Desserts in the Desert

A few days had now passed since Zaine had gotten back into his routine of training mixed in with his guilty pleasure of reading mystery and thriller novels. He laid back reclined in a chair located in his living room as he read the newest edition to a series named After Dark Horror  that he was obsessed with called "Painter". It was the early morning as Zaine turned page after page completely losing track of the time. Hours passed by like minutes to Zaine and before he was aware it was noon! He had planned to invite his mentor over to his home for dinner that night but first needed to stop by to ensure that he had no plans. This was the thought process that he reasoned but in truth Zaine lusted after the opportunity to get some free fruit form what he felt was one of the best gardens in the entire village. He would close his book marking his page "187" as he stood up and placed it on his counter. Zaine would throw on a dark teal long sleeve shirt bearing the Uchiha crest to which he would roll the sleeves half way up his forearms, grab a pair of khaki straight legged pants and tie his headband around his left arm. Turning off the lights in his home he would close the door behind him and head to Raleth's.

Zaine walked down the street at a relaxed pace with his hands laced together behind his head. The bright rays of the desert sun reflecting off of the metal of his headband, leaving a slight gloss of sweat on his brow. He was only about 5 minutes from Raleth's home and because of this decided to take his time and really enjoy his walk. In the distance he could hear a couple debating over which restaurant they would go to for lunch, children laughing and jumping about playfully and birds chirping intertwined with the sounds of grains of sand dancing with the wind. This brought a smile to Zaine's face, the village was in such a good place and this was invaluable. 5 Minutes of taking in his surroundings would pass before in finally came across the home of his old sensei. "I wonder if he's even home right now?" Zaine remarked as he walked towards the front door and knocked, waiting patiently. 


[WC- 397*2(Event bonus)= 794 WC]

A fresh sun breaks over the sand-swept horizon, bathing the village hidden in the sand, Sunagakure, it new-day rays. Raleth is where he usually is at this time, in his small, back-porch garden: watering his plants. A navy and silver-trimmed kimono, bearing the bloooming flower of the Sarutobi, wraps around the broad and impressive frame of the aged man, and gives the imposing man a kind and gentle appearance. He dips his ornate, clay water pail into each of his fruiting plants. He finds that today, the oranges are feeling sassy, and the grapes are agitated. His small apple tree is excited, its leaves almost stretch toward the sun rays breaking through the porch. The lavender, roses, and sunflowers are all in a great mood, and drink the water with such zeal that it makes Raleth laugh. He cares for his plants, enjoying the sun rising in the sky.

A knock on his door some time later breaks Raleth from his thoughts, the Sarutobi places the water pail on the porch, and goes to his front door. As he opens, a welcome sight greets him, a shinobi he can no longer call his student, but his comrade. Unconsciously, he rubs his forearms: still feeling the sting of the results from their spar.

"Good morning Zaine. Please, come in, the oranges are just about ready!" 
Raleth says with his thrumming voice, opening his home for his friend. Knowing Zaine will follow, Raleth leads the Uchiha to his living room, gesturing for him to sit. The Sarutobi then goes to his back porch, and picks the sweetest oranges, and quickly slices them up. He comes back to the living room with a plate, and goes to the kitchen: preparing a kettle of lemon and ginseng tea.

"What brings you here, so early?" Raleth says from the kitchen.

WC = 305 x 2 (event bonus) = 605

The hospitality of his old master always provided Zaine with a sense of comfort, his place was like a home away from home but even with this comfort Zaine maintained his manners. Walking behind Raleth Zaine would look around at the familiar home while being taken over by a feeling of warmth. Sitting in a chair at his table Zaine would watch as Raleth grabbed a few oranges from his garden and brought them back for their enjoyment. This was Zaine's favorite fruit from his garden and having said this to him multiple times he figured it as a gesture of kindness. Zaine took a bite of the orange slice as he looked over at Raleth who was now readying some tea for the two. Zaine had plans to have a dinner and knew that Raleth had the fortune of meeting some of their fellow shinobi that had taken part in the village assessment and thought maybe he could reach out to them so they might attend. "Well ts been a pretty long week for everyone as i'm sure youve noticed and I think it would be a good idea everyone had a chance to unwind". Zaine would take another  bite of the orange before speaking again "I havent really had the privilege of meeting too many of our comrades so, I was wondering if you could extend the invitation to the others that would be great." Zaine, having finished his orange would stand up and motion over to raleth while he brewed the tea. He was fairly confident his friend would agree to the proposal and because of this Zaine began to plan in his mind what he would make for the dinner. 


After receiving Raleth's reply Zaine would give him a few more details "Its going to be a potluck of sorts so let them know to bring something they enjoy or that they feel others would enjoy! Its set for 8 o'clock tonight". Having given the information, Zaine would listen to Raleth's comments and thoughts on the situation before taking his leave, stopping at the food market on the way home and making his way back to his home. Upon arriving he would begin to prepare the meal he had planned for everyone. He began preparation to make stuffed beef peppers with a side of mixed vegetables and seasoned rice. It would take a few hours to get ready but that should leave him more than enough time.


[WC- 411*2(Event Bonus)=822 WC

The kettle whistles from the kitchen, drowning out the words that Zaine spoke to Raleth. Raleth takes the kettle off the fire, and pours the lemon-ginseng tea into two clay cups. Putting them on decorated tray, Raleth walks out of his kitchen with tea, and places tea tray down: handing Zaine his cup. Raleth sits opposite, ignorant of what the Uchiha spoke of. Smiling and enjoying the company of his friend,  Raleth goes through the movements of the tea ceremony: tasting the sour lemon and bitter ginseng, enjoying the overall sweet taste, aroma, and feeling. Raleth places the tea cup and speaks, his deep voice thrumming over the wooden table.
"Forgive me, Zaine, I did not hear what you said. You said something about a dinner?"
The Uchiha explains his idea for a potluck dinner, and tells Raleth that most, if not all, Sunagakure shinobi should be invited. Zaine feels that an evening to unwind will be what everyone needs, and may even sow the seeds of friendship, teamwork, and victory. At the very least, it will be a wonderful night and a fond memory.
"I absolutely love the idea. I don't know many of the shinobi, but i will do what I can." 
As raleth stares at the young man in front of him, Zaine, a thought comes to his mind, and a mischevious grin spreads over his scarred face. "There was a woman I met the other night, the lady who ran the assement. If I recall, Zaine, she's single. And a very high ranked shinobi, would make you a proper husband" 
Raleth already knows the look that Zaine will have when the words escape his lips, the Sarutobi roars into booming laughter, and stands.

"I can't speak for the others, but I'll be there for 8!"

The two shinobi finish their cups of tea, Raleth walks Zaine out of the door. With haste, Raleth goes and grabs some ink and paper. He writes a simple invitation and places it in his basket. With haste, Raleth grabs a white Sarutobi kimono with black trim, a wide-brim, straw hat, a basket of fruit and walks out the door. Turning down his street, he walks to that familiarly intoxicating smell of the building on the corner, the Uncle's Dragon Tea Shop. It being the morning, the elderly couple, the Harushunos, had yet to open up for shop. But Raleth was not looking for them, but the one who would be sweeping up the front porch. The couples seven year-old grandson, Mitaka. When the young boy spots the imposing but kind Sarutobi, he drops his broom and runs, yelling, "Mr. Raleth, Mr. Raleth!"

The aged shinobi kneels down and scoops the excitable seven year old in his arms, laughing and throwing him in the air before placing him down safely. As was their game, Raleth grabs a fruit from his basket, a ripe and juicy strawberry. He places both hands behind his back, and shuffles the fruit between two hands, expertly placing it his kimono. He extends both hands, fist closed, to Mitaka. "Which one is it in, Mitaka?"

Mitaka's eyebrows furrow, he looks as if he's thinking really hard. He picks Raleth's right hand, and is dismayed when he finds it empty. He forces Raleth's other fist open, when he finds it empty he looks bewildered. Chuckling, Raleth grabs the strawberry from his kimono, hiding it from the eyes of Mitaka. He reaches his hand behind the seven-year-olds ears, and with magic, makes a strawberry appear. The seven year old laughs at the silly antics of the aged Sarutobi, Raleth stands up, and speaks,
"Mitaka, I need your help. When your grandparents go to the market for their order of dumplings, have them take these to the kasekage's office. You can do that, can you?"

The seven-year-old nods, and leaves to tell his grandparents about Mr. Raleth's visit. The invitation's Raleth wrote were for Musu Uzumaki and Mizuki Ohta, and Gurren Chinoike and gave precise directions of where the pot luck would be held. He adds that any and all plus-ones are welcome, and urges both Musu and Mizuki to invite more of the suna shinobi. But, Raleth, knowing people, sets the dinner time for 15 minutes before 8, to ensure that even those who were fashionable would be on time. Quickly, Raleth returns home. He puts on many kettles of tea, and even distills some grapes he had been fermenting in the Suna sun. Throughout the day, Raleth Sarutobi prepares his plate (and drinks) for the potluck.

WC = 741 x 2 (event bonus) = 1482

The reconstruction of Mizuki’s home seemed to be the focus of most of her recent free time - which trees, if any, she wanted removed from the land, did she want a basement, an upstairs?, and the constant need for approval at every turn was wearing on her patience. So when it came time for the mail carrier to approach her with a hesitant - “Ms. Ohta?” - it was the last straw. She turned with an intense glare on her face and a slightly inhuman growl to her voice, “What is it now!?” The look on the woman's face alone caused Mizuki to straighten and compose herself again, the smooth porcelain skin relaxing into the usual calm she portrayed. “Sorry. Been a long day and I’m pretty sure if I hear my last name once more I will full on snap.” Her gaze dropped to the letter she still held in slightly trembling fingers, with an exaggerated gentleness she pulled the letter from her hands and nodded her thanks, only allowing the woman to stare at her for a few more seconds before clearing her throat and moving her head in a dismissive manner - the woman turned at once and walked as fast as she could from her. Had it been a male she may have gotten a different reaction, women though didn’t warm to her nearly as easily - perhaps she preferred that anyways. 

Remaining motionless until the retreating figure of the woman was out of sight she finally looked down at the letter, opening it curiously - another mission already? As she read over the short inscription the look of exhaustion morphed into mischief, it was an invitation to a pot luck being held by the other member of Guren’s team, Zaine. She was asked to bring some food and whomever else she wished to bring with her. The only person she could think of was Kenshin - the man could use some socialization; he nearly lived a hermit's life in that tower, only interacting with those who came to him and herself of course. It was mid day at this point and the invitation wanted them to be at the door 15 minutes before 8 this evening, the real challenge was what to cook when her home was under-construction? The first thing that popped into her head was a dish her mother used to make, Sukiyaki, simple in execution as you threw everything into a pot and let it simmer to perfection so as long as she had everything in the pot she could set it and forget it once she got there, shouldn’t take long to be ready. 


She folded the invite up and tucked it away in her pocket, quickly jogged inside for her ryo bag and made her way to the market to gather ingredients before she went to the Spire. The market was flooded with mid day shoppers but she made her visit as efficient as possible, hitting each store in quick succession until she had everything on her mental shopping list - Tofu, shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, cabbage, tong ho, green onions, mung bean noodles, thinly sliced fatty beef, dashi stock, a five pound bag of rice, a carton of eggs and lastly a large cast iron deep skillet. With her groceries in hand she made her way to the Spire, touched the part on the wall with her hand and was instantly transported into the Kazekage office - which she knew from her extensive time here, had a small kitchenette for the nights Kenshin was here late into the night. It was at the behest of Mizuki that this be included as it was obvious the man never remembered to eat unless he was near forced by her, she had initially hoped the addition of it would remind him often enough but she was proved wrong almost immediately. Nevertheless she walked into the side room and dumped everything on the short counter space before getting to work - cutting, slicing and preparing all ingredients while adding each one by one to the large skillet. 

As she worked she assumed Kenshin would have at least asked her what it was she was making… and probably why such a large amount, to which she would simply take the invitation from her pocket and place it firmly in his hand with a pointed look on her face. “It is about time you stop living in this room and act a little closer to your age hmm?” Her look was pointed but her tone revealed a worry she was unwilling to outwardly express - it was unhealthy to avoid social interactions plus she would be lying if she wasn’t excited to see everyone in a setting that wasn’t so serious. Everything was in the pot at this point and she covered it with the lid before turning to face him and lean back against the counter, “You're bringing the alcohol, we both know the only proper way to form bonds is under the influence.”, she was teasing him, the smile unable to be contained. Glancing up at the clock she would snap her fingers, “Shoot that took longer than I wanted, get changed if you plan on it - whomever it is you want to go as today, I’ll be waiting.” As she released him to his task she would clean up her mess, throwing scraps away and cleaning up the small mess she had made then taking a rope from her weapons pouch she fastened it around the pot in the same way hanging planters were suspended; the remaining length held in her hand like a handle. 

She would wait at the symbol on the wall, as if it were a door, when Ken would return they would set out for the house the letter listed.

Sukiyaki:

WC 962

Guren received his invitation like the others and immediately began to wonder what type of dish he should prepare. Truthfully he hadn't had much experience cooking. Since he was young family meals were always short lived and deemed unimportant, thus he always ate alone. As he one by one lost the people he had known growing up, eating time became more and more personal and isolated. There weren't very many times where he would have a home cooked meal, and so he never really learned how to prepare one. While he was certainly willing to try, he was still concerned as his first stab at it would be for multiple people and not just himself. Thus there was little room for error. To him, all of this seemed like a foreign concept, but simultaneously exciting. Perhaps it could create a sense of community within the village, maybe even on a friendship level. 

While Guren debated the trivial aspects of the invite and its implications, he had taken to the refrigerator within his apartment. Opening it up was like a reminder of the barren sands of Sunagakure's desert. It was nearly empty except for a half dozen carton of eggs and some milk. Closing the fridge, he took to his cupboards and cabinets. Again empty. This time however he would find cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and a variety of seasonings and spices. It wasn't looking good for him. But alas he was clever enough to come to some type of idea. What if....he were to throw everything into a bowl, mix it, and then bake it? That surely had to yield some results right? Well, it wouldn't hurt to try. 

Thus Guren retrieved two bowls from his cabinet, the only two bowls he owned. In one he would dump all the dry ingredients and in the other, the wet along with a drizzle of oil. After each set of ingredients were well whisked, he dumped the wet ingredients into the dry and then further stirred those into one big concoction. The result was a golden yellow mixture which surprisingly looked quite attractive. In fascination he swirled around the bowl until the liquid was flowing smoothly, then he poured its contents into a mid sized baking pan.As the oven was already preheated, now it was just time for him to put this "batter" like substance into the oven, and so he did. After about 20 minutes, he opened the oven and to his surprise the batter had baked into an immaculate loaf of cornbread, with its edges cooked to the point where they browned and crisped. Guren had surprised himself, as the food in front of him looked delicious. Although his mouth salivated over its sight, he knew taking a small slice for a taste test would disturb the perfection of its existence. Therefore he would wait until he got to the dinner to try it for himself and deliver a verdict. The only problem about this would be if it tasted poorly, anyone who tried it would have to suffer. But on the likely chance it was good, maybe they would enjoy this homemade cornbread that Guren prepared. 

He placed a cover on top of the baking pan to seal in the bread's warmth, and threw on his yukata cardigan, and headed out the door. He would head straight to the location written on the invite. When he would arrive there was no one else waiting outside, just him...holding a pan full of irresistible cornbread. He would knock with his free hand and await entry to the home. 

Cornbread:

(WC = 599)

Raleth never missed an opportunity to poke at Zaine's affinity to avoid romantic involvement and this comment like many others would be met with a slight smirk and eye roll. The comment did strike a bit of interest in him; who would warrant praise like that. Either way he was sure he would find out later tonight. "Well if shes such a beauty, why don't you marry her? You're the one who's getting on in the years. I've got to focus on training for the time being". Zaine would stand up after finishing his tea and and start for the door before turning around and speaking again "Just make sure you're not late! You're late to everything and if any high ranking shinobi show up itll look unbecoming". Zaine said playfully before taking his exit from Raleth's home. 

Two hours had passed since Zaine made it home from his visit to Raleth which would leave him with exactly six hours before his guests would arrive for dinner. This would be more than enough time for him to get himself together and finish preparing dinner for as many guests that would fit his dining room table, 10 exactly. Removing his shoes and heading straight for the kitchen Zaine would begin to grab his peppers, beef,pots and bag of rice along with a myriad of spices. He would begin preparation by preheating the oven, grabbing a large pot and filling it with water, spices and more than a fair amount of butter and enough rice to feed up to 10 people. After putting the pot of rice to heat he would begin to remove the tops, seeds and membranes of the bell peppers, making sure to hollow them out before placing them in an orderly fashion on a baking pan. Forty five minutes would pass before he began prepping the beef by taking the now fully cooked rice and pouring it into a mixing pot with the browned beef, garlic powder, tomato sauce, steak sauce, salt and pepper. Once he had finished he would slide the pan into the oven to cook for one and a half hours. The meal would be prepared before the guests would arrive and with Zaine periodically checking on it he would be free to focus on preparing his home and getting himself ready.

Zaine would begin by sweeping the entirety of his home twice through and disposing of the dust, dirt and loose pieces of cloth an paper that dirtied the floor. After this he would prepare the mope to give it a nice and thorough cleaning, making sure to get underneath all furniture in each of the three rooms. To his surprise as he finished mopping he would be met with a knocking noise at his front door; but by who? And this early? At this point it was two hours before guests were set to arrive and dinner wasn't quite ready, nor was his home in the condition he would want to present it. Still, Zaine made his way over to the front door after placing the mop back in the bucket, all the while wondering to himself if Raleth had given out an incorrect time to the guests he invited. Upon opening the door Zaine was met with an..odd sight. A man dressed in a Jounin flak jacket whos hands appeared to be tied up with a large chicken and some herbs. Looking down at the feet of the man and then back up Zaine couldnt help but to let out a laugh accompanied by a large and welcoming smile "So i'm guessing you were so excited to get here you forgot to cook the meal first?". Zaine would turn his side profile to the man while taking a step back and extending his right arm back into his home with an open palm facing upwards, allowing the man enough space for entry into his home. "My name is Zaine Uchiha, im absolutely humbled to have you. Please make yourself at home and feel free to start cooking whenever you'd like". Following the shinobi's entrance into his home Zaine would return to tidying up the place after introductions were finished. It was time for him to get himself ready and begin setting the dining table promptly afterwards. 


Once he made his way to the master bedroom Zaine would turn straight towards his closet, swinging the sliding door of it open with haste. He already had an idea of what he would wear but was unsure if it was too casual, seeing as how he didn't exactly give out a dress code for the event. He wasnt one to get too dressed up regardless of the event however and decided that a casual appearance would offer a greater amount of comfort to his guests who were meeting him for the first time. Reaching into his closet with both hands he would grab a short sleeve button up shirt that was white in color with light yellow pineapples plotted across it with his right hand and khaki straight legged pants with his left. He would lay them out on his bed before bending over and reaching back into his closet to grab a pair of all brown steel toe boots and placing them at the side of the bed. Only about an hour was left before the guests would arrive and Zaine took this opportunity to hop into and take a quick shower, dry himself off and throw on all he had placed out to wear for the evening. He would reach onto his nightstand and grab his favorite watch that had a brown band that was complimented by an all gold face and clockwork design within the watch. Looking in the mirror and fixing his hair Zaine would straighten out his shirt and head back into the kitchen to pull out the stuffed peppers that would have undoubtedly finished cooking through and would be ready to be cooled and set out to eat. 


When the guests arrived they would walk into a home with an open floor plan that gave immediate vision from the front door to the living room which held a sectional couch, coffee table placed in front of it on top of a large rug and an entertainment center 15 feet in front of it with pictures of Zaine with family, friends and villagers he had come to be fond of. A hall too the left between the front door and living room and parallel to the kitchen would reveal the 3 bedrooms located on the right side of the hall evenly spaced with doors shut and 2 bathrooms to the left, each holding a shower, dual sinks and toilet. The dining table was located off to the right corner of the space between the living room and kitchen and would be set up with plates at each seat along with silverware. The food would remain in the kitchen until all guests arrived and everyone could place their meals on the table and begin eating together, that was unless someone arrived late, in which case anyone could feel free to start eating. With this, the second knock came and to his pleasant surprise it was his new captain! "Guren!" Zaine said with a smile "I was hoping you'd show up! Come on in and make yourself at home". Patting him on the shoulder and moving to the side to allow him in Zaine would look down unable to help himself and notice the wonderful smell of what was cornbread perhaps? The thought of it brought even more excitement to Zaine as this was one of his favorite foods. Closing the door behind Guren Zaine would Walk back into the living room for no more than five minutes before another knock at the door came. He thought that it would be his old friend Raleth but was in for an unexpected surprise.


Rushing over to the front door Zaine opened it without delay to be met by a young couple and one familiar face. Standing in his doorway was a man who was quite tall and very well dressed, carrying two bottles of what seemed to be high quality alcohol and a young woman with jet black hair, shorter in height but just as intense who had a dish she had more than likely prepared herself that smelled heavenly. At the moment he laid eyes on the two he would stutter for a moment not saying anything, there was something about them that felt almost overwhelming but unable to make sense of it Zaine would begin to speak, "Well hello again to you." He said as he looked at the young woman, then looking at the young man "I don't think ive had the pleasure of meeting you but either way, my name is Zaine Uchiha and you being here means that Raleth did an excellent job of sending out invitations." Zaine would move to the side, smiling but not in quite the same inviting fashion as he had with his previous two guests. There was mystery surrounding these two and he aimed to figure out more about them as the evening progressed. "Please make yourselves at home! Some of the others have already arrived". At this point the only guest who had not arrived was Raleth but having already figured he would be fashionably late Zaine wouldn't keep any of the guests from eating if they wished to begin. Closing the front door and following the two in he would take a moment to address everyone who had arrived. "Thank you all for making the time to come tonight, im hoping to get to know all of you and from here on out id like you to think of this place as another home! Guests are always welcome. So lets have a good night!". He would smile at his guests while wondering where Raleth was, he effectively only knew one of the people that had showed up and at this point was unsure how Raleth came to know the others. He was sure however that his questions would be answered in due time. 

Stuffed Peppers:

[WC=1,892 WC    Total=3,508]

The guests chat and mingle as they come in, milling around the room and each other. Strangers become neighbors, comrades become friends, the feeling of togetherness blooms in the potluck. As stomachs growl, the food is set, and each places their dish on the table: nourishing the eyes of all who could see. Zaine Uchiha is most likely antsy, and would be seen checking his watch. As Zaine Uchiha would check his watch, he would see the second hand pass over the 12, signifying 8 o’clock: and would know that his friend was late. 


Yet, before the man could think to chide his former master, to form whatever words would be used to scold the ash-white-haired Sarutobi, the strangest scent would tickle his nose. It was faint, yet powerful, and flowed through the nostrils like honey. His thoughts would calm, his breathing would steady, and giddy happiness would bud in his mind. As the seconds ticked away, and traveled over the watch’s face, all guests of Zaine’s Sunagakure Potluck would notice this strange smell; one by one, with no particular order on who would notice it first.


The scent was light, yet deep, aromatic and sweet: something that dulls all small conversation for a moment. Some would be reminded of flowers, others would be reminded of earth: all would feel the strangest twang of hunger. The food, for an unknown reason, began to shimmer and shine, not like gold, but like delicious food. Some would feel the urge to devour the entire table, yet, the sweet and deep scent would lull their actions; and even perhaps make them giggle at the thought of trying to eat a whole table. And soon, a curious sound would be heard from the outside of Zaine’s house, at exactly 8:01 PM.


 Bells like silver and gold would chime and ring at odd intervals, blending together in a wave of cascading sounds: bathing the guests of the potluck in joyous song. Some would be reminded of a glimmering waterfall, others, rich rain plattering on glass. Joy blooms like flowers, revelry blossoms in bosoms, the twinkling rings slow as something stops in front of the front door, silver and gold sing with a desert breeze. The door handle turns, the door opens, and tropical wave ofl citrus, berry, melon, and mango rolls into the room and over the guests like a fog cloud: drenching the taste buds with the dew of fruit. And, standing outside the house, pushing a small cart adorned with bells and billowing the giddy smoke of incense, is an impressive, broad, and bearded man, whose ash-white hair is tied in a regal knot, whose wrapped in a glowing-white kimono, trimmed with midnight black, and adorned with gilded, concentric circles: the blooming flower of the Sarutobi. 


With a smile so wide it spreads to his eyes, Raleth Sarutobi pushes his fruit cart into Zaine's home, beaming at the sight of so many guests, and friends. On his cart is multiple trays of fruit dripping with juice, cut and arranged in whimsical ways.


A melon has been carved and hollowed out, to give it the Visage of a smiling monkey, its teeth delectable slices of melon, and its mouth stuffed with citrus and berry. Mango monkey paws decorate plates, holding banana facsimiles of bo-staffs. Three large jugs waft a curiously spicy scent, and Raleht goes to the table, greeting everyone as he sets up his plate(s).


His heart jumps as he sees the Red-Haired Uzumaki, Musu, the animal and hunter who fought alongside him only days ago, against a formidable opponent. Raleth grasps Musu by the forearm, and shakes it well.


A mischievous smile sparks on the scarred, Sarutobi face as he sees Mizuki, a woman who has earned his respect for the skill she displayed in their spar, but also his ire for disrespecting some tea. Though, Raleth's respect for her outshine his ire, and he greets her warmly: like a long time friend.


The sight of Gurren, his leader, warms the joyous heart of Raleth. Almost forgetting himself, he pulls in Gurren for a hug: greeting him with familiarity and comradery.


Raleth stops in his tracks as he spots a giant of a man dressed in a sleek outfit, whose expression was controlled, yet intense. It was rare for the immense Raleth to feel dwarfed. And though the man looked thin, he radiated a power that was awesome. Not knowing who the man is, Raleth bows respectfully, eager to know more about this gargantuan individual, and the power he can almost sense.


The deep eyes of the Sarutobi light up when he spots his friend and brother, Zaine Uchiha. He raises his hand and nods, his words and meaning easily understood by the Uchiha. 
Sorry im late,, you know I had to prepare well.


He would share a laugh with Zaine, and possibly even have to deal with some scolding from the Uchiha. As he did, he would place his dishes on the table. And, to the surprise at all but Zaine, Raleth would grab three large barrels from under the cart, a spiced-sweetnees wafts from the wooden kegs. Hauling them on the table with ease, he adds a tap to each one. Each keg is marked.


One has a dizzy monkey
Another has a sleepy monkey
And one has a screaming monkey.


Those who drink the dizzy monkey will feel the room spin, and have urges to move and dance.
Those who drink the sleepy monkey will want to sit down, and enjoy the atmosphere and presence of all.
Those who drink the screaming monkey would feel a burst of energy and joy, and have urges to converse with everyone about nothing.


A sky smirk spreads over the Sarutobi, he gives no indication of what each keg will do. But, he hopes all will partake in his spiced tea, and knows the potluck will be a night to remember.

WC = 990
Total WC = 2472