Meet With Ramen, There's Something In Common

Azula rose herself up by shifting up to her fingertips on the one hand she was on. As she did so she spun herself with her other hand. Her relaxed eyes stared up towards the dolls above her that hung from her dark ceiling. An old song playing out in her head as the young woman danced on her hands in her darkly lit house. Things were going well so far, and she figured a dance among the representation of her departed friends was called for.

The dolls slowly rotated on their strings they hung from. They likely felt it was time to dance as well no doubt. She slowly angled her legs so she would gracefully semi cart whale back onto them. She gently touched one with a hollow admen that represented her brother, and then one that was hacked up and separated into many pieces that were only held together by a few thin strings that represented herself.

She closed her eyes as she gently pulled them to touch both of her cheeks. The song in her head hit the climax in her mind that drifted to her youth when she hadn her brother had used to sing and dance with each other.

‘If you’re a good girl and good boy we may even find new parts to replace your old ones one day.’

The voice of her mother crept into her head which only led her lips to slowly curl into a devious smile. She swayed her body back and forth while her eyes grew dead of emotion despite her smile, and a silent laugh slowly leaked form her mouth. It was funny to think she would need new parts just to function looking back now… and even funnier to think her parents would actually think they’d believe the idea of them ever setting the twins free.

No they knew their fates the first night they spent alone in the shed together. Or at least the fates their parents wished to lead them down. Her stomach then growled leading her to blink in surprise. The life returning to her eyes as she silently giggled. It was dinner time already? Well then she might as well head to that ramen shop not too far from here. She had always went there with her friends and brother growing up.

Even to this day she went there. She let go of the dolls before hobbling over to the counter with her Ryo pouch. She tied it to her sash on her hip before turning to bow to the dolls that once again were kind enough to dance with her during her down time at home. She then moved gracefully back onto her hands and left her home towards the ramen shop. There was an occasional look, or stare from her neighbors though after the last few years they had gotten more used to her condition and stared far less.

She believed if she used her old wheel chair at this point they would stare more then ever at this point. The idea a funny one to her. As she arrived she happily spun on her hands just intime to reach her seat that she flipped herself just right to land in a seated pose. She then turned in her seat to face the counter. She seamlessly put her elbows on the counter at the right moments her spin permitted her to.

Once they were there she intertwined her fingers together to create a plat form for her chin to rest upon. She looked to the workers behind the counter with her bright magenta eyes, and a playful smile.

“Ah Azula! What will we have today?” The man happily asked in the back before looking over to see her answer.

Azula tilted her head to one side with a thoughtful look before smiling brightly and held up 3 fingers, mimed drinking from a cup then held up 1 finger.

“Fish broth ramen, and a water right?” He asked trying to remember the numbers of each meal and drink on his menu.

Azula happily nodded then.

“You got it dear just leave the ryo on the tray in front of you I’ll grab it when i bring the food over.” He calmly instructed going back to his cooking.

Azual nodded happily before she pulled out her ryo to put it in the try. She was lucky to know the kind man. All the effort he put into to accommodate her lack of speech always warmed her to her core. She was glad that he no longer looked at her with pity filled eyes. That was something that had gotten old faster than anything else.



OOC:

Post 1

50 / 50 Chakra Points

Arthur had just finished up solving a case brought before him via another client request and had been on the way back to his residence in the Kumo residential area when he heard his stomach grumbling rather loudly, which was another signal from it in protest for him having fallen into his bad habit of ignoring his bodily needs when engrossed in his work and/or study, ninja or otherwise. Since he had the chance and was passing by a large mirror in a store window at the moment, he decided to check his reflection to see just how bad his sleep deprivation had gotten lately and to his chagrin, it was rather noticeable given the rather prominent dark circles under his eyes.

Egads...has it really been that bad lately? Oh well, work is work...so I cannot really avoid this fate, I suppose...still an army marches on its stomach, as they say, so...I had better get something to eat after this week-long fast I have done till now...

He mused silently as he heard his stomach's gurgling protests made in demand of food and since the sounds attracted awkward stares from the passersby, he chuckled sheepishly and apologized to them before running off at a sprint to a certain ramen shop he loved to frequent in Kumo's Central Business District. Thanks to his spurt of speed, it did not take him long to get there, but at the same time, it had exhausted what little reserves of energy he had left and thus it took all the mental focus he could muster to keep himself walking and seeing straight and it was just enough for him to reach the counter where there was another customer already sitting, a young lady about his age who had just ordered some fish broth ramen and a glass of water from the looks of it. The cook had already gone back to his work, but when he saw Arthur drag himself over to the counter and take a seat next to the young woman and collapse with a loudly gurgling stomach and the ever-present sleep-deprivation induced dark circles under his eyes, he raised his eyebrows and with a smirk, he chastised Arthur while also light-heartedly teasing him

"Well now, look what the cat dragged in...if it isn't Mr. Edogawa...you look even more haggard than usual...let me guess, your bad habit of completely ignoring your bodily needs when working on something overtook you again...you do realize that's not healthy for you, don't you?"

Then, the cook sighed exasperatedly while shaking his head, causing Arthur to chuckle sheepishly and scratch the back of his neck as was his nervous tic to which the cook sighed again and then remarked with a note of genuine concern in his voice

"You truly are hopeless, you know that? Alright then, just hold on a few moments longer, I am almost done with this tonkotsu ramen, so you can have it fresh off the stove...but you have to promise me you will take better care of yourself, young man!"

To that, Arthur chuckled again and nodded to the man with a contrite expression on his face knowing that it had been wrong of him to give in to his bad habit again as he did, but also realized that it would not be something he could break despite how much he wanted to as it was just something that was hardwired into every fiber of his non-human being, not that anyone could tell he was not human, since he was current in his transformed human state and not his true spider form. Add to that his mastery of basic human behaviors and his disguise was virtually perfect, so he could relax, if only a little. With that, he fell silent and waited for his freshly made tonkotsu ramen to come, and also put in a request for some sake to wash it down with to the cook who nodded in acquiescence and began rooting about in the storage area where said sake was stored safely.

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OOC:

Arthur's Appearance:



[1]

Dōsan had woken up very early this morning. He was excited to meet the members of his new team. He kept waking up throughout the night thinking about who his teammates might be. Would they be kind? Outgoing? Whoever they were he knew he was going to finally find a group that he could mend with.

Looking desperately at the clock, 2:00AM flashed mockingly showing the young man that he had hours before his meeting even began. Staring at the clock he saw 2:00AM become 2:15Am, then 2:30, and then finally 2:45am before calling it quits. Waking up groggily he rubbed his eyes in a futile attempt to wake up.

Moving past his parents room he silently passed into the kitchen. He wasn't sure if his parents came home last night, but he sure as hell wasn't going to be the reason they woke up in the middle of the night.

When he got into the kitchen he pulled out a small teapot and cup. Turned on the kettle and waited until it got to 175 degrees. He pulled some genmaicha green tea from a sealed container from the drawer. Pulled a tablespoon of tea from the container and placed it in the kettle.

He waited about 3 of so minutes and double checked to make sure the kettle was off and removed the tea leaves.

Moving downstairs he decided that he wanted to tinker with his puppets before going to the meeting. He saw his fish puppet and tried to move it around, but sadly it just wasn't forming the function it was supposed to. He'd figure it out soon he was confident, but until then the puppet would be useless.

He took a long sip of his tea and it warmed him significantly. It was a cold morning, but a quiet one which made Dōsan very thankful. He took another sup of tea and found his eyes getting heavy. He rubbed at them again to try and wake up but it was of no use. He fought as hard as he could taking another sip of his caffeinated tea, but it has little effect. Looking at the basement clock he saw 3:30AM glaring back at him.

Just a small nap would hurt, right?

Waking up in a shock Dōsan looked over at the clock and what he saw written on that digital screen shocked him. He was late!!! How was he running late for something that he so heavily anticipated for so long? A useless, but valid question.

Running upstairs he grabbed his coat and booked it towards the city. Luckily for him he wasn't that far from the restaurant and made it there in a matter of minutes.

He looked at the cook bowed slightly and asked if he saw any other Genin. The owner let out a light laugh and pointed behind Dōsan. To his horror the restaurant seemed to be full of Genin doing the same thing he was. I guess thats what happens when you pick one of the more popular restaurants for a meeting.

"Can I get you anything?" The owner said with a smile.

Yes!" Dōsan exclaimed. Reaching into his pocket and realizing in horror that he forgot his money at home. He frantically searched all his pants pockets and nothing. Reaching through his coat pocket he found a small denomination, but this flooded the young man with a feeling of luck and gratitude.

"What can this buy?" He asked politely while handing the owner the bill.

"You like Onigiri?" He asked

Wasn't that some kind of dessert? He questioned to himself. "Haven't had it, but I would love to try!" He exclaimed.

"Alright! It'll be out in a bit" he said pointing at the others who were waiting for their food as well.

What was he going to do finding his team? He was way to shy to seek people out so he leaned against a wall out of peoples way trying to figure out how he would find the rest of his group.

Azula sat in wait with focused eyes on the chef cooking. Until a man approached the store's location. She looked over with a curious look that looked the man’s figure over. Dark eye circles, loud stomach growling that reminded her of her happy pre teen years, looked like a zombie with how little energy he seemed to have… Oh he seemed like just a delightful person! She let off a silent giggle and smiled looking at the man beside her.

With the statement of cats she mimed out cat paws and a silent raaawr that bore her teeth a bit with a half bite at the end. As the man lectured the other one moreAzula chose to listen while she lowered her head to rest it on the table looking up towards the tired man from below with a soft smile. After a moment later of the further lecture Azula took it upon herself to slowly reach up and began to pet the tired man’s head with her own still on the table.

No, she didn’t know him. Was that gonna stop her? Nope. Has it ever? Nope.

She paused her petting as she noticed some guy running by like his life depended on it. She then shrugged and went back to petting. It wasn’t any of her concern. It's like he had nothing to be concerned about after all.


Earlier that week.

“Azula! Please open the door!” One of the old team leaders from one of her old friend’s team called out only for the drapes closed in the windows. “Really?! Come on! I’ve been trying to tell you about this for a week now! Please open the door already!”

Then there was a click at the door to lock it making the man blink.

“... Wait… It was unlocked this whole time! Do you know how unsafe it is to leave your house unlocked?!”

-Click Click Click Click Click Click Click-

“.... I swear this girl…” He muttered under his breath annoyed. “Fine! I’ll tell you through the door! You’re being assigned to a team! Were setting up a time and location now and I’ll leave a note in your mailbox later tonight about where, when and with who! Please just give it a shot, okay?!”

Azula heard him walk away moving her eyes from the door to the dark room she was in. A new team huh…? Her eyes slowly looked up to the large cluster of dolls hanging from the ceiling with various injuries carved into them…. She’d be sure not to check her mailbox for a few weeks.


Now.

…. Yep totally probably nothing to do with her.



OOC:

Post 2

50 / 50 Chakra Points

At long last, the smell of Arthur's ordered tonkotsu ramen pervaded his nostrils as the restaurant owner brought it out and set it before him and he took a few moments to breathe deeply so as to savor the heavenly aroma of the dish and let his mind be immersed in its clutches with closed eyes. However, before he could get truly lost in the enjoyment of the cuisine he was about to partake of, Arthur's silent reverie was interrupted by the feeling of someone petting him and so he opened his eyes again and cast his gaze about to try to find the owner of the hand that was petting him currently.

This is certainly a surprise...however, it is not an unpleasant one, to be sure...Let me see where this goes...

He mused silently as his coal-black, hollow-looking eyes which were now agleam with life again now that his food was before him at last locked gazes with the striking magenta ones of the young woman next to him who, as he looked on, had been miming acting like a cat and was now petting him with a soft smile on her lips. Arthur was highly amused to say the least, and so, he did not pull away but let her keep petting his slicked back, silky-soft, coal-black hair as he returned the young woman's smile with his own bemused half-smirk, showing his own canines briefly before remarking

"My, you certainly are a forward one, miss. I had not expected a kunoichi to be so bold, but still...it is rather refreshing to behold, indeed...so pet away...ah right, my apologies...my name is Herlock...it is a pleasure to meet you. What might your name be, mademoiselle?"

Arthur said simply, revealing his voice to be a rich baritone and yet melodious one and then fell silent but then while he awaited her reaction, in the way of playing along with the young woman, he started to emit low, rumbling purring noises while having his eyes half closed in a completely relaxed manner and his face looking very much like a kitty enjoying itself, though with a human touch to it. He too had also noticed the man running out of the restaurant, but right then, he was too content and engrossed in playing along with the young woman's kitty act to care about analyzing exact why that particular incident had transpired at all.

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OOC:

[2]