<div class="floatleft">(http://i.imgur.com/6gHyA34.jpg)</div><strong><span class="bbc_u">Kugetsuki Shiori</span></strong>(https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=236641.msg11654413#msg11654413)<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Kirigakure, Shrimp Stand<br/><strong>Tag:</strong>Zato Ichimaru, Sayuri<br/><hr/><br/>Initially, Shiori smirked in a friendly manner as the Kirigakure-nin responded to her affirmation with excitement, even suppressing a bit of a chuckle herself at the joyous reaction. But that ended moment the playful genin leaned in for a private message, immediately stiffening the startled brunette as she steeled her nerves.<em>She touching. Her breath is warming your neck</em>. Although the girl spoke on as they walked along towards the passage, it was difficult to concentrate on conversation, not when she could acutely feel the grip of her fingers on her shoulder, and a familiar tingle down her spine.<em>What are you worrying about?</em>Thanks to her outerwear poncho, it was a few layers of thick cloth and leather between them.<em>So she's touching.</em>So, it should be okay. If there was any place she was to be touched, that would be it.<em>Why are you so tense? Relax. It's just a bit of friendly contact. Are you really this hostile towards common humanity? This isn't you. Just let go. Ease that tension. Be accepting. Let the kindness touch your heart. Feel the warmth ripple through your body. Indulge in the affection. Let it fill your heart.</em>Luckily, the contact was fairly brief, as she exhaled heavily in relief when Sayuri let go and turned away.<br/><br/>"Yeah...Okay..." Shirori replied shortly, through slow, controlled breaths, although it took her a few seconds longer to really reflect what exactly was being whispered into her ear. It was a strange warning to be given. But it wasn't much she could question about at the moment. She'd just have to keep an eye out for this Kasumi character. She knew well that Ichimaru could take care of himself. And he likely heard the same warning, so hopefully, he'd keep his graces about him. She flashes Kasumi a hesitant smile and nods towards her as the takes her leave. "We'll be there."<br/><br/>It didn't take long for the disciplined iryou-nin to regain her composure, as she led the quiet swordsman towards the railing, which the pair made short work in clearing and landing on the other side. Each of them made a much lighter impact on the water as they landed on it, creating a few waves of ripples that settled down before long, something their training enabled them to handle rather easily. She smiled softly at her companion, recalling their private training sessions a moment, before calling his attention.<br/><br/>But a simple use of<em>Tadayou</em>wasn't going to be enough this time. As she feared, the tunnel was flooded, save for maybe enough space for headroom. If they were going to take this way, they would have to get into the water. While she had little issue with that personally, Ichimaru was another matter. Maybe he could keep calm, if he could keep his head above the water. But it had to be a terribly tense moment for him. She looked back his way, sighing softly into a meek smile, nodding and humming in that confirmation he recognized, only to find a brave smile being brought upon his own handsome countenance. He wasn't going to back down so easily. But still...<br/><br/>"Hey, Ichi-kun..." Shiori finally replied, in a low, gentle voice, one she reserved for private, important discussions, as she tactly pulled at the loose end his tanktop, wanting to catch his attention without getting distracted. "...You don't have to do this, you know. We could just go around, like she originally suggested. We might be a bit late, but I could just say I didn't want to get my things wet." She said, instinctively offering a bit of a forced smirk, before resuming her tone, wanting to catch him before he spoke. "I know you can handle it. But, that doesn't mean we should have to. Not if you really don't want to. You shouldn't be forced to, not for something like this."<br/><br/>Shiori was still willing to go, of course. If he really wanted to challenge himself in this way, then she would be there to support him. But, unlike some of their more competitive comrades, she didn't see the point in a needless challenge. Ichimaru didn't have to prove himself to her or anyone else. Any ninja that could excel with his disability had more than proven themselves already.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">-1 chakra for <em>Tadayou</em>.<br/><br/>Sorry if this slows things down a bit, but I just thought it was more loyal to Shiori for her to check with him personally before trying to push forward.<br/></div></div>