakness. But he's my brother. I could never hurt my brother. And I won't let you, either. -adds, casting a sidelong glance at Naruto. knows that probably goes without saying, but it needs to be said anyhow.- So it just has to not come to that.

Naruto: ::tries to brush over that bit of information, because Itachi is Sasuke's brother and of course Sasuke wouldn't want to hurt him ... but Itachi is with Madara.:: Just don't get yourself killed by him. ::knows it's harsh to say that, but if Itachi is with Madara then he doesn't trust Itachi as far as he can throw him. anyone who would choose Madara isn't to be trusted, not even to spare their own brother. the Uchiha keep saying family sticks together, but they like abusing their family too.:: I'll still do whatever it takes to kill Madara, even if I have to get through your brother - and you. ::grabs his gun and stands, ready to leave.::

Sasuke: -expected Naruto to say something like that, so says nothing, remaining where he is as Naruto stands, taking another drag off his cigarette. thinks this entire thing just got a whole lot more complicated.-

Naruto: ::doesn't look back when Sasuke doesn't say anything, climbing down the ladder and heading through the small apartment to, eventually, his car. now all he wants to do is go home and climb into bed with a bowl of ramen. thinks he will.::

[Complete Log.] Itachi, Sasuke. Fates sealed.

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:54:35 GMT

Who: Sasuke and Itachi.
When: Wednesday, April 29th.
Where: Itachi's apartment.
What: Concerned as always, Itachi takes a new approach to the Naruto situation and contacts Izuna to do something about it. Izuna eventually lets the cat out of the bag, so to speak, and Sasuke is livid. He decides to go over to his brother's and, well, yell at him.
Log Format: Para-form.
Warnings: Uh shortest log on the planet. No, rlly. We broke our KibaIta log record. :|

He couldn't believe this. He couldn't believe him. Getting off the phone with Izuna, Sasuke was furious, but deep down he felt betrayed. It wasn't that he didn't understand Itachi's intentions, to some extent. Itachi didn't like Naruto, for whatever reason thought he was bad for Sasuke, but most of all knew Sasuke was lying to him and that above all put him on alert. And Sasuke did feel guilty, lying to Itachi. He had since the very beginning of hooking up with Naruto and deciding they would devise a plan to kill Madara, without anyone else's knowledge. The cover hadn't worked as well at he'd hoped, but even then he hadn't actually expected Itachi to take it to the next level and actually warn Naruto away from him. He supposed it wasn't too hard for Itachi to connect the dots. He had told him point blank he intended to kill Madara, after all. And it was obvious to just about everyone Naruto had a deep hatred for Madara as well. Still, they had been being careful, extremely careful, and in their line of work an excuse of lovers wasn't too far-fetched. Or so Sasuke thought.

But what he didn't understand, what he couldn't, was Itachi actually going so far as to ask Izuna to interfere. What the fuck was wrong with him?! There was no excuse for that. Izuna was a maniac, Sasuke knew this. He could act like a harmless puppy, but Sasuke still clearly remembered how easily he'd shot his own man, without so much as batting an eye. The only thing that kept Izuna on his leash was Madara, and that wasn't exactly a comforting thought either. The only reason Naruto wasn't dead right now was because he was still useful to Madara -- as an actor, bringing in money -- but as soon as that stopped Naruto would be first on their hitlist. Sasuke couldn't believe that was what his brother really wanted, but ... there was no other reason for his motives. He wasn't an idiot, he knew how dangerous Izuna could be. And not only that ... not only that ...

As his mind darkened with the real reason he was enraged, something that had nothing to do with Naruto in the long run, Sasuke slid his key into the lock of Itachi's apartment and twisted it, shoving the door open and entering. He still had a key, but he doubted he would keep it for much longer at the rate they were going. The fact his brother was trying to protect him meant nothing in the face of what road Itachi was heading down. It made his stomach twist to think it, but he did. He loved him ... but could he trust him? Never once had Sasuke questioned that seriously until now.

"Nii-san!" he barked, not bothering to look for Itachi. He knew he was home because he'd seen his car in the parking lot. Shutting the door behind him, loudly (nearly slamming it), Sasuke stood where he was in the living room, expression set into a dark, angry glare, waiting for Itachi to confront him.

He had expected this to come just not that soon. It was only a matter of time before Sasuke put two and two together to realise it was him that put through the call to Izuna, not exactly trusting him to keep confidentiality at all because what better way to cause a conflict than telling him in a round about way that his brother was the one that set the wheels in motion. Izuna could have came flat out and told him that it was him, at that point in time when he had made that call, his mind was not in the correct place to be, having to deal with that blond fuckwit one time too many, having to listen to all the lies he was pulling out. Sasuke is changing. He is his own person. You don't know who he is. Right now, Itachi didn't even know who he was.

He had seen through it from the beginning, knowing who his brother was and to be in a relationship with someone who was already involved with another Uchiha as well, would not have sat well with Sasuke. That was suspicion one. Suspicion two came during that private conversation with Naruto where he stated he would tell the truth to anyone if asked a question, coming out with lies after lies that the two were 'fucking' as he so tastefully put it constantly, speaking himself up like he was the biggest pimp of them all. Then came the movie that completely shattered everything putting the concrete evidence that there was nothing going on. Another quiet word and once again, retaliation against him spewing the same crap as always. At least tell something different, don't rehash the same material over and over again. Better yet, run off straight to the one and tell him that he was threatened by his big brother like a frightened wimp. Itachi had no idea what Izuna had done to him, didn't even know that he had done it yet but in his eyes, he deserved everything that would be coming to him.

Looked like it had by the abrupt entrance and yelling of Sasuke. Time to face up and listen to everything he wanted to say, ask him what was he thinking when he contacted him, why he had gone to someone that he hated and so forth. Was there a point of denying it? Right now, Itachi really did not care. He did not speak at all to him, coming out of the bedroom where he had been set up on his laptop, standing in the archway of the door frame with his arms crossed against his chest. He wanted him so here he was.

As soon as Itachi appeared, Sasuke felt like his mission to tell him off was probably fruitless. The way Itachi held himself was the same as ever, head high and stubborn, arms crossed in a blatant closed-off manner. Because Itachi was right, of course. Itachi was always right. It had been that way since they were children, and Sasuke had always bowed his head to Itachi in the end, even the few times he was unsure of his decisions or wished Itachi would look at things from his perspective. His brother had been his idol, someone he felt held all the wisdom and intelligence in the world. Itachi obviously knew what he'd done. There was no confusion or inquisitiveness on his face. But there was no guilt or regret there, either, and that's what hurt Sasuke most of all.

"Nothing to say for yourself?" Sasuke asked, aggressively, jaw set. "Are you just going to give me the silent treatment like usual?" There were so many things Sasuke wanted to yell at Itachi, just bubbling in his throat, waiting to come out, that he didn't know where to start. But he took a breath, sorted his thoughts, and tried to gain enough control of his emotions that Itachi would actually take him seriously instead of shutting him out.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Well, okay, so not insulting Itachi was out of the question. "Izuna? Izuna? Do you want to see Naruto killed? I just -- I don't understand you anymore, nii-san. Naruto hasn't done anything to deserve having a maniac sicced on him, and that's exactly what Izuna is. He could have killed him! The only reason he didn't was because Madara controls him. But all the same, you sent Naruto to the wolves, and you don't even care. What I did to Orochimaru is nothing compared to this." He narrowed his eyes. Itachi had the nerve to basically tell him the thing between he and Orochimaru was none of his business, and then he turned around and did this. He was a damned hypocrite -- and worse, he was dangerous. Threatening Naruto himself had been one thing, Sasuke would have been willing to believe that was just scare tactics. This was a whole new level.

"But that's not even ... that's not the worst of it. You hate Naruto; okay, I get it. You think I lied to you. Well, fine, you're entitled to your own decisions, and you're entitled to worry about me or believe Naruto's influencing me -- whatever it is that's going on in your head. But to bring Izuna into it ... that's the lowest. You reached out to one of the people involved in the murder of our parents! Did you forget that part? Do you even care?!" He was shouting now, loudly, the anger he'd held back before coming out, voice thick with emotion. "How dare you ask help from that snake! Whose side are you on?!"

Threatening Naruto was a fruitless battle, the arrogance, the constant defiance, even the threat against his own father did not budge him. This wasn't a game and he needed to learn that and what better way than to show him just how serious this matter was with the use of the ones he should be scared of. Something told him that Naruto had not been very well adjusted to the lives of the Uchihas. Maybe swept under the rug. From what he had gathered Tobi and him had a very long on/off relationship with each other that would have attracted some attentions from the powers that was. The cousin had been here longer than what the two of them had been, no Uchiha is safe and who knew what his alliance was with Madara. One slip in a state of comfort with Tobi and Naruto would have blabbed the entire thing being how he so boldly states everything, after all, he ran to Sasuke after he was threatened didn't he.

"Is that all?" Itachi asked completely apathetic to everything he had just thrown out at him. Did he really expect him to come through with an explanation for him? Would he have even listened? He had not even listened to him in the first place when he told Sasuke all about Madara to keep him away from him but instead, he shacked up in a fake relationship which he clearly saw through and devised some ingenious plot where he thought he could end the reign of Madara. Then what next? Did he think for a second that it would be the end? Who was next in line? Izuna. The one maniac he had sent out after his supposed lover, the one maniac that is controlled by Madara and kept in check. So would he kill him next? Then who after that? The line of succession would be continued to struck down until he was satisfied there was no one left. Sasuke said that he didn't want to live like that so what was worse, killing the man that struck the fear or leading the way to a new breed of tyrant?

Sasuke just stared. After his tirade, he'd foolishly expected ... something. Itachi had never completely failed him before. Even through their clashes, Itachi had explained his side of it, and though they'd disagreed completely on Madara, Sasuke understood. Or he thought he had. But maybe he was completely wrong. Because looking at his brother right now, all he saw was another one of Madara's lackeys, stone-faced and silent. A proud, tightly-bonded Uchiha, a part of a family where the hierarchy was always accepted and no one stepped out of line. All for stupid fears. Fears for their lives, their loved ones. And so the cycle continued, and would always continue. And his brother was feeding it, even after their parents were killed because of it. His father's son, always. Smart, but unhesitant to get his hands dirty for the family. Morals and ideals didn't exist for Uchihas, Izuna had told him that point blank. But if they didn't exist, then no one would die. His mother and father would still be alive if they hadn't stepped out of line. But they had. Were they just going to die for nothing?

Slipping his hand into his pocket, Sasuke pulled out the spare key he had, and dropped it on the floor. The rage he'd had had simmered away, leaving nothing but a cold, empty space inside of him. He'd hoped this new distance between himself and his brother would only go so far, but this incident finalized it. If Itachi didn't want to change, that was fine, but now he was working with the enemy against Sasuke, and that was where the youngest Uchiha drew the line. Itachi's motives didn't matter. His reasons didn't matter. To Sasuke, he was a traitor, and he'd dragged Naruto into something that didn't even concern him. Without any proof of Naruto being a threat.

He was trying to stop him. And he was using the dirtiest tactics to do it.

"Just so you're aware, Naruto never had an influence over me. I'm my own person, I make my own decisions. Unlike you. And my decision was long since made before Naruto came into the picture."

"Goodbye, nii-san," he said, words speaking of something far more finalized than a simple farewell. He turned and left, so that he could get to his car and out of the complex before he broke down completely, knowing if he didn't leave fast Itachi would see his resolve crumble and the tears in his eyes.

[Closed Log; Obito, Sasuke.] Celebrating Oro's Pain, Mwahaha.

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:23:35 GMT

Who: Obito and Sasuke.
When: Saturday, April 25th.
What: Sasuke tells Obito about punching Orochimaru, and Obito is very pleased. He is so pleased, in fact, he invites Sasuke out drinking. Sasuke's just pleased someone dislikes Orochimaru as much as he does.
Log Format: Para-form.
Warninngs: Will add if need be.

Having just moved into his apartment that day, Sasuke was a little worried how bare and unimpressive it looked. He didn't really want anyone to see if before it was finished (or at least had some furniture), but Obito had caught him off guard, excited and happy to hear he'd punched Orochimaru in the nose during one of his last shoots. No one else had responded like that, and Sasuke was so sick of being yelled at and lectured over the whole thing that he'd agreed to going out for drinks, something that wasn't exactly up his alley. But having someone to actually agree with him over Orochimaru was appealing, and although he didn't like to admit it, he was feeling lonely lately because he and Itachi weren't on speaking terms. He'd brought it upon himself, stupidly thinking Itachi would believe he and Naruto's fake relationship, but he didn't think Itachi had quite figured out the real reason yet, and he just couldn't tell him. Itachi would do something for sure to stop them. Even if he felt his brother was on his side with the clan business, he knew Itachi wouldn't be happy with Sasuke bringing an outsider into the family business. Every Uchiha was alike in that respect.

But it was a difficult situation, because the only way to fix their rift was tell Itachi the truth. And that was an impossibility.

Waiting for Obito, Sasuke traversed his new apartment again, running his fingers over the now-clean kitchen counter. He'd cleaned all day to prepare it for furniture, and he had nothing left to do. Maybe going out for a beer and relaxing wouldn't be bad after all.

[LOG] OSHITBREAKUP-wat?

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 03:57:55 GMT

Who: Minato, Obito, and I guess random passersby.
When: April 27, 2009.
Where: Nixcore Inc.
What: The last straw has been reached. And because Minato's ~~stupid~~ sick of most everything at this point, he decides to get rid of one more piece of baggage before moving on. ONE YEAR DOWN THE DRAIN. Geez.
Warnings: If you're expecting it to be long-winded, you're dead wrong. Painfully confusing? Yesplz. Crying? Mayhaps. Wtf-ery? Indeed.

Obito had been more than out of it all weekend. He had shit to do and bills to pay, but he just couldn't concentrate lately. He'd been calling Minato for the better half of the week after Tobi's birthday, but the man wouldn't take his calls, and he didn't want to be annoying and leave voicemails, so there had been none. Obito had even drien up to the Namikaze household a couple times, but couldn't think of a way to get inside without having something heavy thrown at him on the doorstep. He'd been worried at first, when Minato had hung up on him at the party saying he 'wasn't going to wait anymore'. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Confused Obito was confused.

And so, bright and early, he went to Starbucks. He knew Minato had to have a refitting for his costume for the Naruho thing, what with the damage Kyuubi had done to the fabric of the last one, and he intended to smooth things over before Minato just cut him out altogether. He didn't want to believe that he already had been. So, a venti latte in each hand, Obito headed for the costume design offices. Just in time, too, as he spotted a familiar blonde head making it's way down the hall behind a set team that was hauling a prop up to the studios. "H..Hey! Hey, Minato!"

I LOVES ME SOME SPENDIN MONEY

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:37:13 GMT

Happy Anniversary, Nixcore Fans!

Thank you so much for being with us for these past years. We're nothing without you, and all of our employees wish to thank you from the bottoms of their hearts! So we've arranged something special, something exclusive just for our members. Would you believe we lined up all of our hottest actors, and even those hotties from behind the scenes and got them all to talk to you, live, and uncensored? Well we did! From our #1 actors down to our lowly janitor, we've got them all here tonight. Just for you!

Since we've already got your credit card information, just select the sexy babe or hot stud you want to have a personal chat with, and we'll bill you accordingly! Prices and jobs are listed, so use this exclusive chance to get the lowdown on what goes up at Nixcore!

And thank you again for sticking with us! It's because of your support that we live the dream for you every day. ♥

(( OOC: okay here we go. this is an event for the muns to pretend to be omg nixcore fans. HOW EXCITING, RITE?? well here's how this works. if you want your character to be included (characters izuna, madara, kyuubi, zetsu, kakashi, and kushina were left out for various reasons. if you want any of them ~~except kushina~~ to be listed, go ahead and tell me and i'll add them) just make a comment with your username. this will serve as the "chatroom."

now all muns are to comment to the character anonymously. you can ask questions, make comments, ask for nudie pics, whatever you want! you don't have to keep it clean. but remember you're just a fan of nixcore, so you don't have the knowledge that you do as a mun. for instance, you can't ask about a private situation that only two characters know about, because you have no way of finding that out. you're a rabid fan of porn, that's all. now characters, answering the questions is up to you. you can have your character dismiss a question if it makes them uncomfortable, but the fan is allowed to press for answers. but if something gets out of hand, the chat is allowed to end. just make a comment with [CHAT ENDED] and that'll be the end of that.

also, please keep interaction to fan and character only. this means no mun/mun chats, no character/character stuff. this is a one-on-one chat with a character. not a massive chat room. if you have any questions, harass the mods. we love it.

ALSO HAVE FUN, OMG.))

[closed log] Shikamaru, Temari: MOVIE NIGHT.

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:47:06 GMT

Who: Shikamaru and Temari
When: Monday night, March 30th.
Where: Shika's apartment.
What: Disney movies, snacks and beer. a.k.a. BEST. NIGHT. EVAR.
Warnings: idk, angry!!fluff? Oh yeah, and some cussing too.

Chocolate chip cookies, chocolate bars, sour belts, snack cakes, Doritos, gummy candy, beer and soda. Temari stuffed a hand in her bag, crumpled up the receipt and tossed it in a nearby trash can. The bill for a simple movie night shouldn't necessarily be that high, but Temari tended to go overboard when it came to snack shopping. Hey, it was a special occasion. Might as well get the good stuff. The candy was for enhancing the movie with a slight sugar buzz. The beer was in case Bambi started getting on her nerves.

Temari had to mentally prepare for anything when it came to Bambi. They could have a delightful time with whatever movie Shikamaru happened to pick out, or she could say something completely random that set him off and he could throw a mild sulking temper tantrum. She could handle that. She really rather wouldn't, but she could if she had to.

The blonde braced herself as she knocked on the door. She was in a pretty good mood today. The little deer better not screw it up.

ON-GOING; CLOSED LOG | Sakura, Tenten

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 15:11:21 GMT

Who: Tenten, Sakura.
When: Tuesday afternoon, April 7th.
Where: Nixcore costume design dept., or maybe somewhere else. Will edit.
What: Sakura gets a text message from a stressed out Tenten, and decides to save her in typical womanly fashion: with sweets.
Log Format: Paragraph.
Warnings: Come watch Sakura be in denial of her crushes, etc. Otherwise we are so fresh and clean.

While Monday had her stressed out as hell, as well as upset at the recent developments in scripts and especially her ongoing...whatever that was with Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura had full confidence that Tuesday could go better. The morning was spent in her favourite classes, and although she'd been held behind to talk about future assignments with a professor, she was content with how they went so far.

On her way to work, she calculated what it was that she had to do today, and if she could skip the first hour or so to have the comfort time with Tenten. She decided that yet, she could, about at the same time as she purchased two white chocolate frappés, two white chocolate muffins and a tabled of milky chocolate to go.

There was a smile on her face as she walked towards Tenten's office, and she knew why it was there--but didn't over-analyse it, because that whole deal kept giving her headaches. When she arrived, she talked to one of her co-workers and asked for Tenten's location.

ON-GOING; CLOSED LOG | Sakura, Sasuke

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:08:27 GMT

Who: Sasuke, Sakura.
When: Tuesday evening, April 7th.
Where: Nixcore elevator, mwahah.
What: Sakura and Sasuke meet face to face, tension flies up and crackles, and oh. They're stuck in an elevator.
Log Format: Paragraph.
Warnings: Dude, I don't know, we're pretty much just...waiting to see ourselves. Hah. If you think Temari and Tayuya have it bad...

Tuesday evening catches Sakura working in late. Not because she loves her job here--she doesn't, especially not now when it seems to be trying to pull her to the 'darker side' and her name keeps appearing on various scripts--but she loves the people here. With exceptions. For example, Sasuke. It's not that she hasn't tried--hell, she even offered him a truce once! But like she had told Naruto, she would not chase the boy around trying to escalate his high emotional walls if the only thing he could do was to be an asshole to her. She was far from a pushover.

Thinking to herself about her plan for the remainder of the evening, Sakura rushes down the quiet hallways of Nixcore, aware that she is among the last to leave the place, and calls the elevator. Once inside, she relaxes a bit, and hits the correspondent button for the ground floor.

"Long bath, here I come."

[EVENT] COME INTO MY ARMS

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:03:01 GMT

You may be walking along the hallways of Nixcore. You may be hunched over your desk and working your butt off on something sexy and wonderful and mmmm~ ♥. You may be taking a break and out for a quiet snack. But no matter what you're doing, know that there's someone out there with your name on a list...

Willingly or unwillingly, you'll be given:

♥FREE HUGS♥

[EVENT INFO]
Continued from this post.

Lee will be running around the office today in a sandwich board with a list. HE WILL HUNT YOU ALL DOWN. Feel free to avoid/hide/ignore/scandalize Lee. :3 If you don't want to participate, it'll be assumed that Lee either doesn't know you or wasn't able to find you.

Reply here in [action] and "dialogue" form. For those who want their characters in on this, just post here to be ~~attacked~~ hugged~

[LOG] Things that go bump in the night.

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:38:39 GMT

Who: Obito, Tobi, and Udon
When: March 25, EEEEAAARRRRLY morning. Though this is where the day began.
Where: Nixcore Studios, Third floor.
What: This is the reason everyone says the place is haunted. ;_;
Warnings: Screaming like little girls. Probable piddling of self.

The sky was dark, and all the little night-bugs were singing their little songs outside the Nixcore building. At least that's what Obito figured he'd experience if he stuck his head out a window. But the nearest window was down on the other half of the floor and he was not about to go on that side at nearly two in the morning for any reason. So he didn't know that in all actuality, the wind was howling something fierce outside and there had been a thunderstorm warning on the evening news.

Why was he there at two in the morning? He wasn't even really sure anymore, staring blankly at the tiny, ancient screen of the video editing machine in a corner of the Tech room. Udon refused to relinquish the much faster, much more advanced desktop, and so Obito was huddled in his seat, the pile of empty Red Bull cans steadily growing under his seat as the night went on. The headphones had long since outlived their usefulness, but Obito still wore them as a lovely fashion accessory, fitting it so one earpiece sat flat in the middle of his forehead, the other somewhere near the base of his skull. He was so bored but these things needed to be finished by friday and he'd rather be pulling an all-nighter tonight than really rushing tomorrow.

"Uuuuuuddoooonnnn..." He whined lowly to his only companion probably in the whole building, not even bothering to look away from his screen since he already knew the answer. "Can I use the computer yet...?"

[Complete Log] Sai, Sasuke. Lernin' 2 Sk8.

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:17:39 GMT

Who: Sasuke & Sai
What: Sai teaches Sasuke how to roller blade. He also uses this chance to utilize what he's learned about social customs thus far. :|
When: January 20th, Tuesday morning
Where: The small park behind Sai's apartment building
Warnings: Notta.

No mentioning of his penis...no insults...and keep smiling? Ah, I hope I am able to consciously recall all of this when engaged in actual discussion...

Sai yawned, lacing up his left inline roller blade before getting himself to stand up, moving his legs idly back and forth in a rolling motion, testing out the firmness, making sure that he had properly gotten rid of the sense of looseness he felt while moving around previosuly. It was early, but Sai didn't mind, because he was very much a morning person. He often woke up around 5 AM and spent his rising hours in deep thought while sitting in the kitchen, often with at least a sketch book and sharpened number two pencil in front of him. He had managed to complete three sketches (not very good ones, now that he reflected upon it--they would need reworking). Once eight o' clock came around (and text messages to Temari, asking for any last minute advice) he was off, locking the door behind him. Finally, he was making small improvement toward handling relationships between himself and the people he was surrounded with on a daily basis. He had not spoken much to Sasuke, which made him a near virtual stranger, and therefore, perfect to test the knowledge he had gained without his usual reading material (although he had checked out a book from the public library entitled "Teaching and You.")

Skating into a repetitive, lazy circle, Sai awaited Sasuke's arrival, phone on vibrate (eyes occasionally glancing back at the size ten skates laying on a nearby bench) in case he called and wished for further direction. The current temperature was close to reaching seventy degrees. He hoped that a pair of sweatpants and black t-shirt would be enough to keep him cool.

...On second thought, the color black was known for attracting heat. At least the scrawny trees planted around could provide shade if needed.

This was probably the most ridiculous thing he'd done in awhile. Learning to skate so he could work at a restaurant? He really was desperate. But if he wanted to be absolutely honest, he was kind of looking forward to it. Ever since he'd begun working at Nixcore, a normal job -- aka any other job besides one that had to do with porn -- was like a dream come true. Just the thought of doing something that didn't cause a deep, cold, black knot to form in the vicinity of his heart picked him up out of the misery he'd been feeling. He wanted to work. Skating, dancing, singing -- whatever, he'd do it. Nothing was more undesirable than the job he already had.

An early riser himself, Sasuke had been up since six, tidying up the already sparkling-clean apartment he currently shared with his absent brother. Sasuke had been decorating, a little, since Itachi was gone. He wanted to surprise him for when he returned -- though he wasn't sure if Itachi would appreciate it or be irritated that Sasuke had messed with his blank, white walls. His 'decorating' mostly consisted of hanging pictures and bringing in a few plants. He didn't have much money, only what Itachi had left him (which he'd mostly spent on groceries), so all of his decorations were things he'd found very cheaply or for free -- flowers, leaves, other plants in the park or the forest. He'd bought cheap material with a green print on sale at a discount fabric store that he'd fashioned (somewhat badly; he didn't know how to sew) into curtains for the windows. The theme of their apartment was officially nature; modern art was more his affinity but that was an expensive taste.

After messing with a few of the newly-potted plants he'd taken home yesterday, taking a shower and getting dressed in a comfortable, loose pair of jeans and a thin grey hooded sweatshirt, Sasuke headed out, using some change to catch a bus across the city to Sai's neck of the woods. He was a punctual person, and arrived at the park at five minutes until eight, eyes peeled for Sai. Spotting one lone person skating around, Sasuke knew it could only be him, and crossed the distance to him, making note of the extra pair of skates on the bench.

"Ohayo gozaimasu," he greeted, having no intention of speaking in English if Sai knew Japanese. He was very stubborn about adopting the new language. He'd never met Sai in person before, and took the opportunity to study his features for a moment. Definiely Japanese. This made Sasuke feel a tad more comfortable. "Thank you for doing this," he continued (still in Japanese), bowing slightly.

As soon as he had caught wind of Sasuke's voice, Sai stopped in mid-circle and rolled up to him, his trademark smile lit up his face. He wondered if it was getting anymore realistic to those who were witness to it. "Ohayo," he replied, understanding why Sasuke would be moe comfortable using Japanese. English was such a tricky and difficult language to pick up on, and he was grateful for the fact that he could speak it well, more or less.

If Sasuke had noticed on his ride on over, Sai lived in a relatively well-off part of town. In which him being wealthy certainly was not the case--he was often late with paying rent and struggled, at times, with even finding money for payment. The logical thing for him to do would be to move into an affordable place. But something in him couldn't find the means to do so.

The apartment was a gift, and throwing away a gift was inappropriate, right?

"Thank you for coming! I've never taught a person anything before and now you're giving me the chance to do so. Let's hope that you don't suck too badly!"

He then gestured toward the extra pair blades, "I got them in pink for you! I thought that color would suit you well."

There. That was a compliment, right?

Sai's smile was strange. It didn't reach his eyes. Sasuke studied him for a minute, wondering what it was about this guy that made him so different. Even on the journal system he came across as fakely cheerful, though it wasn't the feigned cheerfulness of someone trying to hide something. It was almost as if ... he just didn't understand the social rules.

Sasuke didn't think on it too hard, however, because despite Sai's oddness, he seemed nice enough. He'd agreed to this, anyway. To give up your time to help a stranger wasn't something many people would be willing to do. Then again, given the part of the city he lived in, perhaps he was very well-off and didn't have anything better to do. Sasuke wasn't sure, but he didn't ask. None of his business.

When Sai said he hoped Sasuke wouldn't suck too badly, however, Sasuke frowned. Yeah, this guy definitely didn't know when to keep his mouth shut.

The pink roller blades were also regarded with disdain, but Sasuke walked over to them anyway, sitting on the bench next to them and pulling off his sneakers, pulling up his socks so they would protect him from the rub of the ankle part of the shoe. "I don't really like pink," he admitted, thinking this would be obvious. To each his own, he supposed.

Pulling on first one roller blade, and then the other, Sasuke took a minute to figure out how to tighten them until they fit as comfortably as they would, before carefully pushing himself up on them, holding onto the metal armrest of the bench as he did so, to keep from falling.

Looking up, Sasuke gazed at Sai in question. "So ... how exactly does one do this?

"What's your favorite color then? I don't think I have one, although I am partial to grey and black and sometimes red," he said, remembering what Temari had drilled into the back of his mind. It was good to find common ground when discussing with other person. He watched as Sasuke put on his skates before pushing himself into an upward position. Skating closer to him, Sai took both of his hands and pulled him away slowly from the safety of the bench.

"Your legs are too straight, you have to bend your knees, like this." He demonstrated, "It helps you keep balance, which is the most important thing. Try moving your feet with your knees like so, it might feel odd at first. Don't let the worry of falling hold you back."

Sai recalled when he had to learn himself, and the number of times his tush, knees, elbows, and arms had met the ground below. It was painful and not very enjoyable. Come to think of it, maybe he should have brought padding for Sasuke as well. Oh well. Sai would just have to keep a careful eye out to not let him hit the concrete ground too hard.

"I don't know," Sasuke admitted, thoughtfully. "Black, I guess. Grey." He was partial to muted, somber colors lately, though he'd never been a very colorful person to begin with. He eyed Sai warily when the boy skated closer, making a muffled noise of dismay when the boy took his hands and pulled him away from the safety of the bench, gripping Sai's hands tightly as he began to roll after him, not moving yet, trying to keep his balance.

He nodded, following Sai's instructions and keeping his knees more bent. Hesitantly, he shifted one foot forward, trying to figure out how to get the hang of rolling instead of walking. Wobbling, Sasuke almost lost his balance, trading his grip on one of Sai's hands for a grip on his upper arm -- which was much more sturdy and comforting. His mind was running along the same lines as Sai's -- he probably should have brought padding. Too bad he didn't have any.

"How far, uhm. Do we have to skate? It's one of those drive-up restaurants, right?"

"It appears that we have similar tastes in colors!" He pointed out, wracking his brain for another question. "How long have you been in the states? Why did you move here in the first place?" He was curious, since from what he read online that Sasuke, he assumed that he wasn't one for working at Nixcore in the first place.

If anyone were to be watching the two of them at this very moment, from a distance, it would seem as if the both of them were engaging in an awkward dance of sorts. Drifting backward, Sai pulled Sasuke along, along rocks and cobble stones, past the swing set and monkey bars.

"No, we don't skate far. Mostly indoors from the kitchen to the tables. Your feet will hurt a lot by the end of your shifts. I'm going to try letting you go now and let's see how far you can go..."

He did just that, giving Sasuke his best encouraging smile.

The color thing had been fine, but as Sai's questions turned to a more personal level, Sasuke wasn't very happy. "I don't really want to talk about it," he replied curtly, trying to get back to what he'd come to do -- learn to skate.

"Wait -- !" he said with alarm, when Sai announced he was going to let him go, not ready yet. But the boy did so anyway, causing Sasuke to flail for a moment as he tried to balance on his own, skates wobbling dangerously.

He was also rolling (due to the sidewalk having a slight curve), and there wasn't much he could do but let it happen, hoping the speed wouldn't pick up any. luckily, he only rolled a bit before slowing to a stop as the sidewalk evened out, resting for a minute before tentatively shifting his right foot forward an inch, followed by his left, not really skating so much as shuffling. When he finally did decide to pick up one foot completely it didn't work very well, and he shot his arms out in front of him instinctively in case he fell, flailing again.

"K'so, this is -- difficult," he muttered nervously. But he was already becoming bolder, picking up his feet further and setting them farther, though he still didn't quite get down the rhythm one had to use to roll.

Hmm. From the way he brusquely brushed off the next question, Sai quickly caem to the conclusion that wasn't a topic of choice. Perhaps material relevant to the issue at hand would be the safest to explore at this point and time. Moving backwards down the small hill, Sai kept his head tilted at an angle as he watched Sasuke take experimental movements, almost laughing, but audibly or quite full circle to consider it a true laugh.

"Of course it would be difficult. Isn't learning something normally is," he pointed out, before adding, "but you're doing as badly as I did when I first started out although your attempts are very amusing. You're going too slow, you ought to pick up speed. It makes you less likely to fall. All you need is a small--"

Sai skitted around, until he stood behind Sasuke, pressing his palm against his back before moving it foward. Although it wasn't exactly a hard shove, it wasn't a gentle movement either.

"Push." There were plently of things Sasuke could grab onto just in case. It was also a relatively straight path from here on. If Sasuke couldn't figure out how to stop on time, he would at least land in the safety of the grass and flowers at the end of said path.

"You can do it Sasuke! And, ah, you're not a punk ass!" He cheered, following the boy on the move, remembering from his teaching book that is was important to encourage the student, even if the situation was hopeless. He had to actively remind himself to add the 'not' in his sentence.

"Sometimes," Sasuke replied, when Sai pointed out learning something new was always difficult. "There's some things I'm better at than others; like anyone." That was being kind of modest. He usually picked up on things quickly, like everyone in his family. Itachi always a bit quicker than him (lending to much frustration and grudging feelings in the past), but the Uchihas weren't just an old family, but a selective family. Many of the older generation still did try to keep the line pure and breed only the 'good' genes. His father had been of that way of thinking, while his mother had frowned heavily upon it.

He'd never skated, surfed, skied, or otherwise balanced himself on another plank which glided over anything, however, so this was completely new to him. Even so, he was starting to get the hang of it already, figuring out how to push with his foot to make himself roll forward with momentum.

Sai, apparently, didn't think he was moving fast enough, however, and as Sasuke watched he skated around behind him and the solid press against his back was all the warning he got before he was suddenly rolling forward faster than before.

"Bastard," Sasuke snapped under his breath, as Sai told him he wasn't a punk ass (whatever that meant), determined not to mess up, stumble and fall like his body very much wanted to do. Using the momentum Sai gave him, Sasuke pushed off more with his left foot, and then his right, beginning to actually glide with some rhythm like a real skater. This wasn't so hard.

Except for now he was going too fast to roll to a stop before the end of the path. This was going to be an issue. Sasuke remembered there was a brake on the back, and attempted to tilt his right foot back to use it, but it only threw off his balance, causing his left foot to turn a bit inward and his whole body to lurch forward -- tumbling right onto the grass and flowers at the end of the path.

"Ow," Sasuke grumbled, untangling himself and sitting up, brushing dirt off of his arms. Well, that had been graceful.

"Good job Sasuke! You're doing it, you're doing it--ah, y-you should stop now, try curving your feet into a scissoring motion, you should stop before--"

Ah, into the grass as he had predicted. He winced for effect. For a moment, Sai wished that he had his sketchbook with him, because he liked that disgruntled look on Sasuke's face and wanted to capture it, but unfortunately, all of his art supplies were back in his apartment. Drifting on over to his fallen pupil, Sai stared down at him for a good, long minute (which to most would be settling) before his eyes drifted on over to the side of Sasuke's arm. He smiled.

"There's gum on you," he announced, flicking the piece off of him using his thumb and index finger before offering a hand to help him on up. "The book I read told me to tell you that you're doing really well and are showing overwhelming amounts of progress!"

The disgruntled face was still clear in his mind's eye. Good. It would be the first thing he would address when he finished with Sasuke.

"I hope you don't bruise as easily as I do, because that would...kind of suck," he mentioned aloud, more to himself in the same false-upbeat joy.

Sasuke made a face of disgust when Sai alerted him to the fact he had gum on his arm. Ugh, germs. Sasuke wasn't exactly obsessive-compulsive, but he was a bit fastidious about cleanliness, and any kind of germ-ridden substance on his person was definitely unwelcome.

He brushed his arm a few times even after Sai had gotten the gum off, before taking the boy's hand and pulling himself up, a little unsteadily. "The book?" he questioned, confused by all of this motivational talk Sai was spouting at him. He really did sound like a book. "You don't have to quote books. I don't need to be reassured."

Carefully stepping back onto the path, Sasuke attempted skating again, getting back into the groove of it after a few ungraceful weaves. "How did you say to stop? Something about curving the feet inward?"

Sai nodded, "The book! 'How to Instruct for a First Time Instructor.' I found it to be highly informative. And according to that book, reassurance is necessary because a student may get discouraged which may lead to the lowering of the self esteem, and ultimately, a psychological collapse."

That was a pattern Sai often saw in the material he read; on how everything could lead to eventual mental atrophy. It was fascination, although concerning at the same time. Wouldn't that mean that everyone surrounding him ought to be victims of insanity by now? It was too much to comprehend at the moment. Daydreaming whilist teaching was probably frowned upon.

To Sasuke's question, Sai showed what he meant through demonstration. "You have to lean foward, your shoulder straight, and put all of your body weight on your dominant leg, while pointing both feet inwar--"

A rock got in the way and Sai promptly went down, landing straight on his ass. He murmured a toneless, "Ouch," his brain calling forth the emotion of...of embarassment? He would have to check his deduction when he returned home.

Sasuke watched attentively as Sai showed him how to go about stopping. Or tried to, anyway. Because as he did so, he tripped and fell, landing on his ass. Rolling along after Sai, Sasuke slowed to a stop next to him (by gravity alone), smirking a little. "It looks like I'm not the only one who needs some practice."

Even so, Sasuke held out a hand to help Sai up, hoping the boy could mostly help himself up, because he doubted he could support Sai's weight without rolling forward and going down himself.

"Do you mind if I borrow these?" he asked, after the other boy was back on his feet. "I was looking up prices for skates -- they're not very cheap." And who knew how long he was going to have this job for (if he even got it). He didn't want to pay $50 for skates (and those seemed to be the range for the cheapest, which probably meant they sucked) only to quit or be laid off without any use for them. He knew the restaurant probably stocked them for their employees, too, but something about wearing any kind of shoe that had been on multiple other people's feet grossed him out. He didn't go bowling either for that same reason. "I'll return them as soon as I have funds to buy a pair of my own."

Starting forth again, Sasuke began practicing slowing, not finding it too difficult -- but he couldn't slow down very quickly, either. Probably with more practice he would get better at that, but for now he was going to have to depend on grabbing onto things to stop, most likely. It wasn't like every employee was a pro skater as soon as they started work. Sasuke didn't think he'd embarrass himself too badly. He hoped.

"But there was a rock in the way," Sai murmured, "another tip, you're only to roller blade on mostly smooth surfaces." Luckily, he was able to pick himself up, politely declining Sasuke's help only because he did not wish to become an awkward mess of limbs and all over the ground. Once he was up, he brushed himself off and nodded when Sasuke asked if he could borrow them.

"Sure! Just don't lose them or else I'd have to pay for their replacement." That would be money coming right out of his check, precious money he couldn't afford to lose. But Sasuke appeared to be the responsible type, not one to lose anything too easily.

"You've picked up on the basics for the most part pretty well, it took me days before I could stand and shuffle around like an injured turtle the way you do!" He joined Sasuke's side, now noticing the small group of children who had just ran into the park, all heading to the sandbox at once in a mini-parade, all giggles and screams. Sai became distracted by them before rolling into a pause.

"Ne, Sasuke does this make us friends?" He asked out of genuine curiousity. This type of activity seemed as if it would be something friends would do, but then again, maybe Sasuke did not want to a friendship and that would mean he was imposing, which Temari said wasn't good. Questions equaled clarity, in this case.

"Arigato," Sasuke replied, when Sai agreed to lend him the skates. "I promise I won't lose them." Sasuke had never lost anything a day in his life, so he wasn't worried.

They continued onward, Sasuke still moving very slowly, paying attention to the sidewalk in front of them. Sasuke furrowed his brows when Sai likened his skating to 'shuffling around like an injured turtle,' looking back up at him. Again, it was a contradiction. There was no hint of sarcasm to Sai's words, so it should be taken as an insult, but the way Sai said it -- so brightly, like a compliment ... what a paradox. He would have chalked it up to Sai being an idiot, or possibly a sly son of a bitch, but Sasuke liked to think he was good at reading people (you kind of had to be, in his family), and Sai was neither of these. It was something else.

Sasuke noticed Sai rolling to a stop, and so made to follow, though he was still several feet from him before he finally did. He looked around in surprise when Sai asked if they were friends, the expression clearly registering on his face.

"Friends ... ?" He repeated, before falling silent for a moment. If it had been anyone else, Sasuke would have immediately rejected the thought, but the way Sai said it, so innocently curious, made him swallow that down and choose his words more carefully. "I'm not in a place where I can have friends right now," he decided, meeting Sai's gaze squarely.

"Gomen," he said softly, before turning around to begin skating again.

Sai, being as emotionally stunted as he was physically, could only look at the ground in after Sasuke spoke those words. He was confused, terribly so. There was a rejection, followed by an apology. What was the apology for? And what did he mean by those words? Not being in the right place. It appeared that he was more complex then what met the eye. Sai didn't deal with complexities all that well either. So he decided to leave it at that and would save further wondering for when he was alone, or the next time he saw Temari. Perhaps she could explain what happened here a bit more clearly.

Catching up with him, he fixed back on the smile he had lost. "You came to a stop," he pointed out. "I think I've taught all the basics behind skating as of now." Sasuke was either a really good student, or he was a really good teacher. Maybe it was a combination of both?

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 06:35:56 GMT

Who: Minato and Naruto
What: The beautiful bond between father and son. After Naruto decides that freelance fist-fighting is an awesome idea.
Where: The street. In a car. The open road~
When: February 4, late evening
Warnings: With these two? Eh.

The police had been nice enough with their fake smiles and tips of their hats. Minato was sure one of them was fumbling over himself and questioning whether he should ask for an autograph or be daring enough to touch the actor's hair. Funny thing that. There were even a few in the back that seemed to acknowledge him with a grimace, probably not fond of the man's line of work or the things he did on the job. The few minutes of degrading torture was nothing. He could honestly handle that because he was a person of patience. He could suck it up long enough to spring his son out of jail and escort him to the car; even make a witty remark about keeping the handcuffs. Minato could handle this.

But his expression hadn't changed since he got in the car. Everything stopped dramatically when he started the engine and headed out onto the main road, not even sparing Naruto a glance. This was how he dealt with anger. Silently. He kept it bottled in because he just wasn't the type to express it well. What he was capable of were long expanses of time where he buried the anger away until it was barely anything at all. Having Naruto as a son had equipped him for that over the years. But it was when something like this happened... when the stupidity of the boy's actions fried his nerves...

There would be an ominous fire to that silence. His eyes kept narrow and dangerously content with watching the car ahead of him.

As soon as the cops had been called at the diner, Naruto had feared only one thing: Minato finding out. It was inevitable, and Naruto had known his phone call would be to the man, but he honestly wasn't sure how his father would react. He'd half-predicted that he would have been forced to spend the night in the slammer, but Minato had decided to be merciful - in that area, at least.

Inside the station, Minato had said minimal words to Naruto, mostly speaking to the officers present, and once they were out Minato didn't so much as glance in his direction, leaving Naruto to squirm in his own silence, wondering how badly he was going to be grounded. It seemed weird now, thinking about being grounded, since he'd lived away from home for so many months. Was he too old for Minato to be able to ground him? Did that end once a person exited their teenage years?

The younger blond stared out of his window while they drove along, feeling stressed and guilty. He wished Minato would just yell at him already and get it all out. Naruto wasn't stupid, and he knew his father well enough to know he was furious. The last thing he wanted was the silent treatment.

"I didn't go looking for trouble!" he suddenly blurted out, tearing his eyes away from the window to look around at Minato. "Sasuke and I don't get along. It was wrong place at the wrong time. We already had a fistfight on set, it's not like this was with some random guy!" Not like last time - yes, Naruto had a prior for fighting - when the guy definitely had been random (blame it on alcohol). "And when we were in there together, I think we came to an understanding! This won't happen again. It was just a mistake and I'm sorry!"

They were at a stop light and only the cars air conditioning could give Minato solace. If only he was easily distracted so that he Naruto's words didn't make it through the shield his father was trying to put up. He just wanted to drive to the diner and drop his son off. Maybe go home and forget the day ever happened. He should have known better. Naruto would never learn. It was something he'd accepted the first time he'd kicked the boy out of his home to fly with his own wings. He'd known.

Yet he still let it get to him. Was he truly in the wrong because of that? To be horribly disappointed because all of his instilled wisdom went in one ear and out the other? Minato knew he was allowed to be. He merely thought that at this point in time he could look to his son as a father should. With pride or some other form of happiness due to Naruto's growth as a person. Instead he spent his time picking up the pieces as if the young man was still a toddler. It was depressing.

He was silent after Naruto finished talking, the grip on the steering wheel tightening as the light flashed green and he stepped down on the gas. "But trouble seems to find you. Isn't that right?" His tone was quiet, eyes still not bothering to make the transition from road to blond. It wasn't worth the car wreck. "You have many mistakes, Naruto. Don't take this situation to mean that I'm surprised. I've come to expect this sort of behavior. What an absolute pity." A deep breath. He needed to stay calm. "-To even cause a scene at work. News to me. Have you forgotten you have eyes on you or did that briefly slip your damned mind?"

When Minato finally spoke to him, Naruto pursed his lips with discontent, wanting to say that, yes, trouble found him, but he was sure it wasn't the right thing to say and, to be honest, he didn't want to piss Minato off more than he already was. It was fair that Minato was angry, and Naruto wouldn't take that away from him; he most likely couldn't take it away from him, even if he was a saint for the rest of the week. Naruto was also angry at himself, but he didn't like being so lowly in Minato's eyes, and that bothered him more than the rest of the situation, easily.

He'd thought about his New Year's Resolution in jail and he thought about it again in that moment in the car. It had been to grow up and not cause his father too much stress for the whole year. Naruto hadn't been thinking of it when he'd spotted Sasuke in the restaurant, and he hadn't even been thinking about being a big man and making amends. Both of the young men had acted childishly, but Naruto would take most of the credit for that evening.

"I don't know. All I wanted to do was aggravate him a bit. I wanted to embarrass him like he embarrassed me at work when he punched me on set. Harmless stuff. I made a mistake, it's not like it's the end of the world, and you won't even have to deal with it. All I need is a ride, Dad, and I'm twenty so you shouldn't even care!" As he said the words, Naruto knew he should just shut up and stop the line of conversation, but something in him pressed forward. He didn't want to stop talking to Minato. He wanted to get everything out, even though he wasn't sure what he wanted to tell his father, exactly.

How could he handle himself when he couldn't even tell what he was feeling half the time?

He had expected Naruto to snap back since it was practically what he was known for. To run at the mouth and not look back or fear persecution. In some ways that was an amazing trait; to never doubt yourself or your words. But when it messed with someone else personally it wasn't something to look up to anymore. It was more of an annoyance than anything else. Words out of the mouth of a stubborn man. Minato's patience waned and his nails dug into the leather cover of the steering wheel.

"Are you daft? Are you completely daft, Naruto?!" The car veered to a corner and then to a halt completely. He let the engine running, ignoring the honking as cars veered by, caught off guard by the seemingly calm car stopping so suddenly. "How can you ever expect me to not give a damn if you constantly trial my life? Because every which way I go you are there acting like a child. And every damn day I have to worry if you're capable of living because you're NOT mature. You're NOT what a twenty year old young man should be!"

Eyes met and for once didn't look away. He wanted Naruto to face him like this. He wanted the words to sink in just once because he couldn't handle another mishap again. Nor the embarrassment of having to treat his adult son like a child. What did that make him as a parent? "But you're my son and only family and you matter the world to me. How dare you say otherwise."

Clinging onto the door handle for dear life, Naruto's body strained against the seat belt as the car came to a quick stop, his heart beating faster than usual in his chest at the surprise of his father's actions. That Minato was too angry to drive was a bad sign, and Naruto glanced over at his father again with caution, listening to what he was saying. It was nothing new, and nothing that Naruto hadn't figured out as well. Yet he wasn't quite sure what a twenty year old was supposed to do, and might have argued that no one was supposed to do any one thing, but he'd save the bullshit for another time.

"That's not what I meant," he said, feeling tense. Minato wasn't going to give him any leeway with what he said, so he had to choose his words carefully. Unfortunately, that was not his strong suit. "I know you care. I just meant ... I'm not a kid anymore ... and I'm not making you deal with this. All I'm asking for is a ride. Otherwise ... you can act like this never happened." Deep down, Naruto knew it all was way more complex than that, but if he admitted that then he'd have to face what Minato was saying and he didn't want to do that.

"I'm just dealing with a lot of stuff right now! And it's like I've got no one to talk to, so I felt -- really frustrated!" Lame excuse and he knew it, but he continued. "And I've lived away from you for months without too much trouble. I know I called you and quit that life and I'm living with you again, but it's not for long! I'm in college, like you wanted. I'm not totally on the wrong track!"

"Months that could have been spent growing up. But you can't begin to comprehend that because you merely replaced the stability I gave you with another. Or is there something else you call Mr. Tobi other than ex-husband?" The low blow went off without a hitch, his anger choosing the words for him. Naruto had gotten into fights before. He'd been accosted by police and everything bad around him always seemed to drag him in. He had a big heart, Minato understood. But Naruto was there to take all the blame because it was his fault in the first place. Trouble found him because he let it.

"You should be well on your life without my constant nudging. You should want to go to college, not because of me, but to make something for yourself. You have a bloody choice, Naruto."

Finally letting go of the steering wheel he folded his arms tightly over his chest, eyes directed forward. He couldn't take the excuses flying at him seriously. Not without wanting to use his hands for harm. Usually when Naruto decided to make a fool of himself Minato could walk away or kick Naruto out. Things were a bit difficult when they were on the side of a major highway. "I did not give up a better half of my life so you could squander it with these immature things. I can't hold you accountable, but I had so much hope for you. It would be a lie on my part if I were to say I wasn't disappointed." The streetlight flickered on and briefly his attention wandered. "But nothing will change until you stop doing for everyone else and decide to change yourself. I give up."

Naruto took the low blow in stride, merely averting his eyes as he let it hit him. Minato was right, of course, as he usually was. After his short stunt toying with things he didn't understand (like love and relationships) when he was fifteen, Naruto had basically stuck to Minato. His father had always been his best friend, even if he'd had many other people surrounding him at all times. Naruto was social, but he was afraid to give his heart out. Unable to help it, people did capture pieces of it, but no one like his father.

After Naruto had felt rejected by Minato upon being kicked out, and with all of the things that followed (which were basically all Naruto's fault, anyway), he had to admit that it spurred him to pull Tobi closer to him as he groped for someone to replace that emptiness in his heart. Even though he liked to think of himself as a loner, Naruto was nothing without the people he loved most. And if he couldn't have that with Minato anymore (one of the reasons he'd only accepted Obito's place in Minato's life, kicking and screaming), he'd need to find someone else. It wasn't a conscious choice, but in hindsight it was pretty obvious.

Not to say he didn't love Tobi. Yes, love Tobi, but if Minato hadn't had a falling out with him it would have been likely that Naruto wouldn't have been desperate enough to marry the Uchiha in the first place. It wasn't an excuse, because damn had that been dumb, but it was an explanation, at least.

"I don't want to talk about it," he said, his voice low and thick because he was getting emotional. The last thing he wanted to do was cry to Minato again; he needed to be stronger than that. It was just difficult when you found yourself giving you life up for someone who didn't even want you the way you wanted them. And, upon realizing you did want them, to feel so scared all you could do was run. That was Naruto's situation with Tobi, and it was honestly killing him. "I like college and I want to change, so we can leave it at that."

He'd gone wrong during some point to allow Naruto to ever think they would be classified as friends. They got along fine. They had fun and bonded. Even had the occasional fight that was common place for father and son. But somehow during that transition Naruto had lost what sense of respect he had for Minato and transformed that into something like a buddy. Minato wasn't his son's best friend. He was his father. It left a bitter taste in his mouth when his son never conducted the right sort of respect for him and it made him lash out. It made Minato be far more strict than he really had to be to somehow ingrain into the boy's mind that a few chuckles and sweet talk wouldn't save him.

Sometimes it infuriated him to no end. Maybe if Naruto wasn't so chummy he wouldn't get in so much trouble. Maybe if he saw Minato as a father and not a friend then he would have grown and matured because he wouldn't constantly think there would be somewhere soft to land when he failed. And failed on purpose. The migraines were almost not worth the anxiety he had because of Naruto's misbehavior. Times like these when something tested Minato's nerves... He just didn't know what he did wrong, but knew for a fact that it was something. He'd screwed Naruto up for life and nothing would be able to mend it.

"You're running again. Is it hard for you, Naruto? Sorry can't always save you. You did wrong. You face it. That's how you grow up." There was a bottle of pain killers at home he would choke down with a glass of whiskey. Maybe tell Orochimaru of his adventures over the phone. Then call Obito. He would come over just by noticing the tone in his voice, that much he was sure of. He would need someone to help him soften the blow the evening left in his psyche.

"I'm getting too old to raise a child, Naruto. I don't expect you to leave completely. You left so suddenly last time and didn't understand. I don't want to cut ties. I need you to grow up." Not too much farther to the diner now; only a few more blocks. Minato knew he would have to wrap this up and only hope a minuscule part got through the idiot's brain. "-You can only change by your own, though. I honestly doubt you're strong enough to stand on your own."

Minato was being hard on him, but Naruto was used to it by now. At first it had been quite the blow, but Minato had been using the same approach for months and it was no surprise anymore. It still hurt for many reasons, but most of all it hurt because he couldn't argue and be right about it. Naruto knew he was screwing up at every turn, knew he was running, and knew that saying sorry couldn't save him. He wasn't Minato's legal responsibility anymore, and though he knew Minato would never abandon him, he knew that Minato was at wit's end with him.

It was the doubt that he was strong enough to stand on his own that got to him. Naruto felt something clench inside of him, and anger flashed through him. The anger wasn't exactly directed at Minato, but it was in direct response to what he said. The idea of it was what infuriated him, and yes, that Minato would think it. The only reason Naruto wasn't immediately pissed off at his father was that he remembered very well how he'd come crawling back. He really hadn't demonstrated any stability or ability to stand on his own.

But it still wasn't fair. There had been extenuating circumstances! Couldn't Minato see that? So what if he needed help and comfort! If nothing else, the sentence was a deadly blow to his ego.

"You don't know that. You don't know anything about me!" he lashed out, his teeth bared. It was a juvenile thing to say, but he didn't particularly care at the moment.

Refraining from expressing his shock as Naruto yelled back at him, Minato took a moment to close his eyes and breath in deep. Never in his life did he enjoy screaming matches. They were too immature and uncalled for. But when it had settled, when the feeling of Naruto's verbal lashing finally stopped thrumming through the car... He let it soak in. He let Naruto's words settle and get to him in a way that had him unlocking the car doors and unbuckling his seat belt.

"Apparently I don't. To use that tone... I don't remember raising some teenage nit of a girl." Minato spat back, deciding that his patience wouldn't be rewarded. He didn't appreciate that tone of voice. Not when he'd gone out of his way to pick the idiot up and drive him to the ends of town. It was disrespectful. It was rude. The venom in his voice he normally reserved for those special moments was teetering on the edge. How he desperately wanted to cave and snap like any true lineage of his blood would. Kushina would be proud...

"What I do know is that you're a coward. That you busy yourself with everyone else to escape your own life. You make their life yours, Naruto. You don't bother at all to better yourself. Only to have fun." He didn't pause or take a breath. Instead he opened the door and stepped outside, horns blasting at the scene as they drove by. The side of a highway was no place for this in the darkness of early night. Too many dangers and risks. But far worse things could happen if he stayed in that car another moment.

"Because I'm your father, eh?! You complete dolt. I've raised you. I've rescued you from every last failed attempt that you would rather forget. I know every last failure and every last achievement. I know you, Naruto." His fingers curled over the rim of the door, peeking in to look into the man's baby blues again. "By all means if you're so completely stupid to really believe that statement then get out of my damned car now. Because I will not accept your childish behavior anymore. I don't give rides to strangers."

Getting called a teenage girl definitely didn't help his anger, nor how Minato continued and called him a coward, reading his actions better than anyone else possibly could. Despite his words before about how much Minato didn't know him, Naruto wasn't surprised Minato could read him like a book. It made him feel sick to his stomach anyway, because he hated getting called out on all of his shortcomings. It wasn't fair. Sure, Naruto knew Minato, but he couldn't read his father so completely, which was how it should have been between a father and son. Not that Naruto felt they were equals, he felt Minato was his superior, but he didn't want to accept the traditional role of Minato's son for some reason. Even Naruto himself didn't quite understand his own feelings.

Naruto remained quiet as Minato got out of the car, a pressure welling up inside of him. Minato knew him, but he didn't know about him. He didn't understand why, as as many lengths as Naruto took to hide that part of himself from his father, he often felt the urge to blurt everything out. Naruto hated keeping important things from Minato, though was just fine with avoiding or lying about the small stuff - most of which Minato found out about, anyway. It was seriously a wonder Naruto had kept some of the things he had from Minato, but then again ... it hadn't been too difficult. Minato had only been a co-worker for a short time.

Grabbing the door handle, Naruto pulled on it and swung the door open, not having to worry about oncoming traffic like Minato had to. After slamming the door, Naruto glared over the top of the car and finally blurted it out.

"Did you know I've been in porn since I was fifteen?! Why do you think I changed so much back then? Just because?! You might know how I am, but you don't know why!" He took a short pause. "Call me anything you want, then! I don't care anymore!"

At first all he could really hear were cars buzzing by, traffic some ways off making itself known with blaring horns and yelling of those with a quick temper. Those people were probably heading home back to their normal families to spend a normal night doing normal things. They were lucky to be so mundane and not have to worry about this sort of conflict. Those people would never have to worry about feeling half the emotions Minato was right now and they wouldn't have to fight to say anything or form a conscious thought. Because the normal people wouldn't be in this situation to begin with.

Minato usually could think on his toes. It didn't take much for him to say something smart or sarcastic. There was an answer to everything and he was the man to supply that. Except sometimes. Sometimes his tongue decided it wouldn't work for him. His voice box would run off and his emotions would overrun any logical thought. But for a man that ignored those sorts of feelings it was all the more painful when they hit him and took over. Almost too much to bare.

He didn't know how to react to how his stomach twisted and heart raced in his chest and started to hurt. He could handle anger, but was that all? Heartbroken. Deadpanned. As if someone had torn him apart and put him back together again in the whole expanse of Naruto's sentence. Reality was a painful thing. He showed that through his eyes because that's all he could do. It was the only body part that wanted to function and even then it betrayed him. But he had power of his legs. He had power over his hands. There was no other use of them but to aid him in getting back into the car and closing the door, the lock clicking loudly.

And then he started the car.

How had he gone so long not knowing? How had Naruto kept such a thing a secret? Why had he done it? Was it all Minato's fault? Questions filled his mind, pain taking hold of his body as he stared forward, eyes filled with emotion and fingers on the ignition. Buzzing wasn't there anymore. Naruto had already faded into the background. Only thing was for certain and that was he needed to get home. Maybe for once he could find some normal there.

There was a heavy weight in his chest, but at the same time he felt relief. Relief that he had finally told his father, and whatever happened would happen. As far as he knew, there was nothing Madara could hold over him anymore; nothing he could threaten him with. Naruto didn't care about anything else.

But he'd expected Minato to say something. He'd expected Minato to yell at him, or ask him why. All Minato did was close up tighter than Naruto had ever seen anyone close up, and in what seemed like a blink of an eye he was back in the car and he was merging into traffic. Naruto yelled at Minato to wait, but it was only with half-conviction, because he didn't really want to talk about it, anyway.

Setting his jaw, Naruto turned to face oncoming traffic and stuck his thumb out, wanting to hitch a ride the short distance to the diner.

[COMPLETE LOG] Itachi, Sakura

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:27:56 GMT

Who: Sakura and Itachi
What: Coffee break, and philosophical talk. Or so they hope.
Where: Nixcore Inc., break room
When: Friday, January 2nd
Warnings: ...Itachi talks. :| Oh. Wow.

The break room has a very shiny coffee machine that leads people into believing it will provide them with good coffee, when in reality, it mechanically hands out toxic molten lava, and without the cutesy robotic voice saying 'share and enjoy'. Not that Sakura would share it with anyone.

She inserts a few coins into it, and shifts her weight from one foot to the other while waiting for the cup to fill with hot chocolate--the only bearable beverage in the whole damn contraption--and for her co-worker to show up.

Paperwork filed ready and waiting for thirty minutes of intelligent conversation over instant coffee that tasted like it was filtered through a sock. Nothing that a lot of sugar would not kill the taste to, Tobi's Christmas present worked a treat for that. The sweet flavor of strawberries, something he couldn't resist but they were now gone so he could not offer any up for his discussion today.

Breakout room reached in record time, scanning the room to make sure that no one else was around, stepping in and straight over to the machine inserting the loose change in his pocket listening to the loud thud of it landing. It sounded empty. At least someone was smart enough not to purchase from there frequently.

"If you feel queasy after consuming that, you should lie down," Itachi smirked discreetly making his own type of joke. He was not a very humor person but needless to say, that coffee could kill.

"What, it stopped working? Oh dear, I must've take the last one," she said, coming up behind him to peer over his shoulder. "You don't think it means it'll be the deadly last drop, do you?"

"With the amount of sediment in the bottom of the cup, it could be hosting any sort of deadly toxins in it," he replied, taking the cup from the holder looking at the fake foam on top. "It all depends on what they utilise it for. Happier work place or removal of the unproductive."

Death via coffee would make perfect sense. People who crowded Starbucks and other coffee establishments as if it was a life line would be perfect test subjects.

Itachi turned around and looked down at her drink and then back at his noticing the difference. "Hot chocolate, you could be safe from conspiracy theory."

"I know," she whispered conspiratorially. "I would hate to be anyone's guinea pig for making the workplace better by poisoning its employees. ...plus, at least it's bearable."

Sakura offered him a slight smile, and nodded towards the area where two empty chairs were. "Sitting or standing?"

Itachi looked over at the chairs and their already comfortable position on their feet and came to his conclusion quickly.

"Sitting," he nodded, walking over taking a seat.

The seating was adequate for the short break, not exactly overly comfortable but enough to allow you to take a load off. The table close by was satisfactory to his needs as well, placing the cup on it allowing the lukewarm liquid to cool itself down further before he was ready to take another sip.

"Has life been keeping you occupied or has it been passing you by?" he asked Sakura in the closest way he could get to 'hey, how have you been?'

Sakura took a seat as well, sipping her chocolate a bit, crossing her legs at the ankles, brushing her hair behind her ear--all signs of nervousness, maybe. Or just her OCD rituals.

"Ah, I've been advancing with it," she answered, offering him a slight grin. She remembered their first talk, the first time they really met--it had been about life progressing. "But it's been busy, yeah. If not with the festivities, then all the changes of having a job, for the first time and all... and college."

"At least you are looking to it in a affirmative light," he complimented on her outlook.

That was one thing that he had noticed, she always saw the positive out of it rather than the negative. Not everything could he reflected upon that way however, it was a change to see something viewing in this fashion. Given the turbulent state his life had been over the past couple of months, that was something he wished he could do.

"Do you see yourself coping well or will it eventually take it's toll? Merging to the two into one and managing is quite a feat. Most can not handle the pressure."

She gave his question a moment's thought, and shrugged. "I don't see why I shouldn't cope well. I mean, working at Nixcore is tame compared with all the extra-curriculars I had back in San Francisco," she answered, and ticked them off on her fingers: "Piano lessons, cram school--maybe not needed, but mother insisted--, calligraphy, writing lessons, Japanese classes, and then kickboxing, too. Now that was a killer to organize. And not just that, but I had to excell at it, too. Here?" She shrugged.

"Here I've to hand in one script or two per month, and they come surprisingly easy to write. Come in every afternoon and spend it here, which is a good change from the empty dorm room and the partying roommate. It's pretty leisurely at the moment. I've survived my finals and didn't crack under the pressure, right? I guess I can handle it."

"Indeed you are correct. You seem to be proficient at that."

He hadn't really explored into the workings of the rest of the company, the movies didn't seem to be outputting to fast which thankfully rested a heavy burden on Itachi's mind. It was never going to be avoided forever, that he knew but the longer they put off the inevitable, the longer he could remain of a clear mind.

A small sip from the cup had it at just the right temperature, taking a few more discreetly wiping away the fake froth of the powdered milk from his upper lip. It could do with some more overall taste, then it might not have been such a bad drink.

"San Fransisco? Where is that? Forgive me, I am not knowledgeable in American regions. What brought you to Los Angles?" he asked, hoping that he did not pry.

"Along the West Coast, still in California," she answered, stirring her drink with the plastic spoon-thing provided. She tried not to think much about the approval he'd given her as a compliment. Itachi had more of a knack for stating things, rather than paying compliments. At least that was her conclusion. Everyone in Nixcore had issues.

"I came here for college," she continued. "I study at UCLA... Itachi, are you from Japan?"

Itachi nodded and placed his cup back down on the table exactly on the outlining ring of where he picked it up from. Those were not his, Tobi was not doing his job too well.

"That is correct. I have only been in the country for a few months now," he told her.

The accent that still lingered thickly of his heritage was good for that. It was hard at times calling up clients and other law officials who would state that they did not understand him or make cracks at him by speaking with every second word removed. His understanding of English was better than half of the natives he came across with their strange use of slang, just because he had problems with pronouncing and differentiating R's and L's or because he had to speak slowly to get people to hear him, it did not make him ignorant.

"I did come here when I was younger for 6 months as part of an exchange, staying with a family in New York." Most of the language was refined during that time, taking over what he had learned using school.

"I've never been to New York," she mused softly, looking at him with hidden curiosity. "So...how did you end up here? Fresh out of college yourself? Did someone scout you?"

The educational system of Japan had always fascinated her as much as it had repulsed her. Yes, the level of knowledge was greater there, but so was the level of time dedicated to studying. Not that her mother hadn't raised her as if she were in a Japanese school in San Francisco, but Sakura had learned to enjoy freedom. Japanese parents often never allowed it. It was not an acceptable extra-curricular activity.

Come to think about it, now parts of his personality made more sense. Maybe he hadn't made enough friends to go out with, yet. 'Loners usually answer that', she'd told him long ago. She'd been one too, during the first months in LA. "Have you made friends here?"

Scout might have not been the correct word. It originally started like that as least so in a way it was right. "Within a month of graduating I was requested, word of my academic accomplishments somehow reached them and I was offered a position." This was where it got complicated and messy. "However, that did not work out and one thing lead to another where I found my way to employment here."

A little vague but their break was not long enough to fill in all the details, just the key points were enough. When the question about friends came up, Itachi retracted a little shaking his head. "No," he simply answered cutting it even shorter.

Sakura was the only person that he knew, spoken to outside of family and a long time friend. Other than that, the others were ghosts to him and it was fine. He had seen the kind of things they wrote about, most of the people working did not have the capability to hold his attention for more than a few minutes.

"One thing always leads to another with the employees of Nixcore, it seems," she said, placing her empty cup on the table. "If I didn't know better, I'd say there's more to this place than just hardcore erotica. I've heard the answer 'I didn't have a choice' very much around here."

She left it at that, because it was just something she'd reflected upon, nothing of greater importance. There was something more crucial to talk about. How they got here wasn't that big a deal, it was what they did afterwards. A bit baffled by his answer, she sat up straight and gave him a sharp, determined look. "Well, you've got one now. Whether you want it or not. And let me warn you, this one likes to do other things other than reading books," she told him, waving the matter off dismissively.

There was one person he knew quite well who fit that description, one that he would happily keep out of this conversation.

However, Sakura's proclamation threw him off his game a little, looking up at her teetering close to a smirk on his face managing to keep it as straight as possible. "I look forward to see what else is out there," he bowed his head to her truly meaning it.

It was not exactly what he was accustomed to but over death coffee and conversations that lasted for more than a few minutes, she intrigued him. Going all out and taking a radical step outside of his dull boundary was not yet going to happen but it was a step in a direction of learning what else there was to offer. "I take that being that reading at Borders while drinking coffee is out?"

"What? Oh, no...I think we can sacrifice a few days of our experiencing 'what else is out there' to kick back and relax at Borders," she teased. "I'd be a hypocrite to take that pleasure away from anyone."

They'd been talking for some time now, and unfortunately, it took her a few minutes to get from this break room back to her cubicle in the Writing Department, so she reluctantly stood. "I'm sorry to cut our conversation short, Itachi-san, we never got to the philosophy."

Yes, time for him to arrive. Pain was new, he was proficient from what he saw but having him around the work that he had spend so many hours perfecting has him a touch anxious to get back.

"We shall have to leave this as a to be continued," he smirked, standing to his feet following suit.

The last of the coffee now cold was drunk down, tossing the cup into the near filled bin watching it rebound around setting its position dangerously close to falling back out. "Until next time," he bowed to her.

His hand motioned towards the door for her to leave first as a gentleman should, giving her the chance to leave before he would follow.

"Until next time, then," she said, heading towards the door. At the last moment, she turned around and grinned at him. "I'll be making sure you've been smelling the roses, Itachi-san. Ja ne," she saluted, and was out.

[almost!complete log? || Minato and Sakura]

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:45:58 GMT

Who: Minato and Sakura
What: SEX. Only not really. It's CHOCOLATE TIME, because Sakura's hasn't gotten laid in one year, and she needs comfort. But why from daddy, I wonder.
Where: Park.
When: Tuesday, 24th February
Warnings: WELL IDK, TOO MUCH FLUFF?

Sakura; It was warmer now. That was a good thing, it meant spring was coming. It also meant hormones were flowing freely. More than freely, especially in Sakura's case. One year without sex. One year! And if she weren't so damn reluctant when it came to one night stands, she'd have dealt with her itches months before. But no, she liked her sex to be meaningful. At least a little bit, because all her previous experiences with it had been unsatisfactory. The battery-operated wonders of life were more effective. And chocolate.

Though seldom, she got the itch again, the feeling of loneliness, and that need to drink. In San Francisco, her friends had been there to drag her out. In L.A. ...she had Minato. And the park. Arriving early, she took a seat on the bench in front of the pond, and waited.

Minato; Maybe he was too stuck in his ways to really go and choose another place to meet those close to him for those special talks that would need careful consideration and comforting techniques. A park was too open and not private in the least. Anyone could come and go as they pleased and stop by to intrude whenever they liked. But it was Spring and even now while there was a chill in the air there were still buds blossoming in the appropriate places and the trees were slowly gaining back their youthful green. He thought that if anything Sakura would enjoy this little outing to get her mind uncluttered and perhaps even tell him just what was going on. Minato wasn't the intrusive sort, at least not with women. He knew that they were gentle creatures whom needed a gentle prod but to be otherwise left alone until problems came to the surface.

Spotting that shock of pink hair he tucked the box of chocolates under his arm. Cordial cherries for the pretty blossom. He only hoped she would enjoy them and strolled towards the bench. Silently he took his seat on the opposite side, back towards the girl and leg propped onto his knee. Coughing gently he slid the box onto the table, lovingly wrapped with a red bow.

"There's that faulty rule of not accepting candy from strangers. But for the price I paid for those I believe a gorgeous young woman such as yourself can make an exception."

Sakura; "Oh, presents!" she said, brightening up and grabbing the box. "I think I can handle taking candy from strangers at my age, Minato."

She opened the box without further formalities, and popped one chocolate into her mouth. It was delicious. It was heaven. It was definitely not sex, what the hell were people thinking with that comparison?!

"Want one?"

Minato; The girls behavior caused Minato to snort and spin around in his spot to face her, resting his chin in his palm as he watched. With his other hand he waved dismissively the promptly patted the girl on the cheek. "Dark chocolate is pure venom to me. Milk chocolate is my poison. You'll be happy to know that whole box is for you and only you."

Happy to see that Sakura didn't look near as depressed as he thought she would be a smile tugged lightly at his lips. "I will be deeply disappointed if I learn that you've shared."

Sakura; "Ah...the best pleasures in life are meant to be shared," she said, blantantly flirting with the man who'd inspired her first script, and really did help in some of those lonesome nights. But of course he didn't need to know that. Because he was her adoptive father now, it seemed.

"Or something like that, I don't know." She waved a hand dissmissively and ate another chocolate, letting out a small moan. "How can you call this venom?"

Minato; "More true words have never been spoken. But only share the spoils with the most righteous." To that he meant anyone who didn't deserve the treats. The last thing he needed was Naruto's sweets craving being satiated by the girl. Or anyone for that matter. Maybe Minato was just a possesive man, but those were for Sakura and no one else. And that was that.

"I've just never had the taste for it," he admitted, taking some form of amusement in Sakura's reaction. She really did need a good lay if chocolate was causing those noises. Abnormal thought for an apparent step-father, but sex was nothing but an action to him at this point. He could speak of it freely and still keep his dignity with poise. "-Honestly I shouldn't have milk chocolate, either. My intolerance is almost deadly when provoked..."

Sakura; "Is it?" she murmured, half-interested, half...not. Because there was the chocolate, and her hormones, and god her life sucked. Me and my stupid moral code. Bah!

"If it were to work against lust, I'd totally swear my life to chocolate. Less troublesome."

Minato; "Too many details. Not enough of them that you would be interested in." Minato decided to sway the subject, acknowledging that a young girl such as Sakura would want nothing to do with his old man issues. That was fine with him seeing as he had come just to devote his attention to her and only her.

Raising an eyebrow at that observation, he had to semi-agree. Love was a troublesome game. As was love. He sighed before bothering to answer. "Do you really believe that, petal? Chocolate can only do so much. And once properly digested you're back to square one."

Sakura; "Petal? Seriously?" She snorted, and looked at her chocolate. "I've tested the theory."

Minato; "Sakura. The Japanese name for cherry trees and their blossoms. It would seem only fitting that you would be a petal. 'Bud' doesn't seem as dutiful to your namesake." He laid it on thick, but to be fair he was only trying to make her smile. "Again with that nonsense. What has gotten you so down? You're far too young to be so troubled."

Sakura; "Don't analyse my name," she groaned. "It's bad enough being named after a tree with pink petals." She pointed at her hair, then waved her hand dissmissively again.

"It's nothing, just..." Just. Loneliness, work, her computer being a wreck, her life being a mess, her family distancing themselves slowly from her, her love life being innexisted--totally her own choice, to be honest--her schoolwork stressing out. "Everything!" she groaned, putting her head in her hands. "Weight of the world on my shoulders and I can't even get a decent massage afterwards."

Minato; "I'm an English man. With a purely Japanese name. Do you honestly believe you have the privilege to complain when I must explain every day of my life?" This girl was too funny. Then again he'd never once thought anything of her hair. He just chucked it up to mean that he'd seen too many things in his life to notice the mundane. Pink hair being in that category. "I just happen to like the flowers. But if you don't want to be compared to something beautiful..."

Cutting himself short he chose to listen to Sakura speak, taking special notice to the rambling and not batting an eye at her outburst. Typical life journey nonsense. Been there done that. "I'm good with my hands," he spoke after careful deliberation, sliding forward and looking up into the girl's eyes with a turn of his neck, smirking fondly at his own loose words. "But almost no one learns the true facts of life during their stay on this petty Earth. Even I at this old age of mine."

"It's just about who you know. The things you do. The people you depend on. We help you stay alive. And not destroy yourself. Understand?"

Sakura; She blushed a bit at the compliment. And the unspoken offer. It made her look up at him, a little bit lost but just a little bit. "I'm strong," she assured him, and herself. "I can totally...kick karma's ass, and...not destroy myself. I can totally do that. Get back in contact with my family, and take control of my life again. Yes, I might...there might be times when I won't see it as clearly, but I'm strong."

Minato; "I have the slightest feeling that a simple promise like that won't clear up this issue." Confident in this Minato slid back down and rested his chin on folded arms, willing to spend a good portion of the day talking if that made her feel better. The blush was a start; a broken wall was better than nothing. "Be a good lass. Tell daddy what's bugging you, hm? I have all the time in the world."

Sakura; Daddy. That made her uncomfortable, because 1. Her father had never taken that much interest in her troubles and 2. She'd never masturbated to porn movies with her father in them. And god, she hoped there were none of those in the world. Surpressing a shudder, she moved to mimick his stance, and mumbled, "Nothing's bugging me. There's nothing I can put my finger on, but for some reason...today sucks."

Minato; Minato, always the clueless. If only he knew what was going on in that head then maybe he would try to distance himself from the scenario. As far as he knew Sakura had never once seen his movies. If she did then she covered that fact well. His morose smile was hidden by his arms, voice muffled, "I only aim to make you feel better, Sakura. As such I am a pawn for you to move as you please."

After a pause, "I'm in a bit of a rough spot as well. Maybe we could help each other..."

Sakura; "What do you need?" she asked, grabbing onto the chance of helping others to distract herself from whatever it was that really bothering her, or discovering it. That was always easier. Pleasing others was always easier than pleasing herself.

Minato; The same could be said for Minato. He had grasped at the chance to have a distraction away from his own problems. Naruto's latest misadenture had done something horrible to Minato's current carefree life. Where every turn someone could be watching or a new enemy could be made. It was a form of stress he hadn't felt before.

Leaning away and scratching idly at his neck, he looked away and towards the nearby swing set, suddenly debating just what he was doing putting himself out like that in the first place. "I suppose I don't need much at all. Forgive me for rambling selfishly..."

Sakura; "Minato. You're worrying me here, come on," she ordered in a more serious tone. Whatever his problem was, if she could help, he should realise that she would. So why not continue telling her? Was it a ruse? Was it really serious?

Minato; "I don't mean to worry you at all. You have enough to wrap your head around already! An old fool like me shouldn't put more on your plate." Sincerity was in his voice, but everything else was kept firmly hidden. What good was he to break in front of this girl? An act he'd never once done in front of anyone else other than those incredibly close. He would never be able to face her again in that case. "It's not an issue that needs more people involved. I can't have you in the spotlight, Sakura. Please understand."

Sakura; She frowned. This sounded dangerous. Sounded big. "Now I'm realy worried, and I don't give a rat's ass about the spotlight."

Minato; He could have made himself puff up and sound serious just as Sakura did. But he was too tired and stressed to even bother, his eyes furrowed desperately and hoping that the girl would drop it. Though to no avail... "My son has always tried to be the superhero. For a brat who can't even put on his damned underkecks himself! And for the umpteenth time he's going to risk his life." There was no reason for him to look into Sakura's eyes so he didn't bother. Instead he crossed his arms over his chest; guarded. He knew she couldn't do anything, but...

Someone needed to do the listening. Minato was tired of being on that end of the conversation.

Sakura; Naruto looked like the hero-sort. And whilst she'd been at Nixcore for only a couple of months, she really liked the boy. Man. Whatever. He had a talent of getting under people's skins, in the better sense of the words. It was only logical that this worried her and put her on allert.

"Want me to kick his ass?" she asks, her tone serious, because come on. Smile just a little bit, daddy. I'll be your precious girl, we can ditch the blonde one. "What's he done?"

Minato; Laughing at the statement did nothing to help his mood, the chuckle simmering back down as he focused on what to say next. He simply wasn't the type to talk about his issues like this so it was getting hard to find the right words as he went on. "There's no need, Sakura. Naruto won't learn through means of pain. That I assure you..." Long gone was the amused feeling he had before now, conflicted about trespassing his son's trust to tell the girl everything she wanted to know. Instead he would be very vague. Only the essentials were needed to be heard anyway.

"I'm sure you've seen or at least heard about the head of Nixcore. Madara is it? Madara Uchiha... My son has gotten himself... intertwined with that family."

Sakura; She nodded, wheels in her brain already spinning. "Through Tobi?" she ventured to ask, and wondered what sort of man was Madara. Probably an evil one, if Minato was worried, or affected by him. It was strange, because in her eyes, Minato was a very strong person. She wondered also if her talking to Itachi often made her intertwined with that family too. Or with Sasuke, Obito, Tobi.

...probably not. Whatever Naruto had done, it had to have been bigger than just a coffee break.

Minato; "Married." Was the simple reply.

Sakura; "...fuck me," was the blurted out reaction.

Minato; Jerking his attention forward, Minato's eyebrow twitched at Sakura's response. Again he was fairly amused, but couldn't find it in himself to keep that attitude. He sighed and worked a hand through his hair, shagging it and letting it catch in the wind. "-They were promptly divorced. The next day, actually. But it had already made a big enough scene. Supposedly Madara takes his family very seriously. And Naruto chose to pick fights with the man constantly."

"He's made this mess far bigger than it had to be..."

Sakura; "I heard something about it, but Naruto's response in regards to his relationship with Tobi was very ambiguous," she said, frowning slightly. "Marriage, though? Jesus...Takes very seriously sounds to me like every move they make has to be approved by him." Typical Japanese hierarchy in the family. She abhored it.

"I think I can see why he'd pick fights with him..."

Minato; "I can understand a man's need to protect those he holds dear. But there is a time and a place. With this person there simply is no choice where you stand. You just don't." The strain on his words was evident, inhaling slowly before he continued, "... I have been lucky with Obito. He has been presumed dead by most of the family. Otherwise I do not know where we would be."

"I'm not concerned with what the man does, Sakura. My main concern is my son. Naruto has chosen a fight he cannot win and has promptly decided that if he lose his life then so be it."

There were children playing off in the distance now, the squeaks of chains catching his attention. He watched them toddle, idly comparing them to his own child; the way they had played in a park back home in Manchester. That maybe perhaps things would have been better if they had stayed and suffered there. That much he would never know. "... He's all I have since Kushina. How can he be so selfish..."

Sakura; She didn't know what to say. What was there to say to this situation? That she was sorry? That she wanted to help? Of course she wanted to help. She placed one hand on Minato's shoulder and squeezed. "He probably doesn't think of it like that..."

Minato; There was a long silence where he didn't say anything. He concentrated on observing his surroundings and not the gentle grip on his shoulder, just ever so pensively keeping his eyes away from it. On top of all things he could not for the life of him accept comfort evenly. It made him awkward and he did his best to not show it to Sakura, instead softening his expression to make himself look appeased. "I've already spoke with him. It just isn't that easy with that brat... He knows very well how I feel. He just thinks he's invincible..."

Sakura; "God..." She frowned again, more at Naruto than at Minato. "Boys are idiots."

Minato; "Pity that be true..." Reaching forward Minato popped one of the chocolate out of the case, looking at it disinterestedly, "When we first learned of having a child Naruto was thought to be a girl. Funny how things work out."

Sakura; "I'm sure you can change that with a few snips," she dryly suggested.

Minato; "The lower hemisphere is unfortunately not the issue this time around..."

Sakura; "I meant to his ego."

Minato; "And again," No, he really don't want the chocolate at all and put the blasted thing back in the box and began to sit up, stretching as he pulled away from the bench, "I think Duckie is genuine. He wants to help. Just doesn't fully comprehend the magnitude of the situation."

"... I've been there for him too much. He doesn't know what it is to completely fall and not be able to get back up."

Sakura; Again, she didn't know what to say. But faced with these sort of situations, actions were better than words. She stands up with him, and faces him, arms stretched out.

Minato; Staring, Minato dropped his arms and watched as the girl stood and approached him. At first he didn't react, instead looking at Sakura like she'd grown another head... And simply wasted no time in accosting her and taking her into his arms, squeezing her gently against his chest. Maybe this was what he needed. It wouldn't fix anything and he'd been far too much trouble to deal with, but...

"Thank you."

Sakura; "Anytime," she mumbled, and hugged him tight.

[Closed Log] A Coffee and Cake Outing

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:44:54 GMT

Who: Itachi & Sakura
What: Chatting over real coffee and fresh air after Sakura's long awaited return
Where: A small cafe that is not Starbucks
When: 19th February
Warnings: None. They are both stable people

A local Starbucks or the work break out room would not suffice for this meeting. It had been over a month since he had the chance to sit down with Sakura and have a nice discussion over important matters, important being those little philosophical questions in life that needed to be solved. Somewhere nice and quiet that was not filled with the popular generic coffee or instant from a machine was in order, Itachi taking the time to scout the local coffee shops in the area and found one that would be sufficient for that need as well as something to quell his sweet tooth.

So much had happened while she had gone MIA, so much that he would not talk about to her about his own life but the company she gave was enough to dull down the feeling inside for peace. This was going to be a good day out. Yes, it would be. She was always saying that he should get out into the world more often as smell those roses or this time, the delicious scent of freshly brewed coffee. This would be a good start.

He had given her directions earlier in the day in case work kept him back, arriving to the shop looking around for the vibrantly colored girl to see if he was late. Thankfully he had gotten out on his expected time so if she had made it already, she would not have been waiting too long.

Sakura: Sakura was indeed waiting at the coffee shop, a nice little quiet place that she wasn't familiar with but that she already adored simply for their display of assorted pastries. She was going to order a slice of strawberry tart, a slice of three layered chocolate cake and one lemon muffin as a digestive piece to end the meal. And black coffee, two sugars and a bit of milk. She was already salivating at the thought of it, but not quite.

She picked a table in a dimly lit corner of the shop, and hung her blue coat on the back of the chair. This isn't a date, she told herself repeatedly. This is not a date, so don't worry about wearing jeans and the only clean sweater --no wait, there's a spot there-- you've left. Tapping her fingers against the surface of the table, she waited. And waited.

Itachi: Looking around finally spotting her in the corner of the room, Itachi did not raise his hand to greet like a friend frivolously would do to another, instead pulling out the chair and slipping down onto the seat.

"I apologize for my lateness. I hope you were not waiting too long," he gave her a small bow of his head.

Work was not at all casual for him, always in a suit but he was going to make himself somewhat more comfortable by taking his jacket off and hanging it over the back of the chair, crossing his fingers resting his chin on top examining the girl. "Have you ordered yet?"

Sakura: "Don't worry, Polland hasn't been invaded yet," she replied, offering him a smile. "No, not yet. I was...staring longily at my future food and making mental promises to it."

You're a good cake, yes you are. Oh yes you are. "I thought we should order together, so neither has to wait."

Itachi: Giving a deep hum to her brilliant plan for time efficiency, Itachi took the other menu out and scanned over the different blends of coffee and the assortment of rich, sticky, overall calling to the pancreas for death, cakes. Their Tiramasu looked to die for. Their chocolate cake looked so moist but maybe too sweet for his taste buds but still, he could have asked her to split it with him.

Putting his hand up for the waiters attention, he turned back to Sakura, closing over the menu on his side. "Have you decided? Or are you still going over the copious amount of choices?" he asked, ready to put his hand back down just in case.

Sakura: "Yeah. Well, sort of. I'm going to start with a strawberry tart, then a slice of that chocolate cake, and end with a lemon muffin just so I don't get sick from all that sweetness." She scratched her cheek sheepishly--so she liked to eat. Thankfully the excersising she got done allowed her to eat all she liked.

"Oh...and a coffee, yeah."

Itachi: How could someone so small fit all that in? "So that means we are ready then."

When the waiter came over he placed his order first, relaying he wanted the Italian coffee cake and mocchacino. Money had been extremely tight of late so this was a big of a treat he was going to get especially with these prices. As long as it tasted delicious then it would be a worthwhile spoiling for himself. Itachi needed it as much has he wouldn't admit it, he just needed a bit of me time. He allowed Sakura to make her own order in case she changed her mind half way through, sitting back in the chair still stiff and uptight but overall, it was a good change with the little slouch of his shoulders.

Sakura: She ordered her food and coffee with the knowledge that she was spending her extra-expenses money of the week and not really regreting it. When that was done with, she looked up at him again, resting her chin in her palm. "You look tense."

Itachi: "A lot of work on my plate as of recent. Many not been pulling their weight," he inwardly sighed. More personal issues than work, work was the only thing that kept him busy. "Ever since I won by first case by default, it seems that I am not the primate candidate for taking it to court level. As enjoyable as it is, it is taxing on my mind. Much as your rush of studies would have been."

That was right. She said she was booked out with finals and exams. "How did you think you went with them?"

Sakura: "Well," she answered, every bit as confident in them as a year before. "It's not always just work and school though, is it? That's a different tension."

Itachi: He had never discussed his brother with her or even knew if she was aware of him. Sakura seemed to pull people towards her so there was a chance that she had but keeping his private life out of the work place was something he was a firm believer in. While she did not look to have ties with the upper management, it was better to be safe than have a bullet wound in his back so discretion was going to be required.

"It seems to be the primary source of most next to money issues and family. The basic cycle bringing one of these elements in."

Coffee and treat has arrived, placed down before them long with the sugar packets which Itachi went straight for, putting three in and stirring the drink slowly watching the mixture of cocoa powder and foam combine.

Sakura: "Family?" she asked, startled. He had family, of course she knew that, but she wasn't aware that he had family in Nixcore. That was definitely new. "Who's your family in Nixcore?" She couldn't imagine prim-and-proper Itachi being the relative of a porn star.

Now that she thought about it, there was one person who resembled him, in a younger, ten times more the jerk version. No way, she thought. If Itachi was that angry kitten's family, she was going to definitely enjoy herself in the future.

She reached for her coffee, fixing it with sugar and milk, and took a sip. "Mmm! This is definitely an upgrade."

Itachi: Either Sakura has not met many during her time or they were not on last name basis with most of them as there were quite a few wandering around with the same surname which in America and being Japanese name was kind of rare. Then the stereotypical outlook popped into his head that the Westerners had about them, something about usually when they migrate its three generations packed into one house. The Uchiha's lived up to that well.

"Tobi and Obito are cousins of mine. From what side and where down the line I am not too sure but they are related to myself," he explained not at all treating her idiotically about the question. The less people that knew about the mass relationship the better. Sakura was an exception in her own right. Not too forthcoming with her but not exactly denying.

Sakura: "Oh, snap!" She slapped her palm to her forehead. "I hadn't realised--I haven't been on Uchiha-san basis with them ever since we met. Family, huh?" Well that explained why he was at their house during Thanksgiving. What an odd family they had.

"You know, there's this other guy that resembles you a lot."

Itachi: Itachi waved it off. Slip ups happened and she had met them before which saved explanations however, when the one came up that resembled him, he paused. Raising the coffee cup to his lips slowly, he blew gentle across the surface causing the steam to rise up taking a sip of the still hot liquid and put it back down on the table with his hands still wrapped around it.

"Who might that be?" he asked curiously.

Sakura: "Sasuke," she said, speaking the name as if it were an itch that she couldn't reach to scratch. Ironically, she thought she represented the same thing to the angry little moeblob. That in itself amused her enough to not lash out at him as in the first day.

Itachi: Ah, yes. It seems the younger Uchiha has reached out and touched the life of another with the way it came from her lips. American life had not yet grabbed him with what might have been another angry co-worker beckoning for blood.

"Yes, we would look alike," he nodded, taking another long drawn out sip of his drink, returning it down once again. "He is my younger brother."

Sakura: "He is?" she made a noncomital sound. That'd explain all his problems. She could imagine why he wouldn't mention his brother... Actually, she couldn't. Maybe family matters were not discussed outside the family with the Uchihas. Well, it was the same with the Haruno, after all. If her mother's friends had known all she forced her child to go through, she doubted her mother would still have friends.

Sakura shrugged that thought off, and picked up her strawberry tart, ready to eat it. "Well at least now I know who's the nicer brother," she said, and placed the tart down. She picked up the knife and cut it in half, passing one onto his coffee plate.

Itachi: Itachi looked down at his plate at the shared food and bowed his head a little to her, saying thanks for her generosity. Picking up the small dessert fork, he broke a piece of the tart off and instead of taking it whole, went straight for the strawberry. The sugar glaze on top made it sweeter than the usually tart aftertaste received from biting into a fresh one, a small, very small, barely audible moan got his approval for it.

"For whatever my brother has said or done to have brought ill feelings towards him, I hope you can see past that." He placed the fork down and rubbed his lips together to savor that delicious sweetness for the moment it would be forgotten about, lacing his fingers together once again. "On the surface he comes off as brash, underneath there is more to him."

There was so much more he could have put forth for an argument but it was Sasuke's responsibility to show that, then again, there was two sides to a person. Who you were and who you wanted people to see. There was nothing for Itachi to gain for justifying his actions, he just wanted him to fit in. At least, make a friend.

Sakura: Sakura was busy enjoying her second sip of coffee when she heard that soft noise, and she stopped, the rim of her cup frozen at a hair's breath away from her lips, and she looked at him. Was that seriously a moan? Over a strawberry? Oh hell yeah, Itachi, looks like you're human too. She licked her lips briefly before taking the next sip from her coffee, mentally noting down a weakness to strawberries under Itachi's file.

"Of course, I'm aware," she answered, shifting in her seat and crossing her legs. She was well aware that people didn't always show their true selves to the rest of the world. She didn't do that often, either. Still, it didn't excuse Sasuke's jerk-attitude, at least not in regards to her work. "I hope he's aware that all the teasing I submit him to isn't with a hurtful attention. I mean, I've grown to get along well with people with whom I initially clashed."

Itachi: "Hopefully. You seem to have a high tolerance for people," Itachi commented on the observation he had made himself. She was here in a coffee store with him sharing cake and talking life, most would have got bored in a few minutes and moved on. Even the more abrupt people of the workplace she was able to get along with. Her patience must have been astoundingly high.

Sakura: She let out a sigh and started to split her chocolate slice of cake in two. "My parents didn't have a very high tolerance with me. Do this, don't do that, act like this, act like that...when I failed them, they would let me know. Mother, at least, still does it efusively. Dad learned to be lenient when he realised that I wasn't some genetically engineered robot, but his only daughter, and one that had inherited his right hook. I learned very easy how to please people, but I never had friends until I started kickboxing. The people there helped me be myself, no strings and no masks on," she explained, her voice low and calm as if telling a bed time story, even though she was regaling him the story of her life.

"I got that chance from others who were patient with me," she said, and mutely pushed one half of the cake onto his plate when he was holding the cup. "Everyone else deserves the same from me."

Itachi: Itachi listened to the story of her upbringing quietly, trying to place himself in that situation where someone was controlling his every aspect of his li-.... oh, never mind. He did have that but never really looked at it from a perspective like that, his parents were very supportive when it came to most things, his father liked to push for excellence so he could identify to an extent.

"At least you can look back and say that it build character. The outlook you have is certainly positive and I commend you for that. So far my experience in America has not been exactly inviting from most but you prove there are some out there who are decent in this place."

Sakura: She blushed slightly and lowered her gaze. "You've to stop it with the compliments, a girl could get used to them," she murmured, picking lint from her sleeve. This is ridiculous, she told herself, stop mortifying yourself, you awkward thing, you.

Itachi: What he said was only true, she was one of the rare few in this place that was stimulating to talk to, she did not judge people and overall was good company. Plus she had good taste in delicious food.

"It's only the truth," he nodded, pushing his glass over to Sakura fill with the combination of coffee soaked cake and custard. "But I might need to stop spending time with you. I am going to put on weight at this rate."

A sudden rarity came from the Uchiha, a small half upturn of his lips coming across as an awkward smile. "Taste this," he offered, unable to spoon it out onto her plate without it coming out as a big blob which would ruin in.

Sakura: "We'll run laps each morning, and eat cake at night," she said, laughter in her voice as she leaned accross the table to take the offered spoon into her mouth. The taste made her let out a tiny noise of satisfaction as she sat back down in her seat. She closed her eyes, happy. "Ah, well...I don't care what others say about diets, eating and enjoying food is much too much fun."

Itachi: As if Sakura had notice that little secret of the sweet loving ways so he couldn't talk. He worked it off his vice so it wouldn't settle on him, however, could never turn down. Not that bringing him cake would make him a push over at all so anyone wanted to try and pull that trick on him would be sorely mistaken.

"Nothing wrong with the little guilty pleasures of life," he agreed in his own way, turning back to the heavy moist chocolate cake, neglecting his drink in the mean time.

Sakura: Sakura nodded in agreement, then leaned her chin on her palm again, studying him with interest that was not malignant. "What other guilty pleasures do you have?"

Itachi: Hmmm, that was a hard question. There was not much that he enjoyed or went out and experienced it. During his time at university, Itachi had not ventured out and took on the wild side like most people did to use that as their chance to let his hair down so nothing else had been discovered.

"Nothing comes to mind," he truthfully told, sipping on his coffee finally. "Yourself?"

Sakura: She had to take a few moments to think about that answer--which she took advantage of to take another drink from her coffee. Probably sex, when done right, she thought to herself. After all, if she did all that 'research'... well, she'd long since stopped using 'research' as an excuse; it was fun. But that was only her solo career, because she'd had a few awful experiences with other men. Then again, hey! Most women at Nixcore said that sex was great when done right, and she loved when things were done right, which probably meant she'd get addicted to that with much ease.

...probably not something to talk to Itachi about. "Dark chocolate. Belgian," she answered, frowning in deep thought. "A warm cup of tea in the evening...oh, the smell of spring mornings...though...I don't know if those count as guilty pleasures... They don't make me feel guilty."

Itachi: "I guess you can just put them down to being pleasures only then." They way they were put together didn't seem that way, almost strangely waiting for a giggle in the form of a teehee to follow. Wherever that mental image came from, it could go straight back into the depth of his brain, never to resurface again.

Compared to Sakura's though, while she stated it wasn't something to guilt over, his were never something he felt bad about. There wasn't much in the lines of likes and dislikes that he did.

A long pause of silence in between speaking looking more like a lack of things to talk about, however that was not the case. ".....Laying in bed listening to the rain....." Itachi said quietly. That would be another. Guilty yes, he didn't like lounging about.

Sakura: "Those are the best," she nodded in agreement. "Though most of the times, when that happens, I just fall back asleep and wake up after lunch has past already. Which is impossible to do now, in college and with the job."

Itachi: "The simple things are ones that you notice missing first. They are the ones that bring true enjoyment," he agreed. Time is limited not that his time was really an open schedule with the way he tried to pack everything into one day. "Maybe I should take a week off," he wondered out loud quietly to himself.

Too many issues occurring recently had run him down. Maybe a break was what he needed to sort through it all and come back fresh.

Sakura: She looked up suddenly from her cup, wherein she'd been lost a moment before. "You look like you need it," she commented after a while of innocent scrutinization.

She took another sip of her drink, and waited a while before skipping to the muffin. "If you coul pack up a toothbrush and a wad of money right now, and leave...where would you go?"

Itachi: Hmmm, one of those dream decisions of where would you go if you had all the means to do do. The first place that came to mind was home. He missed Japan more than he imagined he could, feeling homesick for the busy surroundings, smog, wait, it was almost like Los Angeles but it was missing a certain touch to it that made it where he belong.

"I would travel around Asia... Vietnam, Thailand, Hong Kong. Maybe England. Somewhere picturesque." Itachi liked to observe the nature and beauty of a place, one of those people who would be in his late 60's just driving the country side for a sake of a Sunday drive only that he was hitting that point now.

Sakura: "Stonehenge," she said. "I'd go to Stonehenge, the old version, at least. I mean, back when it wasn't a tourist spot. Just to stand there and soak up the air around me. That must've been lovely."

Itachi: "So you are one for unique wonders than natural beauty?" he asked trying to figure her out a little.

There was almost a dreamers state there, wanting to live up in the clouds. Not that there was anything really wrong with that, each to their own but realistic goals and values was where he preferred to ground himself.

Sakura: "I'm one for everything," she answered. "I love learning new things, seeing new places. If I had money, and time and patience, I would probably pick up more than one major. One in science, in law, in maths... Why not know more than what we're taught in school, right? Same for travelling around. If could run away to Madagascar for a week, I would." She let out a giggle, then took a bit of her muffin and ate it. "Like Trillian did."

Itachi: There must have been something in there that Itachi had missed in that because he was not laughing at all, or smiling, or even twitching. Trillian? Who was that? Was there something in history that he had missed out about in the Western world? He completely did not understand what he was talking about, reflected by the blank look on his face in return.

Sakura: Sakura paused, then realise that maybe not everyone had read that book. "Trillian is a character from this book called The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. She tells the other main character 'let's get our of here', and when he asks where, she says Madagascar, but he doesn't go because he's kind of a coward, and then an alien picks her up."

Another pause. "It's better than it sounds."

Itachi: He would hope so because by that synopsis alone, it was not appealing him to read it or what it... whatever it was. It sounded like it was meant to be a humorous tale of some kind which was not his style at all, he liked crime and thrillers where you could really get into the story and imagine yourself in there. Obviously, he was trying to solve it before the writer could tell the full tale and then poke plotholes in it once it had been.

"I'm sure it does," he replied still unsure about it all.

Sakura: "Not your style, is it?" she asked, smiling sheepishly.

Itachi: "No, not really. I don't go in for light hearted tales or comedy." Everyone had their own opinions and quirks but comedy never tickled his fancy, not even cracking a partial smile or coming to laughter when everyone else around him were rolling on the floor with tears in their eyes. The humor was dead inside. Very dead.

Sakura: "...that's sad."

Itachi: "Why so?" he asked, raising his almost cold mocchacino to his lips, resting them against the rim of the cup. Some sayings came to mind like the world needs laughter, it could probably prevent cancer and all other ridiculous innuendo by staying light hearted but not him. It did not solve all problems, it did not make everyone feel warm and tingly inside, it was not the instant fix people needed to escape their life. It was just a sound.

The last of the drink was swallowed leaving the left over foam on the insides of the cup, almost tempted to run his finger around it to collect it. Almost. He wasn't that desperate to make himself look like a fool in public. He would be satisfied with it being finished like that.

Sakura: "Funny stories can brighten one's day. Laughter is nice," she answered, then thought about it carefully. "Though you're probably in disagreement with that."

Itachi: Itachi nodded and moved back to his cake. Complete disagreement.

Sakura: She studied him for a moment, then slapped the table top with determination. "New personal challenge. One day...I will make you laugh," she warned.

Itachi: Why would someone take up a task that was virtually impossible? That was a great amount of determination there to even want to attempt it and getting Itachi to laugh was no easy feat. But if it was something to strive for that she was after then by all means, Sakura could try. He could not promise results.

"Do your worst... or best," he nodded allowing her to try and pursue this crazy goal.

[Completed Log] The Price of Freedom Is...?

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:32:58 GMT

Who: Itachi and Sasuke
What: Following Sasuke's confrontation with Izuna, the pair return from the hospital for bit of a family chat
Where: Their apartment
When: 08th February
Warnings: Brotherly bonding? Plottage

As soon as Itachi had come home, he'd been herded into the car and taken to the hospital promptly, his arguments falling on deaf ears. He knew he was right, and that they couldn't afford something like this, but Itachi was hearing none of it, and before he knew it he was sitting in the emergency waiting room with his brother, staring down at the tiled floor and trying not to let the throbbing pain get to him that was steadily climbing in his body now that the shock was wearing off. It had taken two x-rays and a bone-setting procedure (which Sasuke had bit his lip to keep from crying out about) before the doctor had placed his wrist in a carefully molded cast, and bandaged his ribs tightly in a way that constricted and hurt, but he knew was necessary. The whole episode lasted over five hours due to the emergency wait room time (the procedure itself only taking half an hour).

Because they had no insurance, Itachi had to pay out of pocket in order for them to even agree to see Sasuke, something the younger boy couldn't wrap his head around. The U.S. health care system was confusing to him, but then so was everything else in this country, but one thing he knew was that the charge Itachi was putting on his credit card would put him severely into debt. The only thing Sasuke could do, however, was argue some more -- which had already proved fruitless, so he kept his mouth shut and his eyes on his brother, wondering what was going through Itachi's head. Was he secretly blaming him for this as well? Sasuke didn't know, and he didn't really want to. Itachi's blame on top of his own guilt was more than he could handle.

They left the hospital with instructions of when to return to get the cast off -- seven weeks seemed like a long time, but bones didn't heal quickly. He had no idea where this would put him at Nixcore; he doubted they would want him in a movie with a cast on. It probably took away from the atmosphere a bit. Not to mention the stark, dark bruises on his face would stand out, though at least those would fade quicker than bones healed. He still wondered if the doctor bought his story about the skating accident. Somehow he'd managed to weave a believable tale, even though his brain felt completely fried and he'd had to improvise on the spot because he hadn't thought about it earlier. They hadn't pressed it, so either they didn't care or they were used to people lying.

As soon as they were in the car Sasuke rolled down the window because he wasn't feeling well, and rested his head against the frame, staring out at the passing scenery, blinking against the wind. He let his newly-casted wrist rest in his lap, trying to pay it no attention. The last time he'd broken a limb was in middle school during a track accident. A wrist wasn't as terrible as breaking a leg; though the circumstances were completely different and he would have chosen another track accident over Izuna.

"Can you turn on some music?" he asked, after a long silence, needing something to absolve it. He didn't want to think or listen to the quiet any longer, and he knew the ride home would be a long one otherwise.

Being packed inside of the hospital for many hours wasn't exactly different from home except for the seeing the doctor individually instead of the line ups they had them in for public hospitals. The crying infants that whined the entire time explaining what their pain was, the complaining patients about the time it took to get to see the doctors was irritating. By the time the night had passed over into morning, his nerves were strung out to the max, exhausted and just wanting to sleep.

The money he had just paid out had stung his bank balance more than he was expecting, the high price of health cover when you did not have insurance was unbelievable. No matter how many times Sasuke tried to protest, it had to be done. Broken bone. Enough said. Not getting it attended to would cause later issues and further damage unless it was taken care of straight away. He was not a bastard, money was not an option when it came to taking care of someone especially his brother no matter how taxing it was. The only thing that was to worry about now were the repercussions to his actions, not only the financial factor but who it was that caused this incident in the first place.

Izuna...

Leaning forward, Itachi hit the on button on the CD player starting up the low level music to drown out the silence as requested, not much singing, mostly instrumental relaxing music that would put him to sleep if he listened for too long. It was soothing. He liked to listen to it on the way home.

"Did they give you the drugs you are required to take before leaving or do we have to visit the pharmacy?" Itachi asked breaking that silence again so soon.

As soon as he was home, he could finally rest. Surely Sasuke's mind had been running on overtime since it happened, the fear of having one of his own men killed which could have been him. Nice some hot tea, a shower and then bed. Maybe, Itachi should have considered that as well.

Sasuke was glad to hear the instrumental music take up the silence, comforting him. He had expected Itachi to listen to something akin to this, and it was exactly what he'd been hoping for. Closing his eyes, Sasuke let the breeze tickle his skin and the music lull and soothe him, relaxing as much as possible, attempting to clear his mind of everything for a few minutes. He was incredibly exhausted. The violence and pain of the day was catching up to him quickly, and his body didn't feel like functioning anymore.

He didn't realize he was drifting until Itachi spoke, pulling him out of a light almost-doze. Groggily, he lifted his head and sat up enough to reach into his pocket with his good hand and pull out the prescription, smoothing it out and looking down at it.Lortab ; 5/325. Sixteen pills. A relatively decent narcotic; not that Sasuke was planning on taking them at all. He had been prepared to argue purchasing them as well, until he'd took a moment to think about it and realized that they might actually need them in the future. One never knew what Madara had in store. And because Izuna was a psychopath in and of himself, it was better safe than sorry. Having a stock of quality pain killers could come in handy after all.

"We have to go to the pharmacy, but we don't have to do it today if you'd rather wait," he replied, before leaning back against the door. "I'm not in pain." That wasn't entirely true, but what Sasuke meant was that he didn't need -- and wouldn't take -- any pills for the pain. He felt he had a higher tolerance than most people, anyway.

Regardless of whether they stopped at the pharmacy or not, Sasuke was happy to see the apartment complex eventually come into view, and soon they were heading through the hallway and up the elevator to Itachi's apartment. Sasuke stood inside blankly for a few minutes before realizing he felt utterly filthy, and wanted a shower. He'd stashed away the blood-stained (none of which was his own, butIzuna's and the nameless goon's) shirt in the trash as soon as he'd gotten home, but it didn't matter. He needed to scrub himself. Attempt to get the day off of him.

"I'm going to take a shower," he murmured, heading for the bedroom. He grabbed a plastic grocery bag left over from purchasing last week's groceries to tie around his cast, knowing he wasn't supposed to get it wet. It was probably going to be difficult to wash himself with one hand, but he'd have to figure it out.

The stop by to the pharmacy went ahead purely for efficiency purposes, get everything that was required so nothing was left to worry about for later. Sasuke would need a good sleep after they returned home, him as well, when he would awaken the feeling of those injuries would be settling in good and proper where those drugs would be required. He thought it would be a simple in and out procedure finding out that was wrong as well. 15 minutes of waiting while they were being prepared, another mound of cash handed over feeling the hit in his pocket of the money it had been pushing out. Before returning to the car with the overpriced pills, Itachi looked inside of his wallet at the few notes left in there that would see him through the week and next, sighing dejected. Coffee was a luxury he could cut back on. Sacrifices were needed to be made. Nothing to worry about.

Back to the car and back home, locking the door behind him before going over to the kettle boiling some water for a very dark and strong coffee. He had already called ahead to tell them that he was not going to be there for the day which did not mean he had no work to do. OutsideVPN access into the office would give him the access to the files on the system so he could continue that at least.

"Okay," Itachi replied over the boiling of the kettle, too quiet to be really heard. The showering department was going to be difficult without the use of one hand but Sasuke would be able to manage it in the end. Instead, Itachi poured himself a coffee, 2 spoons of coffee, 4 sugars... then putting each serving up by one before pouring the milk into the dead black liquid, watching the swirls circling around in the cup in a daze. The night had been way too long.

Over into the couch he sat with his coffee, staring out blankly at the small television that rarely got turned on. Today was not an exception either just staring into space looking straight past it as if it wasn't there while the tugging of sleep commanded him to shut his eyes and rest. Mind would win over body. He wasn't going down just yet. He didn't even know if it could, everything was working overtime so even if he did sleep, he doubted it was going to be a true deep rest.

Sasuke dug in his suitcase (he still hadn't unpacked anything, not wanting to impose anymore than he already did on his brother), pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a plain white tank because it would be easiest to get on with his wrist the way it was. Tucking the clothes underneath his arm, Sasuke headed into the bathroom, nudging the door almost-closed with his foot (he never shut it completely by habit) before starting the shower, brushing his teeth while he waited for the water to heat up. He did everything automatically, thinking about none of it, his mind more apt to flash to that locked room and the terror he'd felt being faced with the barrel of a gun. He was going to have a difficult time sleeping tonight. Maybe for weeks. That dead man ... on top of him ... he shuddered, suddenly, realizing he'd stopped brushing his teeth and was just staring blankly at the mirror. Quickly, he rinsed out his mouth and painstakingly took off his clothes, tying the bag around his cast before stepping into the shower.

The hot spray of water helped unwind him a little, peaceful enough to be soothing, and he took his time, uncaring about wasting water in the the moment. He scrubbed his face with soap, before working on his body -- which was as difficult as he'd assumed it would be, he was going to have to get one of those back washer things -- and then finally shampooed and conditioned his hair, leaning his head against the tiled wall of the shower when he was done, letting his eyes droop as he relaxed underneath warm water, half-dozing in his exhaustion.

Eventually, he roused himself when the water began to turn lukewarm, shutting off the faucet and climbing out into the cool air, doing the best he could to dry himself off with a towel, rubbing at his hair with one hand, giving up once it was dry enough that it wouldn't drip, but still quite damp. Pulling on his sweatpants and tank, Sasuke tossed the bag from his cast into the trash, and headed back into the living room, running the fingers of his good hand through his damp hair, darkened even more from the water.

He caught sight of his brother on the couch, facing the TV (which was off) away from him. Sasuke leaned in the empty door frame, eyes on his brother, studying him thoughtfully, glad for the long, quiet moment in which his brother didn't seem to notice him just yet. Then he padded further into the room, circling around the couch to sit beside Itachi, pulling his legs up onto the cushions. He noticed the coffee on the table beside Itachi, realizing despite the long day his brother was planning on working still.

Sasuke looked at his cast -- it was blue, he'd been forced to pick a color -- and flexed his fingers a bit, wincing a little from the pain. He wondered how long it would take before it didn't hurt to bend his fingers.

Shifting, Sasuke rested his head against Itachi's shoulder, not really seeking comfort so much as knowing the connection -- albeit slight -- would serve to ease the tangled-up hurt he felt in his heart over the whole experience. He hadn't so much as touched Itachi since the first night, but he was tired of keeping his distance. He wantedMikoto , who would be wrapping him up in her arms already, with or without his permission. In this instance, he would have let her -- let her and probably cried on her shoulder. He was such a weakling, he really was.

The slightest hint of dropping off into slumber hit him not too long after, trying to stay awake in case of a call for assistance, the sounds of the running water through the open crack of the door was as serene as rain on a tin roof. Calming. Relaxing. Whatever ill thoughts you had inside your head would wash away along with the water down into the abyss not to be thought about again, inducing complete looseness of muscles, enough to want to close your eyes and listen to the splashing. Total blankness of his mind was what Itachi needed. He really needed to shut it all down. He still couldn't do that even when the water shut off, snapping his eyes open looking over at the television screen with a couple of blinks, rubbing his eyes wiping away the daze that came from nodding off for a few moments.

He hadn't even bothered to divert his eyes from that reflection of himself in the screen when the body rested down against him, staring at it waiting for something to happen. Maybe some answer to a question that he had not yet come up with, maybe it was going to laugh back at him and poke at his horrendous skills at taking care of someone. Instead, there was just his reflection staring back, his brother laying down against him unmoving.

Complete silence in the room. An air of uneasiness was in the room from the different sound of quiet that was not because they did not wish to talk to each other, not from alone time where it was good to keep to themselves. A strange feeling crawled underneath Itachi's skin that he wasn't used to or had really experienced. Everything tingled but not in a good kind of sensation, like his hands would start shaking from nerves but wouldn't, his heart rate elevated pounding only in his chest and not his ears. He didn't know if he should be angry, sad, blank, any other random of the emotions down towards the hateful end of the scale. Having a problem that you weren't even aware that you had, some feeling that couldn't he shaken so easily and could not be instantly removed. Itachi didn't like feeling like this at all.

"Is there anything you wish to talk about?" he asked to break the silence. That was the only level of comfort he could actually provide him with, be there to listen.

Sasuke felt the sudden tenseness in his brother's body, and it was enough to actually make him lift his head in question, leaning back and out of Itachi's space because the vibe coming off of him wasn't one Sasuke was used to, and put him on alert. Was it because he'd rested against him? Maybe he shouldn't be touching him. Sasuke kept the space, not seeking to close it again, staring down at his lap instead.

"Are you angry with me?" That was the first thing Sasuke could think to say, because in all seriousness he didn't have the slightest clue what was going on in Itachi's head right now. And he knew his brother wouldn't volunteer the information unless he asked for it outright (and even then, he could never be sure). Come to think of it, he didn't know where they sat right now at all. But ever since he'd seen Itachi speak to Orochimaru over theInternet , mentioning he was there to "clean up" Sasuke's messes, it had cut deeply. For Itachi to say it so casually ... and to Orochimaru, that vile snake of a man who had played them like strings and was not apologetic in the least. Sasuke hated him for what he'd done, maybe more so than Madara at this point. Madara had never pretended to be a friend. He had point blank told Sasuke he was his to own. Sasuke knew where he stood with the bastard. But Orochimaru ... his tactics were despicable.

Itachi was confused on why Sasuke had moved from him. He truly wanted to be there for him but it seemed that he couldn't even do that right at all, seemingly pushing him away already when that was not at all his intentions. "I am not," he replied truthfully. At the moment he wasn't. This was not Sasuke's fault even though he had let him into the behind the scenes involving the man known at their Uncle for a good reason. To keep him away from them. He could not hate him for being trapped and cornered by him against his will, he didn't invite this to happen. For whatever reason Izuna had taken to getting the point, maybe just for the mind games to remind them of their place. One step out of line and you could die. With the way that Sasuke had been stirring up trouble on purpose or not, it was being noticed so hopefully this was only that reminder and not a failed attempt to silence him completely.

"I do not know what I am feeling right now. Too many thoughts." Slowly, Itachi turned to look over at Sasuke, reaching his arm out towards him. He should have just took him by the shoulder and pulled him back down onto his shoulder or lap and comforted him, instead it landed on his head patting him gently a few times. "Just be focused on yourself and forgetting about what happened for now."

Feelings were a rarity to be shown, always passing off as it being nothing or pushing the subject forward off himself. Whatever it was, he would move on and adjust. Itachi was not the one that anything should be focused towards right now, his brother had just been through a terrifying ordeal, close to losing him if he was chosen to be the target of that bullet. One day he was going to have to get Sasuke to face up to his own actions and take the consequences instead of him coming to his rescue and sweeping it under the rug but he couldn't do it just yet. He was afraid of the situations played out in his mind of what could happen if it went awry. He did not want to be the last family member alive.

Sasuke wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or not when Itachi said he wasn't angry. It wasn't that he didn't believe his brother. A part of him just knew that Itachi should be angry with him.Every time he'd had a chance to speak to Izuna or Madara he'd been hostile and defiant. He wasn't stupid and he knew what kinds of consequences that could bring. However, he wasn't used to shutting up and falling in line like an obedient, little sheep. Especially not for an evil man. Sasuke had fierce morals and too much pride. Uchiha either were followers or leaders, but very few were courageous (or stupid) enough to cross that line and defy their elders. And Sasuke had never defiedFugaku, even though he'd silently disagreed with him over many things.

But this was different. He felt no loyalty towards Madara. Only apathy and a slowly-growing hatred. Being quiet and obedient to someone who spoke down to him like he was the bottom-most scum in a pond ignited the fire Sasuke truly had. He was wild, he'd always been wild, and he'd been allowed more independence than his brother from an early age. But aside from that, their personalities were just markedly different.

Sasuke blinked, stilling, when Itachi reached out, not expecting to feel his hand on his head. He averted his eyes, cheeks flushing, feeling somewhat awkward from the weak attempt at comfort -- or whatever it was Itachi was trying to do. Itachi said he didn't know what he was feeling, and that Sasuke could understand. He felt the same way.

Sasuke reached up with his good hand and took hold of Itachi's, resting them in his lap. He curled his fingers over his brother's and held his hand, gently, like a small child might his father's.

"I can't forget," he replied quietly. "I've never seen anyone die before." He stared down at their hands solemnly, before raising his eyes to Itachi's again, his own clouded, expression intense. "It doesn't matter, though. All they want is obedience and allegiance. If I gave that to them, we'd be safe. At least until they decided I was of no more use to them."

"But I can't do that, nii-san," he continued, voice dipping down even more. "Because you know as well as I our parents' death was no accident." He let that sink in for a minute, before breaking his gaze from Itachi's and looking across the room vacantly. "I'm going to kill Madara." He said it as if he were talking about the weather, with no inflection in his tone nor emotion.

He was trying, as lame as it was. Itachi was no in way anywhere near the loving state of Mikoto where he could come up and get a hug whenever he wanted it, he was more along the lines of Fugaku where you would get a seldom pat on the head and told to keep up the good work. He could see the yearning he needed with the smallest of actions, even the held hand he kept in place for him giving a slow drawn rub of his thumb against the side of Sasuke's thumb. If his brother wanted someone to listen to him then Itachi would, if he wanted advise he could do that too but to make someone feel wanted, that he couldn't.

The touchy subject of their parent's death came into question causing the movement of his thumb to stop, eyes diverting down into his own lap. For a very long time he had suspected it to be true just hearing it come from his brother made it that one more step towards reality. Nothing was going to change it, they weren't coming back any time soon, still it hurt to hear it out loud. They were dead and everything logical pointed straight towards the dealing of Madara.

They couldn't dwell on it forever that he knew but what came out of Sasuke's mouth next had stunned him.

Kill Madara? Quests for vengeance were one thing that rarely ended in success no matter how many books and movies were produced using it as the theme subject. The bad guy was winning and he would continue that reign for as long as he could hold onto it with countless to do the grunt work for him. Having the supposed leader of their generation assassinated would do a world of good to them that he would admit but it was illegal. It was murder. The lawyer inside completely perked up thinking about everything that he would have to go through because unless you were that smart and two steps ahead of everything, you were always caught. Life in prison. Death could be on the tables and that was just having to fend for yourself daily from the other inmates. Had he not listen to anything he had said to him? Obviously not. Why did it feel like he was talking just for the sake of that and nothing was sinking into his head? Itachi would have love to witness his demise for all good intents and purposes, the laws couldn't obviously touched him already or they had been paid off good but this was not one of those movies were you could kill and get away with it. It was life.

"Think about what you are saying," Itachi tried to rationalize with him, talk some sense into him where he might finally pay attention to his words. He knew better than what he did on so many levels, it didn't just work as simple as walking up, sticking a gun to his face and firing. "What do you think you would accomplish by it? What of the consequences? Could you live with yourself for lowering down to the level of which he is? You would be taking a man's life regardless of who he is just as Izuna took the life of that one today."

The real question was; could he stare into his eyes and actually do it?

The slide of Itachi's thumb against his was enough to lift his spirits, even the slightest bit of reciprocity serving to comfort him and tell him that his brother was still there, whole and intact, and he was still loved. He knew Itachi was notMikoto , and he couldn't ask that of him. Itachi's affection was much more subtle, it always had been, but Sasuke had learned to read his brother like a blind man feeling the slightest bit of difference in the curves and lines ofsomeones face; he had a delicate sense when it came to Itachi, and he knew him well. Not as well as he'd like to, never near enough to get into his head -- but their connection was one of mutual, silent understanding, where words were often not needed. There was no other person in the world Sasuke had that kind of connection with.

However, he had been expecting that kind of reaction, as the brush of Itachi's thumb stopped when he brought up their parents, and the tension in the air increased palpably when he spoke of Madara. He already knew what his brother was thinking. He was already way ahead of him, and he'd been turning it over in his mind while he had waited for Itachi to come home, during the drive to the hospital, during the wait in the emergency room, and again on the drive back home. He had not made up his mind until he'd gazed out of the window, listening to the gentle music his brother was playing in the car. Right then, he knew. Sasuke was a very intellectual person; he picked apart even the most mundane of questions to the bare essentials before making a decision, but when his heart occasionally spoke to him, he listened.

"Nii-san," Sasuke began, meeting his brother's eyes and holding them. "This is the only way we can be free. Are you content to let him be that ominous presence over your shoulder your entire life? Doing what he tells you to for fear of what might happen if you don't? I know you're better than that." Sasuke slid his fingers between his brother's, entwining them together. "I know how you think. You're calculating the odds of me surviving this -- of escaping jail, or death -- and the probability is close to zero. I know this. I calculated it, too."

Sasuke took a deep breath.

"I'm willing to risk everything, because I already feel dead like this. I would rather die trying to fight him than bow to him. I just can't." He didn't know if Itachi would understand. And he knew he was being selfish, unable to kneel to Madara for Itachi's sake -- so Itachi didn't have to watch him get hurt, or killed. But at the same time he wondered if his brother knew just how much this was killing him already. How it was breaking him up inside, chipping at him slowly piece by piece until there would be nothing left. He continued in Japanese. "Please let me do this. I need your trust."

Everything about this was crazy. Itachi was in no way defending Madara since it was his own business that he had involved himself in so the outcome was only one his own doing, at times it had even crossed his own mind to end him so people could move on. They never lived in fear before arriving here. Sasuke wasn't even aware of his activity in Japan except that now he had revealed himself to him, he wanted to start this war. Madara had gone under the radar so more than enough years to have the ability to hide from people, rarely seen unless he wanted to be so to find him in the first place to plan something tactical was not viable. Where did he plan on digging up the information needed to make even a start? There were little that knew about him.

The way that Sasuke talked about it pained him deep inside. Already wanting to give up life just to rid himself of the feeling. Itachi knew what it was like, thoughts had crossed his mind over the course of years that would have had the same retaliation as he had in mind although never acted upon. Giving up his life would not make it better, for starters, not being there to enjoy the new freedom created and if he even thought about pushing it towards being for his sake then Sasuke would be flatly denied.

His brother might have hated him for this but it had to be done, shifting around to get a better look at him instead of twisting his neck every time. Nothing was going to make up for their parents death nor was killing Madara going to make it better. Remove one, you need to remove them all. Others would come and buy for the place of greatness that might not be merciful and again it would be repeated ten folds.

"I can not give you that," he sighed. Because he was selfish and did not want to lose him. "You might have thought this through but there are too many flaws I can see through this and unless there would be at least a 95% chance of success then I can not place that in you."

In the end if anything came to the brother's attention, it would not be Sasuke that took the wrap but pushed over onto himself. Hit the closest relationships around them to prove a point. Being unstable for mutiny in the first place was not going to have you own life ended, better to head to the ones you love. Itachi wasn't afraid to die, he would accept that punishment if they would react upon that but had Sasuke actually thought about the rest around him? There was bound to be a small glimmer of a friendship there that could be exploited, one day receiving a call from hospital or a family relative relaying the news that his friend has been mortally wounded or dead on arrival. The remorse for your actions felt worse than anything imaginable, worse than a death, you had to survive and live through it being haunted by your mistakes.

"Are you willing to place the lives of others at risk as well?"

It pained Sasuke to hear that Itachi wouldn't give him his trust and confidence. He'd already half-expected it, of course, but it didn't change the fact he'd hoped -- hoped silently -- that Itachi would see things from his perspective and put his faith in their ability to conquer their situation. But to be told, point blank, that Itachi could not believe in him unless the chances of his accomplishment was nearly perfect ... Sasuke dropped his eyes, gritting his teeth, trying not to be hurt. His brother truly thought he couldn't do this. It shouldn't come as a shock; the odds are pathetic, he reminded himself, but it didn't take the sting away.

And then Itachi asked the question Sasuke had hoped he wouldn't ask. That was the only thing keeping him back and making him hesitate. The thought of dying himself didn't bother him -- death didn't scare him, and he had been speaking with complete honesty when he'd told Itachi he'd rather be dead than Madara's pawn. But it was completely different when it came to Itachi. Sasuke wasn't sure he could live without his brother, regardless of what the end result would be. And putting Itachi in danger wasn't fair at all, especially because his brother wasn't asking to be. If Itachi had agreed to support him he would have felt better about it, but because Itachi was balking made it that much harder.

"I don't care about anyone but you," he replied quietly. "Not enough to call it off," he amended, thinking about Tobi and Obito -- who he didn't want to see hurt either, but wouldn't put his plans at bay for them alone. "But we're no safer obeying him than we are fighting him. Look what happened tookaa-san and otou-san . I've already lost everyone. You're the only person I have left, and he'll hold that over me forever regardless of what I do. Just like he'll hold me over you."

"I don't plan on ever letting him know I'm against him until it's too late. I'm not going about this quickly or rashly. It might be years before I get anywhere. But I can't just give up. Then he's won, and he'll keep doing this to other people, and the cycle will never stop." He thought about Naruto and Tobi. "And you're right. I might be biting off more than I can chew -- in fact, it's a given. But even if there's a slight chance of bringing him down, I have to take it."

"That being said ... " Sasuke hesitated, but went on. "If you want me to call it off for your sake, then tell me now. I'll submit to him for you. But that's the only reason." His voice wavered, but he kept his tone level, refusing to show how hard it was for him to even give his brother that option. He loved Itachi fiercely, and if Itachi was scared, then he couldn't in good conscience put him in that kind of danger.

Sasuke was really dead set on freeing himself out of the tight grip that the higher ups of the family had over him, something that he could not really understand. It was not like every aspect of your life was controlled by them, more just to stay quiet when needed and not say anything against them to which was easily done if you did not come across their path. He had been through his entire life without even knowing that they were lingering over the family, always watched, never being able to live to the fullest. Now that it was known he was acting out upon it. This situation was getting worse and it had only been a short time. His brother wasn't exactly the most calmest of people out there, his will was too strong to stay at bay so in the end, something like this was expected.

He wasn't completely dead to his feelings. Hearing Sasuke say how much he rather be dead than under the thumb of Madara struck a cord inside that wanted to help him but overall there was a bigger picture to take care of. The rest of the family were not his priority, there was only a need for one in his life and that was Sasuke but already he was trouble with many things. Jail, injured from a confrontation, a good chance he had aroused the interest of management by the open comments regarding the nationality of the other people in the company. Itachi wasn't without his own plans to break the hold, he had been thinking about this for far long than his brother which was why he chose to stay quiet instead of speaking out but not it is getting harder with the further attention drawn to them.

"Your mind is already set regardless, exactly like okaasan," he gave a light chuckle, very light, reflecting on the way that whenever there was family decision time that would end up with their father overruled and their mother always putting up the fight to get what she believed was best. She was such a strong willed woman that would go to any lengths to protect her family, a trait he wished he got from her. He was too busy thinking rationally to talk Sasuke out of it. "I am not afraid of him. I never have been." In the end he couldn't protect him forever so if he was willing to put him up as a sacrificial lamb then so be it.

Sasuke noted the slight breath of a chuckle Itachi gave when he mentioned their mother, his heart clenching painfully in his chest. He had never really seen himself in her ... regardless of what everyone else said. He took after her, while Itachi took afterFugaku . It was common knowledge by anyone who knew their family a bit beneath the surface. And no one believed that a petite, gentle woman likeMikoto was really the fiercely dominant of the pair of parents, the one who put her foot down and spoke out against Fugaku when it came to matters of ethics and family protection -- and always got her way. Sasuke himself had only seen her argue with Fugaku twice in his lifetime, but each time his respect for her had swelled tenfold. It wasn't easy to speak against Fugaku. He had never managed to, himself.

Thinking about her now almost brought tears to his eyes, but Sasuke quelled them before he could get anymore emotional than he already was. Instead, he paid attention to Itachi's words, feeling mixed from what his brother was telling him. Itachi wasn't going to support him in this, but neither was he going to stop him. It was the best he could ask for, and all he wanted, really. This mean he could keep Itachi out of it; keep him safer than he would have been if he'd agreed to conspire with Sasuke in this. He had already thought about keeping his brother in the dark, but he had never been able to keep a secret from Itachi -- not for long, and certainly not one as big or dangerous as this one.

Even though Itachi hadn't condoned his decision, Sasuke still tilted forward, bowing low before him, his hair hanging in the way of his face as he held the position reverently for a few moments, his hand still gripping his brothers in a tight squeeze. He wouldn't bring this up again, and for all intents and purposes, he meant for this to be the last conversation they had about Madara. Itachi didn't want to be included in this; and so he wouldn't. From now on, it was he and Naruto and no one else. It was better this way.

Straightening, Sasuke breathed deeply, and finally released his brother's hand. He managed a small, strained smile, though it dissolved tiredly after a moment to be replaced with a heavy, contemplative expression.

"I shouldn't keep you from work. Please say you won't work late tonight," he coaxed. "It's been a long day for both of us."

Itachi gave him a small nod remembering that piling pages of documents and emails that would be waiting for him since it seemed like Pain wasn'tefficient at doing anything. He could already see the awaiting 20 emails there for him for cases to follow up so he had to make a start. "You take the bed tonight. You should get a good nights sleep in." The couch was not doing that for him at all, being cramped up on his bad furniture would be restricting the sleep that the body needed.

There was not going to be any retaliation on this either, already into his room getting out his laptop and placing it down on the kitchen table booting it up. If he was going to be able to work was another thing. Itachi was beyond exhausted in dire need of sleep bu the talk had stirred his mind with limitless possibilities of what could happen, thoughts of one day receiving a call saying that another family member was found dead and knowing all along that he could have prevented it. How could you stop someone so headstrong anyway? He was dead set on this path with no turning back.

Taking his seat down in front of the laptop, Itachi started the programs up that was needed giving a small sigh, kneading his temples with the tips of his fingers at the emails started to shoot into the inbox screaming at him for attention. But there was one thing left on his mind that he couldn't go without saying since Sasuke wanted to go through with this, this would be the most important information he could share with him and hopefully he would make sure it sunk into his head.

"Do not talk to anyone about this. No matter who they are, what they say, no one is trustworthy. Especially do not say a word about this at work." Because there was cameras everywhere picking up every detail, every word and guess who had full access to them.

Sasuke frowned when Itachi offered him the bed, about to argue it, but instead he thought a moment, watching Itachi get off the couch and retrieve his laptop. Itachi was obviously worn out, and Sasuke wished he could do his work for him for once -- or at least do something for him that would help relieve his tension. Because he was the cause of a lot of what Itachi was going through, and he wished there was something to compensate for it.

He had an idea, half-formed, but he would have to think on it for awhile. Shaking it from his head, Sasuke stood from the couch, deciding to get some sleep like Itachi suggested. He tidied up a few things (even though the apartment was practically sparkling clean already), looking up when Itachi spoke again. This time, telling him not to say anything at work. Sound advice, and something Sasuke was already planning on not doing. "I won't," he promised.

Passing by Itachi, Sasuke reached out to touch the top of his head briefly, just enough to curl the tips of his fingers through his hair in a gentle gesture of affection. "You shouldn't sleep on the couch, either. The bed's large enough for us both." He tried to say it without feeling awkward and weird, but it was pretty much impossible. Family members just didn't sleep together in the same bed, unless they were husband and wife. It had been allowed only when he was a small child. But he didn't see why it had to be so taboo. It wasn't a lie, there was plenty of room. And they would both sleep better that way.

He left it at that, though, not pressing the matter, letting Itachi choose for himself. Either way he knew he was going to be asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, so waiting up for Itachi was impossible at this point.

"Oyasumi, nii-san," he bid Itachi, before slipping into the bedroom and nudging the door so that it was just ajar. He crawled beneath the covers of the neatly-made bed and was instantly asleep within a few minutes.

He offered the bed to him to get a good night sleep with room to move unlike the couch, being stuck on your side most of the time, waking up trying to get comfortable again having the entire night filled with broken rest. Tonight Sasuke deserved an entire sleep to himself so he mentally waved off the offer. "Oyasumi," he replied to his brother, turning back to his awaiting work.

Well, he tried. Once he had left the room, Itachi was finding it hard to concentrate constantly yawning to replenish the brain with oxygen. If that was a true fact or just some wife's tale he couldn't be certain, however, his brain must be starving for it if it was. A few words typed and then stopped, yawning again until the point where his jaw started to hurt with the excessive stretch, clicking out of place then falling back in when he closed it. He couldn't keep this up for much longer. Two hours and only three emails replied to. No, he seriously needed sleep.

Staring out of the at the balcony even with the curtains drawn, the sun was still stinging his eyes from the lack of sleep they had. What time was it now? Midday? After? Coming up to the evening? Whatever it was, he wasn't even going to check closing over the laptop before he could see it and pushed it back on the table, lifting his feet up laying down on the couch. It must have been another hour of tossing and turning on it before Itachi sat up again, rubbing his temple now at the point of overtired and not able to sleep. Trying to lie down again for a second time, he wasn't too sure if it was the lack of sleep or if it was what he had told him earlier, the plans of what he wanted to do with Madara. How could he sit by and let him do something so stupid like that? Why would he put his foot down and then know that he was dead inside instead of enjoying life? Even worse, why did he have the unshakable feeling that it was only going to get rougher?

It's lack of sleep. Stop thinking about it.

What would he do it something went wrong and Sasuke was truly injured or worse, killed? Damn it! This was not the position he should be in. Just knowing about it makes him an accessory to murder if he is captured after going through with it. If it came down to that, he would take his place and try and implement himself instead so he wouldn't waste his life, that one that was rotting away under the powerful control of the Uchiha's. Once again, he had to stop thinking of this. It was not helping.

The sofa was abandoned, his room returning to seeing Sasuke deep in sleep on his side trying to manage the comfortable position to sleep with his cast. Itachi sighed and hung his head low, turning away giving a shake pushing it out of his mind again while he changed into fresh shorts and shirt to wear to bed, turning back to look at the gap there. He was right, it would fit two of them. Was he saying that because he was just trying to give him the offer to what was already his or was it Sasuke's roundabout way that he wanted someone to be there for him today? You are a failure as a brother too. Itachi knew that. He didn't need his brain assaulting him for that as well.

Walking over to the bed and slipping under the blanket leaving the top sheet as the barrier between them, Itachi rolled over onto his side and stared out at the light trying to stream through the closed curtains. What could he do? Nothing. Just take it in its stride and wait for it to pan out. But soon he would have to come to face the reality of it and that was that he needed help. "Oyasumi," Itachi murmured again, this time shutting out everything around him feeling somewhat calmer sleeping like this although he was next to the one that was stirring all these thoughts inside of him.

Still, he couldn't help but think, the last think running through his mind before it shut down and fell into sleep was what else? What else could go wrong for them?

[closed log] cookies and flowers and best friends forever

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:57:22 GMT

Who: Hinata, Lee (♥)
Where: Hallway outside Lee's office. Yes, the Haunted one.
When: Monday, March 2nd.
What: Bonding and bff-dom. Cookies and Flowers and ghosts- oh crap!!
Warnings: Accidental panty flash, but besides that... Well, it's Hinata and Lee. Dur.

It's not scary. It's not haunted. It's not scary. It's not haunted. Hinata repeated that mantra to herself as she trekked up the stairs to the haunted (eek!) wing of the third floor. B-But she had a mission! A very important mission. Lee-san (who had been so nice to her) had offered her flowers from his parent's home! She had to make him something in return. So of course, the first thing that sprung to her mind was baking. In her whole life, the only compliment she had ever received from her father was "You'll make someone a good wife someday." Cooking, cleaning, looking after people, those were Hinata's only skills. And since she couldn't very well go over to Lee-san's house and clean it all up for him (He seemed like the type to keep his house very clean anyway, and besides, how embarrassing!!) her only other option was to make him something. And she enjoyed it! She had recently made some improvements on her Peanut Butter cookie recipe (They were softer and chewier, now), and to share them with someone doing something nice for her was all she could have asked for. So she put on a determined face and stomped up to the third floor.

But once she got up there it was terribly scary.

It was big, it was empty, and one of the light bulbs flickered! That always happened in scary movies. Oh no, oh dear, this was very bad, this was going to be very- No! She had a job to do! Lee-san! Cookies! It's not scary! It's not haunted!

She screamed at the top of her lungs when a floorboard creaked to the left of her.

"H-Hello?" Hinata called hesitantly, clutching her cookie backpack to her chest in fright. The cookies were wrapped up tight to shield them from breaking in case she had to throw the backpack at an axe-wielding maniac in order to run for her life. "I-Is anybody there?"

There was little Lee could do to improve the atmosphere in his room. He'd tried stringing colorful banners and his favorite movie posters on the walls. He'd decorated his desk with a picture of his family, a picture of him and Tenten back in high school, and even a picture of Tenten's dog. But despite the cheery items, the room still made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

Today though, Lee found it easier to ignore this by focusing on the small bunch of lotus and orchid flowers. The blossoms were placed in a water-filled plastic container, which would provide moisture and keep the flowers fresh for at least two more days.

Lee grinned to himself. The flowers would symbolize the start of a friendship with his co-worker! Hopefully, he wouldn't make a fool of himself or scare the girl away. His thoughts were broken when a scream rang through the hall. Jolting up from his seat, he ran out of his office, prepared to defend and fight if it was necessary. The girl at the end of the hall didn't look harmed, but he still quickly made his way towards her. When he was near enough, he realized that it was none other than Hinata.

"Miss Hinata! Are you alright?!" He asked, checking for any injuries.

As Hinata's heart rate slowly rattled back to normal speeds, she collected her thoughts and realized how silly she was acting. There were no such things as ghosts! Dead people were in the ground. Not wandering around. There were no ghosts here. Just like there were no ninjas in her closet and no aliens in her computer.

When her breathing reached normal, her head darted up to see Lee-san bolting towards her. He seemed very energetic to Hinata. Maybe that was why he was so friendly. Energetic people tended to have a higher level of endorphins, or so she had read. Lee-san must be very perky a lot.

The shy girl nodded fervently. Y-Yes. I'm fine. I just thought I heard something." She looked back up at Lee-san with a smile, masking her still slightly present fear (not to mention embarrassment at shrieking over something so silly). She was a bit more comfortable now that someone was with her. Hinata started suddenly, remembering why she was here in this scary hallway in the first place. "L-Lee-san, I made you these cookies! T-They might be a little smushed, but I'm sure they're still yummy!" She snapped open her backpack and rifled through it, looking for the tightly bound plate of cookies shaped like squirrels that were supposed to be bunnies. Hinata set the bag down and presented the plate to Lee, beaming happily with her accomplishment.

Hinata was very...cute. Lee didn't know why she added a -san to his name, but he decided to ask about it later.

He had thought that the way Hinata wrote in her journal- with smaller text and all -was just a quirk of hers. He didn't expect to find the real person as soft-spoken as she was. As a child, Lee had been taught to respect women and to be a gentleman- never harming women, while defending them instead. Other women in his life were either strong enough not to need protection, or refused to be protected. But with Hinata, the desire to protect flared.

Lee was blushing as she presented the plate of cookies to him, one hand behind his neck. He was grateful and more than a little flattered. "Thank you! They smell very good!" He grinned brightly at her. "You really did not have to thank me this way. But I appreciate it! Ah, let me get the flowers from my room. Please stay here- I will be back in a second!"

With that, he dashed back to his office to get the flowers and hurried back to where Hinata was waiting, still holding the plate of cookies in one hand.

As soon as Lee blushed, Hinata fought a color of her own. It was always hard for her not to turn red when talking face-to-face with people, since there was no way she could be ignored. That was why she typed with the tiny letters on the online journals- she did want to make friends but if she typed small there was a chance she might be looked over. And she was fine with that. Or at least used to it. Being looked over, that is.

She smiled when Lee took the cookies. He genuinely seemed to like them. That made her happy. She liked it when people enjoyed her cooking; it was nice to be appreciated for a few minutes. But... he was blushing. Had she done something wrong? Was he sick? It would be rude to ask, but what if she had made him uncomfortable? "D-Do you have a temperature, Lee-san?" she asked. She placed one hand on his forehead to see if he was running a fever, but he seemed fine. So she did do something wrong. Drat.

She hung her head in an apologetic fashion when Lee said something about getting the flowers and- most importantly- leaving Hinata alone in the hallway. Rationally, she knew it would take probably about four seconds with the speed Lee ran to get to his office, grab the flowers and come back, but still, that was four seconds in which she could be abducted by some insane asylum escapee who murdered sixteen people with this crazy hook-hand... She clutched herself and squeaked.

When Lee came back with the flowers though, she immediately gasped and forgot her fear. She was safe with Lee-san here anyway. But what he was holding (besides her cookies) were possibly the most beautiful flowers Hinata had ever seen. Her mouth hung open and she clapped her hands together. "O-Oh my gosh! Lee-san, they're so beautiful!"

The lotus and orchid blossoms floated on a small container filled with water. Lee had covered the top to prevent anything from spilling. As he rushed back to Hinata's side, he held out the container to her and tried not to get so flustered about it. The woman seemed to take it the wrong way earlier.

"Here you go! I just picked them yesterday so they should still be fresh for when you include them into your collection." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Ah, if you do not have anything to do, would you like to share your cookies with me?" He looked briefly at the flickering lights in the hallway, unable to keep a shiver from running up his spine at the thought of having to spend the rest of the day alone in his office. "It is just...it can get very lonely in the office. And I do not get many visitors. Only if you have the time though!"

It was a chance to bond with a co-worker of his- someone whom he thought of as a potential friend. It was also a chance to get out of his office and the oppressive atmosphere inside. "We can always sit by the landing in the stairs between the wings." He suggested.

In truth, Hinata had quite a few things to do. She had to run some copies to the accounting department, make some copies for the legal department, and run down to human resources to talk to the director about a paycheck malfunction (She never liked going down to human resources. Everyone down there made fun of her stutter). But as soon as Lee-san said he was lonely up here, she couldn't possibly leave. She couldn't leave him all alone in this scary hallway! That was so mean. So she shook her head, assured him she had nothing else to do (No going down and running to hide in the bathroom to cry today, yippee!) and skipped to the stairs, happy to escape the scary flickering light bulb. It was hard to explain, but she felt incredibly safer with Lee-san around. And it wasn't that he radiated confidence like Naruto, or acted tough and protective like Temari-san, but Lee's presence she felt comfortable. It was nice.

Unfortunately, no measure of safety could save Hinata from her own clumsiness. While her accidents were usually kitchen-related (she had dropped an egg on the floor and slipped on it while making the cookies for Lee-san), today seemed to be unlucky for her, and she tripped over her own feet.

She went flying.

Hinata landed flat on her face, and stayed there for a few moments, horrified. It felt like she scraped her knees, and not only that, it also felt like her skirt had flown up in her trip down. She hoped it didn't. She hoped she was wrong. She hoped Lee-san hadn't seen her underwear with the duckies on them. She didn't get up, knowing her face was probably beet-red. She just sort of lay there, hoping she somehow melted into the floor, never to be seen again.

Lee had thought that he'd gone too far again; that he'd assumed Hinata would even want to be around him longer. But with her agreement, his doubts faded and an easy grin worked its way to his features again. He followed after her happy skips. He hadn't expected her to suddenly slip on the floor.

"Miss Hinata!" He cried out as she fell. He had been running to her side, ready to catch her even if he had to throw the plate of cookies to the side to do so. But then her skirt flew up and revealed dainty panties and smooth legs. He halted in his tracks, frozen as she fell to the ground. No. He hadn't- He hadn't meant to see anything! A vivid red started creeping up his neck and made its way all over his face. Gods, he could feel his ears grow warm! There was a brief silence between when Hinata fell and when Lee's thought process finally jerked back into life. He moved next to the woman, kneeling beside her and offering his hand.

"Miss Hinata, I am sorry! I should have caught you when you fell! Please forgive me!" He said, the cookies clutched tightly to his chest. If she knew he had seen her panties, she must surely be embarrassed. Or angry with him. It was best not to mention that he saw them unless she brought it up herself. Face still burning, he set down the plate and gently wrapped one hand around her arm and helped her up. He dusted off the sleeve of her blouse, only noticing now how similar the outfit looked to the typical Japanese schoolgirl uniform.

"Are you alright?" Worried eyes stared at Hinata's face while his hand came up to flick a strand away from her cheek.

The stinging in her knees finally started to hurt, and Hinata fought back hot tears. Why couldn't she go just one day without making an idiot out of herself? She was supposed to be a grown-up. She ran away so she could be one. But she was always too weak or too clumsy and always ended up relying on other people! She almost couldn't bear it. She didn't want to be a burden to anyone, but that was all it seemed she could be. A burden.

Even when Lee-san helped her up Hinata felt useless. She couldn't even stand up on her own. She almost felt something like... anger. It wasn't fun. But she couldn't be mad! Not around Lee-san, especially when he was being so nice to her. And from his behavior, it didn't seem like he saw anything bad (or at least he was pretending that he didn't, and that was almost even nicer). She really had no reason to be angry. Just because she was surrounded by nice people, that was no reason to get mad. But, he was blaming himself! That was terrible! There was no reason for him to do that. Hinata shook her head almost violently. "No! It's not your fault at all, Lee-san!" She exclaimed, surprised at the strength of her own voice. She needed to reassure Lee-san that it wasn't his fault, that she was perfectly fine. She couldn't have him worrying about her. She couldn't be a burden.

When he brushed her hair out of her face, the slight contact made her cheeks turn red, but she shook her head again. She was totally fine! Her knees didn't hurt that badly. She had had much, much worse. "Nope! I'm totally fine!" Once she was comfortable with her stability, she brushed off her uniform and straightened her skirt. She looked up and beamed at him, letting him know she was fine. People who were hurt bad didn't smile. "These are nothing. One time when I tripped I fell down some stairs and broke my leg! These are just scratches." She picked up her backpack and continued down to the stairs. She didn't skip this time.

Hinata's smile only made him feel worse. He didn't like it when people got hurt around him and he hadn't been able to prevent it. But at least her legs hadn't been wounded and the container with the flowers hadn't sprung open.

Lee followed after Hinata, still feeling guilty even though she told him it wasn't his fault. Actually, he felt guilty both for not catching her and for catching a glimpse of her duck-patterned panties- notthinkingaboutthat! He slapped a hand on his face and promised to do 50 push-ups later for thinking such disrespectful things about his colleague. Not to mention someone he was starting to think of as a friend.

When they reached the landing, he waited for Hinata to sit down before taking a seat beside her. "Ah, what made you start pressing flowers?" He asked, trying to get past what happened. "I do not know many people who have that hobby."

Hinata turned and knitted her eyebrows in confusion when Lee slapped his own face. That was quite an odd thing to do. Maybe he had a bug on his nose. Hinata didn't ask.

When they arrived at the stairs, Hinata set her backpack down, folded her skirt underneath her and sat on the first step. She was a little taken by surprised when he asked her why she pressed flowers before she remembered that was what they were actually here for in the first place. She had forgotten. Hinata bit her lip. She didn't like to talk about home, mostly it just made her sad. But lying was wrong, and Lee-san would never lie to her! Besides, telling the truth wouldn't be so bad. Parts of it.

The shy girl rested her chin on her knees. "W-Well, when I was little every year for my birthday my father would send me flowers. They were always so beautiful and colorful, but when they died I would cry and get everybody sad. S-So I looked up books on how to get them to live longer, and I found out about how to press flowers in a book so you could always look at them! S-So I started a big scrapbook full of lots of flowers, a-and it got to be so much fun I guess it just turned into a hobby." Hinata stared dreamily down the stairs for a split second before popping out of her reverie and looking back up at Lee-san. She shouldn't have said anything. She got too much into it and forgot she shouldn't have been talking about home at all. Change the subject.

"S-So what do you do for fun, Lee-san?" Hinata smiled.

Listening to Hinata talk about flowers, Lee smiled as he heard the passion in her voice. He believed that everyone should have something they were passionate about- anything would do. Their lives would be enriched by it, and they would have something to look forward to when they wake up each day. "I am glad to hear that you have a hobby you invest so much of yourself in." He said while unwrapping the plate of cookies and placing it on his lap.

"Ah...for fun?" He tapped his chin with a finger, sorting out the various activities he did and picking out those that he really looked forward to. "I like to keep moving!" He grinned before explaining himself. "I meant that I enjoy doing any activity that requires me to move my body. When I have free time, I exercise by doing laps around downtown- that is where I live. I also enjoy dancing even though I am not very good at it. Oh! I am also fond of sports! Especially the more challenging ones. Ah, you could say I like the thrill of pushing myself to my limit."

"Besides that, I like spending time with friends and trying out new things with them." He finished with a thumbs up and a grin that showed the whites of his teeth. "Just like what we are doing now!." He offered the plate of cookies to Hinata, taking one himself and humming in delight at the peanut-buttery scent.

Hinata smiled when Lee talked. His manner of speech was strange, never conjoining any words, but it sounded neat. Most people might have found it strange. Hinata thought it was cool.

She also smiled when he talked about being active. Lee-san liked to challenge himself. Hinata admired that. Keeping busy was easy for her, but exercise was hard. Running, jumping, catching things... it all required an intense coordination that Hinata did not have. She was right then when she said Lee was energetic. If he was always moving, it was no wonder he was so happy! Maybe she should run more... but she couldn't even run a few steps without falling over. Or sports... ick.

"W-Wow! You're so cool, Lee-san! You can do all kinds of awesome stuff... I-I don't even know how to ride a bike!" Hinata giggled. In her eyes, people who could run without falling and breaking something were worthy of praise.

Lee blushed at the compliment. "Thank you! But I am only good at what I do because I work hard. It takes so much practice to perfect even just one of the stunts for films." He took a bite of the cookie, sighing at the sweet taste. Even though he preferred to eat healthy everyday, he enjoyed the occasional indulgence.

"Would you like me to teach you sometime?" He flashed Hinata a thumbs up. "I ride a bike to work, so it is no trouble to teach you during my breaks or after work!"

A laughably firm look and a nod followed Lee's statement about hard work. Hinata put everything she had into every little thing she did- even the cookies they were eating. Even when they were put in the oven, Hinata had sat on a stool a few feet away with a small novel and checked every two minutes until they were perfectly baked. The effort seemed to be working, apparently. Lee-san seemed to like them very much. Hinata smiled.

Her smile increased tenfold when Lee-san offered to teach her to ride. Her face lit up like a fireworks display and she nearly bounced up and down in her seat. She had always wanted to learn how to ride a bike, since it seemed like something everybody needed to know, but she was never allowed. But now, a real stuntman offered to teach her! How awesome!

"O-Oh my gosh, Really, Lee-san? Are you serious?" she nearly squeaked, trying to contain herself by covering her wide smile with her hands.

Lee liked that he could make Hinata smile. The awkward moment from earlier was now long past and forgotten, at least for now, as he nodded eagerly. "Yes I am!" The hands covering her mouth looked like such a childish gesture, but it somehow suited the young woman. "It would be fun to teach you the basics, then a few of the tricks I know. Ah, I do not know how you get to work, but if you are willing, we can even have cycling sessions together if we come from the same direction!"

He was starting to get excited about it. It can get very lonely, cycling past quiet streets with only the occasional street sweeper and early riser to greet. As well as the occasional drunk staggering home.

"Also,, these cookies are delicious Hinata! Have you considered selling your creations?" He took another cookie, biting nearly half of it before turning his head to the side to chew properly and out of politeness.

Hinata gasped and almost shrieked in joy, but settled for a fierce hug around Lee-san's neck. She was so excited! Riding a bike! And tricks! She probably would be too scared to learn some of the tricks Lee-san knew, but maybe not! She laughed and smiled. "T-That would be so much fun! I-I don't live too far from here, over that way!" Hinata pointed towards a busy street, down towards the direction of the main downtown district, but not too far away. She needed to live close, the buses here went in weird places and sometimes she was forced to walk.

When Lee asked her about selling her cookies, she immediately shook her head. She hated business, hated it terribly. Besides, she would never even think of profiting from the things she did for her friends! That would be terrible. "No, no definitely not! I only make these special for my friends," she said firmly.

When Lee was hugged so fiercely, he had returned the hug just as tight. Though a light flush had crossed his cheeks, there were no other feelings involved except happiness and fondness for Hinata. And when he heard her say that the cookies were only for her friends... He grinned widely and flashed her a thumbs up. "Then I am very privileged! I am glad you think of me as your friend! I promise to do all that I can to make this youthful friendship blossom!"

Taking another cookie, he broke it in half and offered one part to Hinata. "These cookies will symbolize the start of our friendship." His smile took on a playful lope. Most of his friends called his antics silly. But he liked doing these things. It gave meaning to the smallest events in his life.

Looking at his watch, he gave a small sigh. "Ah, I need to get back to work soon. I have a model set to finish. When are you free for bike-riding lessons?"