Tea for Two Part 2 (open)

[Ryu Hime]

Within the kitchen was food of plenty with smells and aromas that would make one’s stomach growl in hunger. Kojoro look around as the chefs go about their work as usual preparing all sorts of dishes. While the food seems delicious and tantalizing, kojoro could not help but find the chefs to be quite dangerous. Kojoro watched as a chef tenderizes a piece of pork with a hammer while another was cutting some poultry with a knife. Yes, she would love to steal such food, but would hate to be on the receiving end of those tools. One thing Kojoro saw that catches Hakuren’s attention was a man brewing a tea using the petals of a purple flower. Hakuren knew that flower as nightshade, which would make quite the deadly tea. Considering Kojoro’s focus was more on the meats, it is likely the little priestess would not notice the man making the tea.

Kojoro might be mischievous but she was not suicidal. When she saw the door being opened for someone to exit she quickly followed after him. The little fox would then look around for easier targets. Perhaps the food being served at the tables would prove less of a threat to her life. She would need to avoid those with headband, because they would obviously be a dangerous target to steal from.

 

[Aurora]

So that was what a restaurant's kitchen looked like? Never having been to a restaurant herself, Misaki was amazed at the sheer amount of people moving about to jump in where the chef requested help and pick up tasks as he delegated them. Meat would be tenderised, poultry cut to pieces, vegetables poured into the ready waters and desert being dressed up and ready to be served. Cooking pots filled with broth, potatoes and rice were kept warm on a soft flame, cooking pans with butter and seasoned pieces of meat were sizzling on another fire. Just the scent alone that filled this place would have made everyone's mouth water.

A small corner of the kitchen was reserved for the bar area, where coffee, tea and other hot beverages were prepared. It stood close to the entrance, just barely out of the way of those on kitchen duty. A man was currently brewing a tea with purple flowers. Misaki's knowledge on tea flavours and flowers being on the low end since Sunagakure was not exactly verdant rich had no idea those flowers were nightshades, instead thinking to herself it looked lovely enough that she'd have to remind herself to try it out too. Back in the temple, she was rather used to lotus, jasmine, black and green tea with the other flavours common to other regions being a rare delicacy to try out.

Kojoro decided the area was too dangerous to its liking and thus took the opportunity to escape out of the kitchen as the door opened up, looking for new occasions rising in the indoor area of the restaurant. There were a lot of people, of which some were wearing headbands of a variety of villages. In for a prank, Misaki could see a couple of spots where a little bit of mischief could be done quite easily but being a host she didn't have the opportunity to share it with her animal counter-part. After all, she wouldn't mind giving a couple of those desert a lick just to savour their taste.

 

[Ryu Hime]

“Are you enjoying your time as Kojoro?” Hakuren would ask hoping she did not inadvertently ruin the experience. Most if not all of Misaki’s attention was likely on the fox. A sudden pull to the reality of where she truly is could be jarring. I takes time to properly split ones action among multiple bodies. “She seems a little unsure who to go for. Any suggestion for the little fox? Think a command in your mind and picture her doing it. She will listen to you.” One of the first skills a Yamanaka learns is the ability to communicate with others telepathically by sharing thoughts. Not limited to words, the Yamanaka may communicate through sharing pictures, memories, and even learn to share sensory input between themselves and others. Hakuren uses this ability on a daily basis to mitigate her blindness by linking to her pets and have them stream live sensory input into her. She also gives commands through the same method using moving pictures to convey a command. Hakuren found such communication with her pets far more effective than basic verbal communication.

The man that the fox followed up was the same man the made the toxic tea. Hakuren took note of the tea failed to keep an eye on it. When a waiter came to their table and asked if she needs a refill, she thought nothing of it. Once again her reputation preceded her. Osagi did warn her to not get known for her gift and that there are people out there who would eliminate her, just to ensure her gifts couldn't be used against them. Already one such shinobi shot her off her horse and now they were trying to poison her. She is not sure who put a bounty on her head, but these assassinations would surely get tiresome.

 

[Aurora]

She'd hear a voice in the distance asking her questions, but Misaki's attention was too tightened with the mental bond to really register it. The words were like an echo that would only slip into her mind much later than they were spoken, a couple of full seconds having passed by the time her brain had registered what they meant. Mental communication with the fox in question, suggesting him a course of action? It somewhat felt like having a telepathic conversation with the spirits she could see, yet it was completely different. Spirits mostly communicated through 'messages of intent' rather than telepathy as the mind of a spirit was not quite the same as the mind of a living entity such as people or a fox.

Misaki would try it nonetheless, trying to hint at the one table with a lone guy and three kids that was being distracted the entire time by the children vying for attention or not behaving properly. Four desert, of which one was staying untouched and the three others being turned into a mess by the kids. An ideal moment to have a little taste. However, as she attempted to share her thoughts with Kojoro, the mental line seemed to snap instead and Misaki suddenly found herself sitting back around the table, a waiter delivering the peculiar tea she had seen being brewed in the kitchen.

Unfamiliar with the petals and a little out of it by the difference in perception, Misaki would curiously ask, "Isn't that the tea with the purple flowers?", the question as crazy as that of an onmyouji's sense for future-reading could be.

 

[Ryu Hime]

Misaki would find the connection being disrupted before finally breaking all together. Hakuren had her arms crossed as she was in some deep thought. This little activity was to much to do while she carefully debates her next move. From the expression on Hakuren’s face Misaki should be able to tell the Hakuren was being quite pensive right now. “Nightshade tea huh?”

So the hunt after her life was still on. Hakuren had a feeling this would happen once she saw the man brewing the poisonous tea. However the question is how does she proceed. If they are truly serious about taking her life as it seems, simply not drinking the tea would stop them. Right now she hopes they are unaware that she knows, but that might not be the case anymore after Misaki’s outburst. If she refuses to drink it for to long they might catch on that she knows and attack the shop. There were too many civilians to do battle in this place. So if Hakuren did not drink it would be wise to leave the shop.

However it seems that the bounty hunters has no idea that she is immortal. She could very well drink the tea and be lifeless for the next few hours. This plan would likely give her dinning partner one hell of a fright, but it would pose less risk to the civilians. However she is a little concerned about her body. Last time she was shot in the middle of the night so nobody bothered her body, but here it will be handled and she not sure how.


“I’m afraid I will have to make my leave.” Hakuren then gives up quickly which jostles the table a little and cases the tea to spill. She then runs out of the shop with her pets following quickly behind her.

(Left Topic)

 

[Aurora]

Her mind took its time to come to terms with the 'now' and 'here', stll remotely confused at the difference in perception. Hakuren seemed to be concentrated, or maybe in deep thoughts. Misaki took it as the woman still working her mind on the fox that was at the restaurant but instead, out of the blue, she knocked over the table as she stood up, knocking off the tea cups and deserts that rattled loudly on the floor, and disappeared with a hurry. As if the first sense of confusion didn't suffice for the kitsune, aside from instantly having come to senses, Misaki was now equally confused about the reasons of her sudden department. Though Ziren had paid for the meal and drinks, being left alone with a flipped table and broken tea cups was not quite a comfortable situation to be in. In fact, it was so embarrassing to the kid she felt her cheeks colour a bright red both in embarrassment and annoyance. This was the second time now people rudely left her without a proper explanation or a good bye. Tails swishing in agitation, Misaki was bound to stay a little longer under the roof of the tea house, forced to explain the situation despite nothing being her fault - as far as she knew. After a couple of apologies, she was eventually free to walk away but as she did so, she could feel a pair of eyes burn into her. Its hostile intent, though not necessarily aimed at her, still apparent. Unfortunately, her kitsune eyes could not catch the source of this discomfort. Instead, the kitsune quickly left the vicinity to return to the inn where she was currently staying.

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wc: 284

[EXIT]