Rizusa awoke to hear bickering outside of her cabin, sitting up and blearily rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "What's going on?" she muttered to herself, getting up from her bed and setting her feet on the ground, yawning a little before pushing herself off the bed and to her feet. She wordlessly walked over to her closet and pulled out her clothes for the day, replacing her sleeping leggings and shirt with an almost identical set of under-clothing before putting on her dress forearm guards, sitting back down to apply her boots before she stretched. She flung her jacket over her shoulder, walking to the door and staring at the scene before her. Magic flying across the door and nearly taking her bangs off, however she was standing far enough in the door so it didn't connect. "Oi oi, not another fight…" she muttered softly, sighing.
"You damn fire-spewing-!" Ayer threw a punch, Elmott throwing him back with a flame blast.
"Like you can talk, stupid punchy brat!" he growled, looking irritated, but far from being serious about fighting Ayer.
"Enough you two!" Vermeil exclaimed, the harvin trying to break up their fight only to get thrown off his balance and to fall back into Jamil's leg.
"Vermeil-san, are you alright?"
"I'm fine… these two need to stop fighting before they wake Rizusa-san…"
"A little late." Rizusa said, the two immediately stopping their fight. "Boys, please…" she walked over as they stood like statues, resting her hands on each of their heads. "Behave… it's far too early to be arguing." She added, both hardly moving until she stepped away, slumping and taking a deep breath as she headed for the kitchen.
"Shukun, good morning." Jamil bowed his head to her as she walked by. She ruffled his hair, smiling.
"Good morning, Jamil." She added, nodding her head to Vermeil as she walked by, the harvin bowing his head back in response. "Now, what was the argument about?"
"Ahaha, see, Danchou~" Johann was sitting on the railing of the upper deck with a smile. "Ayer was hungry, but instead of asking for help he tried to make his own breakfast… Elmott walked in and saw, got real mad cause he was using a bunch of stuff that was supposed to be for lunch… and they got into a BIG fight." He waved his hand above his head for emphasis, his other hand balancing his staff.
"Ahh, that was it…?" she asked, sighing. "That's no good…" she added, heading into the kitchen to see the mess. "Waah, Ayer really did a number on the kitchen, huh…?" she tilted her head, Jamil following her in as she inspected the "damage". There were dirty dishes all over the place, a cook book on the table, and a bunch of knives and other cooking utensils strewn across the table. "Well at least they didn't break anything." She sighed, looking at the scorch marks where Elmott must have sent small fireballs at Ayer.
"Though that's true…" Jamil looked as stone faced as ever, but Rizusa could tell he was a little bothered by this. It meant they had to go out and find something to eat in town to bring back.
"This is certainly no environment for anyone to make any food… and the supplies are running low now too." Vermeil added, looking inside the fridge, seeing the almost empty shelves. A couple of stray ingredients, but no means for the crew to eat a meal.
"They certainly are, aren't they?" Rizusa sighed, shaking her head. "Elmott! Ayer!" they both peeked into the kitchen, seeing her turning to them with a glance over her shoulder. "Please clean up this mess…" she stated. "As the kitchen is too crazy to make anything, I'll take Jamil and Vermeil to get some breakfast." She added, the two resigning themselves to their fate as they walked into the mess they made. Her heels made a familiar click as she walked out again, over to the side that was at the dock. Jamil was at her side the whole time, Vermeil coming to follow her. "So, what do you boys think we can bring back for everyone?" she asked, the three heading down off the ship.
"There were plenty of small shops, but… I feel like bothering them for such a large meal might be a problem." Jamil recalled the walk he took the day before when they landed. "It's still breakfast time, after all…"
"And those chain restaurants are all lines out the door." Vermeil added, seeing the lines from where they were heading into town. "Maybe we should really just buy the ingredients and head back." He added, looking up to see Rizusa eyeing something and heading straight for it, weaving effortlessly through the people. He sighed, hurrying after her with Jamil. When they found her, she was stopped in front of a run-down shop, staring at the sign. It said open, but no one was waiting in line. "Rizusa-san?"
"Pardon me." She said, opening the door, looking inside. She looked around, seeing no one even though the lights were on. "Good morning." She called out, movement in the back of the shop catching Jamil's eye. An old harvin looked out from the back, eyes widening to see people.
"G-good morning, dear customers!" he rushed over, bowing his head. "Pardon me for not answering immediately!"
"It's alright…" she smiled, Jamil and Vermeil still bewildered by how she noticed this place in the middle of the crowded streets. "If you're open, we'd love to make an order."
"Ah, of course!" he handed them menus, smiling gleefully. "What can I get for you all?"
"Do you have enough to make 8 servings of breakfast?" she asked, the man nodding his head. "Then we'll take your house special, please." She returned the menus. "Three for here, and we'll take the rest for when we leave." She added, the man bowing his head.
"Of course, dear customer!" he went in the back and started making their meals, Rizusa taking a seat, Jamil and Vermeil following suit.
"Rizusa-san…?" Vermeil asked, noting a look on her face as she took in the surroundings.
"This shop… Boss talked about it a few times…" she stated. "He never brought me, but he talked about it being an amazing shop run by a harvin couple." She said in a whisper, staring down at the table. "I guess… his wife must have…" she added, Vermeil and Jamil looking bothered.
"You'd be right, young miss." The harvin brought them some tea. "My wife… when she died, no one came around anymore… said it was sad to see the shop without her face…" he sighed. "Our customers all started going other places… and no one came here because it was too small…" he shook his head. "And no one wants to work here because without my wife, there's too much work…"
"I apologize." She bowed her head.
"Oho, no need no need." He smiled. "There's only a small group of people that come in now and again, or when people don't want to wait… but the food is lackluster, so they don't come back much, aside from the regulars…" he smiled. "Your meals will be out in a few minutes. Thank you again." He bowed his head, heading to finish preparing their eat-in meals. When he came back, the meal was plated beautifully, but the taste was… "Bland, isn't it?"
"It's… missing something." Rizusa said honestly, smiling. "But that must be because you miss her." She added, the old man looking shocked by the sudden statement. "It's easy to tell, even if you smile…" she continued to eat though, the boys not seeing anything wrong with the food, though it wasn't the best. "Boss used to tell me…" she sipped her tea before continuing. "That your shop was the best. The couple that ran this shop was always happy… their food so full of kindness that the flavors were enhanced." She stated, the old harvin trying to remember where those lines were from. He knew he'd heard them before. Suddenly a shout outside caught the group's attention, a small explosion occurring very nearby. The three skyfarers jumped into action, the old harvin going to see what was going on.
"Kehkehkeh… how sad how sad." Some rough types were outside, causing a stir. "You 'aven't paid your rent, so we're gonna blow up yer shop!" The shopkeeps across the way were in horror as their neighbor's shop was blown to bits.
"The hell?" Rizusa asked.
"Those ruffians are always blowin' up people's store fronts…" the old harvin sighed, looking upset. "They get further and further this way as days go by…"
"They claim you owe them rent?" Vermeil asked, enraged by the act but not acting upon those feelings. "Ridiculous…" he added, Rizusa's eyes narrowing as the punks noticed them, coming their way.
"Mindless destruction by mindless folk." She stated as the man walked by, stopping in his tracks.
"What was that, miss?" he asked, turning to glare at her. She glared over her shoulder right back, the piercing violet of her eyes making him flinch. "Che, tourists who don't know their place…" he got ready to swing his club at her, the old harvin calling for her to watch out. But the club was met by a dagger, parrying the hit and the thug sent flying.
"Jamil."
"Forgive me, Shukun… but lipping off to you irritated me." He replied.
"I understand but…" she sighed as they gathered their forces, preparing to charge at her and fire their guns. "I'll handle this."
"Understood." He bowed, the thugs letting out a battle cry and firing their weapons, all of them being deflected or broken apart in a heartbeat, the crowd gathering all cheering when Rizusa emerged from the dust with a rapier at her side.
"Ahh, how irritating…" she ran her hand over the blade, the shimmering surface catching the sun's rays. "I didn't want to draw my weapon in town but…" she charged, vanishing from sight as she approached the enemy, reappearing once they had all fallen to their knees or on their backs, defeated. "I couldn't let you hurt anyone else." She sunk her rapier into the ground next to the leader's face, making him reel back in shock. "Vermeil, my reaction was slow." She added, the man beneath her trembling. "Did I take off on the wrong foot?"
"Not at all, Rizusa-san." He replied. "But you just started using it, so of course you aren't in top form yet…" the thugs all got up to run away, realizing that she had taken them all down with a weapon she'd just begun using. She sighed again, walking back over to the group as her rapier vanished into a ball of light, absorbing into one of the charms hanging off of Rizusa's belt chains.
"Ah, that's all… guess I'll have to keep it up then." She smiled, the old harvin looking shocked.
"Miss… you… just started using that rapier?"
"Yes." She replied, nodding her head. "Boss taught me that having an arsenal of weapons to fall back on can be a real life saver in a pinch." She smiled, the harvin staring at her.
"Boss…?" he suddenly jumped, realizing who this girl was. The lines from before were from one of his best customers, a man that was once an infamous skyfarer. His mastery of many weapons earned him a reputation for being unbeatable in combat. The Weapon Bearer, Orion. This girl, though she hadn't displayed much power just now, was using his weapon change technique. That ball of light that spat out and absorbed weapons. His eyes fell to her waist, seeing the infamous chain and charms hanging off of it. "Orion…"
"Ah, you do remember him." She smiled wider. "I'm glad."
"Did he just say Orion?"
"Orion-san?!"
"No no, it's Orion's pupil!"
"Waah, Orion-san had a pupil!"
"She's so cool!"
"She's amazing!"
"Ahaha, all this fuss." She smiled. "Ah…" she turned to the old harvin again, smiling. "We really should be getting back."
"Ah, yes, your meals! I'll whip up some extra for you too!"
"Haha, thank you very much." She smiled. The town cleaned up the mess, Rizusa and her crew members heading back to their ship with arms full of ingredients and food as thanks for beating up the punks and sending them running. "That was a nice trip."
"You're just happy that we got all that extra food." Vermeil sighed, knowing that she always took food over money when it came to payment for beating up enemies.
"Well at least the fridge is stocked now." She chuckled, Jamil just walking silently with her. The group made it back, Johann waving at them from the rail of the deck, Elmott and Ayer taking a break since they'd finished cleaning.
"What kept you, Danchou?" Elmott asked, seeing her grinning. "Whoa, that's a lot of food!"
"Oh, just had some fun, is all." She replied, Jamil and Vermeil smiling at their leader's answer. They sat down to a late breakfast, Vermeil and Rizusa recounting the events to the others as Jamil sat in silence, enjoying the food that tasted better than the last batch had. "Nice, isn't it?" he turned to Rizusa as she smiled at him, her cup of tea in hand. "I think the old man is going to get more customers and help now." She added, sipping her drink before placing the cup down. "The taste is better now."
"… Yes." He replied, turning back to his meal.
Chapter 2 : Weapon Bearer's Favorite Café
END
(Second post, because I know chapter one was a short one~ The background is minimal, but I promise more details are coming~
-Winter Cheshire)