[Kawai Niko]

The winter had not yet gotten to her. It had seemed particularly harsh this year in the antithetically named Land of Fire. Konoha was no exception to this, with the occasional freezing rain and days with relatively little sun. Niko had never really hated the winter, but she definitely had an affinity for the greenery her home was well known for. Scarf over her face and shoulder, she walked casually through the free village thoroughfare. The day was still very early, and thus only a handful of individuals had opened shop and started their day. For the Hokage, this time of day was among the most productive, and also the most relaxing. She was able to think quite clearly before the brouhaha of her day truly began.

The sun had only started to emerge when she finally found her destination. Purple eyes set their sight relatively modern yet modest-looking building amidst this part of the village. The blonde took a right into the building and instantly felt a difference. She finally found refuge from the cold and was greeted warmly by the wonderful aroma of various warm beverages. Beneath her scarf, the smallest grin emerged. Against the wooden floors, her heels clacked as she walked in slowly yet humbly, nodding to the owner in acknowledgment. Niko had been a become a regular at the café and, after each visit, appeared to grow more attached to its cozy atmosphere.

She made it to the third floor, went to her favorite spot by the window where she could look into the village square below. "Chiyu-san, I see the bookshelf’s finally arrived.”, Niko noted in a gleeful tone. Her eyes scanned the backs of the collection of books and instantly spotted a familiar cover. She looked to the floor’s server. "The regular please…and may I?” she asked in reference to the book. The moment Niko was given approval, she removed the book from its slot and took a seat, opening the book and scanning through its contents as she waited for to be served.

OPEN, Hop In!

[Senju Kazuto]

The last few months had been a whirlwind of activity for Kazuto. If time had been a machine, then its byzantine mechanisms moved without a rest. All the gears and cogs of the baroque machine turned in unison as event after event came towards him with little sign of stopping or even some inkling of respite for him. His work at ANBU had grown as the special operation teams took another recruit and expanded the reach of their operations, he had brought back his cousin, branded a traitor for not killing a teammate that had been branded as a betrayer but with little actual proof, acting as her 'goaler' as she completed her sentence. He had risen to the position of captain and had begun to remove the elements of the shadowy organization that he didn't think they went in accordance to the mission of the village, he had taken a student of his own, an Uchiha above all else, for he felt that this would show a greater unity with a clan that at once had been a rival but had now become an ally, even if their rivalry was hard to die. But of course, among all these, it was the fact that he had asked his beloved Miho to marry him after they had both some short time of leave. Perhaps out of all the things that he had placed his mind and endeavor into it, this had been the most taxing. He had remained ignorant throughout much of his life of the logistical difficulties that it entailed planning and event like this, even if he had argued that it didn't need to be ostentatious. They just required the family and friends they had and nothing more, but knowing Miho and how she could be, he imagined that she would even obsess for the most minute of the details. Then again, he wasn't much to talk, he would fall upon the same errors himself and just carry on thereafter. As he felt the all too familiar pang of annoyance that came with hunger, he stopped. He had walked for quite a bit, simply desiring to walk and hopefully not being the target from an Uchiha as they tossed stones at him for just being who he was. He looked at a cafe and soon enough he was passing through the threshold that led inside the seemingly quaint location. He detected the scent of brewing teas and coffee and even the passing delight of a freshly baked pastry with the inherent tang of scent that came with citric fruits made into a pulp and spread within the pastry. Going to the counter, Kazuto would request a green tea with a drop of honey and a single mint leaf. It was then, when he turned, that he found the familiar visage of the Hokage. He felt almost an impulse of straightening himself in the presence of the woman, even if she, much like him, was out of the usual regalia that marked her office. Instead he would quietly move towards her and interrupt her from the book that she seemed to be reading with a zeal. "Lady Niko." The Senju said at first, bowing before her in respect before straightening his sight at her eyes, for a brief moment teal-green met the purple gaze of the woman, before he continued. "What a fortunate coincidence to find you, would you like some company?"

-tag- Kawai Niko -words- 583 -notes- --- -music- ---

MADE BY VEL OF GS

[Utsuki Yurako]

It was a rather cold winter day, so the young Utsuki was a little bit differently than how she usually did. She had long baggy, navy blue pants on, longer than what most people wore because of her Utsuki legs. Underneath she still wore her legwarmers and she actually had on special socks to fit her weird feet, but still no shoes still. Yurako also had on a long sleeve black shirt instead of her crop top, but the same jacket she usually wore on top of it, just with the hood on, her long blonde hair being let down so she could almost use it as a scarf.

Her long blonde ears popped out from two holes in both her Konoha bandana and hoodie, with red sock-like warmers covering them. So overall she was pretty bundled up to handle the rather chilly weather. Didn't stop her from going outside, even if she didn't really like the freezing weather. Despite how warm she seemingly dressed, her clothing was actually thin and light as it was easier for her to warm up with her clan's metabolism running through her, even though she needed to make sure to eat a bit more than what her usual gluttony would make her because of it.

She was walking to a little shop she discovered the other day, it served some tea and she found they had books! She wasn't much of a reader until she met her friend Kazui, then eventually she finally started to pick out her own books. Mostly trashy romance or light novels. The occasional harem or what would be basically smut, despite her not knowing at times. Once she stepped inside she would pull her hood down and unzip her jacket, bouncing over to the counter.

She quickly ordered a simple cup of green tea, warm to the touch before paying them and giving her a thank you. Holding her tea as she blew on it as she scanned the area looking for a place to sit. Her red eyes would fall on a fellow blonde woman reading alone and a guy with brown hair who just approached her, hearing her call her Lady Niko? The name sounded familiar but she didn't recognize it off the bat. Curious and not wanting to be alone, she sipped some of her tea before bounding over to them.

"How are ya two doing? Do ya mind one more? Sorry, I don't want to intrude but I rather not drink by myself! It's better to make new friends than sit alone, y'know?" She said happily with her usual loud motor mouth moving as fast as ever, now standing across the two, giving them a bright smile as her ears twitched happily in anticipation.
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Tag: Kawai Niko

[Kawai Niko]

A hard-cover book of relatively modest weight was being perused through as the woman took her seat. Its text was unusually small, thus ultimately making it a longer read, but this was not mainly a cause of concern for Niko. She had loved to take in any and all scholarly material. This piece, however, she hadn’t exactly expected to be within such a niche café. The book title ‘Secrets to Seedings’ had indicated that it was clearly about plants and the like. Her small grin emerged once more as she moved through some pages, and had seen intricate, hand-drawn images of some of the Hi no Kuni’s rarer and more common vegetable-life. Gardening was one the Hokage’s favorite past-times, but this particular season had been fierce on her potted nurslings. She wondered if, in this read, whether there might have been something useful to her situation.

She would read, observe the images, and read again at a considerable pace. Speed-reading being just another one of the considerable skills she had picked up over her shinobi career. Though there was something unique and different, she felt every time she had seen the drawings. "Yondaime-sama?” she couldn’t help but wonder. The author’s name had not matched, and she hadn’t known her mentor to have written on such topics. She lifted the book up slightly and tilted it over to look at its title once more. It couldn’t have been….or could it have?

She had been so engrossed in her musings that the oft-aware kunoichi had only realized the approaching man once her name had been called. Instantly, she identified the familiar voice, and her eyes rose from the book to match it to its face. "Please, take a seat Kazuto,” Niko said as she motioned with an open palm to the seat by him. Niko enjoyed crossing paths with the respectable ANBU operative. She shared an appreciation for some of the more elegant, more covert, more hidden arts of the shinobi world with the man. It was almost abnormal seeing him without his mask and gear on when she had become accustomed to his reporting.

It was only a moment later that a second person emerged. The more detached, frosty tendencies of the woman flared innately but were tempered upon discovering it was a mere child, opposite to the more open feelings she had toward the Senju. Of all the space in the room, people appeared to be particularly attracted to this…one…table. However, she smiled and pointed to the other adjacent seat, gesturing that the Utuski was welcome to join.

"And what’s your name, child?”

Senju Kazuto
Utsuki Yurako

[Senju Kazuto]

"Thank you milady." Kazuto would close his eyes and respectfully bow to the Hokage, taking a seat next to the ruling lady of the village. It was rare for him to find her here, in fact it was rare to find her outside the administration building and her office, dishing out missions and briefings to all the shinobi of the village. In fact he could not remember of time in which he could picture her not with the air of casual relaxation that she gave off at the moment, but rather the air of command that resonated as the woman entered a room, dominating it with her presence alone. It was refreshing to say the least, to see the more human side of the leader of his village. However as he would open his mouth to speak to her a loud presence made itself known. He looked to the side and saw at the leporidae shape of a young woman. He felt a twitch in his right eye as he remembered the time that he had to take charge of training her and how difficult that had being for both parties as speaking to the Utsuki had been akin as smashing his head against a brick wall. As the Hokage asked for the young woman to present herself he would clear his throat. "This is, Utsuki Yurako." He would say as he would present the girl, as he tried to compose himself. He thanked to whatever providence in the world that had made the tea being finally prepared and brought to him by a waiter. It was the infusion of herbs, mint and honey that he found a measure of calm in the storm that the young Utsuki unwittingly brought. "She's a genin from team three If I recall correctly, Lady Niko." He would tell the Hokage.

-tag- Kawai Niko Utsuki Yurako -words- 317 -notes- --- -music- ---

MADE BY VEL OF GS