Author: Kiryu, Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 4:58 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

As the ring was slipped in place, everything became so real. He hugged and kissed Nadine happily. His family tumbled out of the kitchen shouting happily. They pulled Nadine and Kiryu to their feef and there were hugs all around. His mother slapped her folding fan against her palm and said, "Now about those grandbabies…."

Everything was happy and all that jazz…

Author: Nadine Hydria, Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 4:22 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

Nadine was already willing to marry him, but seeing wedding ring in Kiryu's hand - a wedding ring that had been his mothers, and been in his family for many years, even - really made it hit home for her. Nadine suddenly dropped to her knees, unable to stand. It made her feel silly, especially since she had already said "yes" before, but she slowly took the ring while nodding.

"Of course," she managed to croak.

She slipped the ring on her finger, and admired it. It was really quite a beautiful piece. Overcome with happiness once more, Nadine leaned in to kiss Kiryu, and held herself there as she placed her hands in his. She hoped Angela would be proud that her Oracle had found a man of her own. Nadine had spent so much of her life alone, but she was sure that her parents - both biological and adoptive mother - were watching her and happy for her. Nadine hoped she could live up to Kiryu's hopes. She wanted to be a good wife to him, and a good mother to their children whenever it was they came about. She felt very strongly that the intimate time she spent with Kiryu would bring those children around sooner than previously thought. She didn't mind though. Whenever it was they came, she would love them.

"S-so," Nadine piped up. "What should we do now?"

Nadine still couldn't move very well from the sudden shock of everything, but she didn't want to keep making a spectacle of herself and wanted to find something to do. She smiled Kiryu and put his hand on her cheek.

Author: Kiryu, Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 3:56 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

She was letting him continue, letting him go farther. If things went on much longer, he didnt think he would be able to stop. She seemed to accept that and want to continue. So he did, accepting all of her, worshiping her in every way possible, knowing he's never leave her side no matter what the future would bring.

—————

After everything had happened and they were dressed once again. He caressed her cheek and gave her a soft, loving kiss and nodded, agreeing to go back even though he wouldn't mind spending eternity with her, right there. He packed up the untouched picnic and then swept Nadine off her feet, the basket hooked on his arm out of the way. He gave her a kiss and said, "I guess we should get going." He walled off with her in his arms, not caring about the looks some people gave them as they went through the town. It was only when they were at the door to his house that he gently set her on her feet. Still, he had an overwhelming urge to keep touching her, so he held her hand and they walked inside. 

The moment they entered his mother came out of the room she had been in. She was no longer in a kimono but more casual clothes. She looked from Kiryu to Nadine and back again, a knowing smile burst forth and she said, "So, those grandbabies, I take it I should be expecting some soon?" Kiryu looked at her with shock as his face went bright red. She laughed and said, "Ah my boy, a mother can always tell when…. things …. have happened." He tried to speak but nothing coherent would come out of his mouth. His mother walked up to him, took the basket and set it on the ground then took a ring off her finger and put it in his hand. "That's been in the family since the beginning, don't lose it, but it's time I think it was passed to you." She then picket up the basket and walked to the kitchen pausing only to give Nadine a kiss on the cheek and say, "I can't wait. Welcome to the family my dear." 

Kiryu looked down at his hand, at the ring inside and took a sharp intake of breath.  It was his mother's wedding ring. It truly had been in their family for generations and generation. Going back to when their house had first formed when two rival clans had come together to stop the fighting and create a better future. This ring was more than just a symbol of the bond of marriage, it was that of a peaceful and loving future. He looked at Nadine and smiled softly. Without letting go of her hand he went down on one knee and said, "I know I already asked you, but now I'm properly prepared. I swear my life to you forever, I will never leave your side and that of the family we make together. I love you Nadine and would very much like you to be my wife." He held the ring out to her, with nothimy but love in his eyes.

His whole family was peeking out the doorway to the kitchen watching eveeything….

Author: Nadine Hydria, Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 3:23 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

Nadine smiled and became very weak from the wonderful feeling of Kiryu's large, warm hands exploring her body.

"I-I'm glad you think so," she said in response to his compliment. Nadine had never imagined herself ending up in a position such as this, but she didn't regret that this is where she ended up at that particular moment with that particular person. Her thoughts drifted back to the time - still rather recent - she fell into Angela's realm accidentally. The children she saw in that dark room. They seemed so familiar then, and now, Nadine felt like they may end up becoming familiar again a little sooner than she had thought.

I don't know how this happened so quickly - so easily - but this feels completely right. I don't mind if he's the one. I think he's perfect. I hope Angela would agree.

Nadine smiled and leaned into Kiryu's touches. Her body was on fire with passion and she needed more of him. She slowly prepared herself for what came next, and she gave him everything she was - all in the name of the new love she had come to experience so easily - so rightly.

——————-

Some time later, Nadine was back in her dress, but her heart still pounded heavily. She sat up, next to Kiryu, and she was a deep red in the face. She could still barely believe what had just happened, but she didn't regret it for a single moment. She grabbed Kiryu's hand and smiled at him. The food she had prepared for the both of them lay on the blanket - cold and forgotten.

"Shall we get back?" she asked her man. She squeezed his hand and leaned in to give him a kiss. She felt fulfilled in many ways. She had found another purpose.

To live… for this man, and the children they'd have together in the future.

Author: Kiryu, Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 2:00 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

He was nervous, terrified even that he'd scare her off. She hadn't given him an answer but the fear he felt melted.away as she spoke. Then she climbed onto his lap, straddling him and he looked into her eyes questioningly. She then placed his hands on her chest and messaged her breasts, still simply amazed by how perfect they were. He managed to elicit a small squeak out of her as he messaged and explored her over her dress. As she lowered one of the straps off a shoulder he looked at her as if asking 'are you sure?' He acceptance of his proposal fueled the passion burning deep inside of him as he raised his hands to her shoulders. With her guiding him he softly slipped the other strap off her other shoulder and watched as the fabric slid over her body, pooling down by her hips. He looked over every inch of her exposed flesh hungrily. He leaned in and kissed her passionately while letting his hands caress down her arms, over her stomach then one hand up her spine as his other made its was to caress and tease across her chest.  He whispered into her ear, "You're so beautiful, absolutely perfect." He then kissed along her neck with soft, loving kisses as one hand held her at the small of her back to keep her close while the other explored and softly touched and tested every inch of her. He wanted to memorize her, all of her, to know every inch of her body as well as he knew his own.

Author: Nadine Hydria, Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2017 1:01 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

"Wh-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-wuh b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-buh?"

Kiryu's question completely caught Nadine off guard and it pretty much reduced her to a babbling, giggling, hot mess.

Marriage? Already? Nadine hadn't even know Kiryu for a full day yet. Surely there was some sort of time limit requirement before doing something like marriage?

And yet… Nadine had to admit she agreed with Kiryu that it certainly seemed they couldn't resist each other. As long as she was around him, Nadine was unable to think of anything but Kiryu for long. Kiryu was all that was in her head - all that was in her desires. She wanted him in every way. Body, mind, heart - everything. She couldn't stop. She placed a hand on her chest and felt her heart beating like crazy. She needed a few moments to calm down before she could say anything remotely coherent.

"I-I… feel the same way you do. I don't know why it happened so quickly, but I'm completely infatuated and fond and attracted to you. I can't see myself with anyone else. It's so weird. And yet, it feels so right."

Nadine - pounding chest - slowly climbed back onto Kiryu and gently straddled his hips with a smile. She took Kiryu's hands and placed them on her bosom, allowing him to massage her breasts for a short time. Feeling his hands on her caused Nadine to squeak slightly with a smile. Her breasts were very big - they'd always been that way - but she had never felt them so astutely before. Kiryu's touch drove her wild like nothing else had before. She leaned in to his touch and slowly lowered one strap of her dress from her shoulder. As it loosed its grip on her, Nadine could feel the dress get closer to falling down completely. She kind of wanted Kiryu to be the one to really free her body from it.

"I certainly do want to marry you. I don't know when it will happen exactly, but it feels right. You feel right. Goodness, you feel right."

Nadine blushed at the sexual undertones of her repeated statement. She helped Kiryu's hand remove the other strap of her dress from its place on her other shoulder, and she shivered as the fabric from her outfit fell down - tickling her sensitive flesh as it did so. The dress fell until it clumped about her wide hips. Everything from her shoulders to her plump, pudgy belly was on full view. Her face was completely red - fully knowing that Kiryu was looking at her half-naked self.

Nadine couldn't meet his gaze - she was too embarrassed and excited at the same time - but she smiled and gently held his hands as they explored her body.

Author: Kiryu, Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:21 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

Her reaction was unexpected but welcomed. He couldn't deny how much he wanted her. He returned her kiss, a fiery passion growing in his chest… but not only there… as sherubbed herself against him he could feel himself getting turned on…and he's sure she could feel it too.. He ran his hands up her sides as as light as a caress and massaged light at her breasts. He was having a hard time keeping control over himself, but when she started kissing his neck he couldn't stop it anymore and a quiet moan slipped out of him. How was she able to break his control so easily? He was losing his inner battle and was about to just give in when she backed off. 

He shook his head as she apologised, but her words made him want to reach out and touch her more. She couldn't help herself, had gotten lost in him, just as he seemed to do with her. She was feeling the same way as he was, this struggle… He wasn't alone in it. He smiled as he looked down. And let out a short quiet laugh. "It seems we both have a similar problem then." 

He could tell she was trying to distract herself but he had made up his mind in that moment. It was way too fast but he didn't care. He seemed more sure of it than he had been with anything before in his life.  He took her hands in his to make sure he had her attention. "Nadine, I know it's only been literally less than a day since we met, but it seems you and I have something in common. We can't resist each other. You are perfect in every way, both body and mind and I never want to leave your side. I know this is a ridiculous request for me to make, but… would you mind, even if not now but later…. would you marry me?"

Author: Nadine Hydria, Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 5:26 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

Nadine's face felt hot and deep red. Being on top of Kiryu was both enjoyable and frightening at the same time. The former because she absolutely felt attracted to him and wanted nothing more than to be pressed against him - the latter because she was afraid what she might become were she to give into her carnal desire entirely before they had even truly become a couple. That said, Nadine gave a little, awkward smile as her large bosom pressed into Kiryu's chest.

When Kiryu mentioned that it was becoming very difficult to resist his desire for her, Nadine laughed a little nervously.

"S-sorry. I didn't mean to fall on you."

Oh, Goddess. I want him to touch and feel my body all over so badly. Would… would it be okay to have just a little? Would that be so bad?

Nadine, without thinking, leaned in all the way and pressed her lips against Kiryu's. Her hands grabbed onto his hips as she steadied herself, and she moved naturally and involuntarily - gently rubbing her body against his. Feeling his athletic, muscled body against her soft, deliciously plump curvatures was a wonderful sensation. Amidst her reverie, Nadine moved to kiss Kiryu's neck. His skin was wonderfully intoxicating to the touch.

Suddenly, Nadine woke up from her self-induced trance, and she jolted up and backwards. Her face was completely red, and she stuttered a great deal as she spoke next.

"S-s-s-s-s-s-sorry!" she said. "I'm so sorry. I - I couldn't help myself. It was just so perfect a position, and I got lost in your scent and your hot…. hot body."

Sitting back on the blanket, embarrassed beyond belief, Nadine began to shove food onto her plate nervously - trying to distract herself.

"I-I don't meant to tempt you so, Kiryu. I really don't. It just happens out of nowhere. If I didn't know any better, I'd say my Goddess were interfering somehow, but she isn't, and it's all me, and I - oh, goodness."

Nadine's empty stomach rumbled her back to reality and she calmed down a little as she remembered she was hungry. But then thoughts of hunger sent more naughty thoughts through her head, for she was hungry for something else entirely.

Author: Kiryu, Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:55 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

His heart dropped and he regretted asking her about her childhood when tears began to fall. He held her a little tighter as if to apologise for reminding her of the sadness she had experienced. When she explained about the herbalist he was glad thing had gotten better for her, that she got to have a family again, but once again he was saddened when she spoke her her adoptive mother's death. Her quick turn from sadness at her memories to a smile melted his heart. How had he gotten lucky enough to meet such a wonderful, strong woman. He had just met her but he was sure of himself when he thought. I'll never let her go. I'll stay by her side for as long as she'll let me. He stared at her for a moment with a look in his eyes that seemed to express exactly what he was thinking as he let a small smile cross his lips. "Well, you can live and experience the things she never got to for her. I'm sure her spirit is still watching over you And would love for you to experience those things." He said, hoping his words would help cheer her up a bit from her sad thoughts.  

He let her lead him to the spot she wanted and was about to help her unpack when his heart started racing from the, ah… glorious view… she was giving him. She really was making things difficult for him, even if she didn't realize.  He snapped out of it when she patted the blanket next to her. He sat down and watched her with interest as she prepared a plate for him. Once again he was taken by every movement she made and almost missed it as she started to hand him a plate. He was just reaching out when some of it spilled onto his shirt. He wasn't really bothered by it but she seemed to get a bit flustered by it. "It's fine really, let's just enjoy…" his words were cut off as she slipped forwarding him. His arms instinctively wrapped around her to make sure she didn't get hurt in any way. When all was done he was on his back with her on top of him, her face was so close. He could feel her heart racing just as fast as his was. He was staring into her eyes, her lips were so close, he could easily close the distance and claim them as his own just as he has earlier that day. The feeling of her body against his, it felt so right, so natural, it made him want to worship every inch of her in ways that may be considered a bit indecent right then and there. It was such a struggle to control himself. He let his hand caress her cheek and said softly, "You're really making it hard to resist you Nadine. I don't know if I'll be able to for much longer if we keep getting thrown together like this." The look in his eyes made it very clear he was using all his willpower not to do anything she didn't want him to. He wanted to kiss her so badly, it was almost like a hunger and he was starving… for her.

Author: Nadine Hydria, Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 7:32 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

Nadine smiled as her face blushed while Kiryu told her about his childhood. Being able to imagine a younger Kiryu playing with the other kids in his family caused the young oracle to giggle in admiring amusement.Nadine smiled as her face blushed while Kiryu told her about his childhood. Being able to imagine a younger Kiryu playing with the other kids in his family caused the young oracle to giggle in admiring amusement.

"Sounds like it was fun at times. I'm sorry it didn't last."

Nadine moved closer to Kiryu to feel his warmth and lean against him as they walked. She gently took his arm and placed it around her from behind so that his hand was on her waist. She instigated this herself, but she instantly felt a little embarrassed, though, at the same time, she also felt much better and much safer with him. Feeling his hand on her body sent shivers through her spine, but she worried that her waist might be a little too thick for him. She was not fat, of course, but she wasn't small, either, after all. On the bright side, Kiryu couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of Nadine, and that made her smile, although she was also nervous about it. She didn't want to disappoint him in any way.

When Kiryu finished talking about his childhood and what it was like growing up around here, Nadine coughed nervously as he asked her about her and her childhood. Nadine frowned a little sadly.

"Well… I was born to very nice parents. They were wonderful, as far as I can remember. They both made me feel like the luckiest little girl in the world. Unfortunately…"

Nadine's eyes teared up a little bit as she remembered, but she hurriedly wiped them away with an "I'm fine" in case Kiryu was going to worry.

Then she continued.

"Unfortunately, they died when I was not even ten years old. A plague came into our village and slowly killed most of the people there. Me and a few other children were 'lucky' to avoid the plague because we liked to play away from the village most of the time. It was always strange, though. We were always clean, and very careful, and had some really good healers. I still don't know how the plague came around in the first place.

Anyway, I spent a few years alone - struggling to survive off of the rare kindness of people I came across in my travels. I learned various things here and there, picking up what a curious young girl could glean from the experiences she had through being in the right, or wrong, place at the right time. I quickly came to see that I wasn't the only one having a hard time, though. Lots of people seemed to struggle with various troubles every day - some of them orphans like me. I got lucky, though, when an herbalist came to the town I was holing up in at the time. She saw me, and seemed to take a liking to my inquisitive nature, and took me in as her own daughter. She was quite young, and very beautiful, though she lived alone. Whenever I asked her about that, she'd say that she didn't like people. I always felt like there was more to it, but I never asked or pestered her about it."

A smile crossed Nadine's lips, and she squeezed Kiryu's hand tightly.

"That woman taught me most of the things I know about healing and the uses of plants in medicine and care. She was strict, but she was kind, and loved me like any mother would love her daughter. Though, again, I was made to be alone, as she was taken in the forest we lived in when feral wolves got to her. She managed to fight them off, but she died from her wounds in our home the morning after. I believe I'm only a couple years away from being the same age as she was when she… when she died. As I grew up, I came to realize how awfully sad it was that her life was cut so short. She never found someone to love in the way only a woman could love a man, or whoever it was she fancied. So many experiences missed. Though, I suppose she was able to experience motherhood for a few years…. I'll always love her for what she did for me."

Sniffling a little bit, Nadine skipped forward in front of Kiryu a little bit and smiled brightly.

"Anyway, now I'm here with you on this lovely walk. And look!"

Nadine gestured widely towards the beautiful field the two of them happened upon.

"It seems we've found the perfect picnic spot."

Taking hold of Kiryu's hand, Nadine gently led him out to a good spot on the green grass. Nadine put the basket on the ground, and pulled a rolled up blanket from it. Unrolling it, Nadine placed the blanket on the ground so that the two of them could sit without getting dirty. Nadine sat down on the blanket - her cleavage in full view without her realizing it - and she began to remove and prepare the things the basket contained. There were various food items for them to enjoy. Chilled noodles, buns, and a couple of items from Nadine's childhood like pastries and a couple types of sweets for later.

Nadine patted the blanket next to her, and beckoned for Kiryu to join her. Once he sat down, Nadine began to plate some food. She didn't want to assume he had a big appetite and overfill his portions and end up making him eat more than he'd like in order to not be rude, so she just gave a normal meal's worth.

"Here you go," she said. She began to hand Kiryu his plate, though her hand was a little shaky. Her arm twitched slightly, but that sudden movement caused Nadine to spill a little bit of the food from the plate onto Kiryu's shirt.

"Oh goodness!" she exclaimed. "I'm so sorry. Here! I'll clean that up real quick."

Nadine grabbed a cloth from the basket and moved to better be able to clean up the mess she made on Kiryu's clothes. She couldn't do so very well with her current position, so she attempted to get up onto one foot and lean forward. However, as she moved to get up, the blanket slipped under her bare foot (she had removed her shoes) and caused her to fall forward suddenly.

Nadine couldn't stop her movement, and ended up falling into Kiryu and knocking him onto his back. Nadine clutched her head in pain for a moment, then gulped as she realized she had her face just a couple inches from him. Her chest squished into his as she looked at him. His lips were so close, and she couldn't move.

"I-I'm… sorry - I.."

Nadine gulped again as her heart began racing. She could feel Kiryu's body under hers so acutely. It was causing so many wonderful feelings to well up inside her. It was hard to resist, and she couldn't hold out much longer.

Author: Kiryu, Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 3:26 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

He nodded as she made up her mind that she'd like to go for a walk, and said, "As you wish." He followed her to the kitchen but remained silent, leaning against the wall by the door and watched jer work, his eyes lingering on her beautiful curves as she did this and that. He did catch the eye of his mother several times and she grinned teasingly at him having seen where his gaze had been. The time seemed to pass too quickly and things were ready to go. He could have watched her all day, he just loved the way she moved. He couldn't keep the small smile off his lips as she held his arm. He glanced at the basket and asked, "Would you like me to carry that for you?" 

Once walking she was taking in the landscape but he just couldnt stop watching her. The subtle ways her expression changed, the way her eyes would light up when she saw something she seemed to particularly like, even the way she moved her hair put of her face, it was all quite captivating. Her words made him nod. It was interesting at times in this place, other times it was a bit monotonous and ordinary, but those were the times he liked the most, when he was ordinary for a while instead of what he was. After a brief silence he spoke, "At times it can be interesting, other times not so much. It's much like any other place except the names are different.  Growing up here was a bit of a challenge though. Being a small child and not being able to have any real friends outside of your family. It's one of the rules in a family like mine, no one can know of what we really do. Children tend to speak of things like that too easily so usually they don't get to make friends from in town. We also start our training into the…ah… family business, at around four, along with normal schooling. My family has been in its line of work since before Nisshoki was first settled." He paused, feeling like he was getting a little too into history. He then tried again, "I liked to play around here as a kid, with Mira, Kyoya, and Jeora. We used to build secret forts and play war. Where we were the last remaining line against the bad guys and had to protect the princess from being captured. We used a doll of Mira's as the princess. Of course we would always come out on top no matter how outnumbered we were. Anyways as we grew up we played here less and less. It really was when Jeora found out what his ability was that we really stopped coming here. He's a bit different than the others in my family. We all have an ability that helps us in combat, but Jeora's isnt. He sees things.  Or well monitors what's happening around anyone that has his mark. He keeps tabs on us when we'reon missions to know when to send back up and such." He pulled what looked like a normal coin out of his pocket but etched on it was a rune similar to the ones he had on his knives. He held it out for her to look at and said, "Anything you see this mark on, he's able to see there. Though it has to be with a living being for him to see." He wasn't quite sure what to say anymore so had just kept droning on about family things. He hoped she hadn't gotten bored of him talking. "What about yourself? What were you like as a kid?" He asked hoping to learn more about her.

Author: Nadine Hydria, Posted: Wed Aug 9, 2017 7:34 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

It sounded like some sort of heated discussion was going on in the room nearby. Kiryu's mother seemed to be telling him off for acting as he had around Nadine. The oracle blushed red, embarrassed. She had never meant for Kiryu to get in trouble. She really liked him and hoped that she wouldn't cause any big problems for him. However, Kiryu's mother seemed to calm down and let him off the hook - a case for which Nadine felt relief flow through her with a sigh.

"So when will I be getting some grand babies…..?"

"Eep?"

Nadine's face turned bright red at those words.

Babies? From me and him?

Nadine covered her face in her hands and shook her head, but began to giggle like a tipsy barmaid and moved her hands to the sides of her head.

"Babies… Me? A mother? Hehehehehehehehehehehe… With Kiryu? Hehehehehehehehe…" Nadine was practically reduced to a nervous giggler at this point, but Kiryu's sudden appearance busted her out of her redfaced reverie.

"Eep!"

She was surprised, but gave a small smile to Kiryu, who was also redfaced, and that only made her feel hotter and more nervous.

"Uh-uh.. I-I-I-I…" Nadine stumbled upon her words, but was thankfully saved by Kiryu's mother coming out behind him to address her. The older woman introduced herself as Kora with a smile as she took Nadine's hands in her own as she had done so before earlier that day.

"Oh my… Mother? W-w-well… Certainly, then… I… suppose." Nadine smiled as best she could, though her mind was going so rapid fire, it was hard to really feel coherent at that time.

Kiryu mentioned a date.

"D-d-d-d-d-d-date?!" Nadine couldn't help but quietly exclaim that. "Y-yes… a-a date." She gave a smile up at Kiryu, and moved a little closer to him.

Kora moved in and gave her a kiss on her cheeks. Nadine smiled at that. Kora really seemed like a kind woman, even though she could certainly be scary - of that, Nadine was sure. Kora left her and Kiryu alone, and Nadine took the opportunity to cling to Kiryu's arm by wrapping her own around it. She felt very self-conscious now, and just wanted to be near him.

Mother Angela, please help me get through this without making a complete fool of myself.

Nadine's silent prayer finished (though she was certain Angela would act similarly to Kora as far as children were concerned), Nadine laughed at Kiryu's words.

"It's quite alright. Your  mother is a sweet woman. I can tell. I'd love to get to know her better."

When Kiryu asked her where she wanted to go, Nadine shrugged a little.

"Anywhere is fine with me, honestly. Although," she mused, "I think it would be nice to just go on a walk together in the woods or fields, and maybe have a picnic or something. I am hungry, but think it might be weird to show up at your noodle shop again in the same day. If you like, I could make some tasty food for it…. Actually, that's what I would like to do, and I know you'll enjoy it, too! Wait here, or… you can watch if you like! It won't take long."

Nadine walked into the kitchen and smiled at Kora, who smiled in return. Bashfully, Nadine walked up Kiryu's mother, hands tangled in her dress.

"I…I would like to go on a walk with Kiryu, and… spend some time with him, but… I'm hungry, and I am sure he will be so as well soon, so… I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me prepare a little dinner for us to share…"

Nadine smiled gently again, and Kora clapped her hands together with a nod.

"Of course!"

Some time later, the food Nadine and Kora prepared for the picnic and walk Nadine would have with Kiryu was done. It was all placed in a bamboo basket for easy carry, and Nadine grasped the handle firmly. She was determined to make sure the food she made for Kiryu would survive the journey. Nadine thanked Kora and hurried out as she walked next to Kiryu - one hand around his arm, and the other holding the basket. It was a warm night - for Nadine at least - so she kept her robe off. Her dress was very breezy, so she wouldn't feel too uncomfortable that night.

As the two began their walk, Nadine looked around to take in the beautiful landscape.

"This place really is beautiful," she said - moving a lock of her long hair out of her face quickly. "It must have been interesting growing up here…"

Walking like this with Kiryu was really nice. Nadine wouldn't have minded if it could stay this way for a while.

Author: Kiryu, Posted: Wed Aug 9, 2017 6:34 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

From a side room just off the front room a quiet conversation could be heard. "The rules are there for a reason Kiryu.  Not only did you reveal your identity but you compromised those in this house as well. These are.pretty serious offenses, and that's not even mentioning that you brought a stranger here without my permission. These things are kept secret for a reason, we don't want another dark fire incident now do we?" The voice was that of his mother. She let out a sigh and said, "Either way, I can tell why you acted as you did and you are forgiven. Her voice seemed to gain a teasing quality as she continued, "So when will I be getting some grand babies from you my dear boy?" 

Kiryu practically yelled, "W-what?!" His mother started to laugh and not a moment later the door to the side room opened and a bright red Kiryu strode in the door way looking embarrassed beyond belief then startled to see Nadine standing in the room. He froze his already bright red face going even redder, he looked like a tomato. His mother looked around him with an amused and teasing look, as if she had known Nadine was there the whole time and laughed again. She gave Kiryu a tap on the head with a closed folding fan "Stop blocking the door." He moved out of the way unable to make eye contact with Nadine. His mother seemed to glide as she walked forward and took Nadines arm in hers and led her towards the kitchen. As she walked she said, "Ah yes my dear Nadine, I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is Kora." She seemed to get a teasing tone again and mischievous smile as she continied, "But if you like you can call me mother if you like." She laughed and patted Nadines arm. "I'm Kiryu, Mira, and Kyoya's mother. Though I don't think you've met my other boy yet. Now, what would you like for dinner my dear?" 

Kiryu cleared his throat and said, "Actually, mother, I'm taking her out…on a date.  Please make sure the others mind their own business, it would be appreciated." His mother said, "Well you're welcome to stay as long as you like my dear… just promise me some grandbabies." She gave Nadine a kiss on each cheek and headed off the rest of the way to the kitchen alone.

Now that they were alone Kiryu slumped against a wall and sighed. "I apologise,  she …really likes to tease. Though if you are up for it we should head out. Do you need anything before we go?" He couldn't help but look over every inch of her now that her robe was removed, she looked stunning, like a goddess. He wanted to worship every inch of her, but now was definitely not the time. When she was ready he held out his hand for her and said, "I'll take you anywhere you want to go, do anything you want to do. I want this to be the perfect time for you."

Author: Nadine Hydria, Posted: Wed Aug 9, 2017 3:42 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

A small girl ran into the room that Kiryu had taken Nadine to, and it rather startled Nadine as the girl ran into Kiryu's arms happily.

"L-little girl? Child?"

Then Kiryu mentioned the girl's "mommy".

"M-mommy?"

This guy isn't already married, is he? Goodness! What am I thinking? Surely he wouldn't do something like play with a woman's heart if he's already got someone?

Nadine felt a little cold as these thoughts passed through her head. She didn't want to think that Kiryu might have been playing her this whole time or something. What if it were the case though? That thought made Nadine feel a little sick to her stomach, but she couldn't help but want to think it wasn't true. She really liked Kiryu.

Then the voice of a woman popped up from outside the room, and then the owner of the voice appeared in Kiryu's room. Nadine's heart skipped a beat as she appeared The mother and her daughter talked a little bit, and the girl said "Uncle Kiryu".

Uncle? Then that means…

Nadine looked at Kiryu in the corner of her eye with a glint within it.

He's still available? Good job, Nadine! You held your cool… well… sort of. This means he's still okay for you to fall in love with, then. Good. Good…

Relief flowed through Nadine as she placed a hand upon her hand to feel her heartbeat calm down. The girl's mother - Mira, Kiryu called her - talked to Nadine a little bit. Nadine blushed a little as Mira mentioned that Kiryu was putting a lot at risk for her. It made her feel a little bad, but being new to this area, Nadine couldn't help but wonder why Kiryu would be restricted from romance in the first place. Surely having the support of a woman who loved him would help him more than hamper?

"Your sister…" Nadine turned to Kiryu. "She seems pretty nice. I like her. Your… niece is cute, too."

Nadine took hold of Kiryu's hand and gave it a squeeze, and turned bright red when he leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek. She saw that his face was red as well, and that made her face turn even redder as the very real thoughts of how just being around her - her! Nadine, of all people - was making Kiryu get all shy and bashful. Just thinking this made her feel more attached to him. If she could do the same for him as what he did for her, she didn't mind falling in love at all. She had always hoped to find something like that with someone. The fact that she could live happily with another person like Kiryu… it made her blush.

When Kiryu left, Nadine stood by herself for a few moments. Rubbing her arm nervously, her heart started beating quickly again as thoughts raced as rabbits through her mind.

"I hope I don't mess things up here," she mumbled to herself.

Nadine spent some time in Kiryu's room alone resting. After the day's events, she needed the rest, though she didn't want to fall asleep just yet. She wanted to spend some more time with Kiryu, and it had been a while since she last ate. Her stomach started feeling empty, and she rubbed it as if it would help the hunger go away. As she did so, she felt a little conscious about her body. She wasn't thin. Certainly, she was pudgy in places most women tried not to be pudgy in. She usually didn't care, but her feelings for Kiryu got in the way, and she hoped that he liked it if a woman had a little bit of a jiggle to her wiggle. Blushing profusely as she thought of these rather naughty thoughts, Nadine removed her robe and headed out of Kiryu's room to see what might be going on.

She returned to the front room she had been in before.

"Um… Hello…" she said quietly.

Author: Kiryu, Posted: Wed Aug 9, 2017 2:47 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

To him she seemed a bit nervous at first as he introduced those that happened to be around. Maybe things seemed like they were still going too fast with her meeting some of his family. 

Once in his room her comment brought a small smile to his face and a quiet laugh. "Yes, everything is sharp so be careful." His silence lasted as she drew close and wrapped an arm around him, he put his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "I hope you like them. It is a bit soon to be introducing the family but, well, you needed a place to stay and I'd be worried about your safety if I couldn't keep an eye on you. And that isn't just because I've been hired to make sure you stay alive." 

The door freaked as someone opened it slowly. A small child peaked in. She looked to be about three or four and had black hair like Kiryu.  Her large pink eyes seemd to shine when they laid eyes upon the man. She dashed into the room at him. Kiryu let his arm drop away from nadine and picked up the girl as she met him, spinning her in the air with a smile as she laughed then hugged him. He held her on his hip and poked her nose. "And how are you today little princess?" He asked the girl affectionately. She didn't speak but instead nodded and giggled. He looked at Nadine and said, "Lyanna this is Nadine. Nadine, this is Lyanna." The girl seemed to get extremely shy. "Come on princess, manners, say hello." He said softly as the young girl hid her face on his shoulder. She peaked out with one eye and said in a small shy voice, "Hello."

After a while he asked Lyanna, "Is mommy back yet?" The girl shrugged and said in her soft voice, "She went out looking for you. Said something about someone having body guards on the way?" He nodded. "Ah, then she should be back soon."  A new voice echoed from the doorway, "I'm back now."

"Mommy!" Lyanna yrolled and jumped out of Kiryus5arms and ran to give her mother a hug. The woman in the door way looked to be a female version if Kiryu. She knelt down in front of her child and said, "what are you doing sneaking away from grandpa, you should be doing your schoolwork." The little girl pouted, "But I heard Uncle Kiryu was back and I wanted to see him." The woman smirked and tossled the girls hair. She stood up, holding her hand and looked from Kiryu to Nadine then back. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your little healer dearest brother" she said in a teasingly sweet voice.

Kiryu blinked then looking a bit embarrassed said, "Oh, ah this is my twin sister, Mira. Mira, this is Nadine." 

Mira smiled, "pleasure to meet you. Ah it makes me curious just what kind of woman you are getting my cold hearted brother to break all the rules for you. Though I'm sure mother will be fine with it." She walked up to Kiryu and pinched his cheek, "Just as long as her little boy finally found someone." She laughed and Kiryu's face went red and he rubbed his cheek. "Anyways, I've got to get going, this little one needs to get ready for some lessons." She said picking up Lyanna and walking away, giving Nadine one last wink before she left.

Kiryu seemed quite embarrassed by the whole ordeal and cleared his throat, "I'll, ah, let you get some rest. We can go out somewhere afterwards if you're interested. I'll be right downstairs if you need anything." He then gave her a quick hiss on the cheek, while his face was a bit red and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Author: Nadine Hydria, Posted: Tue Aug 8, 2017 10:24 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

"Oh… Oh my. H-he's introduced me to his family. R-r-really? And this is his… his home?"

Nadine mumbled these things to herself as she looked around at Kiryu's relatives. Cousins, and an older woman. His mother or aunt, perhaps? She wasn't sure, but this woman was dressed in what seemed to be traditional garb - Nadine recalled seeing similar clothing before a few times - and she had a kind smile on her face while addressing Nadine. Nadine smiled, a little intimidated, but also happy at the same time. The older woman was nice, and Nadine gave her hands a gentle squeeze when their hands met.

"I look forward to getting to know you better, Madam. I appreciate the hospitality greatly."

Nadine slightly bowed her head in thanks and then followed Kiryu once the older woman left. Kiryu led her to a room further in the house. Upon entering, Nadine was quite fascinated by the simple decor. It seemed to be mostly weapon stands and other martial related items, but Nadine didn't mind. She rather found Kiryu's knack for the martial arts to be quite intriguing - a nice part of his character; it meant he was good at protection and dealing with bad people. Nadine, herself, wasn't fond of violence, but she understood the necessity of it when it came to protecting others or preventing terrible deeds from happening. However, the young Oracle always tried to make sure that any efforts into violence she put in herself were only ever for self-defense or the defense of those in her care. Most of her repertoire of magical abilities, however, were focused on healing and support, as that was what she most loved about magic and her job as a healer.

"Nice room you have here," Nadine remarked. "I like how…. sharp…. everything is."

She giggled at her little tease.

Stepping a little closer to Kiryu, Nadine could feel that he was a bit tense and tightened up for some reason. In an effort to help him relax a little, Nadine stood directly next to him, her fairly wide hip pressing against him, and wrapped her arm around him loosely. She wanted to help him feel comfort in any small regard, as it may have been.

"Your family seems nice," she said. "I hope to have much time to get to know them - and you - better."

Nadine gently rested her head against Kiryu's arm. She wasn't really sure what else to do at the moment.

Author: Kiryu, Posted: Tue Aug 8, 2017 5:56 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

The taste of her on his lips was sweeter than he could have imagined, so intoxicating he wanted more but was aware they had just met he had lost his control and just had to have a small taste, just in case he ended up never seeing her again, he couldn't let her slip through his fingers without anything. To his surprise she kissed him back, and not only that as she took his hands and placed them upon her chest. He was barely able to suppress a moan as he felt the soft, large breasts beneath his hands. His mind was lost in her when she took a step away from him, breaking the kiss and casing his hands to slowly slide off her chest as if in a caress.

It was too much too fast, he knew that even as she echoed his thoughts with her words. He shook his head and finally spoke, "I honestly don't know what came over me either, since I first laid eyes on you I could tell you would turn my world upside down. I'm just drawn to you like a moth to a flame. You've captivates my very soul. But I agree. The way you say you want me to make you feel, that's exactly what I want to do. It's irrational to feel like this. It goes against everything I thought I knew about myself, but when it comes to you it's like logic and reason fly out the window."

His heart quickened when she steppes closer and put his hand against her cheek. Her words were very true and he completely agreed, hoping he could make his body abide by such logic. When she hugged him his arms instinctively wrapped around her. He planted a light kiss on the top of her head and said, "Anything for you. Anything so I'll never lose you." 

She mentioned that she was a follower of the goddess of fertility and with a small smile he commented,  "That may explain things a bit better. It must be by the will of the goddess that things happened the way they did." The moment she stepped back out of his arms he missed having her there in his embrace. 

Her lack of a place to stay made him nod. "Yes I know where you can stay." He said and held out his hand for her to take before he started walking. Town wasn't far away so it was just a short walk. He led her into town, he made sure all his weapons were hidden before going to the populated areas. He led her to what looked not like an inn but someone's house that had a large family. "You can stay here." He said leading her inside. "You are welcome to treat it as your home." He showed her where the kitchen was, three people looked up from the table and just stared. "This is the kitchen, feel free to use it as you like." He looked at the three and said, "these are my cousins. It is their choice if they wish to give you their names." One of them was a young boy who just raised his hand and said, "Haru." The other two looked a bit more hesitant. The one female finally seemed to break down and said, "I'll go by Aiyami." She nodded as if satisfied by the name she had chosen. The third snickered at her choice she gave him a glare before he said with a nod at Nadine, "Jeora." Before Kiryu could show her around more a woman came down some stairs behind them, "What's this? Bringing home a girl my dear. I never thought I'd see the day." The woman approached gracefully, dressed in a traditional looking Kimono with her black with streaks of grey hair pinned up elegantly. She grasped Nadine's hands in her own and with a lovely smile said, "I would love to stay and chat with you my dear but I'm afraid I have a job to do. I do hope I get the chance to have a talk with you soon though." She narrowed her eyes a little harshly at Kiryu and said, "also a little chat with you my dear boy." He nodded and watched as she left.  Jeora laughed at him and said, "Ooh in trouble with mommy."  He just rolled his eyes and said, "This way." He showed her around the house before taking her to the last room. He opened the door and inside was a desk, bed, bookshelf, weapon stand, and closet. He walked into the room and took his weapons out of hiding, placing them in their correct places on the stand before turning to her and saying. "You can use this room for as long as you like. If there is anything you need, please let me know."

Author: Nadine Hydria, Posted: Tue Aug 8, 2017 4:31 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

The next few minutes were a mix of long and short periods - long because Nadine was so fraught with worry when Kiryu went to fight all those people by himself, and short because he suddenly came and took her out of that house so quickly. Nadine had no real idea of what had just happened, but the fact that Kiryu was there and unhurt (as far as she could tell) and everyone who seemed to be out to ruin a poor man's life was more or less gone reassured her and she was glad that that day's events were coming to a close.

Nadine gently wrapped her arms around Kiryu as she looked up at him with relief in her eyes.

"Are you okay? What happened? It was rather frightful to be there and completely uncertain of what was going on. I was worried because you went off on your own like that, but I'm glad to see that you're —!?!"

Nadine's words were cut off suddenly because, in the next moment, Kiryu leaned his face into hers and engaged her in a very deep kiss. It took her off guard, and Nadine wasn't sure what to think. It happened so suddenly, but for some strange reason, she wasn't against it. The feeling of his kiss was intoxicating. Nadine could feel her chest pounding hard and powerfully as her entire body had a positive reaction to Kiryu's touch. She wanted more of it - more of him.

Goodness, she thought to herself. This is quite pleasing and wonderful. I daresay I rather enjoy this.

Without thinking, Nadine took Kiryu's hands in her own as guided them gently up her body until they were on her breasts. She held them against her body as she continued to kiss Kiryu, and she thought that she had never felt so wonderful before. The feeling of his warm, gentle hands against her bosoms as they remained under the fabric of her dress was addicting. It felt natural to want this. To want him. But suddenly, she became very conscious of the fact that they had just met, and she took a step back - breaking the kiss and causing Kiryu's hands to slide (in an admittedly rather wonderful feeling way) off her bosom.

"S-sorry," she whispered. "I don't know what came over me. I –"

Nadine nervously rubbed her arms.

"We only just met, and already I am here wanting you to make my body feel wonderful in every way possible. Usually, people try to spend some time getting to know each other first."

She laughed weakly.

"But, for some reason…. with you… it just seemed perfect. I've never been into anyone before. But feeling your lips against mine, and feeling your hands on my body…"

Nadine stepped towards Kiryu again. She took his hand once again, but pulled it up against her cheek instead and leaned into it.

"I want more of this. I want more of you. I want to know all there is to know about you, and I want you to know me better than anyone else. But, I feel like we need to do some normal interactions before we do….. anything else major."

Nadine wrapped her arms around Kiryu again and rested her head against his chest.

"On the bright side, I am a follower of a Goddess of Fertility…" she whispered this last part to herself.

Stepping back again after the short embrace, Nadine smiled a Kiryu.

"I'm feeling tired, but don't really know where to go for the night. Do you know of an inn or something that I could check into?"

Author: Kiryu, Posted: Tue Aug 8, 2017 2:21 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

"A-adorable noodle boy?" He responded out of reflex as his assassin mask of neutrality was broken and he stared wide eyed as red strained his face. He cleared his throat and did his best to regain his composure.

As they walked he said, "Just to be on the safe side, my appearance will change, it's the rules, no one is supposed to know who I am. The o my ones who are allowed to see our faces are those who are going to die." He hoped his meaning got across to her, that he was breaking the rules for her,  that she was special. His features seemed to grow fuzzy for a moment before solidifying once again. The person walking with her now looked to have the most unremarkable, forgetful features. His vivid black hair was a dull brown, his eyes a forgetful grey. Everything about him now seemed to almost make someone's eyes just drift over him like he wasn't even there. 

Once in the clearing Nadine seemed to focus on the plants,  but Kiryu's focus was on rooting out any danger. His senses were peaked as his eyes scanned every inch of the woods surrounding the clearing. He saw movement, someone trying to hide themselves. This wouldn't be as easy and just going in, her getting her healing done, and leaving. He could feel it in his blood, this was a bit bigger than just healing some random man.  

The door was open before Nadine could knock and he remained silent. The woman who introduced herself as Asara barely even looked at him, her eyes drifted over him as if barely registering that he was there. He listened to every word that was said carefully, something wasn't right here. 

He entered the business man's room with Nadine. As the conversation went on he narrowed his eyes slightly when the man said his daughter had the plant brought here. The daughter had just said he had the plants all brought here. He was more inclined to believe the man, especially seeing as it was taking too much time for her to return from gathering the food he had eaten. She was up to something. He nodded at Nadine as went silently over to the window. He looked out and carefully looked over the surroundings, he saw movement I  the shadows of the trees, he opened his mind and could sense the energy of those who were there, malicious intent radiated from them. This may be a problem. He kept watch out the window until he heard Nadine mention healing he couldn't help but turn and watch as she worked. A slight blush crept up on Nadines face and he wondered what she was thinking about. He knew what he was thinking of. He thpught of when she healed him then shoved his face in her chest. Gods, she looked so sexy when she worked. He suppressed the urge to take her in his arms and make her his right then and there. Thay would be very unprofessional, and he was here on a job.

When she moved over by him, what he was thinking was written clearly in his eyes, but as she spoke he quickly suppressed it returning to his default setting on neutrality. In a quiet voice he spoke, "There are fifteen to twenty people hiding outside in the forest cloaked with I'll intent. That woman Asada, she's got a similar aura to her though she does well to suppress it. I'm sure you noticed already but their stories don't add up. She said he bought the plants for her mother, yet he says the specific plant in question that would have brought his demise was brought by her. Judging from his reaction to your questions, that woman isn't really his daughter and is here to kill him." His eyes flickered from her to back out the window. "So it begins." He said and quickly pulled Nadine to him, holding her close as an arrow crashed through the window where she had been standing. He pulled a something quickly out of one of the back pouches on his belt and flung it out the hole in the window. Three shuriken with glowing runes upon then flew through the air finding their marks in the trees. Three men fell from the trees. They all clawed at their necks. He frowned, the distance had been too far to get a good hit for an instant death, if he could feel at this moment, he would feel pity for the mwn, he had tried to make it quick, but it would be over for them soon. A few of their comrades approached then men and with a snap of his fingers the runes on the shurikens flashed red and exploded, taking out the three men and the comrades that had approached. 

With the threat of a ranged attack taken care of at the moment he led Nadine over to the bed. "I want you to stay here." He tipped an expensive looking table over and faced it on its side towards the window, creating a small safe space between the bed and the windows. "Stay under cover until I come back. Here, take this." He handed her what looked like a throwing knife with a rune etched upon the handle. "If there is an emergency, channel some magic into this and I'll come for you." He looked to the man and said, "If you want to stay alive, stay in cover." His eyes gravitated towards Nadine and he said softly, "Stay safe." In the blink of an eye he was gone.

He made his ways through the halls of the man's house in silence, he was both invisible and staying in the shadows just in case they had someone with them who could sense magic. He heard footsteps approaching. "This way, that bastard is up here with that healer, we can't let him live." From the shadows he drew some throwing knives and threw them amidst the group. There was a laugh after the initial staring cries of the men. "Ah hahaha what bad aim! Whoever it is didn't hit any of us! Pathetic." There were too many of them to just take on like that. They were thinking too much like those who fight out in the open. He fought in the shadows, and this was one of his crowd control attacks, very hard to counter unless you were extremely skilled. To save on energy he let his invisibility end. And in the blink of an eye he was amidst the crowd. He was using his throwing knives as a more simple, less magic consuming form of teleportation. Each knife had a rune on them thay served as waypoints. He flickered here and there appearing at each knife using it to kill someone then appearing at another after quickly throwing the used knife to another location. The men were panicking as they tried to figure out what was happening. It was like a ghost fluttering among them, slaughtering them mercilessly. Once the crowd was dealt with he picked up his knives, wiping the blades off on the dead men's clothing. As he wipes off the last one he quickly rolled to the size as an explosion went off where he had been standing. Asara was glaring at him. "You just haaad to ruin everything didn't you! Why couldn't you just let him die. No matter, I'll be fixing that soon. You all will die and I'll get what I want!" She said and there was a silence, as if she was waiting for him to say something. His silence seemed to throw her off a bit. "A-arent you going to ask what it is that I want? Proclaim you'll stop me? Anything?" She asked getting more disappointed at his continued silence. She then raged, "You can't do anything right can you!" Her rage seemed to empower her magic and she started flinging fireballs at him. He dodged them easily. This girl was powerful, but she lacked experience in fighting a moving target, that was what made her weak. He gradually grew closer to her as he dodged her fireballs. The closer he got the harder it was to dodge but her panic at his approach was used to his advantage. "I won't let you any closer!" She screamed and hurled a massive ball of fire that he couldn't dodge. He the one of his knives toward her and teleported to it. He was to the left of her and hit her on the back of the neck. She crumpled to the ground. 

From out of the shadows his sister appeared in a mask And said, " Jeora was monitoring. I'll keep watch. Complete your mission." He nodded. His mission was to keep Nadine alive. He disappeared.

A moment later he reappeared next to Nadine. He had splashes of the enemies blood on him as he looked at her and the man, making sure both were uninjured before he said, "Time to go. Things are safe now, and you've healed him." Without waiting for her response he picked up up and jumped out the broken window with her. He ran off into the woods with her in silence. Once he made sure they were far enough away and the coast was clear his appearance returned to normal. He set her down on her feet and for a few moments just stared down into her eyes. He couldn't control himself any longer. It was too hard to be around her and keep his cool. He pulled her close and kissed her, letting his inner fiery passion for her explode, letting his loss show just what she did to him, how he couldn't seem to resist her.

Author: Nadine Hydria, Posted: Tue Aug 8, 2017 11:10 AM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

"Goodness." Nadine thoughtfully put her hand to her chin as she thought about what Kiryu told her. She never would have thought she'd end up in a huge mess that might have been much deeper than she thought.

"I wonder who hired you. I don't know of any connections I have that might cause such an action. Nor did I think my patient was such a big deal. Someone must really want him alive. And at the same time, someone must really want him dead as well. Just who is he?"

Nadine felt concerned about her task at hand now. She wasn't second guessing or reconsidering, of course - she would hate herself if she decided to back out of helping someone who direly needed her assistance just because her own life was threatened and could potentially be threatened even more in the future by unknown unsavory characters. Just what was going on here, exactly? Who was she on her way to see? More importantly, who was it that wanted her to be kept alive so much that they would hire someone like Kiryu to keep her as such? And who would want her patient dead enough that they'd prevent anyone from so much as trying to whisper a prayer of healing for the man? The many unknowns unsettled Nadine greatly, but she was determined to continue. She wouldn't be able to consider herself a proper healer, nor a proper part of Angela's clergy, let alone an Oracle, if she were to be mentally defeated by something like this before she even knew what was going on, or managed to complete her task.

Kiryu interrupted Nadine's self-thoughts when he requested that she not say anything to anyone about who he was or what it was he did when he wasn't cooking up a storm at that noodle shop.

Nadine noddly with an easy, reassuring smile.

"I'd never do such a thing, I assure you. I'm certain it would compromise your daily life, and it would be remiss and ungrateful of me to do such a thing as to expose who you are. Besides, you saved my life because of who you are when you aren't being an adorable noodle boy."

Nadine giggle with her hand on her mouth. She noticed that he was staring at her body - particularly her bosom. Understandable, as she had been holding his face against it until now, but all the same, she was very self-conscious and blushed more. She wasn't particularly against having him look at her, though. The way he blushed meant he was fully aware he was staring but felt a little bad about it even though he seemed to really like what he saw, and Nadine thought that was really cute. She caught herself smiling about it and coughed forcefully.

"U-um… C-can we continue? I really can't delay much longer. Every second I'm not there, the poison courses deeper through that poor man's body. I'm loathe to think what that might mean for him should I not arrive shortly."

Nodding at Kiryu's words as he mentioned escorting her - a sentiment that mirrored her own quite well - Nadine was eager to move on. Taking Kiryu's hand to cross the stream with a shy smile, Nadine managed to make it over without getting her outfit wet. While she was not a very vain or fashion-focused woman, Nadine didn't want to be traveling in an uncomfortably wet outfit. Plus, any trip on the stream would be likely to delay their advance even more, and she really couldn't afford for such things to happen any more than they already had. Luckily, the directions Nadine had been given said that the patient's home was not too far away from the stream. Were it not for the rather violent altercation with those two unlucky, uncouth men, Nadine may very well have already managed to arrive. As it was, that was not the case, obviously, and so, with time pressed, Nadine, with her seriously good looking escort, continued through the woods. Despite not being part of the intriguing bamboo forest, this woodland was quite ominous itself. Perhaps it was the complete lack of wildlife in the area, though Nadine was certain that any animal within hearing distance of the fight she and Kiryu just went through would have been frightened off anyway.

Eventually, the forest opened up into a sizable clearing, and sure enough, Nadine could see a rather impressive looking homestead in the middle of it. The home was not a mansion, so to speak, but it was large and very well kept for the most part. The area around it was clean and full of flowers, trees, and other plants otherwise unusual to find in a forest. Nadine gasped in awe as she saw these gardens, and could scarcely contain her giddy self as she walked towards the house.

"This place is absolutely stunning!" she said excitedly. Many of the tended plants were common around Ataiyo lands, but some of what was there, as Nadine noted to herself, seemed to have been imported from abroad. The owner of the house seemed to be very fond of nature to have had so many types of flowers and other flora planted and taken care of so thoughtfully around his home.

Arriving at the front door, Nadine rose her hand to knock, only to have the door opened before she could.

"Oh!" she said with a startled expression.

"Sorry! I saw you coming down the front and wanted to let you in as quickly as I could!"

A young, feminine voice could be heard from behind the half opened door, which quickly became opened completely to reveal a young woman - unlikely much younger than Nadine - standing before the two visitors. This woman was quite pretty, and had long black hair that cascaded down her back like a jet waterfall. She smiled at Nadine and Kiryu, and beckoned them inside with a hand.

"Thank you for coming, Lady Oracle," the woman said. "I am Asara, and my father will be happy to see that you arrived safely."

Nadine nodded her head politely with a smile as she walked inside. She extended her hand to Kiryu, to let him know she wanted him to come with her. Turning back to Asara, Nadine turned serious.

"How long has your father been ill exactly? I believe it was glossed over in the request I received, but I would like more details.

Asara nodded with a solemn look in her eyes.

"It's been a couple weeks. We've tried everything we could short of hiring someone from a clergy such as the one you are part of. Local healers, tonics, herbs. Nothing seems to work. None of it has stopped the strange, painful convulsions and release of stomach contents my father experiences."

Nadine nodded.

"It does certainly seem like your father might have been…"

She shook her head. She didn't want to frighten Asara with the prospect of poison just yet.

"Take me to your father, if you would be so kind, miss Asara. I should like to meet him and see if I can't figure out exactly what ails him."

Asara nodded.

"This way."

Asara led Nadine, and probably Kiryu if he followed and didn't go off somewhere - Nadine was occupied with the task at hand to notice either way - through the halls of the house towards her father's room. After a while, she stopped in front of a polished door.

"Here," she said. "My father rests in here. Lady Oracle, please do what you can. My father is all that I have left since my mother died."

Nadine nodded with a smile meant to try and reassure the young woman.

"Of course," she said kindly. "I am confident I will be able to sort this out without much complication. I have to ask, though… Why does your father have cotoneaster plants? Such a strange plant to have in the middle of Ataiyo."

Asara shrugged.

"My father has imported many varieties of plants from all over the world. My mother was a gardener and loved to plant things. I believe my father keeps her garden alive as a way to remember her."

Nadine nodded.

"Cotoneaster plants are highly toxic - the berries especially - and can cause severe troubles. While they aren't lethal themselves, they can cause convulsions, weakness, and other symptoms your father seems to be experiencing. If my theory is correct–" Nadine turned to Kiryu, whom she just remembered was there, "then those men who accosted me in the forest were no mere hooligans hired. It takes a fair bit of knowledge to know what cotoneaster is and what it can do to the body when ingested. I doubt those men were allowed on the property directly…."

Looking at Asara briefly, Nadine closed in on Kiryu to whisper.

"I believe there is more to this than meets the eye. Be wary. I feel as though more trouble may appear when we least expect it."

Turning to Asara again, Nadine smiled gently.

"Let us see to your father, then. I would like to see if I can't find anything that might prove that cotoneaster is involved."

"It started after a meal," Asara said. "Out of fear for myself, I haven't touched the dishes that were used. You are free to look at them."

Nadine nodded in thanks.

"Would you mind grabbing them for me? You should be fine as long as you don't consume any of the contents yourself."

Asara nodded and hurried off. Nadine entered Asara's father's room. It was dark - no doubt to allow the utmost quiet and sleepy environment. Stepping further into the room, Nadine caught sight of the bed, and could hear some rustling upon it.

"Ah… You're here…."

A weak, strained voice came from the bed. No doubt it belonged to the man Nadine was here to see.

"Thank you for coming, Lady Healer. I see Asara was able to assist you in finding my room. Such a good girl, though she hasn't been as cheerful since my wife died."

The man struggled to sit up as his body felt pain and illness throughout, but he was not wont to be rude.

"Forgive me. Whatever ails me has not been kind."

Nadine stepped up to the bed and placed a gentle, comforting hand, on the man's shaking arm.

"Do not worry yourself over that, good sir. I am here to help."

The man nodded with a weak smile.

"Again. Thank you. I do not know much about what could have caused this. All I know is that I have been down for a couple weeks after it suddenly came upon me during dinner."

"I believe you may have been poisoned."

"P-poisoned? Truly?"

"Yes. By cotoneaster."

"I….. I see… You know what cotoneaster is, then?"

Nadine nodded.

"Yes. A high toxic berry plant. I thought it strange that you had some here."

The man smiled again.

"Asara had it brought here. She said she thought it would go well with the other plants her mother had planted. I saw no harm in it. The plant is not toxic if you only look at it, right?"

"I see…"

Nadine looked at Kiryu with serious concern. After her silent message of "Keep watch on the window" was purveyed, Nadine set her pack down on the nearby table.

"I am going to make a concoction for antidote. However, I would like to make sure that it is cotoneaster that is causing this. Asara should be bringing the dishes that had your fateful meal in it for me to inspect."

"Well… for the sake of speed, you could inspect my….. ahem…. bucket over here…. surely my stomach's contents might hint at the cause?"

The man chuckled a little in an attempt for good humor.

Nadine smiled.

"Quite. That will do nicely. Do not worry, I am used to strange smells and bodily functions, so your sick won't bother me."

"R-right…"

Nadine went and grabbed the bucket the man referred to. Sure enough, a rather pungent odor wafted towards her nostrils. The obvious stench of stomach acid working on consumed goods was there, but she could definitely make out the odd odor from cotoneaster berries. These berries didn't usually give off an aroma, but when cooked, boiled, or otherwise messed with, this changes quite quickly.

"So it was cotoneaster, then. The antidote will be quick to make, then."

While she was part of Angela's clergy, Nadine was originally an herb and plant-based healer. Her knowledge of flora and fauna and their uses and dangers when it came to their involvement with people would be useful here. Pulling her herbology tools from her pack, Nadine went about mixing an antidote.

"Asara is certainly taking a while. I wonder if she might have gone off to do something other than what I requested."

"W-what do you mean?"

"Is Asara truly your daughter, good sir?"

"O-o-of course s-she is…."

"Right…"

Nadine continued mixing the antidote. Heating water. Mixing herbs. Steeping them into a tea. All these steps were necessary, though it did take some time. The one thing Nadine hated about herb-based medicine was that it took quite a while longer than magic, and wasn't always effective, though it was capable of much more than magic in certain cases. After a while, the antidote was mixed.

"Here," she said as she proffered the medical tea to the ill man . "This will start working immediately, though it will be a couple days before you are completely cured. I can use some magical healing to speed it along, but I don't want to completely deny your body's nature healing process as that would make you more susceptible to similar cases of illness and poison in the future."

"Of course, Lady Healer. I give you my thanks."

Nadine leaned over the bed as she placed her hands on the mans cheeks. His skin felt coarse and sweaty from illness, but they were warm, much like Kiryu's. These thoughts made her blush a little bit, but Nadine continued her process. As she whispered her magics specific to this case, the man's body became less tense and his shaking subsided as his breathing became more regular.

"Ahh," the man sighed. "I feel much better already. Truly, you have a gift, Lady Healer."

"Thank you, but I give some of the credit to Angela."

"Angela? Ah… I see. Forgive me for my strange words, but I feel that she is lucky to have one such as you in her care."

Nadine smiled kindly.

"Thank you, again, but I feel like I am the one lucky to have found a purpose through her."

Standing up, Nadine cleaned up her kit and moved to stand next to Kiryu.

"How do things look? And how are you doing?"

Author: Kiryu, Posted: Mon Aug 7, 2017 10:48 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

She said his name, and he could tell she was shocked. This is what the mask was supposed to prevent. People weren't supposed to know who he really was. He was just supposed to be Kiryu the cook at a quaint little restaurant. He kept as neutral of a face as he could and held his silence as she approached. Her touch as she brushed his hair away to heal him, then the feeling of her touching him, he closed his eyes and held his breath, her touch was almost too much to handle. He opened his eyes when she was finished. He nodded to her comment about needing to get cleaned up a bit. What really surprised him was when she was suddenly pulling him towards her and smothering his face in her chest. He couldn't breath, but he didn't care. It was heavenly. He was surrounded by the scent of her and he could just barely hold himself back from doing something stupid as she held his face there and spoke to him. His hands were shaking with effort. His interest was peaked as she complimented his physique, maybe she had a thing for him? Who was he kidding, they weren't teenagers, that's not how he should be thinking. When she finally did let go of him he gasped for air looking a bit dazed. He let the silence between them grow as he stared at her. He then sighed and shook his head, speaking for the first time, "I was only doing my job, my real job. Someone was concerned for your safety and I received the request to make sure a healer headed to that place" he nodded his head towards the business man's mansion "didn't die. I didnt know it was you until i got here. No one is really supposed to know our identities so if you wouldn't mind not saying anything it'd be appreciated." He couldn't keep his eyes from drifting down her body, lingering a bit longer upon her chest, his eyes seemed to five away his thoughts, and that they were the same as hers. He wanted to be touching her again. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath to center himself. When he opened his eyes he seemed in control again. He walked the few steps to the stream and splashed water on his face to clean off the blood. Once it was gone he turned his attention back to her. "Seeing as you already know I'm here, following you is a bit useless. I'll escort you to where you are needed and make sure you get there safely." He said and offered his hand to make sure she didn't slip while crossing the stream.

Author: Nadine Hydria, Posted: Mon Aug 7, 2017 9:55 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

"K– Kiryu?"

Nadine - hands to face in shock - stared in astonished awe as Kiryu, the kind chef guy from the shop she had just finished lunch at a little while ago, stood before her, bloodied, after having dealth a fatal blow to the two men who had so rudely and terribly accosted her just before. Gently running as quickly as she could without tripping or falling over anything, Nadine moved up to Kiryu to make sure he was alright.

"My! You're hurt!"

Nadine looked upon the cut on Kiryu's forehead that was bleeding fairly well, but wasn't serious in any regard. Moving some of the bloody matted hair from his forehead, Nadine smiled gently as she pressed her thumb lengthwise upon the cut. She kept it though only briefly, and upon removing it, the wound was gone completely.

"There," Nadine mumbled quietly in satisfaction. "I was able to heal it completely and without much hassle since it was so light, but you will still need to clean yourself up soon - especially if you have plans for going back to work later today. Oh!"

Nadine remember that, in Kiryu's sudden and unexpected attempt to get her to safety, Nadine had, in defensive impulse, ended up hitting him rather hard in the head with her staff. Her action in that regard might have been in part because of where he had grabbed her, but she understood that it was a little silly of her to do that.

"I'm sorry for hitting you… Here…"

Nadine gently placed her hands on the back of Kiryu's head and pulled it towards her bosom in kind civility. She was careful not to hurt his neck as she did so, but she wanted to hug him in thanks for protecting her, and the man's head was soon rather smothered in her large bosom in thanks. She head him firmly, but comfortably against her and gently rocked as she held him.

"I really appreciate you coming to help me. It was rather unexpected. I never would have guessed that you were someone that skilled in combat as you were. Although, I suppose I should have guessed considering the impressive physique you have. I–"

Realizing what she just said, Nadine blushed and shook her head.

"A-anyway. I again thank you. I'm in a terrible rush, so those men were rather unsavory and unlucky to run into. Why were they here. One of them mentioned that they're behind the reason the one I'm here for is ill. Poison… I'll have to prepare an antidote. Shouldn't be too difficult."

Not realizing she still had hold of Kiryu's head in her suffocating cleavage, Nadine hastily let go of him and took a couple steps backwards in bashful self-consciousness.

"S-sorry. I-I didn't mean to…. Sorry.."

An embarrassed smile was on her face, but Nadine could still feel the sensation of Kiryu's face on her body. It was pleasant, and she wanted more.

Whoa, girl! What are you thinking?!

Author: Kiryu, Posted: Mon Aug 7, 2017 9:30 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

He had been busying himself with cleaning up when someone entered the kitchen. He looked over to see a female version of himself staring back. "Mira." He said simply to his twin sister. She didn't speak but handed him a piece of paper and vanished. He opened the paper and read it closely. A new job. It was different than his usual jobs but still a job. Normally he'd be sent to eliminate a target. This time it was to make sure a target didn't get eliminated. Some healer come to heal a business man that had fallen ill, or rather been poisoned by his rivals. He sighed and edited the kitchen. "Nora. Close up. No one else is coming today. I've got a family emergency." He said and didn't listen as the teenager started to complain. He made his way home quickly, but not too quickly and changed into his preferred work uniform. It was a black leather that was easy to move in and definitely made him look the part of the assassin. There was just one last thing he needed. He put the mask upon his face. He then vanished from his home. 

He was running silently through the shadows of the trees that made up the slight forest that surrounded the business man's gaudy house. Apparently his target would be coming through these woods on the way there. The most logical path would be the one that went by the stream. He made his way there and hid in the shadows as he heard some men talking. He hid his spiritual presence as well as he listened in. That's when he heard her voice. It was the woman from earlier. He was not allowed to make his presence known unless absolutely necessary. She sent a mud ball at her would be attacker and he couldn't help but smirk under his mask. She was a strong and capable woman. It didn't stop the man for long though as he yelled out that he was going to kill her, to make her hurt. He felt an overwhelming need to protect her at that moment and he didn't fight it. The man raised his weapon to strike her and that's when he made his move. In a flash he was standing behind Nadine and wrapped his strong arms around her, his cheeks going slightly red as he accidentally grabbed one of her boobs in the process, they were hard to miss. With another flash of speed he had pulled her back several yards. Before he had a chance to really let go and take care of the men her staff came smashing into his mask. She's stronger than she looks. He thought as he heard the mask crack, a piece of it cut into his forehead. He almost fell over from the surprise of it but remained calm, and silent. His inner rage at the men for daring to threaten this woman was pacing beneath his skin. He motioned for her to stay and walked forward glancing back at her for a moment with his oddly pink eyes. His cracked mask started to fall away from his face but with his back to her, hopefully she wouldn't notice who he was. 

The two men were startled at his sudden appearance and capture of their prey. The rage on their faces was enough for him to realize they didn't recognize him even when he had that mask. But as the seconds dragged on the one named Charlie went pale. "Wait, that mask! Run!" He said and turned to dart away. The mask completely broke and fell away from his face. He stood for a moment with a neutral look on his face before he vanished in a flash only to reappear in between the two men and faster than the eye could catch he had drawn his blade and slashed both of their throats. He stood up straight and watched as they fell to the ground twitching and gurgling as blood filled their lungs and they bled out. Once he was sure they were dead he put his fingers to his forehead for a moment then looked at them. They were covered in blood. His mask had really done a number on him when it had shattered. He couldnt help but to half glance back at Nadine through the blood dripping into his eye to make sure she was ok.

Author: Nadine Hydria, Posted: Mon Aug 7, 2017 8:40 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

When the man went back into the kitchen, Nadine unstably sat down into her seat again. Her face felt really hot and she was sure it was as red as a stewed beet.

"Oh m-my…" she whispered to herself. Nadine hid her face in her hands. Her heart pounded with embarrassment and she shook in her seat.

"Oh my my my my….." she repeated.

She was rather bothered by what she had been told; her meal sat rather forgotten on the table as Nadine could scarcely manage to calm herself down. No one had ever made her feel such a way before. No one. Not even all the lovely people she used to interact with on a regular, friendly basis.

Shortly after the nice looking man disappeared behind the cloth in the back, a young teenage girl walked into the establishment from the front door. She was rather loud, Nadine thought, but she was polite, at least…. as far as the Oracle knew, anyway. The girl bowed and introduced herself nicely, and Nadine smiled.

"H-hello," she said quietly and sweetly. "I'm Nadine. And he's been quite fine, I assure you. Really nice. His food does smell really good, too, I must say."

As she spoke, Nadine's stomach rumbled and growled in hunger as if it was fully aware that there was a perfectly good meal before her still untouched and ready to be enjoyed by her in particular. Blushing once more with a smile at Nora, Nadine decided to dig into her meal, though she was still distracted.

So, his name is Kiryu, then…. Sounds intriguing. I'd like to know more about him.

She ate with her thoughts to herself, striking up a quiet conversation with Nora, who seemed to take to being Nadine's waitress quite well. The two talked well enough, and Nadine didn't struggle to continue speaking with the girl, who did a majority of the talking - not that Nadine minded much at all. Soon enough, Nadine finished with her meal, quite satisfied, and rubbed her full belly which looked a little more full than usual.

Blushing, Nadine stood up with a smile.

"That was really lovely," she said. "I shall have to make a mental note to come here again when I am not in as big a rush as I am at the moment because that was honestly some of the best food I have ever been fortunate enough to have in my life."

Nadine smiled again, and moved towards the door a little uncomfortably due to her full status. She wanted to say goodbye to Kiryu and thank him personally, but she was certain he would be busy with something. Even when it was a slow day for a business, there was something to busy oneself with. Hesitantly, but with intended politeness, Nadine left the lovely little establishment wondering why it seemed as though it barely got any business despite being quite good with food and company.

 Heading down the nearby road towards the Northeast, Nadine continued on towards her destination.As far as she knew, the patient she was going to see was a rather successful businessman who suddenly came down with some rather terrible illness that completely debilitated him. While it wasn't the bamboo forest, there was a decently forested area nearby, and it was in that area that Nadine would find her patient. The man had a decent sized home in a beautiful forest clearing. At least, that was what she had been informed with. She thought it sounded like a wonderfully beautiful place and was eager to see.

Entering the small forest, Nadine was careful not to trip over the wood and rock debris that was so common in forested lands. The ground was unusually wet, so Nadine felt there might have been a small brook or stream nearby. Sure enough, after some travel through the forest, Nadine could hear the bubbly babble of flowing water, and she eventually found a small stream. The sounds the stream made were soothing, and Nadine took it as an omen for something good to happen soon. Maybe the stream was encouraging her for the task at hand. Surely, she would successfully treat the man's illness and help him return to good health.

Nadine managed to continue along through the forest without incident or event for a while. She was quite happy, and she still felt most satisfied from the meal before. Thoughts of Kiryu - how nice he was and how gorgeous he looked - rushed to Nadine's thoughts as she thought about him. She surprised herself with how thoughts of him so easily came to her mind after thinking about food, and she blushed to herself.

"Well, well, well! Looks like the nice lady's really a blushy little girl!"

Nadine's face turned pale, and her demeanor startled at the sound of the raspy, deep, mocking voice. Turning around, frightened, Nadine caught sight of two rather unkempt men. One of them was tall and lanky, and had a nose that'd make a gnome proud. The other was short, but more than made up for his lack of height with a generous waistline. He seemed as though he was hit in the head a few too many times as his eyes were looking in two different directions.

The fat one addressed the taller one.

"Think the pretty lady is here to help the man you poisoned, Charlie?"

"Quiet, you big oaf!" The taller man thunked the shorter one on the head with his fist in anger - Nadine suddenly got the suspicion that this man was why the other looked so brain-torn.

"Why'd you have to go and spill something sensitive like that?!"

"Sorry, Charlie, but I thoughts it would be okay since, if she is here to help that guy, we'd kill her, or at least do something to keep her away."

"We are, but that doesn't mean you should go spouting things you aren't s'posed to! Now…"

The tall man turned to Nadine; a look of sinister pleasure was on his pocked face.

"Is what my partner here says true? You here to do something about the poor sap that's been stuck belly aching for the past few days?"

Nadine gripped her staff tightly.

"I-I don't know if it's the man you speak of exactly, but I do have business here."

"Is that so?"

The tall man stepped closer to Nadine. He drew a small, yet nasty looking cudgel from his side and slapped it into his open palm menacingly.

"I think you are here to help that man. Now, see…. We can't let you do that, Lady. We went through a lot of effort to make that man quiet like, though we couldn't do nothing so obvious as gut him rightly, you know? So… gyeck!"

In desperation Nadine had summoned mud using her earth magic knowledge and hurled it at the talking man. The mud smashed into the man's face with a wet spludgy noise and took him some time to clean off.

"That does it! I was going to be nice and let you leave with just a few 'superficial' injuries, but now I'm really going to make you hurt!"

The man advanced quickly towards Nadine, who didn't have much in the way of offensive magic to protect herself, and little more than the staff to help.

Author: Kiryu, Posted: Mon Aug 7, 2017 7:15 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

He nodded as she asked for wine and was about to leave to go get it when she spoke again then asked him for his recommendation. "Um, ah, everything is good since I cook it. If you haven't tried much of anything then how about a sampler plate? It's sample sizes of what ever you would like." he replied. Technically a sampler plate wasn't on the menu but he couldn't seem to think straight to give a good answer with her around. What was wrong with him? He had to get control again, to remain calm. 

The look on her face when she voiced concern for his sudden step back only drew him to her more. He didn't know how much longer he could stand it. Her touch was like fire to him. Her skin was even softer than he had imagined. His heart raced in his chest and he struggled to not say something stupid that might scare her off. For several moments he just stared down at her bedore he broke and finally admitted his thoughts. "You are just…." his cheeks started to go red and her averted his gaze "…the most beautiful woman I've ever seen and it's throwing me off a bit. I apologise for my rudeness. I'll go get your drink and start preparing your food." With his cheeks still burning he reluctantly took his hand from hers and rushed off to the back room. He returned moments later, cheeks still red and set a glass on the table. Doing as he had been taught he showed her the label of the bottle and said, "I hope this will do?" And then he poured her a glass. He set the bottle on the table and gave a slight bow before rushing off back to the back room. 

Once alone he felt his cheeks, they were burning. His eyes widened in surprise. Was he…. blushing? Him? The man who was known to be an emotionless man? A master of keeping his cool? One of the top assassins in his family losing it over some girl he had just met? This was really messing with him. He quickly started cooking, centering his mind once more.

A few minutes later he emerged once more with her food. He was acting particularly shy. He wasn't used to dealing with normal people, especially ones he seemed so drawn to for no reason at all. He walked over to her and set down the food gracefully, his every action was completely silent except for him saying, "I hope you enjoy your meal, if you need anything I'll be right over there in the kitchen." He turned and walked towards the kitchen with silent steps, glancing back at her once before his eyes flickered to the doorway. The server girl had returned. His shy look became that of complete neutrality as the girl entered.

"Kiryuuuuuu I'm baaaacckkkk." The girl said loudly as she entered. She paused when she saw Nadine. "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realize we had a customer, my apologies." She bowed to Nadine and continued, "I'm Nora, I'll be taking over as your server now. Sorry if Kiryu there was a bit dull, he's not really a people person."

Author: Nadine Hydria, Posted: Mon Aug 7, 2017 6:40 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

When someone came up to Nadine, she jumped a little because her mind was wandering elsewhere. Blushing still, she looked up to see a particularly good looking man looking down at her. Nadine had never really felt a connection to men like most women did at her age, but he was definitely easy on the eyes, and she was surprised to feel her blush deepen. Hastily wrapping her robe around her slightly, as she was suddenly conscious of the lightness of her dress, Nadine smiled up at the man as she replied.

"W-well, I would appreciate a fine glass of wine, if you have any. If not, I would be fine with some water."

Taking the menu from the man with a smile, Nadine looked at it. It was quite a well made menu. If they had multiple copies, Nadine had to wonder how they made them all. Did someone make each one by hand? Were they magically printed? This idea fascinated Nadine, and she nearly forgot she was looking at a menu in order to decide on something to refuel her body.

"Oh. Curious.."

Nadine didn't really know what the different choices on the menu were. Looking at the man once more with an apologetic smile, Nadine addressed him.

"Wh-what would you recommend, good sir? I simply can't decide. I've had noodles from Nisshoki before, but I don't recognize any of these dishes. Do you like any in particular?"

The man stepped back suddenly, which sort of surprised Nadine, since she hadn't done anything, nor did she think he had done anything to merit such an action.

"Are you okay?" she asked - concern in her voice.

Nadine gently took the man's hand in her own in a gesture of comfort. She thought he might have been troubled by something.

"Is something wrong, Sir? I hope I do not offend you?"

Author: Kiryu, Posted: Mon Aug 7, 2017 3:08 PM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

It was a bit slower today than usual. Usually by this time a few of the regulars would be in sipping on sake and talking about their families or what ever the latest gossip was. A girl around the age of 16 sighed and looked over at the chef of this restaurant.  "I think I'll go on break early."she said and made her way put as she got a nod from the chef. Now that he was alone in the shop he stared blankly at the half curtain separating his kitchen from the rest of the place. His oddly pink colored eyes scanned over every detail on the fabric. It was red with white flowers. It was a medium quality but a lot of care had gone into it's creation. Normally these slow times didn't bother him in the slightest, but for some reason he was restless today. He ran his hand through his black hair with a sigh and closed his eyes. Something was coming, he could feel it in his blood. Just as the thought passed through his mind lazily he heard a feminine voice from our front. Looks like his little break was over. With Nora gone he had both cooking and waiting duty. He grabbed a menu from the small stack and with his silent steps headed out. He froze as the curtain fell back into place behind him. The patron had seated herself and he had walked out just in time to see her adjust herself. His eyes widened as he took in the woman before him. Her beautiful long blonde hair that seemed to shone like sunlight as it cascaded around her, her skin pale skin that looked so smooth and soft as the finest silk, her her green eyes that held an intelligence deep within, her cheeks that blushed from her actions when she felt she was alone, and her lips, so soft and perfect, so kissable. He had been standing there frozen for quite some time before he shook his head to clear his mind. Never had he been so dazzled by someone as this woman. It was like he had been shot through the chest with an arrow, one from the goddess Angela, he was in love at first sight. That was a dangerous thought to have. He cleared his throat and looked off to the side awkwardly. He approached her wearing his apron and handed her a menu. He couldn't seem to make eye contact, fearing that he'd be sucked into those eyes and hypnotized by her once again. "Welcome to The Sakura no hana noodle house. Despite the name we serve more than noodles. Can I get you anything to drink ma'am?" Despite his attempts to stop himself his eyes were drawn to hers like a magnet. The moment he made eye contact his expression was one of shock. He just couldn't get over how beautiful she was, and seeing her up close fillled him with an urge to touch that delicate looking skin, and made him wonder what her perfect lips would feel like against his. He took a step away from the table, trying to regain control of himself. This was madness. He was always in control of himself but then this woman walks in and it's like all his years of training went out the window in an instant. He had to pull himself together. 

Author: Nadine Hydria, Posted: Mon Aug 7, 2017 10:59 AM, Post Subject: Love Noodles[P/R]

It was a rather tiring day so far despite the fact that Nadine had only just arrived in Nisshoki and its surrounding area just a short time ago. Getting to the beautiful, culturally rich city was easy enough, but finding where it was she needed to go was much less so. All Nadine knew is that she had a patient to tend to somewhere on the outskirts of the city near the in/famous bamboo forest. She had the gift of Prediction, thanks to Angela, but she was no navigator, and Prediction only helped with situations, not directions. In any case, Nadine found herself wandering around the scattered, yet admittedly beautiful, farms and clearings about the area.

With no sign of her destination, Nadine grew increasingly frustrated, but her exhaustion from the fruitless meandering about trumped her frustration, and she found herself in need of some rest and respite before continuing. Certainly, thoughts of a warm inn or tavern, or perhaps a place that sold some form of energizing meals filled Nadine's thoughts. Her presence was direly needed in the home that was her destination, but she knew she was no good to anyone if she was down and out from exhaustion and a lack of energy.

"Besides," she mumbled to herself. "Perhaps someone around here could help me find what I'm looking for.."

It took some searching, but Nadine eventually stumbled upon what looked like a very homey - very quaint - little shop. Smells that pleased Nadine's senses wafted from within, and she guessed that the establishment sold some form of food to those who managed to find it. The place was quite out of the way, to be sure, but Nadine had a good feeling about the place, and wanted to partake of the proprietors' hospitality.

"Goodness," she quietly exclaimed. "What is that absolutely agreeable aroma? I simply must find out."

Decided, Nadine quietly walked through the front door of the establishment so as to not be rude to those within. As she entered, Nadine's senses were bombarded with myriad experiences at once. Smells, sights, warmth - wonderful bliss.

"My, my! How wonderful!" Nadine gently clapped her hands together in excitement and simply had to experience more of this lovely place. It wasn't the largest, or most grand, of places. Certainly, it seemed as though this place got little more than enough business to stay afloat with a little extra. Of course, for Nadine, this didn't matter. The fact that this place stuck around despite hardships was endearing to Nadine, and she wanted to give them her business as a token of admiration.

The place seemed rather quiet at this time. It seemed as though Nadine was the only customer at this time, as she couldn't see any other seated patrons, though neither could she currently see any of the staff.

"Quiet time of the day, perhaps?" she mused.

Instead of making whoever might appear uncomfortable by standing awkwardly, awaiting seating, Nadine decided to grab the initiative and find an empty sit to sit on (not that this was hard). Upon doing so, Nadine felt a little warm, and so she loosened up her robe to allow her body to breathe. Her lush body was easily hot, but seldom uncomfortable, though she needed to adjust her light dress to feel more proper. She did so by grabbing the fabric above her admittedly quite generous bosom and pulled it upward. After doing so, she gently fluffed her bosom with her hands to help it settle into the adjusted fabric better. Satisfied, and a little red as thoughts of the possibility of one seeing what she did surfaced in her mind, Nadine rested her hands on her soft lap and laced her fingers together as she waited - a slight smile on her face as she looked around.