[Free-Open] Coffee Shop Banter

[Ginyama Senshiro]

Rain pelted the rooftops of the nearby cluster of establishments as Otome approached a coffee shop just starting business for the day. The young woman pulled back her hood, revealing her lush blonde hair before greeting the barista with a smirk and a wink.

"Give me your strongest cup," she demanded with a sultry tone.

The woman tending the coffee shop chuckled as she finished polishing a mug and started brewing a potent concoction.

"Got a long day ahead of you?" she teased as the two exchanged coin and beverage.

"It's been a long week," Otome replied with a sigh as she reached for the piping hot coffee with her bandaged hand.

"Jesus Saito!" the barista exclaimed as she couldn't help but stare at the bloody wrappings. "How'd you manage that?"

Otome pointed to the excessively long katana at her side.

"Found this during a raid," she succinctly explained before taking a sip. "Damn thing pretty much bit my hand when I held it."

The barista snorted back a laugh, summoning a nasty glare from her customer.

"I'm sorry, but maybe you should use a squirt bottle on it."

[MFT: 189]

 

[Akio]

Akio had started his morning jog long before dawn having only jogged for a short duration before it quickly began to pour down a torrent of liquid on him. The young boy began to rush from place to place only to find them closed, due to the early hours, until he stumbled upon a shop with a strong aroma of roasted beans and baked bread. Unaware of what it was waiting for him inside, he approached the shop much haste. Walking inside the young boy mentioned how heavy the rain was and asked for a glass of water with a chuckle as he overheard the conversation of the katana biting the strange woman he began to laugh out loud.

"See that right there is why I would never trust a sword over a trusty quarter staff any day.” He said aloud as he approached the woman of unknown origin.

[Word Count: 149]

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

Otome shot the newcomer a scolding glare before returning her attention to still steaming cup of coffee in her hands.

"Why does everyone assume that it was the blade that did this?" she asked as she stood up and stepped a few paces away from the counter before pointing at the hilt of the katana. "Maybe I should just show you two what I mean?"

The kunoichi slowly wrapped her bandaged hand around the hilt and gingerly unsheathed the blade as the bloodletting mechanism inside caused the barbed spikes to puncture her hand just as it had done so the first time. She paused for effect, allowing her hand to tremble ever so slightly in front of the two before returning the weapon to its sheathe.

The barista looked stunned and frightened as Otome fished out a roll of bandages from her pockets and began doctoring her hand with a sigh.

"Are you crazy?" the other woman asked. "I wouldn't even keep that thing anywhere near me!"

Otome just chuckled before taking a sip of her coffee.

"I just may be," she joked before turning to the boy. "What would you say?"

[MFT: 192]

 

[Akio]

As Akio looked towards the scene he was flabbergasted by the sudden impalement on the woman’s hand. The boy apologized profusely for his joke earlier as he drew closer to her.

“Sorry I didn’t know that swords could do such things. Do you need any help wrapping your hand up?” He asked her with a small naïve smile upon his face.

“Oh by the way my name is Hiroshi, Akio. I am a fourth year academy student. I hope to pass this year so I can begin my mission of becoming a great shinobi. Because no matter how far it is to the top I believe it is still within my grasp! Helping those is need and smiting those who wish to harm the village will be a breeze once I’m a genin!” He exclaimed excitedly as his tail flickered side to side almost like how a dog’s would when they are happy.

[Word Count: 153]

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

The rain was heavy, clouds dark. Another relentless fall in the mountains of the cloud. Shouyu was used to this by now. He was seen wearing his off white kimono top over some loose fitting pants, topped with a navy blue apron, teamed with two belt pouches at his left hip, and ninjato ninja short sword straddled vertically down his back. Both his hands were bandages up to his elbow from a previous bout with a fellow Shinobi. The Kumo cold shivered his body.

He heard some banter from a near by coffee shop, his head reflexively turned in that direction. Off first appearance, it seemed very lively, he made his way over and sat next to a boy with a tail, who was next to a girl wrapping up her hand. He rose a brow at the both of them, and ordered jasmine green tea with a lemon slice while getting situated. He happened to overhear the young boy and his aspirations.

"Hmm. Haven't seen you two around these parts. Sorry, didn't catch your name there. Hoshi, Shouyu, Cloud Genin. Some day, I aspire to be a ninja who is known, but unknown. Heh, yeah."

Whether or not they caught to what he meant, he would chuckle. He always dreamed of being ANBU and since his days would draw near to that chance, he would keep it very secretive, but continue to look their way if they spoke in response.

 

[Ginyama Senshiro]

Otome simply chuckled and shook her head.

"Regular swords aren't supposed to do that," she succinctly explained. "Makes it a little hard to wield if it's constantly draining your blood through the hilt."

The young woman listened as Akio introduced himself, nodding as she took a prolonged sip of the now lukewarm brew. As Hoshi joined the other two and introduced himself, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in curiosity at his arsenal of equipment. Nonetheless, since she had yet to introduce herself, she set her cup on the counter and bowed ever so slightly towards the two.

"Shinigawa Otome," she cut to the chase before picking her cup back up and taking another swig. "As for my reasons for becoming a shinobi . . . "

Her voice trailed off as the vengeful spirits within her blade began to silently chant their ominous chorus to her:

"Blood. . . . We want blood, Otome. . . . "

Shaking her head and sighing, she set the cup back down and took a deep breath.

"Let's just say there is a price the villains of the world need to pay," she said cryptically. "And they aren't going to pay that price willingly."

 

[Akio]

“Well why does that sword bite its owner?” The young boy asked hoping to receive some kind of answer other than a resounding I don’t know. He then turned to face the person who had just arrived inside the shop and was quite confused by his appearance. Maybe he had something wrong with his genetics that he had no pupils yet he could see them fine by the way he approached them and introduced himself. It wasn’t like they had done much to draw his attention then again being a boy with a monkey’s tail you tend to draw attention all on your own without the help of anything else.

“It’s a pleasure to meet the both of you.” The monkey boy said with a smile as he pulled out his staff and used it as a stick to lean on as he looked at both of them with a grin from ear to ear so happy to have met knew people to talk to.

[Sorry it took so long I was having some trouble getting a good idea of what to write.]

 

[Shouyu Hoshi]

First the lady introduced herself, and quickly gave an answer to a question he didn't ask, but probably would have. She was very decisive with words, cutting straight to the point. Shouyu would nod, he could fully agree with her resolve, he would nod. Then the boy with the monkey tail would voice his pleasure in the greeting. Shouyu smiled, before he could even get the waiters attention he felt a tug. A scurrying messenger turtle finally caught up with the boy he was chasing in the rain, he held a scroll in his reptilian beak.

"Oh, 'cuse me for a moment guys.'

He retrieved the scroll from the beak and slid it open. It was a small scroll containing, 'Meet at the Pagoda, I got some literary you can study.' His eyes lit up with the note, a chance to learn some new jutsu! He clutched the note tightly and tucked into his pocket, fist pumped the messenger turtle, who shortly took off. Shouyu then looked to the two new Shinobi.

"Hey guys, gotta run. I'll be at the Pagoda tonight, maybe, I'll see you guys around tomorrow, hmm, for some more coffee and tea? Well, see ya!"

He took off in a dash kicking up a bit splash from the rainy wet floor. The Pagoda his destination, he ran with a boyish smirk on his face.

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[Ginyama Senshiro]

Otome glanced down at the bloodied hilt before sighing and staring into nearly empty cup.

"I honestly don't know," she said in an absent tone as she dismissed Hoshi with a quick, casual wave of her hand; neither the turtle, nor its apparent speed seemed to phase her as she contemplated the mysterious origins of the blade that she had somehow formed a kind of blood pact with.

A few seconds passed as she sighed and finished her coffee, recalling the events that lead up to her acquiring the possessed katana in the first place, until her eyes widened and she nearly shot out of her seat.

"I do know someone that can point in the right direction though!" she exclaimed as she paid her tab and gathered her belongings. Her hand then instinctively reached for her headset and turned it to a familiar frequency. "Otome here, requesting access to the upper prison. I need to pay a special someone a visit."

Some static-garbled words entered her ear.

"Not that kind of special visit, you ass," Otome almost growled as she planted her face in her palm. "I access to an interrogation room as well."

More static mixed with barely audible speech.

"Perfect! See you all soon!" she turned off her headset before turning to leave, only stopping to look back at the monkey-tailed Akio. "I'll let you know what I find out, ok kid?"

"Both of them seem alright," she thought to herself as she marched onward, the rain now accompanied by the occasional flash of thunder and lightning.

[MFT: 260 WC]

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[Akio]

Akio was quite happy he was able to meet two new people because they both looked exceptionally strong. Sadly before he could ask any questions of the two a turtle appeared from the door and delivered a message for the young Hoshi. Staying quite so as not to disturb the boy as he read from his message, but before he could say a word Hoshi gave quick parting words and ran out the door.

“It was great to meet you Shouyu-san! Hopefully we get to meet again sometime!” Akio yelled out in hopes that Hoshi would be able to hear him. He was honestly hopeful that they would meet and that on the next encounter the young boy could ask him all the questions that he had wanted to ask. Smiling happily he turned his attention towards Otome and was about to ask a question when she answered his early request. Followed by a sudden realization it seemed as she quickly pulled a headset from her person and began to request a visit to a prisoner. He waited patiently for her to finish and was about to speak when she also said a few departing words along with a remark on how hopefully they could meet up again sometime. His happiness was shown as his tail began to wag slightly as he had a grin from ear to ear.

“For sure that would be great!” Akio replied with much vigor and happiness as he watched the girl make her exit from the shop after paying her tab. ‘Boy I can’t wait to be like them, both of them seemed really important with how much they have going on for them right now. I wonder what kind of jutsu they know and if I’ll ever be as strong as they are. First though I need to pass my exams and make my entry into the great world of the shinobi.’ He thought to himself as he finished off his water and walked out the door with a smile on his face from the morning adventure not even caring that the rain had yet to stop.

[Topic Left]

[WC: 354(MFT)]