A Quiet Drink In The Rain [Open]

One would have guessed from his shadow that Takeo was a bigger man than he was. He was taller than most, his shoulders broad and arms long. His shoulders hunched over the man kept his head bent downward, eyes to the floor. His shadow stretched out behind him, a firm reminder of what the man had once been an imposing presence that was dark and more than a little monstrous. Yet the man the shadow remained stubbornly attached to was not that, not any more anyway.

He appeared old and withered. His bones ached from wounds that never truly healed. With every other movement the man's ears were greeted with a familiar popping sound coming from his left knee. His white hair which had been kept short before now had grown down to his shoulders. There it lay limply against his frame, weighed down by the rain that never seemed to cease. The beginnings of facial hair once more frame his jawline. The man had forsaken shaving these days, his hands weren't as dexterous as before and he didn't wish to risk injuring himself further.

Takeo was a sorry sight most days now. At least he had the shred of comfort in knowing that the village he now resided in was the same as himself. The storm circle that surrounded the islands did little to liven up the place, the howling winds and lightning crackling in the near distance a constant reminder of the hole in which he had crawled to.

Yet there was no where else to go. The tired man eased himself into a chair of one of the beach bars that lay on the smallest of the ten islands. A remainder of the old village of Shimagakure, Takeo had taken to visiting the place each day to drink away the whisper in his mind. The less his mind was sharp, the less the voice was heard. It was a simple and yet effective way of allowing Takeo to sleep at night without nightmares.

The bar was empty, as expected given that today was a foul one, save for the lone bartender and Takeo himself. Takeo hadn't learned of the man's name yet. These days Takeo wasn't one for conversation at all. Apart from the odd conversation he had with his sisters there was scarce human interaction on his part. Then again why would there be? Most of his friends were dead.

He knew of Denkiteki's death through a letter he had received from the man months before. While their previous interactions had been hostile Takeo still admired the man. It was unfortunate that his life had ended before he could reconcile with his former team leader.

Takeo's thoughts were interrupted when the glass of cider was handed to him. Takeo gave a curt nod to the bartender. In the back of his mind he made a note to ask the man's name at some point. Not that it would matter, Takeo had never been that great with names anyway.

The bartender was an older man, apparently he had lived on the islands for most of his life. A relic of the old ways of the islands it seemed. Regardless of the weather the bar was open, as was evident by today. Takeo had heard that he had never taken a day off in his life. Takeo was inclined to believe the tales. He had never seen the bartender leave the counter in his time in Kirigakure. Takeo had wondered if the man's legs were simply melded into the wooden planks of the floor.

Takeo dropped from the bar stool to said wooden flooring. A grimace crossed over his face as his ankle protested such a movement. However the man shook it off. He made his way to the edge of the decking. Sitting on one of the sofa's that offered a view of the water side the man turned his gaze out toward the ocean and into the storm. The rain continued to drum against the roof that sheltered the bar from the weather. This place was calming, despite the weather, it allowed for Takeo to take his mind away from the present.

Perhaps given time he would grow used to the village he thought. Spending the rest of his days sat here didn't seem like that bad of an idea at all.

It was raining. The dreary atmosphere above did nothing to liven nor dampen Yatagarasu's mood- she simply stood there, looking up. She blinked as raindrops fell into her eyes. She needed to go inside, but... The storm was calming. The push and pull of the winds that made her blood thrum in her ears, the endless crashing of the waves- to other ninja, it might have been dangerous, but to her, it was home. The weapon pouch at her left thigh was filled with seals she had created earlier the day, and her fingers were sore from all the notes she had taken regarding the subject. Warm rain continued to pound down. What the hell, she thought. I'll get a drink. Her fingers curled around the door handle, and she pushed open the door silently. A drop of water fell from her headband onto her nose. She wiped it off and approached the counter. A man in the corner of the bar, however, caught her eye- one with shoulder length white hair and a tall figure. He was gazing out at the storm with an unreadable expression in his eyes.

The bartender, an older fellow, asked her what she wanted, but she simply asked for something to take her mind off things. After a few moments, he slid her a smaller glass of a clear liquid. It smelled strong. Good. She eyed the man in the corner once more. Normally, she made no move to approach strangers, but... This one seemed interesting. Something drew her to the man. Her shoes made barely audible taps on the floor as she walked across the floor. Next, she sat down on the sofa next to him. Not close enough to make contact, of course- physical contact was something she tried to avoid when she could. Yatagarasu looked down and swirled the drink in the glass. Suddenly, it didn't feel as appetizing anymore. From her position next to the window, the steady drumming of the rain was much louder. She exhaled through her nose.

"One of those days?" her voice rang soft, yet every word carried throughout the empty bar. She scratched her ear with her free right hand, thin strands of black hair falling down in front of her eyes. Head inclining upwards to gaze into the seemingly endless storm circle, the young woman's expression turned contemplative. One of those days, indeed.

The glass remained cupped in his hands which rest on his lap. Takeo had always enjoyed the rain. The sun was a harsh thing, the cause of sunburn and heat stroke. It's why he preferred colder weather to hotter weather. In the winter you could wrap up warm in your house and enjoy your time. In the summer there was little you could do other than suffer. Rain was the same as cold weather. One could remain indoors, simply staring out the window and watching nature. The sound of the rain drumming against the roof was a constant white noise in the background. If he focused on it then he was able to drown out all the other noises he heard. The whispers stopped, and that is why he liked the rain.

It was a practice that Takeo had fallen into. A habit of drifting out of focus in order to escape his reality. There were upsides, it allowed to him relax for one. His mind unfocused on his own problems meant for a care free afternoon and there was nothing better than that.

There were also downsides, such as not noticing when someone was approaching.

Takeo only noticed the presence of a third individual when the sofa subtly dipped inward as they sat to his side. He froze for the most fleeting of moments, his mind rapidly refocusing in on his surroundings. His body almost went into autopilot, his body tensing as he was ready to spring into action.

There was no immediate threat. Takeo's blinked, his vision focusing in on the present once more. His body relaxed and he made a slight turn of his head to examine the stranger.

First impressions deemed them to be female. Takeo hadn't seen them before so they were indeed confirmed to be a stranger in his own mind. He made the assumption that the person was there for social interaction. With the rest of the bar empty it would explain why they sat next to him. His suspicions were mostly confirmed when the person spoke.

Takeo's mouth was dry. A small sip of the drink that had now become lukewarm was taken by himself. "You could say that." The man replied to the question. His eyes wandered back out to the window. The rain continued to pour down. Takeo wondered if it would ever stop, not that he wanted it to. "Though I suppose I would be more inclined to say I'm having 'one of those months'." Didn't really roll off the tongue that well Takeo noted.

The man took another sip from the glass. "The same for yourself I assume? One of those days? I can't fathom why someone else would be here today." While he had been leaning forward before, lost in the depths of his daydreaming, now the man shifted to rest back against the sofa. This shift was mostly due to the pain in his lower back he now felt. Yet another side effect of his previous wounds.

Heyo requesting this just be voided and removed cheers.