Hot Spring Hideaway [Open]

[Uchiha Arata]

Ryuuichi looked away from the man. He was honestly ashamed and upset that because of him everybody had to leave. He didn't mean it. He just wanted to help out and such but everything still ended up so negatively. With a sigh Ryuuichi returned to the changing room. The worst part was, he wasn't able to even go into the water. What a shame.

Ryuuichi got dressed once more, slipping on a simple black T-shirt and gray pants. Over the T-shirt he had on a gray vest. With that he stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked out towards the street. Ramen sounded nice about now...

[Topic left unless stopped.]

 

[Yume]

She jolted again at the doorway when Tama emerged from a shadow, and froze when he mentioned exactly the nature of his presence. She shut her eyes and forced a silent nod, picking up her pace further into the women's changing room.

Relief washed over her when she arrived into the empty room. There were no peeping toms to peer into her private moments, or absurd situations to take her for a spin again. There was no need to pretend to be caught off guard. If she stood there motionless and emotionless as if she knew Tama would suddenly pop out of nowhere, people would surely be suspicious.

Hm. It's very nice, to be a human being.

Yume reached for her basket of clothes and belongings, fixing her earpiece into her ear and connecting through to her manager in a flurry of beeps.

"Oh, Oppa?" she drawled, pulling her yukata over her shoulders. "I thought you agreed to letting me have the weekend off, why am I being followed by security even when I'm having a bath! That's so messed up."

A muffled voice emitted from her earpiece in response. Yume frowned as she tied the obi around her waist. "I see. I had a feeling anyway. Nice to know. No, you don't have to look into it. No, I said-- oh what's that? Dinner time? Gotta go, Oppa, bye!"

Click went the earpiece. The idol took the earpiece out and stored it away in a hidden pocket. There was no need to have this thing in her ear to annoy her for the rest of the weekend. After twisting up her hair into a messy bun, Yume made her way out of the changing rooms and into the labyrinth of the ryokan.

One could really tell how the times were progressing into the modern era. Traditional ryokans, as far as Yume knew, didn't have many areas for people from different inn rooms to congregate and mingle. Perhaps the garden, or that off to the side area with ping pong tables, but other than that... she didn't recall a dedicated restaurant and bar as being "traditional" to the ryokan.

She shrugged to herself, making her way towards the counter and hopped onto a barstool. Oh look, candied apples. That's neat, she thought idly, and decided to take one from the bowl to gnaw on without so much of a word. The older bartender in turn had to do a double take upon seeing an idol sitting there right in front of him. With a dismissive wave of her hand, Yume smiled at him from behind her apple.

"Good evening!" she greeted, masking away the irritability that lingered underneath with cheer. "Ahjussi, can I get an oolong iced tea please?"

Yume had half the mind to order it mixed with shochu, but thought better of it. With the whole "bodyguard" incident, she couldn't be too sure of someone lurking around here, just waiting to capitalise on some dumb sensationalist story. Idol pop star seen drinking alcohol while underage at luxury ryokan!

Please, give her a break. She sighed and brought the straw to her lips.

 

[Okada Kaji]

After the debacle by the waterside, Jomei made a headlong retreat back to his suite, around the corner and down the hall, on the right-hand side. He resembled a crimson streak as he dashed through the corridor, and even startled the housekeeper when he passed her by. Jomei vanished behind the sliding door, into the privacy of his chamber.

First, he flopped onto his bed in a dive— as he wished to from the start, but he found no comfort as the pain of his burned skin allowed him little relief. Without bothering to get back up, Jomei simply rolled over and reached for his backpack. The solution to his pain was found in a small wooden coffer; a magically sealed jewelry box trimmed in gold, and the crest of the Koyanagi Family embedded on it’s top. The small coffer opened without resistance, and Jomei cast it aside once he revealed his treasured verdant crystal. He clutched the small gem tightly in his hand and set the hand against his chest, triggering a flow of a rejuvenating life-force.

Jomei was glowing, and basking in the domain of his verdant crystal as it began to tediously repair the skin he damaged from his extended stay in the warm pool. By the time the swathing green light began to dissipate, Jomei was revealed as good as new, as if he attended a spa-treatment of the gods. However the healing didn’t resolve the hunger he felt previously, and a gurgling sound came from his whining stomach. Not wanting to attract any room service to the privacy of his suite, he decided a trip to the lounge for a quick bite to eat was in order.

---

Not too long after Yume received her drink, the peaceful sounds of the barista at work behind the counter, and the ice shifting in her glass was broken by the words of a familiar young man, spoken with his learned maruishian accent. “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse…” It might have startled the idol when she noticed Jomei, who had appeared suddenly, just two seats away from her at the counter. He greeted the barista firstly with a smile and began browsing through their full menu, at the barista’s dismay.

Jomei was fully-dressed, to Yume’s relief. By order of his benefactor, Jomei’s wardrobe consisted of gentlemanly apparel; a black vest over a striped dress shirt. He wore a bolo tie, which was held by a brown ribbon and his ominous verdant crystal, which glowed softly under the counter’s sensual lighting. The beginning of beige pants covered his waist but was mostly hidden by the counter itself. By all accounts, Jomei appeared as good as new and leaned on his elbow against the counter.

“Wow, that sure got awkward back there, huh?” He was addressing Yume, and glanced at her cheerfully when he wasn’t perusing the long menu. “You’d think they would put a big, bold sign up as a warning— I’m sorry you had to see all that.” It was like Jomei to just address the elephant in the room; though he was also sure that her guard was still lurking in the event Jomei aggravated her in the slightest. He then turned his attention back to the bartender, who was reluctantly preparing to cook for Jomei, tying on an apron. Jomei set the menu down and pointed at several items. “I’d like to get started with some of your local sake brew— and roll me up some yellowtail would ya… oh, and that entire cake over there.” He pointed brazenly to a chocolate cake covered with a glass case on display at the back of the small kitchen. He then stacked a few foreign-minted gold yen pieces on the counter, insisting that there was more where those came from if the bartender complied with his requests.​

 

[Yume]

Yume made a mistake this evening. More preoccupied with playing with the ice in her drink, she was slow to notice the human jolt of fright the bartender displayed for a second at Jomei's sudden appearance. The girl lifted her head to look at the employee, who now looked quite disgruntled, then over to the very properly dressed male.

Oh, shoot. It was a bit too late to look surprised now. Think fast, damage control. A shy smile--and it was genuine too--peppered across her lips. Yume giggled to herself quietly and shook her head, cupping her hands around her icy glass like it was a mug of hot chocolate. The condensation was slow in dripping over her skin, but it made a much more attractive thing to look at instead of the embarrassment of meeting Jomei's eyes. That being said though, she still looked at him when she answered.

"That's okay, umm..." At this point, Yume had realised that Jomei never really introduced himself. Instead of asking for his name, she did what he did at the hotsprings. Made a name for him. "Chingu."

Of course, it was a nice name. It meant friend, after all. If Jomei knew, perhaps he'd be happy about it? Yume's smile had yet to leave during this conversation, and a hand of hers waved to and fro before her face. "Don't worry about it, it happens to the best of us. Oh, but Chingu. You're dressed very formally for a ryokan. Didn't they give you a yukata?"

Regardless of the answer, it wasn't like she was going to force him out of it to conform with the image. Even midway through his answer, her attention began to wane and fixate upon his chest. Before they both knew it, Yume had moved the two seats over and suddenly became very close to the spiderman's personal space.

Her tilted to the side as she stared past his interlaced fingers. Pretty soon it'd be obvious that she was examining the crystal Jomei wore. The glass of tea slowly slid over in front of Yume by the bartender. As if it were natural, she faced forward and grabbed her drink to take a sip out of it. With the straw still between her lips, she turned back towards Jomei and peered at the crystal again.

It looked very strange. She pointed at it without thinking.

"This crystal..." Yume blinked, finally realising how strange her actions must have appeared and stopped herself from saying anything further into the truth. Looking around and finally noticing where exactly she sat, the girl turned back to gaze at Jomei's expression. She smiled again, embarrassed. "Ah... It's very pretty. I just wanted a closer look at it, sorry."

 

[Okada Kaji]

It was fair to assume that any human contact was better than the months of solitude Jomei endured during his travels abroad. He now sat in the company of Yume, who was as delightful as she was elegant. It seemed as if she had little difficulty in overcoming the uneasiness caused by their previous, mortifying encounter. Jomei’s attempts at conversation were counted by Yume with some unexpected enthusiasm, and a winsome smile worthy of an idol’s reputation.

Jomei was typically a quick-witted and intelligent chap, but he now staggered into a fog of enamored confusion once she paid him an ounce of attention. And when she gave him a pet name, or what he believed to be as such, his nervous bumbling worsened. “Chingu” Jomei recited the word to himself. Within a figurative library of his mind, countless miniature Jomeis were in a panic, sifting through an apparently infinite collection of knowledge, but none of them could define a Chingu. But Jomei didn’t have long to mull over the word, as Yume quickly advanced her observations and agenda.

There was an obvious difference in their dress code, and Yume noted that he was breaking tradition in favor of over-dressing, not that she had a problem with his apparel. “Ah, well I was a late check-in this evening,” he said, all the meanwhile trying to manage a nervous stutter as he spoke, “and... I figured it would be sensible to dress wisely in case the kitchen was already closed for the night.”

Jomei was feeling somewhat analyzed by his company then, even objectified as she continued eyeing him, becoming curious, and more curious the longer she gazed. There was a magnetic energy between them, enticing Yume in a way that Jomei could only dream of. He felt cornered when she slid closer and exposed for his shyness as she continued the advance. Yume was quenched her thirst until it draining her glass, but her thirst could not be quenched. “Ah, m-my gemstone” Jomei answered, “it is made from a rare grade of ore known as arcadianite. I’m actually something of a pioneer in the study of it as a chakra-conducting compound; this piece is just the one that sparked my interest one fateful day. Isn’t it something?”

Delving into Jomei’s work was a dangerous game, as it was easy to lose him in a tangent. But in the presence of such a rare creature as his new idol friend, he knew better than to bore her with scientific dribble. Though, mistaking Yume for a fellow enthusiast, Jomei began wondering if she might have known of him from the work of his former life. “Oh, umm, I’m sorry… I don’t think I had the chance to formally introduce myself. My name is Koyanagi Jomei; I’m a new transfer over at the Information Division.”

Meanwhile, the intuitive barista was as much at work as he was a spectator in the tale of Jomei and Yume, that he sought to usher their fun along. He set out a full traditional sake set across the counter, seeing fit to allow the two to share. For reasons unbeknownst to the barista, he did not care that his patrons were both underage to consume alcohol, and turned a blind eye. And while Jomei failed to wear a yukata, he knew the rules of pouring sake and looked to Yume with a mischievous grin. “Well, I’ll end up losing it all over my lap if I try to keep this bottle to myself…” it should be known that Jomei loved breaking rules. “Would you like some sake, Chingu?”​

<i></i>

 

[Yume]

His explanation of the gemstone was met with a subtle frown, possibly either from the dissatisfaction of his answer, or due to the little cogs in her brain working overtime to discern this rock. Yume didn't express much further to reveal one or the other. After a moment, realising that she wouldn't get and shouldn't ask for more information, the girl retreated back to a more postured seated position and smiled. She tilted her head to the side in adorable confusion.

"Nice to meet you, Jomei-san. Information division...?" She tilted her head to the other side as she thought. The name of a famous geologist obviously flew over her head. "Mm... Oh, that's a ninja thing, isn't it? Wow, that's amazing! The information division..." She was wracking her brain about it. Did they even have an information department in the main branch? So many people she had come across in life was somewhere in combat; it was not that common to hear about the more subtle paths of shinobi life.

Well, she'll just have to take his word for it for now. Perhaps she could ask Manager later.

The bottle of sake and pair of cups placed between them surprised the girl a little. Guess that meant with the so-called kindness of the bartender and Jomei's offer that she won't be finding herself somewhere negatively in a celebrity gossip magazine?

She did think of drinking before anyway, so this was a good excuse as any. With her hands clapped together slightly in front of her face, Yume smiled with a brief bow of her head. "If I'm not imposing. It's been quite a week for me."

More like fortnight... She paused midway through taking her cup of sake after it was generously poured for her. Actually, perhaps she shouldn't even be drinking alcohol right now, considering her most recent heart surgery. If Yuri was here, Yume was ninety-eight percent sure that she'd be yelling at her to put down the sake cup. Ahh... It's alright, isn't it? Her blood has its uses. If not for extra-sensory perception, then definitely for healing. There shouldn't be any complications, she thought.

So Yume took the risk, and gave Jomei a cheers before bringing the ceramic to her lips. The yukata shifted slightly with her movement, revealing the briefest tease to the start of a relatively fresh scar running down the centre of her chest. Perhaps Jomei would notice. Perhaps not. Even if he did, the chances of him realising the implications would be...?

 

[Okada Kaji]

Jomei displayed a reluctant smile, hiding his nervous panicking when Yume showed her interest in the verdant crystal. What would he have done if Yume knew too much about the truths of his past? The verdant crystal was not a well-known artifact— and for good reason, but Yume’s intrigue sent her knocking on a door Jomei hoped to keep under lock and key. Luckily, the boy’s nerdiness did enough to deter Yume’s interest, and he capitalized; “well, the information division has some of the best lab facilities in a thousand miles. I’m excited to get started with my research— very cutting edge stuff… though, it must pale in comparison to the real fun you have… living the idol life and all.” Jomei thought himself to be clever by turning the subject around. And then he sought to change course even more as he placed a hand on their warm bottle of sake.

As Jomei set up the first ceramic glass meant for Yume, she hinted at recent stress, underselling her week as the cause. “Oh tell me about it” he replied with a humorous yet sympathetic tone. “Heh heh, and you’re not imposing as long as you save a little for me!”

And so, Jomei kindly poured the first drink for the idol, operating with an overly-cautious tilting of the bottle, like a scientist might when pouring strange liquids into beakers in a laboratory. In truth, Jomei had only drank alcohol once in his lifetime. His memory rolled back to an evening adventuring in Arcadia, where he shared his first sip of aged brandy with a brave kunoichi who saved his life. An image of Lightning flashed in his mind. Jomei couldn’t help but see a little of his old acquaintance, though they were like night and day beyond their long tresses of light red strands, bordering pink. Jomei rested his face onto his palm, and his elbow against the table as he observed Yume simply drinking sake. His mind always stirred and fought to remain astute rather than giving way to a loverboy stare.

His vermillion eyes honed in on something peculiar which caught his attention as an irregularity, and his cheeks lit up cherry red as he shied away from the accidental preview. Yume’s yukata revealed more than supple skin and the beginning of beautiful curvatures, in fact, Jomei’s significant experience inferred that it was a fresh surgical scar covering her breastplate. His eyebrows perked, mostly from surprise and a hint of concern as he began concocting five theories about Yume’s most-peculiar wound. “And I’m sure the idol life must get pretty hectic sometimes as well,” he said in continuity. “That explains where you’re chillin’ here instead of a swanky penthouse somewhere. Are you taking a little time off to destress and r-relax?” He nearly uttered the word recuperate, but avoided the trigger word in favor of something less assuming.​

<i></i>

 

[Yume]

Yume only just noticed his eyes flicker to look elsewhere, but took longer to realise what it could be he was looking at. As she set her ceramic cup down, that's when she finally registered her slightly off placed yukata. Now that took all that she had to fight the rosy heat that was creeping up the back of her neck. Jomei wouldn't turn a little red for no reason, after all (most likely). The inner Yume flailed in embarrassment and horror, while the outer shell casually readjusted her yukata to cover her chest properly, especially that scar. Yume smiled, distracting the male with talk.

"Oh, I actually love being busy!" she said with a wink. She actually had no problem with showing cleavage either--it was part of the idol life. What the girl obviously had a problem with was that god awful scar just glaring at the outside world. It would take a while until it could fully disappear, even with her supernatural healing.

Let's not think about it now, girl.

"But you're right, chilling out once in a while does good for the body." Yume nodded, more to herself than him, and picked up her cup to sip from it again. She sighed, as the sake slid smoothly down her throat and warmed up her insides. It warmed her up a bit too much, though. As with many people with the blood of the East, Yume was the kind to flush almost immediately after a little bit of alcohol. Though in reality her cheeks were only a very slight pink, the heat in her face made her think that she was probably more of a tomato than Jomei was!

"Oh no! Am I red?" she exclaimed, covering her cheeks with her hands. Yume looked to her company, and then at the bartender whose back was already turned to them. She turned back. "This always happens when I have something alcoholic, ah..."

That didn't stop her from grabbing the bottle to pour another cup though. Suddenly she stopped mid-action and smiled sheepishly at Jomei. "Sorry, I just took this without thinking. I'm not an alcoholic, I swear! I do have a bit of an addiction to Pocky though... but it seems the entertainment news already knew that."

She placed the bottle back on the counter before she could pour anything and clapped her hands together with a glint in her eye. "Hey! I have an idea. Will you play a drinking game with me?"

It was all a distraction away from that unsightly mark.

The gem Jomei wore seemed to glimmer in Yume's eyes, as she briefly explained the rules of the game to him if he said yes.

 

[Okada Kaji]

Both Jomei and Yume were sharing in the awkward moment, trying to find the right things to say, but both stumbled through the conversation. Jomei made a huge mistake with his overreaction to Yume’s scar, even though it was more a curious one or even concerned glance than a look of disgust. And the inclusion of the saké was only about to make things worst— at least just for Yume, unless Jomei started playing catch up. Her delicate complexion revealed a red flush, and she attempted the beautiful sight with her hands as if she was unsightly, garnering an amused chuckle from Jomei. “It's ok, you’re not as red as I was earlier; all things considered, red is really your color... I just want to pinch those cheeks.”

He thought to grab the bottle and just pour a shot of saké for himself just to bring ease to Yume, but when he reached for it, she beat him to the punch and poured a second for herself!

Jomei’s brow was furrowed in the awkwardness of it all as his idol friend was displaying some unhealthy stress coping mechanisms, but he attempted to wear a smile in order to comfort her. “Ah, don’t even worry about it, chingu,” he said in reply when Yume became self-aware of her mistake. Jomei was never a good liar, and his face was all too telling for Yume to not notice his reaction to her social faux pas. Jomei insisted on playing devil’s advocate instead, thinking it might appease her. “There’s plenty to go around, and I’m sure there’s more than enough yen between the two of use for another bottle of this stuff— though, I doubt it’ll take me much.” Now Jomei was the one blushing and looking aside with his hands on his cheeks as well. “I’m a bit of a lightweight, you’ll have to forgive me.”

Yume was a good sport about it all though, and once she understood that they were both down for some fun, a lightbulb flashed, and she was inspired to propose they play a game. The game was a race to the top of a glass, where each of them would take turns adding saké to a large ceramic cup until the liquid overflowed. The loser was the first one to waste any saké and would have to make up for the failure by drinking the whole thing. Jomei gave a reluctant nod in agreement but suspected that he might have an unfair advantage already, as he was still sober, and Yume clearly wasn’t. “Yeah, let’s play a few rounds… something tells me you’re a shark at this; you’d better not go easy on me just to butter me up,” he said with a smile. He seized the bottle of saké as if he was about to commence play, but tilted his head back and poured some into his mouth first. The taste had him gagging for a moment, confused as to how easily Yume had consumed her helping… She really was a pro.

Jomei then poured the first helping of saké into their shared glass.

Rules of Playing Race to 21:
This is a drinking game played between two people, in quick rounds. The two players take turns pouring saké into a cup until it overflows, and the loser must drink. Each pour is accompanied by a 1d20 roll made on discord. Each pour is added to the total score until 21 is reached or exceeded, and the player who does this loses the round and must chug the whole thing. This can be played an unlimited amount of times. However, for each shot a player consumes, a +1 must be added to their 1d20 roll to account for inebriation.

Round One:

Jomei rolled 15.

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[Yume]

It was probably the alcohol, because Yume was a lot more giggly than she usually was. She laughed when Jomei took a swig of the sake and a little more when he gagged at the drink. "Slow and steady, Jomei-san," she laughed.

Her laughter suddenly stopped when he made the first pour into the glass, and Yume appeared to be almost inhumanly, statue still. She moved after about a couple of seconds and leaned forward, inspecting the more than half filled sake glass closely.

"I never would have thought you'd be mean like this," she pouted, taking the bottle off him. The girl shifted this way and that, as if sizing up her target. More than once for a few instances, she momentarily got distracted by the glimmer of his gem and couldn't help but stare.

"You know, it could be the lighting, but your crystal looks like it's glowing!"

Yume smiled at him briefly and returned her concentration to the game. She only needed the tiniest, tiniest bit of sake in the cup, then it'll be good. Slowly and carefully, Yume poured the liquid into the cup. It formed an intact watery dome and soon she breathed a sigh of relief as she placed the bottle back on the counter. Then it started to leak down the side of the glass.

"Oh no!" she gasped. It could be the alcohol, but tears were starting to well up in her eyes. With well practised puppy dog eyes, Yume looked to Jomei. "Do I really have to drink it?"

Of course she did. She was the one that proposed the game. With a trembling lip and after a transforming sigh, Yume dropped the act for something a little more sophisticated, so to speak, and grabbed the bottle of sake again. This time she poured into the second cup and offered it to him, as she originally should have been doing.

"Hey, you know what? I have been so rude by just drinking on my own and not pouring yours. Please, please, you should definitely drink with me."

A coy smile crept across her lips and she and gingerly picked up the overfilled cup of sake, trying her best to raise it in a pseudo-cheer. It was hard to carry it up to her mouth, as the sake easily spilled a little over her fingers. But she didn't let that bother her and took a few sips up until she had finished the entire drink. Another short exhale escaped her lips.

"Phew. This won't be good for my empty stomach," she remarked, taking a napkin from the counter to wipe her hands. She called for the man behind the bar, who returned her order with a nicer demeanour. "Ahjussi, when you're done with Jomei-san's order, can I please have a mix of kushiyaki? Thank you."

It wouldn't be long until Jomei's order of sushi and cake was brought out onto the counter. Interesting combination, Yume thought idly, though she had little energy to judge. The sounds of skewers sizzling in the back kitchen soon brought the restaurant area just a little more life. While that was happening and Jomei could enjoy his meal, Yume still hadn't placed the bottle of sake back on the table.

"How about another round?" she asked, pouring just a little bit into her cup. Pushing the cup towards him and placing the bottle back, Yume smiled at him and even threw in a joke. "I'll be nice to start, unlike somebody."

First round: 6 E____E
Second round: 5 +1 = 6

 

[Okada Kaji]

Jomei’s eyes spiraled again as that first shot of saké went straight to his head. He was suddenly wondering why he did this to himself, as his mental culpability meant everything to him, and the grip of confusion to come was unwelcome. It was only his second time indulging in drinking, and this time he was in a mysterious new land as an illegal immigrant of sorts, simply begging for trouble.

Scared of over-indulging, Jomei had prepared a triumphant first offering in the saké glass, intending on taking the idol out early on before he was any further impaired. He figured he could get her good and liquored up, and perhaps take a chance at wiping her memory of seeing his six-armed form at the pool with a good genjutsu. Perhaps it was the drink, but his paranoia was growing at the same pace as his devilish grin. “I thought we were playing a game” he countered in a playful tone to Yume’s accusation of him being mean with his good pour. She was eyeing his gem, and already knew too much, courtesy of sober Jomei’s earnest persona. Now, drunk Jomei was at the wheel, and he was finished being so gullible.

“That’s right, drink it all down,” he said answered wickedly when Yume lamented, and saké ran down the glass’ edge. Calling herself clever, Yume finally acknowledged the old tradition of pouring for a friend and practically spilled saké all over the counter as she prepared her opponent a healthy helping of drink. “Oh you’re too cute,” Jomei answered, feigning appreciation. “I would,” he began while one hand took the shot and placed it besides the game glass, “but how about we go double or nothing? Next loser takes them both…” He took even greater pleasure as he watched Yume down her shot alone then, sure that the edge was his alone.

The barista revealed some impeccable prowess as he set out some fine morsels of yellowtail sushi, just as Jomei had ordered. Yume already seemed on the dizzy side, and ordered her own helping, openly admitting that the saké would hit her heavily without something to soak it up. Heeding her advice of sorts, Jomei began inhaling his sushi, piece by everloving piece. “Want some?” He offered Yume some of his own sushi with his mouth packed full already, only leaving a few measly morsels for her to partake in. Jomei was in savage mode, or so it seemed.

He then agreed to play another round and countered Yume’s careful pour with nothing more than a splash making up his own turn. She was still playing nice and so was he, yet their competitive spirits were still rising underneath their friendly smiles.

Second Round:
Jomei Rolls 1

 

[Yume]

Yume narrowed her eyes at Jomei's response, jolting her head to look away from him with a slight huff. The rest of the sake slid down her throat and she was starting to really feel the effects. Physiologically speaking, rather than cognitively. Her cheeks got just that bit pinker--a sign that many people mistaken for drunkness, and her heart started to pound a little bit harder. There was the slightest wince of discomfort, but so far she could deal with it. It was nothing to worry about yet, not until the proposal of double or nothing.

A look of genuine hesitation crossed her features for a split second. Yume glanced at the two cups, then at Jomei. "I don't know..." she trailed off. "Dunno if that's a good idea."

Perhaps he might call her a scaredy cat and egg her on. In a sense, that wasn't wrong. She was nervous of her heart, which had yet to fully heal, being overworked and excited from all this alcohol. If it were a normal night and she just had one alcoholic barley tea, that alone would be safe. But now that they're playing this game that she proposed herself, Yume suddenly found herself hearing her medic friend's scathing voice to quote, "don't do anything stupid that will bust your heart" in her head.

Now if he did tease her for refusing, she'd eventually accept. Though following the acceptance, she'd jokingly and not so jokingly say, "I can sue you if something goes wrong, right?"

Otherwise, the game continued on! She poured carefully into the cup. The smell of grilled meat and veggies were finally wafting into her nose.

Second round: 4+1
Total: 12
Marked for training

 

[Okada Kaji]

The verdant crystal’s glow only heightened as their little game rolled on. The bobble was thriving from their competition. It loved the inner torment Jomei experienced as he fought his own instincts in order to keep Yume’s interests at bay. Years of possessing that verdant crystal solidified its hold on the young shinobi, so much that the crystal was attracting new suitors, of only to challenge Jomei’s will to keep it. How far would he go for its power, and what did he expect to get out of it? The truth was that not even Jomei knew why he coveted it any longer; all he knew is that Yume would not have it. He would drown her in sake before he’d let her swindle him out of that gem. His misleading smile continued and only seemed more authentic the longer the liquor worked its magic.

“Sue me? What’s the worst thing that could happen tonight?” Jomei countered Yume’s last inquiry, a joke about legal action if Jomei pushed her over the edge. He was a calculating bookworm though and began to mull over the many possibilities that lay ahead again, thinking a mile a minute.

And then the sake bottle came back to him, and he made a generous poor, trying to set up his second victory… however, a slight fluctuation in the bottle caused a bit more sake than expected to splash out, causing an unfortunate overflow. “Oh… oh no,” he whined.

And to think it was his idea. Jomei lined up the two drinks directly in front of him and took a shot of sake in each hand… Every fabric of his being tensed as he raised the first drink to his lips. He made coughing sounds as he struggled to take it down, and then the other to follow. How boyish he was then, struggling to handle the quality sake. The bartender made his first laugh of the night as he watched Jomei commit to his ruination.

“Ughh, there we go,” Jomei said among gasping breaths. He was considering walking away now, however the cake hadn't even been served yet. Yume was a joy to be around after all, and there was the matter of his secret still rattling around in her mental space. Jomei chose to stick to the plan, dammit. "You, you wanna play another round, hot stuff?" He batted hopeful eyelashes at her, slightly off-sync as the sake worked it's magic. Without the confirmation, Jomei tilted the bottle again and commenced another pour. Now it was Yume’s turn again.

Jomei rolled 15
Round Totals: 12 +15 = Jomei Loses
Double or Nothing.

Next round: Jomei rolls 4+2=6.

 

[Yume]

She was doing fine with keeping a poker face and not laughing at his sore loss, but when the bartender started chuckling, she couldn't help but giggle herself. "Seems like the tables have turned now, Jomei-san!" she smiled.

Her eyes trailed off-side slightly, looking past Jomei's shoulder. An indiscernible apparition sat in the barstool next to the male, leaning over the counter and seemingly smiling at the two of them. Seemed like this ghost was having fun playing tricks on the poor lad. Yume waved her hand to and fro dismissively. Mostly it was to signal to the ghost, not necessarily to shoo it off, but to wordlessly tell it not to do that anymore. Jomei looked like he was about to pass out.

"Um... Are you okay, Jomei-san?" Yume asked, leaning away just a tad. The smile didn't falter for him. "You know you didn't have to drink both of them!" Her plate of kushiyaki was ready now, and placed carefully before her on the counter. Same time as the cake too. Huh, well suppose it didn't take that long to plate up cake. The idol picked up a chicken skewer and nibbled on it as she watched Jomei go for another round of the game.

"Are you sure?" she asked, wide-eyed in slight concern. At the very least, she offered him some of the meat and veggie skewers--perhaps the oil could help with his freakishly fast metabolism of alcohol. But if he insisted, Yume would delay the game a tad--just to finish her first yakitori stick--before wiping her fingers on the napkin and picking up the bottle and splashing a little bit of the sake into the cup. For a second, she wondered if he realised the implications of drinking from the same cup at all. Now that she thought about it, Yume was now glad that drinking presented her with an alcoholic flush. Otherwise, questions would be had on why she would be blushing.

The second the bottle was returned safely onto the counter, the slightest prick of her senses sent her into a delayed alarm. Before Yume could register the instinctual warning of some foul play in the netherworld, her barstool rocked a little, losing its balance forward. Luckily, Yume was fast enough to catch herself with the support of the counter before something more embarrassing could happen--like falling face first into Jomei's lap. However, the sudden move didn't prepare her for the sharp pain in her surgical scar. Thankfully, nothing popped open (god knows that'd be a lot of explaining to do), and Yume slowly pushed herself back upright. She smiled sheepishly at Jomei, while her mind mentally cursed that meddlesome ghost and its selfish fun.

"Whoa, that was close!" she breathed, clutching tightly on the hem of her yukata. Her hand pressed closely against her chest, disguising a general soothe of the currently sore site. "Your turn!"

Round: 5+1=6
Total: 12

 

[Okada Kaji]

Jomei was dizzy but determined; the vision of Yume began to skew slightly as his posture slouched. He wiped a hand over his face in a stunned reaction as the alcohol raced through his system. It was crippling to a mind like his, and more powerful than a genjutsu when effecting his cognition, but part of him was beginning to adjust, and maybe even like this feeling of drunkenness.

Yume’s innate kindness offset Jomei’s paranoia, making him feel a bit foolish for suspecting her to be after him in some capacity or even a threat to his cover in the hidden leaf. And, as Jomei was becoming more inebriated, the effectiveness of his spider chakra sense was numbing, so much that he’d have no way of perceiving the apparition looming over his shoulder. He had encountered a spirit once before, but that soul was devoured by the verdant crystal years ago. And now, the verdant crystal was glowing, hungering for the ghost who played between the two shinobi…

“Nah, no thanks… I think that sushi is starting to expand already” Jomei warned, rubbing his belly when Yume offered him a few her chicken skewers. “Golly, I’m ready to burst.” Any more and he probably would.

But that apparition was still looming and having its fun, practically taunting the verdant crystal as it attempted to foil the game between Jomei and Yume. When the idol poured her next few drops into the game glass, her bar stool was tampered with, and she was nearly sent sliding forth onto Jomei. Fortunately, Yume still had her wits about her and regained her balance, with nothing but a hint of pain in her chest from the sudden movement. Her wincing brought about delayed concern from Jomei, nearly lifted out of his seat trying to help her find balance. His left hand pressed on Yume’s shoulder, and in his slightly drunken state, the presence of his chakra was working much harder than he intended to. He naturally activated the power of his chimera seal and absorbed a taste of Yume’s chakra on accident with the mere touch. The effect would feel tingly to her, and abnormal, but not painful given it was only used absentmindedly. “Oh, I-I’m sorry, Yume-san...” he said before nervously backing into his seat.

There was a sudden glow in his eyes as Jomei began to feel the effect of the abilities he suddenly copied from Yume with a power known as mystical replication. His vermilion globes focused on Yume until he recognized the spirit looming and giggling over her shoulder. His eyes widened as he suddenly saw the ghost… “Ah, yeah, it’s my turn” he replied, attempting to act as if he wasn’t suddenly aware. Jomei hurriedly snatched the bottle of Sake and doused the glass with so much sake that it was flowing onto the bar, and down to the floor. He didn’t even watch the pouring and was still staring at Yume and they ghost looming behind her, with a growing fear on his face. Eagerly, Jomei took the glass of sake and chugged it, still not looking away from the ghost as he did so. His heart was starting to race, pumping adrenaline, the natural fighter of drunken stupor.

Round: 13+2=15
Total: 27

 

[Yume]

Alarm. Yume's pupils reflexively constricted to pinpricks upon Jomei's hold on her. Not because of the fact that he just touched her, but rather the sensations that followed after. Paresthesia, a sensation that would naturally occur should Yume actually turn out to like Jomei at this time... Though the feeling for this was off. Too localised, for sure. She grabbed onto her tingling shoulder, peering at Jomei's abashed face with half-hidden suspicion in her eyes.

"That's okay, thanks for that," Yume chirped easily. "Remember, it's your turn!"

It look a second. Just a second to see his glowing red eyes widen in surprise. She thought nothing of it, mistaking that for an alcoholic haze. After the second urge, he got back into the game, perhaps a little too much. Yume blinked at him. "Uhm... Jomei-san, you're overflowing. A-Ah, stop! It's about to spill to the floor!"

Quickly, she fumbled for a napkin, soaking up the wasted alcohol before turning to the bemused bartender with a clasp of her hands in apology. The girl turned back to Jomei, who now realised he was the loser in this round. He drank the sake, as slated, but his eyes never really met hers. They fixated past her, similar to her own glance when she looked at that.

Oh... The puzzle pieces in her mind finally clicked together, a little slower than usual. Discreetly, she peeked to the side, seeing a familiar otherworldly wisp as part of the ghost's hand. Jomei was looking at this soul. That, Yume was almost certain of. So what did that mean? She thought, staring a little blankly at him as he continued to drink. He stole her eyes from her, somehow.

"What's wrong, Jomei-san?" Yume dared to ask, leaning forward to lessen the gap between them just a tad. She still smiled, even though it was a lot more muted.

"You look like you've seen a ghost."

 

[Okada Kaji]

His illuminated pupils squinted as he observed her game, and she leaned forward, toying with him in this ghoulish scenario. He wondered if she knew, that he knew, that she knew about the specter levitating between the two of them. Yume practically confirmed his suspicions when she asked if he had seen a ghost, and he thought to flee at that moment, but revealing his terror would only hasten the potential madness to come.

Jomei turned to glance at the barista, who was just about to plate some cake for them. The young shinobi would have traded the whole night if he could have traded places with the unaware man behind the bar. “What a position to be in,” he thought, balancing on a metaphorical tightrope: Jomei was a long shot from a potential hook up on the other side, his secret mission on the ledge behind him, and a long drop where he’d face his demise once Yume revealed some diabolical scheme with her ghost pal. “Oh yeah, w-w-what a night,” he answered, adding just a pinch of sarcasm. He then glanced at the sake bottle again and pondered if he should have just guzzled the rest of it, and present himself to her in a webbing gift wrap, to do with what she pleased.

“H-hey buddy, hold the cake... cake please,” Jomei pleaded to the barista, who merely shrugged indifferently. Fortunately, Jomei had already paid his tab before the drinking began, as it was time for him to get out of there. With a cheeky grin, he took the bottle of Sake by hand and sealed the cork onto in… “I think I like this sssake, it’s primo ssstuff” he insisted with a drunken smile. He then got up from his seat with swaying motions, taking the bottle as he went. “Ahh, I am feeling r-rightly tuckered out,” he said in a probable lie, “h-hope I’m not disssappointed by leaving so sssoon… but the bed is calling my n-name.” Jomei intended on escaping before the sinister idol and her ghost could advance any further; he sought the safety of his room, or anywhere away from there. But his continued grinning said otherwise as she was enticing despite the ghost looming; he glared at the specter— it didn’t even look scary when Jomei stared long enough. The sweet smell of her perfume dared Jomei to stay a bit longer, as did her beauty and charm. But his innate senses still warned him from beneath his drunken stupor— get out of there, they said.

And his better senses won, at least as first when he turned and began to wander away from the bar with the verdant crystal still under his collar, and the bottle of liquor in his grasp. However, impaired motor functions and his inexperience with alcohol provided a challenge he could not best so easily. “G-g-goodnight Y-yume” he said, seeking a bit of finality in their encounter before tripping over himself and stumbling to the floor. “Oww, oh, I’m okay…” Rather than rise hastily, Jomei began to crawl away, attempting to make the room stop spinning for he tried to walk again.

Topic Left Unless Stopped.

 

[Yume]

Ah... Perhaps she took it too far. Because the next thing she knew, Jomei clammed up fast and drunkenly tried to withdraw to his room with a bottle in hand. Yume blinked once before she frowned, genuinely concerned. She turned to the bartender, who silently both pleased that the troublemaker was going to go, and also annoyed at the mess he left behind. Behind Jomei's back as he clumsily crawled away, Yume turned to the man behind the bar and clapped hands together in front of her face. The sound rung throughout the room like a mystical echo and Yume apologised, while invisible wisps of chakra began to work its magic.

"Sorry for the mess, Ahjussi."

You did not see me.

The lack of response from the bartender should be something of note for Jomei, if he was sober enough to realise. Eventually, the worker gave a heavy sigh, shaking his head as he cleaned up the bar while mentally cursing Jomei's mess. Yume's presence in his mind was blocked off--his brain was internally scrambling to fill in the pieces and retell the story of who accompanied Jomei. It allowed Yume to hop off the barstool and leave behind a half-finished plate of skewers.

She knelt down beside Jomei, but not before turning behind her to shoo the ghost off with a wave. The apparition pouted, but the annoyed look the princess gave it made it think twice and finally decided to venture off in the opposite direction, phasing through the wall and away.

"You really don't look well, Jomei-san," Yume said, turning her attention back to the male. Her hand reached out to help him, stopping a few centimetres away from touching his skin. She grimaced, disliking the possibility of receiving that forsaken tingle and getting whatever else she had stolen as well. Half her mind told her to not bother, and just stick close to him to his room. The other half, a little more human, said that it'd come morning time before he would reach his room to sleep. So she took the plunge to grab his arm and try slinging it over her shoulder.

"I told you, you didn't need to do the double or nothing, or even play a third round! Come on, stand up. I'll help you to your room, Jomei-san."

If he did soak up more of her ability, eventually he'd see a little more--though perhaps with the things he'd see, they could be chalked up to hallucinations. Not only ghosts of the deceased were there, but other entities hung around the area too. Animal-like and humanoid, the youkai around them were harmless, minding their own business. It was like a second, invisible society for Yume; and now half of it could be known to Jomei.

Oops, forgot to say, Jomei stopped

 

[Okada Kaji]

Of course, Jomei wasn’t in his right mind, at least enough as Yume created an illusion to sever herself from the mind of the barista. Now she was following after Jomei, which only took a few paces as the amateur drunkard didn’t make it very far. Jomei was crawling on his elbows like a soldier on a battlefield, desperately trying to reach the safety of a trench amidst a hail of gunfire. Yume could here Jomei muttering unknown phrases in his native language as she approached him, and she persisted in showing him empathy. She offered him a helping hand and even helped him remain balanced once he found the stability to rise to his feet. “Y-you’re far too kind, Yume,” he said with a nervous blush crossing from cheek to cheek.

With the initial zap of Yume’s chakra before, their chakra was already in sync as Yume assisted Jomei down the hallway. It seemed as if the static effect had subsided for the time being, and nothing but a sense of warmth was shared as the pair made their way towards what Jomei presumed to be his own suite. “You… you’re sssuch a nice girl,” he added with the familiar drunken slur, followed by a hiccup. “And to ‘fink, I thought you were going to take advantage of me. I’m new to this village, so, I’m ooon my guard, ya’ know? But, you— you’ve been nothing but kind to me... you’re the best, Yume... I love you.” He let out a long-winded laugh then, securing the statement as a mere friendly context, though he would have never said such a risky thing in a clear-headed state.

A few corner turns later, Jomei led the way to his suite, room number eight. He began to search through his pockets for the room key, and even passively passed the bottle of sake to Yume so he could pat him twice down a second and third time. Apparently, Jomei had left his key behind after his wardrobe change earlier in the evening. The suite’s door security saved him from needing the key before he left, so Jomei had no reason to doubt his possession of the essentially key until now. “Ohhhh… I’m such an idiot” he whined, realizing and relaying the mention of his failure to the idol beside him. “I locked myself ooouuut…” He then let out the most obnoxious sigh of his life and leaned against the barred door. He looked to Yume, pouting, before sliding down the door frame and sitting against it on the floor.

WC427

 

[Yume]

Yume paused, looking over to Jomei as he proclaimed his love for her; her inexpressive visage unfaltering for now. Surely, that was just a platonic or fan like love confession, right? Right... Yume had no other choice but to stick with that line of thought--true love and affection was a bit of a foreign thing to her. Her expression moved to a more amused one when it turned out that he had left his keys inside and locked himself out. She sighed and put her hands on her hips. Ryokan inns don't have twenty-four hour reception, so getting a master key at this time of night would not be possible.

Again, she sighed. With a tight lipped smile, she pulled on his elbow, urging him to stand. "Okay, come on. You can just stay in my suite for the night then. You can ask reception for the master key tomorrow morning."

Not for anything suss, obviously.

She waved her hand in front of him. "Jomei-san? Oii, Chingu!"

Her eyes trailed down to the gem situated on his chest. In the midst of trying to tug him upright and helping him ambulate, the girl asked something, both to him and with an underlying direction, to the crystal as well.

"Are you there?"