The next day, Makoto did indeed return from his hunt, sporting a few injuries which themselves quickly healed, and a large boarāa creature heād chanced upon in the forest on his way back home. Admittedly, he would have left it alone on most occasions, but something had seemed to be irritating it, and when it had caught sight of the man moving quietly through the trees, it had not let him pass, as it perhaps would have otherwise. Instead, it had charged him, and he was forced to fight it. At the very least, he supposed, shifting the massive burden of it over his back, it would feed his family for a while.
It was so large, however, that much of the meat would spoil before they could use it, and there was little point in that. So he packaged up what neither his immediate family nor his uncleās family could use, removed the tusks, which would sell in town, and placed it all in a satchel over his back. His shortswords remained crossed over his lower back, but he forewent his bow for the moment.
Not often did Makoto go into town without Yuzuki with him, but she had shrine duties to tend to today, and he did not relish the idea of needing to rely on her to accomplish something so simple as this. He could make himself interact with people, it was just always a profoundly uncomfortable experience. Awkward was an understatement, to say the least. It was a personal failing, and he was not fond of it, butā¦ he had to admit, if only to himself, that he didnāt try very hard to do anything about it, either. Sighing through his nose, the Slayer set his feet for town, ignoring the staring, which was usually much worse when Yuzuki was not present, as though she was a buffer between him and the rest of the world, a shield that seemed to deflect negativity with an effortless sort of charm.
Mako, on the other hand, was the opposite of charming. Repugnant, to say the least, and from the disdain he received, ugly also. Well, it wasnāt like he owned a mirror, so he could only suppose so. It didnāt matter mush when you were knee-deep in demon guts anyway, only when you had to pass by people who didnāt know you, like this. He chose to ignore it, and proceeded until he had reached the inn. Yuzu had told him when he went to see her today that the innkeeper and the cook had provided her with a free lunch yesterday. This wasnāt exactly repayment for that, but it would be a gift in return, he supposed. Generosity deserved the same, and he was generally disposed to show it to those who were good to Yuzu.
Though he stepped inside, he didnāt immediately see anyone. The time was a bit too early for lunch, and thus far too early for drinking, but late enough that the guests had likely left to conduct the dayās business. He wondered if Masurao was in, or if heād have to go poking around in the back to find someone.
Yujin sat at the back of the restaurant, enjoying the silence and the moment of peace the emptiness brought with it. He had returned not more than two days ago from a job Tatsuki asked of him. It wasn't much of a job when one was asked to gather herbs and spices for the kitchen. It wasn't easy, but he found a majority of the items on her list and he had returned with the package in tow. He earned a few scrapes here and there, some from falling into a bush of thorns, and one for clipping his elbow against a jagged rock, however; one wouldn't be able to tell with his healing abilities. He yawned, loudly, and barely covered his mouth with his hand.
"Tsu-Tsu! I'm hungry," he complained rolling into the kitchen, pulling back the curtain that shielded the kitchen from the actual restaurant. He pursed his lips together, a sight to behold on such a large Oni, however; Tatsuki merely kept a straight face and continued chopping away at the daikon root. She cast him a side glance, a light smile tugging at her lips before she returned to her dish. "That is cold, Tsu-Tsu," he continued, frowning slightly before shaking his head. He walked over towards Tatsuki and glanced over her shoulder, staring at the soup she was making. He reached over, placing his index finger on the brim of the pot before it was smacked away.
"You will not touch that, Yuji. You'll ruin it with the taste of you," Tatsuki stated, frowning at the Oni who merely chuckled. He stepped back as she went back to rolling the noodles out, stretching them before cutting them into strings. "If you are that hungry, go take one of the steamed buns from the pot over there. Those are finished," she stated, smacking Yujin's hand once more as he made for the broth. He feigned a hurt look, pursing his lips together as Tatsuki merely raised a brow.
"You know, it might actually improve the taste if it had a little of me in it. You never know," he continued, shrugging his shoulders. Tatsuki just shook her head, however; she paused in what she was doing when someone entered the area. She blinked slowly, staring at the white-haired Hanyou for a moment as Yujin smirked in amusement. "Well, if it isn't Mako," he began, leaning against the counter. He placed his hand underneath his chin as he continued to stare at the Hanyou. Tatsuki pursed her lips together before returning her attention to her meal, a light pink dusting her cheeks. Yujin merely chuckled lightly at his sister's response.
"Don't mind Tsu-Tsu, she's happy to see you too," he stated, his smirk growing when the girl glared at him.
Makoto somehow doubted that, but he kept his thoughts to himself. People were rarely happy to see him, and he didnāt hold it against them. He wasnāt all that pleasant to keep company with. Nodding to the both of them, he figured he might as well leave the gift with Tatsuki, since she was the cook and would know how to make use of it. Shrugging his satchel off his shoulder, pulling several paper-wrapped bundles out of it, each one tied with string and apparently weighing around five pounds. There were four in total. He used the short delay to compose his words as well as he could in advance, so he wouldn't stumble over them the way he usually did.
āI ran across a boar, in the forest. Thereās too much for just my family, soā¦ I figured someone could make use of the meat.ā He glanced up, then between them for a brief moment before he returned for looking straight ahead, though he addressed Tatsuki. āThank you. For yesterday. Yuzu says she enjoyed lunch a great deal.ā Clearing his throat awkwardly, he pushed a heavier-than-usual breath out his nose and turned to depart.
Yujin stared at Makoto, watching as the Hanyou remained silent, and instead pulled four parcels from his bag. His lips tilted in light amusement as he watched Makoto hand the parcels to Tatsuki, who blinked a bit confusedly at the items. "Thank...you?" she stated, unsure whether or not she should have stated that as more of a statement than a question. She could hear a snort escaping Yujin as she took one of the parcels, pulling it open and stared at the meat. She smiled faintly, a ghost like appearance upon her face, before it quickly faded. She knew Yuzuki would like the meal. Perhaps she should make more for her and have them premade.
"In a hurry to be somewhere Mako?" Yujin stated as he glanced at Makoto, turning to leave the restaurant. "You should stay. Tata makes a really good Inoshishi Ramen," he stated, keeping a laugh from escaping him as Tatsuki shot him a glare. She really didn't like that nickname, and she didn't understand why he insisted on calling her that. Yujin just shrugged his shoulders as he smiled coyly. "It shouldn't take too long to make, and Tsu-Tsu would make it special just for us," he continued. He glanced towards Tatsuki, who kept her focus on the meat in front of her, but noticed the small pink dusting her cheeks turn a deeper shade.
"You shouldn't do that, Yuji. If he needs to be somewhere, let him go," she stated, her voice coming out a bit dry. She didn't do it intentionally, however, and she pursed her lips together when she realized how it sounded. Taking a slow breath, she placed the utensils down and turned to face the two, glaring at Yujin while staring at Makoto. He really did have pretty white hair. She shook the thought from her mind as she pursed her lips together. "If...if you don't mind..." she began, fumbling over her words as she tried to piece them together.
"I don't mind that is...i-if you stay for the ramen," she concluded, quickly turning around, her face feeling a little warmer than usual. Yujin kept a snicker to himself as he watched his sister turn to work on the meat. This was becoming a little too much fun for the Oni. He needed to make it a little more entertaining, though.
Makoto stopped in his motion out the door, turning halfway back so that he was looking at the two over his shoulder, then rotating so that the rest of him faced back inwards at the door. He met neither pair of eyes, though he did look at them when they spokeāsort of. It was more like he was looking slightly over their shoulders, but hard to tell for certain, given the distance. Yujinās words put a furrow in his brow. He didnāt have somewhere to be urgentlyāwas he being rude in leaving? Heād simply assumed they would both prefer to get on with their business, but the implication was something he did not fully understand.
At least Tatsukiās words were a little less mysterious to him, though they still caused him to blink slowly, tilting his head slightly to one side. A few locks of snowy hair fell over his violet eyes, and the crease in his brow eased, leaving the skin smooth and as unnaturally-pale as ever. āIfā¦ if it is not untoward, I mayā¦ something to eat would be kind.ā Heād not eaten for almost half a day in hours, actually, having gotten to his errands as soon as he returned home, without a break. He would probably sleep for most of the rest of the day, after he collected his payment from the client, but perhaps eating would not be unwise.
āI do not wish to consume your resources without compensating you, however.ā Everyone in this place worked hard for their livelihoodsā¦ well, except the yakuza, who knew only how to plunder. He pursed his lips slightly. āIsā¦ there some work I might do in recompense? I have little coin to offer instead.ā
Yujin laughed softly, though tempted to let out a full bellowed laugh. He made do with what he could, though, and grinned brightly at the Hanyou. "That's the spirit. Oni tend to enjoy Inoshishi ramen in the company of others. And yes, I know you're here too, Tsu-Tsu, but the more the merrier," he stated, his eyes dancing with mirth. Tatsuki gave Yujin a flat look before rolling her eyes at the Oni. "What?" was the only statement he issued, his face contorting into something of a half-smile and a smirk. He leaned over and tapped Tatsuki on her nose, causing the girl to swat his hand away violently, her face deepening in color.
"Yujin, stop that!" she nearly hissed out, rubbing her nose before turning her attention towards Makoto. She cleared her throat and processed her words slowly. They wouldn't come out right otherwise, and she'd probably confuse Makoto more than she confused herself when se tried to speak to others who were not Masurao or Yujin. "Payment is not necessary. You brought us...the meat, and I don't want your money," she stated, pursing her lips together. She didn't mean for it to come out that way, however; she sighed and slumped her shoulders a bit.
"What Tsu-Tsu is trying to say is that you don't need to repay her. She'll do it anyway for free. You've provided the meat, so that is, in itself, a repayment," Yujin chimed in, speaking the words in a nonchalant manner. "Besides, you look like you could use more food in you," he continued, closing his eyes as he smiled at the Hanyou. It was caught between a toothed grin and a lopsided smile, however; the mischievous tint behind both was enough to make anyone a little wary of the Oni.
"Yuji...shut it."
The meat was only because they had been kind to Yuzuki, but he sensed that it wasnāt really a point worth arguing over, and so he didnāt bother to point this out. The comment about his relative size formed a small frown on his face, but Makoto wasnāt really offended. The vast majority of hanyou looked something like Masurao didāvery tall, very broad, and disposed to strength over agility. He had always been different. His unsightly coloration was the marker of his ancestry, separating he and the very few like him from those hanyou that could pass for full human. Honestly, even the ones that wound up with demon coloration usually only had eyes of a strange hue. Hair like his was almost unheard-of. Heād certainly never met anyone who looked like him. It was a littleā¦ lonely, particularly in his childhood. The humans though he was freakish; the oni just found him freakishly small.
He didnāt even hold it against them, really. āThank you,ā he said bluntly, directing it primarily to Tatsuki, though not to the complete exclusion of Yujin, either. They did not seem ill people, and that alone was enough to bring him some comfort. Yuzuki was known for making friends with all kinds, and then her kindness was exploited. They seemed unlikely to do so, which meant less work for him, in the long run. Taking a seat, he folded his hands in his lap and let the cook return to her workāhe was respectful enough not to want to interrupt, after her, and awkward enough not to know how even if heād desired otherwise.
It was so large, however, that much of the meat would spoil before they could use it, and there was little point in that. So he packaged up what neither his immediate family nor his uncleās family could use, removed the tusks, which would sell in town, and placed it all in a satchel over his back. His shortswords remained crossed over his lower back, but he forewent his bow for the moment.
Not often did Makoto go into town without Yuzuki with him, but she had shrine duties to tend to today, and he did not relish the idea of needing to rely on her to accomplish something so simple as this. He could make himself interact with people, it was just always a profoundly uncomfortable experience. Awkward was an understatement, to say the least. It was a personal failing, and he was not fond of it, butā¦ he had to admit, if only to himself, that he didnāt try very hard to do anything about it, either. Sighing through his nose, the Slayer set his feet for town, ignoring the staring, which was usually much worse when Yuzuki was not present, as though she was a buffer between him and the rest of the world, a shield that seemed to deflect negativity with an effortless sort of charm.
Mako, on the other hand, was the opposite of charming. Repugnant, to say the least, and from the disdain he received, ugly also. Well, it wasnāt like he owned a mirror, so he could only suppose so. It didnāt matter mush when you were knee-deep in demon guts anyway, only when you had to pass by people who didnāt know you, like this. He chose to ignore it, and proceeded until he had reached the inn. Yuzu had told him when he went to see her today that the innkeeper and the cook had provided her with a free lunch yesterday. This wasnāt exactly repayment for that, but it would be a gift in return, he supposed. Generosity deserved the same, and he was generally disposed to show it to those who were good to Yuzu.
Though he stepped inside, he didnāt immediately see anyone. The time was a bit too early for lunch, and thus far too early for drinking, but late enough that the guests had likely left to conduct the dayās business. He wondered if Masurao was in, or if heād have to go poking around in the back to find someone.
Yujin sat at the back of the restaurant, enjoying the silence and the moment of peace the emptiness brought with it. He had returned not more than two days ago from a job Tatsuki asked of him. It wasn't much of a job when one was asked to gather herbs and spices for the kitchen. It wasn't easy, but he found a majority of the items on her list and he had returned with the package in tow. He earned a few scrapes here and there, some from falling into a bush of thorns, and one for clipping his elbow against a jagged rock, however; one wouldn't be able to tell with his healing abilities. He yawned, loudly, and barely covered his mouth with his hand.
"Tsu-Tsu! I'm hungry," he complained rolling into the kitchen, pulling back the curtain that shielded the kitchen from the actual restaurant. He pursed his lips together, a sight to behold on such a large Oni, however; Tatsuki merely kept a straight face and continued chopping away at the daikon root. She cast him a side glance, a light smile tugging at her lips before she returned to her dish. "That is cold, Tsu-Tsu," he continued, frowning slightly before shaking his head. He walked over towards Tatsuki and glanced over her shoulder, staring at the soup she was making. He reached over, placing his index finger on the brim of the pot before it was smacked away.
"You will not touch that, Yuji. You'll ruin it with the taste of you," Tatsuki stated, frowning at the Oni who merely chuckled. He stepped back as she went back to rolling the noodles out, stretching them before cutting them into strings. "If you are that hungry, go take one of the steamed buns from the pot over there. Those are finished," she stated, smacking Yujin's hand once more as he made for the broth. He feigned a hurt look, pursing his lips together as Tatsuki merely raised a brow.
"You know, it might actually improve the taste if it had a little of me in it. You never know," he continued, shrugging his shoulders. Tatsuki just shook her head, however; she paused in what she was doing when someone entered the area. She blinked slowly, staring at the white-haired Hanyou for a moment as Yujin smirked in amusement. "Well, if it isn't Mako," he began, leaning against the counter. He placed his hand underneath his chin as he continued to stare at the Hanyou. Tatsuki pursed her lips together before returning her attention to her meal, a light pink dusting her cheeks. Yujin merely chuckled lightly at his sister's response.
"Don't mind Tsu-Tsu, she's happy to see you too," he stated, his smirk growing when the girl glared at him.
Makoto somehow doubted that, but he kept his thoughts to himself. People were rarely happy to see him, and he didnāt hold it against them. He wasnāt all that pleasant to keep company with. Nodding to the both of them, he figured he might as well leave the gift with Tatsuki, since she was the cook and would know how to make use of it. Shrugging his satchel off his shoulder, pulling several paper-wrapped bundles out of it, each one tied with string and apparently weighing around five pounds. There were four in total. He used the short delay to compose his words as well as he could in advance, so he wouldn't stumble over them the way he usually did.
āI ran across a boar, in the forest. Thereās too much for just my family, soā¦ I figured someone could make use of the meat.ā He glanced up, then between them for a brief moment before he returned for looking straight ahead, though he addressed Tatsuki. āThank you. For yesterday. Yuzu says she enjoyed lunch a great deal.ā Clearing his throat awkwardly, he pushed a heavier-than-usual breath out his nose and turned to depart.
Yujin stared at Makoto, watching as the Hanyou remained silent, and instead pulled four parcels from his bag. His lips tilted in light amusement as he watched Makoto hand the parcels to Tatsuki, who blinked a bit confusedly at the items. "Thank...you?" she stated, unsure whether or not she should have stated that as more of a statement than a question. She could hear a snort escaping Yujin as she took one of the parcels, pulling it open and stared at the meat. She smiled faintly, a ghost like appearance upon her face, before it quickly faded. She knew Yuzuki would like the meal. Perhaps she should make more for her and have them premade.
"In a hurry to be somewhere Mako?" Yujin stated as he glanced at Makoto, turning to leave the restaurant. "You should stay. Tata makes a really good Inoshishi Ramen," he stated, keeping a laugh from escaping him as Tatsuki shot him a glare. She really didn't like that nickname, and she didn't understand why he insisted on calling her that. Yujin just shrugged his shoulders as he smiled coyly. "It shouldn't take too long to make, and Tsu-Tsu would make it special just for us," he continued. He glanced towards Tatsuki, who kept her focus on the meat in front of her, but noticed the small pink dusting her cheeks turn a deeper shade.
"You shouldn't do that, Yuji. If he needs to be somewhere, let him go," she stated, her voice coming out a bit dry. She didn't do it intentionally, however, and she pursed her lips together when she realized how it sounded. Taking a slow breath, she placed the utensils down and turned to face the two, glaring at Yujin while staring at Makoto. He really did have pretty white hair. She shook the thought from her mind as she pursed her lips together. "If...if you don't mind..." she began, fumbling over her words as she tried to piece them together.
"I don't mind that is...i-if you stay for the ramen," she concluded, quickly turning around, her face feeling a little warmer than usual. Yujin kept a snicker to himself as he watched his sister turn to work on the meat. This was becoming a little too much fun for the Oni. He needed to make it a little more entertaining, though.
Makoto stopped in his motion out the door, turning halfway back so that he was looking at the two over his shoulder, then rotating so that the rest of him faced back inwards at the door. He met neither pair of eyes, though he did look at them when they spokeāsort of. It was more like he was looking slightly over their shoulders, but hard to tell for certain, given the distance. Yujinās words put a furrow in his brow. He didnāt have somewhere to be urgentlyāwas he being rude in leaving? Heād simply assumed they would both prefer to get on with their business, but the implication was something he did not fully understand.
At least Tatsukiās words were a little less mysterious to him, though they still caused him to blink slowly, tilting his head slightly to one side. A few locks of snowy hair fell over his violet eyes, and the crease in his brow eased, leaving the skin smooth and as unnaturally-pale as ever. āIfā¦ if it is not untoward, I mayā¦ something to eat would be kind.ā Heād not eaten for almost half a day in hours, actually, having gotten to his errands as soon as he returned home, without a break. He would probably sleep for most of the rest of the day, after he collected his payment from the client, but perhaps eating would not be unwise.
āI do not wish to consume your resources without compensating you, however.ā Everyone in this place worked hard for their livelihoodsā¦ well, except the yakuza, who knew only how to plunder. He pursed his lips slightly. āIsā¦ there some work I might do in recompense? I have little coin to offer instead.ā
Yujin laughed softly, though tempted to let out a full bellowed laugh. He made do with what he could, though, and grinned brightly at the Hanyou. "That's the spirit. Oni tend to enjoy Inoshishi ramen in the company of others. And yes, I know you're here too, Tsu-Tsu, but the more the merrier," he stated, his eyes dancing with mirth. Tatsuki gave Yujin a flat look before rolling her eyes at the Oni. "What?" was the only statement he issued, his face contorting into something of a half-smile and a smirk. He leaned over and tapped Tatsuki on her nose, causing the girl to swat his hand away violently, her face deepening in color.
"Yujin, stop that!" she nearly hissed out, rubbing her nose before turning her attention towards Makoto. She cleared her throat and processed her words slowly. They wouldn't come out right otherwise, and she'd probably confuse Makoto more than she confused herself when se tried to speak to others who were not Masurao or Yujin. "Payment is not necessary. You brought us...the meat, and I don't want your money," she stated, pursing her lips together. She didn't mean for it to come out that way, however; she sighed and slumped her shoulders a bit.
"What Tsu-Tsu is trying to say is that you don't need to repay her. She'll do it anyway for free. You've provided the meat, so that is, in itself, a repayment," Yujin chimed in, speaking the words in a nonchalant manner. "Besides, you look like you could use more food in you," he continued, closing his eyes as he smiled at the Hanyou. It was caught between a toothed grin and a lopsided smile, however; the mischievous tint behind both was enough to make anyone a little wary of the Oni.
"Yuji...shut it."
The meat was only because they had been kind to Yuzuki, but he sensed that it wasnāt really a point worth arguing over, and so he didnāt bother to point this out. The comment about his relative size formed a small frown on his face, but Makoto wasnāt really offended. The vast majority of hanyou looked something like Masurao didāvery tall, very broad, and disposed to strength over agility. He had always been different. His unsightly coloration was the marker of his ancestry, separating he and the very few like him from those hanyou that could pass for full human. Honestly, even the ones that wound up with demon coloration usually only had eyes of a strange hue. Hair like his was almost unheard-of. Heād certainly never met anyone who looked like him. It was a littleā¦ lonely, particularly in his childhood. The humans though he was freakish; the oni just found him freakishly small.
He didnāt even hold it against them, really. āThank you,ā he said bluntly, directing it primarily to Tatsuki, though not to the complete exclusion of Yujin, either. They did not seem ill people, and that alone was enough to bring him some comfort. Yuzuki was known for making friends with all kinds, and then her kindness was exploited. They seemed unlikely to do so, which meant less work for him, in the long run. Taking a seat, he folded his hands in his lap and let the cook return to her workāhe was respectful enough not to want to interrupt, after her, and awkward enough not to know how even if heād desired otherwise.