A Night On the Town [Open]

[Tatsuo]

From head to toe, every one of his muscles ached. The training he did with Kaji truly was helpful but the costs were apparent. Every step he felt a numbing pain shoot through his body. He wondered if his Sensei was suffering the same fate as him, he thought not as Kaji seemed to be in tip top shape and while Tatsuo himself wasn’t out of shape, Kaji was on another level. Despite all the soreness Tatsuo still had a goofy smile on his face. The training was actually fun and ever since they got to Cloud, Kaji himself seemed less stressed and more relaxed. This directly fed into Tatsuo’s mood as well. As the sun began to go down, Kaji gave the order to call it a day. Tatsuo was relieved when he did, because he couldn’t feel his legs at that point.

As they were walking back to their hotel to call it for a night, Tatsuo was looking around at the plethora of shops in the Cloud Village. Tatsuo hadn’t spent much time exploring, as he was kept very busy with either missions or training, probably to keep him out of trouble but one thing caught his mind. A Pachinko shop, it was also a restaurant and seemed to be a bit more child friendly, considering the few adults with their children. On the sign the legal age said, “Fourteen and up.” to enter the gambling portion of the building. While Tatsuo was only twelve, he was a shinobi and he was equipped head to toe in his gear as well. Wearing a dark black shirt with dark matching pants and his headband proudly displayed he looked older than he really was. He could probably pass for fifteen. Getting himself in, wasn’t the problem though.

He knew Kaji wasn’t a stranger to games of chance, but would allow Tatsuo to blatantly break some rules and enjoy himself some fun. He had heard of the Pachinko games and his father was quite the regular at ones near his house but he had never gotten the chance to play it himself, and he couldn’t go to any of the ones back home, his parents were regulars and known pretty well in all of them. So this might be his only chance, if he wasn’t looking to get shamed for it. Turning to Kaji he stopped dead in his tracks and looked to his sensei. He thought, just maybe, this would work considering the good mood he seemed to be. Something about the Cloud Village seemed to put him on Cloud Nine, all puns intended.

“Hey-- uhh.” stopping dead in his tracks, right in front of the Pachinko shop. “Could we go in there? I- uh play it all the time at home, I kinda miss playing it. Might make me a bit less homesick.” Yeah, guilt should work. Even if Kaji was having the time of his life he was bound to notice Tatsuo’s longing for his home. Waiting for Kaji’s response, stepping out of the way from the drunkards and pedestrians he awaited his sensei’s response with a hopeful heart.

 

[Okada Kaji]

There was never a shortage of adventure to be found in the Hidden Cloud. If one thing was for certain, it was the fact that most Leaf Shinobi had a better nose for finding trouble than bloodhounds hunting a fox in an open field. This evening, in particular, Kaji and Tatsuo were traversing the streets of the Seki District, which was a residential zone more accustomed to the village’s upper crust. The duo was on their way back to the hotel where they hung their hats for the duration of their stay in Kumogakure. Earlier in the day, Kaji had taken Tatsuo to the ancient forest for a training session to strengthen the pupil’s knowledge and potency with wood-element Jutsu, and Kaji wisely called it a day once the sun began to droop into the horizon. There was a range of vivid colors painted across the sky as shades of gold beamed about the upscale part of town.

In truth, Kaji was hoping to return to the hotel for a meal and hot bath before sneaking out for the night, but Tatsuo was still brimming with energy and seeking one more undertaking for the evening. In fact, an abnormal gambling den was lit up in decorative lighting like something you’d expect to find in Crater City. An array of neon tubing illuminated the den in a rainbow of color so bright that it endangered commuters with sensitive vision and epilepsy. Kaji followed behind Tatsuo with a squint to his eyes, but a recent upswing in his attitude from day to day allowed him to face the boy’s interest without his typical scowl. “Yeah fine,” he conceded, “I’m not in the mood to play but I’ll see what’s on the menu tonight.” When Kaji took a look around the entrance of this Pachinko Palace, he found nothing but degenerates who ventured to this part of the village just to waste their hard-earned yen. Many were drunk and sad. “I have a bad feeling about this place… you can play a couple games I guess, but I can’t afford to linger all night. I have plans later.”

 

[Tatsuo]

Kaji's approval had Tatsuo beaming, "Thanks Sensei! You're the best! And ya you know in the Leaf the places like this always had the best and greasiest food in town, I hope it's just like that." He said while rubbing his belly obnoxiously and letting out a loud 'Mmmm...'. Without missing a beat, Tatsuo had made his way to the security guard at the front. The security guard, was well, huge. He was at least a head taller than Kaji and as wide as Tatsuo was tall. The man was more akin to a bear than he was a man, but it made sense for a place like this, they probably got lots of unruly customers. Normally while they checked for IDs, they tended to let shinobi pass without checking since they usually lacked citizen IDs and the fact they were from a foreign country made it even more likely to be ignored. The man was wearing all black, from his shoes to the dark tented sunglasses despite their being no sun. When Tatsuo went to enter he, took a marker and put a mark on both of his hands. When Kaji were to pass, he would also say "Give me your hands, gotta mark you." The man didn't bother to ask for either of their IDs but for some reason he wished to mark both Tatsuo and Kaji. A few of the civilians, all who had a few drinks too many began to hoot and hollar as the guard demanded to mark Kaji. It's not like he could pass for underage, but for some reason this man didn't care. He held his hand out expectantly, waiting for Kaji to offer his hand.

 

[Okada Kaji]

It wasn’t exactly unheard of for shinobi to be set apart from the usual patrons in places such as the dingy Pachinko Parlor. It was a common practice for security to identify shinobi back in entering the gambling dens of the Land of Fire. The security staff was almost always big, brutish men with nothing but a little combat training, yet they were all chosen for their astute attention to detail. The one guarding the door didn’t stand out as a special exemption to the norm, but he took a moment to glare at Kaji behind his smokey sunglasses. Kaji was sure that he triggered the guard’s intrigue in some fashion; possibly because Kaji did not resemble the parlor’s usual clientele, or because of the dangerous sword attached to his waist.

“Are you blind, or do you just like what you see?” Kaji chided the doorman with some sarcasm as he began to unclasp his gloves. The doorman was used to Kaji’s kind of spirit though, and his hardened glare was not deterred. However, Kaji’s will to cause a stir in the big man persisted and the shinobi took note of a distinguishing feature in his bald friend; “Has anyone ever told you that your head is shaped like a big toe?” The doorman seemed pestered by Kaji’s humor, and his grimacing only worsened. Kaji then peeled away the leather gloves until they hung in his hands, and stowed them away for the time being. A humored smirk cross from cheek to cheek to cheek as he held out his left hand allowing the stamping procedure to occur.

 

[Tatsuo]

The security at the front door didn't seem to care for Kaji's remarks, it was likely he had heard stuff like that all night. Stamping Kaji's hand he would usher them in.

They were met with a young lady a little taller than Tatsuo, however she was obviously not his age. Wearing a simple white blouse and black she would lead the two to a small counter with a few slot machines on it. On the way she explained that you'd put in your order and they'd bring you your food while you played. Tatsuo nodded along, pulling out his now stuffed wallet from all of the missions he had been doing. "Well I got plenty of money to play with!" he exclaimed, earning him a scowl from most of his fellow patrons. The lady obviously smiled and nodded. "Great, I hope you get lucky!" Tatsuo began to take his money out as she continued to explain how it worked. He continued to scrounge up what was in his wallet, before getting ready to hand it to the lady. "Here ya' go!" he would say.

 

[Okada Kaji]

And so the meat-headed bodyguard put the stamp on Kaji and stepped aside, removing his blocky physique out of the entrance. Kaji wanted a little less of the place with every passing moment, but his willingness to provide his pupil some affinity of joy made it all worthwhile. In the passing days Kaji spent a lot of time keeping busy in the hidden cloud, but whenever he was joined by Tatsuo he noticed his spirit gradually declining. This frigid land wasn’t prosperous for the sprout, he required the warm breeze and fertile soil of the Land of Fire to further his growth with cheer.

A hostess came to Kaji and Tatsuo and made a welcome alternative to the man of few words at the door. Her people skills were exceptional as she led the master and apprentice through the chamber of greed. Smoke filled the air from an abundance of nicotine fiends, and an orchestra of chiptune melodies crammed into their ears. Kaji didn’t let his student slip from his attention, yet his olive pupils were scanning left, right, and center, trying to find a bar to serve as his saving grace. Luckily, the hostess expressed that she’d do all the acquisitions for him.

Tatsuo was as eager to lose his money as grandma in a bingo hall and made an exchange of yen for playing coins, on the spot. Kaji eyed the transaction curiously, aiming to lend his vigilance to keep the boy from being potentially swindled by more clever adults. “I never took you for a gambler,” Kaji admitted to Tatsuo as he took a seat at one machine with his back turned to it. “What kind of hobby is that for a kid?” There was a tone of humor in his voice as he said his playful jab. “Look at you, you’re like a little grandpa. I should start calling you Oji-Tats.”

 

[Tatsuo]

The lady grinned taking Tatsuo's money as if she was stealing candy from a baby. However Tatsuo couldn't tell, he grinned scrambling to look at the menu she had handed them before Kaji offered his remarks. Looking over to his sensei, he furrowed his brows. "What do you mean, I play at arcades all the time back in the Leaf. Maybe I can win a big prize! I haven't seen a prize station though yet. And lots of kids play games!" he said furrowing his brows. "These games look a bit different though." he said as looked for anything that would mimic a normal game. "How do you play?" the young boy said looking up to his sensei for even continued guidance.

Tatsuo looked around for anything that would make the game seem more interesting. After failing to find anything, he looked to Kaji. "Does it just play itself?" he said going to look around at the other patrons and how they were playing. He noticed they were just putting in small metal balls in and watching them drop. He furrowed his brows before looking again to Kaji. "These are nothing like the games back in the Leaf!"

 

[Okada Kaji]

The mystery of Tatsuo’s interest in playing at this slummy gambling den fell into place as a matter of misunderstanding. Kaji sighed, mostly with relief as he realized that his pupil wasn’t an avid gambler. “Nah, you don’t play these kinds of games,” Kaji answered the boy’s confusion, “these games play you, apparently.” And that they did, as the room was chock full of saps sitting at stations much like theirs. Some glanced back enviously as Kaji scanned the room, while others were too busy in the middle of their next big jackpot, which never, ever came.

“These definitely aren’t the kind of games you were expecting” Kaji explained. In fact, Kaji doubted that an arcade even existed within the hidden cloud. In the village that had everything, there were still things that were out of reach for the poor boy, and Tatsuo was left to double down on his homesickness. “Sorry kid, this is a gambling den.” And then that crafty hostess returned with everything the two shinobi had desired: a roll of game coins for Tatsuo, and a tall flagon of ale for his sensei.

 

[Tatsuo]

As Kaji tentatively explained that this was indeed a gambling den and not an arcade in which Tatsuo was expecting, Tatsuo was hit with a returning wave of homesickness. For a brief stint he had thought this would be like home, he'd play some ski-ball or shuriken jump and maybe even beat Kaji in his favorite game. Tatsuo could feel the lump in his throat and the pit in his stomach. The disappointment struck his face for just an instant, he let out a long drawn sigh. However he had made a pact with himself and he wasn't going to break it here. Looking back to Kaji with his normal wide grin, "Well! That's okay. I'm sure these games are fun too?" he said trying to stuff away the regret he had of coming here. "I mean i'm pretty good at those games at home, I should be good at these too, right?"

When the lady finally arrived he happily thanked her for his tokens before plopping one into the machine. He looked back to Kaji and said "Wish me luck!" The young man pulled the lever and crossed his fingers. The first stop was Shuriken, Slug, Snake top to bottom. Tatsuo squinted his eyes keeping close attention despite not knowing the payouts of anything. However the boy seemed to be distracted enough by the gaming to forget his earlier disappointment even if for just a moment. The second stop happened short after, Frog, Paper Bomb, Snake from top to bottom. "Look!! Look! I got a double snake!! That's good right?" he said looking to his sensei, nearly falling out of his seat in in excitement. "C'mon! C'mon! One more snake!"

The final stop seemed to go slower than the last two, if only to mock the impatient boy. From top to bottom, the rolls were as following, Slug, Shuriken, and then a gold bar. Tatsuo frowned as he noticed the last wasn't a snake, but it'd seem lady luck was still on his side. Soon tokens began to shoot out of the machine. Tatsuo's payout was 2.5x of what he had put in. He turned to Kaji with another toothy grin, "Seems I did pretty good!" he said as he scooped up his easy earned winnings. "Why'd I get paid though? I didn't get a snake."

Slot Machine Rolls:
Sh Fg Sg
Sg Pb Sh
Sk Sk Gb

Payout: 2.5x

[Alright so this is how the game of Shinobi Slots works:

Rolling on a 1d8 three times per each stop. The rolls are done top from bottom. Rolling table is as follows:

1 = Shuriken [2x] [Sh]
2 = Kunai [3x] [Kn]
3 = Cloud Symbol [10x] [Cl]
4 = Snake [5x] [Sk]
5 = Paper Bomb [6x] [Pb]
6 = Slug [5x] [Sg]
7 = Gold [100x] [Gb] [Counts as a 1/2 modifier if in a row with something else, ie 2 shrukien + 1 gold = 1x pay out. two snakes +1 gold = 2.5x pay out]
8 = Frog [5x] [Fg]

 

[Okada Kaji]

Kaji was simply enjoying the sour mash of beer that was apparently the house special. He did not need much more to enjoy himself and spent his time savoring the flavors of the brew like a critic in a fine tavern. Tatsuo upheld his positivity to the best of his ability and persisted in trying to enjoy the clamoring slot machine. “Hey, live it up little buddy,” Kaji said, absently encouraging the boy as his attention began to wander for a moment, backward into the past. The sensei was being reflective of their recent adventures, and all the amazing tales they were amassing while in this foreign land. He observed Tatsuo from the corner of his eye, considering how it was the boy’s first time abroad, a stark contrast to Kaji’s own adventures, which already crossed much of the known shinobi world. He admired how boldly his pupil had crossed the starting line of his own journey.

Tatsuo was beginning to indulge in his game, but Kaji, in his reflective state, thought to ask a simple yet probing question, “so, how have you been keeping since we have come to the hidden cloud, Tatsuo?” He then tilted back his flagon a bit more and elaborated on the question before the boy started complaining about homesickness. “Have you been up to any interesting adventures while my back has been turned?” It wasn’t unlike Kaji to seem to be in the know to Tatsuo, even when he wasn’t, but this time there was a look of insight in Kaji’s eye as if he knew something Tatsuo had done. Perhaps it was his run in with a cloud Anbu candidate or his conundrum of a mission he had gone on recently. There was just no telling what kind of rumors and reports had made it back to him.

Suddenly, envious eyes cut over to the duo as Tatsuo struck gold, and two snakes lined up on the screen of his game. The machine began spewing a healthy helping of gold coins; the gambling den’s own currency. “Not bad” Kaji celebrated with the boy, attempting to show what enthusiasm he could muster. “Snakes… Why would you ever want a snake when you could just learn the lizard pact through me? Pfft.” He paused for another sip and laughed at his own awful humor; “Day one, Teichou would make you floss his teeth for him.”

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo had been pretty excited about his win and the grin on his face showed it. Kaji being in such a good mood continued to feed into his good vibes, he felt pretty happy even if it was for a short bit. "I will!" he replied quickly as he continued to scoop in his coins into the small cup they had given him for his winnings. "I think i'm pretty good at this game. I'm pretty good at some of the games back home too." he interjected quickly. As Tatsuo finished gathering all of his coins, Kaji asked him of his adventures in the Leaf. Tatsuo placed a hand on his chin and began to think, he had done a few things but nothing very notable. A mission here and there to keep him busy, Kaji knew of the latest mission he partook in so he probably didn't need an explanation regarding that again. He furrowed his brows in thought before answering quickly and probably too loud for his own sake.

"Oh yeah! I forgot I got into a fig-- er-- I got into a--" Tatsuo continued to stumble on his words not wanting to admit to getting into fights which was one of the requirements straight from Umashi. "Uh I fought off the uh-- temptation to eat from this uhm.. cake shop right near our hotel. They look pretty good but my mom told me not to eat too many sweets while I was out here." he said as he put into another coin and pulling the lever once again, Tatsuo's lie wasn't good but perhaps it would through Kaji off his accidental admission of guilt.

Pb Sk Fg
Cl Fg Sg
Sh Sh Kn

Unfortunately for the boy he wasn't as lucky this time, but he looked back to Kaji and knew that he had already said too much. Better to come out clean the boy thought. Taking in a deep breath and lowering his voice, looking away from Kaji as if able not to face him. "I got into a fight with this Anbu girl. She attacked me first and insulted the Leaf, she called me a damn foreigner and all that stuff too, I swear, but I won so it's okay, right?" Tatsuo rubbed his nose in which he had gotten hit pretty hard in, however he didn't go to the doctor or anything for it as he didn't want anyone to figure out he had been fighting. "I'm sorry, please forgive me." the boy pleaded with his sensei. Tatsuo had actually enjoyed his first fight, despite being nervous in it he was happy to be protect his home's honor even if it was some small brawl between children.

 

[Okada Kaji]

One of Kaji’s eyebrows lifted with confusion as Tatsuo began explaining some mundane detail about cake— a detail that almost distracted him with thoughts of cake flung across the floor of his suite— and a run of the mill bakery nearby. It wasn’t the sort of tale of adventure Kaji was expecting to hear from the boy; Kaji was almost disappointed until he gained some suspicion of the truth to come. “Come on kid, spill the beans,” Kaji thought, so loudly within his internal monolog that he almost blurted it at Tatsuo. And then, there it was: Tatsuo casually admitted the truth and confessed that he had experienced a scuffle in the previous days.

“Oh, a fight you say,” Kaji’s initial reaction was probably a lot less judgemental than Tatsuo would have expected, in fact, the fingers caressing his chin indicated a look of curiosity. Given Tatsuo was present for his own contest, Kaji wasn’t in much of a position to judge the boy for breaking the Hokage’s golden rule. Regardless of the fight’s outcome, Tatsuo could have been worse for wear, indicating that his fight probably wasn’t as intense as Kaji’s battle with Kaen. “Well, at least you didn’t lay down for someone insulting our village; though I doubt your new friend likes The Leaf and more for it…” He couldn’t help but feel a little pride in his pupil for surviving a scrap, even if it was something he thought to be so trivial. “While you might be able to handle those kinds of matters without coming to blows in the future— the least I expect from you is to rep the set.” In usual Kaji fashion, another good quip called for another swig of beer. “Gotta’ rep the set.”

Kaji’s beer was gone by then, and he flagged down their previous server with a few gold coins and sought another flagon. All the meanwhile, Tatsuo took another pull of his lever at the slot machine. Once Kaji was done watching the curvy server sashay away, he revisited their light conversation. Tatsuo was being apologetic for his fight, but Kaji didn’t really care; though it was good that the boy felt remorse. Kaji did have one question that interested him though, “Don’t worry about it… you need some way to burn off all that excess energy, though I’m sure you’ll find more productive ways to deal with mouthy women in the future.” His grin widened enough that the silvery mithril capping three of his teeth shined in a rare appearance. “Heh, as for the fight though, did you win?”

 

[Tatsuo]

As he felt Kaji was okay with him fighting, he began more open about the topic. "Ya' sensei, of course I won! She could barely hit me and when she did, it barely did anything." he said smiling. "You remember that armor I used the other day? I used it in the fight. Man half of the time she couldn't even cut through it." the boy said smiling the pride exuding from him obviously. "And yeah if someone ever insulted the Leaf! Man I'd punch them in the nose, ya' know!" he said probably too loud, which earned him a snicker or two from the other patrons in the casino. "But I was only trying to get my bouncy ball." he said patting his pockets before retrieving a large red bouncy ball, "I had dropped it during your fight so after we helped you I went back looking for it. Then she just attacked me, bet she didn't expect the ass kicking i'd give her. It'd seem Leaf ninja are the strongest, both you and I won!"

Tatsuo then furrowed his brows trying to understand what he meant about mouthy women. "What do you mean, sensei? About the woman, that is. How do you deal with annoying women? Lots of girls are annoying, especially my age." he said looking for more of his Sensei's sage advice. "Ya' know how you're not supposed to stare at girl's you know.. chest? Is it okay if you're face first into them, like as long as it's not your fault? I don't want to be seen as a perv or anything, but when I was on the mission with Kikei I was kinda pressed up against her for a while. I'm not a perv right?" he said looking for his sensei to validate his thoughts. "Oh and sensei.. you've been pretty happy lately." he said, grinning. "Not that you're usually not happy, but like, you're more so happy. Usually you look like this." he said dropping his eyes and his face curling into a frown. "But lately you've been like this." he said raising his eyebrows and curling his mouth into a smile with large dimples. "Proud you won your fight that much?"

 

[Okada Kaji]

It seemed as if their session of bro-banter was finally getting to the good stuff, as Tatsuo began asking Kaji about things a bit more complex than their usual lessons. But first, the boy took a moment to revel in his victory against Otome. He deserved to be proud of his accomplishment, although Kaji knew he’d have to work with Tatsuo on finding his modesty in the future. For now, though, Kaji wouldn’t dare trample on Tatsuo’s victory with more stern lecturing— he just sipped his beer and nodded with approval.

“That thorny armor of yours sure is an interesting ability,” Kaji admitted, “I hope it doesn’t effect your mobility that much… then again, I did notice your shield one of my opponent’s sol flares during the match; considering what happened to me, I kinda swore I lost you for a moment there kid. I was about ready to kill that guy over you, Sara, and Hoshi.” The humored zeal vanished from Kaji for a moment as he became totally serious about that last part; Kaen’s recklessness put the lives of everyone in the vicinity at risk that day, nevermind some unmotivated spar. While it didn’t take more than a mention of the other boy’s name to clarify the matter, Kaji did not see The Cloud’s shinobi as any less than his own kinsmen… a life was a life, no matter their race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

But then their conversation shifted to a subject that was a bit more fond to Kaji these days; that of the fairer sex. Tatsuo was just a boy still, just beginning to learn of the complexity of dealing with others, let alone the finesse required for what Kaji was hinting towards. How to deal with women was the subject. “Well, there’s that old saying that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Not just women but anyone really; you’ll have an easier time winning people to your side with gentle persuasion and flattery, than by hostile confrontation.” Kaji then blushed slightly when Tatsuo asked if motor-boating was acceptable, though he surely didn’t use those words exactly. “Even by accident?” Kaji had to repeat the words back, wondering if there was a way to make them sound even guiltier. “Yea, that totally makes you a perv, Echi-Tats.” He then sipped his beer again, allowing his joke to play out. “Eh heh heh... I’m kidding. If it was an honest mistake, worst you’ll get is a punch and a bloody nose— apologies go a long way, too. What’s her name, Kikei you said? 'Maybe you should spawn a bouquet of flowers for her before we send you back to Konoha tomorrow. Tell her you’re sorry...” He produced a rare, shark-like grin as he prodded the bear within Tatsuo. “Maybe you’ll earn your first smooooch.”

And then their small talk shifted a second time, enthralling Tatsuo so much that his gaming came to a stop. He was brimming with the springtime of youth, and acknowledged a recent lift in Kaji’s spirit, even mimicking his sensei’s before and after appearance since a certain someone entered his life. “Ah, ha…” Kaji was suddenly a lot less all-knowing and confident, even dripping a drop of nervous sweat down his temple. “Yeah Tatsuo, you could say I have been experiencing an upswing in luck as of late… It's tough to explain, I just feel like maybe I have been missing something all this time, like a piece of my puzzle that I found when we came up here.”

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo didn't really understand most of what Kaji had to tell him about women, being happy, and all of that. It kind of went over his head, but he was happy for his sensei to be happy. So that's all that mattered. He was also pretty happy to have won his fight and earn some prestige in his ability as a shinobi. Tatsuo wished to become a great shinobi and all great shinobi had some ability in combat perhaps soon he would join their eternal ranks. As they continued to speak a waitress came up to them asking for their order. Tatsuo happily ordered some fried fish. In which the waitress wrote it down, before looking to Kaji awaiting his response.

 

[Okada Kaji]

There was a sense of peace and ease between the sensei and his apprentice then. It is said that real friends are people you can feel comfortable around in silence. Rather than blathering on in an attempt to fuel the conversation, Kaji nursed the beer left in his flagon. He managed to let some air escape his core in a hearty belch, and pounded his stomach lightly with the back of his fist. It seemed as if they had filled the destiny of their evening, and squeezed all the fun they would get out of the gambling den. The overprice yen Kaji paid for his drinks was the limit on what he intended on spending at the money-hungry gambling cesspool, so he’d put down the ale and wait until he made it back to the hotel for the night.

Already sated by his ale, Kaji didn’t feel hunger like Tatsuo and simply idled while the boy ordered a meal. On the verge of boredom from their peaceful silence, Kaji decided to entertain himself. His muted, olive eyes narrowed in a squint as he checked the game room ceiling for cameras and nosey onlookers— he even made sure to conceal his actions from Tatsuo. “Pssst… Time to do your thing little buddy” he whispered as he swiveled away from Tatsuo and reached inside of his flak jacket. His hand came from within, revealing a small and sleek gecko with black and gold scales. “Win big, and it’s all the katsu chicken your heart desires, Denrei,” he said as he placed a hand on the slot machine as if he were about to play.

“You know what Tatsuo” Kaji suddenly broke his supposed silence, addressing the boy with his trademark smirk, “I might as well try a spin while we’re here.” His machine was called Nadeko’s Cherry Blossoms and featured a little anime waifu in the theme. By the time Kaji gained Tatsuo’s attention, Denrei had slipped into the machine. Kaji then pulled the level, and the game began rolling, and rolling, and rolling. Three slots landed on cherry blossoms with random multipliers, resulting in an incredible JACKPOT! Kaji’s incredible grifting partner in crime escaped out of a crevice behind the machine, and scurried under the table and back to Kaji with a cloak of shadows to hide him.

“Whoa-ho-hoooa” Kaji celebrated and cheered as the machine began spewing gold coins like a fountain of wealth. Suddenly the whole room awoke with a mixture of applauding cheers and salty reactions as Kaji got much more than his money’s worth from the machine.

The den’s manager, along with two of his biggest bruisers came to congratulate Kaji and Tatsuo for his big win and adhering to the law— especially when it came to diplomatic visitors, the swindlers became the losers. They converted enough game coins to fill two sacks with gold yen pieces, which subsequently came in a moderately sized wooden coffer. The gambling den’s ire could only stop at forcing Kaji and his apprentice to leave for the night, and the duo was escorted off the premises. With full hands, Kaji walked about a happy man and wobbled as he’d carry the small fortune all the way home. “Aye, tonight was a lot of fun, kid… We should do it again sometime.”

// Kaji just came up big time.
Thread Left //

 

[Tatsuo]

Tatsuo was also enjoying the silence with his sensei, it was true that two friends could enjoy company without a single word and Tatsuo felt comfortable enough around Kaji to not run off his mouth constantly. Which was rare as the boy opted to speak at a mile a minute most of the time. As he continued to eat he noticed how the fried fish wasn't that bad. He wasn't expecting much because of the nature of the place, but it was almost as good as the one he had back in Port Cirrus which was some of the best he had since he had left the village.

As Kaji prepared for his next trick, Tatsuo had no idea he was blissfully munching on fried fish with a side of rice as the lizard was fiddling with the machine unbeknownst to him. He looked over to Kaji as he mentioned he wanted to play. He smiled wide, and some food nearly falling out of his mouth as he leaned back and offered him a token. "Here you go!" he said placing a hand over his mouth to prevent any food from getting spat in Kaji's direction.

Tatsuo eagerly squinted as he watched Kaji hit the jackpot! Letting out a loud "Woohoo!" the boy cheered his sensei on. He was thoroughly impressed but not surprised, he had never thought his sensei could lose anything. Slots included. He was more than happy to pay for his meal with the winnings the two had gathered from Tatsuo's meager winnings and Kaji's impressive ones. As they walked home, Tatsuo seemed to forget all about the homesickness and irritation. He was just happy to be in the company of such good friends. His hands behind his head as he walked back, when Kaji offered doing this again. Tatsuo nodded and replied with an "Of course, any time."