A night of Interesting People

Emi’s life had been so busy recently with all the missions that she had been undertaking that she hasn’t had much time for herself. This was something she planned on changing today since she didn’t have any missions she needed to complete. The youngish genin had decided that she would go and participate in one of her favorite past times… people watching. Of course she had a few errands that she needed to run and get done before she started doing this. Plus, she wanted it to be closer to night time because that’s when the city square would be absolutely jumping with people.

Emilia left her house and made sure to lock the door behind her. She headed out to the grocery store that was close to her house to get a few necessary items. Emi wouldn’t spend too much time at the store since she knew where everything was, she even had time to say hey to a few employees that she has seen quite a few times. She moved out of the store and down the street with the few bags of groceries that she had. None of them were heavy enough to be of concern though and so it was pretty easy getting back home.

”Well, I’m glad I got that taken care of. Now it’s time to clean the house and then I think I will head out towards the city square.”

While she was still in her morning relaxing clothes, Emi went to clean. She started by vacuuming the house, which was wood flooring so it was easy to maneuver around. Once she was done with that - she started wiping down and dusting different items around the house - particularly any glass objects. After she got done with that, her attention was pulled towards the dishes that still needed to be cleaned. So she’d spend the next little bit getting that done and putting them up in their rightful spots.

”Okay, let’s take a little nap and then it should be time to go.”

– – – – –

The sun had finally started going down when Emilia woke up from her long power nap and made her way into her room - getting her normal attire out to wear. Once she did this, she made sure that her left arm was wrapped and covered appropriately - finally putting on some black sandals that match the rest of what she had on. She walked out the house and locked the door behind her, darting off to the city square with so much joy on her face.

”I wonder what sort of interesting people will be out and about tonight…” She pondered this thought all the way to the city square.

As she approached her destination, she would leap into the air and onto some of the shops. She wanted to find her final perching place so that she could look down onto the crowd and just watch as the people walked by. Emi continued leaping from buildings as she made her way into the heart of the city, the place where it was the most busy, but also the place that had the shadiest areas. She figured she would be able to spot some crazy things happening down below in this area. She had landed onto a building that gave her a really great view down below, though it wasn’t the tallest spot around - she wanted to still be able to see what was going on.

”Look at all these people… just doing what they want and enjoying life. Amazing.”

Her golden eyes pierced down below with happiness.. The wind blowing here black hair gently as the sun was setting down below some of the buildings - allowing the night sky to shine through. The street lights on the city lit up all at the same time, at least that’s how Emilia saw it.

”So magnificent.”



– – – –

WC: 670

The days had served Joski well. Warm sun and the passive company of a village people that didn't seem to want anything to do with him; it was a situation he couldn't have wished better of. Becoming a nameless, faceless figure in a crowd was an art he had brought to perfect in his year of time in the crowded eastern city, and blending in to the cities' backdrop had become like second nature. This, of course, didn't stop him from casting a side-eye to those he could quite easily peg as the villages' ninja forces or the prominent members of the Queen's Guard in their shining armor that marched up and down the streets. And yet, no one spared him a glance. Why should they? The black haired youth with a lanky build and a slender complexion was quintessential image of unassuming.

Joski would have it no other way.

Such a nonchalant disposition allowed him to linger amid the shops of the city, haunting the cafes and ghosting from one place to another without expectation. Work? Obligation? What where either of those? A set of star-shaped sunglasses sat perched on the bridge of the man's nose, shielding his eyes from the sun as it slowly rose up and began to sink back down. Somewhere in the day, he had even managed to fall asleep in the outdoor chair of a cafe with a drink settled besides him in the midst of contemplating doing something productive with his day. Sleep had overtaken him before he had come to a definite conclusion, his unconscious mind more than willing to take the lead on the decision making process.

When he awoke, the square was full of people as the evening had begun to settle in. The villagers had gone about their day and where now enjoying their free time socializing and taking care of errands of pleasure as opposed to business. A flicker out of the corner of his vision would have escaped his view entirely had he not happened to be looking skyward towards the growing twilight. A village ninja observed from the roof near by. Must be nice, having such a vantage point. Joski had failed to take advantage of the higher positions of the city less he break that veil of a mundane figure and likely be approached to inquire as to why he wasn't wearing a proper indication of his village. And that is a whole conversation that he could potentially avoid. Imagine engaging in small talk.

Through the crowd would wander someone less than savory, however. Half an hour had passed since Joski had awoken, and removed from things as he might be, the repetition of a face moving amidst the crowd would inevitably garner the attention of the seasoned traveler. The man was lanky in all the worst ways, an abundance of chin complimenting a rather wicked hunch topped with a comb over of thinning hair. The guy looked about as unpleasant as one might expect from a guy who wouldn't watch where they were going in a crowd, bumping into people here and there only to mumble an apology here and there. Of course, to the untrained eye, this was just a clumsy man who had no where to be in a hurry. To Joski, however, he would spot the exchange taking place; a platitude in exchange for the loose wallet and bills in a persons pocket. A classic pickpocket act.

Steadily, eyes would turn up towards the shinobi on the roof, wondering if they would take notice of the man who seemed to be lingering in the square for all too long, or if Joski would have to address the problem himself. Not that the traveler considered himself some kind of vigilante, but if he could walk away with half a days haul for some deft fingers and rob the robber, then what harm would there be?

WC - 653

The young girl had continued to take her time staring up at the stars for a bit - quickly turning her gaze down to the crowd of people. Her golden eyes scanned through the crowd excitedly - attempting to find anything interesting. For the first little while, it was mostly folks just bustling through, she spotted someone sleeping down below, and then there were all kinds of people going in and out of shops. At this point though, nothing had really been able to grab the genin's attention like she was hoping. ”Not that I really know what I’m looking for, but can something interesting please happen?” Her thought was that she had come out here for a reason and for the most part, things had been pretty easy going. At least… until she looked back down at the crowd once more.

The first thing she noticed was that the man who had been asleep earlier, was now awake and still sitting in his same spot - kind of odd. Maybe he just didn’t have much to do? He seemed a bit odd with the dark color clothes he wore and the paleness of his skin - was he okay? She allowed the thought to linger for just a second but noticed that he seemed to be honed in on something and would transfer her eyes into the crowd, catching a face that she had seen previously. The supremely hunched back with a chin that was more than normal gave it away, but to top it off - the guy's comb over might have been the worst one Emi had ever seen. It looked like just a few lines of hair pulled over because there was nothing else to do with them. ”Should probably just go bald”. She giggled slightly at her own joke, which might be a bad habit of hers.

Anyways, the guy had made his way up and down the street quite a few times, which seemed pretty peculiar to Emi. Her right hand rested under her chin as she had an interesting expression appear. It was an expression of curiosity, simply because the sleeping man had now focused his attention towards this character, Emi could tell that much and so she was sure if he knew him or what the deal was. Her big eyes glanced over to the street once more and that’s when she saw it happen, the most obvious pickpocket in the world. Well maybe obvious to her because she had a higher vantage point and was looking down, even in the sea of crowded people, she could spot his hand moving ever so gently towards the person's pocket… grabbing any loose bills or wallets he could get. No wonder the man had been bumping into folks - was this his act? Emilia had never seen pickpocketing being done before, so she had only just caught on to this.

”Okay, well now that I realize his reason for bumping into people, I certainly can’t just let him continue to do this. Gotta act since no one else is.”

Emilia put her hands on her knees and pushed down, helping herself up after sitting and squatting for so long. Not that she wanted to do any work for the village tonight, but she couldn’t standby and watch someone take hard earned money from folks - it would never sit right with her. So she headed down to the street, hopping from the rooftop on down, probably took her five or six seconds in total to get down. Emilia made sure that she didn’t lose sight of the unpleasant man, in fact he was heading straight towards her. He was in such a pattern that he didn’t even notice there was a village shinobi walking his way. As he bumped into an innocent looking man in business attire, Emilia grabbed his hand, stopping it from unnecessary entry and taking what wasn’t his.

”Nice try, but you have had your fun tonight.”

Her eyes shifted slightly as if she had expected something or someone to move - she wanted to keep an eye on her surroundings.


– – – –

WC: 700
TWC: 1370

Naturally, she would have to intervene. It mattered little to the man's reasoning; one could not simply steal from the unsuspecting under the eyes of a village shinobi and expect not to be confronted. Joski would quietly lament that he wouldn't have the opportunity to lift the ill-gotten gain off the man himself and use it to treat himself to a nice meal and a soft sigh would escape his lips as he watched the shinobi maneuver gracefully to the ground and move to confront the man. There would be other days to serve a cold slice of justice to a pickpocket, but at the very least, he should make sure things didn't get out of hand, and just as the girl entered the crowd, Joski would heft himself from his chair. Star-shaped sunglasses were plucked from his nose and cast aside to the table he had been sitting next to; a prize for someone else to stumble upon. In another moment, he, too, became part of the crowd like a fish rejoining an ever-moving stream of water, vanishing beneath the surface without so much as a splash.


The day had been an extraordinary one- the last day of the week often was. People had collected their paychecks and were out and about to buy one thing or another and often had enough in their pockets that they wouldn't notice the slip of a bill here and there until it was far too late. For Tahro, this was just another day in the life of a burglar; a man who subsisted on others' hard work. A bottom feeder, most would call him. To him, however, it was just as legitimate a business as any other. For someone who had fallen through the cracks of society, he felt like he had little reason to give back to a place that had given him so little through his life, and having grown tired of going to sleep hungry, had chosen instead to make his own meals come to him. Even if that meant tempting fate beneath the watchful eye of the Queen's Guard. The shinobi of the village were too busy earning a proper reputation among their own kind to busy themselves in the squabble of the squalid. So when the man suddenly felt the catch of his wrist out of the pocket of a passerby, he had expected to face down an irate businessman and turned with all the expectation of putting on a show of the whole thing having been an accident. When he came face to face with the child ninja with a ribbon in her hair and a two-toned outfit, he realized he had little reason to worry. "What do you want, runt? Can't you see I'm busy here? Scram!"

The man would attempt to free himself from the woman's grasp, yanking his arm free and backing away only to bump into yet another warm body. For Emillia's part, she would have witnessed easily the careful maneuvering of the unassuming man she had seen before as he positioned himself behind the pickpocket. The movement was both graceful and purposeful- something she could pick out thanks to her training as a ninja of the village. When the man bumped into the figure and turned his attention back to him, he was met with a dour expression and turned his attention back to Emi. "Oh great, and what's this, you had to call your brother on me or something? You two are real pieces of work." Despite his bluster, the pair of interposing ninjas presented more of a problem than he was willing to deal with, and his assignment was showing on his expression. "Alright, fine, here!" With a fling of his hand, he'd turn his pocket out and fling the bills and coin toward Emilia, hoping the surrender of his stolen goods was enough to loosen her grasp enough for him to make a break for it. Jerking his arm away again, the man would attempt to make a breakthrough in the crowd, to which Joski would not give chase.

Instead, Joski would simply watch the man as he departed before looking back to Emi. He still shared no words for a moment before he kneeled down and slowly collected a few of the bills that had been splashed amidst the crowd, the small outburst garnering the pair a small bubble as the crowd moved around them. With deliberate movements, the taller lad would slip some of the bills into his hand before standing to offer them to the shinobi. "Sorry to interfere. I'm sure you didn't need any help. But you never know what a guy like that is willing to do. Better safe than sorry, right?" He said, offering a half-hearted attempt at a smile, one side of his mouth lifting in a way that sat the expression not quite naturally on the boy's face. "If you want to chase him down, you'll probably catch him with ease. Just be careful, hm?" In truth, Joski had no inclination to what extent this girl would want to seek justice, but if there was anything he'd learned about village shinobi, it was that their drive was often voracious. This would be a good opportunity to see if he was correct.

WC - 881
TWC - 1,534

Emilia had shown herself to the small time criminal and as she reached and grabbed his hand, protecting the businessman who was unknowingly preparing to be robbed, she heard the shout of the man whose arm and wrist she had a hold of. Emilia was sort of shocked and surprised at the outburst of this nobody who had just been outed by a so-called “runt”. Then as he continued on with his little outburst, he told her to scram. A slight smile appeared on Emilia’s face, but as soon as she got ready to let him know who should scram, the mysterious figure who had been asleep had quite eloquently maneuvered himself behind… so as this loser yanked his arm, he bumped into him.

”"Oh great, and what's this, you had to call your brother on me or something? You two are real pieces of work."

Emilia’s eyebrows raised slightly and her eyes deadened - this was a comment that bugged her slightly. Luckily for this man, he decided on a different course of action just seconds after his comment. He turned his pocket inside out and flung all the bills and coins out - then yanked back and made a getaway in the crowd. Emi giggled slightly and noticed his slow movements - she could easily track him down if she wanted too, but decided to let him suffer in his frustrations. Besides, she wanted to turn her attention to the man standing in front of her now.

”I wonder… what kind of person…”

Just as a thought had wandered into the young but mature mind of Emilia, he had made a small move, bending down to now start picking up the bills and coins. As he stood, he offered them to Emilia, and she took them. The folks who had things taken, probably weren’t aware of it if Emilia was being honest. She didn’t really know what she could do with it - except maybe have a conversation at a later time with the Queen’s guard, which is what the genin would most likely do. As the money had exchanged hands, the mysterious person began to speak and she looked up into his eyes.

"Sorry to interfere. I'm sure you didn't need any help. But you never know what a guy like that is willing to do. Better safe than sorry, right?"

Emi didn’t necessarily disagree with what the man had said - she also thought it was interesting that he was apologizing for interfering. Before she could get a word out, he’d say one other thing to her, "If you want to chase him down, you'll probably catch him with ease. Just be careful, hm?"

The man that Emilia had never seen before, who clearly was not just a civilian bystander, was caring… and honestly seemed rather easy going. Though it didn’t mean that she would trust him. She presumed he wasn’t from Hoshi as she couldn’t spot his village headband, so he must be from another country. Her eyes eased up as she heard his last words, becoming more unassuming and smiling at him.

”Thanks to you, I think that went pretty easy. I’m not very big, so he easily could have taken me. I probably should have been more careful if I am being honest.” She chuckled slightly, trying to play off a rather innocent part. Emi wanted to see what this character was about and how he would handle the situation from this point forward. It was almost a test to see his reaction.

”In a bit I will report this incident to one of the Queen’s guards. But I don’t see one around right now, so we have some time. I’d like to thank you for your help - would you be interested in eating some food? There’s tons of good places around here and I’m not real picky.”

Her smile widened and her eye’s closed for a second. She tried to show the gentleman a kinder side… a friendly one. Would he say yes… or would it be no?


-----

WC: 701
TWC: 2071

Having surrendered the cash the two of them had managed to reclaim from the thief, Joski had expected her to give chase or otherwise tend to whatever it was the shinobi of a village might do when confronting the typical riffraff of the night. Instead, she turned on her proverbial heel and kept her attention square on him, just as he did to her. She smiled sweetly and played innocent; the easygoing interaction allowed the older of the two to relax just a little, that smile returning to lick at the edge of his lips ever so slightly. "Perhaps she is just being nice," the boy reasoned to himself. "I have yet to have anyone else approach me. Hell, most people don't even recognize I exist. Suddenly, here I am being offered a meal just for being a warm body- doing what any sensible person would have done. Does she think I'm strange? Perhaps that I am hiding something?" The thoughts that flashed through the boy's mind prompted a short huff of a laugh as he turned his gaze away. "Ah well, who knows? She'll likely be disappointed if she is curious, but..."

"Who am I to turn away a free meal?" He'd say, a little life returning to his voice as his gaze returned to that wide smile she offered. "I still think anyone that can go jumping around the tops of buildings probably doesn't need any help catching a crooked-foot thief, but if you are going to twist my arm about it, I suppose I don't have much of a choice." The cool guy persona. The same thing that allows him to slide through most amicable conversations. The most perfect mask for a man like Jirou Joski. "You can call me Jojo if you want. And if you aren't picky..." the thought trailed away as Joski took a moment to pretend to think as though he hadn't memorized every spot within a mile by now. It was astounding what the brain would put away in all the quiet hours of being essentially a bum. "There is a spot not far from here that serves a sort of udon I've never had before. The noodles are thicker and made from a tomato sauce and you can get it with meat. Never had anything like it."

There was only a moment given to allow the girl to respond with any introduction she might like to make as well as offer descent to his idea. Presuming nothing swayed her sudden lack of regard for what she'd eat, he'd turn to motion down the street in invitation before beginning to walk. It was easy enough for the pair of them to weave through the crowd of the busy square, the boy speaking up once they found room to stride side by side. "So, you're part of the village ninja, I assume? I thought you lot would be busy doing important stuff instead of out here catching pick-pockets. Not that people are ingrateful, I'm sure. Just haven't actually met a village shinobi before." All of which was true; Joski had gone to great lengths to keep his head down and the fact that he had any inclination toward the ninja arts. After all, the techniques he knew were a method of survival, not a honed skill used to further any great purpose or cause. He just imagined that the village wouldn't take kindly to some stranger performing mystic arts without being thoroughly documented.

The walk to the small shop wouldn't take overly long, allowing the two to share whatever conversation Emi might wish to provide, the stall was a reasonable size with multiple seats under an overhang. The smell of freshly baked noodles and alfredo sauce would waft in from the back followed by a gruff voice that called out to them as they entered. "Welcome! Take a seat anywhere- someone will be with you shortly!" Given leave to pick a seat, Joski would direct the pair towards a short bar that faced out the bay windows to the street beyond, allowing the two to sit side by side for the time being as they conversed and waited for service to be made.

WC - 700
TWC - 2,234

The strange man seemed to ponder her question for a minute, Emilia could tell his thoughts were rolling and she was rather curious as to what his answer would be. She wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a no, but honestly, judging by how he’s handled himself and remained so calm, Emi figured it would be yes. Just in time before Emi said something else to the man, he uttered the words she was wanting to hear. ”Who am I to turn away a free meal?” Chipper isn’t the right word to use, but his voice didn’t sound quite as dull, almost as if he was a little more…. Comfortable. His eyes moved down towards Emilia, as she was still offering a big smile to him. ”I still think anyone that can go jumping around the tops of buildings probably doesn't need any help catching a crooked-foot thief, but if you are going to twist my arm about it, I suppose I don't have much of a choice."

Emi’s eyes glanced up at him at that last little bit, it seemed as though this was a rather observative man. Her initial thought was to play coy a little bit, but there isn’t much fun in that and so she’d dive into the conversation, her tone confident but also a little sassy. ”The chances of me needing help in that scenario were very slim, yet you insisted on offering. In fact, it was only when you stepped in to help that he decided to back down.” Her eyes squinted a little, offering a glaring look of confidence that maybe came off more creepy than she had anticipated with her smile still there. ”People tend to not take me seriously sometimes and while it does get old - it’s an advantage that I have the ability to exploit.”

As Emilia ended her small monologue, the man went into other areas of conversation and did offer his name to Emilia, well he offered A name, JoJo. He then went onto thinking about a potential place to eat, at least that is what Emilia thought, since he stated that if she’s not picky… "There is a spot not far from here that serves a sort of udon I've never had before. The noodles are thicker and made from a tomato sauce and you can get it with meat. Never had anything like it."

This place sounded really interesting and Emi was actually thinking that she was familiar with the place and had eaten there before, but she couldn’t think of the name of the restaurant. ”Sounds good to me.” She didn’t put up much argument here as she was sure there would be something she could find to eat. She is a little picky, though that’s not something she wanted Jojo to know about right this second. As soon as she answered, the two of them would head off towards the restaurant, Jojo offering insight on the direction they needed to go. Emi found it peculiar that he was so familiar with Hoshi, and figured she would stew on this for a little bit. Each of them had to weave through a little bit of the night time traffic in the street but eventually were side by side. This is when Jojo decided to speak up, something Emilia appreciated.

"So, you're part of the village ninja, I assume? I thought you lot would be busy doing important stuff instead of out here catching pick-pockets. Not that people are ungrateful, I'm sure. Just haven't actually met a village shinobi before."

This question sort of surprised Emilia though, she wasn’t sure what he gained by asking such a question. The man rather clearly had a skill set, though this question really just confirmed that Jojo isn’t from Hoshi. Something that she’d make a mental note of and bring up either now or possibly in the future. She wouldn’t have to think long about her answer, she wasn’t really trying to hide her identity as a Hoshi ninja and she was rather proud of the fact honestly. Honesty was most of the time the best policy, unless of course being dishonest was something that was required or needed… which it was not in this scene.

Emilia’s golden eyes wandered a little bit as she answered the question, it was really just her curiosity… and also her need to be observant of her surroundings. She tried to make it look like she was just looking at sights or people watching though. ”I am of course a Hoshigakure ninja, that much isn’t a secret. We village ninja do have lives outside of the work that we do. I wasn’t tasked with any missions today or tonight and so I figured I would come out to the city and gaze at the stars and watch the people enjoy their night life. It’s calming for me.” Her eyes continued to wander and she never missed a beat in her words. They rang true and clear with passion and confidence.

Their adventure to the noodle shop didn’t take long, and it seemed like Emilia didn’t have the time to ask a question of Jojo while they traversed through the people. Their destination was right in front of them and you could smell the deliciousness before entering. Though it was mostly a small spot with an overhang and some seats underneath and on the inside, meaning the food was likely to be very good. Emi knew that places like this didn't necessarily make all of the money, but the meals they offered were as good as any large scale restaurant… if not better.

As the two were greeted, they made their way to the short bar, which had a really good view of the street outside. Each of them took their seat, sitting side by side as they waited for a waitress or the bartender to come and offer a drink or ask if they were ready to order. There was a moment here that really allowed Emilia to ask the question that she had been waiting to ask for quite some time. ”So, where are you from, Jojo?” Emilia’s head turned towards him and she once again had a big smile on her face. She was genuinely curious, but also it was good information for her to have. Was he from a land that was notoriously hostile? Was he just a passer-by visiting? There’s a lot that she could gather in this answer.

Just as she had asked this question though, a server had made her way over to the two. ”Hi there! I know you just got in but do you know what you want or would you like to look over a menu before ordering?” The lady was rather energetic, which Emilia always enjoyed when she went out to eat. It just made the place liven up a bit for her, it wasn’t stale and boring for some reason.

Emilia’s head turned away from Jojo to be the first to answer. She already knew what she wanted from this place. ”I am ready. So to drink, I will have tea. As for the food, I’d like to order the spicy sesame udon… cold, and can you please add meat or seafood into it? That would be AMAZING!”

Emilia was excited for the order as it really started to sound good to her. She would let Jojo decide what he wanted to do, she figured that he already knew what he wanted since he suggested the shop with a particular Udon meal in mind. Once his order was in, Emi would turn her head back towards him in an excited manner, patiently waiting for an answer to the question she had asked only moments ago.

---

WC: 1347
TWC: 3438

A curious company, the woman was. She was ready to share her role in the village but didn't share her name. Which was fine. He shared a name that wasn't necessarily his own yet he held claim to it all the same. Perhaps that was simply the nature of things around here. Perhaps there was some sort of jutsu out there that the village shinobi were privy to that utilized a name given as a mechanism for an illusion technique. Whatever the reason, Joski wasn't particularly bothered at the less-than-personal company; there was nothing wrong with being friendly strangers, after all. As they made their way into the shop and took a seat, she passed over a question of her own that Joski would consider his answer to before a waitress approached them and inquired about their readiness to order. A perfect opportunity to chew through his answer to her question. "I'll have whatever the special of the day is, and tea as well, thank you." He'd offer a slight smile in return- it was enough to not seem cold but small enough that it lacked the mirth that was shown in the face of his ribbon-clad companion. She could be all of the social glow he lacked, and like ever, he would use it as a mask.

Eventually, that bright glow would return back to him, and he'd turn partially in his seat to address her more fully. "I'm from the River Country," a place that was on the southern side of the continent and never had a history of boasting a ninja village. At least not one that had ever been heard of. "It's by Fire Country. Long way from home, hm? I started off following my brothers up here just to keep an eye on them though I quickly learned they didn't need me watching over them. So, instead, I made my way here to Hoshi, and that was...about a year ago." He would allow his thoughts to pause mid-sentence as he considered his answer. In truth, there was another reason for wanting to visit the western city: the expansive library that was said to house a great deal of knowledge. A curiosity to some rather strange occurrences that happened in his physiology. But he had already been advised not to go asking about things that require a certain rank in the village to acquire, and that it would be in his best interest to not go snooping. As such, Joski decided it best to just leave that part out for now.

"I've spent the last year doing a great deal of...nothing, really. Enjoying the village and all the strange foods I've never had before. The sky is also quite clear here at night, it makes it nice to gaze at the stars at night. In River Country, you would have to climb to very tall peaks to get above the low clouds. But it's been nice." He would say, letting his gaze wander out to the city street beyond, his eyes catching on to a few of the citizens that passed their window before those dull blues returned to Emi, a smile picking at the edge of his lips for just a moment.

"What about you? I presume you were born here. What made you want to become a ninja? Have you ever traveled far from the Land of Hevan? What sort of things do you like to get up to when you aren't stopping thieves in the night?" A selection of questions offered one at a time with a rolling wrist, giving her plenty to speak on in regards to herself, if she was so inclined. It was strange, having an open conversation with someone like this. Definitely wasn't a typical experience. Something he could potentially get used to, even.

WC - 635

TWC - 2,869

Jojo’s response to Emilia's question certainly wasn’t immediate, and in fact it seemed as though he would take his time and any opportunity to comb through his thoughts before providing one. He even had gotten so lucky with the waitress coming over and asking for their order. This was something else that had struck Emi rather oddly, as it had seemed he wanted something specific from here when he had mentioned this place, though now he was contemptuous with whatever the special of the day is. Jojo’s exact words were, "I'll have whatever the special of the day is, and tea as well, thank you.” Emi couldn’t help but ask herself, why, at that moment. Her facial expression may have reflected that momentarily with a confused look, she hoped not though and certainly didn’t want it too. Maybe he didn’t even notice.

After the lady had gone back with their orders, it would be a moment but a nice bright glow of personality would come to Joski as he began speaking about himself… answering the question that Emi had asked. The way that Jojo started out, really engaged Emilia and allowed her to get a little lost in the story, regardless of the veracity. ”I’m from River Country,” was the first words out of the man’s mouth, at least as it relates to this answer. Emi’s eyes sort of widened, as she had an idea of where River country was before Jojo even mentioned its location. "It's by Fire Country. Long way from home, hm? I started off following my brothers up here just to keep an eye on them though I quickly learned they didn't need me watching over them. So, instead, I made my way here to Hoshi, and that was...about a year ago."

As he went on to explain the origins of the land, Emilia nodded her head in agreement. She then got some more personal information that she thought was really interesting. Jojo had brothers that he had originally followed, which was really cool. At the very least, the man values family and that’s something that Emi holds dear to her. She has had her own struggles with losing her family, and so it’s one of the reasons she’s really desperate to find someone to share memories with… a friend at the very least. At the end of what he said, it sounded like he had said he had been in Hoshi for almost a year. Really crazy that Emi had never run into him before now. Emilia had thought that’s where his thought or answer would end, she would let a few moments pass to soak what he had said in, though as she did this, Jojo was just pausing briefly. She wasn’t sure if it was just for dramatic effect or if he was really pondering what words to use next.

The next bit of words escaped his lips and really rang true to Emilia. It was funny because it was something she was doing tonight… right before they met. The sky and the stars here in Haven are very clear and it’s easy to get lost in them. Unlike other lands, where the sky may be covered… or you don’t even see the stars. It seemed as though his story had ended and it was his turn now to ask questions or find out information.

"What about you? I presume you were born here. What made you want to become a ninja? Have you ever traveled far from the Land of Haven? What sort of things do you like to get up to when you aren't stopping thieves in the night?"

These were all good questions and outside of Emi never having left Hoshi before, there were pretty deep answers to everything. Did she want to provide such crucial information to a man she had just met? Her golden eyes turned to Jojo and locked on to his dull blues.

”To be honest Jojo, I’m glad I ran into you tonight and thank you for being willing to share some of your story with me. You ask a lot of good questions as well…” Emilia’s voice softens as her eyes turn straight ahead for a moment. Her lips stop… and then they start moving again after a short pause.

”I was born here and have never left Haven or Hoshigakure for that matter. I had a wonderful family with my mother and father. My father got sick quite a few years ago and ended up passing away the day I graduated from the academy. He’s the reason I wanted to become a ninja and the reason I have inherited the abilities that I have.” A small tear forms on the outside corner of Emilia’s left eye as the thoughts of her family pour into her. ”Anyways…” She smiled and wiped her eye gracefully with her hand.

”Ever since I came back to being a ninja, I’ve sort of engulfed myself in all types of missions and it’s been a lot of fun and I’ve learned so much about myself… and honestly grown a lot stronger. But like tonight, I just wanted to gaze up into the stars and be lost in my thoughts and memories for a little while. I haven’t done much else honestly and so this has been really nice, getting to know you and understand your story just a little bit.” She grinned as her eyes turned back to him, hoping he would agree with her comment.

”OH! Looks like the food is arriving. I hope I didn’t bore you with my words, Jojo! I don’t get many chances to talk about myself and my past.”

”Here you go! Please let me know if you need anything else. I hope your food is wonderful!”

Emi’s eyes widened as her spicy udon with meat and seafood arrived… it truly looked mouth watering and she forgot where she was for just a brief moment. Her chopsticks turned in and grabbed what they could, allowing the explosive flavor to hit her pallet. She soaked it in for just a moment and then swallowed… loving every second of what she had just tasted. Her hand reached over and grabbed her tea and brought it to her lips. Two sips is all she took and then she sat it back down.

”This might be the best Udon I have had. If yours isn’t good… you have GOT to order this. It’s amazing.”

Her eyes were fixated on her food, but it was clear that her words were meant for Jojo.

—

WC: 1151
TWC: 4589

There was just a moment in the conversation where Joski was prepared to chide himself internally for allowing the conversation to turn in a direction that gave the woman some hard feelings- or at least enough to drive drops to begin forming at the corners of her eyes. It seemed the poor girl didn't have much of anyone to confide her feelings into given she was so ready to speak on it to a complete stranger. Or perhaps someone at least a little more familiar than a stranger, given that they've sat down to a meal with one another and even began to speak on their past. The realization of their position mixed with the graceful dismissal of her own tears would bring a new light to that smile she offered him when she turned back to him. One that he was more prepared to reflect than he had been before. "How can I not see myself in her? She's just as alone as I am." A thought that might have been a sad one if not for the fact that they had managed to join in each other's company. He was just beginning to formulate a response when their food arriving gave him the opportunity to mull on it just a little longer.

For him, it was a long, shute-like pasta that was hollowed in the center drenched in an alfredo sauce, and sprinkled with greens on time, little mushrooms lining the edge of the plate to be mixed in or eaten separately. Joski had never had a dish like this and took a moment to stir his noodles into the sauce to make sure they got good and drenched. "Thank you," he would sound to the waitress, giving her a nod of the head before turning his gaze back to Emilia. He couldn't have said why, but it was that moment that allowed his shoulders to fall back into relaxation as he finally turned to his food and began to pick on it. It was strange, being able to simply enjoy someone's company who didn't seem to want any more from him than just that. Not like he had a great deal to offer anyway. But that didn't matter so much when the person he now sat next to him didn't seem to be looking for anything past just getting to know the stray cat from River Country. A thoughtful hum left the man's lips as he glanced over to Emi a moment later as she reached to take a drink from her tea. A perfect moment for his chopsticks to reach to her plate and snag a prawn that was curled in on itself among the seafood she had waiting for her, bringing it back to quickly abscond the stolen morsel to his lips lest she caught him beforehand. But even if she failed to do so, she'd soon find his own plate being tilted towards her in a silent offering to share. Meals were often better shared anyway.

A knowing look was passed to the woman as he chewed his next bite, taking then a moment to drink his own tea before setting it back down and speaking readily. "I should be the one thanking you. It's been too long since I've been able to simply sit and talk with someone. Out on the road, it's easy to overshare. Before you know it, the guy you've been spending the past hour being a chum with decides he and his boys want the contents of your wallet if he thinks you're good for it. Hard not to blame them- sometimes life outside of a village is difficult. Too many turn to crime because the law is only as strong as its enforcers, and that doesn't always mean a settlement can defend itself. Leaves it to folks like you and me to do something when we see something wrong. Still, makes it hard to make friends. I guess being in a village doesn't make it much easier." A roll of his shoulder would bring his back to rest against the stand of the chair behind him, his gaze turning out the window.

"Life sure has been different here. Not bad. Just different. People seem so...content. Safe, I suppose. You should feel proud of that, doing what you do. It's sort of a luxury outside those walls- something that doesn't come easy and is hard-earned. It's not all bad, though. The view is nice when you get a chance to look at the stars. You can meet some nice people, too. Anyway, I guess what I am getting around to saying is, I'm sure your dad would be proud of you. Is proud of you, wherever he might be." Another soft smile would be offered as he'd reach to pat the smaller woman on the back before retrieving his hand to put it to work with his chopsticks once more. "I uh..." he would trail off, swirling a bit of noodle around as his eye peeked to her out of the side. "I don't suppose you'd share your name with me, huh? If I am to be staying in the city a bit longer, might be nice to know someone. Perhaps make meals a little more regular, if you find yourself wandering rooftops alone often." A neutral approach from the older lad; one that sought a repeat of the same comfort offered in the casual company kept for the past hour or so. It wasn't easy to make friends, but a small voice in the back of Joski's head hoped he hadn't just sounded like a weirdo. Social anxiety? What's that?

WC - 942
TWC - 3,811