Dine and Whine

[Eishi]

Today was a good day. We had just graduated from the academy about an hour ago and we are now officially employed government agents. I already couldn’t wait for our first paycheck to come in as it was a decent source of income for only one. For now, it was time to celebrate. I had Siu with me after our last class under Shieo in which we were both informed of our acceptance into the fold. I had decided on a spur of the moment to go get something to eat, and had invited Siu along. At this point, Siu had been around me long enough that it didn’t feel awkward as I thought it was going to be. I hadn't had a great chance to make friends growing up, so my social skills were stunted. I was only thankful for my insightfulness that I could act a lot more well adjusted than I actually was.

When we reached the pub I had visited a couple months ago in a nicer part of Cronopolis, I was quickly able to find an open table. The establishment was almost completely empty, unlike the last time. I gambled that it would be a nice place to relax and settle down before the rush came when happy hour started to bring in the regulars. I ordered a family size portion of spicy chicken and lamb skewers and left Siu to order her own drink while I ordered a large glass of milk to fight the eventual numbness I was going to feel from the food. I casually took out one of my hidden kunai, placing the handle between my teeth as I grabbed out a file and started to sharpen the edge of the blade.

“So, What has your time at the academy been like? I’d say mines been uneventful until I met you and Kyo. One thing lead to another and I’ve been keeping myself busy ever since.”

I began to make some idle short talk, my words slightly distorted from my jaw not moving as I held the blade in my mouth. I knew doing this could be considered bad manners, but I didn't have a second arm, so bite me.

 

[Siu]

Siu enthusiastically tagged along throughout the journey towards Cronopolis, seeming just as cheerful as when she had first left the training facility, throughout the entire walk. However, she found herself somewhat surprised by the chosen district. As Siu hailed from a somewhat wealthy family background, very seldom had she ever visited this particular area, and never before had she actually considered dining here. As they walked about the streets, the young girl curiously observed the local residents of the unfamiliar district. Their appearances and demeanor noticeably differed in comparison to the local residents of the more wealthy districts. Eventually, the journey would come to a stop at a pub; Another unexpected choice. "This place.." Her thought's began, "Is for adults, isn't it?"

Fortunately, there weren't many adults within the establishment, or even many customers in general for that matter, which made it's entrance much more comfortable. There weren't any complaints once the food appeared, as Siu's eyes lit up with excitement at the view of such delicious meats. "Waaaaah" She noised, completely enticed by the wonderful food placed in front of the two youths. Her drink would include, perhaps expectedly, a simple glass of water; Nothing too fancy.
She had leaned over the table a bit, immediately after the food had been brought, revealing her immediate desire to feast. However, as her facial expression revealed a sudden realization coming to her mind, she would lean back down, in order to sit back down normally in her seat across from the young boy. It wasn't a drastic or unusually odd action of any sort, however, a very meaningful one. In actuality, she was practicing manners in front of her lunch guest, although he was younger. She did not want to begin eating before the boy started eating, and considered that such a action would be inconsiderate and rude of her. Therefore, despite her immediate desire to begin feasting on the delicious meal in front of her, she practiced self-restraint.

Curiously, she observed as newly acknowledged Genin began sharpening his kunai at the dining table. It wasn't the most mannerly of table manners, yet the young girl did not seem bothered by the action at all. She was an official shinobi by now, after all, and no longer a simple wealthy citizen. Therefore, she had experienced enough at this point, especially after their most recently terrifying training, in order to have grown quite used to such unusual mannerisms by now.

“So, What has your time at the academy been like? I’d say mines been uneventful until I met you and Kyo. One thing lead to another and I’ve been keeping myself busy ever since.” A question came.

Staring at the youth after his inquiry, Siu took a few moments to register the question in her mind. "Well uh.." She began, while looking downward, seeming somewhat hesitant. "To be honest. I was...kind of 'forced' into the academy." She informed him.

"I found it rather boring at first to be completely honest. Just lots of lectures, and studying." In the midst of her statement, she rubbed her arm, seeming somewhat ashamed about admitting such details. "But, Instructor Shieo helped me a lot with motivation to become a shinobi."

"And, there are a lot of interesting shinobi, just like me," She continued with a pause, as she looked back up towards the boy, "Like you and Kyo." She finished, with a brightly smiling head tilt.

"Why did you join the academy?" She would eventually ask, making an inquiry of her own. "Were you forced to as well, or joined on your own?"

 

[Eishi]

“Nah, I did it for my survival. You may not know it, but I'm a hard cockroach to kill," I chuckled at my self-deprecation mildly, pointing at my arm before continuing, "Anyway, do you know what happens to kids like me in this world? They die. They don’t get to grow up. This world isn’t that kind”.

I put my now sharpened kunai back into my bag before taking a grilled skewer and devouring it one chunk of spicy meat at a time. I always was partial to lamb and red meat over chicken. I swallowed down what I could manage before continuing my thought.

“In all honesty, the look of pity got to me. I'm still in the hunt to end up a success story rather than another unfortunate victim of circumstance”.

The fire was starting anew in my mouth and I was glad I got the milk. When I saw Siu get a glass of water, I wished her the best of luck. This was sweat level spicy. What was she thinking?

 

[Siu]

"Survival?" The young, newly promoted Genin repeated back in a musing tone. It was a philosophy in which her young and somewhat inexperienced mind was not the most familiar with; For, rarely had she experienced a necessity to become deeply familiar with it. After all, she hailed from a somewhat wealthy family. War, survival, danger, death; these had all been rather foreign terms for her until she'd unwillingly been forced to enter the shinobi world after the discovery of her natural affinity with chakra control.

Gazing at the youth for a time, as he grabbed his skewer of meat, and devoured it's contents, Siu seemed to be in quite deep thought concerning his words. So deep, in fact, that she had even further delayed grabbing her share of the meal, despite her previous over enthusiasm to ea.

"Do you..." She finally began, very cautiously, "Have parents?" While inexperienced concerning many of the darker aspects of life, Siu was also not foolish. She was very well aware that, not every young shinobi within the academy had a loving family to take care of them, such as herself. And if by chance they 'did' have parents, a large majority of the time they were most likely not as well providing as her own, for a large portion of shinobi's hailed from poor and struggling backgrounds. It was a reality she was quite aware of, and pondered if the youth in front of her was also a victim of the same.

 

[Eishi]

I took a couple gulps of milk, trying to drown out the scorching heat as I began to answer. I coughed once from the heat before correcting myself and answering Siu’s question.

“I did. They died when I lost my arm.” I retorted almost as if it was automatic. I had become very good at deflecting the questions that were about my family life in the past. It did me no favors to tell people of the abuse other than to earn some sympathy and I wasn’t interested in turning this celebration into a pity party.

“What about you? I assume your situations a bit better.” I asked Siu. I wasn’t really to get off the topic of me as much to return the gesture. I’ve been told as I grow older and go down this violent path, friend would come less and less as they’ll either be too weak to be of my notice or already dead. That thought made me reflect on the fact that while we've been friends for a couple months now, it was mostly as comrades in arms over what most would generally define as friendship. We worked well enough together, sure, but this was the first time we actually got to just hang out and relax.

It was nice.

 

[Siu]

Silently watching the youth as he adjusted to his meal, patience would eventually provide her an answer for her inquiry; albeit, a rather unexpectedly blunt one.

"Uhm--oh.." Was all the young girl was really able to mumble in response to the matter, her facial reaction somewhat revealing her strong surprise as she made efforts to maintain her composure, trying not to overreact too strongly towards the statement in front of the boy. The rather concise answer regarding the matter had caught her quite off guard, and she wasn't sure how to reply.
Fortunately, she would not need to stress too much over it, as Eishi took the opportunity to a direct a question of his own, making the whole ordeal a lot less awkward. Taking a few more silent moments to regather her thoughts, she eventually provided a reply.

"Well.." She began, "I guess you could say so, yea. My parents care for me a lot." There was a kind of guilty feeling about so freely admitting that her own family situation was better in comparison to the younger boys. Slowly reaching for a skewer of chicken of her own, she continued. "But, these days I wonder if I disappoint them..." She finished somewhat solemnly, her eyes communicating deep thought after the statement.

"Wow.." Come a sudden muse to herself, as she chewed upon the spiced meat, "This is delicious!" It seemed the younger boy had quite good taste in food.
After basking in the delicious glory of the meal for a time, she eventually looked back up at her table guest once again to speak. "Eishi, "She began once again, the solemness of her tone repeating. "Don't you, get....lonely?" She inquired curiously. Life without a family; she'd never thought too deeply concerning about it beforehand. Yet, now she sincerely began to wonder just 'how' the younger boy actually did manage to live on his own without the warmth of parents. Such a life seemed quite difficult and even sorrowful in her eyes.

It was shortly after that question, that her eyes suddenly began to widen once again----the spiciness of the chicken had finally kicked in. Suddenly placing the skewer down, she swiftly reached for her glass, spilling some of it's contents over the table in the panicked and hurried process. Though she fervently gulped the water down in a desperate effort to save her taste buds, the process seemed almost futile. Her face shined bright red with suffering, as she waved out to receive a nearby server's attention. "Ri--" She struggled to form with a hoarse throat, "Rice please!"

 

[Eishi]

"I mean, I've always been alone," I said without much thought over why that'd be a strange response from a ten-year-old kid.

"Hell, I'm lucky to be as normal as I am. Being an FTT kid and all," I commented absentmindedly a few seconds later before glancing over just as Siu was grabbing for her water and finding the futility in the act. She should've gone for the milk I smirked wistfully as I grabbed another piece of meat and willed my metal cup of milk to smoothly slide down in front of her. I was a little prideful I was capable of doing something so cool, even to this day. Metal was becoming more and more readily available every day and that just gave me an interesting background sensation. I came back to myself while I waited for her to take the glass. I glanced at the food in hand and noted that at least I could hold myself back now that my tongue was already numb.

"Once you calm down, you said somethin' bout being a disappointment. What's that all about?" I ask quizzically as I took a bite. I could already guess what she was referring towards, but I'd let her give a self-evaluation first. In the meantime, I just focused on the meat in my hands, it would be a moment before she was ready to respond, anyway.