Everything Rice [IO]

Mon Jan 03, 2022 3:48 pm

Everything seemed to be in order from outside. Yamato wondered what problem the tea shop could have that would require help from the law. If it was some drunk as usual, Yamato would have heard some noise echoing through the street. Yamato took note of the calm in the street, and walked into the shop. It was empty. Odd, even for the early afternoon. The tea shop also served alcohol, and had a bathhouse so it had something for everyone at every hour of the day.

The regulars were nowhere to be seen, and neither were the couple who ran the shop: Nazumi and Kaien. It made sense that such a popular spot had employees to cover shifts for the managers, but this was the first time Yamato was seeing anyone else be in charge. Instead of the regular faces, there was a young woman behind the bar, who seemed rather anxious. She scouted Yamato’s appearance with her eyes, taking a huge breath when she saw the Tanbo Symbol on his belt, that the village’s shinobi wore to signal their place in the law.

Yamato approached the bar. “I was notified you called for assistance from the guards? I’m here to answer the call. Could you give me the details on your request?”. The girl seemed just a little bit calmer, which Yamato assumed was because a village guard was finally at the scene. She took another deep breath, and started talking silently, as if she was afraid the empty bar would overhear. “We had a guest.” she said, pointing towards the entrance of the bathhouse. “He went in and I couldn’t stop him but… I think he might have tattoos, I couldn’t check and now he’s in the male’s bathhouse so I can’t check and I’m pretty sure people with tattoos aren’t allowed in the bathhouse.”. This was the first time Yamato had heard of this rule if it existed. “I’ll go check out what’s going on. Was he causing any other problems?”. The girl appeared timid. “He looked like he might. He was scary.”. Yamato narrowed his eyes, and walked away from the bar.

He walked into the bathhouse, to see what was going on inside.

Post WC: 368
Total WC: 368

Tue Jan 04, 2022 4:01 am

“Ahh…” Natsuki moaned, splaying his arms against the bath’s walls as he settled into the scorching water. Steam filled his nostrils, and finally he felt he could relax. His knuckles were stained red, maybe from his blood, maybe from someone else’s. His body ached, and the water helped to soothe his muscles, massaging him flowed over him from the faucets on either side.

His head was clear for once. Since he’d gotten here, family business hadn’t made it easy to kick up his feet. Between ensuring rival clans weren’t becoming more bold, roughing up a few others, and monitoring Shichiro, Tanbogakure no Sato had been more business than trip. Not that it was a particularly large village. In fact, when he was assigned, he hadn’t even heard of it before. It paled in comparison to the likes of Konoha or Kumo, at least from the stories he’d heard or paintings he’d seen. Even then, such a quite farming village did house a few things he could ignore his duties for. His father could stomach a falsified report or two while he sampled his new home’s entertainment. First among time today - a bathhouse and sake, for which the country was named after.

Even then, it tasted like piss.

But like a refined, hearty piss. An elegant, long-standing tradition of -

What am I thinking?

It got him drunk.

Steam billowed out into the bathhouse's reception area, flowing outward so thick as to give it a seemingly physical quality. Natsuki groaned, feeling the sudden rush of cool air seep into the chambers, but quickly subside. He sighed, allowing himself to fall back against the bath’s walls. The cooled tile made his stomach flee from it, lurching forward before settling back into it. Natsuki was a built man, muscular and broad, though relatively thin or perhaps lean. Scars littered his chest, though obscured by the sheer amount of steam. Dragon tattoos traced his hands, flowing back onto and around his torso, from chest to back, and, well, downward.

Draped over his piercing red eyes was a cloth, the only thing that amounted to clothing on Natsuki’s body outside of his piercings and jewelry. It was soaked, steaming itself. By now, even with the sake, the door had been open a little too long. “Mind shutting the door, friend? You’re letting all my steam out.” It was phrased less like a question and more a command, yet with a strangle friendly tone, if not loaded with sarcasm.

WC: 417

Tue Jan 04, 2022 7:57 pm

Yamato sighed deeply as he stepped into the bathhouse. After the request, he nodded to the man enjoying the steam, closing the door behind him. He was now inside the bathhouse. For the first time, during work hours. ‘Should I?’ he thought to himself, ‘No, of course I shouldn’t. I’m currently on the clock. That would be unprofessional. I’m here to interrogate and that is all.’. Sweat had started forming on his face already, among other places. ‘Although…’ he kept thinking to himself, standing frozen at the entrance of the room, ‘It is too hot to stay inside with a jacket on… I would not be working at my optimal condition if I kept all of my clothes on… Now that would be unprofessional, if I knowingly weakened my own mental and physical capabilities during a job. That can not be.’. He quickly transformed from Shinobi Yamato into Sauna Yamato. His long hair let down, a towel his only outfit that he garbed around his waist and private parts. Another one was hanging from his shoulders, to wipe his face if need be.

Now, the investigation could begin.

He walked further into the room, to find a seat opposing the man that he had been told to deal with. He took his seat. "New in town?" he bluntly asked the young man, "Name’s Yamato, and you are?.". Now that he was closer, he could see the man more clearly, even through the thick mist that shrouded the room. Odd, it seemed even steamier than usual. The man must have been in his early twenties at most. The accusations about his tattoos were also revealed to be accurate once Yamato was able to disperse enough of the steam to see through it. "The bartender seems to be bothered by your tattoos - but keep it between us, I don’t intend to bother you for them. Not here to cause otherwise trouble I hope?". Yamato leaned back in his seat. "If not, we can both just enjoy the bathhouse for a bit, and disregard inconvenient, unnecessary rules if you don’t mind.".

Post WC: 348
Total WC: 716

Mon Jan 10, 2022 4:44 am

Beneath the towel draped over his eyes, Natsuki’s brow furrowed. It seemed in all the bathhouses in Tanbo he’d decided to visit the least quiet one. He reached up to the cloth, peeling it from one of his scarlet eyes. He tilted his head, looking at the shinobi before him. A young m- hrm - yes, man with long, blonde hair almost to his waist. “You normally this talkative in an onsen?” he asked. Natsuki was more accustomed to silence in these types of places, but then the man before him didn’t seem especially normal as far as small villages went. Usually they were more rural, and even though he’d only said a few sentences, he could tell this Yamato was eccentric.

Natsuki leaned back again, letting the towel fall back onto his eyes. “Hashimoto,” he said, keeping things formal in a particularly informal place. “The bartender should probably focus on her drinks.” He popped his back, readjusting against the tile once again. “Though if she wants a closer look, I don’t mind if she wants to pop in.” He smirked, almost chuckling to himself.

This was no simple farmer. And if Yamato was interested in working out any trouble there might be here, he was probably either an owner, employee, or on patrol. Too young for the former, and too, well, unique to be an employee. And in addition to all the prodding…

“I won’t be any trouble, shinobi,” Natsuki said flatly. “Well,” he said, swirling around the bottle of sake, “not for a while at least.” He poured the bottle’s contents into the sakazuki cup, picked it up, and shot the liquid. He sat it down, swallowing it as if it were water. Maybe it was the sake working its magic, but Natsuki was already feeling bored with the bath. Instead, he decided to humor Yamato. He eased the ceramic bottle into the bath, heating it as he stirred the water.

“Got any tattoos yourself, then? Not many are sympathetic, especially in places like these. Most maybe even a little scared,” he finished, flicking water with the bottle in the direction of the bartender.

WC: 355
TCW: 767

Thu Jan 13, 2022 8:54 pm

Yamato smiled. "I’m usually more talkative if anything. And I feel like I should remind you, this is technically part of a bar. It’s like… THE place to socialize in this otherwise quiet town. Not really the place to visit if you want to be alone.". Yamato, true to his word, was pretty talkative today, even for himself. The man didn’t display an especially aggressive attitude, which comforted Yamato and assured him that the bartender was likely just paranoid.

It seemed that the conversation was yet to spiral. "Hashimoto, huh? Is that your first name or last name? Any chance you’re related to a certain Shichiro Hashimoto? The shopkeeper?" Yamato squinted and looked away, thinking out loud to himself, "He did mention he was opening his shop with his brother.". He turned his gaze back at ‘Hashimoto’, "Is that you? What’s your first name, then?".

Yamato leaned back in his seat. The heat was finally starting to treat his bruises. He had been beaten pretty recently by a gang of alcohol robbers who had targeted this very shop. "Any trouble at all? That sounds too good... And you don’t seem boring enough for it to be true.". Yamato flashed a smug smile to the Hashimoto before leaning back again to enjoy the steam healing his wounds. "I did." he finally answered the man’s question. "Have a tattoo, I mean.". He pulled some towel around to reveal a burn mark that had long healed, placed just above his right hip. "Meant something at the time, then I had it… Removed… When it ceased to. What about you? Are those just for aesthetic, or do they come with stories? Which also reminds me… You must be new here in Tanbo as well, right? Looking for anything specific? Hopefully you didn’t just come here to work in a grocery store, did you?".

Post WC: 309
Total WC: 1025

Fri Jan 14, 2022 8:14 pm

”Usually people keep the chit-chat to the bar side of things. You must be accustomed to talking naked, then,” Natsuki said, shrugging. “To each their own, I guess.” Natsuki took another sip, this time straight from the bottle rather than the saucer.

“Oh, so you know little Shichiro, then?” Little Shichiro was something of a statement. The two were the exact same height, well over six feet, but Natsuki thought the nickname pissed Shi off, so it had stuck. The black-haired man chuckled, throwing the towel that had been used to cover his eyes over his shoulder instead. This man was asking a lot of questions. “I’m his older brother, but no, I didn’t come here with him.” He cracked a smile. “Actually, I don’t think he even knows I’m here, yet.” Natsuki moved to take another sip, but, as he placed the bottle to his lips, he began to laugh, smiling over the rim of the ceramic. “Seems there’s as many Hashimotos here as grains of rice.”

The man took a slug and let out a boisterous sigh. “Natsuki,” he said, finally, throwing his wet hair back. He ran his fingers through the black maw, closing his eyes as he did so. “Careful, now,” he warned. Natsuki’s face became grave, stone-like and his crimson eyes piercing. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t be, just that it wasn’t on the agenda for today.”

Again he stirred his ceramic in the pool, staring at Yamato. Round and round his wrist spun in tedious, rhythmic motion. Then, he threw his head back and laughed. The alcohol had started to make him blush, though he wasn’t feeling it so much in any other aspect. “So far all I’ve done is scared poor women with a bit of color on my skin.”

He nodded, returning to conversation at hand with a nod as Yamato spoke. “Nasty mark, that,” he said, gesturing to the burn with his bottle. Natsuki sat the ceramic on the tile by his side, topping it off with more of the bottled sake before submerging half again. “Hm,” he sang, nodding as he looked up. Natsuki looked as if he was thinking hard, or as if he was about to tell a long, ancient story marked only in scrolls and books dating back to the fourth great shinobi war. “I like dragons,” he said, finally, nodding. His expression was almost sage-like. He smirked.

“Nothing specific,” he continued, his eyes dancing around the room and he bobbed his head to music that wasn't there. “Shinobi classes are something new to me. Didn’t have shinobi where I grew up. Figured I could learn how to blow something up.” He cut his eyes back to Yamato. “Something unpopulated.” He cleared his throat. “So what about you? What brought you to a place like this in a world of great nations left and right? The sake’s good enough reason, I guess, but you don’t look like much of a drinker yourself.” He paused, looking Yamato up and down. “Actually, you carry yourself like you’re wound tight enough to snap.”

WC: 513
TCW: 1280

Thu Jan 20, 2022 12:00 am

Yamato was amused by the man’s answers. "Little Shichiro, huh? Well, it looks like I’ll get to meet the whole family, with my uncanny ability to bump into you. Also glad to hear you won’t be entirely boring. We do need some problems to keep us alert and, honestly, well-paid. So, scare the elderly away, by all means.". He leaned forward in his seat. "This is just between us, of course.".

Yamato pulled the towel sitting around his shoulders, to scrub his hair a little bit and let out some of the moisture. "Also, a public bathhouse is a great place to socialize, what do you mean? I made half of my friends here.". Yamato did not care to share the exact numbers. It was not that it was a low number, of course. "My field of work has the tendency to bring out one’s paranoia. Or… Maybe that’s me, I don’t know. So it makes me a little bit more comfortable knowing there’s no weapon hidden in my sight.". He stopped scrubbing his hair. "That’s not weird… Right? Maybe I am wound tight enough to snap...". He put the towel back on his shoulders and laid back.

He closed his eyes to take in the heat again for a moment, but shortly after he opened them to shoot a glance at Natsuki. "Oh! You’re taking the classes, huh?". Yamato chuckled. "Sounds great. So, are you gonna work in your brother’s shop, or are you looking for work? I mean, are you only getting the training to blow shit up or will you actually put it to use?". He took a moment, then answered the next bit of Natsuki’s talks. "The so-called ‘great’ nations left and right, huh? Actually, they brought me here, pretty much. I’ve been to all of them pretty much. Not for me. Travelling seemed to be for me, but… I don’t know. I kinda got used to this place, I guess. Stuck to it so far. What about you, why aren’t you in Konoha, the big town across the border?".

The time seemed to be passing pretty fast. Yamato was enjoying himself, undoubtedly, but deep down he was also feeling a little bit guilty taking his time in the bathhouse during work hours. Still, he was making the choice every second to stay here for a little bit longer.

Post WC: 393
Total WC: 1418

Fri Jan 28, 2022 12:53 am

Natsuki chuckled, thinking to himself. You may not want to meet the rest of my family. He shrugged with broad arms, smirking. “What’s life without a little action? Surely you don’t want to chase men out of bathhouses all day. There’s more to the life of a shinobi, yeah?” He raised the sake to his lips, giving out a great sigh that was more an instrument’s than a man’s.

The man nodded as Yamato spoke, pursing his lips as he looked around the room. “Can’t say I’ve met many of my friends with their dicks out,” he shrugged once more, giving a half smile that showed one of his longer teeth, “again…” He trailed off, waving his hand. Natsuki glanced at Yamato, looking him up and down. He’s pretty cautious. Not a bad quality to have. “I know you’re type. Dealt with a few of you, more or less. Not many know how to size you up, at least not right.” The compliment was a bit off, but Hashimoto continued. “Well, frankly, you look like a twig, and twigs snap.” He took another sip, cutting his hand through the air. “But,” he started, gazing at Yamato seriously, now, “that’s just looks. And only looks.” He didn’t continue. The rest was implied, but he pop his neck. “Also, word of advice, I can still think of a few places to hide a weapon even with,” he gestured to his crotch, “this.”

Natsuki let out a laugh, popping his neck and rubbing its sore tendons. “Yeah, just a few classes. I-” he started, then furrowed his eyebrow. He glanced at the sake, squinting his eyes. “Well, I’d rather not say. No explosions in the immediate future though, but I could use an odd job or two now. Keep me busy. Shichiro’s always been the business time, best I not get in the way, really.”

He scoffed at the notion of great, chuckling as he looked down, matted hair slumping in front of his eyes. “Never been - not a one. Something about them,” he shook his head, sucking his teeth. “Frankly I think they’re a little,” he looked up, bobbing his head, “pretentious. Snooty. At least from what I’ve heard, and mainly about their centers. Customs here was fairly easy, lax, and I prefer things that way to all the regulations and paperwork. Still, I’d like to visit them. See what they have to offer me.” Natsuki looked up at the ceiling and at the frosted glass lining the top of the wall. “You’ve settled into a nice place here. Good people. It’s worth protecting.”

The Shinobi nodded to himself, lingering on this thoughts. He’d gotten serious, a little too serious, even with two bottles of sake in him. Maybe he was his father’s kid.

Staring at the water, Natsuki thought about Yamato’s question about Konoha. After all, it wasn’t far, but, then, why was anyone from anywhere? “Wars, probably. I come from a family of businessmen, and, well, for us, it can be bad for business.”

Lotta probing, a bit too much for being naked.

WC: 513
TCW: 1793

Sun Jan 30, 2022 8:13 pm

Yamato chuckled with a smug expression. "Huh. You wouldn’t know how much action happens within this bathhouse.". His eyes opened wide when he realized how his words sounded. "I mean like… Drama and like… Crimes I guess.". He would have been visibly red if the hot air in the room hadn’t already made his skin as red as it could get. Yamato looked shocked, even offended at Natsuki’s next remark. "We were covered tastefully with towels, if you must know. Also… Nevermind. I won’t argue. There’s no reason for us to be ashamed of our bodies though, that’s all I’ll say.". His mood returned to normal after another sip from his drink. "Anyway that’s beside the point… If bathhouses weren’t meant for socializing, they would have made these seats into stalls instead of… Benches? Is that accurate to call them that?".

A twig? Maybe Yamato should have saved his energy to be offended at another remark. It was too late. It didn’t even bother him to be fair, as much as it confused him. Was it a common expression he was unaware of? "A twig huh? And what exactly do you think would snap me? I don’t believe there’s such a force in the world. What would you say is your ‘type’ then, if I’m a ‘twig’?". Yamato listened to Natsuki talk about his experience at the academy. It didn’t seem like he was a big fan. "If you’re in search for odd jobs, you came to the right place I guess. Town’s in constant constructions lately, it feels like. Ever-growing. Small jobs appear at every corner at any minute. If you’re interested in something just barely more stable though, I’d suggest you sign up with the ninja honestly.". He raised his hands. "I know I’m biased.".

He chuckled at Natsuki’s talks about the major nations. "Wow, rather passionate about a lack of paperwork, are we? I guess we might end up at each other’s throats one day after all, Natsuki. The bare-minimum we have here, might have been even more ‘lax’ if not for my direct barrage of suggestions and requests to the state.". He raised his hands again, with a cocky smile on his face, "I apologize, I guess.". His expression took a more serious turn when he continued speaking, "But I do agree. It’s a good place. I will protect it.".

He took another sip from his drinks. "Well, that answer was more real than I was expecting. Whether it’s from experience or not. There have actually been an influx of Konohan refugees lately. Hopefully we’ll do our job right and the people of Tanbo won’t have the same troubles under our watch.". Yamato took a short amount of time to move away from the topic that he believed was getting heavy the more they talked about it. "Speaking of better things..." he said, "What sort of ‘odd jobs’ are you into, I could hook you up with some things even if you’re not a registered ninja yet.".

Post WC: 501
Total WC: 1919

Fri Feb 04, 2022 4:40 pm

Natsuki’s face briefly turned to disgust. What exactly did this Yamato mean by “action?” It seemed the shinobi realized himself as he quickly tried to clarify. The embarrassment continued with remarks of coverings, to which Natsuki shrugged with a satisfied smirk. “Modesty’s a virtue,” he said simply. An evil glint flashed in his red eyes. “With all the action,” he placed emphasis on that word, “I was just curious.” Yamato was getting increasingly flustered, a rare sight in shinobi, at least those Natsuki had come across, and he was thoroughly enjoying it. He nodded at the benches, tilting his head as if he didn’t know, or perhaps care, himself as to what they were called. Instead there was a chuckle coming deep in his stomach, though it met closed lips.

“I’m speaking in metaphors,” Natsuki clarified, waving his hand dismissively. “Granted, you are built like one. I meant-”

“My type?”

Now Natsuki was flustered. This man looked feminine in all, but- He glanced at the sake, placing the bottle down beside him.

“Girls, first of all,” he said, narrowing his eyebrow. He looked at Yamato with a sideline, curious gaze. No, he definitely wasn’t covering his chest…

Natsuki cleared his throat. “Odd jobs sound nice, I could use the ryo. I’ll consider your offer, Yamato. Maybe I could be well suited to shinobi life. A man of action.” He smirked again, his cheeks now turning a particularly redder shade than the rest of him. He lifted the bottle once again and drank.

“Keep the paperwork as it is and I may help out in keeping it in one piece, myself. And maybe keep your suggestions to yourself. Mutual benefit.”

“Konoha,” Natsuki repeated leaning back. He spoke of it as if he hadn’t heard the name countless times in youth. The contempt it often carried with it. That - and the name Nara. Natsuki had no such personal misgivings. In fact the sentiment constantly getting rammed down his throat made him feel otherwise, if not simply indifferent. He looked grave for a moment, staring up at the ceiling. “It’s good of you to take them in.”

Natsuki returned his gaze to Yamato and smirked. “What sort are you offering?”

WC: 367
TCW: 2160

Everything Rice [IO]

Everything Rice [IO]

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