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What do you mean off hours though?

Arashi raised an eyebrow for a moment then smiled. “We aren’t always working.” She then paused for a moment, thinking hard. “Well I guess we are…always working.” She pursed her lips and thought again. “I mean when I’m not being ordered around, when I’m given time to relax and deal with personal things. Like now.” She smiled.

“I’m not technically working right now. Although if they needed me I’d be there in a heartbeat.” She smiled again and took some more chocolate out of her bag, popping them into her mouth. “So what do you do?” She asked casually, showing some interest in the man’s work.

Giving a chuckle at how Arashi seemed to misunderstand his question, Ryuu decided that he should clarify what he meant. "That isn't exactly what I meant. What I meant is that you made it sound like you spend some portion of your free time hunting hollows instead of relaxing. Just seemed like an odd thing to do if that really is the case." Ryuu said to Arashi. Hopefully that would clarify what he was trying to find out. While he could imagine that there were a few that did spend both their work time and free time hunting hollows, Ryuu couldn't imagine that they would live too long due to the fact that they would be exposed to more dangerous situations.

Smiling in response to Arashi's question Ryuu then said, "I mostly do odd jobs to be honest. I try to find any sort of work that I can do." Technically that was also true (in the loosest sense of the word). He would try to find any oppurtunity that he could and try to profit off of it in some way. It just so happened that the most reliable method was in looting the recently deceased. That and making sure there was some recently deceased at hand if needed.

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Arashi blankly stared at the man as he chuckled at her. Her head slightly tilted as he began to explain the mistake. A small blush rose on her cheeks as she realized the simple mistake she had made. She followed it with a small nervous laugh. She brought her hand to the back of her head, shrugging a little bit at her mistake.

As he began to speak again she lowered her hand back into her lap. Odd jobs? She pondered it for a second then smiled at him after a couple of seconds of awkward silence.

“Heh…” Arashi looked to the side slightly. “I just come to the Rukongai during my free time is all.” She spoke softly. It was true all her free time was spent away from other shinigami…but she did often “run” into hollow on her bad days and she did often kill those hollows and she’d go home feeling fine and revived.

“What’s your specialty?” She asked with a smile.

Listening to her reaction, Ryuu found it amusing how she let such a minor thing embarass her. Making a mental note to try and find some other ways of embarasing her, Ryuu figured that might be a funny way of entertaining himself for a few moments. Though he would need to find a few more methods to fluster the shinigami. Or at the very least think of some funny ways to misinterpret what she said.

Pretending to think about her next question for a few moments, in order to make it seem like he was telling the truth, Ryuu then said, "I can't really say that I have a specialty. I just take whatever work comes my way." It was a pretty believable statement. Plus like some of his other statements it was also technically true. It just wasn't true in the way that most people would think it was.

PEOPLE TREMBLE IN DESPAIR, FOR YOSHIYA THE GRUMP...was not in a chair? Except he was acting cheery at the present time. Acting being the predominant word. Customer service was important here, unlike his usual workplaces closer to Seireitei.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves here. Or are we getting behind? I don't know about you, good reader, but those first two sentences are giving me a sense of deja vu. Anyway, what was the notoriously grumpy man doing working in this shop having to deal with CUSTOMERS. And PEOPLE? Well, if this story were illustrated you may notice a sling around his left arm. Unfortunately it had been crushed under some logs a week or so ago. Thankfully there was no lasting damage, but he had to rest it for a week or so. Yet bills still needed paid, so he took up a position as waiter at the cafe where a certain Shinigami and Hollow were providing their custom.

He had moved from table to table, wiping them down, a bucket and space for the cloth in the hand of his good arm attached to the left hip of the belt that came with the job. On his right hip was a notebook. And of course, he was wearing the regulation off-white apron. Very important indeed.

But he came to the table with the two lovers[footnote:1]Edit: Sorry, forgot the word chocolate here. Honestly, it wasn't a deliberate omission![/footnote], stood, and took out his notebook, holding it carefully in his left hand. It was injured, after all.

He forced himself to give his best smile and cheeriest voice, even after observing the female's clothes. Or rather, lack thereof. Yoshiya wasn't sure what there was more of on that girl, cloth or ink. Still, to be fair, she wasn't the least dressed customer that had entered the shop that week...

But there was work to be done, and he would do as he was employed to.

" Increasing cheeriness by 75%"

"Hello! Is everything OK? Can I get you anything else?," he said with a great big smile.

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Arashi was once more confused by the man’s answer. If he had no specialty how did he get jobs? Did they just walk up to him? She blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out how he lived without getting jobs. One must advertise to get jobs…and if there is no specialty people get suspicious. She narrowed her eyes at him for a second before her thought pattern was interrupted.

Looking up to see who had interrupted her, she was surprised to see a man in a sling acting as a waiter almost. She smiled up at him, once again her interest caused her eyes to slide to the sling on his arm.

She reached into her pocket and looked at the little amount of change she had. “Not much…um..could I have some water please?” She smiled up politely.

Noticing the suspicious look, Ryuu wondered what he had said that had managed to make her suspicious. All he had essentially said (or intended to say) was that he was well rounded and didn't have one particular area of expertise. Perhaps she truly was a master detective and was merely trying to lull Ryuu into a false sense of security. BUT RYUU WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN...for the second time.

Noticing the waiter with the sling on his arm, Ryuu was immediately able to notice the fake smile. Not that Ryuu could completely blame him for being unhappy with being a waiter. However the opportunity to annoy the waiter was a bit too tempting to pass up. So what could our hero do in order to accomplish this new goal? The answer was quite simple. He would make a sizable order which would force the currently one armed waiter to bring it toward him. While it wasn't extremely drastic it would still be amusing to watch and they waiter wouldn't really have any way to complain. "Can I have a glass of milk. Also can I see your menu again?" Ryuu asked while giving the waiter a kind smile.

Ah milk, the drink of kings, a delight to indulge in with the smooth, sweet taste of chocolate. He would be delighted to serve that man's beverage with glee. And ah, a menu, he would certainly bestow one upon that man.

And so with that Yoshiya held the notebook in his bottom three fingers, the pen in his thumb and pointer finger, and scribbled down the man's order. It wasn't the neatest writing in the world, if one was being British about it, but at least only Yoshiya had to be able to read it.

Oh, and that lass wanted water too. He better scribble that down too.

Ah, the places one sends ones mind to keep one sane...

"So, one water, one milk and one menu. They shall be with you shortly," their waiter said with a smile, closing his notebook, bowing and walking off to repeat the same procedure with the other customers.

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Glass of milk and a menu? Arashi slightly wondered how much money this man had. What jobs did he do to get this kind of money? Her mind wondered back to the secret ninja hero life and his evil villain brother. No specialty? Other than killing evil do’ers. His odd jobs were assassinations. It had to be, he had all that money.

Or perhaps he didn’t spend money like Arashi. She didn’t really plan her money out very well. Just…spent. As the waitor walked away, Arashi felt a little bad. Three items, would he be able to make it in one trip? She shrugged it off, he would find a way to deal with it. Although..she was awfully interested in how it was he hurt himself. Yes it was none of her business, but just with the man sitting at the table with her. She was interested.

Observing Arashi, after the waiter went off with their order, Ryuu smiled and observed Arashi. Noticing that she soon became lost in thought, Ryuu would have found it funny if he had known how close to the truth she technically was. However, for now Ryuu decided to come up with another plan. However instead of mooching off of someone else, this new plan would involve making things hard for the waiter.

"So are you going to get anything else?" Ryuu asked Arashi as they waited for the waiter (the pun was punintentional) to return. For if he could convince Arashi to order something else then it would give the waiter an even harder time (insert evil laughter here).

MEANWHILE, IN THE KITCHEN

Yoshiya didn't even bark out the order. Milk and water was a simple task, he didn't need to bother any of the cooks. Or chefs. What is the difference? He made a note to check after work. But that was irrelevant currently. He took two tall glasses and filled them, one with chilled water, the other with chilled milk, before adorning each glass with a straw and a parasol. Presentation was important.

He placed both glasses on a tray along with the required menu and walked back to the tables, putting his game face on, striding gracefully to the two young patrons. And he arrived, setting the tray down with a bow. Alas, he could not flourish his bow with his left hand, for obvious reasons, but it was a forgiveable lapse in etiquette, all things considering.

"Your order." He straightened himself up. "Is there anything else I can do for you at this time?"

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Arashi was still watching the waiter walk away when Ryuu spoke to her. She turned her head back to him and gave a soft smile and shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t have enough money.” She spoke a little sheepishly, she could have money if she spent it wiser. But…the past is something you can’t linger on.

“It also seems our single handed waiter might have his hand a bit full.” She chuckled softly.

Arashi looked back just to in time to see the waiter returning. She smiled up at him, her eyes returning to his arm once more. She nodded her thanks as he sat the water down in front of her, she quickly took a sip of it, forcing thirsty self not to chug it. She sat the glass down and looked back up at the waiter as he asked if there was anything else they needed. “Not for me, no.” She smiled, shaking her head then looked over at Ryuu, waiting to see if he was going to get something. It sure seemed as if he was going to get more.

Waiting for the waiter to come back, Ryuu took note of what Arashi said about not having enough money (it made the mooching all the more sweeter). "I'm sure he'll find some way to manage." Ryuu said to Arashi.

Smiling once the milk and the menu were brought to him, Ryuu shook his head at the waiter's question and began to take a sip of his milk. For Ryuu would need a bit of time to look through the menu and decide on an order. "Probably going to need to look through the menu a bit." Ryuu said as he began to look through the menu (just a bit though).

So, the young master wished to contemplate what to order. That was fine. And the young lady was to just hog a seat. Well, the shop didn't have any rules against that.
Still, he met their smiles, as was polite, even if she was a no good pleb. Yoshiaya, in his character, hadn't quite realised he was currently of the working class, even if waiters were generally held in higher regard than his usual professions.

"Very well sir. Please let me know when you are ready to order. And to you, milady," he said, turning to Arashi, "if you change your mind."

And with that he bowed and left their table once again.

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Arashi looked up at the water and smiled as he walked away. She then got a confused look on her face and looked down. He called her "milady". She'd never been called that before. Was it suppose to be some sort of insult? Maybe a compliment? She shook her head and looked back up at Ryuu.

She took a few ants and popped them into her mouth, chewing on them a little and swallowing before she started to try to think of something to say. She fiddled with her fingers a little and then looked around the shop then back at Ryuu. "Do you come here often?" She slightly grinned stupidly then realized that is sometimes used as a pick up line. Great...first she comments on his eyes...now she's sending pick up lines his way.

Noticing that there was nothing that he really wanted, Ryuu gave a sigh. It would be no use to just order the food and not eat it (It would look suspicious) and thus Ryuu had to scrap his plan.

Noticing the silence come back as Arashi stared at him, Ryuu wondered what the crazy lady was thinking. Was she trying to do more sleuthing or was she preparing some other trick. Oblivious to the awkwardness of the question, Ryuu wondered why Arashi seemed embarrassed after asking that question. "I think i've been here a few times though not that often. What about you?" Ryuu asked.

SPOILER: Click to show

Mood Music

Yoshiya had made a promise he was not to keep. Time flies when you are having fun, even if that fun is a separate personality constructed to protect the dominant personality (he wouldn't say real, who was to say what was the real state of the man?) from having to deal with customers, other humans. It was a necessity to prevent his rage bubbling up at their pitifulness, to prevent the rage from spilling out, to prevent him from being fired. Angry Yoshiya was not good for customer service.

But, more time had passed than he had realised, for a lone figure came through the doorway of the shop, near drowned in the torrential rain that had sprung up whilst Arashi and Ryuu were in the shop. It was his replacement, the one who was taking the next shift.

"Hey, Yoshiya, you can head home now."

"Ah! Very good then!" He shot a smile to his co-worker.

Both men wandered into the cloakroom of the restaurant, Yoshiya to remove his apron and belt, and to retrieve his staff, the other to do the opposite. Shortly after they both walked out, one man in uniform, the other in civvies. The one in civvies turned to his two previous customers as he passed them and bowed.

"I apologise profusely, however it is time for me to depart. My colleague shall be available, should you require any further assistance." He straightened himself up, pulled up his hood, and strode into the rain.

The cold rain fell upon him, stinging his cheeks, though they were covered by fabric and hair, as he thought of the two patrons. Would they resent him for leaving? Had he failed in his duties as a waiter?

"Get a hold of yourself, man!"

The voice reverberated through him, switching out the waiter persona for his usual self.

Pathetic humans. Trapped in their pursuit of temporary happiness. It was futile. That woman who was scantily clad, the smug child, he had seen their glances, their judgement. He was capable, even with one arm. They shouldn't doubt him.

His eyes flared, the determination of his rage, his hate, his disgust standing resolute against the downpour. Both cascaded down his body, enveloping and consuming him. Though the darkness had been held away for a time, it was back within his very being. The next day would see it bottled away, the next eve to fill him. This was the way of Yoshiya. This is who he was.

[EXIT]

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Arashi chuckled slightly as he asked her how often she'd been there. She rubbed the back of her head slightly and leaned back in her chair. "Um...never. She laughed again.

She heard the door open and looked over to see a man dripping with water. She then noticed that it was raining...no pouring outside. Her ears adjusted to hear the hard rain pelting against the roof of the small shop she had so easily found in her misery not too long ago. She muttered out a soft "Wow surprised she was just now noticing the rain that was now almost impossible for her to ignore.

She grabbed her bag of chocolate and stared at it in her hand for a second. She knew if she took it out in the rain it would only get ruined and most of her money was spent on others anyways. She looked at the man sitting with her at the table and smiled sweetly, about to say something when their waiter came out to say goodbye. Arashi raised her hand to wave him goodbye, her eyes slid to his arm.

As he walked out the door she pouted slightly. She was really wanting to ask him about his arm. She looked back at the man at her table.

"It's getting a little late..or perhaps it's just the rain." She looked out again, not really knowing if the rain was darkening the day or if night was approaching. "I hate to leave all the sudden but I have a busy day tomorrow." She looked at the bag in her hand again and stood up, setting it in front of him. "I can't take it out in the rain or it'll get soggy...I was nice meeting you. I hope we meet again." She gave a soft bow and turned to leave, throwing her arm up waving a goodbye as she lowered it to push open the door to a sky of rain.

[EXIT]

Listening to the girl's answer, Ryuu gave a mental shrug at the small talk. He doubted that he was going to get much else out of her and for some reason the small talk was starting to get a bit boring. Briefly deciding if he should make his exit, Ryuu glanced at the exit and noticed what Arashi was also realizing. That it was raining quite heavily outside. "Maybe I should wait for it to let up." Ryuu thought to himself.

Nodding to the waiter once he walked out into the rain, Ryuu couldn't help but notice how Arashi's gaze was focused somewhat on his broken arm. "Well it was nice speaking to you. Have a nice day." Ryuu said with a smile in response to Arashi excusing herself.

Looking at the bag of free candy (it appeared that his original goal had become extremely successful), Ryuu smiled. "Thanks for the food." Ryuu said as he gave a wave goodbye to his benefactor.

Beginning to eat the chocolate covered ants, Ryuu then began to stare at the rain in order to kill some time.


[Exit]

Thread Rewards:

Arashi - 24 RP (22+2QP)

Ryuu - 22 RP

Yoshiya - 5 RP

Points added, thread locked.