Kusa Ramen Shop

[Koneko Kuromira]

Rini started to reach for her tea but hesitated and grasped the bottle of sake instead. She tipped the warm contents into a cup provided -- just enough for a mouthful -- and lifted it to her lips. The kunoichi paused there, a dark shadow passing over her eyes as they gazed almost emptily over Aki's shoulder as if she was looking at something completely different than the ramen shop. Then, she blinked and downed the cup, swallowing and setting it back onto the table with a sigh, "It'll be common knowledge soon enough, I suppose."

Her left hand reached fort he bottle to refill her cup, her right resting almost protectively on Leux. "I'll be blunt, but there's no real delicate way to say this. Iwagakure no Sato is gone -- totally demolished -- wiped off the map -- nothing but rubble. Gone. I don't know how this little one survived whatever happened, but my Aki found and brought him to me."

The kunoichi's hand tightened around the cup and she knocked it back without hesitation. This time, however, as she set it back on the table, her head remained tilted upward, eyes gazing distantly at the ceiling as a dry smile touched her lips and she slowly half-murmured, half-sang, "Sora ga oshite iru, oshite iru, oshite iru . . ." She took a slight breath as if to finish, but sighed instead, letting the sing-song tune fall short.

With a sigh, Rini closed her eyes and shook her head, smile fading as she looked back at Aki. "Unbalanced indeed. One of the great pillars holding up the sky has been torn down, and now it's falling, falling, falling. Or starting to, at least. I wonder if anyone will be able to stop it." She lifted another cup of sake to her lips, though this time, she sipped the mouthful slowly, bright but slightly unstable eyes watching the woman across the table.

-o-o-o-

Points Remaining: 592

 

[Mantus Aburame]

LEUX

"I'm not the strongest, but I'll do what I can!"

"Mom?"

It was then that the child awoke, the first thing his eyes laid on as they fluttered open, was Rini. He then closed his eyes, hugging her close. It wasn't long until his nose got the scent of food, then it was all downhill from there. "I'm hungry." He confessed, looking at the food set before them. "May I have some?" Leux looked up with begging eyes. His birth mother taught him well. His etiquette was proper, so at the very least Rini wouldn't have to drill that into his brain.

 

[Koneko Kuromira]

Rini blinked and dropped her gaze from Aki to Leux as the small boy spoke and shifted. Her smile softened and she rubbed his back when he hugged her tightly. "Silly goose. You think I'm going to eat all this myself?" She chuckled, patting his head and pushing the bowl of Beef Donburi toward him. "This is yours," she told him, "But don't eat it too fast and don't push yourself to eat too much. Your stomach can't handle it, and you could make yourself sick."

The young woman then tapped the steaming cup of Lemon Youkou tea. "I also want you to drink this. All of it. It'll help you recover your strength. Understand?" Though her smile was warm and gentle, her words were firm and stern, leaving no room for the child to argue, though something told her that she would not have a problem in that department.

-o-o-o-

Points Remaining: 591

 

[Naito_Are7]

Morinaga Riku
The Marked Child
"Self Destruction is Simple"


Riku walked into the ramen shop though he stopped outside instead. As he started writing a sign he put it next to him. The sign read, "Hungry and broke need money for food please help." Riku then made a simple guitar from the earth and started playing some music hoping to be able earn some money legitimately.

____________________________________________________

Riku's Theme:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wflcMMitN7Q
"I just wanna live."
 

[Dii of Babylon]

Anger flared in her gaze. Who could have done such a thing. She knew that there had been attack on Iwa by a shinobi of Mist who went rouge and a Cloud shinobi. Aki had never managed to speak to the Raikage about the incident. She could only assume that the destructive terrorist filled village could be the ones to attack again. "Who did it." Her voice was cold. She had a white knuckle grip on the cup. Then the child awoke. The clone tried to relax not wanting to startle him with such a harsh demeanor. She slowly set the cup down and rubbed her neck in agitation. Iwa was their ally. Whoever was responsible for flattening them was sure to get an earful and then some.

 

[Koneko Kuromira]

Rini took several bites of her ramen, chewing slowly and swallowing before fixing her abruptly-sharper gaze on Aki. "The sky gave the order," she stated. Her thin frown morphed into a somewhat-sly grin, eyes dancing with mischief and amusement as she lifted the bowl back up to take another slurping bite. "Quite ironic, don't you think -- the sky causing its own demise? But that's moot. I'm on my way to learn the why of the matter -- to confront the sky with its the face of it's sin." Her eyes dropped momentarily to Leux, saddening slightly. The High Priestess shook her head and returned to her meal. "I hope, for his sake, that his response is adequate. Otherwise . . . we will be having issues."

-o-o-o-

Points Remaining: 590

 

[Mantus Aburame]

LEUX

"I'm not the strongest, but I'll do what I can!"

Leux didn't hesitate. He immediately pulled the bowl towards him, and began to slurp noisely. He might've showed a bit of restraint and etiquette, but in the food department, there was no time for that. The boy was hungry. When the steaming beverage was pushed forward, Leux downed that as well. His face dimmed in a bit of disgust, but he was ordered to drink it. He cautiously sipped the drink bit by bit, mixing the taste with the ramen he so hungrily devoured. "Upah~!" The boy sat back, fully satisfied from the meal. "So good! Thank you, mom!" He leaned his head against her arm as his breathing became labored. He probably ate too fast. x-x

 

[Dii of Babylon]

Her furrowed in thought. The sky gave the order. She repeated the line over again in her head. One of the great pillars. It clicked. "You're saying Kumogakure is the cause." She wrinkled her nose in anger, "Feh, they truly are cockroaches. You can smash them down but they'll always come and always be disgusting. They never change" The clone did not hide her distaste. Aki took in a deep breath before exhaling. "There is someone I need to deliver this information to. Were you planning to take this matter into your own hands Rini?" She asked slowly cooling her rage.

 

[Koneko Kuromira]

Rini clicked her tongue, looking back down at Leux and stroking his hair. "What did I tell you about eating slowly? Silly goose. If your tummy hurts, you only have yourself to blame." Despite her chastising words, Rini wrapped her arm loosely around the child and kissed the top of his head. "Just sit still. This, too, will pass."

When she straightened back up, pushing her empty bowl aside, her turquoise gaze locked with the clone's, alight with amusement -- though at what was unclear. "Ah, but, for the record, I never said anything of the sort. After all, what meaning is there to the ramblings of someone with a few screws loose?" she giggled, twirling her left index finger in tight circles beside her temple. Her grin shifted into something a bit more feral as she lowered that hand. "To some extent, you're right about my . . . plan of action, but a word of warning to you, my dear. I'd be careful what you say about Kumogakure. I am -- you see -- betrothed to one of their ANBU . . . among other things." She pushed on the ring around her finger so that it twisted around to reveal the crest of a Knight of Kumogakure.

-o-o-o-

Points Remaining: 589

 

[Dii of Babylon]

"Then I hope your significant other is unique and different from the violence I've seen spawned from Kumo. Though I will hold my tongue from now on. I don't wish to offend a new acquaintance now do I." Her fingers drummed against the table top for a second. Seeing as there were both finished Aki stood up. "I must be returning to certain duties now. Allow me to escort you two safely to the gates so you may be on your way to make heads or tails of the reasons in Kumo?" The clone offered with a sincere smile.

 

[Koneko Kuromira]

Rini's eyelids dropped slightly at Aki's comment concerning Sindenky, her smile softening and gaze filling with warmth even as they glazed over in thought. "My Sin has always been gentle and kind to me. He is no cockroach. He saved me from the dark -- kept me from losing myself completely. He is my proof -- my life." She shook her head slightly, snapping from her revere as the pink-haired woman rose to her feet. She giggled. "Eager to be rid of us so soon?" Rini teased, standing and scooping Leux gently into her arms, doing her best not to jostle his stomach any more than necessary. "And here I thought I was making a new friend."

-o-o-o-

Points Remaining: 588

 

[Dii of Babylon]

"It seems we both have men who will keep us rooted and sane. " She said with a small laugh. Aki shook her head as Rini accused her of trying to get rid of the pair. "Haha, no no. I'm not trying to get rid of you two. I've just got business to attend to. And you do as well. You're more than welcome to spend more time in the village but I need to be going back to my duty." She said with an apologetic smile. "I can show you the hot springs, they're a perfect place to rest the bones, if you want to stay longer."

 

[Koneko Kuromira]

Rini laughed. "Yes, yes, I know. I was only teasing, and you're right. We need to get to Kumo before the fires are too far gone. Thank you for the offer, though -- and the hospitality. Perhaps I'll take you up on it at some other time. For now, however, we should be going, ne Leux?" She smiled at the boy and kissed his cheek, already starting to move toward the exit. Kumo -- Iwa -- answers -- thoughts of those things filled her mind, making her hold the child a little tighter. What would she find in the village? An infestation of cockroaches as Aki had suggested. She frowned slightly. "If you don't mind me asking, Aki-san. What is your duty here in Kusagakure?"

-o-o-o-

Points Remaining: 587

 

[Dii of Babylon]

Heading toward the exit with Rini and the boy she gave the shop owner a nod. "My duty? I am a pillar." She said simply. The girl seemed to speak in cryptic messages maybe she would be able to surmise her position from that.

(( Sorry, getting tired.
@-@ ))

 

[Mantus Aburame]

LEUX

"I'm not the strongest, but I'll do what I can!"

"mmkay."

Leux got done from the chair himself, walking outside the ramen stand while holding Rini's hand. Now that he was fed and full, Leux rubbed his left eye. A tired wave blew over the boy. Guess that meal hit the spot!
Still, Leux patiently waited as his mother talked to the woman just a few feet away. He couldn't tell what they were talking about, only that mister sindenky's name was brought up. For a moment, Leux's big brown eyes looked up to Aki, smiling widely. She was pretty. Not the same as mommy, though. Mommy was a different kind of pretty.