Post by `kiore && akiko on May 5, 2008 19:09:18 GMT -5
hold me close; make me swoon.
[/color]Steam fogged up the mirror, as Kiore stepped out of her shower and began the 'task' of drying off. Minutes later she was dressed in casual clothes; a pair of black shorts, that were only slightly different to the style that she would wear when 'in uniform', and a pair of pale blue socks that reached her knees before them, and then a long sleeved, white turtle neck shirt - which over that, was a rather dark, crimson and black pinstriped zip up vest. Her hair was left down, and slightly damp from the shower, though she did quickly run a brush through it.
Humming a tune in a soft murmur, Kiore turned off the bathroom light and headed to the kitchen in her apartment, following the smell of pumpkin soup that she had been warming up on the stove, on low of course. Reaching up in the cupboard closest to the single window in the kitchen, that gave a rather marvelous view of Kumo, Kiore took out a plate and shut it, before retrieving a s.thingy from the drawer near the sink. Testing the temperature of the soup, Kiore turned off the stove. Pouring the contents of the small pot into the plate, until it was half full, Kiore picked up it and the s.thingy and made her way to her living room.
Sighing as she listened to the echoing silence that followed her, she sat down on the three seated couch and turned on the television, simply to hear something. After living by herself for so many months, Kiore had began to resent her decision to move out of her parents house so early into her life. Though she wasn't much of a fan of noise, Kiore didn't like to be on her own much; it started to become hollow, and rather lonesome. Even if she had regular guests, it still wasn't consistent every night... and Kiore was always trying to fill the invisible gaps that gnawed at her mind every time she was home.
No wonder you're always taking missions, these days, she thought with a drawn out sigh, as she ate the soup - canned, the only thing she had been bothered making. She wouldn't even be eating, really, had she not nearly collapsed from neglecting that important issue earlier that day. It wasn't so much that she had an eating disorder - and her body was definitely not unhealthily thin - but because she tended to forget to eat, most of the time.
"A lot of other important things are on my mind," she had argued with Rukia, whom had been shopping with her, the currently pregnant women had merely fixed the Chuunin with a stern look. "Fine, fine!" Kiore had muttered.
Sure, it wasn't a five course, glorious meal; just pumpkin soup from a can, but at least it was something.
"Che," she huffed, glancing at the digital clock on top of the television cabinet, reading eight thirty am. Kiore had already done every mission report that she could think of, and even then prepared scrolls for future uses... she couldn't train at this hour, and she was more productive with a sparring partner, anyway... the house was practically sparkling, and she didn't really have the attention span to go over it again... the books in her vast collection on the shelf was already alphabetically in order.
"Good God," she suddenly felt like bashing her head against something, something hard. "I have no life."
Was this where she had imagined herself, back in her academy days?
Keigo had a girlfriend (something only Kiore knew, because he trusted her. Renji only knew because of the whole 'twin' thing, and was smart enough not to say anything). Renji was starting to realize, that yeah, he and Kiore weren't ever going to mesh well together in that sense, and she didn't want to date someone that was practically her brother (Kiore was sure, too, that he had his eye on a cute, newly ranked Chuunin, that she might just have to step in and play matchmaker with). Kajaal! Kajaal was stalked by numerous fangirls, and then some. He could have anyone he wanted, at any time, really. Zaraki and Rukia were happily married. Even Takashi had a girlfriend, for crying out loud!
"I'm doomed for an eternity of romance novels and a deafening silence,"[/color] she sniffed, suddenly feeling rather depressed.
Taking her plate back to the kitchen, Kiore rinsed it and the s.thingy off, and placed them on the sink, mutely. Rummaging through her food cupboard, fridge, and even the hidden safe behind the portrait of her family (Kajaal doesn't like banks, much); Kiore found absolutely no chocolate, or sweets. And nor was there any ice cream to be found in her freezer. Heck, she didn't even have the ingredients to bake cookies! With a sulking pout, Kiore shut the last cupboard door, with more force then was necessary.
'Someone' must have eaten it all, she had decided, and that was rather bad, because her cravings didn't seem like they were going to fade away any time soon... and bed was a long wait away. Television wasn't very interesting, everyone was on missions, she had read all of the books on the shelf, and didn't feel like reading Pride and Prejudice for the eighty ninth time.
Refraining from actually taking that step further, and banging her head against something, Kiore walked down the hall to her front door, and grabbed her house keys on from the hook and her wallet from the corner table, and shrugged on a very dark, blue coat that came down past her knees. Tugging on zip up black boots, that covered her legs, and left no more skin showing, Kiore lastly pulled on a pair of black gloves.
Once outside, Kiore was met with a cool, crisp wind. Summer was over, and Autumn had made it's way on over with it's mixed days; sometimes the temperature was like this, sometimes it was warm again, sometimes it was nice, and other times it was just plain out of whack. Missions on days like this, were always horrible.
"Tch," she muttered, shoving her hands in the pockets of her coat, and huddling over, Kiore started walking down her street towards the main part of the village.
"Stupid chocolate and it's stupid way of always running out, and stupid apartment for being so far away from the stupid store,"[/color] she rambled all the way there, and by the time she did get there - which only took five minutes, but the cold just made it seem oh so much more longer - chocolate was the last thing on her mind, and where it had once been, the need for warmth took over.
And luck just so happened to be on her side, for she was headed directly straight to her favorite tea house. Thanking the Gods for this favor, however small it might be, Kiore rushed with a little more enthusiasm to enter the store - instantly greeted with the delectable smell of all types of tea, cakes and oh, gosh - the warmth!
"Urahara-san!" and of course the always surprised greeting from Hiroki, but Kiore could only manage a smile and nod. The boy instantly knew what she wanted, and set about getting her order. The Chuunin sank into one of the many free cushioned booths, the one closest to the window, with a blissful sigh.
Kiore had to sometimes wonder what she was hoping to achieve in life; did she want to stay a Chuunin and retire? Did she want to take the Jounin exams? Or maybe, did she want to follow in Renji and Keigo's footsteps, and become an ANBU officer? Really, she would be content staying as she were, although that was now and not later, as Kiore was the type to change her mind constantly on a subject such as this. For a while she would decide that she is happy with her life as it were, but later she would come to the conclusion that she needed to do more... waiting around for missions wasn't exactly her idea of an ideal life, and she doubted that she was going to get anymore Genin teams for a while, nor did she want to get her hopes up for a real team. One with a leader, and two other Chuunin like herself.
You just want the old days back, her alter ego noted, and Kiore agreed. Secretly, Kiore had always wanted to be selfish and say that no, she was not alright with Keigo and Renji leaving the team to become ANBU, that yes, she wanted them to stay together like a family, that no she didn't want to be alone. Kiore was however, the furtherest thing from selfish, especially when her 'family' was the subject. Keigo and Renji had dreams of their own, there had been no way in Hell that she was going to hold them back. Of course there had been the option of becoming an ANBU, herself, but Kiore had never been interested in becoming one of those... one of those types of shinobi. Subconsciously, Kiore categorized shinobi into certain types, and she didn't want to put herself under "those emotionless shinobi, without lives and identities."
No, Kiore would never really fit under that category. Kajaal had even noted, being an ANBU Captain, that Kiore wouldn't make a good ANBU; as it was, Kiore was too gentle and kind, too warm and happy... of course, he might have just been saying that because he didn't want to see his little sister turn into someone like that. He didn't want Kiore to become like their parents... like him. Zaraki had noted when they were still a team, and pondering with each other about their futures, that Kiore would make a good sensei. Everyone had agreed with that, too, and Kiore had come to terms with the fact that she was never going to survive long being a shinobi without balance in her life; as, one could not be a shinobi and expect not to have to kill anyone.
Kiore had so enjoyed the months in which she was "Kiore-sensei", when she had been appointed to a team of Genin. Strong Genin, Kiore had noted the first time she had met them, and tested them to see if they were 'fit' enough. They would grow up to be ANBU captains and legendary Jounin, she had first thought when she assessed them. Of course, they were not without emotions, and they were still very much just children. Kiore was often reminded by them however, that she was only three years older then they were… and they loved to rub it in that she was shorter than the boys on the team. Something that most of her ‘fellow sensei’ found rather amusing; Kiore mentally groaned and prayed for her growth spurt to hurry up and just hit her, already.
Sighing, Kiore’s thoughts were interrupted when Hiroki placed a chocolate muffin on a white plate, and a large cup of jasmine tea – a little bit stronger than normal, however – in front of her.
“Kiore-chan looks troubled today,” he noted, taking a seat next to her. Kiore and Kajaal always used to visit the tea-house she was in, until Kajaal was promoted, and had met Hiroki a few years later when he started working there – his parents owned the tea-house. They weren’t the best of friends, as Hiroki was rather shy and just now starting to talk to her without stuttering, but their personalities seemed to fit in with each other.
“Hiroki-kun’s powers of observation amaze me,” Kiore murmured, hiding a giggle behind her hand, before sighing with a hint of a smile, “I’m fine, just having a midlife crisis.”
Hiroki raised a brown eyebrow, “you’re only fifteen, Kiore-chan,” he muttered, then in a more softer note, “is it like that for all shinobi, mm?”
Hiroki had always wanted to be a shinobi, he had once confided in Kiore, but due to an illness that he suffered from, he hadn’t been able to. A shinobi couldn’t have such a weak body, after all. The illness showed in Hiroki, his skin was deathly pale, and there were dark circles under his eyes, like he didn’t get much sleep, and sometimes he would disappear for weeks, hidden away in his room because his legs wouldn’t move. Kiore had visited him on one of those occasions… in all truth, she had felt sorry for him, but she knew he wouldn’t have wanted that, so she acted as if had been there on a ‘play date’. Such children, they had been that day.
“Nii-sama goes through this phase constantly!” Kiore laughed, making light of the situation because she didn’t like the sadness in Hiroki’s eyes, whenever he thought of shinobi, “ne, Hiroki-kun!” she chimed, “how about that festival next week, are you going?”
The faint smile on his lips appeared, and Kiore felt like she accomplished something at least, “I might be,” he answered, and then stood up, “it’s been good talking to you, Kiore-chan,” he was always so formal, “I’ve got customers to attend to,” he smiled properly before he walked off to greet a couple.
Sighing, Kiore smiled as she sank into the booth after taking a sip of her tea – delicious and reviving, like always, she could trust on Hiroki to get her in a better mood – now picking at the muffin and, rather absent minded, putting a small piece to her lips here and there; Kiore’s appetite was fairly non-existent, these days, but for health reasons she made sure to eat, and to make sure she didn’t become just skin and bone – Kajaal would have a mental breakdown, Rukia would give her a lecture while forcing her s.thingyfuls of all sorts of food, Keigo would be worried and Renji would become paranoid that she was going to die.
Kiore finished the rest of her now lukewarm tea, grimacing when she realized that the day wasn't going to pass by any more quicker if she stayed in the shop. With a sigh she place some money on the table and waved a goodbye to Hiroki as she made her way out of the tea-house, and onto the streets.
Kiore found herself lost within her musings for a while, thoughts revolving around her future and what may or may not happen; what should happen and what she didn’t want to happen; what she was going to amount to, if anything at all. The biggest decision which would affect her future mostly was if she decided to achieve a ‘promotion’. She would have more chance of amounting to something more than an average, every day Chuunin if she were a Jounin, right?
Kiore sighed, knowing all too well that she was and would never be the type to want that sort of power. If she wanted to be recognized as a powerful kunoichi, she would have graduated from the Ninja Academy with flying colours and would have already become a Jounin months ago. She had the raw potential – Kiore’s parents had passed down to her their amazing chakra control, affinity for nin-jutsu and she suspected more.
But no, Kiore had never wanted to be like her parents. And so she had made the choice to stay at a normal, healthy rate for achievement; being the best wasn’t always the most thrilling of goals to have. There were already two prodigies in the seventh generation of the Urahara bloodline.
Takashi Urahara, son of Orihime and Kisuke Urahara – he upheld the family name with pride and honor, one of Konoha’s strongest Jounin. Kiore was proud of him.
And as for her family, Kajaal carried the title of ‘prodigy’ with obvious ease; Kiore idolized him. Each of their parents had been amazing shinobi, and still was.
Kiore, herself? She was the little girl that was pushed to the back. The one that was sweet and innocent and average. However, she preferred it like this; the spotlight wasn’t so great, she had found out. And even if it were, Kiore would have never wanted it, anyhow. She liked simplicity; no complications. Being a high ranked ninja was most definitely not on her list of ‘what I want to be when I grow up’. Of course, she had wanted to be a ballerina when she was younger, and then there was the rock star stage, not to forget the artistic side to her.
Forgetting herself, Kiore was only brought out of her thoughts when she heard something drop to her right, and glanced in that direction to see was the problem was about. A delivery boy had dropped an order, and thankfully had fallen forward instead of backwards, in her direction. Not that she mean, of course, but Kiore wasn’t exactly a big girl; she was rather small for her age of fifteen, indeed. Looking like a twelve year old, thanks to the family curse as Kiore put it down to.
Thus, if the boy had fallen her way – though, keeping in mind that she would have evaded it, because what type of kunoichi couldn’t keep herself on her feet? – She would have been crushed. Probably literally. Kiore went to help him, but saw that other people were already doing so. Thinking quickly, she decided to make a casual escape – crowds were most certainly not her type of things.[/font][/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]
kiss my lips; fly me to the moon.
o o c . }} open to anyone ~!
