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A Storm is Brewing
Gusty winds and light snowfall begin to cause the wandering barista some grief. The winds have been battering the man all afternoon as he searched for a new location. His chain finally began to seize as he slid to a halt in front of what would be his new spot, the Diet Building. Several official looking people make their way in and out of the building as the snow continues to fall.
Politicians, huh? Hopefully they aren't as bad as the ones from my world.
He sighs as he proceeds to convert his bike into the stall, The Wandering Barista.
At least I can count on them to be loaded, ehehehe!
He laughs softly and puts on the kettle as steam begins to rise from his stall.
*After departing the lava park, Haruko was walking down the street when she notices the coffee stand.*
Huh, a wandering cafe, huh? What a neat concept. We should get one of these at the resort.
Ryoma would wave down the woman with a warm smile.
Why hello madam! May I interest you in a warm beverage on this chilly afternoon?
[he slithers to ryoma] AY, REMEMBER ME
A man in a white coat with a pink shirt is seen walking around the diet building. He seems lost and tired as if walking around this area for a while.
"The others said they got a new meeting spot...but where was it supposed to be again. I've been having so many issues navigating this city since I've gotten here..."
The man finally stops in front of the stall as he breathes heavily.
"Hey...Could I trouble you for some water or do you only have coffee here?"
Ryoma turns to his snake-centipede hybrid acquaintance.
Why yes I do. Rep, was it? How are you doing today?
well, i kind of defeated a demon-summoner...well, i won cuz he left, but, i call it a win
Sure, I'll take a coffee.
*she then looks over at the doctor*
Hey, you remind me of someone...
The man quickly turns to Emu and smiles.
Why of course sir! I typically keep them in stock for whenever I do long bike rides. Here!
He reaches into a cooler compartment and grabs a bottle of water. He grins and tosses it to Emu.
Heads up!
The man shakes his head at Rep.
I don't think that's a victory to be proud of...
He'd then turn his attention to Haruko.
Anything specific my dear? Or will you trust me to decide myself?
[coils around one of the seats]
Emu barely seems to catch the bottle as he begins undoing the cap on the bottle.
"Thank you."
He begins drinking from the bottle after unscrewing the cap. After he is done drinking he would look over to Ryoma.
"Oh, my name is Emu Hojo by the way. It's nice to meet you. I'm a doctor or, uh, an intern at a hospital but I care a lot about helping cure people!"
aint emu a bird?
Oh, you look like the exact kind of cafe owner I can trust.
Well, maybe if you were a bit older, maybe a trilby would help with the look.
But yeah, you can choose the blend.
*she then looks at Emu again, muttering something about doctors.*
i'll have that bike blend
Ryoma nods to Rep and the girl before grabbing a scoop out of a container labeled "Bike Blend".
A trilby huh? Maybe some glasses too? I could look quite snazzy. But enough about that...
He grinds the beans and tosses them into the percolator.
Let's get brewing!
He pours the boiling water over the grounds with a delicate touch. An acidic aroma with cocoa notes begins to permeate the air and reach everyone's noses. Soon the cups would find themselves full and he'd hand it to Haruko and Rep with a grin.
For you, mademoiselle!
Looking back to Emu, he'd bow his head.
Pleased to meet you Mr. Hojo! My name is Ryoma Sakamichi, the wandering barista! And I'm quite thankful for your kind, Emu. Protecting smiles is a pretty heavy task.
[he grabs the cup with 7 of his centipede arms, and sips it down] ah.... still as great ad ever
Emu nods as if fully understanding Ryoma's words. He seems to take pride in his position as a doctor or intern at very least.
"Yes! That's exactly how I feel! Making sure the patient smiles is a doctor's number one job! Uh, I got a bit worked up there, uh, how much for some coffee anyway. I'm not much of a coffee person but I guess it wouldn't hurt to try some."
[he looks over at emu] ya know plastic sugery?
Oh my, thank you.
*She sips at the coffee looking... almost womanly compared to what she's like in combat.*
I don't think he's that kind of doctor. From the look of him, he's probably a general doctor. Probably for younger patients.
It's thirteen hundred yen a cup. High quality stuff this is.
He proceeds to prepare Emu's coffee with a smile.
So, you got any big stories from work Emu? I'd love to hear some!
wonder if he could turn me into ''normal'' again
anyway, i got time, what kind od stories do ya got?
Emu pulls out any spare money he has and manages to count out thirteen hundred yen. He sets the money on the counter in anticipation as he thinks over any stories he might have that he can tell.
"Well, the girl over there is right. I mostly help injured or sick children. I've assisted in surgery before though too but that was only because a friend of mine helped me out in getting a position like that.
He's much better with surgery than me, though he can be a little cold at times...but, uh, he means well most of the time!
Other than that, it's pretty typical medical work.
can he turn a snake centipede hybrid into a human?
Well, it must be nice to live a quiet life like that. I've met some doctors who are very.... active in their work.
*She pauses for a moment, thinking back on the events from the radio tower...*
One of them even tried to claim I was their assistant.
Ryoma smiles warmly as the cup reaches the final brewing stages.
You and your friend both sound very brave. I'm quite squeamish around blood so I don't think I could ever do what you guys do.
He slides the cup over to the man and collects the change, and then throwing it into the lockbox.
ssssssso what now?
Emu nods at Ryoma with a smile. He seems as though he's going to respond when he suddenly turns his head over to Haruko. Something she said seemed a bit strange.
"Huh? You met a doctor like me...Uh, did you happen to get their name?
He seemed somewhat anxious at that comment as the girl could have a very different reaction based on who it was.
what the? this never happenssssss to me
Their name? No, though it was.... a strange thing. See, it involved this parasite infecting people. And he claimed to be from the Ministry of Health.
never heard of em
"The Ministry of Health? I-I see...uh...I knew about the parasites from a fellow doctor telling me but, well, could you tell me a little more about how this person was behaving when you met them?"
Emu seems to be trying to be subtle about things as to not alert anyone to anything unusual but subtlety wasn't really his strong suit either admittedly.
what doessssss thissss parasssssite do?
A man in a black shirt and white lab coat wanders into the area, looking around for a moment before spotting the hastily set up stall and walking towards it. He glances towards the man running the place before leaning back onto a nearby wall.
"Oi, you selling coffee? If so I guess I'll take some, something strong and black, please."
His order made, Taiga would glance at the gathered patrons and notice both Emu, and that girl he'd met at the first Earwig incident. Huh, where the hell did she go in the middle of that anyways? And... A snake centipede hybrid?
"Yo lady, here I was thinking something might have happened to you after that vanishing act before. What was the deal with that anyways hmm? Oh and Emu, yare yare daze are we getting caught up about my little act? I just needed a way to get past the guards without starting a fight, wouldn't do to beat up normal people even for a good reason right? Not... Well, not that I needed to in the end."
Taiga pauses at the end, his voice shifting to a tired and sad tone. Tch. He couldn't even do a thing to help those two back there, some doctor he is huh?
ooc: gtg, ill be back at 1:00 pm
Um.... well, that's him right there.
*She points to Snipe*
And I come and go.... somewhat as I please. I never did end up running into the bug responsible for all that, so I'm guessing you handled it?
Parasites? The ministry of health?
Ryoma eyes the pair curiously.
Emu looks a bit worried with how openly everyone is talking about the current situation.
"Uh, should we really be talking about the parasites out in the open like this. I'm not sure that information wouldn't cause panic among normal people.
Though, I don't think you really ever explained what they were to me. I just helped..."
Emu briefly looks around him to see who may be listening.
"...cure the last patient."
Taiga sighs and rubs his forehead, geez what a pain explaining all this stuff. That done, he looks over towards Ryoma and attempts to look... Well, not friendly. But non-hostile.
"Lemme sum it up real quick yeah? These Parasites, I'm not totally sure what they are. But somehow or another they feed on despair. If I had to guess it's akin to how a Bugster feeds on stress, if you happen to know those."
He'd look over towards Emu and shrug, not like anyone actually seems normal around this madhouse anyways.
"Eh, should be fine Emu. People around this "Nexus" seem to deal with odd events pretty easily. Uh anyways where was I? Right, to sum it up these things have two... Stages I guess, Armed mode wherein they take the shape of some weapon used by their host. And their true form in which they appear to take on the shape of some mythic beast that moves separately from the host. Assuming that all of them work the same, we should be able to remove the things by getting the host far enough way then slicing a small cord between them that will appear. As for the second part? A simple bluff to try and evade needless violence."
At that the man takes a breath, it's quite a bit to spit out at once. And quite a bit more to take in he's sure. That done he eyes the others, curious to see everyone's reactions.
"Anyways, more questions or is that enough for now?"
Weird new disease going around. Causes deafness as one of its symptoms.
*She quickly handwaves the crisis with the skill of someone who's explained away metaphysical phenomenoms before.*
Taiga looks at the woman and smirks, that's not quite the case after all.
"Wrong. In reality, Earwig was just one of at least two, and given what he said? I'm more inclined to think one of many. I've at least seen one other host, a man named Quintus Geminus has one as well. Takes the form of some bladed hook that can sap life from foes, he hasn't harmed anyone yet... But I'm concerned."
With that the man would look down at the coffee and grin, smells like one hell of a thing but he's just fine with that. After taking a whiff he reaches down and takes a small sip, pretty good...
Horribly strong, but good nonetheless.
"Pretty good I gotta say, for some guy wandering around you sure know your stuff. Oh, how much do I owe ya?"
Two, huh? I guess where there's two, there's seven, huh? Just need to wait for the next one to make its appearance.
Emu suddenly notices his own cup next to him. He had gotten distracted talking to Haruko and hadn't noticed before.
"Oh, right! I ordered before too. It should probably be cooled by now."
Emu would pick up the cup to taste the coffee. Upon tasting it he swallows quickly as he holds his mouth.
"Ah, still hot! Good, but still hot!"
The man's expression darkens as he listens in further.
So these things are hurting people?
His hands ball into fists.
I won't stand around knowing there's someone out there hurting people! Let me help you fight!
There's an unwavering determination in the man's eyes, but he calms himself to talk business.
And that'll be fifteen hundred yen, sir.
You want to help? I mean... this is a bit beyond the realm of a simple barista. You have to be kind of.... special to deal with these things.
He nods at the woman, it seems likely all things considered.
"Yeah, I'm willing to bet good money we haven't heard the last of these things. Life is rarely so simple after all, at least in my case anyways."
Taiga looks at Ryoma with a stunned expression for a moment, how odd to hear a man that brews coffee being so ready to throw down. Either way, he reaches into his wallet and pulls a pair of 1000 yen bills, quickly sliding them towards the man with a slight smile.
"Just call the change a tip or something, it's rare to find coffee this good... Although, if you intend to fight? Are you sure it'd be safe? I'm willing to take help, just. I can't just let people get hurt or something ya know? Still... Looks can be pretty deceiving in my experience."
The man smiles and takes the money with a nod before his eyes take on the same determined expression.
Looks can be terribly deceiving but I assure you that my blood boils whenever I see happiness being ripped away from others.
The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small cup shaped object.
I used to fight so I could run away...but I learned that if I could use my powers to help others, then I should do just that.
Well, if you say you have powers, I suppose you can be of help. I suppose keep your eyes peeled for any... odd black orbs flying around. It seems to be the sign something is happening.
Taiga eyes the cup curiously, his gut tells him it's something... Not too unfamiliar.
"Huh, well if you say you can help... I guess we'll put some faith in it then, oh yeah. I never did catch your name did I? Mine's Taiga Hanya by the way."
With that he smiles a bit and looks over towards... Well, he's not entirely sure. But for some reason, he's betting on Rider. Either way, he offers his hand out to Royma.
"Anyways, I'm not how much of a team we are. But welcome to it either way."
The man grins and shakes Taiga's hand.
Ryoma Sakamichi, the wandering barista! Pleased to meet you! And I'll do my best!
He ponders for a moment as he releases Taiga's hand.
Black orbs? You mentioned earwigs right? I think I stomped some of those the other day. They were climbing on me, it was disgusting!
Rise was working her way down the sidewalk, humming aloud and swaying her head back and forth in tune with whatever song she had on her mind. She must be in a good mood today.
Hmmm hmm hmmmmm... Oh?
The familiar "Wandering Barista" caught her eye. She smiled widely before approaching it, unable to recognize any of the others around the stand but looking around at the three of them once she was near.
Ryoma-senpai! Business is really picking up, huh?
Taiga nods at the man at his mention of orbs, whatever those were they happened to be part of Earwig.
"Yeah, it was how he spread his infection as far as I could tell, good thing none of em got into your ears Ryoma, doubt we'd be having this talk if they had."
Upon seeing the young woman walk into the place however he shifts away from the topic, casually taking a drink from his cup and looking towards her rather than continue.
"Friend of yours Ryoma? Either way, the name's Taiga Hanaya. Nice to meet you, miss... Say, don't guess you've noticed anything odd around the city lately hmm?"
Taiga eyes her curiously for a moment, this Nexus is full of possible allies it seems. So, might as well see if he can figure her deal out right? If she's got one anyways.
The man is thankful that Taiga changed the direction of the conversation as he waves to Rise.
Miss Kujikawa! You've graced me with your presence once more. And indeed, it seems my stall is quite the hit!
He begins boiling some water once more.
How are you doing? Oh, and would you care for a cup?
Rise tilts her head, clearly she's a bit confused regarding the topic but she answers as best she can.
Anything odd? Not that I can think of as of recently Taiga-senpai. Althoooough...
She rubs the back of her head, looking up at the sky as she attempts to recall what stood out to her a few nights ago.
I couldn't tell exactly what was going on but the radio was acting up a while back at my job. Is that the kind of weirdness you wanted to hear about?
Upon being mentioned by Ryoma, Rise snapped out of her thinking stance and turned her attention to the barista.
Oh yeah! Mind whipping up what you made for me last time? I'll be sure to pay you personally this time, haha!
Smiling brightly at the coffee guy, she'd turn back to Taiga and await his input on what she had previously mentioned.
Taiga pauses for a moment before shrugging, seems like she doesn't know too much about it. But eh.
"I was thinking, well seen any black orbs floating around that night? It's a long story and might be best to explain some other time, but uh if you did I can clear up what they were. Either way, not a fun thing to talk about so uh let's move on for now..."
The doctors rubs the back of his head awkwardly, he's not really one for casual conversation after all. So attempting to make small talk is a bit odd for him.
Ryoma bows with a flourish.
Right away Miss Kujikawa!
The man reaches into the bin labeled "Bike Blend" and brings a scoop to the grinder. He begins to turn the crank as he listens to the others talk. A tinge of concern begins to paint over his joyful demeanor as he brings the grounds to the percolator. Once more, he picks up the kettle and slowly pours it over the grounds as a familiar smell greets Rise's nose. After a few more moments, the cup is presented to her with a warm smile.
There you are!
He quickly snaps his fingers and grabs a couple sugar cubes to place into her drink.
My apologies! Now it is to your liking!
Yeah I do recall that now that you mention it! But uh... I guess we can talk about that later?
Rise found it a bit awkward to bring up such a subject at all if he wasn't going to follow-up once her report was given mentioning such occurences.
You know, you're kinda weird Taiga-senpai. Is this how you introduce yourself to every cute girl? I hope not or else you might need some advice, haha.
And just like that Rise is back to her casual, rather blunt, self. At least she tried to laugh it off.
By now her coffee would be done so she'd turn her attention back to Ryoma, picking up her cup and tasting it.
Mmmm, just as good as last time! Thanks a lot Ryoma-senpai!
Taiga sighs and pauses for a moment, it is pretty annoying bringing it up again... But, it's also annoying not telling her anything. So much to his chagrin, the doctor goes back into all business for a moment.
"Yeah ya gotta a point, well I'll be brief, those are a symptom of a Parasite that went by Earwig, to sum it up the things infected people by traveling into the ear then well... I'll not go into detail of what happened from there. They also have two forms, one attached to the host. And the other moving freely. Get them far enough away in the second form and you can cut a cord to kill the parasite. Long story short, I'm not really fond of things that feed on despair and end lives running around. Figured it'd be best to warn people, gather allies. Ya know?"
At that he finishes off his cup of coffee with one last hearty gulp before responding to her... Well, joke he guesses?
"And no I don't usually introduce myself this way, normally it'd be more like I get something stolen then have to save her from a monster. Ya know, the usual way those things go, right?"
He'd smirk at her, wondering if she'll believe the story... Funny enough it really is true, but boy does that sound crazy at a glance.
The man beams at her review.
I'm pleased to hear that!
Hearing Taiga finish speaking, he can't help but laugh at the man.
You're about as smooth as sand paper, aren't you Taiga?
He laughs again before turning to Rise.
So what have you been up to Miss Kujikawa? Just out for a walk today?
Rise first addresses Ryoma, setting her cup down as Taiga's description of these parasites alone seemed to turn her stomach.
Well I was on my way home from the studio just now but... Eugh! I didn't think a quick coffee stop would result in some weirdo telling me about these disgusting parasites. I just hope none crawled in me when I wasn't paying attention that night!
She looks to Taiga, frowning.
Is there any way to tell? Better yet, is there anything I can do to help? The idea of something like that slithering around makes me sick.
Taiga rubs his chin in thought, beyond the obvious of just seeing them in action? Not that he can think of... And he slightly resents that weirdo remark.
"Not that I know of? I haven't exactly tested our scanners yet, however... But, I'm also no expert in all the odd things around this place either, those Persona things. Riders I know nothing about, Demons, Parasites, there's entirely too much I don't know frankly... But the good news? On the off chance they did, Earwig is good and dead. We Riders saw to that so people are at least safe from one monster now."
In spite of Ryoma and Rise's remarks, Taiga still offers the girl his best attempt at a reassuring smile. Sure he's not a people person, but he might as well try right?
No! I'm sure you're fine! And coming back from the studio? Were you recording or rehearsing?
The man offers Rise a warm smile before turning to Taiga with fire in his eyes. However it quickly dies as Taiga speaks.
R-Riders?!
The man who was initially going to berate Taiga for making his customer uncomfortable was instead caught off guard.
What do you mean other Riders?!
Rise finds some reassurance in what Taiga has to say, especially upon hearing of other persona users, being quite familiar with them herself.
I guess that's a bit comforting. Thanks for your efforts Taiga-senpai!
At the sight of him smiling, some confidence returns to Rise. Of course, she has no idea what a Rider is but maybe now she'll find out, judging by Ryoma's reaction.
Eh? Do you know what a "Rider" is Ryoma-kun?
Taiga turns back to the other man with a smirk, seems his guess was right on the money after all then. The man pulls his labcoat aside for a moment to reveal a large green belt with the words Gamer Driver written on it. After showing it to Ryoma he'd go back to his usual leaning on a wall.
"I guess I should come out with it at this point, I've already said my real name... But I might have failed to mention that I also go by Kamen Rider Snipe at times, not so long ago I helped fight something called Game Disease... I know that doesn't sound bad, but left untreated it did kill people... Well, that's in the past now since it's over. Anyways, yeah I'm a Kamen Rider. You?"
He lowers his eyes as Rise asks her question.
I....well....that's....
After hearing Taiga speak, he looks back up at the pair with fire in his eyes.
I too am a Kamen Rider. Granted I'm nowhere near as impressive as Taiga. And considering the circumstances involved with me being a Rider...it is kind of a sore spot. But I use my power to fight for others instead of running away by myself.
He does a quick pose in an attempt to look cool.
Kamen Rider C! Let's get brewing shall we?
Saying his catchphrase outside of his suit caused him to blush profusely.
Rise, having never seen a Kamen Rider pose or announce themselves, couldn't help but grin... Shortly before bursting out with laughter. She hunched over, holding her sides as she kept at it for a while.
Hahahaha!! O-oh my goodness... hahaha!! It's like some kind of kids show! "Let's get brewing shall we?" Aaah...
Eventually her laughter ceased and she stood up right, wiping away a tear.
Sorry Ryoma-senpai, I just thought that was cute is all. So what do you guys do as Kamen Riders? Some kind of acting gig? Or well, I guess a bunch of actors wouldn't have dealt with that parasite huh?
The man smirks and pulls a Gashat from his coat, pointing the cartridge like a gun for a moment before muttering "Mission start.", an exchange of catchphrases he supposes
"Kamen Rider C eh? Well, I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do! And I doubt it's worse than how I got to be a Rider, frigging Genm Corp experiments weren't fun lemme tell ya... And to sum it up Miss Kujikawa? Most of us fight various monsters, our fondness for dramatics aside Kamen Riders are quite powerful... I'd offer to demonstrate, but this is hardly the place for tossing around firepower yeah? Stop by GYM some time if ya feel like seeing a real live superpowered fight."
A young woman slowly moved through the cold air, taking a gentle stroll to relax. On a normal day she would return home right after a long day of work. With things nearing completion, she felt she deserved at least a moment of respite. During her walk, she spotted a stand, and a small crowd gathered, and decided to take a closer look with curiosity. She approached the stall in silence, looking awkwardly at both the stand itself and those around.
The man continues to blush more as Rise speaks.
M-Miss Kujikawa! I'm not that cute sounding right? I'm supposed to be able to intimidate my foes.
He drops to a squat and rests his head on the stall.
Oh this is the worst...
He perks up at the mention of GYM however.
Eito mentioned that place before. It has an arena we can spar in? That sounds amazing!
He stands but looks down.
My story suffice to say is that I was modified to be used as a weapon. A tool for world domination...I'd say leave it there for now.
He perks up as another woman approaches.
Oh! Good evening ma'am!
Taiga looks over towards the woman with an eyepatch... Wait, her again? Man, it's been a long while.
Not since that little Rider meeting in the soda bar in fact if he's not mistaken.
"Ah, Saeko right? Been quite some time since we met. And judging by the fact you seem to be doing alright, I'd say I haven't seen you in my clinic due to not needing it? Or at least I hope that's the case. Anyways, how's it going for you?"
With that he'd look at the other Rider and nod, sounds like a sordid history if ever ther was one.
"I'll not pry then, your secrets are yours to keep after all. And yeah, GYM gets all kinds of stuff like Riders. I've been there a few times, but most of my experience is live fire honestly. So sparing is something I'm... Well, my weapons as Snipe were made to kill Bugsters, not take down non-lethally."
Rise, having been here a while already, decides to whip out her phone in order to check the time. She doesn't react too urgently but she does start to wrap it up here.
Ya know, that isn't such a bad thing. Some girls like their boys on the cute side. Anyway, I think it's about time I scrammed. Gotta get up early tomorrow for uh... you know, show biz stuff.
Rise would pay for her coffee herself this time, even though she left it half empty. She figured it was still two thousand yen so that's how much she left.
Thanks a lot for your time you two! Taiga-senpai, I'll keep an eye out for any more weird, black bubbles and I'll be sure to check out this "GYM" place.
The last thing Rise does is bow to the two, catching a glimpse of the new girl as she stood up straight. Having never met her before but still wanting to leave an impression, she'd wink at Saeko before turning and walking away.
(edited by Rise_Kujikawa)
Saeko awkwardly gives a nod to the leaving Rise, before turning to the two left.
"Good evening. Ah, Mr. Hanaya, was it? I would say I am doing well. Clinics are hardly a necessity when I simply live in the outskirts and work on the garden near my home, after all. Unlike what the rest of the people here do, it is not dangerous work."
"Yup, that's my name alright. And true enough, worst you'd get from that is the odd cold or something yeah? Anyways, if ya happen to see any Parasites that talk ranting about despair be sure to call me."
He nods to the woman before turning back towards Royma, it is getting pretty late so perhaps he should head out as well?
"Well, I should get going now honestly. It's been a pleasure meeting you Royma, and I look forward to working with you in the future... And sorry about rushing off Miss Saeko, but I do need to get home now."
With that said, Taiga reaches into his pockets and pulls out a white Gashat with small bits of blue crystal covering its surface. The man quickly slashes it through the air like a knife and a glowing portal forms before him, Taiga stepping into it in a moment before the thing shuts as soon as he's gone. Wouldn't do to have stowaways after all right?
Ryoma bows as Taiga leaves, however he is deeply startled by the portal.
Jeez. What is this new technology people have nowadays?
He sighs and turns back to Saeko with a smile.
Good evening! My name is Ryoma Sakamichi, the wandering barista! What can I get for you Miss Saeko was it?
"Parasites... ranting about despair?" Her confused look and questioning tone are met only with Taiga's departure. Creating a portal from such a small toy-like object leaves her even more confused, but tries to ignore her own feelings for a moment.
"Uhm... Yes, that is right, Saeko. Saeko Murakami. Nice to meet you, Mr. Sakamichi. I am afraid I am not sure if you can do anything for me. I admit I am unsure of what this stall is even for. Well, I suppose the issue would rather be my lack of any form of currency at the moment, more than me being unaware of what it is you seem to be serving, would it not? I was simply intrigued by such a stall, and small gathering at this hour. However, it seems I have once again approached near the tail-end of these moments."
Ryoma shrugs and offers a warm smile.
Well Miss Murakami, that seems to be a common trait around here. Showing up at the wrong time that is.
He stands with his arms crossed for a moment.
You said something about a garden, yes? I daresay that I might be offering you money instead.
He leans forward onto the stall as he speaks to the woman.
See, I've been hurting for more beans and I can't seem to find a proper dealer. So my question would be as to whether or not you could grow coffee beans on your property.
"Grow... coffee beans?" Bringing her hand to her chin, and closing her eye, Saeko thinks for a moment.
"It is simply a flower garden. I have no experience in growing much else. Though there is a decent bit of free land in the area. Hmm, it would be quite handy to have a stable source of money..."
She takes another moment to ponder the idea, and how she might have found a more effective way of obtaining money and what she needs off-screen less 'conveniently'.
"Well, I suppose there is nothing wrong with an attempt. Though I offer no guarantee of the results or quality."
Eito would walk through the town,muttering...
"Brr.Why is it so fucking cold?It seemed like it was Summer just last week!"
Upon spotting Ryoma,the teen would immediatly run over.
"Ryoma,my dealer,my ally,my pal!"
"How you doing in this weather?"
Ryoma claps his hands together and bows.
Thank you very much for the opportunity! I'll be sure to pay, don't worry. And even a shoddy bean can taste amazing if roasted properly!
He'd then turn to Eito with a smile.
Welcome, my friend! I'm faring well, and you? My coffee keeps me warm!
*Yawn*
"I'm doing pretty good myself."
"You tried out your new thing yet?"
He shakes his head with a smile.
Nope. But good news is that I didn't need to use it yet!
He stretches his arms and leans against the stall again.
I think I'll be challenging that doctor to a fight at the GYM though. He seemed to know a thing or two!
"I will see what I can do." Taking a moment to nod towards the new arrival, she returns to pondering a bit before asking a simple question.
"I suppose this may be an awkward question to ask, but you said these beans would be used for... 'coffee'? May I inquire about what exactly this is?"
"That doctor?"
"Are you talking about doc?"
"Or uh,I guess his actual name is Taiga..."
You've met Taiga? Well yes, him!
The man's smile almost shatters as the woman asks her question. He reels for a moment and holds onto the stall for support.
Y-You've never had coffee before? Oh my.
He coughs and stands upright.
Allow me to explain! Coffee is a type of bean that grows in many different varieties across the globe. The beans are harvested and roasted to bring out the latent flavours. Fast forward a bit and the beans get ground up into a powder that is placed inside a filter. This powder has piping hot water poured over it and the filter makes sure only liquid gets through. The final result? A cup of hot coffee.
As the man spoke he followed the instructions from grinding onward and prepared two cups of "Bike Blend" coffee.
Have a try!
Eito stares at Saeko for a moment before turning to Ryoma.
"Well,yeah,he and I had a bit of an andventure,so to speak."
"It seems Mr. Hanaya is quite the well known figure." Turning her attention to Ryoma's work, she picks up the cup and speaks a bit.
"Is it really such a surprise to hear someone is unfamiliar with something like this? Surely you've heard their explanations about this 'Nexus'. Is it so hard to imagine you'd encounter a world where 'coffee' is a foreign concept? Such as mine, perhaps. It would be difficult to serve such a drink when there's no soil to grow things from."
Finishing her brief rambling, she takes a few small sips of the prepared drink before letting the taste sit.
"I cannot say I do not understand the appeal. However, I must say it is not something I would take a taste of often."
He scratches the back of his head sheepishly.
Well, I do understand the fact that this is a world of all worlds...but a world without coffee just never crossed my mind. And it isn't for everyone, perhaps tea is more your style?
He turns to Eito with great curiosity in his eyes.
You had an adventure? Goodness me, more danger?
"Perhaps it would be dangerous to admit I do not know what tea is either." Saeko silently mutters to herself.
"Maybe once I have some change in my pockets I can look around, take this 'Nexus' as a chance to try new things from unfamiliar lands. Coffee may not be to my tastes, but it is quite the interesting experience to drink something besides water, after all this time." Saeko says with a gentle smile.
Closing her eye, she takes another sip of the 'Bike Blend'.
The man grins at the woman's words.
I used to travel the world before ending up here. Experiencing new things is almost an addiction to me! I keep traveling and I keep learning to satisfy my cravings!
He looks down at his bike fondly.
I've always thought of my travels as running away to an extent, but that was never really the case.
"Running away, huh? I see..." She takes another sip in silence, staring off into space for giving another response.
"I am sure, even if you were running away, traveling was a good experience. I am almost jealous. Where I come from, traveling was sadly too unrealistic a dream, for all of us. Where I come from... I never got to experience anything beyond the desert, a few small settlements within. None of us did."
He lets out a soft sigh.
I agree. Travel was enjoyable, but the hounds of Hell were always at my heels. Although, you seem to have had a worse time. And pardon my inference, but it would seem as though your hometown was a war zone of sorts? The inability to leave seems to lend itself to that theory.
He shakes his head at his own abruptness.
My apologies Miss Murakami. I seem to have gotten ahead of myself.
Saeko sighs herself. Looking down at herself, she briefly tugs at her sleeves of her military uniform. Briefly lost in thought as she speaks.
"I would expect living conditions to be less of an indicator, and my choice of attire to make such things obvious. Sadly you are fairly correct. Living and traveling in a vast desert poses its own troubles, but the desert sands were also home to terrifying beasts. I am not yet sure if me being part of a military established to keep those demons at bay rather than fighting other humans was a blessing or not."
Your attire may indeed indicate your past, however I have found that there is a style that the kids wear nowadays. Army fatigues and the like, I figured I'd use a different approach.
His eyes take a hint of sadness within themselves.
I had no idea it was that terrifying. I'm so sorry to hear that Miss Murakami. However, fighting humans is always a troubling thought...had things gone differently, I may have been drafted into war myself.
"This is... a style?" She vacantly tugs at a button on her uniform. She was a bit confused at the idea. Saeko mostly continued to wear her old uniform simply before she had nothing else at the moment.
"Drafted? I see. I... joined our military voluntarily. I commonly question if I made the correct decision back then." She sighs before taking another sip of the nearly forgotten coffee. "Fighting others... truly is troubling. The idea of injuring another like myself... Well, I would rather not think of such things. Yet I wonder if our fate was the better one. Humans perhaps can be the cruelest, but unlike the beasts of the desert... I can understand what they think, what drives them to do what they do. Yet with these beasts, it was nothing more than a natural instinct."
I can't imagine I can provide any solace more than candied words. But this world seems to be full of people who wish to do well by others.
He straightens his apron and smiles at the girl.
Though I may be inclined to disagree with your statement about those monsters. In my experience, humans are the beasts I can't understand. Instinct is natural and animals do have tells as to what they are about to do...humans, not so much. That being said, I believe in humanity. Just as it is capable of evil...
He looks over to Eito.
There are still those who wish to do good. And I strive to be the latter.
Eito smiled at the presumed compliment.
"But yeah,anyway,still wanna hear my story?"
Go for it. I'm all ears!
He leans against the stall once more.
Eito too leans up against the stall,from the opposite side.
"Ay,traumatized soldier looking lady,wanna join in on this?"
"You make a good point. Though maybe I should say I find it more frightening to think of a cruel beast who does so because that is just the way it behaves, rather than a cruel beast who does so because it has goals to reach. Though I agree with the sentiment, about humanity, and those in this 'Nexus'. I would offer my help if I could, but there is not much one like myself can do here. With so many seemingly supernatural events happening so often here, a knife and pistol are only so effective. The best I can do it seems, is manage a flower garden."
She says her next line with a smirk. "Well, flower and future coffee bean garden."
"...'Traumatized... soldier looking lady'? I suppose you can only mean me. That is quite the description you've come up with. Though I cannot say it is inaccurate." She says, turning to address Eito. "Though I suppose I see no harm in it."
(edited by Saeko)
A young, white-haired kid rounds the corner near the diet building, stopping random strangers in an attempt to talk to them, of course they're far to busy, so he gets ignored more often than not. But that won't discourage him. Soon enough, he catches sight of the group and makes his way over there
"Nice to see you three again, and you're such good friends too."
He seems almost oblivious to the previous conversation as he searches his person
"I was able to get that bitphone Sakamichi-san. If you want I could give you a quick tutorial on it, this model's designed for ease-of-use so it shouldn't be too much trouble."
*Shrug*
"Sorry if I offended you or anything but I don't know your name and that's just the first thing that came to mind."
"Regardless,our story starts-"
Eito is interrupted by Nanashi.
(edited by Eito)
Ryoma can't help but laugh a bit as the poor man tries to speak.
Much obliged Yoshi! But perhaps our tutorial may wait a moment? Eito has been trying to recount a tale on my behalf for some time now. Haha!
Yoshi Nanase chuckles a little and takes a step back, replacing something in his coat
"Sorry, I just got a bit excited there. I hope you don't mind if I listen too. It sounds pretty cool"
The kid smiles and looks over to Eito expectantly
Saeko briefly nods at Nanase's arrival. "That is a fair enough point, you did arrive after the introductions. Though still, perhaps the 'traumatized' part was a bit excessive. I am the only lady here, kid. It would have sufficed. The name is Murakami. Saeko Murakami."
(edited by Saeko)
*Sigh*
"Fuckin' 'ell."
"Alright,boys and girl,here we go."
"So,our story starts with me walking down the road,as you do,when I see something really weird."
"It was an,uh,I guess the best way to say it is:It was a hole in the fucking pavement."
"Even weirder than that,it seemed man-made and had a ladder,those seperated pipe looking ones,i'm sure you've seen one,especially you."
He nods at Saeko.
"It went straight down,as ominous ladders often do,into absolute darkness."
(edited by Eito)
I'm not quite sure I'd agree about entering strange holes. But continue.
"Do you mean a manhole? Like for entering sewer systems? Those are pretty much everywhere in the city, well, around this city anyways."
Yoshi Nanase tugs on his sleeve a little and smiles at Eito for him to continue
"I apologize for disappointing, but I am not quite sure why you nodded to me. I barely understand what you are specifying, but it is irrelevant, please do continue." Saeko quietly mutters as she takes another small sip of the coffee she surprisingly still has.
Eito turns to Nanashi.
"Not quite a manhole,As in it was clean as all hell and,spoiler,there was no sewer at the end of the ladder."
He looks at Saeko
"Guess I should have explained better,but it was a metal one,like the ones on bunkers and tanks and stuff like that."
"I figured,you of all people would have seen something like it."
"Plus,and sorry for forgetting this,there was a vending machine or something like that over it in the past but now the bloody thing was gone!"
"Anyway,as Ryoma correctly guessed,I did in fact go down that ominous hole into complete darkness."
(edited by Eito)
"Hold up."
Eito pulls out his phone and turns it around to show the group a picture.
"It's not the one we're talking about,but it should clarify it's appearance."
And what did you find?
OOC: Dude, did you just make an account to show a picture?
I'd suggest using IMgur in the future, its a lot easier uploading it there than going through the registration progress
(edited by Eito)
Saeko's writer is quite literally stunned and has no idea what she could possibly say here.
Please ignore that I accidentally posted on my main account for a moment. Hope no one saw that.
Eito put his phone away as he continued.
"And so,I descended."
"I'm gonna be honest with you,I didn't really know what I was doing,but I did it anyway."
"The only thing that kept the place looking like...Anything instead of a dark metallic place were all these little red lights."
"An open metal door stood before me."
(edited by Eito)
It was open? You weren't alone then?
Yoshi looks up, eyes alight
"OH, what happened next? Did you find a secret organization who was plotting world domination? Or just like, an engine room or something."
The kid relaxes a bit, resting his head on his left arm for a moment
"Well,that's when our good Rider Doctor came down the ladder."
"After an approximately four sentence conversation,we decide to explore together."
"The door opened to two corridors:one to the right and one to the left.They were actually pretty big,so there wasn't any claustrophobia."
"It is at this point that I saw some movement over to the left and that Doc,I mean Taiga,started looking around the room in a paranoid fashion as if he felt something watching us."
(edited by Eito)
He does seem the type to be overly suspicious.
I don't wish to come off as rude, but can we just get an infodump? This feels kind of... awkward, at the moment.
"I guess."
"So,like the genius I was,I decided to head left!"
"Surprisingly,this was the correct thing to do,as we saw yet another person."
"Some guy named Josuke."
"After an approximately five sentence conversation,we decide to explore together."
"I think you know where i'm going with this."
I don't wish to come off as rude, but can we just get an infodump? This feels kind of... awkward, at the moment.
"You must be really good at making friends Eito-san, care to give me any pointers?"
Nanashi grins childishly thinking on the subject, but doesn't say any more
takeyourtime.gif
"Anyway,we run into a big ass vault door,strong stuff,you'd need explosives to destroy it."
"The only way we were getting in was by using the keypad."
"Then our merry group of overly eager explorers were interrupted by a noise to the left:the lab."
"We don't manage to get there before yet another guy comes in from over there."
"His name was Shotaro,we had a two sentence conversation and he joined in.Hurray."
(edited by Eito)
"Then some weird black beast comes out from the lab,I couldn't really tell out it's appearance due to the darkness and the fact it,as in,the monster,was pitch black."
"Josuke went gone closer and had,unsurprisingly,been chosen as the monster's new chew toy."
"Shotaro on the other hand had inputted the code,7, before hearing all the noise and going over to help Josuke."
"He,of course,didn't press the enter button."
(edited by Eito)
"Ay,Ryoma,can you make us some coffee?Price is on me."
"Okay,so,me being the rational human being I am,decide to stay away from the fight and decide to press the 'enter' key."
"The vault door opened up and on the other side was a catwalk."
"Despite my insistent shouting that we should move on,nobody comes my way."
"I draw my weapons and run in."
The man heeds the request and begins brewing some coffee for the group.
"Shotaro,just as I enter the battle,pulls out some USBs and some objects,a camera,cell phone and a speaker."
"He inserts the USBs and calls out..."
*Ahem*
"BAT"
"STAG"
"FROG"
"The items take the shapes of the animals,respectively."
"The 'Bat Phone' started flying around and flashing the monster,succesfully annoying it."
"The 'Stag Phone' grabs the 'Frog Speaker' and starts running,just out of the Beast's reach while the 'Frog Speaker' keeps saying out some annoying catchphrase,succesfully annoying the Beast further."
"Though,to be honest,the fucking things did do something useful."
"They distracted the Beast while we attacked,saving my ass after a failed attack."
"Shotaro,then has the fucking gall to tell us to run to the Vault Door while he kept the Beast at bay."
"I wasn't about that so,I attempted to drag him away."
"Josuke,being the ass that he is,decides to leave after failing to hurt the Beast twice."
(edited by Eito)
The coffee finishes brewing as Ryoma begins handing out cups.
I can only assume he was worried about your safety. He sounds like he had a plan after all.
"I suppose so."
"After that,he frees himself from my grasp and gets his little robots to flee while we run as fast as we fucking can to the Vault Door."
"We get in and close it."
"Shotaro leaves soon after by a side door."
"Now it's just me and Taiga."
Eito grabs his coffee and takes a big gulp,apparently too engaged in his story to slow down and enjoy it like the last time he drank it.
"We had a conversation,became sorta friends and forged on."
"After pressing some buttons and getting rotated around a bit,we get called test subjects by some voice and get our first enemy."
"Inside a green vortex of wind was a fucking monster ferret with scythes for arms."
(edited by Eito)
"The monster flies in and stabs Taiga,now transformed into a Kamen Rider,in the leg."
"This was not a good decision for the monster ferret."
"Taiga is barely affected,pulling out a gun and shooting the fucking thing."
"It predictably flies away."
"In our moment of respite,he informs me that his suit and powers are based of off FPS games."
"The monster flies at us from above."
"I execute my strategy."
"Moving away and getting only grazed in the leg,I was lucky."
"The monster was not."
"It hits the metal platform and gets eliminated by Taiga."
"After some shenanigans with a robotic vending machine that tried to kill us,Taiga getting using a jetpack,miniguns and rockets,we finally come face to face with the mastermind."
"It was a talking,three eyed black snake."
"We had a surprisingly casual conversation and it told me it's name:H'Drys."
"It then complimented us and let us go."
"The end."
Eito nearly collapses from sudden exhaustion.
OOC: I was just waiting for you to finish, though unfortunately it looks like Ryoma might be about done too.
IC:
"That sounded pretty cool, I take it its one of the games you guys play around here? I dunno"
Nanashi shrugs and looks over Eito with concern
"Do you need any help? You look pretty rough there. Don't get out much, do you?"
At the sudden end to the story, Saeko simply scratches her cheek, with a bewildered expression.
"I-I see. Uhm... That seems like... quite the adventure..."
Nanashi briefly runs after Ryoma, only to quickly fall behind
"Wait, but I got your..... Oh well, I'm sure I'll find him again pretty soon."
Nanashi walks back to the group with a smile
"Oh well, he seems cool, I can't wait to meet him again. What about you Murakami-san, have you thought of anything I can do for you so we can be friends?"
Panting,Eito smiles excitedly.
"All that storytelling got me pumped!"
"See ya guys later!"
Eito jogs off.
"Well, farewell, kid, Mister Sakamichi." She mutters, a bit late.
"Sorry, Nanase, was it? I do not have anything for you. Why not go find something you want to do? I need to go browse some stores and see if I can find any coffee beans, for cheap."
Saeko briefly checks the time on the old phone she carries, before pocketing it, and leaving with a wave over her shoulder.
Nanashi waves back to Murakami-san and lingers in front of the building for a bit
"What I want to do? All I want to do is be able to help people. Course, I'm not too useful, but anything would make me happy."
With the area abandoned, Nanashi would shrug before wandering off to another part of the city with a smile.