Holy shit so apparently I still have stuff for this fic! It's been a long ass time since I posted anything and like, half my memories of what I wanted to do are gone. But I decided to go ahead and write more since I was in the writing mood. So yeah, the Empress is just stopping by to drop a chapter, it's not the most action pact or fun, but things are moving along!
Disclaimer, Nothing about Naruto belongs to me, and I also don't claim ownership of any references to other media I make, only my ocs are mine so don't sue me!
I hummed lightly, scratching the inked brush tip lightly against the coarse paper. I took my time drawing out each line in a clean curve, trying to keep the drawing as clean as I could. The details on the water can be drawn out better, and after that I should work on the clothing too.
"Dammit!"
I glanced up from my work to see what was going on now. Two kittens of similar natures were standing off in the middle of the clearing, the black one pushing himself off the ground with a snarl and the blue one sneering briefly before charging at the other. I watched as the two boy's sparred, fighting with a mix of street brawling and whatever other styles they know how to use. Since both boys are fairly fast (With Madori being much faster at this point.), they can put on a pretty even show. It was entertaining to watch, that's for sure, and it gave me lots of ideas for action shots.
They've been kicking each other's asses for a while now, the sun was already starting to lower from its peak in the sky. It will be time for them to eat soon, neither of the boy's had sat down to eat lunch when it was noon, so I know that their stomachs had to be growling something serious. I laid my work down on the small blanket I sat on, then pulled over my picnic basket to pull out one of the egg sandwiches I made for me and the boys.
I carefully unwrapped the snack (because I can reuse the wrapping) and kicked back against the tree behind me.
Nothing new has really happened lately, other than Obito hanging around more, there hasn't been any changes in my daily routine. I work most of the day, and I spend my brakes drawing, reading, or eating. Occasionally I had to help Madori with a few of his chores around the store, or go out to the marketplace to see if there was anything new in stock. There was my baking lessons with Mainou, which are really fun by the way, going on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'd been having a blast sharing all of my otherworldly recipes with the girl, and she's been showing me her own ways to make pastries. There was a definite difference between how I make them to how she makes them, but it makes the experience so much more interesting.
Oh, and Mainou decided to invite me to that big baking contest that she came to me for help with in the first place. I was honored that she even considered that since we didn't know each other that well, but this does give me a chance to meet new people and try different treats! I'm not entirely sure how it's going to go, but I can deal with what happens when it happens.
"Ugh!" I heard the loud groan, Obito was laying flat on his back, and Madori was sitting down rubbing his arms. Madori muttered something to the downed boy, must have been offensive since the Uchiha quickly kicked him in the leg. I snickered quietly, those brats always fight for hours, and when it seems like they're finally tired, BAM! They're right back to pounding each other's face in.
"Okay boys! You can stop all that hissing and get some food in ya'! It's been hours since either of you ate and I'm not going to be responsible for y'all starving, y'know?" I called out to them, beaconing them over.
With a final glare, the two children made their way onto the picnic blanket with me and quickly accepted the food offered to them. We all ate in relative peace, with both of the boys eating their lunch, I didn't really have to worry about either of them trying to talk to each other and start another argument.
"Rakka, who taught you how to draw?" I looked over at the Uchiha when he asked this, before looking up at the sky and humming. I didn't really have someone who "Taught" me how to draw, I kinda learned as I went. Saying that might not satisfy the kitty though, but I'm not sure what else I could tell him. Trying to make up a reason is to much work for little ol me right now, my creative juices are on vacation.
"No one officially." I answered.
Obito squinted his eyes at me, "What do you mean by that?"
"What I meant was that nobody sat down and taught me how to draw, I learned everything I know by trial and error. I used a lot of different art styles as references on how I want mine to look, then tried my best to replicate it. It takes a long time to get good though…" Yeah, like 13 years of practice on my part.
"So it wasn't something you was always good at?" I shook my head.
"It's something that I worked hard to improve over time, I sucked so bad when I started, honestly." I looked down at the drying drawing I was working on, "I don't really think i'm that good right now...i'm just not satisfied with my current level."
"But that's why you're trying to get better right? To keep improving until you can really love what you made? That's what you told me, to never be satisfied with your current level and always strive to become greater?" I grinned down at the blue haired boy as he echoed the words I told him.
"Yup, that's what I believe in!"
Obito huh'd, "That's pretty cool, I guess. I don't really...know what my motto would be."
"That's on you to find out," I pipped, "If you get it from anyone else, it won't be your motto. It would be someone else's, and that's no good!" I made extra sure that I sounded like sonic when I said that, because that's the true way to say 'That's no good!'.
Huh...I wonder if I will ever get the chance to shout 'It's no use!', someday hopefully.
"Hrrrmmm, okay I see that." I nodded at Obito, "I'm going to find my own motto to believe in too! And it's going to be awesome!"
"Go for it Kitty-kun!"
"Stop calling me that!"
OoOoOoO
"What!?"
I stared up at dad like he was crazy, watching as the giant man tightened the leather straps on the Evil Stallion. He gave Mace's neck a firm rub, before glancing down at me with the most relaxed fucking expression. As if he didn't just tell me that he was leaving me in charge of the shop for 5 days!
"Now Rakka-chan, you are both old enough and independent enough to run this shop while I'm gone. Most of the people that come in now have seen you manning the shop, they all know that you can run it better than half the owners in Hi no Kuni." He repeated what he did with Mace to Brace, "Now take good care of everything while i'm gone, and don't worry about any rowdy customers. I got you covered."
I huffed and held my hand against my hips, "I swear if anything happens I blame you." I watched him reach over me to grab one of his heavy ass tool bags sitting in front of the door.
Him and his long ass arms.
"I'm sure you'll be fine on your own, now I need to be the escort team at the gates. I'll see you in a few." He gestured for me to come closer, so I walked up to him and let him lift me into his arms. I tightened my grip around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Stay safe Dad." He huffed slightly, but returned the kiss to my forehead.
"I'll be fine. Now hurry up and head to the shop, it's almost time for the store to open." I nodded and he set me back on the ground. I waved him off as he climbed onto the carriage and started off.
I let my arm drop to my side limply and groaned, Just how the hell would I handle everything for 5 days? It's hard enough doing my side of things to have to manage Dad's side too, and I have that party that Mainou invited me to on Wednesday. Then there is the Kitty playdate that seems to keep happening more often, I don't want Madori to be running off in Konoha alone. Who knows will try to snatch him up, he is a foreign child that nobody would care if he just 'vanished'.
I know that child kidnapping creeps like Orochimaru (Who I know is here cause I saw him.) and Danzo are probably looking for potential subjects… I really don't want Madori caught up with either of them.
Ugh, thinking of this is giving me a headache.
I decide to look off at where dad went for another second before shaking my head and running back into the inn to get Madori.
~ 7:00 am At the Store ~
"Thank you for coming! Have a nice day!" I waved off the young couple who decided to have a date...at 7 in the morning, weird people, and quickly dipped into the back to check on the pies I have baking in the ovens.
Well, it looks like the ones in stove A are done, but BC and D each need 5 more minutes more than the other. Okay I can deal with that, but the frozen pies should all be set by now. I hurried and took out the finished pies to let them cool on the cooling rack, then scrambled to the freezer to make sure that all the 'must be frozen' pies had all set. I also took a look at the ice cream cake/cookies that are also being frozen.
"Rakka!" I looked back towards the front of the shop, Madori peeking his head out the opening, "We need one of your Choco Mocha Pies Asap!"
"Got it!" Good thing I already had like 5 ready, I snagged the pie and boxed it before hurrying back to the store section. As I walked back to the counter, I noticed that a middle aged white haired man was waiting in front. He...looked really familiar actually, but I just couldn't put my finger on who this could be…
Anyways I have a job to do, "Hello sir! Sorry for the wait!" I called as I carefully climb onto my stool to set the pie in front of him. The older man smiled down at me, the wrinkles around his mouth becoming more prominent as he did so.
"It's no problem." He said simply even though the shine from his hitai-ate sorta blinded me, like every ninja that comes here. Those damn overhead lights always reflects off of them into my eyes, it's irritating!
"That'll be 200 ryo please, though I'm curious about what you're buying this for..not many shinobi buy our food because of the calories and sugar and stuff."
"Well it's not for me, per se. It's for my son, just a little gift to celebrate his recent promotion. He's not overly fond of sweets, but I heard that your pies are made differently than most shops from an acquaintance."
I grinned at that, "I always like to give my pies a special flare, I had a really good friend who just couldn't stomach anything with even the normal amount of sugar. So I had to figure out a recipe that she could actually enjoy, so I made these babies! I had to hunt around to find the right ingredients that could enhance the chocolaty flavor while dulling the power of the sugar, which wasn't easy when you're on the road. Now that we've got stable trade routes and access to such a big market, I can experiment and make more pastries than I ever have!" I exclaimed excitedly.
The man chuckled lightly, "Well you are quite the passionate little girl aren't you?"
I smirked, "If I wasn't this passionate about my job then why would I be doing it?" I also like to brag, bragging is fun. "Thank that acquaintance of yours when you see them, I like good recommenders!
He huffed, but handed ryo over to me with a casual smile. "I'll be sure too, have a pleasant day Yurei-san."
"You have an awesome day too!" I waved after him, before standing back and thinking…
I'm almost sure that was one of the main guy's relatives..but who?
A quick shove against me alerted me to the Kitten glaring at me, "Rakka, get back to work."
"Oh right, no need to rush me!" I really do get distracted too easy, really need to do something about that.
OoOoOoO
I hummed quietly, sorting through the ryo in my hands carefully before moving it to the cash register, then I took the change out and handed it to the young man who was waiting so patiently for me to serve him.
Not.
Today was looking like it was going to be eventful, first Dad dips out on me for a week, then that White haired dude came around (I swear I should recognize him.), and now this black haired young man, a teenager more likely, is standing in front of me looking like he was being held at gunpoint… or would that be kunai point?
Eh, whatever.
Anyways, this guy came in like this was an illegal drug store, dark eyes glancing everywhere nervously and flinching whenever someone looked at him. Poor guy looked like he was about to have a meltdown when he was looking at my selection of pies, he just stood there for like 10 minutes staring at the menu. It was pretty sad really.
Eventually he finally got in line and asked me to give him the sweetest pie I had in stock. Which earned him a look from me, mostly because the sweetest pie I had was so sweet that a normal person wouldn't be able to stomach it. It was more of a special pie I hold on to for people who specifically ask for it, and this guy doesn't look like he knows what he's getting into. So obviously, I just had to ask the guy if he really wanted my sweetest pie, because it's an acquired taste.
"Of course I want it!" He said frustratedly, "Girls like sweet stuff, so I need really sweet pie!"
To which I then gave him an 'Are you an idiot?' stare. "Yeah, that's not true y'know? Sure some girls may like some sweet treats, but most girls don't like to have their teeth rotted off or to have so much sugary aftertaste in their mouth that they can't eat anything else without throwing up."
The guy made a flustered noise, "What do you know about girls, brat! And why would have something that would make teeth rot off?"
"I apparently know more about girls then you. You don't even know what my sweetest pies are like and you're trying to give it to somebody you apparently don't know well enough to know if they even like sweet or not. Just because she may be a girl doesn't mean she likes sweet things or even pie. For all you may know she could hate pie with a passion." Of course, this is all going off what he had already said and his general demeanor. I don't really know anything about his situation, but I can act like I do.
"Also I run a bakery, of course some of the pastries here are sweet enough to rot teeth, there happens to be people who enjoy those kinds the most despite the dangers of eating too much of it."
The guy groaned, "Well! What do you expect me to do then!? Since you know so much about this mess?"
In hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have dragged myself into this situation, but this guy looks hopeless and was probably about to get whatever girl he was trying to woo or something sick. It's for the greater good of saving what poor gal is the focus of these crap.
"First I would say to learn what kind of flavors and food the girl you're buying for enjoys. Then come back and pick out something you know she would like and not based off some silly assumptions. But since you're already here, I'll overlook that step. So do you know anything about what this girl likes to eat? Allergies? Anything at all?"
I eyed Madori standing a little ways off with a purposeful stare, causing the lounging bluenet to groan from his spot and move to help out the people waiting behind this guy. I then motion said guy to move down the counter so he was out of other people's way. I laid my arms against the counter and propped my chin up with my fist,
"Well?"
"I don't know, okay? I've never seen her eating any kind of treats I recognize and I don't know about allergies." He ran his hand through his hair, messing up the messy locks even more.
I reined in the urge to sigh and thought about what to do. I'm not letting him pick any of my acquired taste pies, and I'm going to keep all the cakes off the market too. I'll probably have to suggest some catch all pies, one's that common allergies usually won't trigger on. Maybe Sweet potato pie? Most people seem to like that, it wasn't too sweet and it had great texture and flavor. It seemed like a great catch all, and it was my favorite too.
With that decided, I held up my hand in a wait gesture and dipped into the back to grab one of my Sweet Potato pies, then came back to the counter and set it down.
"This," I gestured to the pie, "Is what I recommend you give to your girl, It's a Sweet Potato pie, and it's a great catch all. It's not too sweet, has great texture, and is light and airy. And it's a good indicator of how much someone likes sweet pie since it sits comfortably in the middle section. It costs 200 ryo."
The guy frowned deeper, but started to reach into his pouches for the money, "Well if you think this will work, I'm blaming you if it doesn't."
I snorted, "Blame yourself for not getting the information, you seriously need to know this stuff if you're trying to impress a girl. You can't go based on nothing but assumptions and expect things to work out."
And now we are back to reality, me staring at this guy pointedly as I boxed up his pie. He finished putting away his change with a grumble, "What do you expect me to do? Stalk her?"
I shook my head, "No, what I hope you do is actually befriend her. Go up and talk to her, spend time getting to know her, all that jazz. You can't expect a long lasting relationship if you're both pretty much strangers who know nothing about each other. This is going off the thought that you haven't really spoken to her much, so have you?"
He grimaced, "We're old classmates…"
"And tell me, have you two ever spoken to each other during school or were you just admiring from afar?"
He groaned and took the wrapped up box, "Okay not really, but do I have to talk about this with you?"
I snorted, "You're the one who opened this can of worms, I'm simply here helping you set your line. I may be a kid, but I know a lot about relationships. Besides, the shop is having a slow afternoon, and I'm alway happy to talk. It's up to you if you want to continue this or not."
"Well…" He looked away for a second, then back at me, "I guess I could stay a little longer."
I smiled at that, leaning off the counter and stepping off my stool. I waved at him to follow me and lead him to one of the empty tables, "Okay now fess up, what do you know about this girl? What do you like about her?"
"Well she…"
OoOoOoO
It's been a day since Dad left konoha, and the luck that came with the relaxed first day is pretty much gone. Today has been more reminiscent of the first months on the job, which people rolling in more often to buy pies for their parties, and more than a few businesses requesting pies for the coming autumn festival. This would be their first one since the war ended, so everyone seems to be trying to go big, make it memorable. But that also is putting a lot of work onto our backs, and I can't juggle making deliveries in time while having to bake the pies for the rest of the day and the next. Madori had to start manning the register, and taking out orders for the people who waited inside, and he also had to run into Dad's section to help the customers who came for furniture and that shiz.
Typically I would handle dad's section, but I realized that I needed to shift more of the work load onto Madori's shoulders if I want everything to get done in a timely manner. I know he isn't happy about it, but we have to do what needs to be done.
Currently, I was in the middle of jogging back to the shop, having just finished a round of deliveries at the more outer living areas. I was tugging my larger hand wagon behind me, now empty of all the pies that were strapped down to keep it from bouncing everywhere and getting messed up.
The deliveries took longer than I hoped to get done, really feeling the bite from not having my horses or wagon. I also had pies baking back at the store and it was very close to the time to take them out.
Ugh, how stressful.
Shaking my head at that thought, I focused on running, now very glad that I stay in shape and have chakra and stamina to back me up. Finally, I pulled up to the shop and jogged in, immediately noticing how much more sparser it was than when I left. Hopefully that meant that it's finally slowing down. I managed to give some of my regulars a brief smile as I went past, dipping into the kitchen in a hurry. I had just enough time to turn off the ovens when I heard a large splat coming from behind me.
As soon as I whipped my head around to see what happened, I heard a few more splats and a clatter that had me cursing in my mind. The source of this noise was standing in the middle of the kitchen, at least 4 of my pies covered the floor and one metal tray that had no doubt been used to carry the pies. Then finally, I looked up at the kid who stood just behind the mess, blue hair a mess and a furious expression on his face. I grimaced at the ruined pies, looking over to Madori with a gaze I hoped convened how I hoped that was an accident.
Instead of answering my look as I hoped, Madori spoke up in a curt voice, "I'm not dealing with this mess anymore."
Taking a moment to close my eyes, I let out a deep sigh, "And what exactly do you mean by that, Madori?" I really don't have time for drama today.
He whipped his arm out towards the front of the door, "This! I don't want to do anymore of this crap! The orders, the constant running around and sucking up to people, I'm done with it!" He stamped his feet into the ground after he said this, snarling at me in a way that I'm too stressed to deal with.
I turn toward Madori fully, feeling the deep scowl on my face. I looked him up and down, His hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, his clothes was ruffled and stained with random colors (Berry stains?) and he looked ready to murder someone. Taking another breath, I rubbed the bridge of my nose as I tried to reign in any anger that started to build up.
"Go home Madori." I said calmly, turning away from the kid to take the long done pies out of the oven. Some of the pies ended up more dark than I wanted since I left them in the hot oven even if it was turned off. I frowned deeper at this.
"What?" I heard from behind me, causing a second surge of anger to bubble up inside my chest, but it was quickly joined by exhaustion. I glanced back at him with a flat stare,
"Go Home." This time I put more finality into the words, saying them loud and clear with authority. "If you aren't going to work. And will be in my way. Then you need to Get Out."
I set the darkened pies in the cooling rack, deciding that they aren't damaged enough to not be sold. I turned around to work on the new batch, noticing that the child hadn't left yet. I didn't bother glancing back at him this time, "We will talk when I get home, until then you can train, run around and be a kid, do what you want. As long as it is far away from the store." With that, I continued my work, finally let out one last sigh as I heard the child run off.
I shook my head slowly, "Unbelievable." Then set the ready to bake pies into the ovens and stared them back up. After that…., I glance behind me at the mess on the floor, I'll get started on this trash.
~Later that day~
I gave my final customer a tired grin, waving them off as the finally left my store. Once I was sure that nobody else was going to come in, I changed the sign on the door to closed and moved to one of the booths, sitting down in it and letting my head drop into my hands.
I groaned deeply, letting one hand drop to the table and the other move to rustle my hair.
"Today was certainly… something." I said quietly, closing my eyes against the dim lights of the store, "Of course, it's not over yet."
I thought back to what happened this noon, about Madori's sudden outburst. I wasn't really angry anymore, even then the anger wasn't nearly as strong as the disappointment I felt. I had expected better, for Madori to be able to maturely handle his work load until the end of his shift, then he could yell and scream about it all he wanted. But I never expected him to just quit in the middle of the job, I… really can't respect that, and knowing that Madori had done that just makes me feel utterly let down.
I mean, I understand that he's a kid and that he's not used to this stress, but that also just reminds me that he is nowhere near ready to be a shinobi. What if he gets so stressed and angry on a mission that it gets him or his teammates killed? So stressed that he can't think straight and acts too rashly and pays for it? These are the kinds of things that I worry about for him in his future, and today he proved that he is capable of acting that rashly. I know that working at a bakery may not be what he wants to do in his future, but being a shinobi is really no better. Shinobi are hired to do so many boring, dirty, bloody things that aren't what he expects out of the job, and once he is one, he can't just storm out of that life. It follows you until the very grave.
And for some, even beyond.
I don't want that for Madori, I really don't. And I don't even know if I want him to stay with Dad's friend anymore, he's just not emotionally ready yet. Unless he changes and learns within the next year or so, I may just have to cut that off. And I know that won't go over well.
I groaned again, feeling a pounding headache start to bulldoze through my brain.
It's times like these where I really need a drink.
Shaking my head at that, I slowly got up from the booth and started to close everything down, lock everything up, and make sure I didn't leave anything behind. After all of that, finally time to go home and have a 'Talk' with Madori.
Ugh.
I didn't really rush home after I left the shop, instead, I walked at a slow pace while thinking about what I want to say to Madori that won't just be brushed off and properly convey how disappointed I am without discouraging him too much. I don't WANT to hurt him, but I need to get my point across clearly, and sugarcoating isn't my style. I sighed, this really isn't the kind of thing I like doing, but damn if I don't and let this slide.
I just shake my head and continue until I finally reach the Inn we live in, which we may not be living in for much longer actually. Dad found a nice small place we can rent that's all together cheaper than living at an Inn, and was planning to start the moving process next week, but really? That's the least of my worries right now.
I toss a tired smile to the receptionist lady when I pass, then hurry up the stairs until I reach my floor. Slowly, I approached the door to our temporary home and paused outside of it, frowning deeply. I shook my head again and unlocked the door, no point in stalling after all.
As soon as I stepped into the room, I noticed that only the little lamp next to my bed table was on, meaning most of the suite was dark or dim, casting shadows against the ground and walls. I closed the door behind me and locked it, then headed to the small kitchen immediately, since I haven't actually eaten since breakfast and I'm sure Madori didn't eat anything after lunch time. Normally I would make something a little more than rice, but I didn't really have the energy or patience to make something less basic.
While I was preparing the rice, I noticed the sound of shuffling behind me. I didn't look back at what was undoubtedly Madori, since even if I need to have that talk with him, I rather have food ready for him to eat no matter the outcome.
The process of cooking the rice went on in silence, which wasn't too unusual since me and Madori don't speak that much during the night, but now it's just hanging in the air thickly. Once the rice was nearly done, I turned off the heat and finally turned around to face the child sitting at the table, eyes looking pointedly off to the side. I mentally sighed again, then walked to the other side of the table and got to my knees on the mat, resting my hand on my knees in a formal seiza. After a few moments, Madori finally turned to look at me, face set in an impassive frown. Though, I can see a tinge of nervousness lining his eyes and mouth, and a small twitch to his eyebrows. I give him my own flat stare, which I hope conveyed the seriousness I was trying to show.
"Madori. I'm not going to lie to you. I'm disappointed in the way you handled things today. I realize that you don't like working at my store, that you would rather train or learn something else. I understand that, and if I knew that working for me would be so stressful to you, I would have sent you away earlier. But I am incredibly disappointed that you choose the middle of a busy shift to throw a fit and refuse to do anymore work.
I wouldn't have minded if you came to me after the work day was done and told me that you didn't want to work anymore, but to do that in the middle of business in a fit of anger? It's embarrassing for me, something that no matter how much I love you, I can't respect. I can never respect someone who gives up or rage quits in the middle of work, that shows me that you can't handle doing a job that you dislike and that you are the type of person that would bow out and leave others to finish all the work because you didn't want to 'Deal with it anymore'.
I hope you realize that you can't just do that Madori, especially when you become a shinobi. Shinobi are all purpose tools for the public, you know that? You will be sent on missions where you have to clean up sewers, walk dogs, help out shop owners, and a whole variety of unsavory, dirty jobs that anyone else could have accomplished. And unlike today, you can't just storm out in the middle of these missions, you can't even deny them if your superiors choose them for you.
If you want to be a shinobi, you have to be able to deal with the jobs and complete them no matter how you feel about it. You may think that, 'Oh this is just a stupid crew member job that's ran by my family and it's nothing like what I'm going to do in the future.' but this is the exact same thing that will happen to you the majority of your life." I spoke all of this calmly, with a neutral frown that slowly gave away to a more stressed version as I spoke on. I notice Madori open his mouth to say something, eyebrows furrowed, but I spoke before he could start with me,
"Don't. Interrupt me Madori." I gave him a hard stare, matching his scowl with my own.
"Listen, you don't have to come to work with me for the rest of this week. I'll handle it by myself, you can do whatever you want in the meantime, to cool down from whatever rashness is still left in you. Once Dad returns, I'll ask you if you want to try again, but for now? Just train or something, I won't force you to help me." I ended with that, looking at how Madori just grit his teeth and stared hard at the table, clearly irritated by what I told him. I waited for him to gather his thoughts, so that he could finally say his part. If he had anything to say really, I'm sure I didn't address all the issues he may have had.
"Rakka." He started, straining to put together what he wanted to say, "I just, I don't like having to cater to all of those people's needs. I don't like how so many people had to pull me in all sorts of directions, telling me they want this, then telling me they want that instead. It's annoying and gives me a headache, which makes me angry. I don't like being stressed and I don't like all of the attention everyone gave me, especially when you were gone." He pulled at his long strands, looking away again, "I..I know that I'm supposed to be able to deal with these things, but I just hate it so much."
I sighed softly, "I understand Madori, this job is just not for you. I'm still unhappy with how you handled it, but I understand how your anger tends to get the best of you. Just let it be known that I never want to see you do something like that again. Or to hear that you did either." With that, I stood from my seat and went over to the rice, quietly scooping out enough for two bowls and giving Madori his dinner. Hopefully it settles well, but Madori wasn't really known for having Acid issues. I on the other hand do have issues with acid, so I set our food on the table and walked over to the bedside table and took a small pill bottle from the single drawer, I took one pill out and put the bottle back.
After that it was just more silence, neither of us having anything more to say, even though I know that the issue will probably linger for a while before everything goes back to normal.
Guess that's just how things are gonna roll.
OoOoOoO
After leaving a quick breakfast for Madori for when he woke up, I hurried down to the store to get everything open and ready for once people started to come in. Normally I'd be pretty happy about the amount of business we had recently, but that was when Dad was here to handle all the fine details of the job. But since those duties have fallen on my head because of his leave, I need to get up more early than usual to go through all the mail and paperwork of the day that I couldn't finish yesterday.
Bah.
Anyhow, Once I got myself all set up in the shop, I did my first duty of the day. Checking every single pre-made pie to make sure they aren't spoiled or damaged. If they were bad I threw them out and marked them down on my clipboard, so I can know to make more of that kind. If they were damaged, but not badly so, then I would simply mark them down, make a deal for those who don't mind damaged goods. It's also to see if anyone tampered with them….
Okay so maybe I'm a little paranoid sometimes?
Once that was all checked out I finally got started on the paperwork, which consisted of our dealings with traders, other businesses, and all this other crap I don't feel like mentioning. For a business our size, I feel like I shouldn't have to deal with this. I tried to work quickly and efficiently, marking the fine papers with the most professional looking writing I can manage.
"How are we supposed to supply that many pies in a day? What am I, a factory?" I grumbled darkly, working through the last of the requests before marking a x on the corner and setting it into the 'No can do' pile. Which was shamefully big actually, kinda made me sick knowing that I would have to turn down so many requests that could have easily been filled if I had more space and workers willing to take action. I suppose some of them could have been done if I had someone to watch the shop while I make deliveries but…
"It's just me, goddamnit." My head drops against my fist, letting my stencil tap against my forehead as I thought about how I could salvage some of these to still make the quota. I can do the inside work easily enough, so no worries there, but writing to the rejected customers is gonna be an awkward affair. Should I write them now or later?
Now would probably be better, some of these are due this day and I...wait but can I even get these sent out in time? Why did these have to arrive in the mail today and not like, a day or something beforehand like normal? Maybe we should make a 24 hour notice necessary instead of being so..open about it I suppose.
What time was it?
I glance over at the clock on the wall tiredly, eyeing the hands with a scowl. "So I have half an hour to…" I looked at the other pile of paperwork that dealt with Dad's orders and pick ups and shit.
"Kill me now."
~some time later~
"Ugh!"
I ran my hand against my rat's nest of hair and looked at the working ovens. I could feel my face scrunched up in a scowl as I went to work on taking the prepared pies out to the paying customers.
Normally I can welcome this kind of work with wide arms, and I still do don't get me wrong, but everything that happened yesterday and the long hour of paperwork kinda drained out all my enthusiasm. I had always felt the strain, and I bet you if I was physically older and had less thoughts I'd be owning this experience right now. However, I'm not older and I had a lot on my mind, so the most I could do was school my face into a neutral smile and try not to let my grumpiness affect my service.
"Here you go ma'am, 5 pies freshly made!"
At least I can give them a little smile right? I waved off the woman and took a step back to judge the condition of my store. First off, the flow of customers had finally let up enough so that I could take a little break, right now there were only a few people lingering about, the usual characters. I hope I didn't scare anyone away, cause I think some of the grumpiness leaked out, and I usually try so hard to keep a comforting atmosphere.
Just when I decide that maybe I should just go sit down, some more customers walk into the shop and come up to me. They were here to pick up one of the table sets that Dad had made for them, so I forgo my longed for rest to bring the stuff out for them.
My foot tapped slightly as I waited for the man to finish examining the furniture, staring away at the wall that separates my kitchen from this part of the shop.
"Odd."
I heard the man say loudly, turning to give the man a raised brow. "Is there... a problem? Kyaku-san?" I turned fully to him as he addressed me, the two other guys behind him staying back. I hope this doesn't escallate into some bullshit, but on the other hand, I really want to let off some steam by being rude.
"Are you sure that Yurei-san was the one to make this set? It hardly seems like the quality of a Master Craftsman that he claims himself as."
Ah, this will be fun.
I put an affronted face on, "My Otou-sama is a brilliant designer, from furniture to buildings, recognized across multiple countries as a skilled craftsman whose pieces of art are fit to decorate a Castle! Many times has he been commissioned by nobles of the highest standards, and yet you're telling me that his work is subpar?" I walk over to the table set, a smooth mahogany wood frame with golden snakes twisting up the legs, each snake emerging over the frame to bite down on the corners of the square table. The actual 'table' part of the table was made of gold too, down to the center of the table that was a small silver colored plate that was made for centerpieces. Snakey silver lines branched out from the center across the gold until it met the wood frame, there was also a silver triangle on the snake's head and as the sole of the table's legs to balance the colors more. It looked amazing to me, and it took forever to get half of the metals here from our normal supply. The table came with 8 matching chairs, each one Dad spent a lot of time making, even as he prepared to leave Konoha temporarily.
What does the man possibly see wrong with such beauty, the designs were symmetrical and the wood was finely polished with no rough parts to catch on too. All of the metals had been thoroughly purified and had no random indents or blemishes, and all of the chairs were as comfortable as they were stylish. Even though I gotta admit the snake motif was a little odd, it was what Dad was requested to do.
"Tell me Kyaku-san, How can you say that such beauty isn't the quality of a master?" Aka who the fuck are you to be talking shit?
The man rose to his full height, as if to make the differences between us even more apparent. A fully grown ass man staring down a 4 year old child, hah!
"Well, just look at the dark shade of this wood, stained by what clearly is dark gloss to make it look a richer color than it is. A simple trick to make the product look more than it's worth."
He flicked his hand at the table next, sleeves flapping.
"And the gold is a bit much isn't it? Spread so thin with such a soft metal would be difficult if it was of high quality, yet there is so much of it that it takes over the whole set! In the time the order was placed there is now way it could have all been made in time! Unless it was cheap gold or mixed with another metal!"
Okay what! I felt my oh so pleasant smile twitch at this...this swindler's claims! Out of the corner of my eye I could see other customers standing around near the back, watching these acts but not stepping a single foot towards us. Even the men that came with this stood back and couldn't seem to keep their eyes on us.
Okay Rakka, keep it calm, keep it cool.
Sucking in a breath, I waited until that man was done spilling bullshit out of his mouth before stepping forward again. It's important to never back down against these types, stand your ground and don't give them any leeway!
"I assure you that such claims are made in fault. This wood is a quality mahogany, dark and rich in color! If it was glossed over by dark gloss, it would have been several shades darker! Can you not see the rich and colorful veins? The gloss that you claim is over it would ruin such beauty."
Walking around the table, I held my hand open with a flourish, fighting fire with fire after all!
"Do you not see the bright gold? No metal mixture can ever replicate its luster! If it was cheap as you claim it to be then would it shine so bright?"
The man snorted, holding his hand under his chin as if he was mock thinking, "Oh yes, I suppose a child like you would believe such claims from your Otou-san? But take it from a man who's been on the market for a long time, this little set is hardly worth its mighty price! So many shortcuts taken that lowers the quality! While it may look beautiful to the eye it will surely wear down quicker than a properly made furniture set."
Oh this little fucker, at this point I know my smile has become strained beyond repair. Of course he had to bring up my age, I knew he would, they always do. But using that to talk shit about my Dad and all of the punishing work he's done for his passion? The built up rage was near the bursting point! But I Can't break! It would look so horrible for our shop, our reputation! We've spent so much time trying to build ourselves up just for someone to try so hard to knock us down.
"Well Kyaku-san, Forgive me if I don't believe your word. If you insist so much on the poor quality of this set then why don't you simply request for a different Woodcrafter then? It would not be such a loss for you." Risky, but I need to see if he actually intends to buy it cheaper using pressure or not pay at all and spread lies.
That Rat had the nerve to grin at me, stepping forward to press a hand into his chest, "Of course I'll still buy it! I did have it ordered, as poorly made as it is, so it does belong to me. I simply request that you get rid of such horrible overpricing, it wouldn't do to pay that much for something lesser!"
The former then, really trying to take advantage of the poor child aren't ya? Stand your ground, stand your ground.
"Perhaps you truly are a blind as you are a poor salesman, Kyaku-san."
Everything froze at that smooth voice rolling through the tension, a voice I recognized pretty well I'll say! Tonrir in all his tall, intimidating glory, waltzed into the store. The customers who had the nerve to just stand around instantly parted the way for him, as if just being near the man would draw the cold ire that rolled off his stoic face in waves.
"Arubgetto-sama!"
"Arubgetto-sama…"
Oh this was gonna be good! A large grin slowly replaced the smile on my face as I looked at the pale man, his brow twitching. Now look who has the strained smile you bastard!
Tonrir walked up the table set, pretty much gliding around it slowly as he examined it with his own eyes. Idly, I could hear the whispers of disbelief behind me, which only made the smug relief show more in my grin.
"Arubgetto-sama! How fancy to find you here in such a hole in the wall establishment, whatever could be the reason you're here?"
The man hummed, trailing on finger along the smooth, glossy surface of the table.
"What do you think you fool? I am here to buy one of the acclaimed products of Yurei-san. Even I have heard the recent tales of his craftsmanship, and I must say…"
He raised his hand to look at his finger, then down at the Rat with a dour stare. I think I see some sweat starting to form on his skin, heh.
"The craftsmanship of this set is immaculate. The wood chosen is strong and beautiful, the dark color of it is only enhanced by the intricate gold and silver designs, not a blemish or imperfection to be seen. Such clear gloss only serves to protect and enhance its richness, and only someone who's never laid eyes on true gold or silver could make such a crude mistake as claiming it to be…Cheap."
Kyaku opened his mouth, before a word could come out the businessman turned his gaze towards me, "Yurei-san, how much was this entire set priced at?"
Oh shit he's talking to me!
"23200 ryo Arubgetto-sama!"
Which was admittingly a hefty price, but for the quality of the set it was well worth it! Hoped Tonrir thought so too, since he's the one leading this scene now…
"Hmm, a price worthy of such art indeed. I've done business with the most famed craftsmen over the years, and within my halls have beautiful pieces made from Masters around the nation. That's why I must ask, Yurei-san…" He raised a single perfect brow at me, "Would you allow me to buy this set for 69600 ryo?"
69600 ryo!? First, nice~ Second, that was exactly triple the price! Hopefully my jaw wasn't on the floor, because wowie!
"Wait Arubgetto-sama! You cannot buy this set! I had it commissioned and made! So it's rightfully mine!"
The taller man turned the brow towards Kyaku now, crossing his arms. The way he was looking at that man was, yeesh. Definitely more effective than anything I tried.
"But Kyaku-san, didn't you say that such a set was not worth its price? How could it truly be yours if you aren't willing to pay its price?"
"Well!"
I take this lovely moment to cut in, "Actually Kyaku-san! The contract states that you must pay before being able to claim ownership of the set! There is nothing saying that a higher bidder cannot buy it before you since you refused to pay upfront when offered."
The affronted man whipped his head back to me, but this time all the cool act was gone and replaced with a stressed glare. Took everything in me to resist sticking my tongue at him then and there, I won't give him the satisfaction of me acting childish.
"Do you wish for me to retrieve the contract as proof, Kyaku-san?"
"Yo- Well I!"
"It is such a shame to pass up on the chance to own such a set Kyaku-san, I'll be sure to tell others how fairly you judged it while displaying it in my manor."
The dark haired man grit his teeth so tightly I could hear the strain from here, looking between our judging eyes as he felt the pressure of his decision to gaslight me now.
"Fine, I'll pay the full price of the set! There is no need to debate this..nonsense anymore."
I kicked my foot back and held my hands behind my back, swaying side to side while I pretended to think on the demand. Oh I'm feeling it now, seeing that bastard backing into the corner and scrambling to keep his claim on the set was feeding that dark little thing in my chest! Gosh I love when I have the upperhand! Makes that little sadist in me so happy! But should I actually let him buy the set?
Hmmmm. No.
"I'm deeply sorry Kyaku-san, but Arubgetto-sama here has set a much higher price on the set than you, per the contract I am perfectly in the right to accept his generous offer!"
"Yo-you brat! I commissioned it-"
"And you refused to pay when asked too."
My grin turned into that pleasant business smile again, turning to fully face Tonrir when he came to stand in front of me. I can feel that bastard fuming when I held out my hand, the more powerful businessman paying me the 3x price he offered. Gotta say, the weight in my hands feels awwwwfuly nice~ Hehe!
"I'll have my men come to pick up the set soon, a pleasure doing business with you once more, Yurei-san."
"The pleasure is all mine!"
I faintly heard the frustrated breath that slid through Kyaku's teeth, the man flashing me a hateful glare before marching past the crowd, his groupies or whatever following behind him loyally.
Then I gave the crowd a lovely smile that I hope conveyed how absolute fucking pissed I was that everything that just happened just happened!
What a mess.
OoOoOoO
I managed to get through the rest of the day after that...incident, pretty well. Most of the lollygaggers left after the stand off and if the people couldn't read my grumpiness before, they can definitely read it now. Thankfully everything slowed down enough for me to take a real break. Which is how I found myself sitting in an uninstalled booth in the back of the store, cept I wasn't alone.
Tonrir sat across from me on the booth, elegantly drinking the cup of tea I brewed for him as thanks for stepping in for me. It kinda bugs me y'know? That I needed an adult to help me again, to stand up to grown ups trying to show me up. Really is a blow to the whole independent thing.
"I must thank you again Arubgetto-sama. If you didn't show up when you did, That bastard would have pulled one over me and ruined our reputation."
I tried to keep my voice as steady as I could, the lingering rage still stewing in my gut begging to lash out at somebody. I fiddled with my own cup of tea, tilting it this way and that.
The man across me sighed, then finally opened those striking dark green eyes, "Yurei-san, you don't need to hold it in. All of those eyes judging you are gone now."
That got a reaction out of me, nearly smacking the tea cup across the table when I straightened up. Okay so maybe I wasn't hiding it as well as I thought but...well he was right. There weren't any customers back here and I doubt they'd be able to hear me. Plus didn't I mention this to Madori? That once the work was over you can rage and vent about everything that went wrong peacefully?
I grinded my teeth, peering up at the businessman. Can I really let it all out with him here? I can't afford to make our biggest investor doubt me, to look even worse in front of him than I already did from that fiasco. Yet…
"AUUUGH!"
A loud bang shook the table when my fists swung down on it, my little tea cup bouncing roughly with a -clank!-, well little tea cup, hope you enjoy the ride.
-Bang!-
-Bang!-
-Bang!-
I hit the table again and again, a flustrated, fed up yell ripping through my throat! What the hell even was these last few weeks!? Between getting ran ragged as the only official worker at the shop, dealing with Madori's set of drama, shitty adults being mean to me, and not having any of my safe guards with me, I don't know which was worse!
I can handle a lot of pressure okay? But even I have a breaking point! To think this was just the halfway point, Dad won't be back to help until 2 days from now, 2 more days of juggling everything by myself. My little body just doesn't have the energy to do this alone, but damn, I don't want to let Dad down…
"Ugh!"
-Slam!-
I clenched my eyes shut, both to stave off those traitorous tears because excuse you 4 year old body, and the pain from slamming my head against the hard table. Ouch. I think i'll let my head rest here for a bit… kinda dizzy from that.
The silence hung around the room, the only sounds being my heavy breathing and the near unnoticeable sips from Tonrir's tea cup. My own little teacup was...still standing, huh. Guess some things are more durable than they look. Still got all the tea in it too. Without moving my limp upper body, I wiggled my fingers until I reached my cup and pulled it over, taking a long drink from it.
"Are you feeling a little better now, Yurei-san?"
I Mmhmm'd, pushing onto my elbows so I can look at the man properly. For his part, he didn't seem bothered by my little fit one bit which… felt kinda nice. I can't really vent around Madori since he's already so sensitive to emotions, plus I need to set a good example for him y'know? Mace isn't here to sass at, Brace isn't here to listen silently, it's just.
I sighed, slumping again. "Yeah, a little. Had more pent up anger than I thought I did. Sorry you have to see that tho…" Oh there goes my proper speech too, damn.
"You are just a child, Yurei-san. You have more responsibilities than most civilian children your age, and even if you have the intelligence to juggle it all, there is a limit. I understand this."
That feels nice to hear, it really does. Just having someone like Tonrir here who's pretty big in the business world supporting me, takes some weight off my shoulders. It's nice to feel respected despite my age instead of looked down on because of it. Still, the nerve…
Oh wait.
"Arubgetto-sama, why were you at my shop? I didn't question it before because I was really happy to see ya, but you don't really seem the type to make personal visits."
He hmm'd, setting his empty tea cup on the abused table, "I had heard news that Yurei-san had left Konoha recently for business, but considering that the store was still operating, I figured that you were running it by yourself. A child your age, handling an entire business by yourself, is frankly unimaginable. As a Business owner myself, I know full well the pressure of running a job with no aid. Which is why I decided to pay a visit, simply to see for myself how well you were managing yourself."
Ah...so he really did come to see me? Well shit, didn't expect that out of him… I chuckled, the nervous undertone loud in my ears.
"Aha, guess you've seen what you need to see then. Lil ol me scrambling around like a helpless duckling with a bunch of sharks circling it."
"It's not as bad as you seem to think, you're tired yes, I can tell from those horrid bags. Yet you seemed to have managed your work load regardless, these past few days has released nothing but good news around the market. Everyone you could afford to get to spoke well about your performance, and I have heard that you've turned down orders from quite a few businesses. While it is difficult not to accept every opportunity, you seemed to have realized the limits of what you could do and stuck to them."
That's a lot of praise, like, a lot of praise for bumbling around. Fuck I think I am blushing now! Calm down heart! Gah, how could he say all of that with the same stoic expression!?
I resisted the urge to hide my face behind my hands and settled on grinning, "Ahehe, that's..Thanks!" I rubbed through my thick hair, another flustered giggle leaving my lips. I'm being so embarrassing right now...but I also love being praised like this! I wanna preen under the attention!
"However I must ask, if you are as overwhelmed as you seem, why haven't you requested the aid of a genin team? There are plenty of them ready to be put to work, and the extra hands would only do you good."
I opened my mouth to immediately reject the idea because of a little something called Pride, but snapped it shut because dammit he's right. Without Dad, Madori, the horses, or the wagon, I've been completely helpless. There really was only so much I could do… I can't afford to overwork myself and get sick, because that would be a DISASTER! All caps! Our reputation would stagnate, along with our income that is very much needed mind you!
"Yeah…" I started in defeat, "Yeah that's a good idea. Just gonna have to suck it up and ask for help…"
Wait.
"Err, Arubgetto-sama...how do I put in an official request for the genin team? Do I like, write a letter and send it to the big office or do I have to go in and request it myself?"
He sat his teacup down finally, "Either or, So long as you have the pay."
Okay, right…
Fuck, I'm out of my depth here.
Chapter done! Things are getting to be a bit much for poor lil Rakka here, but she'll be fine. Next chapter will be….I dunno honestly, whenever I feel like writing a story that isn't rp. There will be the party, new genin (I may or may not take requests), Rakka getting cornered, and more! Stay safe out there peeps!