Lazing About [Free RP]

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu had woken up some time shortly after noon to his stomach growling. Now, the ANBU's super secret headquarters had a cafeteria built in, and the cooks were nice enough, but the food was rarely anything to write home about. Ayumu often ate there when he was pressed for time or had a mission, but this was his last day off before the promotion mission. He had prepared everything he needed already, perhaps a bit too hastily, just so he could take a break before heading out. It was a warm day, partly cloudy so the sun wasn't beating down on Kumogakure too hard, and a light breeze was blowing. The smell of food drifted on that breeze, carrying an assortment of appetite bolstering aromas straight to Ayumu's nostrils.

Ayumu stopped in the middle of the street, just to take in the sun and the delicious smells. A man who had been walking behind Ayumu cursed at the sudden stop and trudged around him, but Ayumu couldn't have cared less. He stretched his arms to the sky and enjoyed the warmth on his arms. "Ahhhhhhhh, what a great day!" he exclaimed, drawing a few stares which he promptly ignored. He had removed his impending mission from his mind entirely for the time being. Now he had to decide what to eat. He began scanning the plaza, trying to identify the sources of the various aromas. Nearest to him was a small stand selling teriyaki chicken on sticks. Of course this was no lunch, but he couldn't stop himself for going for the instant gratification.

"Three, please!" he said, marching up to the stand as the most recent customer stepped away. He noted the price listed and pulled out his wallet, collecting the right total and placing it on the counter. In exchange he received a small tray with three skewers laden with teriyaki chicken pieces. "Thank you for your patronage!" the man said before turning to the next customer. Ayumu popped one of the skewers in to his mouth and pulled off a piece of delicious tangy chicken. "Mmmmmm," he said as he enjoyed the flavor, turning around and walking over to a bench to sit and eat. He dropped back on to the bench and pulled another piece of a skewer.

[MFT]

 

[Uka]

The sudden sound of the mans stomach growling surprised him more than it did the people surrounding him, but that didn't mean that they didn't hurry up to walk away as fast as their legs could actually carry them. Well you can't blame them at all really, after all the source of the sound was a scruffy-looking man, who appeared as if he had just fought with a bear and emerged victorious. The top two buttons of his shirt were clearly ripped off and there were multiple holes in his cheap jeans, which appeared as if they were from the claws of a wild animal. A rather interesting appearance, but the crowd didn't really pay much attention to him at all. In fact it appeared as if after the initial people who had heard his stomach had moved on nobody else could actually see or at least they were putting a rather good effort to avoid any contact with him, be it physical or visual.

"Oh boy I really need to find some food fast" Takehiko murmured under his breath and finally started walking forward after that rather lengthy break. It had been a while since he had gotten some decent work and now his funds had pretty much reached rock bottom again and his appearance had taken quite the hit thanks to that, but leaving that behind he was about to completely run out after this meal. Work had to be found later! Though now food took priority! Banzai lunch! Then again why didn't he just eat at the complex? Bah no need to sweat those small details, after all the food there was barely even edible most of the time. He'd rather die then have to resort to eating there, then again he'd probably end up stealing something to eat before that actually happened.

A slight breeze blew through the streets and with it came the voice of an angel in the form of the smell of the ambrosia that was teriyaki. His mouth quickly began salavating and his feet moved faster and faster with each passing second, getting closer and closer to the beacon which had summoned him. He was almost there. The stand was so close, so very close!

Sadly it was not meant to be as he crashed into a young woman, who also wasn't looking at where she was going. The two quickly fell and he ended up with his left leg in between her thighs and his right hand just slightly to the right of her head. If this situation had happened at any other time it would have been at least slightly enjoyable, but now it was a rather large hindrance. Food was calling stronger than ever before! A red flush spread over the womans cheeks, but it was completely ignored as Takehiko quickly jumped on his feet and momentarily pulled her up before she realized what was going on. And thus ended their encounter with a slight bow before he ran off to the stand.

"Two servings please!" The man said happily as he quickly dropped all of his remaining money on the counter. The growling of his stomach reminded him of how starving he was and if there was any way to really describe his reaction upon receiving his order it would have to be a child unwrapping its gifts on Christmas. The sheer happiness in his expression was really something, but food had to wait for a second. He had to find a seat first after all!

His eyes quickly wandered until they fell on a bench. Without a second through Takehiko quickly rushed there and took a seat next to Ayumu without a single word. "Oh you're going to get it right now!" He said quietly just before annihilating half his food in under a second. The very hot chicken burned his throat, but he didn't really care. Sating his hunger was more important than anything else right now after all! A minute passed and his food was now gone off the face of the Earth, safely tucked in his stomach. Ah that had been a good meal! "You just can't beat teriyaki in the afternoon." The man said with a smile as his mind slowly began working once more. Tick-tock tick-tock. The gears slowly started turning again as the beast awakened once more.

He quickly jumped up from his seat and turned to face Ayumu, an apologetic expression gracing his face. "I'm very sorry I should have asked whether this seat was free. I'm very sorry!" Takehiko said and bowed even lower, not standing up at all....

[It may take me a while to get back into things. Sorry about that]

 

[Kaoru]

Kaoru was taking a calming stroll through the streets of Kumogakure, when suddenly a young man crashed into her. She hit the ground with a thud. She opened her eyes to see the shabbily dressed man looming over her. The shy girl's cheeks turned to a brilliant red. She was almost tempted to scream, but the man had helped her up and left before she could even think.who the heck was that?

She continued to walk. The scent of food lingered in the air. "Maybe I should grab a little something Kaoru said to herself as she walked to a crepe stand. "U - Umm one crepe with s - strawberries please" Kaoru stammered. The woman at the window gave the shy girl a small smile and gave her the sweet.

Kaoru scanned the area for somewhere to sit and eat, when she saw the man who she had bumped into earlier bowing to another man. "I wonder whats going on over there" Without even thinking, she wandered over to where the two individuals were.

"G- Good afternoon" Kaoru greeted with a small bow.

[Sorry the post isn't the best]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu pulled yet another piece off of a skewer using his teeth and chewed it slowly, taking time to enjoy the flavor and the juices. This was quite the delectable morsel he was enjoying. He wondered if he had perhaps located the gem of Dawnbringer's Plaza in this little teriyaki chicken stand. While sitting there admiring the stand, he noticed someone else who apparently had also located the gem of Dawnbringer's Plaza. This man looked to be around Ayumu's age, but looked very rough as if he had just emerged from being stranded in the wilderness for a month. Besides that, something about the man seemed very familiar. Ayumu was sure he had seen him before, but he didn't have much time to consider that before the man finished his purchase and started sprinting in Ayumu's direction. He really had no idea what to expect so he quickly spun a skewer he had already cleared of meat around in his hand and prepared to use it as an improvised weapon. The man, however, passed harmlessly by and took a seat beside Ayumu before tearing in to the teriyaki voraciously. Ayumu had to wonder if he really had been stranded in the wild.

Sitting back once more, he ate another piece of chicken and relaxed once again, dropping the empty skewer on to his tray. Out of the corner of his eye, he was still trying to identify the man but it was hard without getting a straight look at him. The man commented about the teriyaki, making a statement Ayumu had to agree with at the moment. "You can say that again," he said, assuming the man was talking to him. In reality, it seemed this was the first moment he actually noticed Ayumu was there. Without warning he jumped up and bowed, apologizing for sitting next to Ayumu. Ayumu blinked a few times in confusion, not sure what had suddenly came over the man or why he was apologizing for simply sitting down.

"Whoa, whoa, it's alright! You don't have to apologize. Even if I did mind- and I don't- it's a public bench, you have as much right to sit there as anybody," he said, willing the man to stop bowing. People were beginning to stare and it was making him feel uncomfortable. From the corner of his eye, Ayumu noticed a younger girl approaching now. This one was familiar as well, but he recognized her much more quickly. She was a fellow trainee in the ANBU, one who had joined shortly after him. She stopped once she reached the two other trainees and gave a small polite bow, greeting them with a slight stammer. "Afternoon, fellow trainee," he said in greeting to her now that the surrounding crowd had starting ignoring them once more. Now that this was on his mind, realization set in for him as he looked once more at Takehiko. "Ahh, now I remember, you're that new trainee," he said, recalling hearing about it and also seeing him a couple of times in the Sileo.

It was interesting that three trainees had gathered here purely by coincidence, but it was as good a time as any for them to meet. "Was there a meeting of trainees today I didn't get the memo about?" he asked jokingly before taking another piece of chicken. Company or no, there was no way this delicious food was going to waste. "I'm Ayumu, by the way. Kogami Ayumu. Call me whatever you're comfortable with," he introduced himself after swallowing a bite. "What brings you two out here today?" he asked, still amused by the random meeting of trainees. It was funny that he would meet them now, a day away from his mission for promotion. He wondered if they had planned this or if it was truly an incredible coincidence.

[OoC: If either of you have an issue with Ayumu recognizing you as a trainee, let me know and I'll edit.]

 

[Uka]

'That...that was absolutely divine. I would give an arm and a leg for another portion! I need to come here when I get paid again. Oh yeah I'm coming back!' He thought as he bowed. It was quite clear from those thoughts that he was just doing it for show and not because he really felt a need to do so in the first place, but there was pretty much nobody who could really tell his real intentions from the way he acted. There had been one person, but he wasn't here now really was he? Ah the simple pleasures of not having your captain around to set you straight. That just made him feel even better in this entire situation. That training had really been worth it just for the teriyaki!

"Again sorry and thank you" Takehiko said and smiled stupidly as he sat down once more. Sure he didn't really have anything else to eat, nor did he actually have any real reason to stay, but the smell of the food was far too captivating to actually move away now. Who knew somebody might just end up dropping some yen without realizing it. One can dream alright!

A shy voice just barely manage to register in his mind as the girl approached and it took barely over a second for him to recognize who it was - the girl he had ran over a few minute ago. This was a bit of an awkward situation even with his rather uncaring attitude, thankfully for him his new companion saved him from the situation that might have taken place. Thank Raiden for that, but hey it won't hurt to actually at least verbally apologize. "Sorry about just now. The teriyaki put me under hypnosis and I wasn't paying attention. I would offer to treat you,but I am absolutely broke right now." Takehiko said with a smile and put his hand behind his head in a goofy expression. Sure it would have been a nice thought if he actually did have any money whatsoever, but taking into consideration he was about as poor as a church mouse, if not worse, there was really no chance of that happening anytime soon.

"Trainee?" The man turned to face Ayumu and looked at him in question. Sure he knew what he was actually talking about, but it was something they shouldn't really be discussing at any time outside of the official duties. For all anyone cared they were just strangers. "I doubt any meetings have really happened apart from this one really, though I am pretty sure we should discuss this in a different time." He replied with a stupid smile. It was quite clear what he was hinting towards, or at least he thought so himself.

"Nice to meet you Kogamu-xiansheng. My name is Li Ryou, a deliveryman. Likewise I don't really mind how you call me." The alias rolled out easily and unhindered, his smile not wavering even for a second. "If you don't mind me asking did you two also come here for the food?" He added quickly.

[MFT]
400+ WC

 

[Kaoru]

Kaoru waved her free hand "O -Oh no its alright. You don't have to treat me." she pointed to the crepe in her other hand "I already have food so I'm fine. Plus it was an accident afterall" Kaoru didn't even know what she was saying anymore. She had never been around two boys her own age, so to say she was nervous was an understatement.

Then Kogami san mentioned them all being trainees So they're both trainees Kaoru thought to herself. She looked over to the two men, she couldn't say she was familiar with either of them, but yet again her life has been a whirlwind since she entered the ANBU.

Kaoru giggled at Kogami san's joke. "N - No I believe not. This truly is a wonderful coincedence." she said with a smile. This was a true coincedence that three AiTs happened to be in the streets and in the same area in the huge city. "By the way, I'm Kaoru" she leaned in closer to Kagami san, "If I may, I would advise you not to say our ranks in public. You know how the superiors can get." she said with a slight stern in her voice. Kaoru never liked to bbe like that but the situation called for it. The young girl stepped back and she put her smile back on. The other man, who introduced himself as Li Ryou, commented on the same matter.

Kaoru took a bite from her crepe "W- Well I was just walking around because it was so nice out." the shy girl looked over at Li kun "Had some ... unexpected encounters, and then grabbed this crepe." she took another bite, and swallowed. "How about you, Kogami san?" Kaoru said more confidently.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu was glad to see the man sit by down, those that had been watching quickly returned to their business. Ayumu was not a fan of drawing too much attention unless he specifically meant to, which did happen often. Right then was not one of those times, however. The two seemed to recognize each other from something that had happened a short while ago. Ayumu guessed maybe he had bumped in to her or cut her off. Regardless there were no hard feelings thankfully.

Ayumu’s mention of their rank, however, made them both a little uneasy. He understood why, of course, but wasn’t much bothered by it. He knew what he was doing. One seemed to deny knowing what Ayumu was even talking about, but both scolded him for his mention of the word “trainee”. He laughed sheepishly in response as he draped his arms over the back of the bench in a very relaxed position.

”Haha, whoops, here I am getting scolded by my new acquaintances on our first meeting. I wish you’d trust your sempai though, he would never leave you astray!” he said jokingly. Of course, he was fully aware of his surroundings, nobody around would have heard him, but beyond that the word “trainee” alone without mention of ANBU would tell nobody anything… unless they acted secretive about it. It was, however, safer to just avoid mentioning it at all, this was true he supposed.

”Oh, that’s it! You guys should totally call me Ayumu-sempai,” he said, coming to a sudden realization. Of course, at the moment they were all trainees and all equal, but he had joined first so he figured that had to count for something. Plus he thought it would be cool. Alas, the conversation had already moved on from what he would be called and they had already chosen what to address him by. Ayumu had no idea what the hell a xiansheng was, but it sounded cool at least. They had both explained their reasons for coming out, so it was now his turn.

”Ahhh, well I’ve got to hit the road tomorrow, so I figured I’d come get something good to eat and relax before tomorrow. Been too busy lately!” he explained before lifting a skewer to his mouth and disposing of the last two cuts of teriyaki chicken. He moved one hand down to his stomach and scratched it, not feeling completely satisfied. ”I’m still kind of hungry, in fact,” he mentioned, tossing the tray and skewers in to the nearby garbage receptacle. ”Perhaps you two would like to join me at a restaurant? I suppose it could be my treat, as the sempai,” he said, still somewhat attached to the sempai idea.

[MFT: 454]

 

[Uka]

[I am sorry about this. It's coming up to the end of college for me and it's the point where you are both exhausted and need to work more -.- I doubt I'll take much longer than this to reply at the latest.]

"Ah thank you thank you." Takehiko smiled stupidly at Kaoru, bowing ever so slightly, a motion which would most likely go completely unnoticed in the situation. Thank Raiden this wasn't a bratty kid or this would have been quite the annoying situation really, something which he really didn't want any part of in the least. Ah the small joys in life really are something aren't they? A small smile curled his lips as he ever so slightly distanced himself from the conversation. It was generally better to do so whilst you still had the chance after all.

Sure he might not really be actively taking part in their small discussion, but that didn't mean he wasn't listening, no quite far off the mark there. He was noting everything they said carefully and making sure he remembered the important details, such as names, though that didn't really mean they were correct much like his. Either way it mattered not. He knew what they looked like and sounded like. That, for him, was more than enough to be able to recognize them even if names were of no use. In all honesty it was taking a decent amount of effort not to roll his eyes at annoyance, but he was keeping it together...for now. Takehiko really had wandered off in his own little world for a bit, well at least until food was brought up. That just triggered his absolutely undivided attention and his actual responses.

"Why I would be delighted to, Ayumu-shifu!" He quickly jumped up from the bench in excitement, his eyes tearing up with joy at the sheer thought of the food, which awaited him in a few minutes. Oh how rough these last few days had been! And now...now light and life were right over there within his reach. "Ayumu-shifu!" Takehiko sniffled as he threw himself at his sempai, trying to give him a bearhug along the waist. "Thank you! Thank you very much!" He continued to sniffle, hugging what was either Ayumu or the tree behind him tighter with every passing second, tears running down his cheeks.

[I will do a bit better next time I promise! Oh while I still remember - How old is Kaoru actually?]

 

[Kaoru]

Li kun put on a smile that mad Kaoru giggle. He looked like a dork to the shy girl, but you could say she thought it was cute. "Your Welcome" she said with a smile her confidence growing in her voice.

" I - I would be delighted, Ayumu sempai" Kaoru gave a small bow. "B - But you don't have to treat, there must be something to do to help pay." Kaoru never felt comfortable having to rely on others, she always preferred to help out in any way she can. The words barely got out of the fifteen year old's mouth when Li kun blurted out his thanks for the meal. Another giggle came from Kaoru. Her fellow trainee was practically in hysterics as he threw himself on the older trainee. They started to receive some strange looks from passerbys.

"Looks like everyone agrees" she faced Ayumu sempai "Where would you like to go, Ayumu sempai?" Kaoru finished her crepe and threw the wrapper away in a nearby trashcan. She giggle at the sight of the two boys as she awaited her sempai's answer.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

While Kaoru appeared to be listening fairy well, Takehiko seemed less than interested in the conversation, not that Ayumu minded. He could go on talking all by himself without interaction if he needed to. His offer of food, on the other hand, prompted a much more enthusiastic response from the man. Kaoru was meek and polite as always, giving a small bow, though she declined to have him pay. He smiled and shrugged. "Up to you, just thought I'd treat you guys as a welcome," he said. He just barely finished that sentence when Takehiko erupted with excitement, exclaiming his approval of the idea and changing Ayumu's suffix to something new. Ayumu still didn't know what it was, but Li seemed appreciative so he guessed it was a good suffix.

The reaction he got from Takehiko was a bit much, however. As Ayumu himself stood, Takehiko shot up to his feet and practically tackled Ayumu in to a tree, trapping him against it. He even seemed to have tears in his eyes. 'How long has it been since this poor guy has had a good meal?' Ayumu found himself wondering. "Hey, hey... you're welcome, but c'mon people are staring!" Ayumu said, trying to gently pry Takehiko away from himself. It was admittedly a little embarrassing to be embraced by a tearful man in broad daylight in a very public place. Kaoru observed that everyone appeared to be in agreement and asked Ayumu where he wished to go. Ayumu grinned, having just the place in mind.

"I know exactly where we can go, I'll show you guys a good place for the future," he said, thinking of the small restaurant nearby that he had been shown just recently himself. Hopefully the prospect of leaving for lunch would help Takehiko detach himself from Ayumu's waist. "Follow me," he said, waving his hand over his shoulder for them to follow. The restaurant was close, it wouldn't be a long walk. "It's just around the corner here, actually, this was where I was originally headed before a smell distracted me," he explained, making his way past a few buildings and rounding a corner while dodging the crowd.

Within a couple of moments they had reached a two story building that had a sea green coat of dated paint on it with windows on the first floor revealing the spacious interior. Inside there were several booths around the edges and tables which filled in the center with enough room for waiters to pass through. In the back was a long bar counter lined with stools and a door behind it leading to the kitchen. There were windows on the second floor as well but curtains concealed the inside. A weathered wooden painted sign above the door read "Aiya Diner" in white characters. Ayumu walked up to the door and opened it, holding it for Kaoru and Takehiko after passing through himself.

"Here we are," he said, walking up to the bar where a woman with waist length brown hair tied in to a pony tail was pouring some drinks. She looked up as the trio approached, recognizing Ayumu. "Ohh, you're that Ayumu kid. Good to see you here again," she said. Ayumu was impressed that she could remember his name, he was fairly certain he'd only been introduced briefly. "S'pose you wanna use the upstairs?" she added, which Ayumu was waiting for. "Yup, could you get us some menus?" he asked before she nodded and went to the other side of the bar to collect them. She didn't need to ask if the other two were alright, Ayumu wouldn't have asked otherwise.

"Hope this place is alright. I promise it's good," he said to the other two as he spun around to lean back on the bar while waiting for the woman. "That's Aiya-san, the owner," he said, angling a thumb in her direction. Above the bar was a large chalkboard with most of the menu written out as well as some specials. He had asked for menus as they wouldn't be remaining within sight of the menu for much longer, but they could take a look at it in advance if they wanted.

[OoC: It's a Chinese restaurant, basically, though I don't think the term "Chinese" would exist in Ninpocho, haha.]

 

[Uka]

[I'm really sorry for not being able to post, but I seriously underestimated how much work I have at this point with finals starting in a few days. For now please skip me and just have me as sitting there wolfing some food down. Again sorry.]

 

[Kaoru]

Ayumu sempai managed to peel the sobbing Li kun off of him and direct the two to a small shop not too far from the busy street. "Aiya Diner" Kaoru read the sign as they walked into the restaurant. A woman with a long ponytail greeted them. She seemed to know Ayumu sempai.

Ayumu sempai asked for some menus and he leaned against the bar as they waited. "I - I'm sure that the food is wonderful here, Ayumu sempai." Kaoru said as she smelled the decadent scents coming from the kitchen. "It smells delicious in here."

He then explained that the woman who had greeted them was the owner. "She sure has done well. She seems so young yet she was able to open her very own restaurant." Aiya san seemed to only be in her twenties or maybe early thirties to Kaoru. Kaoru glanced up to the chalkboard hanging on the wall. It appeared to be a menu. The shy girl scanned the board, many of the foods seemed foreign.

[OOC: Sorry the post isn't very good. Finals are sucking up my time -_-]

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

The other two followed along quietly, perhaps a little shy despite agreeing to have lunch with new acquaintances. Kaoru, at least, seemed pleased with the aroma of the restaurant. Ayumu was inclined to agree. "I think you can often tell how good a restaurant is by the scent drifting in to the street," he said, having started picking up on the smell before they had even entered. That was also how he had ended up at the Teriyaki street stand a few minutes ago. Kaoru also commented that the owner had done well for herself with this restaurant. He nodded, taking a look around at the crowd. "Yeah, it's always been busy when I've come here. She does a good business here," he said, crossing his arms as he stopped leaning against the bar. "I'm not sure how old she is, but you know, you're not supposed to ask a woman their age," he added before he was promptly whacked on the head from behind with a stack of three menus.

"And you'd do well to remember that, kid," Aiya said, stepping out from behind the bar to lead them. "Come on then," she said, taking the lead followed by Ayumu who was rubbing his head in minor pain. She led the trio to an open doorway which led to a stairwell. They climbed up the single flight of stairs to the second floor, the stairs leading directly to a door which was closed. She opened it and entered leading them to a single room, the back wall lined with windows that lit the room and a ceiling fan overhead. There were only three tables in the room, all unoccupied with four chairs each. She led them to one, waiting for them to seat themselves before passing out menus one by one. "I'll be back in a few minutes for your orders," she said, smiling and turning to go back downstairs.

Ayumu turned to the others and opened his menu to refresh his memory. "You're probably wondering what's with this room. Aiya actually used to work for our... organization. Unfortunately an injury forced her to retire, so she opened up this diner. Good thing is, since she was one of us, she gives a discount and lets us use this room for privacy. She's trusted so we can talk about whatever we want here," he explained as he began scanning the drink menu. There were some alcoholic options that caught his eye, but it was lunch time and he didn't want to make a bad impression. He figured he'd just stick with a nice cold tea. He moved on to the food items and continue talking. "Admittedly, that's why I also didn't mind paying. The prices are more than fair with that discount," he said with a small laugh. He continued looking over the menu for something that sounded good that he hadn't tried yet.

 

[Uka]

[Sorry about that I'll post within the next one or two days. Just finishing some stuff regarding my graduation]

 

[Uka]

Takehiko finally released Ayumu from the bear hug he had given him with a slight regret and he didn't even know why! Having no real food of halfway-decent quantities was something quite hazardous to ones health really. The young anbu sat back down on the bench and took a small pure white handkerchief, wiping whatever fake tears were left. It really was kind of his new acquaintance to offer him food and it was something he wouldn't forget anytime soon. Even if he was a thief he wasn't one to leave favors such as that unnoticed.

"That does smell quite good!" Takehiko exclaimed as his steps grew lighter than they were before, as if he was now floating rather than walking. It was a rather rare thing, but once you were as starving as can be food does end up making miracles happen. Even as they entered the floating dolt was still in an exalted state, his eyes running wildly over any and all tables, stopping to observe each plate for a few seconds before moving on. It was just simple information gathering for him, but to anyone actually looking at him it would seem like a wolf had slipped into the sheep pen. Not exactly a pretty sight at all.

Li bowed his head slightly as he was handed his own menu and soon he disappeared in the lines of text and descriptions. There was more than enough choice, but that didn't matter to him, after all he had already surveyed the other tables before they went into the back room. " Could I have some sweet and sour chicken as well as some vegetable fried rice, please?" Takehiko asked Aiya with a smile as he handed back the menu. "Again thank you for this Ayumu-shifu. I will return the favor when I can."

[I'll work on the next one more sorry bout that. Life is just kicking my ass real hard right now]
[MFT]
[How the hell did I misspell that...]

 

[Kaoru]

Kaoru listened with great interest as Ayumu sempai explained the past of the diner owner, Aiya san. All of a sudden the woman came from behind him and whacked him in the head with some menus. The shy teen couldn't help but as her sempai rubbed his head. The woman then led them to an upstairs room where four seats remained empty. Kaoru looked around the strange room.

Why is this room here? she thought as she took her seat. Kaoru almost jumped in her seat as Ayumu sempai answered her mental question. Kaoru then looked over to Li kun, he seemed to be in almost a trance as he walked through the restaurant into the room.

Aiya san proceeded to hand out the menus. Kaoru scanned the menu. All of the food on the menu were foreign to her. Li kun had already decided on what he wanted to eat, much to the surprise of Kaoru, and Ayumu sempai was carefully reading the paper. Kaoru looked over the edge of her menu over to Ayumu sempai. "Hey Ayumu sempai, what do you suggest?" Kaoru asked with a small smile of embarrassment. She quickly hid back behind the menu because she thought she looked stupid being the only one who didn't know what to order.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Ayumu himself was not very familiar with the menu. He was surprised to see Takehiko decide so quickly, being the first to finish and wait for Aiya to return. Ayumu chewed on his lip a little in thought, trying to figure out which of the menu items would be good. He hadn't fully decided for himself when Kaoru inquired about what he would suggest. He looked up to see her peeking over the top of her menu before quickly dipping back under to hide. He couldn't help but chuckle, her shyness was amusing and not typical for ANBU as far as he knew. It was irrelevant, of course, that didn't stop one from being a skilled shinobi. The only slight worry he had was whether she would be able to work well with a team, but that wasn't his concern to have. At least it wasn't at the time they were all sitting there. Within a week or two, his position would be slightly different, not that he had any inkling of that possibility at that moment.

"Hmmm, well, I must admit I'm not terribly familiar with the menu myself. The sempai who brought me here ordered the barbecue ribs... it's not all foreign, you see. Last time, I tried their chicken fried rice- that was salivation-worthy. They've also got ramen, and how can you go wrong with ramen?" he replied, making a few suggestions from what he was looking at himself. He was a bit afraid to try the food he hadn't heard of before, but at the same time he was intrigued. He considered a few other things before Aiya returned, but decided ultimately on an interesting menu item from the meats. It was at that time that Aiya returned from downstairs to take their orders, if they were ready. Takehiko certainly was, quickly placing his order and returning the menu. Aiya nodded and took it, not bothering to write anything down. She was good at memorization, one of the skills she had picked up in her time as an ANBU. Takehiko thanked Ayumu once again and Ayumu shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, just welcoming you guys to the organization," he said with a smile before turning to Aiya who was awaiting his order. "I'd like to try the pepper steak and some of your raspberry lemon tea, Aiya-san," he ordered, looking for a pen and pad but finding none. He would wait to be impressed once she returned with their orders- their correct orders. His order was in, now it all came down to Kaoru. Everything was up to her now, everybody had turned to face her. They were all staring, waiting, expecting, and judging. The pressure was on. What would she choose? Actually, Ayumu was just flipping through the menu still and Aiya was simply smiling kindly while waiting for her order.

 

[Uka]

"That is true. Ramen is always good, but doesn't that just mean it's better to order something different, which you can't find somewhere else?" Takehiko asked with a smile as he leaned back in his chair. He sort of wished he hadn't handed his menu back, because he still wanted to check some things in it, but it was a little bit too late for that now. He'd just have to come back another time and possibly look through it then. Then again the chance of him actually coming back was quite low, taking his financial situation into account. After all he barely had any money whatsoever at any point in time and in all honesty it didn't seem like those days were coming to a close anytime soon. No matter. Hopefully he'd manage to get someone else to treat him at some point in the future!

He patiently waited for the other two to make an order, but by the looks their female companion was having quite a bit of trouble really. Was she really that shy or just plain indecisive? He couldn't quite figure it out. One thing was for sure though- he hoped he'd run into her at some point when he wasn't forced to act like Li. That would make for a rather interesting situation that was for certain. Takehiko just barely kept his composure and didn't let his innermost smile corrupt his current one. It would be rather bad to let his act up now that was for sure. 'Whoopsie I forgot to....' He just barely withheld a sigh as he stood up from his chair and slowly took his green coat off. Soon enough it was on the back of his chair and he sat back down, pulling his chair forwards, closer to the table.

"Why not just choose something you haven't even heard of before? That doesn't tend to backfire that much and you might find something you really like!" He said happily as he rolled his tattered sleeves up, revealing a large multitude of scratches and cuts on his left left arm, though that was nothing compared to his right, which was still quite far off for fully healing after that little encounter with the thunderstorm. Sure it was much better now and the pain was pretty much non-existent, but the rather disturbing appearance was still like that and by the looks the young man hadn't really realized that quite yet. It took him a fair few seconds to notice and quite possibly a few looks form his new companions, but he quickly rolled that sleeve back down, leaving his left one rolled up. All that really meant was that he had to eat using his non-dominant hand though that wasn't really an issue, but more of an annoyance.

"Sorry about that. I hope I didn't accidentally put you off your meal. Haha" He placed his right hand behind his head and bowed ever so slightly in apology before quickly adding. "I had a bit of an accident with that storm a few days ago, but I wouldn't want to bother you of those pointless details. So how has your day been?" Takehiko smiled and put his hands back down on the table as he waited for his meal to arrive. Pointless talk wasn't really one of his strong points, but it was better than sitting there doing nothing...

[MFT]
[WC:]

 

[Kaoru]

Her two companions gave their opinions on what to order. The young girl nodded in agreement as she continued to scan the menu. One item in particular caught her eye, Chicken Curry Pot stickers. Kaoru was actually very fond of Curry, but she had never heard of "Pot sticker". Taking Li kun's advice she made her order. "I - I would like the Chicken Curry Pots tickers" Kaoru said to Aiya san in her usual mousy voice.

The order had barely left her lips when Kaoru noticed a horrible wound on Li kun's right arm. A surprised gasp escaped her without her knowledge, as her hand instinctively went to her mouth. Kaoru had seen similar wounds during her childhood in an apothecary, but she never knew the victims personally. Now that she saw such a wound on one of her companions it hit the teen hard. He immediately apologized, rolling down his sleeve and attempted to make chit chat.

Kaoru composed herself and straightened out her skirt. "My day's been interesting that's for sure" she answered as she remembered how the trio met earlier that day. Kaoru couldn't help but chuckle at the image of Li kun being on top of Ayumu sempai when he offered to buy them lunch.

 

[Kogami Ayumu]

Li made his own suggestions for Kaoru's ordering and with his encouragement she chose something new and adventurous to try out. Aiya stored all of their orders in her mental vault and nodded with a smile. "Coming right up!" she said cheerfully before turning to leave the room, closing the door behind her and heading back downstairs. With that, the three of them were alone again. Ayumu watched the door for a few moments as he thought about Aiya. Her injury had forced her to retire from the shinobi world exactly as Ayumu's father had been made to. His father had simply retired, but Aiya had chosen to take a new path and create something great like this diner. He wondered if he should suggest to his father that he open a restaurant. Unfortunately, his thoughts of bringing his father out of retirement were interrupted by a sudden gasp from Kaoru.

"What is it?" Ayumu asked quickly, catching her eyes and then following their gaze to notice Li's tattered arms, obviously injured in some sort of accident quite recently. Li obviously heard Kaoru's gasp of surprise and noticed the two of them staring because he quickly rolled up the sleeve on his particularly bad arm. He apologized, hoping he hadn't killed their appetites, to which Ayumu responded by shaking his head. "Nope, not much could put me off my meal, trust me," he said, sitting back in his chair and taking his eyes away from the arm. It was bad, but Ayumu had seen and inflicted much worse. Li was quick to dismiss the topic and try to start up some idle chat, but Ayumu was curious now.

"My day's been uneventful," he said briefly, not having anything interesting to say about his day thus far. "So tell me about this accident of yours! I'm always up for a good story and you know how they say every scar is a story," he said, prodding Li to fill them in on the details. He suspected the injury happened during a mission, but it was possible it hadn't. He was also curious why he hadn't yet gone to the hospital to get it healed up. "And I'm not a Med-nin, but you might wanna get that checked out after we're done here at least," he added, though it didn't really need to be said.